This Course Guide has been taken from the most recent presentation of the course. It would be useful for reference purposes but please note that there may be updates for the following presentation.
PSYC A318
History of Psychology
Welcome to PSYC A318 History of Psychology! This two-semester, ten-credit, higher-level elective course within the Bachelor of Social Sciences and Bachelor of Social Sciences with Honours programmes guides you in understanding the different currents of thought that have emerged at different points in the discipline of psychology, the background under which these ideas arose and the changes they have brought to the discipline. Knowledge of these concepts will give you the context for understanding psychology today, its contentious issues and the kinds of changes that we may see in the future.
PSYC A318 is delivered using a custom textbook, supplemented by a Study Guide, online multimedia components and face-to-face sessions.
Course aims
PSYC A318 History of Psychology aims to help you understand the historical and philosophical issues underlying the development of various systems in psychology. You will acquire knowledge about historical development, interactions between major systems, and the evolution of various applied areas in psychology. This will enable you to apply historical and philosophical perspectives in your synthesis and juxtaposition of various research paradigms in psychology.
Course learning outcomes
Upon completion of PSYC A318 History of Psychology, you should be able to:
In this custom textbook approach, different learning modules have been carefully selected by the course team from various history of psychology textbooks and organized into three volumes specifically designed for PSYC A318 students. By incorporating the latest editions of book chapters and exercises from different sources, the custom textbook will provide you with broad coverage of the historical and philosophical issues underlying the development of various systems in psychology.
In addition to the custom textbook, you will be working through the course using an HKMU- produced Study Guide. The Study Guide leads you through your study pathway unit by unit, providing commentary on each textbook chapter and supplementary self-learning and self- assessment opportunities.
The third main point of reference for learning resources during the course is HKMU's Online Learning Environment (OLE). There, you will have access to multimedia materials such as PowerPoint slides, and you will be able to discuss topics with other students and your tutor on the course discussion board. This course is further supported by regular face-to-face meetings in the form of lectures and tutorials.
Introductory video
To start off, you should watch the introductory video for the course in the ePub version of this Course Guide or on the OLE. Then turn to the Study Guide for further guidance through the course.
The custom textbook
A custom textbook will be provided to you as an integral part of your course package. The title of the custom textbook is PSYC A318 History of Psychology. The chapters are selected from the following textbooks:
The Study Guide will indicate at which point you should read each chapter of the custom textbook.
The Study Guide
The Study Guide sets out your study pathway through the custom textbook and other course learning resources. It serves several functions. First, as no textbook is able to cover all aspects of the history of psychology perfectly, the Study Guide will fill the gaps where necessary. Second, it serves as a guide to the textbook chapters, helping you to organize major ideas with tools like concept maps and timelines. Third, it contains activities and self-tests to facilitate your learning and revision. You'll therefore need to keep it by your side as you work through the course.
The Study Guide is divided into ten units. The titles of the units and the textbook chapters they will cover are set out in the following table.
| Unit | Textbook chapters |
| 1. History of psychology and its implications | Module 1: King et al. (2013) Ch 1 Topic: Critical issues in historical studies Module 2: King et al. (2013) Ch 2 Topic: Philosophical issues |
| 2. Before the dawn: Philosophical foundations of psychology | Module 1: Lawson et al. (2007) Ch 4 Topic: Philosophical foundations of psychology Module 2: King et al. (2013) Ch 6 Topic: Empiricism, associationism, and utilitarianism Module 3: King et al. (2013) Ch 7 Topic: Rationalism |
| 3. The formal founding of psychology I: The German scene | Module 1: Lawson et al. (2007) Ch 8 Topic: Voluntarism and structuralism Module 2: Leahey (2013) Ch 8 Topic: The psychology of consciousness |
| 4. The formal founding of psychology II: The American scene | Lawson et al. (2007) Ch 9 Topic: Functionalism |
| 5. Rival paradigms in experimental psychology: Behaviourism vs Gestalt psychology | Module 1: Lawson et al. (2007) Ch 10 Topic: Behaviourism Module 2: Lawson et al. (2007) Ch 11 Topic: Gestalt psychology Reading 5.1: Lawson et al. (2007) Ch 16 Topic: Psychology in Russia |
| 6. Experimental psychology after WWII | Leahey (2013) Ch 12 Topic: Cognitive science 1956–2000 |
| 7. Applied psychology I: Psychology of testing and adaptation | Leahey (2013) Ch 13 Topic: The rise of applied psychology 1892–1939 |
| 8. Applied psychology II: The rise of psychology as a clinical subject | Lawson et al. (2007) Ch 12 Topic: Psychoanalysis |
| 9. Applied psychology III: The humanistic movement | Leahey (2013) Ch 14 Topic: The psychological society 1940–2000 |
| 10. Psychology as a postmodern globalized subject | Module 1: Lawson et al. (2007) Ch 1 Topic: Contemporary psychology: Global forces Module 2: Lawson et al. (2007) Ch 17 Topic: Psychology in China Module 3:: Lawson et al. (2007) Ch 18 Topic: Indigenous psychologies: Latin America, South Africa, and India-Asia |
E-Library E-Reserve readings
In the Study Guide, you may be instructed to read articles in the E-Library E-Reserve. To read these items, go to the University's E-Library and click on 'E-Reserve'. Log in, click 'Accept/ Agree' on the Copyright Restrictions page, fill in the 'Course Code' box, and click 'Search'.
