Polymath Institute
Sample Syllabus (Core Curriculum)
Field Topic Units: Psychology
One (1) Topic Unit = One (1) 20- to 30- minute Lecture
So, a 3 credit hour class would be 9 Topic Units per week,
and a 16 week semester would consist of 144 Topic Units.
Depending on the nature of the class and subject matter, for some subjects, students may elect to take only some of the Topic Units for a class, or they may choose to take all of them while they learn at their own pace.
Professors: TBA (with contact information)
Office Hours: TBA
Course Description: Topic Units are organized by subject. A Field Topic Unit is an overarching subject that encompasses many more specialized subjects in the field. For example, the Field Topic of Psychology includes Developmental Psychology, Psychopathology, Intelligence, Personality Psychology, and more.
Graduation Requirements for Field Topic Units:
Minimum For All Students:
30 Topic Units in Psychology
50 Topic Units in Mathematics
50 Topic Units in Sciences
50 Topic Units in English Language and Literature
30 Topic Units in History
Students with Professional Applications related to given subject area(s) are required to take more Topic Units in those areas (i.e. a student writing a psychology book must take at least 120 Topic Units in Psychology).
Grading/Evaluation
After each Topic Unit, students will take a Topic Assessment. Assessments are computer-based, closed-book exams that are tested to a statistical proficiency level rather than graded on a traditional A-F scale. Students need a minimum of 90% correct answers on a Topic Assessment to pass.
Topic Unit # Lecture Title (and suggested material)
001 Intro - Developmental Psychology
Intro to Psychology - Fall 2011, MIT
002 Piaget - Developmental Stages
Sensation and Perception, Spring 2009, MIT
003 Language Acquisition
Language Acquisition, MIT, Spring 2002
004 Language Processing
Language Processing, MIT, Fall 2004
005 Genetics and Neurobiology
Genetic Neurobiology - Fall 2005
006 Infant Brain Development Part 1
Developmental Neurobiology, Spring 2005, MIT
The Development of Object and Face Recognition, Spring 2006, MIT
007 Infant Brain Development Part 2
Infant and Early Childhood Cognition - MIT, Fall 2005
The Whole Child - Annenberg, video series
008 Attachment Theory - What is it?
009 Attachment Theory
Intro to Psychology - MIT, Fall 2004
010 Nature vs. Nurture
Intro to Psychology - MIT, Fall 2004
Why Are People Different? - Yale, Lecture 11
011 Neuroscience and Psychology
Intro to Neuroscience - MIT, Fall 2007
012 Diseases of the Brain
Intro to Neuroscience - MIT, Fall 2007
013 Trauma and the Brain - Part 1
014 Trauma and the Brain - Part 2
015 Intro to Interpersonal Neurobiology
Developmental Neurobiology, Spring 2005, MIT
Neural Plasticity in Learning and Development - MIT, Spring 2002
Self and Other - Yale, Lectures 16 and 17
016 The Brain and Cognitive Processes
Cognitive Processes - MIT, Spring 2004
017 Intelligence and Heredity
Genetic Neurobiology - Fall 2005
Cognitive & Behavioral Genetics - MIT, Spring 2001
Why Are People Different? - Yale, Lecture 11
018a Intelligence Assessments
Intelligence and Culture - Annenberg
018b Giftedness
"The Universal Experience of Being Out-of-Sync," Linda Kreger Silverman PhD
"The Crucible of Perfectionism," Linda Kreger Silverman PhD
018c Giftedness and Women
"Career Counseling: Special Problems of Gifted Girls," Linda Kreger Silverman PhD
"Reclaiming Lost Giftedness in Girls," Linda Kreger Silverman PhD
018d Mental Retardation
Mental Retardation: Making the Diagnosis
018e What is “Average” Intelligence?
Human Memory & Learning, MIT, Fall 2002
018f Emotional Intelligence
"Emotional Intelligence - Is There Anything To It?"
