K to 12 BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Grade: 12 Semester: _____________________________________

Subject Title: Introduction to General Psychology # of Hours/Semester: ___________________________
Prerequisite (if needed): _________________________

Subject Description:
This course is designed for Grade 11 and 12 senior high school students to provide them with insights about General Psychology. This includes the different branches and schools
of thoughts that have given birth to Psychology as a field of study, psychology as a scientific and human endeavor, neurobiological basis of psychology, consciousness and perception,
human emotions and behaviors, personality and individuality, and social behavior. The module of this course has been made simple for the students to easily understand the key concepts,
ideas, definitions, and points. This aims to provide the students with knowledge and skills in preparation for building a stable foundation for their future field of specialization .

CONTENT CONTENT STANDARD LEARNING STANDARD LEARNING COMPETENCIES

Quarter 1
Part 1: Psychology as a Scientific and Human
Endeavor
I. Nature of Psychology

1. Psychology and Its Scopes
2. History of Psychology
3. Methods of Psychology
4. Careers in Psychology
The learners demonstrate an
understanding of…
the nature of psychology, the
historical milestone of psychology,
the relationship between theories
and research, and the possible
careers in psychology
The learners shall be able to…
clarify the scopes of psychology including its
traditional approaches, research methods,
and psychology-related careers.
The learners…
1.1 define and identify the major aims of
psychology.
1.2. discover some of the problems that
psychologists examine such as brain
damage and facial recognition, attributing
traits to people, childhood amnesia, and
etc.
2.1 describe the eight traditional
approaches to psychology
2.2 identify the approach used by most
modern psychologist
3.1 explain the different methods of
research and their ethical considerations
3.2 describe the typical psychology
experiments and distinguish between
independent and dependent variables and
between an experimental and control group
4.1 identify different field of specializations
in psychology
4.2 identify the similarities and differences
in the training and specialization of
psychologists, psychiatrists, and
psychoanalysts
Part 2. Biological and Developmental Processes
II. Neurobiological Basis of Psychology
5. Nervous System
6. Brain Structures
7. Hormones and Glands
III. Psychological Development
8. Newborns, Infancy, and Early Childhood
9. Intellectual Development
10. Moral Reasoning
11. Social Development
Part 3. Consciousness and Perception
IV. Sensory and Perception
The learners demonstrate an
understanding of…
the influence of biological
mechanisms that underlie behavior
The learners demonstrate an
understanding of…
the psychological development of an
individual such as intellectual
development, moral development,
and social development from infancy
to adulthood.
The learners demonstrate an
The learners shall be able to…
identify the influence of genes on both
physiological and psychological traits
explain the structure and function of the
nervous system
The learners shall be able to…
express the connections between
intellectual, moral, and social aspects on
the psychological development of an
individual
The learners shall be able to…
The learners…
5.1 discuss the different parts of the
nervous system and the structures of its
parts
5.2 identify the parts of a neuron and
explain how neurons transfer signals
throughout the body
6.1 describe hindbrain, midbrain, and
forebrain with its various subdivisions
6.2 discuss what researchers know about
hemispheric specialization and especially
lateralization
7.1 discuss some of the effects that the
hormones secreted by endocrine glands
have on behavior
7.2 identify the effects of food, especially
carbohydrates on behavior
The learners…
8.1 identify some of the perceptual abilities
found in infants
8.2 identify some of the major changes that
occur as a child passes through infancy and
into childhood
9.1 define accommodation and assimilation
and describe how the two processes create
a cycle of intellectual and behavioral
learning
9.2 identify and describe Piaget’s four
stages of intellectual development
10.1 define morality and describe
Kohlberg’s three levels of moral
development
11.1 discuss social development from birth
to adulthood
11.2 discuss social development and how
peer groups influence behavior
11.3 describe Erik Erikson’s psychosocial
stages theory of development
The learners…

12. The Visual System
13. Visual Perception
14. Auditory Perception
15. Taste and Smell
16. Skin Senses
17. Extrasensory Perception
V. Consciousness and Its Altered States
18. Aspects of Consciousness
19. Sleep, Sleep Problem and Disturbances
20. Dreams
understanding of…
how sensory information is received
and processed by the nervous system
and how that affects human
conscious experience of the world
The learners demonstrate an
understanding of…
the state of consciousness with
emphasis on sleep; and altered
consciousness produced by
psychoactive drugs, hypnosis, and
meditation
distinguish the difference between
sensation and perception, the properties of
light and sound stimuli, and the basic
structure and function of the sensory
system
The learners shall be able to…
appraise their sleeping patterns and discuss
its influence on their behavior; and identify
the influence of psychoactive drugs on the
behavior
12.1 identify and describe parts of the eye
and explain how they process visual stimuli
13.1 explain how our visual perception
system allows us to maintain a uniform
view of the world by means of size and
shape constancy
13.2 discuss how we perceive depth using
monocular and binocular depth cues
13.3 describe some of the illusions we
experience and give some explanations for
why these experiences are thought to
occur.
13.4 describe the Gestalt approach to
perception and identity five Gestalt law of
organization
14.1 describe the physical stimulus for
auditory perceptual processes
14.2 identify the major components of the
structures of the ear
14.3 distinguish between place and
frequency theories of hearing
15.1 identify stimuli and receptor cells
involved in the taste and smell perceptual
system
16.1 describe the structure of skin and
indicate its major functions
16.2 discuss pain as a perceptual system
and describe the Melzack-Wall gate control
theory
17.1 discuss extrasensory perception as it
fits into the field of contemporary
psychology
The learners…
18.1 discuss about the nature of conscious
experience and the functions of
consciousness
19.1 define circadian rhythms and indicate
their effects on behavior
19.2 discuss the variation in amount of
sleep people need according to their age
and activity level
19.3 explain how sleep deprivation affects
behavior and subsequent sleep patterns
20.1 discuss dreaming, including when we

