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School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Psychology
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Mission |
Objectives |
Assessment |
Faculty |
Student Work |
Departmental Learning Goals and Objectives
| Goal I:
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[Written Communication] To write
effectively, using appropriate writing styles (including
APA style).
Primary Courses and Experiences: Psyc 300, 301L,
302L, 303L, 304L, 310L, 312L, 315L, 316L, and other
psychology courses with suitable writing assignment.
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| Objective A: |
The student should be able to create
papers and reports that communicate ideas clearly, and
are well-organized and free from major writing errors;
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| Objective B: |
The student should be able
to use all elements of APA style appropriate to the form
of writing, including APA-formatted reference citations
in the text and entries in the reference list;
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| Objective C: |
The student should be able
to respond to essay questions on exams with clear,
well-organized presentations appropriate to the topic.
Criterion: Ability to produce clear, organized
writing that is free of major writing errors and that
is, when appropriate, in APA style.
Examples of Evidence: Copy of research paper or
proposal, literature review, critical analysis paper,
application paper, and essays from exams. |
| Goal II:
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[Oral Communication] To
communicate effectively in face-to-face situations.
Primary Courses and Experiences: Psyc 291, Behs
311, Psyc 320, 321, Psych Club or Psi Chi activities,
and conference
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| Objective A: |
The student should be able to give a
speech or presentation for five minutes or longer on a
psychology-related topic;
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| Objective B: |
The student should be able
to facilitate a group to attain defined group goals;
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| Objective C: |
The student should be able
to communicate ideas and opinions effectively as a group
member or in a dyadic situation.
Criterion: Demonstrated ability to communicate
effectively in interpersonal and group situations.
Examples of Evidence: Outline of speech; audio-
or videotape of speech or of group/dyadic interaction
such as an interview ; listener or participant feedback;
description of activity. |
| Goal III:
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[Interpersonal Skills] To work
effectively with others.
Primary Courses and Experiences: Psyc 291, Behs
311, Psyc 320, 321, 396, 496, 497, 498, Psych Club or
Psi Chi participation as officers or in some other
responsible capacity.
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| Objective A: |
The student should be able to Work
cooperatively as a member of a team or dyad to
accomplish common goals;
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| Objective B: |
The student should be able
to Demonstrate the ability to establish an appropriate
and effective relationship with people in one’s work,
educational, and personal activities.
Criterion: Evidence of working cooperatively and
constructively with others.
Examples of Evidence: Summary of human corps or
other applied experience; feedback from members or
advisor of an organization such as Psi Chi or Psych
Club; feedback from those tutored or taught. |
| Goal IV:
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[Cultural Awareness] To
understand and be aware of differences among people.
Primary Courses and Experiences: Psyc 291, 312,
315, 320, 321, 340, 442.
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| Objective A: |
The student should be able to Work
effectively with someone who is different in gender,
age, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, or
physical, emotional, or cognitive ability;
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| Objective B: |
The student should be able
to Describe the perspectives of those different in
gender, age, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, or
physical, emotional, or cognitive ability.
Criterion: Demonstrate the ability to understand,
work with, and be sensitive to those with perspectives
different from one’s own.
Examples of Evidence: Paper that demonstrates
understanding and sensitivity; report of experiences
that demonstrate understanding, sensitivity, and
effectiveness. |
| Goal V:
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[Technology] To use technology
effectively.
Primary Courses and Experiences: Psyc 300, 301L,
302L, 303L, 304L, 310L, 312L, 315L, 316L, research
experience.
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| Objective A: |
The student should be able to use word
processing programs;
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| Objective B: |
The student should be able
to use e-mail;
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| Objective C: |
The student should be able
to search electronic databases such as PsychInfo, search
the Internet, and be able to distinguish between primary
vs. secondary sources and empirical vs. other sources;
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| Objective D: |
The student should be able
to use a statistical package such as SPSS to analyze
data and interpret the output;
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| Objective E: |
The student should be able
to use a graphics package such as Cricket to create
graphical presentations of data.
Criterion: Demonstrated ability to use each of
these technologies.
Examples of Evidence: Papers which demonstrate
the use of such technological approaches. |
| Goal VI:
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[Methodology] To understand the
role of research methods in psychology.
Primary Courses and Experiences: Psyc 300, 301L,
302L, 303L, 304L, 310L, 312L, 315L, 316L.
