Learning Outcomes

In 2009, the Department of Psychology approved the following student learning outcomes for its undergraduate and graduate programs. The Department has a standing Assessment Committee which implements an ongoing assessment of the Department's activities in each of these areas.

B.A. in Psychology

Goal 1. Theory and Content of Psychology

Students will demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.

1.1 Describe the nature of psychology as a discipline.

1.2 Use the concepts, language, and major theories of the discipline to account for psychological phenomena.

1.3 Explain major perspectives of psychology (e.g., behavioral, biological, cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic, and sociocultural).

1.4 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding representing appropriate breadth and depth in selected content areas of psychology

Goal 2. Research Methods in Psychology

Students will understand and apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation.

2.1 Describe the basic characteristics of the science of psychology.

2.2 Explain different research methods used by psychologists.

2.3 Evaluate the appropriateness of conclusions derived from psychological research.

2.4 Design and conduct basic studies to address psychological questions using appropriate research methods.

2.5 Follow the APA Code of Ethics in the treatment of human and nonhuman participants in the design, data collection, interpretation, and reporting of psychological research.

2.6 Generalize research conclusions appropriately based on the parameters of particular research methods.

Goal 3. Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology

Students will respect and use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and, when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes.

3.1 Use critical thinking effectively.

3.2 Engage in creative thinking.

3.3 Use reasoning to recognize, develop, defend, and criticize arguments and other persuasive appeals.

3.4 Approach problems effectively.

Goal 4. Application of Psychology

Students will understand and apply psychological principles to personal, social, and organizational issues.

4.1 Describe major applied areas of psychology (e.g., clinical, counseling, industrial/organizational, school, health

4.2 Identify appropriate applications of psychology in solving problems, such as

4.3 Articulate how psychological principles can be used to explain social issues and inform public policy.

4.4 Apply psychological concepts, theories, and research findings as these relate to everyday life.

4.5 Recognize that ethically complex situations can develop in the application of psychological principles.

Goal 5. Values in Psychology

Students will be able to weigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically, and reflect other values that are the underpinnings of psychology as a science.

5.1 Recognize the necessity for ethical behavior in all aspects of the science and practice of psychology.

5.2 Demonstrate reasonable skepticism and intellectual curiosity by asking questions about causes of behavior.

5.3 Seek and evaluate scientific evidence for psychological claims.

5.4 Tolerate ambiguity and realize that psychological explanations will often be complex and tentative.

5.5 Recognize and respect human diversity and understand that psychological explanations may vary across populations and contexts.

5.6 Assess and justify their engagement with respect to civic, social, and global responsibilities

5.7 Understand the limitations of their psychological knowledge and skills.

Goal 6. Information and Technological Literacy

Students will demonstrate information competence and the ability to use computers and other technology for many purposes.

6.1 Demonstrate information competence at each stage in the following process:

6.2 Use appropriate software to produce understandable reports of the psychological literature, methods, and statistical and qualitative analyses in APA or other appropriate style, including graphic representations of data.

6.3 Use information and technology ethically and responsibly.

6.4 Demonstrate these computer skills:

Goal 7. Communication Skills

Students will be able to communicate effectively in a variety of formats.

7.1 Demonstrate effective writing skills in various formats (e.g., essays, correspondence, technical papers, note taking) and for various purposes (e.g., informing, defending, explaining, persuading, arguing, teaching).

7.2 Demonstrate effective oral communication skills in various formats (e.g., group discussion, debate, lecture) and for various purposes (e.g., informing,. defending, explaining, persuading, arguing, teaching).

7.3 Exhibit quantitative literacy.

7.4 Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills.

7.5 Exhibit the ability to collaborate effectively.

Goal 8. Sociocultural and International Awareness

Students will recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity.

8.1 Interact effectively and sensitively with people from diverse backgrounds and cultural perspectives.

8.2 Examine the sociocultural and international contexts that influence individual differences.

8.3 Explain how individual differences influence beliefs, values, and interactions with others and vice versa.

8.4 Understand how privilege, power, and oppression may affect prejudice, discrimination, and inequity.

8.5 Recognize prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behaviors that might exist in themselves and others.

Goal 9. Personal Development

Students will develop insight into their own and others' behavior and mental processes and apply effective strategies for self-management and self-improvement.

9.1 Reflect on their experiences and find meaning in them.

9.2 Apply psychological principles to promote personal development.

9.3 Enact self-management strategies that maximize healthy outcomes.

9.4 Display high standards of personal integrity with others.

Goal 10. Career Planning and Development

10.1 Apply knowledge of psychology (e.g., decision strategies, life span processes, psychological assessment, types of psychological careers) to formulating career choices.

