Course Description
PSY2012 – General Psychology is a 3-credit lecture course in the Psychology taxonomy of Florida's Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS). The course provides an introduction to the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. Topics are drawn from historical and current perspectives in psychology and span the major subfields of the discipline, including biological psychology, sensation and perception, learning, memory, cognition, development, intelligence, motivation, emotion, personality, social psychology, psychological disorders, and treatment. The course emphasizes the application of the scientific method to understanding human behavior and the practical relevance of psychological principles to everyday life.
PSY2012 is part of Florida's state-mandated General Education Core in Social and Behavioral Sciences, satisfying that requirement at every Florida public college and university. The course is offered at 49 Florida public institutions and transfers as equivalent across the state. PSY2012 is the foundational prerequisite for the psychology major and is widely required or recommended for nursing, education, social work, criminal justice, business, marketing, and pre-medical pathways. The course is one of the most popular general-education electives in Florida higher education.
Learning Outcomes
The required outcomes below align with the Florida General Education Social and Behavioral Sciences area objectives codified in Florida Statute 1007.25.
Required Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Identify, describe, and explain basic psychological theories, terms, and principles from historical and current perspectives in the discipline.
- Recognize real-world applications of psychological theories, terms, and principles in everyday life and across professional contexts.
- Apply the scientific method to psychology, including formulating research questions, identifying variables, distinguishing experimental and correlational designs, and interpreting research results.
- Identify the major subfields and historical schools of psychology, including structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive, biological, and evolutionary perspectives.
- Describe the biological bases of behavior, including basic neuroanatomy, neuron function and neurotransmitters, the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the brain.
- Explain the principles of sensation and perception, including the visual and auditory systems, perceptual organization, and perceptual constancies.
- Apply principles of learning and conditioning, including classical conditioning, operant conditioning, observational learning, and cognitive learning.
- Describe theories and processes of memory and cognition, including encoding, storage, retrieval, forgetting, language, problem-solving, and decision-making.
- Explain theories of human development across the lifespan, including physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development from infancy to old age.
- Identify and describe major theories of personality (psychodynamic, trait, humanistic, social-cognitive) and approaches to personality assessment.
- Identify the major categories of psychological disorders as classified in the DSM-5-TR (anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia spectrum, personality disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders) and the major approaches to treatment (psychotherapy, biomedical interventions).
- Describe key principles of social psychology, including social influence, attitudes, prejudice, group behavior, and prosocial/antisocial behavior.
Optional Outcomes
Depending on institutional emphasis, students may also:
- Apply principles of health and stress psychology to wellness behaviors and chronic conditions.
- Examine industrial-organizational psychology, including workplace motivation, leadership, and organizational behavior.
- Describe theories of motivation and emotion, including drive theories, arousal theories, and theories of emotional expression.
- Examine cultural and individual differences in psychological processes; recognize cultural commonalities and variations from a global perspective.
- Engage with research participation or research-consumer activities through SONA or equivalent platforms (required at university research centers like UF, USF, FSU, UCF).
- Critically evaluate psychological claims in popular media, identifying common misconceptions and distinguishing scientific from pseudoscientific claims.
Major Topics
Required Topics
- Introduction and Research Methods: Definition and scope of psychology; major perspectives (biological, cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, humanistic, evolutionary, sociocultural); the scientific method; research designs (experimental, correlational, descriptive); ethics in research.
- Biological Bases of Behavior: Structure and function of neurons; neurotransmitters; central and peripheral nervous systems; major brain regions; the endocrine system; behavioral genetics and the nature/nurture debate.
- Sensation and Perception: Sensory processes (vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell); thresholds and signal detection; perceptual organization (Gestalt principles); depth and motion perception; perceptual constancies and illusions.
- Consciousness: Sleep and dreaming; circadian rhythms; altered states (meditation, hypnosis); psychoactive drugs.
- Learning: Classical conditioning (Pavlov); operant conditioning (Skinner); reinforcement and punishment schedules; observational learning (Bandura); cognitive learning.
- Memory: Encoding, storage, retrieval; sensory, short-term, and long-term memory; working memory; explicit and implicit memory; forgetting curves; memory distortion; eyewitness memory.
- Cognition and Language: Concepts and categorization; problem-solving and decision-making; heuristics and biases; language acquisition and structure; the relationship between language and thought.
- Intelligence: Definitions and theories of intelligence (Spearman g, Gardner's multiple intelligences, Sternberg's triarchic theory); intelligence testing (IQ); validity, reliability, and cultural considerations in testing.
- Human Development: Prenatal development; physical, cognitive (Piaget), and psychosocial (Erikson) development across the lifespan; attachment (Bowlby, Ainsworth); moral development (Kohlberg); aging and end-of-life issues.
- Motivation and Emotion: Theories of motivation (drive, arousal, self-determination, Maslow's hierarchy); hunger and eating; sexual motivation; theories of emotion (James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, Schachter-Singer); emotional expression and regulation.
- Personality: Psychodynamic theory (Freud, Jung, Adler); trait theories (Big Five); humanistic theories (Rogers, Maslow); social-cognitive theory (Bandura); personality assessment.
- Psychological Disorders: DSM-5-TR classification; anxiety disorders; depressive and bipolar disorders; schizophrenia spectrum disorders; personality disorders; neurodevelopmental disorders (autism spectrum, ADHD); trauma- and stressor-related disorders.