The Online Learning Environment (OLE)
A dedicated area for PSYC A318 students has been set up in HKMU's OLE. You will need to log on regularly to the OLE to access the course discussion board and online learning components such as PowerPoint slides.
Face-to-face support
Students will be supported throughout the course by regular face-to-face meetings in the form of tutorials and supplementary lectures. Details of the dates and times of these sessions can be found in the Course Schedules page of the OLE.
| Unit | No. of weeks | Face-to-face support | Hours |
| 1 | 3 | Supplementary Lecture 1, Tutorial 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 4 | Supplementary Lecture 2, Tutorial 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 4 | Supplementary Lecture 3, Tutorial 3 | 3 |
| 4 | 4 | Supplementary Lecture 4, Tutorial 4 | 3 |
| 5 | 4 | Supplementary Lecture 5, Tutorial 5 | 3 |
| 6 | 4 | 0 | |
| 7 | 3 | Supplementary Lecture 6, Tutorial 6 | 3 |
| 8 | 3 | Supplementary Lecture 7, Tutorial 7 | 3 |
| 9 | 3 | Supplementary Lecture 8, Tutorial 8 | 3 |
| 10 | 4 | Supplementary Lecture 9, Tutorial 9 | 3 |
| Total | 36 | 9 supplementary lectures, 9 tutorials | 27 |
Assessment
This course is designed to assist you in moving easily from the stated objectives, through the study units, readings and materials to the assignments and examination. During the course, you will have your progress assessed both formally and informally.
Formative assessment includes various activities and self-tests that you will undertake while working your way through the study units, textbook and readings.
Summative assessment consists of assignments and a final examination.
Assessment summary
The summative assessment items are outlined in the following table.
| Assessment item | Weighting |
| Assignment 1 (covers Units 1 and 2) | 15% |
| Assignment 2 (covers Units 3 and 4) | 15% |
| Assignment 3 (covers Units 5 and 6) | 15% |
| Assignment 4 (covers Units 7 to 9) | 15% |
| Examination | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
Assignments
There are four compulsory assignments for the course. You will be expected to apply concepts and techniques acquired during the course when completing assignments.
How to submit assignments
You must use word processing software (such as Microsoft Word) to prepare the assignments. The Assignment File gives you details on how to present and submit your assignments. Please read the Student Handbook for HKMU's policy on late assignments. Assignments must reach your tutor by the due date shown on the presentation schedule (available on the OLE). If, for some good reason, you are unable to submit your assignment on time, you should ask your tutor for permission, before the due date, to submit it late. You must submit your assignments via the OLE. Assignments will be returned to you, marked and with commentary, as soon as possible.
Examination
The final examination for PSYC A318 History of Psychology will be of three hours' duration and has a value of 40% of the total course grade. The examination will consist of questions that reflect the types of practice exercises and assignments you will have previously experienced, covering Units 1 to 10.
The following table gives a general overview of the course structure. It suggests the amount of time you should allow for completing units and provides a broad schedule for you to plan your work. This estimation includes time for reading the units and custom textbook, completing activities, self-tests and assignments, and attending lectures and tutorials.
| Unit | No. of weeks | Assessment (end of unit) |
| 1. History of psychology and its implications | 3 | |
| 2. Before the dawn: Philosophical foundations of psychology | 4 | Assignment 1 |
| 3. The formal founding of psychology I: The German scene | 4 | |
| 4. The formal founding of psychology II: The American scene | 4 | Assignment 2 |
| 5. Rival paradigms in experimental psychology: Behaviourism vs Gestalt psychology | 4 | |
| 6. Experimental psychology after WWII | 4 | Assignment 3 |
| 7. Applied psychology I: Psychology of testing and adaptation | 3 | |
| 8. Applied psychology II: The rise of psychology as a clinical subject | 3 | |
| 9. Applied psychology III: The humanistic movement | 3 | Assignment 4 |
| 10. Psychology as a postmodern globalized subject | 4 |
PSYC A318 History of Psychology examines the historical roots of different sectors in psychology including experimental psychology, cognitive psychology, psychological measurement, educational psychology, industrial psychology, psychotherapy, and indigenous psychology. You will learn about how different schools of thought in philosophy led to the development of different traditions in psychology, and how these traditions interact with each other. The course will also cover important figures and historical events that led to various developments within the academic world of psychology. The evolution of major applications in psychology and the corresponding controversies are also described in detail. Upon completion of the course, you will be able to juxtapose and synthesize ideas from various schools in psychology, and be able to apply historiography methods to strengthen your ability to prepare literature reviews in future research.
