Many years ago, Psychology was said to be the study of the psyche, the mind or, if you will, the soul. As Psychology became less philosophical and more scientific, it came to be defined as the scientific study of behavior. Unfortunately this does not clearly differentiate Psychology from other sciences (e.g., Sociology, Anthropology, Ethology, or even Political Science) which also study behavior. Psychology is a unique behavioral science, however, because of the specific questions regarding behavior that psychologists pose and the specific procedures which they employ to answer the questions.

Actually, Psychology is better conceived as (a) the scientific study of the overt behavior of individual animals and humans and the psychophysiological processes presumed to underlie behavior, and (b) the derived health profession dedicated to maximizing performance and adjustment and relieving psychosocial stresses and disturbances. That is, Psychology is both a science, with a corpus of knowledge and procedures of inquiry, and a helping profession, with a technology for improving human functioning.

In 1990, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) published a report entitled The Liberal Art of Science: Agenda for Action. This report was the culmination of several years of study by prominent educators and scientists about the role of the natural sciences in the liberal arts curriculum. In "The Statement," the Study Group concludes:

In pursuing science as a liberal art, the Study Group identified "common perspectives that transcend disciplinary boundaries," which are shared by all of the sciences. These "aspects of understanding" are central to a liberal arts education; therefore, the following components will be included in your study of Psychology (modified and extensively quoted from "The Statement" by the AAAS Study Group):

Basic Principles of Psychology is a general introduction to the science and profession of Psychology. We are concerned with the why's and wherefore's of individuals' behavior. Necessarily our coverage will have to be sketchy, even to the point of totally ignoring many interesting and vital issues. There is simply no way we can make more than a slight dent into this exciting and complicated field. Psychology is a career, not a course; humans are too complex to allow quick study. Hopefully, you will become frustrated and tempted to take advanced courses where many of the fascinating concepts are discussed in greater detail. You will note that this course has no prerequisites (although some students may have had a high school Psychology course) and that it is a prerequisite for all other Psychology courses. Thus, this course is the entry-level, basic foundation course, and, hence, it must be a general introduction.

Primarily students are expected to assimilate a considerable body of knowledge. Following the outline of the course textbook (see the next section), students will learn how humans (and other animals) act, know, interact, develop, and differ from each other. There is a certain intellectual gain from such knowledge. Moreover, to the extent that knowledge is power, this course should empower students to deal effectively with people in a wide variety of contexts. Students should gain a greater appreciation for the complexity of behavior--how it comes into being; the internal dynamics of it; the external determinants and consequences of it. Students should come to understand how certain forms of behavior arise, so that they might be enabled to bring into being desired behavioral outcomes and eliminate undesired behaviors. Hopefully, stemming from this heightened appreciation will be a stronger sense of tolerance for individual differences. Students will learn about the theories that psychologists have devised to account for behavior, and they will experience vicariously the techniques of inquiry which characterize psychological research.

Basic Principles of Psychology is designed as a traditional lecture course. There is not a laboratory component, and the sections have enrollments too large to permit effective discussion. It is hoped, though, that students will find time to explore into psychological topics on their own and that there will be opportunities in class to engage in dialogue.

The primary text required for this course is:

Davis, S. F., & Palladino, J. J. (1997). Psychology. (2nd ed.) Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

 

This book is available at the College Bookstore. The book is fairly long, and we will read it in its entirety, so you really will need your own personal copy.

Consider obtaining from the Bookstore the Student Study Guide that accompanies this text. Previous students, particularly those who were having trouble mastering the course material, have indicated that such a study guide is an appreciable help.

The specific readings are indicated in the section, "Schedule of Assignments." Do your preliminary reading of a topic before it is discussed in class. The class presentations will only parallel the text materials, so the text, in its greater detail, will help greatly in your following what is done in class. This course is fairly easy to keep up with, but because of the amount and complexity of the material, you will have difficulty (not to mention stress) catching up, so read your assignments on a regular basis.

Maybe this is a good place for a caveat. You will find the readings and classes in Basic Principles of Psychology interesting and enjoyable. You may find some of the material intuitively obvious and even have some of your preconceptions validated. But be careful not to be seduced into a false sense of comprehension. This course is a challenge to the most prepared and conscientious student. Mastery of this course will require sustained discipline and a spirit of inquiry. Do not prematurely close your mind to new ideas.

There will be four (4) examinations in this course. They are scheduled during the class hours on September 19, October 10, November 7, and during Exam Week. The first three exams will be composed of 75 multiple-choice items (four alternatives). The items will cover the materials in the class presentations and text. The first three exams will be mutually exclusive, covering only the material since the preceding one. The fourth examination (its time will be announced later) will be cumulative and comprehensive. There will be 150 multiple choice items--75 covering the material since the third exam and 75 items covering the materials since the beginning of the course.

