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Term: Syllabus-Summer
2004
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Class: Psy 204, Psychology
as a Social Science
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Time: Tuesday & Thursday,
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Place: PSU Main Campus, Cramer Hall Room 383
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Instructor:
L. McCabe
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Office:
Cramer Hall 365, 361
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Telephone: (503) 701-7924
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Email: auto110346@yahoo.com or psu24883@pdx.edu [Preferred]
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Web: http://psych34.tripod.com
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Office Hours:
After Class or By Appointment
Course Overview
This course
addresses issues related Psychology as a Social Science. We will address basic psychological theory
and research concerning Personality, Motivation, Intelligence, Stress and
Health, and Mental Health.
Personal
Teaching Philosophy
My
personal teaching philosophy may be different than what you as a student might
expect, or have experienced. I think that what occurs in the classroom should
be a learning experience that is based upon the foundation of what you learn
within the text. For that reason I may choose to only cover part of a chapter
as presented within the text, and augment your learning experience with in
class activities or other lecture items.
In
addition, I feel that learning doesn’t stop when you leave the classroom.
Modern technology allows us to explore this aspect of learning with greater
depth. This is why I heavily emphasize the World Wide Web as a mean for
exploring topics, and as a means of communication with the instructor (myself),
as well as your fellow students.
Thus my
philosophy can be summarized in the following sentences.
1. The
classroom is more than a venue for lectures.
2.
Learning does not end when one is out of the classroom.
University
Policies
By enrolling in
this class you agree to abide by
Given these
University policies, and the level of the course, I work under the following
assumptions:
1. Every student in this course understands what
constitutes plagiarism and/or cheating (for more information on what
constitutes plagiarism, please see course web page).
2. Every student understands classroom
etiquette.
3. That the classroom environment is one of
respect towards the diversity of beliefs that exist.
These
policies can be found at http://www.ess.pdx.edu/osa/policies-codes.htm . If a
student is found to be in violation of these policies, I am authorized by the
university to take certain courses of action based upon any given behavior.
GENERAL Course Policies
Read
your syllabus carefully as it constitutes an agreement between you (the
student) and myself (the instructor). Occasionally, I have students that make
comments about certain aspects of this course that were well described within
the syllabus.
1. Keep copies of your tests and or assignment.
2. If you are here, but arrive too late to
engage in a group activity or if you leave early, this counts the same as not
attending class.
3. All papers must be typed and double-spaced
[Extra credit].
4.
Your name should be placed on the very back of the last page of any
assignment you turn in. This helps
eliminate bias in grading.
5. If you have to miss class, it is unnecessary
for you to call me.
6. I reserve the right to adjust the schedule as
necessary, you are responsible for making notes and heeding those schedule
changes.
Required Materials
Text (required):
Nairne, J. S.
(2003). Psychology: The Adaptive Mind
(3rd Edition).
Access to the
school computer lab
Optional
Materials
Email account
Points Possible
Ø Attendance 50
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Exam 1 50
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Exam 2 50
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Final Exam 50
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Total 200 points
Extra Credit
In
addition to the total points offered in this class I will count an addition 10
points worth of extra credit. Usually I offer many ways for you to earn this
"extra credit", but all extra credit opportunities will ONLY be
posted on the course web page or mentioned in class.
Attendance
Assignments (50 points)
Attendance is
vitally important in this class. There are many things discussed in class that
one cannot learn from the book.
Participation in group activities will be used as the method for
obtaining attendance points. You can
receive 5-10 points per class, for a total of 50 points. Group activities are
usually announced the class prior. These
activities are graded on a pass/fail basis and cannot be ‘made’ up.
In addition, I
do not hand these activities back to you.
If you are concerned about your grade on an activity, you are welcome to
come check my grade book during a break or after class.
The Exams
The
Exam is in multiple-choice format, is comprehensive, and consists of 50
questions. The exam is also closed book. You will need to bring a scantron for this exam.
These can be purchased at the bookstore, and the small store located on
the first floor of
As a
rule, exams are not curved. However, I
reserve the right to throw out questions based upon the number of people in
class who have gotten the item incorrect.
In case of documented illness, or other serious issues I will allow you
to make-up exams. There is a time limitation
to this make-up process (1 week unless the reason is severe), and I reserve the
right to use essay format. If you have a scheduling conflict known prior to the
exam, please come see me as soon as possible.