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| Objective A: |
The student should be able to devise
useful operational definitions of variables;
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| Objective B: |
The student should be able
to develop valid empirical tests of hypotheses;
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| Objective C: |
The student should be able
to distinguish between methodologies that do and do not
yield conclusions about cause and effect relationships;
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| Objective D: |
The student should be able
to plan valid statistical tests of hypotheses and
distinguish between outcomes that do and do not support
hypotheses.
Criterion: Evidence from research reports, exams,
and other sources that demonstrates the understanding of
and ability to use research methodologies common to
psychology.
Examples of Evidence: Papers and/or exam answers. |
| Goal VII:
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[Logical Reasoning] To use
psychological research and theory to reach conclusions.
Primary Courses and Experiences: Psyc 300, 301,
301L, 302, 302L, 303, 303L, 304, 304L, 310, 310L, 312,
312L, 315, 315L, 316, 316L, 429, research experience.
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| Objective A: |
The student should be able to Justify
and, where appropriate, challenge conclusions in
published research articles on the basis of research
design and procedures used;
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| Objective B: |
The student should be able
to Explain and reconcile real and apparent disagreements
among several published research studies on the same
topic;
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| Objective C: |
The student should be able
to Identify and explain logically appropriate and
logically inappropriate assertions associated with at
least one theory in the traditional experimental fields
of psychology and at least one theory in the traditional
human behavior fields of psychology;
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| Objective D: |
The student should be able
to State, explain, and illustrate the implications for
real world phenomena of at least one theory from
traditional experimental fields of psychology and at
least one theory from traditional human behavior fields
of psychology.
Criterion: Demonstrated ability to understand and
evaluate research findings and the links among theory
and research.
Examples of Evidence: Papers and/or exam answers. |
| Goal VIII:
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Theory: To understand and apply
psychological theories and principles.
Primary Courses and Experiences: Psyc 301, 301L,
302, 302L, 303, 303L, 304, 304L, 310, 310L, 312, 312L,
315, 315L, 316, 316L, 429.
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| Objective A: |
The student should be able to explain
and distinguish among the major theoretical approaches
in at least three of these areas of psychology:
biological, psychoanalytic, cognitive, behavioral, and
humanistic;
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| Objective B: |
The student should be able
to accurately identify, define, and provide
illustrations for important concepts and principles
associated with at least one theory from traditional
experimental fields of psychology and at least one
theory from traditional human behavior fields of
psychology;
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| Objective C: |
The student should be able
to state, explain, and illustrate the differing
implications for real world phenomena of at least two
major theories that address the same topic.
Criterion: Demonstrated ability to understand and
apply major psychological theories.
Examples of Evidence: Papers and/or exam answers. |
| Goal IX:
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[Self-Understanding] To
understand oneself.
Primary Courses and Experiences: Psyc 291, Behs
311, Psyc 320, 321, 340, 421, and the Personal Statement
prepared for the Portfolio.
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| Objective A: |
The student should be able to describe
his or her personal values and how those values affect
his or her life;
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| Objective B: |
The student should be able
to use psychological theories, principles, and concepts
to provide insight and understanding into his or her
behavior and experiences.
Criterion: Ability to develop and utilize a set
of personal values and to understand oneself from the
perspectives of psychological theories, principles, and
concepts.
Examples of Evidence: Student summary; papers
that apply psychology to personal experiences. |
| Goal X:
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[Ethics] To understand and apply
ethical principles, particularly those stressed by the
"Ethical Principles of Psychologists."
Primary Courses and Experiences: Psyc 291, 300,
301L, 302L, 303L, 304L, 310L, 312L, 315L, 316L, 396,
429, 481, 496, 497, 498.
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| Objective A: |
The student should be able to summarize
the ethical principles that guide psychological research
and practice;
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| Objective B: |
The student should be able
to prepare a research proposal that addresses the
ethical guidelines for psychological research;
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| Objective C: |
Objective C: The student
should be able to understand and adhere to the APA’s
"Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of
Conduct" that deal with competence, integrity, respect,
and responsibility.
Criterion: Evidence that the student understands
and has formulated an operative set of ethical standards
in the conduct of psychological research and in
professional interactions with others
Examples of Evidence: Research report
illustrating ethical considerations; student summary;
feedback from supervisors of applied experiences. |
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