Download Psychology 111

Psychology 111
Grading and Course Conduct
Course Objectives
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Introduction to psychological content and
perspective
Familiarity with scientific methodology
and reasoning
Awareness of the relationship of theory,
research, and generalizations
Ethics and inclusiveness
Communication skills
Student Assessment
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Unit Exams (60%); best 3 of 4
Final Exam (15%); take-home critical
thinking essay
Writing Assignments (15%)
Experiencing Psychology Labs and
Discussions (10%)
Letter Grade Determination
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At mid point and course close, weighted
average will be computed, e.g.,
Weighted %age= [(.50 x exam average) +
(.15 x final score) + (.20 x Assign. avg.) +
(.15 x lab average)]
Weighted %age then translated into letter
grade by ‘90-80-70-60’ criteria
But what does a grade mean?
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“A” distinctly superior performance
“B” consistently above average performance
“C” average performance
“D” consistently below average performance
“F” failing performance
Grades are not a reflection of your personal
worth, but my assessment of your performance
Important Class Policies
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First Amendment-level protections of free speech
Question, Question, Question (Skeptical Inquiry)
This class first, illness, sports, debate, choir,
music, travel, friends, family second
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Not that these things are unimportant…
Performance, not effort, is measured and
evaluated
Some Intangibles for All Your
Classes
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Civility enhances learning.
Your enthusiasm is contagious
Be involved in class.
The "too cool for school" posture is
unacceptable and offensive
When a fellow student speaks, it is not
an opportunity to "tune out," take a
break, or start a conversation
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Dress appropriately for class.
Never close your books or rustle your papers
to signal the end of class
Don't wait until it's "too late" to seek help
Come to my office hours with definite
questions, concerns, or problems in mind
Never ask "Did I miss anything important in
class the other day?” Of Course You Did!
Regardless of what you might think, grading
is not easy, nor do Profs take sadistic
pleasure in it
What is Psychology?
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Psychology as a Natural Science
and a Social Science
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As a natural science, psychology
involves the study of the laws of
nature.
As a social science, psychology
involves the study of the laws of
the thoughts, feelings, and
behavior of humans and other
organisms.
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The Evolution of Ideas
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Dialectic
 Thesis
 Antithesis
 Synthesis
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Psychological Perspectives:
The 1850s and Beyond
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The Merging of Philosophy and
Physiology Into Modern
Psychology (1850–1900)
Psychology’s Youth: A Study in
Diverging Perspectives
Structuralism, Functionalism,
Pragmatism, and
Associationism: Studying
Behavior, Not Mental States
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Evolving Twentieth-Century Perspectives
on Psychology
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From Associationism to Behaviorism
Behaviorism—A Search for Rigor and
Reduction
Gestalt Psychology: The Whole is Different
Cognitivism: Returning to Mental Acts
Current Frontiers: Biological and Evolutionary
Psychology—The Brain and Body Reunited
(Sort Of)
Psychodynamic Psychology: Conscious
Behavior as the Tip of the Iceberg
Humanistic Psychology
Interest in psychological topics is
ubiquitous
 1879: Establishment of 1st laboratory for
Psychological Study in Leipzig
 Wm. Wundt: Goal was the identification of
“mental elements”; a “periodic table of
sensory events”
 Structuralism
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Functionalism
Typically American emphasis on purposes
and application
 Key Question: What is consciousness for?
 Emphasis on adaptation
 Conceptually related to Evolutionary theory
 Wm. James
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‘stream of consciousness’
Behaviorism
Even more ‘typically American’ in its
emphasis on practical applications
 Restricted psychological topics to
observable events
 Brought psychology away from speculative
treatises to observing measurable events
 John B. Watson
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Psychoanalytic
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Sigmund Freud
Emphasis on unconscious processes
evidenced through behavior
Used a ‘clinical method’ in which
hypotheses are evaluated by patient
behavior
Gestalt
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Emphasized the unity of consciousness and
perceptual events
Focused on identifying perceptual rules
such as…
Good Continuation
Closure
Proximity
Where are the schools now?
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No psychologist would be an adherent to any
particular school
Best seen as progenitors to current psychological
interests
Psychoanalysis Clinical Practice
BehaviorismLearning
Gestalt, Structuralism Sensation and Perception
FunctionalismCognition