10.2 Identify the types of academic experience and performance in psychology and the liberal arts that will facilitate entry into the work force, post-baccalaureate education, or both.

10.3 Describe preferred career paths based on accurate self-assessment of abilities, achievement, motivation, and work habits.

10.4 Identify and develop skills and experiences relevant to achieving selected career goals.

10.5 Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of lifelong learning and personal flexibility to sustain personal and professional development as the nature of work evolves.

M.A. in Psychology

Goal 11. Professional Competence

Students will demonstrate mastery of the competencies required in their profession or field.

11.1 Demonstrate advanced competency in psychological research:

11.2 Demonstrate advanced competency in the practice of psychology:

11.3 Demonstrate an advanced degree of professional responsibility:

11.4 Pursue alternate career paths, including doctoral training, in the future

M.S. in Psychology (Applied Behavior Analysis)

1. Define behavior analysis and describe its origins, including the problem of explaining behavior with mental events.

2. Say what behavior is and what a behavioral definition is.

3. Describe the methods of observing and recording behavior, including reliability and validity of observations.

4. Describe the experimental designs for studying behavior and the visual analysis of behavioral experiments.

5. Define and describe positive and negative (and unconditioned and conditioned) reinforcement - including the types of reinforcers - and extinction.

6. Describe the factors (immediacy, contingency, magnitude, and deprivation) that influence reinforcer effectiveness, as well as continuous and intermittent (ratio and interval) schedules of reinforcement.

7. Describe positive and negative (and unconditioned and conditioned) punishment.

8. Describe and define differential reinforcement, and how it can be used to decrease behavior, and shaping and how it utilizes (differential) reinforcement and extinction.

9. Describe motivational operations, stimulus discrimination and generalization and the concept of stimulus control as well as fading.

10. Describe imitation, shaping, and chaining as procedures for creating new behavior.

11. Describe antecedent interventions for problem behavior.

12. Describe functional behavior assessment, including the different types.

13. Describe ethical considerations in ABA, including what ethics and social validity are, the standards of professional practice for applied behavior analysts, and ethical issues in client services.

14. Describe and discuss the contemporary development of single-case methodology.

15. Describe single-case research (also called within-subject) designs, including withdrawal (ABAB), multiple-baseline, changing criterion and multi-element designs

16. Describe and discuss what behavioral assessment is including the strategies and conditions of assessment.

17. Describe what interobserver agreement is in single-case research designs, the ways in which it is estimated, possible sources of bias and acceptable levels.

18. Describe experimentation, its purposes, and what factors affect the validity of inferences, as well as to describe pre-experimental and single-case designs.

19. Describe single-case research and designs, including their general requirements, especially ABAB designs, including their basic characteristics, variations, problems and limitations and evaluation.

20. Describe multiple-baseline designs, including their basic characteristics, variations, problems and limitations and evaluation.

M.S. in Psychology (Marriage and Family Therapy)

1. demonstrate familiarity with well known individual and family psychotherapy models including their particular theory of personality development, theory of psychopathology and treatment techniques

2. be able to formulate a case (individual, couple or family) using well known psychotherapy theories

3. be able to develop an appropriate and effective treatment plan that includes referrals, crisis intervention techniques and demonstrates knowledge of pertinent case management issues for individuals, couples and families presenting with the broad range of psychological problems that fall with the scope of treatment for a marriage and family therapist

4. demonstrate the ability to evaluate, assess and diagnose mental health clients according to DSM-IV criteria and provide differential diagnoses, if applicable

5. demonstrate familiarity with psychological theories commonly applied to the stages of human development and the typical psychosocial problems presenting at these stages.

6. demonstrate knowledge of the California laws and ethical standards related to their profession including the implications for professional practice

7. be able to identify the basic psychological tests used for assessing intelligence, vocational aptitude, scholastic ability, personality and cognitive skills, and be aware of their strengths and limitations

8. be familiar with practice issues related to common drugs of abuse, and the medications prescribed for the treatment of common psychological problems

9. demonstrate awareness of how culture affects mental health, and mental health treatment, and how their own personal background affects their ability to understand and work with clients from diverse backgrounds, and/or with sensitive presenting problems

10. demonstrate familiarity with latest research in the field of marriage and family therapy

11. demonstrate the ability to work effectively with individuals, couples and families presenting with the broad range of psychological problems that fall with the scope of treatment for a marriage and family therapist