21. Altered States of Consciousness
22. Psychoactive Drugs
Part 4. Learning, Remember, and Thinking
VI. Learning and Conditioning
23. Classical Conditioning
24. Operant Conditioning
25. Cognitive Learning
VII. Memory and Forgetting
26. Memory: Retaining Information
27. The Information-Processing Approach to
Memory
28. The Sensory Register
29. Short-Term Memory
The learners demonstrate an
understanding of…
the cognitive processes of
conditioning, learning, memory, and
cognition
The learners shall be able to…
have a greater appreciation of the higher-
level cognitive processes that contribute to
our distinctiveness as species
dream, when we are most likely to
remember our dreams, and some thoughts
about why we dream
21.1 describe consciousness, altered states
of consciousness, and the distinction
between levels and states of consciousness
22.1 discuss alcohol consumptions and
some of the physiological changes that
occur with its use
22.2 evaluate the influence of psychoactive
drugs on one’s physical and psychological
states
The learners…
23.1 define conditioning and explain how
classically conditioned responses are like
and unlike reflexes
23.2 describe classical conditioning and
define the various types of stimuli and
responses involved
24.1 describe operant conditioning and
identify two American psychologists who
are well known for researching the variables
involved in operant conditioning
24.2 identify and describe the types of
reinforcers and the forms of reinforcement
involved in operant conditioning
25.1 describe the results of cognitive
learning, studies that focused on insights
and latent learning
25.2 describe observational learning,
explain the variables that affect it, and
discuss some of the difficulties involved in
studying how it occurs
26.1 define memory and identify the
relationship between learning and memory
26.2 relate how psychologists study recall,
recognition, and reconstruction and tell
what they have found
27.1 describe the key components of
encoding, storage, and retrieval
28.1 describe the structure, function, and
time course of the sensory register
29.1 describe the structure, function, and
 the time course of short-term memory
29.2 distinguish between maintenance and
elaborated rehearsal
30. Long-Term Memory 30.1 describe the structure, function, and
time course of lone-term memory
30.2 distinguish between procedural and
declarative memory and between episodic
and semantic memory
31. Forgetting and Memory Loss 31.1 explain how memory is lost through
decay and interference
VIII. Cognition and Language
32. Cognitive Psychology: An Overview 32.1 define cognitive psychology and
indicate some of its basic assumptions
32.2 describe the levels-of-processing
approach to understanding memory storage
33. Concept Formation 33.1 define concept, describe the elements
involved in concept formation, and discuss
how researchers study concept formation
34. Decision Making 34.1 define reasoning, logic, and decision
making and explain how syllogism are used
to examine reasoning
35. Problem Solving 35.1 describe functional fixedness and
psychological set
35.2 describe how brainstorming affects
one’s ability to solve problems
35.3 identify four things a person can do to
improve his or her problem solving abilities
36. Language 36.1 discuss the relationship between
language and thought
37. Language Acquisition: Nature vs. Nurture 37.1 explain how researchers investigate
the relative contributions of nature and
nurture to language acquisition
38. Theories of Intelligence 38.1 discuss four theories that attempt to
describe the nature of intelligence
Quarter II
Part 5. Motives and Emotion
IX. Basic Motives
39. Hunger, Thirst, and Sexual Motivation The learners demonstrate an The learners shall be able to… The learners…
understanding of…
39.1 describe drive theories of motivation
and explain what is meant by a mechanistic
analysis of behavior
39.2 describe the hunger drive and some of
the physiological and psychological causes
of obesity
40. Learned Motives 40.1 describe social motives and social

