COURSE DESCRIPTIONS 科目簡介

COURSES FOR 4-YEAR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES

PSY2001 Introduction to Business Psychology and Organizational Behaviour

(3 credits)
This course will introduce students to key topics about business psychology, such as
motivation and emotions in the workplace, leadership, human resource management
practices in organisations, diversity and change management, etc. There will be a focus on
the application of psychology to real business issues and questions.

PSY2002 Research Methods for Psychology (3 credits)

This course provides an overview of major research methods used to conduct surveys and
experimental studies in psychology. The course encompasses the explanation of the
purposes and scope of survey and experimental studies; plan and design of simple research
projects; illustration of the importance of reliability and validity of psychological
assessment tools, etc. The course emphasises underlying principles and practical
application rather than technical details.

PSY2003 Statistics for Psychology (3 credits)

This course provides an overview of basic statistical techniques in modern applied
statistics, especially in relation to conducting surveys and experimental studies in
psychology. Statistical techniques such as t-tests, analysis of variances, correlation
analyses, regression are covered. Students will have hands-on practice in actual data
analyses using common statistical software [e.g. Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences (SPSS)].

PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)

The purpose of this course is to introduce fundamental concepts and theories in
psychology specifically in the daily life context. Upon completion of this course, students
should have acquired basic understanding of the major theories and research findings in
various areas of psychology, and how these major psychological theories can be used to
examine and explain human behaviours, emotion, cognition and mental health.

PSY3001 Stress and Coping: Theory and Practices (3 credits)

(Prerequisite: PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
Stress is an aspect of everyday contemporary life, whether minor or major, acute or
chronic. How we cope with stress has substantial influence on our psychological
well-being. This course provides a theoretical-experiential approach to understanding and
coping with stress. Students are exposed to various stress management strategies with the
intention of preventing and/or alleviating the negative impact of stress on health,
communication, relationships, academic and work performance.

PSY3003 Negotiation, Judgement, and Decision Making in Organizations

(3 credits)
(Prerequisite: PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
With little effort, we can process complex information and make judgment and decisions
within a short period of time. Yet, most people remain largely unaware of how their minds
accomplish complex tasks. This course describes a comprehensive framework on how
people make judgment and decisions, describes various biases and heuristics that can
influence judgment and choice, outlines potential flaws in negotiation and conflict
management, and provides important insights on how to make better managerial decisions
in organisations.
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PSY3004 Introduction to Consumer Psychology (3 credits)
(Prerequisite: PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
The rapid development in digital technology has ushered in a consumer mind-set that is
adventurous and exploratory. Hong Kong and global consumers have limitless options
available in the online and offline shops, providing new opportunities for merchants to
improve marketing performance and for consumers to improve economic wellbeing. This
course introduces the underlying psychological processes that explain choices of
consumers and how they respond to the influence of marketing, as well as the external
stimuli that convince people to purchase certain items. The benefits of studying this course
have significant bearing on marketing and public relations decisions. Consumer
psychologists lay a critical role not only in in helping sellers promote and market their
products and services to buyers, but also in helping consumers to make wise consumption
decisions.

PSY3005 Managing Diversity in Organization (3 credits)

(Prerequisite: PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
Due to demographic changes, migration and the influence of globalisation, workforce
becomes more diverse in organisational settings. How would the diverse workforce
influences the individual or the overall organisational functioning? This course examines
the key challenges, opportunities, and techniques of effective management of a diverse
workforce. Students will examine on such issues as gender, racial, and age discrimination,
sexual harassment, and disabilities.

PSY3101 Research Methods and Statistics for Psychology I (3 credits)

This course provides an overview of major research methods and topics in modern applied
statistics, especially in relation to conducting surveys and experimental studies in
psychology. The course encompasses the explanation of the purposes and scope of
survey and experimental studies; plan and design of simple research projects; illustration
of the importance of reliability and validity of psychological assessment tools; and
introduction of techniques in measuring associations and testing group differences.
Statistical techniques such as t-tests, analysis of variances, and correlation analyses are
covered. The course emphasises underlying principles and practical application rather
than technical details. Students will have hands-on practice in actual data analyses using
common statistical software [e.g. jamovi].

