General Psychology

Summer Assignment
2022-2023
Welcome to General Psychology! I am ecstatic that you have decided to join this
class and chosen to challenge yourself with the fascinating world of psychology.
I am certain that you will find this course worthwhile and personally relevant.
Although it is the summer, there is work to be done. Please note, General
Psychology is an elective, college-level course with higher student expectations
than most courses taken by high school students. With that being said, it is
imperative that we get a jump start on the General Psychology curriculum. It is
mandatory and in your best interest to complete the summer assignment. Your
summer assignment consists of THREE mini-assignments. Each assignment will
serve a specific purpose that will assist you throughout the school year and aid
in your preparations for the year.

Please note, students who enroll in this course over the summer are NOT
exempt from this assignment. ALL students are required to complete this
assignment.

This assignment is a multi part assignment. You must complete all aspects
of the assignment to receive credit.

1. Chapter 1 Academic Vocabulary

2. Chapter 1 Notes/ Outline
3. Careers in Psychology Research Paper

If you have questions or concerns over the summer, please reach out to me
through email. Note, it may take a few days to receive a response, as it is
summer.
Email: [email protected]
 Part 1: Chapter 1 Academic Vocabulary
For this task, you are responsible for handwriting flashcards for all the
following vocabulary terms. Please do not make a quizlet, as that will not be
accepted. These are the bolded terms throughout the text. Place one term
and definition per notecard. You will be tested on these terms within the first
two weeks of school.
Terms:
Psychology Scientific method Treatment
Structuralism Theories Experimental Group
Introspection Hypothesis Control group
Functionalism Operational definition Independent variable
Gestalt Psychology Archival Research Dependent variable
Neuroscience Naturalistic Random assignment to
Perspective Observation condition
Psychodynamic Survey Research Significant outcome
Perspective Case Study Replicated research
Behavioral Perspective Variables Informed consent
Cognitive Perspective Correlational Research Experimental bias
Humanistic Perspective Experiment Placebo
Free Will Experimental
Determinism Manipulation

Part 2: Chapter Reading & Notes

All students are responsible for picking up a copy of Chapter 1 prior to the
end of the school year. Copies of the chapter will be provided during a Dual
Enrollment meeting during lunch. If a copy of the text is not picked up,
students can access the text on the RHS website OR print their own copy.
Tasks:
• Read Chapter 1: Introduction to Psychology in Robert Feldman’s
Understanding Psychology 13th edition (pages 1-44).
• Complete the following questions and graphic organizers for each
module. This information will help you create a foundation of knowing
the history and perspectives of General Psychology. Make sure to take
clear and concise notes.
 Module 1: Psychologists at work

What is psychology:

Subfields of Psychology
Subfield Description
Behavioral
Neuroscience
Experimental
Psychology
Cognitive Psychology

Developmental
Psychology

Personality Psychology

Health Psychology

Clinical Psychology

Counseling Psychology

Social Psychology

Industrial Psychology

Educational Psychology

Explain the difference between a PhD & PsyD:

 Module 2: A science evolves: The past, the Present, and the future

Structuralism –

Functionalism –

Gestalt Psychology –

Mary Calkins Margaret Floy Washburn

Five major perspectives

Neuroscience Perspective

Psychodynamic Perspective

Behavioral Perspective

Cognitive Perspective

Humanistic Perspective

Psychology’s Key Issues & Controversies

 Conscious versus Observable behavior Free will versus Individual differences
Unconscious causes versus mental determinism versus universal
of behavior processes principles

Module 3: Research in Psychology

Define the following:

• Theory

• Hypothesis

What is an operational definition:

Why is it so important:
Case Study

Naturalistic
Survey

Observation
 Correlational research
Explain Positive Correlations:

• Negative Correlations:

• How do they enable prediction in psychology but not the use of cause and effect?

Experiments

Experimental Control Independent Dependent

Group Group Variable Variable

Significant
Random

Random
assignment

sampling

Outcome

Explain Replicated Research:

 Module 4: Critical Research Issues

Explain Informed Consent:

What is experimental bias:

What can happen because of it?:

Define placebo:
 Part 3: Careers in psychology research paper

For this assignment, you will conduct research on several careers in psychology and
discuss them in your paper. You will find a list of various careers you can explore for
this assignment. Next, select two particular career or career fields that you find to be
intriguing. Go in depth on this field discussing what type of education/ training is
required; what this field entails; pay rates; number of employees in the field; and what
these individuals typically do on a daily basis.

Please type a 2–3-page summary of what you find. Be sure to include the following:

• What major careers are available in Psychology?

• How are these fields similar / different in terms of education, salary, job description,
etc.?
• What particular field do you find most interesting and why?
• What does someone in this field do?
• What type of education/training is required?
• What is a typical salary for someone in this field?
• How many people work in this field?
• Are jobs in this field in demand or are they hard to obtain?
• What else do you find interesting about this field?

Helpful Websites:
o www.psywww.com/careers/index.html

o www.apa.org

o www.careeroverview.com/psychology-careers

o www.psychology.about.com
 Part 3: Careers in psychology research paper

Use the list below to guide your research. In your initial discussion, you should discuss
the subfields in general before choosing one specific career to focus on.

Basic Research Subfields:

• Cognitive Psychologists
• Developmental Psychologists
• Educational Psychologists
• Experimental Psychologists
• Psychometric and Quantitative Psychologists
• Social Psychologists

Applied Research Subfields:

• Forensic Psychologists
• Health Psychologists
• Industrial/Organizational Psychologists
• Neuropsychologists
• Rehabilitation Psychologists
• School Psychologists
• Sports Psychologists

The Helping Professions:

• Clinical Psychologists
• Community Psychologists
• Counseling Psychologists

Your research paper MUST be typed and will be run through a plagiarism
checker (Turnitin.com). Plagiarism will result in a 0 on this portion of the
assignment.

• Plagiarism includes copying another student’s work, copying online

resources without citation, and working in a group and handing in the same
answers as your group members. Your work must be your own.