Discussion 1

In this unit, you are further examining human motivations and emotions. Abraham Maslow, a well-known humanist, attempted to illustrate human motivations through his famous Hierarchy of Needs. After studying this theory, consider the importance of these stages of needs and why some can be more difficult than others for people. Consider human emotions and how they affect us individually and socially.

• After reading about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, choose one of his six levels to discuss further.
• Explain what kinds of things can get in the way of people passing through that level.
• How can human emotions affect this?
• Describe how theories of motivation and emotion can help you understand why people think and behave in the way that they do

Discussion 2

In this unit, you are examining how people learn information, as well as how they remember it. Behaviorism is a school of thought in psychology that attempts to explain learning through different types of associations and conditioning. Think about how this type of learning occurs in your own life, as well as your own memory processes.

• Choose one of the forms of learning that you read about in your text: classical conditioning, operant conditioning, or observational learning. Give a specific example of how this form of learning goes on in your life or the life of someone you know.
• Explain how this example relates to this style of learning, with regards to associations (classical conditioning), shaping (operant conditioning), or reasons for social imitation (observational learning).
• Describe what type of memory process you think may have occurred here and why. (For example, implicit, explicit, effortful processing, or automatic processing are types of memory processes.)

Discussion 3

In this unit, as you further your knowledge about thinking, languages, and intelligence, consider how these impact you and those around you. When trying to understand psychology, it helps to consider ideas such as problem-solving, decision-making, forming judgments, and the impact of our emotions.

• Describe some strategies that help you solve problems and make decisions based on your reading assignment.
• Discuss some obstacles that get in the way of problem-solving and decision-making.
• Explain what it is that makes a person appear intelligent to you.
• What theories help support your opinion based on the intelligence theories you have read?