019 Parenting Styles
Brief Overview - Parenting Styles
Parenting Your Teenager - Parenting Styles
Parenting Your Teenager - Teenage Development
020 Consciousness
Scientific Approaches to Consciousness - UC Berkeley, Fall 2011
021 The Mind and the Brain
This is Your Brain: Yale, Lecture 2
Unraveling the Mysteries of the Mind - Annenberg
022 Intro - Personality Psychology
Intro to Psychology - Fall 2011, MIT
023 Individual Differences
Why Are People Different? - Yale, Lecture 11
024 Infants and Temperament
Why Are People Different? - Yale, Lecture 11
025 Personality Assessments Overview
Psychology - Personality Traits and Assessment
026 Human Growth and Development
Human Growth and Development - University of Houston
027 Intro to Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Myers, I. (1980, 1995) Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type. Davies-Black
Publishing, U.S.
028 MBTI: I vs E, S vs N
029 MBTI: T vs F, J vs P
Thinking & Feeling, Judging & Perceiving Part 1
Thinking & Feeling, Judging & Perceiving, Part 2
030 MBTI: Practical Applications
Myers, I. and McCaulley, M. (1985) Manual: A Guide to the Development and Use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Consulting Psychologists Press.
031 DISC
DISC Model of Human Behavior - Overview
032 MMPI
Personality Assessments: MMPI and MCMI
033 Intro to the Big Five
034 Intro to Freud and Psychodynamic Theory
035 Skinner and Behaviorism
036 Brain Anatomy and Function Part 1
Organization and Evaluation of Brain Function - Annenberg
037 Brain Anatomy and Function Part 2
Brain Development:
038a [CS, Prof. X] Artificial Neural Networks Part 1
Intro to Neural Networks, Spring 2005, MIT Open Courseware
039a Artificial Neural Networks Part 2
Intro to Neural Networks, Spring 2005, MIT Open Courseware
OR
038b Childhood Brain Development
The Developing Child - Annenberg
039b Adolescent Brain Development
PBS - The Teenage Brain, Video
Seasons of Life - Annenberg, video series
040a Adult Brain Development
Neurology of Aging, MIT, Spring 2005
Seasons of Life - Annenberg, video series
042 The Brain and Emotions
Affect: Biological, Psychological, and Social Aspects of Feelings, Spring 2009, MIT
Brain, Mind, and Behavior: Emotions and Health
043 The Brain and Cognition
Foundations of Cognition - MIT, Spring 2003
044 The Brain and Relationships
Social Development in Infancy - Annenberg
045 Introduction - Psychopathology
Intro to Psychology - Fall 2011, MIT
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 1
Mental Illness - Yale, Lectures 18 and 19
046 Diagnosis and the DSM-IV-TR
Mental Illness - Yale, Lecture 18
046a Assessment and Diagnostic Interviewing
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 4
Mental Illness - Yale, Lecture 18
047 Depression: Major Depressive Disorder
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 5,6
Mood Disorders: Hereditary Factors - Annenberg
047a Suicide
Suicide and Suicidal Individuals - University of Washington, Lectures 4 and 5
048 Depression: Dysthymia
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 5,6
049 Seasonal Affective Disorder
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 5,6
050 Bipolar I Disorder
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 5,6
Mood Disorders: Hereditary Factors - Annenberg
Mood Disorders: Mania and Depression - Annenberg
051 Bipolar II Disorder
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 5,6
Mood Disorders: Hereditary Factors - Annenberg
Mood Disorders: Mania and Depression - Annenberg
052 Cyclothymic Disorder
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 5,6
053 Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 7
054 Panic Disorder
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 7
055 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
What Is PTSD? - US Dept of Veterans Affairs
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep 8.
