Goals and Objectives

This document was drafted by 48 California State University (CSU) psychology faculty representing 19 CSU campuses. Our meeting was supported by a grant from the CSU Office of Academic Services and Professional Development and was hosted at California State University, Bakersfield. Project coordinators were Mary Allen, Richard Noel, and Jess Deegan (CSU, Bakersfield) and Diane Halpern and Cynthia Crawford (CSU, San Bernardino).

There was a high degree of collegiality among participating faculty and agreement that there is merit in outcomes assessment. There was a shared understanding that the merit of assessment is its application at the local level to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The appropriate use of department-based learning outcomes is to provide a framework for individual departments for curriculum and program planning, assessment, and faculty recruitment. In shaping this document we were mindful of concerns about the potential misuse of data gathered for outcomes assessment, such as administrative use of outcomes data for summative evaluation and resource allocation. Outcomes assessment is a formative, not a summative process.

With respect to the development of programs for outcomes assessment, we believe that:

1. It is the prerogative and responsibility of each campus department to develop specific learning objectives.
2. Because campus programs are unique, the goals and outcomes specified in this document are descriptive, not prescriptive. Departments are not expected to endorse every element on this list because campus missions, faculty perspectives, and student interests and needs vary across campuses.
3. Because campuses reflect unique histories and respond to unique service area characteristics, psychology majors across campuses are not necessarily interchangeable. Specific learning outcomes and relative emphases on them will vary across campuses system-wide. It is healthy for the system for departments to have differing goals and objectives, so students can seek learning environments that match their interests and needs.
4. Individual departments are welcome to consider this list when examining their own goals and objectives. If they choose to do this, they are encouraged to borrow and to adapt any element of the list that is relevant to their mission.
5. Local operationalization of some of these outcomes should be in relation to campus General Education objectives.

We propose eight goals and related objectives grouped into two major categories: (1) Knowledge, Skills, and Values Unique to Psychology and (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Values for Undergraduates Further Developed in Psychology.

A Possible Organizational Scheme

A subset of participants proposed that departments develop an organizational scheme based on an Educational Objectives by Goals matrix. The Educational Objectives would be columns in this matrix and are based on an adaptation of Bloom’s taxonomy with four categories: Knowledge/ Comprehension, Application, Analysis/Synthesis, and Awareness/Evaluation. The Goals would be those goals selected by the department, such as Theory and Content, Methodology, and Applied Psychology. This scheme may be useful to departments as they refine their outcomes and assessment plans.

All Participants Contributed to this Draft
Knowledge, Skills, and Values Unique to Psychology

Goal 1. Theory and Content of Psychology

Students should be familiar with the major theoretical approaches, findings, and historical trends in psychology.

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Explain and distinguish among the major theoretical approaches in at least three of these areas of psychology: biological, psychoanalytic, cognitive, behavioral, humanistic, social, and developmental.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of psychology in relation to
1. natural sciences (e.g., biology, ethology, neuroscience)
2. social sciences (e.g., anthropology, sociology)
3. applied sciences (e.g., criminal justice, business, law, social work)
3. Demonstrate a broad knowledge of theory and research in learning, perception, and cognition areas of psychology.
4. Demonstrate a broad knowledge of theory and research in the areas of personality and social processes.
5. Demonstrate a general understanding of psychological tests and measurements and the ways that test information is used in our society.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of theory and research in the areas of biological and physiological bases of behavior.
7. Demonstrate an understanding of at least one applied area of psychology, such as clinical, industrial/organizational, and health psychology.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of the history of psychology: the evolution of methods of psychology and its theoretical conflicts.
9. Demonstrate an understanding of the theory and research on developmental changes in human thought and behavior.
10. Demonstrate knowledge of individual differences in behavior, including those related to gender, ethnicity, and culture.
11. Demonstrate knowledge of different perspectives on the origin and treatment of abnormal behavior.
12. Demonstrate an understanding of the contribution of animal research to our understanding of human behavior.
13. Evaluate the scientific approach as a tool for understanding human thought and behavior.

Goal 2. Methodology

Students should understand and be able to use major research methods in psychology, including design, data analysis, and interpretation.

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Locate relevant research, theory, and information necessary to plan, conduct, and interpret results of research studies.
2. Formulate a testable research hypothesis.
3. Design basic studies to address psychological questions using different research methodologies.
4. Collect, analyze, and report data designed to answer a psychological question under appropriate supervision.
5. Apply APA ethical guidelines in the design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of psychological research.
6. Apply and interpret basic descriptive and inferential statistics.
7. Demonstrate knowledge of different research methodologies employed by psychologists.
8. Place research questions in an appropriate theoretical context.
9. Demonstrate understanding of the appropriate use of various research designs for addressing different types of questions and hypotheses.
10. Evaluate the appropriateness of conclusions presented in disseminated research relevant to psychology.
11. Demonstrate understanding of the appropriate use of various data analytic techniques for addressing different types of questions and hypotheses.
12. Demonstrate understanding of APA guidelines for the ethical treatment of human and nonhuman research participants.