PSY3102 Exploring Psychology in Western and Chinese Cultures

(3 credits)
The purpose of this course is to apply major fundamental psychological concepts and
theories to Chinese context. Upon completion of this course, students should have
acquired a basic understanding of findings in various areas of psychology, and major
psychological theories used to explain human behaviour in the Chinese cultures. In
addition, this course provides liberal arts students with an avenue for deepening
understanding of self and behaviours of others, with selected topics emphasing on the
cross-cultural perspective of human behaviour.

PSY3103 Psychology of Human Performance and Technology (3 credits)

Engineering psychology is a sub-discipline of psychology that is concerned with
understanding human capabilities and limitations in interacting with technology. The goal
is to understand how we can optimise machine design for human operation. Many
technological systems do not perform as effectively as they intended to be because their
designs are not compatible with the way people attend, perceive, think, memorise, decide
and act. You might have experienced the following two examples when using some poorly

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designed technologies:
Leaving your original document behind after a photocopying task
Spending a long time to find a common function you needed when using software
(e.g. MS Excel) but ended up not finding it

In order to design human-centred systems, engineering psychologists apply knowledge

and theories from cognitive psychology to systems design.
In this applied course, we will extend selected topics from cognitive psychology (e.g.
attention, memory, decision making, etc.) to examine how they relate to the interaction
between humans and interactive systems. We will also cover a number of design and
evaluation techniques from human-computer interaction (HCI) – a closely related
discipline.
NB: There is no technical engineering mathematics involved in this course.

PSY3201 Human Development and Psychology of Adulthood (3 credits)

(Prerequisite(s): PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology or PSY3102 Exploring Psychology
in Western and Chinese Cultures)
This course introduces theories on human development across the life span and explain
how people change (and how they remain unchanged) over time. The course also
highlights the psychology of adulthood (including young, middle, and late adulthood) in
the most interesting way. Issues relating to developmental problems will be discussed.

PSY3202 Psychology Applied to Occupational Safety and Health (3 credits)

(Prerequisite(s): PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
This course introduces the new development of applying psychology to occupational
safety and health issues in modern society, in order to make worksite a safe and healthy
place. This course highlights a human factor approach to safety management such as
enhancing management style/leadership, safety climate and motivation factors; and at the
same time alleviating violence and stress in the workplace.

PSY3205 Social Psychology (3 credits)

(Prerequisite(s): PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
Social psychologists examine how the self and the social context interplay, as well as how
individuals influence one another. In other words, social psychology is the study of the
influences on and consequences of social interaction. Topics covered in this course include
theories and research on social cognition (attitude, stereotypes, and judging others), social
influences (conformity, obedience and persuasion) and social relations (prejudice, altruism,
and aggression).

PSY3206 Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)

(Prerequisite(s): In Term 1, 2019-20 or before, PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology or
PSY3102 Exploring Psychology in Western and Chinese Cultures
From Term 2, 2019-20, PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
This course will introduce the bases of clinical psychology through a broad survey of
various aspects of abnormal behaviour. The course will cover common psychological
disorders, such as mood disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, and
schizophrenia. Assessment and treatment of these psychological disorders will also be
discussed.

PSY3207 Health Psychology (3 credits)

(Prerequisite: PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
Health psychology focuses on the role of psychosocial processes in health promotion and
maintenance, illness prevention and treatment, and the relationship between psychosocial
factors and physiological processes involved in health and diseases. The course provides a
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general introduction to the field of health psychology. We will study the biopsychosocial
model of health and illness, and examine its contribution to understanding: a) health
promotion and illness prevention, b) becoming ill and adopting the sick role, and c) coping
with chronic illness. In each domain, we will discuss and critically evaluate the basic
research, explanatory theories, and interventions developed or used by health
psychologists. Finally, the course enmeshes you in the theory of, techniques for, and
research on how psychology can help people live longer, healthier lives.

PSY3208 Personality and Individual Differences (3 credits)

(Prerequisite(s): PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
This course introduces students to individual differences in both intelligence and
personality by examining theories, research, measurements, and applications of
personality psychology.

We will look at how intelligence is conceptualised and measured in different ways. In

particular, the nature versus nurture controversy in the development of intelligence will be
critically evaluated, and the issue of single (‘G’) versus multiple intelligence (e.g.
emotional intelligence and creativity) will be discussed.