056 Complex PTSD
Developmental Trauma Disorder van der Kolk, 2005,
057 Intro - Personality Disorders
Mental Illness - Yale, Lecture 19
058 Cluster A: Paranoid Personality Disorder
Paranoid Personality Disorder - Dr. Rhoda Hahn
059 Cluster A: Schizoid Personality Disorder
Schizoid Personality Disorder - Dr. Rhoda Hahn
060 Cluster A: Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Schizotypal Personality Disorder - Dr. Rhoda Hahn
061 Cluster B: Borderline Personality Disorder, Part 1
062 Cluster B: Borderline Personality Disorder, Part 2
Borderline Personality Disorder - Dr. Rhoda Hahn
063 Cluster B: Histrionic Personality Disorder
Histrionic Personality Disorder - Dr. Rhoda Hahn
064 Cluster B: Antisocial Personality Disorder Part 1
The Mind of the Psychopath - Annenberg
065 Cluster B: Antisocial Personality Disorder Part 2
Antisocial Personality Disorder - Dr. Rhoda Hahn
066 Cluster B: Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic Personality Disorder - Dr. Rhoda Hahn
067 Cluster B: Avoidant Personality Disorder
Avoidant Personality Disorder - Dr. Rhoda Hahn
068 Cluster B: Dependent Personality Disorder
Dependent Personality Disorder - Dr. Rhoda Hahn
069 Cluster B: Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder - Dr. Rhoda Hahn
070 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
What Causes OCD - Dr. A.J. Allen, MD PhD
OCD: Treating and Understanding a Complex Disorder - Dr. Steven Phillipson
071 Intro - Developmental Disorders
Behavior Disorders in Childhood
072 Autism Spectrum Disorders Part 1
073 Autism Spectrum Disorders Part 2
Success Story: Dr. Temple Grandin - Annenberg
074 Substance Abuse
Substance Abuse Disorders - Annenberg
Brain Mechanisms of Pleasure and Addiction - Annenberg
074a Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Teratogens and Their Effect on the Developing Brain and Mind
074b Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol Addiction: Hereditary Factors - Annenberg
Depressants and Their Addictive Effect on the Brain - Annenberg
074c Drug Addiction
Treating Drug Addiction: A Behavioral Approach - Annenberg
075 Pervasive Developmental Disorder
Pervasive Developmental Disorders - Bay Care Clinic
076 Conduct Disorder
Behavior Disorders in Childhood
077 Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
078 Intro - Learning Disabilities and Disorders
Learning Disorders - Bay Care Clinic
079 Dyslexia and Dyspraxia
Dyslexia: An Unwrapped Gift Part 1
Dyslexia: An Unwrapped Gift Part 2
080 Communication Disorders
Documentary: Children Living With Communication Disorder
081 Down Syndrome
082 Aging and Development
Annenberg - Growing Old in a New Age - video series
Seasons of Life - Annenberg, Lecture 4 and 5
083 Alzheimer’s
Understanding Alzheimer's Disease - Annenberg
084 Intro - Eating Disorders
Psychology, Biology, & Politics of Food - Yale
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 13
085 Anorexia
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 13
086 Bulimia
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 13
087 Binge Eating Disorder
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 13
088 Obesity and Overeating
089 Body Dysmorphic Disorder
"Too Ugly for Love": Documentary on Body Dysmorphic Disorder
090 Phobias
The 9 Most Common Specific Phobias
091 Hypochondria
"Hypochondria: Jessica" - Harvard Medical School
"Helping Hypochondriacs" - Harvard Medical School
092 Gender Identity Disorder
"Boys Will Be Girls" Documentary
093 Social Anxiety Disorder
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 7
094 Dissociative Identity Disorder
Multiple Personality Disorder - Documentary
095 Schizophrenia
Abnormal Psychology Lectures - Portland Community College, 2008 - Ep. 11
Schizophrenia: Symptoms AND Schizophrenia: Etiology - Annenberg
096 Intro - Social Psychology
Social Psychology - MIT, Spring 2009
097 Social Customs
098 “Lookism” and “Ageism” in Society
Lookism: The Unspoken Prejudice
099 Multiculturalism
100 Class and Income
101 Social Perception and Reality
The Power of the Situation - Annenberg
Constructing Social Reality - Annenberg
102 Ethical Standards in Counseling, Part 1
Ethical Issues video series - University of Tennessee Chattanooga - 1 through 7
103 Ethical Standards in Counseling, Part 2
Ethical Issues video series - University of Tennessee Chattanooga - 8 through 15
104 Child and Adolescent Counseling - Principles and Intro
