General Information
| Course Code | XB_0069 |
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| Credits | 6 EC |
| Period | P1 |
| Course Level | 100 |
| Language of Tuition | English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
| Course Coordinator | dr. W. Donk |
| Examiner | dr. W. Donk |
| Teaching Staff |
dr. W. Donk dr. R.J. Godijn |
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Part of programme(s)
Bachelor
Premaster
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Practical Information
You need to register for this course yourself. The (de)registration deadlines can be found on VU.nl
| Teaching Methods | Lecture |
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Course Objective
- To have knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of psychology and its methods of research
- To be able to apply this knowledge as evidenced by the ability to answer basic questions with regard to psychology and its methods
Course Content
The course consists of two parts. The first part provides an overview of the field of psychology with an emphasis on the biological and cognitive foundations of behavior. What is the genetic and biological basis of behavior? What is consciousness? How do we see, learn, remember, and think? What is intelligence? In the second part, research methods are discussed with the aim to teach students how to evaluate scientific research. The major topics are: epistemology, reasoning, descriptive, correlational, and experimental research, empirical cycle, measurement scales, reliability, validity, sample and population, independent, dependent, and control variables, confounding variables, random error, within- and between-subjects designs, factorial designs, small-N, and quasi-experimental designs.
Additional Information Teaching Methods
- 7 lectures on psychology
- 6 lectures on methods
Method of Assessment
Multiple choice exam
Resit opportunity for the exam
Literature
- Phelps, E.A., Berkman, E.T., & Gazzaniga, M.S. (2022). Psychological Science (7th edition). Norton.
- Morling, B. (2025). Research Methods in Psychology: Evaluating a World of Information (5th edition). Norton.
Additional Information Target Audience
Bachelor Artificial Intelligence (year 1)Additional Information
Level 2a Use of generative AI is only permitted for orientation and brainstorming
In this course, generative AI (GenAI), such as ChatGPT or similar tools, may only be used for orientation and brainstorming, for example to explore ideas or clarify questions. GenAI may not be used to generate content that becomes part of the final submission. The final product must be based entirely on the student's own understanding, analysis, and wording. Incorrect use of GenAI is considered fraud. If established, the submitted work or assessment result will be declared invalid, and the Examination Board may impose further measures.