--- title: "PSYC 100 · Why people do what they do" publisher: Maestro College (Maestro Open) lessons: 20 source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/why-people-do-what-they-do full: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/why-people-do-what-they-do/llms-full.txt --- # Why people do what they do (PSYC 100) How thought, emotion and behavior work, with a focus on resilience, growth mindset and everyday life. An introduction to psychology that examines human thought, behavior, and emotion in personal and professional contexts. The course emphasizes positive psychology, resilience, and growth mindset, while connecting theory to real-world applications. ## Course objectives - Essential psychological theories and principles - Cognitive processes - Social processes and influence - Psychological principles behind behavior - Scientific research in modern psychology ## Course teaching approach - Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution. - Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning. - Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks. - End with one fun closed question about the topic. ## Lessons ### Unit 1: The invisible forces that shape us #### 1. What makes us human? - Understand psychology as a scientific study of the mind and behavior, it's main goals, and a brief history of the discipline. #### 2. The obedience trap - Based on Milgram’s Obedience Experiment (1961) — explain how authority influences behavior #### 3. The power of the situation - Based on Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment (1971) — describe how context shapes moral decisions #### 4. The conformity effect - Based on Asch’s Conformity Study (1951) — explain why people conform to group pressure #### 5. The bystander effect - Based on Darley & Latané’s Bystander Experiment (1968) — describe diffusion of responsibility #### 6. Why we lie to ourselves - Based on Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance Theory (1957) — explain how we justify conflicting beliefs #### 7. The power of the crowd - Based on Le Bon’s Crowd Psychology and Zimbardo’s Deindividuation research — explain why anonymity changes behavior #### 8. Social influence in the digital age - Based on Cialdini’s Principles of Persuasion (1984) — identify key persuasion mechanisms in modern media #### 9. Ethics in psychological research - Based on APA Ethical Guidelines — outline how participant protection evolved after Milgram and Zimbardo #### 10. Reflection: me vs. the system - Reflect on conformity and resistance through insights from Milgram, Asch, and Zimbardo ### Unit 2: The predictably irrational mind #### 11. The brain as a shortcut machine - Based on Kahneman & Tversky’s Heuristics and Biases (1974) — explain mental shortcuts in decision-making and why they occur #### 12. Anchoring & framing effects - Based on Tversky & Kahneman (1974) — describe how anchors and framing shape judgment #### 13. Prospect theory and risk - Based on Kahneman & Tversky’s Prospect Theory (1979) — explain how people irrationally evaluate gains and losses #### 14. False memories - Based on Loftus & Palmer’s False Memory Study (1974) — explain how memory is reconstructive #### 15. Selective attention - Based on Simons & Chabris’s Invisible Gorilla Experiment (1999) — describe inattentional blindness #### 16. The marshmallow test - Based on Mischel’s Delay of Gratification Experiment (1972) — explain self-control and willpower #### 17. The Dunning–Kruger effect - Based on Kruger & Dunning’s Overconfidence Study (1999) — explain how low ability leads to inflated self-assessment #### 18. Emotion and decision-making - Based on Damasio’s Iowa Gambling Task (1994) — describe the role of emotion in rational choices #### 19. The halo & horn effects - Based on Nisbett & Wilson’s Halo Effect Study (1977) — explain how first impressions bias perception #### 20. Putting it all together - From a story, identify at least three biases (including Anchoring & Framing Effects, Prospect Theory, False memory, Selective Attention, the role of emotion in rational choices, and halo/horn effect), and propose a strategy to reduce them. ## How to use this document You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates. Start with lesson 1 unless the learner asks for a specific lesson. Keep track of which lesson you are on. ## When a lesson is done Teach one lesson at a time. A lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed for it; check each with a small task or question. When it is complete: 1. Say clearly: "Lesson N complete: ." (use the lesson's number and title). 2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned. 3. Name the next lesson, say "Lesson N+1 of 20: ", and ask if they're ready to start it. Start it only when they say yes. After the last lesson, congratulate them on finishing the course.