The exam items will be discriminating (i.e., tough). The expectation is that you will have gone through the readings at least three times: once quickly before the material is discussed in class to get an overall feel for the material; again in great detail, highlighting and taking notes; and a third time quickly just before the examination. The items are designed to test your ability to memorize, learn a set of characteristics, apply knowledge, compare and contrast, and evaluate knowledge. For example,

1. Which of the following types of memory stores information for only about 30 seconds? (a) short-term; (b) long-term; (c) intermediate; (d) sensory

 

This question tests a student's ability to recognize that a specific concept (e.g., short-term memory) is associated with a single, important characteristic (i. e., it lasts only about 30 seconds). The item requires a student merely to memorize a term and its definition.

2. Which of the following is true in regard to short-term memory? (a) Information stored in it is coded verbally; (b) It can hold only about 5 to 9 bits of information; (c) Information stored in it lasts only about 30 seconds unless it is rehearsed; (d) All of the above.

 

This type of question measures a student's ability to learn a set of characteristics that are common to a particular concept (e.g., that short-term memory can hold only a certain type and amount of information for only a limited period of time). This requires a more thorough knowledge of a concept than does Question #1, but it is still based primarily on memorization alone.

3. Joan just looked up a phone number, closed the phone book, and then repeated the number to herself as she was reaching and dialing the phone. This is a good example of __________ memory. (a) sensory; (b) short-term; (c) long-term; (d) iconic

 

This type of question measures a student's ability to apply knowledge to a real-life situation. This requires an understanding of the concept that goes beyond mere memorization of its definition or characteristics.

4. STM is to LTM, as __________ is to __________. (a) 5 to 9 bits, unlimited; (b) verbal, semantic; (c) 30 seconds, relatively permanent; (d) procedural, episodic

 

This question measures a student's ability to compare and contrast two concepts (e.g., STM and LTM). This skill is based on, but goes beyond the simpler abilities of memorizing a concept's definition (from Question #1) and its set of characteristics (from Question #2).

5. Which of the following is the best explanation of why Tom has already forgotten the name of a person to whom he was introduced only 5 minutes ago? (a) The name was never in Tom's STM; (b) the name was lost from Tom's LTM; (c) Tom did not successfully transfer the name from his STM to his LTM; (d) Tom experienced a traumatic blow to his head.

 

The final question involves all of the cognitive skills that were measured in the first four questions; plus it requires a student to evaluate knowledge in order to produce a logical decision that is based on a thorough understanding of a concept (e.g., STM) that can be used to explain an example of complex human behavior (e.g., forgetting). [Note that alternative (d) is not necessarily incorrect, but it forces the student to make too many assumptions.]

No matter how much thought and preparation have gone into constructing a test, some items will be better than others, and some items will not be very good at all. That an item is included on your test is an indication that at least I understand it (otherwise I would not have included it), but you may not understand it. So, what is a good or a bad item may be from the test-taker's point of view. To address this point, you may identify up to three (3) items that you wish not to have counted. The items you select will be ignored in the scoring.

The readings in this course will give you a formal introduction to the science of Psychology. You will also become informed of the nature of behavior from your more casual reading of newspapers and magazines. Often in our casual reading we come across a quick reference to some psychological research finding, a new technique for accomplishing behavior change, a new discovery of how people behave. But we are left in a state of frustration by not being given more information with which we can evaluate what we have just read. For the term project, (i) you are first to identify any piece of casual reading that is psychologically relevant. It may be an article in a magazine or a newspaper report--anything that deals with the domain of Psychology. (ii) Then you are to utilize library resources to expand upon what you have read; finding research that has been conducted on the topic; summarizing theories that have been advanced to explain what you read about; and so forth. Use the casual reading as the impetus to go into the psychological literature to find more about the topic. (iii) Finally, you are to write a report on the topic revealed in your casual reading and what psychological scientists and theorists have had to say about the topic. Your report ought to provide evidence that you have scoured the formal literature in sufficient depth to critically evaluate the merits of what you read informally.

The minimum expectation for this project is a report of 1500-2000 words, typed, double spaced, preferably word processed. You should reference the casual reading source, and you should reference at least an additional six (6) of the most recent primary references relevant to the issue. (A primary reference is a psychological report in a scientific periodical reviewed in Psychological Abstracts or PsychLit.) Of course, you may reference any number of secondary references and other sources. So I can understand your references, append a photocopy of the first page of each article cited and of the ISBN page of each book cited. (This will have the added advantage of helping you check the accuracy of your references, and it will keep the number of your references from becoming excessive.)