If your
score is less than desirable, extra credit is available to the maximum of 10
points. I do not drop the lowest grade, nor do I allow retakes.
No HATS, stocking caps, beanies, etc. will be
allowed to be worn during an exam. The
only exception to this rule is if the head covering serves an obvious religious
purpose (EX. Hijab). This is left to the instructor’s
discretion. No earphones are allowed, unless for documented disability
reasons. If you are an international
student, and would like to use a translating dictionary—please see me prior to
the start of the exam. A standard English dictionary will be available for everyone
to use.
Policies for Late Assignments and Exams
I do
not except late papers, or allow individuals to make up missed attendance
assignments. I do allow individuals to
make up missed exams, contingent on prior arrangement or documentation of reason
that the exam was missed(for example but not limited to a doctor’s note).
General topic
outline*
(See Course
Website for More Information)
|
Week |
TENTATIVE
SCHEDULE |
|
|
1 [June 22] |
Tuesday: Introduction to class The historical
origins of psychology The modern
profession of psychology Thursday: Research Methodology Research
concepts and designs Internal &
external validation Statistical
analysis |
Nairne pp 1-29 Nairne pp. 30-55 |
|
2 [June 29] |
Research Methods/Personality Tuesday: Psychological
measurement & Research ethics Thursday: Personality
overview; Psychodynamic
model, Projective assessment |
Nairne pp. 347-348 pp. 410-411 pp. 417-425 |
|
3 [July
6] |
Personality, continued Tuesday: Personality
trait models & assessment strategies
Social
cognitive model of personality Thursday: Exam 1 [First hour of class] |
Nairne pp. 411-415 pp. 436-438 pp. 429-436 |
|
4 [July 13] |
Motivation & emotion Tuesday: Broad theories & concepts Hunger; Body image
& Eating disorders Thursday: Human sexuality |
Nairne pp. 372-380;
393-407 pp. 380-387 pp. 387-393 |
|
5 [July 20] |
Intelligence Tuesday: Theories of Intelligence Issues and
debates in intelligence Stress & health Thursday: Defining stress, stress theories Individual
differences in stress & coping |
Nairne pp. 338-347 pp. 358-370 Nairne pp. 556-573 pp. 567-569;
572-587 |
|
6 [July 27] |
Tuesday: Exam 2 & Abnormal psychology Clinical
Assessment & Psychological Disorders Anxiety
disorders, PTSD Thursday: Abnormal
psychology Mood & Dissociative Disorders Schizophrenia
& Personality disorders |
Nairne pp. 486-496;
417-418 pp. 497-501 Nairne pp. 502-507;
514-516 pp. 507-514 |
|
7 [August 3] |
Social Psychology Tuesday: Social psychology & Social cognition Social
influence & conformity; Thursday: Altruism & failure to help; Prejudice |
Nairne pp. 442-460 pp. 461-472 pp. 463-464 |
|
8 [August 10] |
Tuesday: Left open Thursday, August 12: Final Exam |
* From Dr. Sinclair’s PSY 204 Syllabus. |
I reserve the right to update the course
schedule as necessary
Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs)
1. When
will you return our tests/assignments back to us?
Given the
size of the class it takes a week minimum to correct all of them.
2. Can I
do anything to make up lost attendance points?
This is
what extra credit is for.
3. Can I
do anything to make up low scores on the tests?
This is
what extra credit is for.
4. Can
I do anything to make up for missed activities?
This is
what extra credit is for.
5. I
don't know how to use the World Wide Web, or I don't have a computer...
There
are several computers labs on campus with friendly staff. One rather large one
is located on the ground floor of the PSU Library. If you need assistance in
understanding how to access a web page, please ask the individual overseeing
the computer lab. If you are still having difficulty come
see me during my office hours.
6. What
if I run into a problem accessing the web page?
CALL ME
via my cell phone number.
7. Can
I email you my assignments?
NO. I
do not accept assignments via email.
8. Can I fax you
my assignments?
NO. I do not
accept assignments via fax.
9. Can I turn my
assignments into your box in Cramer Hall 317?
YES, but
they may not get to me on time. If you do get them in on time, I may not grade
them with the others. In addition, if I start seeing that my box is inundated
with papers of people not showing up to class, I reserve the right to axe this
privilege.
10. Why
won't you accept them via these methods?
So many
alternatives for turning in assignments creates
general havoc with even the most well organized individual. In addition, this
also increases the probability that some how some way something will keep the
assignment from getting into my hands. For example, the email file may be
corrupted or the fax may print out in jibberish. The
only way to make sure that the assignment is in my hands on time is to place it
concretely in my hands during the time I collect them.
