Constructivist and Systemic Models

Code:

P502

Acronym:

MCS

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Psychology

Instance: 2012/2013 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Psychology
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master Psychology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIPSI	136	Official Curricular Structure 2007/2008	3	-	3	30	81
		Official Curricular Structure	3	-	3	30	81
		Official Curricular Structure 2012	3	-	3	30	81

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

By means of confrontation with the plurality of discourses and proposals of intervention strategies under the scope of constructivist and systemic perspectives, it is expected that the student:
(a)acquires and analyses critically various conceptualisations on (i) psychological functioning and development, (ii) theory of psychological disfunctionality, (iii) strategies of psychological intervention and (iv) processes of psychological change;
(b)acquires concepts related to procedures and strategies of intervention within these theoretical contexts;
(c)presents and discusses the plurality of discourses and proposals of intervention under the scope of these perspectives;
(d)analyses critically constructivist and systemic perspectives, identifying their main advantages and shortcomings;
(e)takes position on the diversity of models of psychological intervention explored along his/her education in this 1st cycle (e.g., behaviourist, cognitivist, psychoanalytic, humanistic, constructivist, systemic)

Program

1- Constructivist approaches
(i)Introduction to constructivism
(ii)Conceptions shared by the various perspectives
(iii)The constructivist proposal of the C for CT of Rome(Guidano,Liotti):the post-rationalist trend
(iv)Personal constructs perspective of the Catalan school: Villegas, Feixas and the retrieval of a forgotten author: Kelly
(v)Mahoney’s constructivist metatheory: emphasis on change processes
(vi)Narrative perspectives (White,Epston): gramatisation of life stories
(vii)Social constructionism (Gergen): the cultural and political genesis of the psychological
(viii)Psychological constructivism, fusion of ontology with epistemology, criticism of the tricotomy cognition/emotion/behaviour, primacy of meaning, tacit structures and personal cognitive organisation
2- Systemic perspectives
(i)Theoretical assumptions of systems theory as a scientific ‘paradigm’
(ii)The family conceptualised as an open system
(iii).Life-span development of the family system
(iv)New configurations of family
(v)Main systemic approaches to family therapy

Teaching methods and learning activities

•Methods of oral presentation of the thematic subjects in the context of the large group (lectures);
•Intentional creation of opportunities for systematic discussion based upon contributions of teachers and students;
•Teachers appeal to intervention own experience in order to illustrate concepts, processes and dilemmas related to psychological intervention constructivist and systemic proposals;
•Reading, reflection and systematization of knowledge and competencies based on suggested readings and students independent work;
•Writing activities (critical reflection based on reading a proposed book and final examination).

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Description	Type	Time (hours)	Weight (%)	End date
Attendance (estimated)	Participação presencial	26,00
	Total:	-	0,00

Calculation formula of final grade

Learning outcomes evaluation includes two components:
(a)Reading, exploration and analysis - based on the two theoretical models this subject addresses - of a book proposed by the teachers each year, whose written individual critical reflection is to be delivered until the end of the semester (five pages maximum) (20% = 4/20 points);
(b)Final written examination (80% = 16/20 points).