- Treatment of Psychological Disorders: Psychodynamic therapy; cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT); humanistic therapies; group and family therapy; biomedical treatments (antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, ECT); evidence-based practice.
- Social Psychology: Attribution theory; attitudes and persuasion; conformity (Asch); obedience (Milgram); prejudice and discrimination; group behavior (groupthink, deindividuation); aggression; prosocial behavior; interpersonal attraction.
Optional Topics
- Health Psychology and Stress: Stress and the body; coping strategies; psychoneuroimmunology; health-promoting behaviors.
- Industrial-Organizational Psychology: Personnel selection; workplace motivation and leadership; organizational behavior; job satisfaction.
- Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology: Individualism vs. collectivism; cultural variations in cognition, emotion, and social behavior.
- Positive Psychology: Subjective well-being; flow; character strengths; resilience.
- Forensic and Legal Psychology: Eyewitness testimony; jury decision-making; criminal profiling.
- Research Participation: SONA system at universities; alternative research-consumer assignments; participation as a learning experience.
Resources & Tools
- Standard Textbooks: Psychology by Myers and DeWall (Macmillan/Worth, most widely adopted nationally); Experience Psychology by King (McGraw-Hill); Psychology: An Exploration by Ciccarelli and White (Pearson); Discovering Psychology by Cacioppo and Freberg; OpenStax Psychology 2e (free, openstax.org)
- Online Homework Platforms: McGraw-Hill Connect (King); Macmillan Achieve / LaunchPad (Myers); Pearson MyLab Psychology (Ciccarelli); Cengage MindTap
- Research Participation Systems: SONA (sona-systems.com) — required at UF, USF, FSU, UCF, FAU, FIU psychology departments; provides students with research credits while contributing to faculty research
- Diagnostic Reference: DSM-5-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, Text Revision) — current classification of psychological disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association
- Florida State Resources: Florida General Education Social and Behavioral Sciences area objectives; Florida SCNS course descriptions; UF, FSU, USF, and UCF Department of Psychology syllabi
- Free Online Resources: Crash Course Psychology (YouTube); APA Psychology Topics (apa.org/topics); Khan Academy MCAT Behavioral Sciences; Noba Project (free open-access psychology resource at nobaproject.com)
- Mental Health Resources for Students: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; Florida Department of Children and Families resources; campus counseling and wellness centers
Career Pathways
PSY2012 supports academic and professional pathways across psychology, helping professions, business, and many other fields:
- Associate in Arts (A.A.) Transfer Pathway – Required Gen-Ed Social Sciences course satisfying the social/behavioral-science core for transfer to all Florida public universities; commonly the prerequisite for upper-division psychology coursework.
- Psychology Major – Foundation for the psychology B.S./B.A. major; prerequisite for upper-division psychology courses including Research Methods, Statistics for Behavioral Sciences, and area courses.
- Helping Professions – Required or recommended for social work, counseling, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, school counseling, and psychiatric nursing pathways.
- Pre-Medical and Health Sciences – Required or recommended for medical, dental, physician assistant, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and nursing programs; psychology is one of the four subject areas tested on the MCAT (Behavioral Sciences section).
- Education and Child Development – Required for elementary education, early childhood education, special education, and child welfare pathways.
- Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences – Foundation for forensic psychology, criminology, and law enforcement training pathways.
- Business and Marketing – Foundation for industrial-organizational psychology, consumer behavior, marketing research, and human resources careers.
- Florida Industry Application – Psychological literacy supports careers in Florida's healthcare and behavioral health sectors (Universal Health Services, Tampa General Behavioral Health), educational systems, theme parks (consumer/visitor behavior), social services, and human resources across all sectors.
Special Information
Gen-Ed Core Designation
PSY2012 is part of Florida's General Education Core Course Options in the Social and Behavioral Sciences discipline area, established by the Florida Department of Education and codified in Florida Statute 1007.25. All Florida public colleges and universities accept PSY2012 as fulfilling the Gen-Ed Social Sciences core requirement. Students must earn a grade of C or better for the course to satisfy degree requirements.
Florida Statutory Content Considerations
Per Florida law (governing content in General Education courses), some textbook chapters or sections may contain concepts that are not required reading or assessment material. Course instructors at public Florida institutions identify required vs. optional content in alignment with state Board of Governors guidance. Students should consult their course syllabus for clarification on any specific content distinctions.
Research Participation Requirement
Most major Florida universities (UF, USF, FSU, UCF, FAU, FIU) require all PSY2012 students to participate in research studies as a small percentage of the course grade — typically 2-5% of the final grade. Students unable or unwilling to participate may opt for an alternative research-summary assignment. Research participation is administered through the SONA system. Florida State Colleges generally do not have this requirement.
Honors Sections
Many Florida institutions offer Honors sections of PSY2012 with smaller class sizes, additional reading, writing, and analytical components, and broader use of primary research literature.
Workload and Time Expectations
Students should expect 6-9 hours of weekly out-of-class work, including textbook reading (typically 30-50 pages per week), online quizzes, research participation (at universities), and 1-3 written assignments (article critiques, application essays). Most courses include 3-4 chapter quizzes plus 2-4 mid-term exams and a comprehensive or non-comprehensive final examination.