We will also examine, compare and evaluate the major theoretical perspectives on
personality, and review relevant research supporting or refuting the theoretical
formulations. Students will learn to appreciate the contributions and limitations of each
personality paradigm, and how it has impacted on other areas of specialisation in
psychology.

PSY3209 Cognitive Psychology (3 credits)

(Prerequisite(s): PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
Cognitive psychology is a sub-field of psychology that is concerned with how the human
mind works. Cognitive psychologists attempt to address questions such as:
 How do we perceive faces and objects?
 How do we remember things?
 How do we understand language?
 How do we solve problems and make decisions?
This course will discuss major theories and findings from areas such as visual perception,
attention, memory, language, problem solving and decision making. It will show how
cognitive psychologists attempt to understand the human mind from studying behavior,
investigating of the brain, and drawing upon computer models. It will also explore the
relation between cognitive psychology and everyday experiences.

PSY3301 Positive Psychology and Positive Living (3 credits)

(Prerequisite(s): PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology or PSY3102 Exploring Psychology
in Western and Chinese Cultures)
This course introduces the new development of positive psychology, specifically the
applied positive psychology perspective, to enhance personal happiness and resilience,
individual health, and productivity of institutions. The course also highlights positive
psychology ideas and its science, and some spiritual/religious ideas, such as those from
Buddhism, regarding psychological interventions in different settings.

PSY3332 Environmental Psychology (3 credits)

(Prerequisite(s): PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology or PSY3102 Exploring Psychology
in Western and Chinese Cultures)
Environmental Psychology can be best summarised as an interdisciplinary science that
focuses on the interplay between the (natural and built) environment and the people who
occupy the environment. This course examines a) how people perceive and represent the

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environment, b) how the environment influences people’s behaviour and cognition, c) the
impact of people’s behaviour on the environment, and d) how we can help change people’s
attitude and behaviour towards the natural environment.

PSY3333 Educational Psychology (3 credits)

(Prerequisite: PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
Educational psychology is the study of how people learn. This course introduces cognitive
and psychosocial development across stages of childhood and adolescence as the
psychological context of learning. The behavioral and psychosocial factors underlying the
processes of learning will be explored. Applications of related concepts and theories in
classroom teaching and learning, such as the application of relevant concepts and theories
to students with special educational needs, will be covered in this course.

PSY4001 Biological Psychology (3 credits)

(Prerequisite(s): PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
This course describes and explains various kinds of behaviours and psychological
phenomena in terms of biology and neuroscience. The beginning of the course will focus
on the fundamentals of neuroscience, such as neural units and neural signals, functions
and organisation of the nervous system, neural development and plasticity. In the
remaining part, various topics in psychology will be discussed from a biological
perspective. Examples of such topics include senses (e.g., vision, audition), cognition (e.g.,
learning, memory, and language), motivated behaviours (e.g., sleep, hunger, emotion, and
sexual behaviour), and biological aspects of abnormal behaviour.

PSY4002 Sensation and Perception (3 credits)

(Prerequisite(s): PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
How do we see lights, hear sounds, and sense things in the world? Why do we see visual
illusions? What makes us hear different tones in music? In this course, students will learn
about the psychological processes for sensation and perception, which allow us to make
sense of physical stimulations in the world. This course introduces students to the basic
concepts and principles in sensory and perceptual processing. Vision will be the focus of
this course, which covers various topics, including basic visual processing in the eye and
the brain, color perception, motion perception, 3D space perception, object recognition,
and visual attention. In addition to seeing, other senses, including hearing, will also be
introduced and discussed.

PSY4003 Psychological Testing and Assessment (3 credits)

(Prerequisite(s): PSY2002 Research Methods for Psychology or PSY3101 Research
Methods and Statistics for Psychology I)
This course will provide an overview of basic issues involved in the field of psychological
testing, as well as examine the application of various psychological assessments. The
course is organized around three domains relevant for psychological testing and
assessment: (1) principles of psychological testing; (2) application of psychological
assessments in various contexts; and (3) professional issues related to psychological
assessment. This course will require that students have some knowledge of statistics and
quantitative methods prior to taking this course.