Seasons of Life - Annenberg, video series
Working with Children in Counseling
105 Adult Counseling - Principles and Intro
Seasons of Life - Annenberg, video series
106 Marriage Counseling - Principles and Intro
107 Group Counseling - Principles and Intro
Introduction to Group Counseling - Georgia Tech University
108 Grief Counseling - Principles and Intro
Grief and Bereavement - Annenberg
109 Counseling and Multicultural Challenges
110 Career Counseling
111 Psychology and Science
112 IQ Testing and Statistics
Psychology: Intelligence and Testing
IQ Tests: Validity and Value - MIT
113 Neuropsychological Testing
Neuropsychological Testing and Cognitive Aging
114 Brain Imaging and Psychology
Neuropsychological Tests and Imaging
114a Intro to the MRI
Annenberg - Neuroscience - The MRI, Lecture 5
114b Intro to the EEG and QEEG
Annenberg - Neuroscience - The EEG, Lecture 6
114c Intro to the SPECT scan
Nuclear Medicine at Berkeley Lab
114d Intro to the PET scan
Understanding PET Scans - Alan Waxman, MD
Medical Imaging Acquisition - UCDavis
115 Research and Data Analysis Part 1
Research and Data Analysis in Psychology - UC Berkeley, Fall 2011
116 Research and Data Analysis Part 2
Research and Data Analysis in Psychology - UC Berkeley, Fall 2011
117 Intro - Human Sexuality
Sex and Sexuality - Yale, Lecture 14
118 Gender Role Socialization Part 1
119 Gender Role Socialization Part 2
Gender Development: Social Influences - Annenberg
120 Gender - Neurological Similarities and Differences
121 Psychology of Grieving
Grief and Bereavement - Annenberg
122 Death and Dying
Annenberg - Growing Old in a New Age - video 11
122a Death and Culture
122b Terminally Ill Patients
123 Faith and Spirituality - Intro Part 1
124a Buddhist Culture and Beliefs
Intro to Buddhism - Brian Vaugh, Buddhist Priest
124b Christianity - Catholic Culture and Beliefs
Intro to Catholicism - John Paul the Great Catholic University
124b Christianity - Mainline Protestant Culture and Beliefs
Mainline Protestant Information and Statistics
124c Evangelical Christianity - Culture and Beliefs
The Gospel - Ellerslie Mission Society
124d Hindu Culture and Beliefs
124e Jewish Culture and Beliefs
Foundations of Jewish Belief - Rabbi Asher Meza
124f Muslim Culture and Beliefs
124g Secular Humanist Culture and Beliefs
125 Intro - Positive Psychology
Video: Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness
126 Happiness
127 Self-Concept and Self-Esteem
Social Development in Infancy - Annenberg
128 Moral Development
129 Resilience and Protective Factors - Part 1
130 Resilience and Protective Factors - Part 2
An Ounce of Prevention - Annenberg
131 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
132 Dabrowski’s Overexcitabilities
Overexcitability and the Gifted - Sharon Lind
133 Seligman and Learned Optimism
Intervention: Learned Optimism - Seligman
Dr. Seligman's Definition of Optimism
134 Rogers and the Humanistic Approach
Humanistic Learning Theory - Dr. Andrew Johnson
Humanistic Approach - Dr. Sam Fiala
135 Unconditional Positive Regard
Unconditional Positive Regard in the Authoritative Parenting Style - Keeley Brown
Unconditional Positive Regard - Prof. Robert Elliott
136 Why Are We Happy?
Why Are We Happy? - Dan Gilbert
137 Empathy
Annenberg - Neuroscience - Empathy, Lecture 19
Psychology Today - Empathy Information and Resources
138 Happiness and Finances
Psychology Today - Money and Happiness
139 Happiness and Physical Health
Physical Stress Mechanism and its Effects - MIT
140 Coping with Stress
141 Resilience and Disabilities
Resilience - US Dept of Veterans Affairs
Growing Up Different - video series, PBS
142 Happiness and the Brain
Happiness: Can it be Measured and Studied? - MIT
143 Gratitude and Altruism
144 Peer Relationship Dynamics
145 Research on Peer Relationships - UCLA
146 Learned Helplessness
Learned Helplessness - Penn State
147 Psychology and the Arts
148 Psychology of History
History and Psychological Approaches
149 Sleep and Dreaming
Sleep, Dreams, and Laughter - Yale, Lecture 17
Other Related Resources Available
Students may choose from our suggested resources in order to get a better grasp on their understanding of Topic Unit material in addition to listening to Lecture material, or they may also look for additional resources on their own. This list is to be viewed as a starting point, not as comprehensive.