Not later than October 10 (the day of the second exam), give me a one-page summary of the topic you have selected from your informal reading, so I will have a sense of what you will ultimately be writing about. Two copies of the final report are due at the beginning of class on Monday, November 24. Late papers will receive a maximum grade of C-. One copy will be critiqued and returned to you; the other copy will be retained in departmental files. The project will be evaluated in terms of the apparent thought which went into the selection of the basic topic and the thoroughness of the research demonstrated in expanding upon it. Outstanding papers will clearly display considerable scholarship, creativity, critical thought, and impeccable presentation.

The class is scheduled from 8:00 am to 8:50 am on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Of course, class attendance is expected, but sometimes absences are inevitable. To take these two points into account, our policy is that students will be entitled to three (3) absences or "personal leave days" without penalty. There will be no expectation of an "excuse," nor will a distinction be made between an "excused" absence and an "unexcused" absence; a cut is a cut (but check with me regarding extraordinary emergencies). Each subsequent absence (for whatever reason) will result in a decrease of 1/3 of the final letter grade. Absences on the examination days (e.g., if you reschedule an exam) and on the days immediately preceding and following a recess will be counted double.

While we are on the topic of academic integrity, Hanover College's policies regarding academic honesty will be strictly enforced.

The final grades in Basic Principles of Psychology will be composed of the four examinations, the term project, and class participation. The first three exams will each count 15% toward the final grade; the final exam will count 25%, the term project will also count 25%, and the class participation will count the last 5%. Remember that excessive class absences can negatively affect the final grade, while research participation can have a positive effect (see the last page of this syllabus).

Performance at the 94% or higher will receive a grade of A; performance at the 90% to 93% will receive a grade of A-; performance at the 87% to 89% will receive a grade of B+; performance at the 84% to 86% will receive a grade of B; performance at the 80% to 83% will receive a grade of B-; and so forth down to performance at the 59% or lower, which will result in a grade of F.

Date Topic Assignment

_____________________________________________________________________________

Sep 1 Introduction Syllabus

Sep 3, 4, 5 Conceptual & Methodological Issues Chapter 1

Sep 8, 10, 11 Physiochemical Bases of Behavior Chapter 2

Sep 12, 15, 17, 18 Awareness & Consciousness Chapters 3 & 5

September 19 FIRST EXAMINATION

Sep 22, 24, 25, 26 Conditioning & Learning Chapter 6

Sep 29, Oct 1, 2 Memory Chapter 7

Oct 3, 6 Rational Mental Processes Chapter 8

Oct 8, 9 Irrational Processes Chapter 4

October 10 SECOND EXAMINATION

TERM PROJECT OUTLINE

Oct 13 MIDTERM RECESS (no classes)

Oct 15, 16, 17 Child Development Chapter 10

Oct 20, 22, 23 Adult Development Chapter 11

Oct 24, 27, 29 Self & Identity Chapter 12

Oct 30, 31, Nov 3, 5, 6 Social Psychology Chapter 16

November 7 THIRD EXAMINATION

Nov 10, 12, 13, 14 Personality Chapter 13

Nov 17, 19, 20, 21, 24 Psychopathology Chapters 9 & 14

November 24 TERM PROJECT DUE

Nov 26, 27, 28 THANKSGIVING RECESS (No classes)

Dec 1, 3, 4, 5 Clinical Psychology Chapter 15

Exam Week FOURTH (FINAL) EXAMINATION

Students enrolled in Basic Principles of Psychology may gain extra bonus credit toward their final grade through participation in psychological research during the course. There are several ends to be gained by participation:

1) It gives you an opportunity to view on-going research to learn more about the nature of psychological research.

 

2) In addition to this educational goal, you may be able to experience the excitement of conducting research and thereby become motivated to conduct research yourself at a later date.

 

3) You will be contributing your part to the advancement of knowledge in this field.

 

Throughout this course there may be various scheduled psychological investigations involving human subjects. You may earn extra bonus credit in this course by engaging in up to five (5) hours maximum of participation in one or more of these studies. You will earn one-half (.5) bonus point for each fractional half-hour of participation-- up to a maximum of 5 earned points (5 hours of participation total). These bonus points will be added to your final grade after ascertaining your total examination and research paper performance.

The person(s) conducting the research will describe the projects and will distribute sign-up sheets during class. This description will briefly outline your task in the research and the number of hours of participation credit afforded by this research. Only sanctioned investigations will be described in class. If there is a question of credit, check with me.

The only acceptable indicator that you did, in fact, participate in a study is the researcher's signature at the bottom of this page. You are responsible for getting his/her signature at the beginning of the session.

(N.B.: If you are philosophically, physically, or otherwise unable to participate in psychological research, and wish an alternative opportunity to earn bonus points, check with me. We will be able to devise an activity that would qualify for up to 5 or fewer bonus points.)

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