41. Cognitive Theory
42. Humanistic Theory
IX. Emotions
43. Definition and Components of Emotion
44. Theories of Emotion
45. Controlling Your Emotions Better
Part 6. Personality
X. Personality
46. Psychoanalytic Theory
47. Psychoanalytic Theory: Dissent and
Revision
48. Humanistic Approach
49. Behavioral Approaches
50. Cognitive Approaches
51. Trait and Type Theories
Part 7. Stress, Psychopathology, and Therapy
the issues relating to both motivation
and emotion
The learners demonstrate an
understanding of…
the theories and approaches that
explain personality traits
development
identify the physiological needs that drive
some human behaviors, as well as the
importance of our social, cognitive, and
emotional experiences that are influencing
our actions.
The learners shall be able to…
make an affirmation of their personality
types or traits
needs
40.2 describe the need for achievement and
identify the factors that lead some people
to have high achievement needs
41. 1 describe cognitive theories of
motivation and cite the results of a study
that show we do have some voluntary
control over our emotions
41.2 describe intrinsically motivated
behavior and explain how extrinsic rewards
affect these behavior
42.1 explain Abraham Maslow’s theory of
motivation and personality
43.1 define emotion and identify the
aspects of emotion that are studied by
psychologists
44.1 describe the James-Lange, Cannon,
Schachter-Singer and Shaver theories of
emotion
45.1 describe the relationship between
emotion and arousal
The learners…
46.1 discuss the origin of psychoanalysis
and the impact of Freud-s work on modern-
day psychology
47.1 identify the neo-Freudians and explain
how they tried to revise Freud’s theories
48.1 explain how self-actualization is
involved in the development of personality
49.1 identify the basic structure and core
tendency of personality according to
behavioral approaches
50.1 discuss some of the assumptions made
by cognitive theorists that differ from the
traditional behavioral model
51.1 distinguish between traits and types.
 XI. Stress, Health, and Coping
52. Characteristics of Stressful Events
53. How Stress Affects Health
54. Coping Skills
Part 8. Social Psychology
XII. Social Cognition, Attitude, and Behavior
55. Social Cognition
56. Attitudes
The learners demonstrate an
understanding of…
the psychological and physiological
natures of stress, and its causes and
consequences
The learners demonstrate an
understanding of…
how the presence of other people
influences the bahavior of
individuals, dyads, and groups.
The learners shall be able to…
create a plan to stay mentally healthy in
spite of the stress they experience so they
can master stress rather than becomes its
victim
The learners shall be able to…
evaluate one’s behavior as influenced by
the people around him/her
The learners…
52.1 characterize the stress response and
indicate the importance of appraisal in
stress
52.2 discuss some of the broad types of
stress—frustrations, conflicts, and
pressures—and conditions that contribute
to stress—work environment time, and life-
cycle events.
53.1 discuss the possible physiological and
psychological effects of stress
54.1 describe the process of coping, and the
meaning of vulnerability, coping skills, and
social support
54.2 discuss between defense-oriented and
task-oriented coping skills
54.3 identify a series of things a person can
do to cope using a positive attitude
The learners…
55.1 discuss some of the ways we express
ourselves by means of nonverbal
communication
55.2 describe some of the research on facial
perception, especially smiling
55.3 explain how we make decisions
concerning the character of other people
through the process of attribution
55.4 explain how self-perceptions (self-
concepts) develop and how they affect our
psychological health and our perceptions of
others
56.1 describe the three components of an
attitude ad explain how individuals acquire
their attitudes
56.2 identify three situational variables that
increase the likelihood that an attitude will
govern behavior
56.3 identify the most influential medium of
attitude change and characteristics of the
communicator and the communication that

57. Social Influence
58. Behavior in Groups
XIII. Social Interaction
59. Prejudice
60. Prosocial Behavior
61. Aggression
62. Environmental Psychology
The learners demonstrate an
understanding of…
the factors that influence prejudice,
pro-social behavior, and aggression;
and the environment where
socialization occurs which includes
industries and organizations.
The learners shall be able to…
make an evaluation on how individual and
group behaviors can influence one’s
behavior
influence the extent to which an attitude
will change
57.1 discuss several characteristics of a
group that can influence the probability of
individuals conforming
57.2 describe three explanations for why
people conform
58.1 define social facilitation and give some
reasons why individual performance
changes when others are present
58.2 describe some of the non-productive
behavioral effects of social loafing, group
polarization, groupthink, and de-
individualization
The learners…
59.1 define prejudice, stereotypes, and
discrimination; indicate some of the causes
of prejudice and what can be done to
reduce or eliminate it
60.1 describe prosocial behavior and
altruism and present the sociobiologist’s
view of these behavior
60.2 describe bystander apathy and explain
why it occurs
61.1 describe three major approaches that
attempt to explain why people are
aggressive
61.2 discuss the influence of television on
behavior and attitudes
61.3 describe the work that focuses on
cognitive variables in aggression and gender
differences in aggression
62.1 identify some environmental variables
that are taken into consideration by
researchers
62.2 discuss how temperature and noise act
as stressors and affect performance
62.3 identify factors that contribute to the
psychological state called crowding and
explain how people behave in a crowded
situation
62.4 explain what is meant by personal
space, how it changes with various
conditions, and how it influences human

63. Industrial and Organizational Psychology
behavior
62.5 explain why privacy is important and
discuss some of the ways that people
establish a sense of privacy
63.1 describe the purpose of
industrial/organizational psychology
63.2 explain how an industrial
organizational psychologist approaches the
task of selecting personnel.
63.3 describe the processes of performance
appraisal focusing on the role of cognition
63.4 identify several factors that contribute
to job motivation
63.5 make a distinction between job
motivation and job satisfaction
63.6 describe the paternalistic, behavrioal,
and participatory approaches to the
management of employee motivation