Related resources do not have a one-to-one Topic Unit correlation, although certain resources do tend to apply more to certain Topic Units.
General Psychology
Davis, S. F., & Palladino, J. J. (2004). Psychology (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Feldman, R. S. (2002). Understanding psychology (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Franzoi, S. L. (2004). Psychology: A journey of discovery (2nd ed.). Cincinnati, OH: AtomicDog.
Gazzaniga, M. S., & Heatherton, T. F. (2003). Psychological science: Mind, brain and behavior. New York: Norton.
Kosslyn, S. M., & Rosenberg, R. S. (2004). Psychology: The brain, the person, the world (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
Weiten, W. (2004). Psychology: Themes and variations (6th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA:Thomson/Wadsworth.
Developmental Psychology
Craig, Grace & Baucum, Don. (2001). Human Development. New York: Prentice Hall.
Piaget, Jean. (2001). The Psychology of Intelligence. New York: Routledge.
Sigelman, Carol K. & Rider, Elizabeth A. (2011). Life-Span Human Development. Beirmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Personality Psychology
Frager, R., & Fadiman, J. (2005). Personality and Personal Growth (6th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
McAdams, D. P. (2006). The Person: An Integrated Introduction to Personality Psychology (4th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Myers, I. (1980, 1995) Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type. Davies-Black Publishing, U.S.
Myers, I. (1990) Introduction to Type: A Description of the Theory and Applications of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Center for Applications of Psychological Type Inc.
Online list of personality psychology textbooks: http://www.socialpsychology.org/ptexts.htm
Social Psychology
Online list of social psychology textbooks: http://www.socialpsychology.org/texts.htm
Counseling Psychology
American Counseling Association (2005). ACA Code of Ethics. Alexandria, VA: Author.
Gladding, S. T. (2007). Counseling: A comprehensive profession, updated edition (5th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Thompson, C., & Henderson, D. (2007). Counseling children (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Psychopathology
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., Text Revision). Washington, DC: Author.
Barkley, Russell A. (2002). Child Psychopathology (2nd Ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
Kroll, Jerome. (1993). PTSD/Borderlines in Therapy: Finding the Balance. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Papolos, Demitri & Papolos, Janice. (2002). The Bipolar Child: The Definitive and Reassuring Guide to Childhood's Most Misunderstood Disorder (Revised and Expanded Edition). New York: Broadway.
van der Kolk, B., McFarlane, A.C. & Weisaeth, L. (eds.) Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society. New York: Guilford Press.
Collection of Research Articles on Trauma-Related Disorders: http://traumacenter.org/products/publications.php
Intelligence
Cross, T. (2005). The Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Kids: Understanding and Guiding Their Development. Austin, TX: Prufrock Press.
Stanovich, Keith. (2009). What Intelligence Tests Miss: The Psychology of Rational Thought. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Stough, C., Saklofske, D.H., & Parker, J.D.A. (eds.) (2009). Assessing Emotional Intelligence: Theory, Research, and Applications. New York: Springer.
Sexuality
Crooks, Robert & Baur, Karla. (2007). Our Sexuality. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education.
Freitas, D. & Winner, L. (2008). Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America's College Campuses. New York: Oxford University Press.
Rosenthal, Martha. (2012). Human Sexuality: From Cells to Society. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Positive Psychology
Compton, William & Hoffman, Edward W. (2012). Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness and Flourishing. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Seligman, Martin E. P. (1991). Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life. New York: Knopf.
Seligman, Martin E. P. (1993). What You Can Change and What You Can't: The Complete Guide to Successful Self-Improvement. New York: Knopf.
Seligman, Martin E. P. (1996). The Optimistic Child: Proven Program to Safeguard Children from Depression & Build Lifelong Resilience. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Seligman, Martin E. P. (2002). Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment. New York: Free Press.
Synder, C.R., Lopez, S.J., & Pedrotti, J.T. (2011). Positive Psychology: The Scientific and Practical Explorations of Human Strengths. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Interpersonal Neurobiology
Siegel, D. (1999).The Developing Mind: Toward a Neurobiology of Interpersonal Experience. New York: Guilford Press.
Siegel, D.J. & Hartzell, M. (2003). Parenting from the inside out: How a deeper self- understanding can help you raise children who thrive. New York: Penguin Group.