Goal 3. Application of Psychology

Students should have an understanding of applications of psychology to personal, social, and organizational issues.

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Identify the major applied areas of psychology as traditionally defined.
2. Describe the role of psychology in addressing human problems, both individually and collectively.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of how the study of psychology enables individuals to make informed judgements that strengthen the community and build public policy.
4. Explain behavior using different psychological theories or models.
5. Formulate how major principles of psychology can be applied to career choices.
6. Construct examples of how psychological theories and principles relate to everyday life.
7. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of field experience.
8. Analyze alternative solutions to problems or issues encountered in real-world settings.
9. Design an action plan for improving a circumstance for the unit of analysis of concern. This involves:
1. Knowledge. Define a problem in need of change.
2. Comprehension. Describe what needs to be changed.
3. Application. Apply psychological theories and principle to the specified problem.
4. Analysis. Compare and contrast different perspectives for the solution of the problem.
5. Synthesis. Design and formulate an ethical plan of action.
6. Evaluation. Assess the effectiveness of the plan and solution(s) employed.
10. Treat individuals in applied settings according to the APA ethical guidelines.
11. Recognize unethical application of psychological principles.

In addition, students should:

1. Recognize the value of psychology in understanding and suggesting solutions for real-world problems.
2. Appreciate the value of psychological science in society.

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Knowledge, Skills, and Values for Undergraduates
Further Developed in Psychology

Goal 4. Information Competence, Technology, and Computers

Students should demonstrate information competence and the ability to use computers and other technology for these purposes.

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate these minimum skills: using a personal computer, making and transferring files, avoiding viruses, using basic word processing programs, using and accessing email, and browsing the Web.
2. Demonstrate information competence at each stage in the following process:
1. Formulating a topic. Choosing a topic and restating it in narrower and broader terms.
2. Determining the types of information needed. Identifying sources of information from multiple media and describing their relationship to the chosen topic.
3. Locating appropriate sources by searching electronic and traditional databases and providing evidence of the search.
4. Gathering appropriate sources from multiple media and retrieving information from distant and local sources.
5. Differentiating between primary vs. secondary sources, empirical vs. non-empirical sources, and peer-reviewed vs. professional vs. other sources for multiple media.
6. Evaluating the quality and appropriateness of the identified sources regardless of the media, including evaluating its value and accuracy.
3. Organize and report information by using appropriate software to produce understandable reports of the psychological literature, methodology, and statistical analyses in APA or other appropriate style, including graphical representations of data.
4. Use information and technology ethically and responsibly, including
1. Giving examples of and identifying examples of plagiarism.
2. Discussing why plagiarism is unethical.
3. Using citations correctly for a variety of media sources.
4. Knowing the limitations of statistical techniques and data collection methods.
5. Knowing the limitations of one’s own understanding of the literature, statistics, and methodology.
5. Use technology to communicate with others in the field, including using email and the Web.

Goal 5. Critical Thinking, Logic, and Problem-Solving

Students should use, respect, and appreciate skeptical inquiry, critical thinking, and the scientific approach to understanding behavior.

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate critical thinking skills and abilities acquired through training and experience in scientific methodology, including the ability to
1. Identify, describe, and compare major scientific methods for gathering and analyzing information and for explaining behavior.
2. Use knowledge of research design to justify and challenge research conclusions.
3. Support conclusions with reasoning and evidence.
2. Evaluate the merit of information, including the ability to
1. Differentiate fact from fiction.
2. Differentiate the probable from the improbable.
3. Recognize and evaluate the source and context of information.
4. Identify and explain inappropriate assertions.
3. Approach problems effectively, including the ability to
1. Articulate problems clearly.
2. Generate multiple solutions to problems.
3. Recognize and defend against common thinking fallacies.

Goal 6. Cultural Awareness

Students should have an understanding of the complexity of cultural diversity.

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Work and communicate effectively and sensitively with people from a diverse range of backgrounds and varying demographic characteristics (e.g., age, race, disability, sexual orientation, class, ethnicity, religion, cognitive abilities).
2. Examine the major cultural components which have influenced their own identity.
3. Demonstrate understanding of how their own identify influences their beliefs, values, and interactions with others.
4. Demonstrate understanding of the impact and issues of power, privilege, and oppression and their relationship to prejudice, discrimination, and inequity.
5. Examine and challenge their own prejudicial attitudes.

Goal 7. Communication Skills

Students should be able to express themselves effectively in written and oral communication.

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate effective writing skills in multiple formats (e.g., essays, graphs and tables, correspondence, technical papers, and note taking) and for multiples purposes (e.g., defending, explaining, persuading, arguing, teaching).
2. Demonstrate effective oral communication skills in multiple formats (e.g., group discussion, debate, lecture) and for multiple purposes (e.g., defending, explaining, persuading, arguing, teaching).

Goal 8. Personal Development

Students should understand themselves and others in a cultural context and develop interpersonal skills for diverse settings over the lifespan.

