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Basic Psychological processes

By Dr. Anne Samyukta   |   English & Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad (Host University)
Learners enrolled: 494

Description of the course:

  • This course addresses the needs of beginners in psychology.
  • It also meets the needs of students of social sciences like education, nursing, social work, physiotherapy, management, law, and other courses that require a basic grounding in psychology.
  • The topics covered are introduction, biological bases of behavior, sensory and perceptual processes, learning, memory and forgetting, motivation, emotion, thinking and reasoning, states of consciousness, personality, and intelligence.
  • It contains review materials, assignments, case studies, practice questions to help you understand and remember the concepts.
  • It has a continuity of existing classic theories and studies, which forms the basis


Basic Psychological Processes course is of 12 weeks duration with 4 credits and possess 47 modules. The students will be exposed to e-content, e-tutorials, and discussion forum where they can interact with the principal investigator or the teaching assistant as per the MOOC’s guidelines. The course will include assessments as well as evaluations. The assessments will be in the form of MCQs, assignments, and interaction on discussion forum. Course certificates will be provided based on 30 percent for in-course Assessments and 70 percent for end-term proctored exam.


Objectives and learning outcomes of the course 

  1. To provide an understanding of modern-day psychology
  2. To give a critical overview and understanding of psychological processes
  3. To highlight the importance of psychological processes in everyday life
  4. To apply psychological processes to one’s own life and outer world

Summary
Course Status : Upcoming
Course Type : Core
Language for course content : English
Duration : 12 weeks
Category :
  • Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit Points : 4
Level : Undergraduate
Start Date : 12 Jan 2026
End Date : 30 Apr 2026
Enrollment Ends : 28 Feb 2026
Exam Date :
Translation Languages : English
NCrF Level   : 4.5

Page Visits



Course layout

Weekly Plan

 

   Weeks

           Weekly Lecture Topics

Assignments (No. & Type)*

Week 1

1.        Definition, Nature and Scope of Psychology and Goals of Psychology

2.        Methods of Studying Human Behaviour

3.        Structure of a Neuron –Neural process, Neurotransmitters

4.        Central Nervous system

 

 (1 Objective)

 

 

Week 2

1.      Endocrine system

2.      Difference between Sensation and Perception, Types of Sensations

3.      Vision

4.      Sensory processes

 

 (1 Objective)

 

 

Week 3

1.     Attention: Environmental and Personal Factors

2.     Sensory and perceptual processes- depth perception monocular and                                binocular cues

3.     Perception: Gestalt Principles of Perceptual Organization

4.     Perceptual Constancies

 

 (1 Objective)

 

 

Week 4

1.     Classical Conditioning

  1. Operant Conditioning
  2. Observational learning
  3. Motivational and cognitive influences of verbal learning

 

 (1 Objective)

 

 

Week 5

  1. Concept of motivation
  2. Theory of Hierarchy of Needs and Motivational Conflict
  3. Dynamics of Human Behaviour – Motivation Cycle, Types of Motives: Biogenic, Sociogenic, Psychogenic (Achievement, power and affiliation) and Intrinsic and extrinsic
  4. Nature and Types of Emotions

 

 (1 Objective)

 

 

Week 6

  1. Theories of Emotion
  2. Memory
  3. Methods of Improving Memory – Mnemonics, Organization, Elaboration, Rehearsal
  4. Forgetting

 

 (1 Objective)

 

 

Week 7

  1. Amnesia
  2. Nature & Definition of Intelligence
  3. Genetic & Environmental Influences on Intelligence
  4. Theories of Intelligence

 

 

 (1 Objective)

 

 

 

 

Week 8

  1. Extremes of Intelligence, Distribution of Intelligence, Exceptional and Gifted
  2. Types of Intelligence Tests
  3. Concepts - types and processes in concept formation

 

 (1 Objective)

 

 

Week 9

  1. Nature and Types of Thinking
  2. Creativity
  3. Reasoning-Deductive and Inductive
  4. Problem solving and Decision making

 

(1 Objective)

 

Week 10

  1. Concept and Nature of Personality
  2. Trait and Type Approaches
  3. Psychoanalytic Approach to Personality
  4. Other Psychodynamic Approaches to Personality

(1 Objective)

 

Week 11

  1. Humanistic Approach
  2. Socio-Cognitive Approach to Personality
  3. Personality Assessment; Inventories
  4. Personality Assessment: Projective Tests

 

 

(1 Objective)

 

Week 12

  1. Characteristics of Consciousness, Levels of Consciousness, Altered States of Consciousness
  2. Nature and Stages of Sleep, Sleep deprivation and Sleep-Disorders
  3. Drug-induced states
  4. Hypnosis and Meditation

 

(1 Objective)

 

Books and references

  1. Morgan C.T., (1980). King, R.A., Weiss, J.R., & Schoples, J. (1986). Introduction to Psychology (7th Ed),. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill.
  2. Nolen-Hoeksema, S. Barbara L. Fredrickson, Geoff R. Loftus and Willem A. Wagenaar (2009). Atkinson & Hilgard’s introduction to psychology (15th Ed) Cengage Learning
  3. Kalat, J.W. (2008) Introduction to Psychology (8th Ed) Thomson Wadsworth
  4. Baron, R.A. , (2001). Psychology. New Delhi: Pearson Education.
  5. Feldman, .R.S., (2008). Essentials of Understanding Psychology (7th Ed). New Delhi: Tata McGraw hill Education Pvt Ltd.
  6. Fernald. L.D, & Fernald, P.S., (2007). Munn’s Introduction to Psychology (5th Ed) Delhi: AITBS Publishers & Distributors.
  7. Galotti, K.N., (2004). Cognitive Psychology: In and Out of the laboratory (3rd Ed). Delhi: Wads worth
  8. Martin, G.N., Neil R. Carlson, N.R., Buskist,W. (2010).Psychology(4th Ed) Pearson
  9. Solso, R.L. (2001). Cognitive Psychology (6th Ed.). New Delhi: Pearson Education Inc.

Instructor bio

Dr. Anne Samyukta

English & Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad (Host University)

       Currently, an Assistant Professor at Prof. G. Ram Reddy Centre for Distance Education, Osmania University, teaching M.A. Psychology.
She previously served as a part-time Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, Osmania University, for 9 years and is a visiting faculty member at Kakatiya University's Department of Psychology. Additionally, she has been an academic counselor for M.A. Psychology at IGNOU, Hyderabad.

·       Counselling Experience:
 Practicing as a freelance counsellor, she has worked extensively with children and adolescents at risk as a counsellor at Don Bosco Rehabilitation Center, Hyderabad.

·       Training Expertise:
 She conducts corporate training programs, focusing on skill enhancement and psychological well-being.

·       Research Credentials:
 She holds a Ph.D. in Positive Psychology from Osmania University.

Course certificate

1. End-Term Examination:

  • Weightage: 70% of the final result
  • Minimum Passing Criteria: 40%

2. Internal Assessment:

  • Weightage: 30% of the final result
  • Minimum Passing Criteria: 40%

Calculation of IA Marks:

  • Out of all graded weekly assessments/assignments, the top 50% of assignments shall be considered for the calculation of the final Internal Assessment marks.
  • All students who obtain 40% marks in the internal assessment and 40% marks in the end-term proctored exam separately will be eligible for the SWAYAM Credit Certificate.
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