PSY4004 Motivation and Emotion (3 credits)

(Prerequisite: PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
This course is designed to acquaint the student with the major approaches (behavioral,
cognitive, and biological) to the study of motivation and emotion. Emphasis will be placed
on the principles which underlie biological, learned, and social motives and the theories,
research, and methodology involved in this area of psychology.

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PSY4101 Research Methods and Statistics for Psychology II (3 credits)
(Prerequisite(s): PSY3101 Research Methods and Statistics for Psychology I)
The main objectives of this course are to discuss the advanced scientific methods of
research in psychology, including the planning and design of research projects, so as to
develop the skills necessary to conduct a range of empirical research in psychology. The
focus of this course will be on both research techniques and statistical knowledge applied
in conducting psychological research. Building on Research Method and Statistics for
Psychology I, this course will introduce students the advanced research and statistical
methods commonly used in psychological research, including power analysis, factorial
designs and analyses, multiple regression, and advanced usage of statistical tests such as
mediation and moderation.

PSY4102 Cross-cultural Psychology (3 credits)

(Prerequisite(s): PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
Many societies become more multicultural in nature through increasing contact and
interaction with societies of different traditions. These changes raise issues about how we
understand and act in relation to each other in different cultural settings. This course will
examine the ways in which psychological findings differ across cultures and explore
reasons behind these variations. Special attention is devoted to cross-cultural research
methodology. The generalizability and universality of psychological laws and theories are
challenged; the distinction between emic and etic constructs and measurements will be
introduced and applied to psychological enquiry.

PSY4103 Contemporary Issues in Psychology (from 2015-16)/Selected Topic in

Psychology (in 2014-15 or before) (3 credits)
(Prerequisite(s): PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
Intensive focus concerning a selected topic of contemporary interest in psychology forms
the basis of this course. The instructor will select a specific topic according to the students’
need, current interest, and his or her expertise. Example topics include psychology of
gender, deviant behaviours, addiction, ageing workforce, crisis management, hatred of the
rich, psychology of love, homosexuality and marriage. Further, an in-depth discussion of
how psychology contributes in understanding the topic will be made. Most up-to-date
theories and research of psychology relevant to the topic will be introduced. The topics
change with the speciality of the instructor and the content varies from semester to
semester. The topic will be announced a year before launch. The course may also include
extensive fieldwork experience at a selected site in the local community.

PSY4310 Counseling Psychology (3 credits)

(Prerequisite(s): PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
This course is an introduction to counseling psychology. Counseling approaches and
interventions will be examined from various theoretical perspectives, with an emphasis on
therapeutic intervention strategies and applications that promote personal growth and
change. In this course, students will be exposed to therapeutic interventions which will
increase their awareness of common themes/principles that evoke client change and
growth.

Major theories of counseling psychology such as cognitive-behavioural, humanistic and

positive psychological are presented and evaluated. This course also addresses a variety of
topics of special relevance to counseling psychology including assessment of client
problems, analysis of psychological status, intervention for people in crisis situations,
assessment of suicidal risk, and the process of behavioural change. Core facilitative skills
of counseling are acquired and demonstrated via coursework.

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PSY4325 Industrial and Organisational Psychology (3 credits)
(Remark: It is preferable for students to have taken PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology
or PSY3102 Exploring Psychology in Western and Chinese Cultures before taking this
course.)
This course focuses on different aspects of scientific study of human behaviour in and
related to the workplace to advance knowledge on the work well-being of employees and
the economic well-being of work organisations. A cross cultural perspective of industrial
and organisational psychology, in particular Mainland China, will be discussed.

PSY4326 The Neuroscience of Social Behaviour (3 credits)

(Prerequisite: PSY2101 Introduction to Psychology)
Social neuroscience is a sub-field of social psychology that aims at understanding and
explaining, using neural mechanisms, how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of
individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. This
course will review core principles, theories, and methods guiding social neuroscience, and
research examining the brain basis of social processes, including the theory of mind,
empathy, emotion; reading faces and bodies, morality, and social interactions. Overall, this
course will introduce students to the field of social neuroscience and its multi-level
approach to understanding the brain in its social context.