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Identify their own values.
2. Demonstrate self-awareness of their own feelings, emotions, motives, and attitudes.
3. Use psychological theory to provide insight and understanding of their own behavior.
4. Demonstrate the ability to reflect on experience and find meaning in it.
5. Use psychological theory to understand interpersonal and group behavior.
6. Identify the impact of their own behavior on others.
7. Demonstrate appropriate, effective relationships with others in diverse settings, such as work, family, and social settings.
8. Develop knowledge-based interpersonal skills that foster sensitivity and expand self-knowledge.
9. Demonstrate interpersonal awareness and sensitivity to differences and similarities in the way people are treated due to gender, race, ethnicity, culture, class, and sexual orientation.
10. Demonstrate communication skills, e.g., interviewing skills, active listening, empathic listening.
11. Demonstrate group facilitation and interaction skills.
12. Demonstrate conflict resolution skills.
13. Define career paths and develop skills relevant to pursuing them.
14. Demonstrate understanding of the importance of life-long learning and maintaining currency in one’s field.

 

Bakersfield

Mary Allen, (661) 664-3336, Mallen@csubak.edu

Steve Bacon, (661) 664-2008, Sbacon@csubak.edu

Jess Deegan, (661) 664-2380, Jdeegan@csubak.edu

Richard Noel, (661) 664-3467, Rnoel@csubak.edu

Beth Rienzi, (661) 664-2367, Brienzi@csubak.edu

Chico

Paul Spear, (530) 898-5147, pspear@csuchico.edu

Lawrence Herringer, (530) 898-4060, lherringer@csuchico.edu

Eddie Vela, (530) 898-6262, evela@csuchico.edu

Fresno

Marilyn Wilson, (559) 278-5129, marilyn_wilson@csufresno.edu

Jean Ritter, (559) 278-5125, jean_ritter@csufresno.edu

Fullerton

Kay Bathurst, (714) 278-2553, Kbathurst@fullerton.edu

Chris Cozby, (714) 278-5338, Cozby@fullerton.edu

Hayward

Eleanor Levine, (510) 885-3484, elevine@csuhayward.edu

Nancy Harrison, (510) 885-2384, nharrison@csuhayward.edu

Humboldt

Susan Frances, (707) 826-4571, sjf2@axe.humboldt.edu

Lumei Hui, (707) 826-5268, lh6@axe.humboldt.edu

Senqi Hu, (707) 826-5262, sh4@axe.humboldt.edu

Long Beach

Keith Colman, (562) 985-5009, e-mail krcolman@csulb.edu

Robert Kapche, (562) 985-5017, rkapche@csulb.edu

Los Angeles

Stuart Fischoff, (213) 343-5617, sfischo@calstatela.edu

Michael Wapner, (213) 343-2250, mwapner@calstatela.edu

Monterey Bay

Sandra Pacheco, (831) 582-4140, sandra_pacheco@monterey.edu

Northridge

Sheila Grant Thompson, (818) 677-2983, sgrant@csun.edu

Brennis Lucero-Wagoner, (818) 677-4709, blucero-wagoner@csun.edu

Pomona

Jeffery Mio, (909) 869-3899, jsmio@csupomona.edu

Susan Siaw, (909) 869-3982, snsiaw@csupomona.edu

Lori Barker-Hackett, (909) 869-3904, labarker@csupomona.edu

Sacramento

Rachel August, (916)278-6814, raugust@saclink.csus.edu

Lisa Bohon, (916) 278-6240, bohonim@saclink.csus.edu

Tammy Bourg, (916)278-6457, bourgt@csus.edu

San Bernardino

Cynthia Crawford, (909) 880-7416, ccrawfor@csusb.edu

Diane Halpern, (909) 880-5574, dhalpern@csusb.edu

Jan Kottke, (909) 880-5585, jkottke@csusb.edu

San Francisco

Caran Colvin, (415) 338-7555, ccolvin@sfsu.edu

Diane Harris, (415) 338-7064, dharris@sfsu.edu

John Kim, 415-338-3375, johnjkim@sfsu.edu

San Jose State

Megumi Hosoda, (408) 924-5637, mhosoda@email.sjsu.edu

Robert Cooper, (408) 924-5600, rocooper@email.sjsu.edu

San Luis Obispo

Robert Christenson, (805) 756-2644, rachrist@calpoly.edu.

Linden Nelson, (805) 756-2320, llnelson@calpoly.edu

Debra Valencia-Laver, (805) 756-1603, dlvalenc@calpoly.edu

San Marcos

Sharon Hamill, (760)-750-8029, shamill@mailhost1.csusm.edu

Wes Schultz, (760)-750-8045, psch@mailhost1.csusm.edu

Sonoma

Art Warmoth, (707) 664-2689, art.warmoth@sonoma.edu

Laurel McCabe, (707) 664-2130, laurel.mccabe@sonoma.edu

Susan Hillier, (707) 664-2586, susan.hillier@sonoma.edu

Stanislaus

Elizabeth Nelson, (209) 667-3386, elnelson@toto.csustan.edu