11. Oh yes, will
I accept assignments via the Web Board other than the web participation
assignment?
NO,
for aforementioned reasons.
12. What if I go
over the allotted pages for each assignment or Test?
I won't
grade your assignment. While an additional paragraph or page may not seem that
much to you, when all of you engage in the behavior it creates a significant
amount of extra grading. Editing is a VERY important part of writing. If you
are having problems editing down your papers, please visit the on campus
writing center.
13. Is
there any other available extra credit?
Sometimes I add
assignments if I see something important in the media or for some other reason.
However, I place a cap on how many points you can earn (see available points).
Exam 1: Study Guide, all others are available on the
course web page.
Psychology as a Social Science (PSY 204)
Study Guide for Exam 1
The Evolution of Psychology
1. Summarize Wundt’s accomplishments and contributions to the evolution of Psychology.
2. Summarize Titchner’s accomplishments and contributions. Define introspection.
3. Summarize Watson’s views on the appropriate subject matter of psychology, nature versus nurture, and animal research.
4. Describe the psychodynamic approach: Summarize Freud’s principle ideas and why they inspired controversy.
5. Summarize Skinner’s views and influence.
6. Summarize the contributions of humanistic psychology.
7. Describe two recent trends in research in psychology that reflect a return to psychology’s intellectual roots; define cognition.
8. Explain why Western psychology traditionall6y had scant interest in other cultures and why this situation has begun to change.
9. Summarize the basic tenets of evolutionary psychology.
10. List and describe seven major research areas in psychology.
11. List and describe four professional specialities in psychology.
12. Explain the key difference between psychology and psychiatry.
The Research
1. Explain science's main assumption and describe the goals of the scientific enterprise in psychology; define variable.
2. Describe psychology's relations to other sciences, and outline the steps in a scientific investigation; define hypothesis and
operational definition.
3. Discuss the advantages of the scientific approach compared with common sense.
4. Describe the experimental method of research, explaining independent and dependent variables, experimental and control groups,
and extraneous variables; explain what is meant by random assignment of subjects and explain why it is important.
5. Describe the Featured Study In the book
6. Explain the major advantages and disadvantages of the experimental method.
7. Explain how experimental and descriptive/correlational research are different.
8. Discuss three descriptive research methods: naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys.
9. Explain the major advantages and disadvantages of descriptive/correlational research.
10. Describe three measures of central tendency and one measure of variability.
11. Distinguish between positive and negative correlations, and explain how the size of the correlation coefficient relates to the
strength of an association.
12. Explain how correlation relates to prediction and causation.
13. Explain the logic of hypothesis testing and the meaning of statistical significance.
14. Define sample and population.
15. Explain what makes a sample representative; discuss sampling bias.
16. Explain what placebo effects are and when they are likely to be a problem.
17. Explain what experimenter bias is and discuss techniques for avoiding it.
18. Discuss the pros and cons of deception in research with human subjects.
19. Discuss the historical background of ethics pertaining to research.
20. Discuss the roll of the Institutional Review Board as discussed in the "in class".
21. Understand the concepts psychological harm, physical harm, and legal harm.
Personality:
Theory, Research, and Assessment
1. Define the construct of personality in terms of consistency and distinctiveness.
2. Explain what is meant by a personality trait, and describe the five-factor model of personality; define factor analysis.
3. List and describe the three components into which Freud divided the personality, and indicate how these are distributed across three levels of awareness.
4. Explain the preeminence of sexual and aggressive conflicts in Freud’s theory, and describe the defense mechanisms; describe the Featured Study on homophobia.
5. Outline Freud’s psychosexual stages of development.
6. Summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the psychodynamic approach to personality.
7. Discuss how Skinner’s principles of operant conditioning can be applied to the structure and development of personality.
8. Describe Bandura’s social learning theory and compare it to Skinner’s viewpoint.
9. Identify Mischel’s major contribution to personality theory, and indicate why his ideas have generated so much controversy.
10. Summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the behavioral approach to personality.
11. Explain how humanism was a reaction against both the behavioral and pscyhodynamic approaches, and discuss the assumptions of the humanistic view.
12. Identify the single structural construct in
13. Explain Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and summarize his findings on the characteristics of self-actualizing people.
14. Summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the humanistic approach to personality.
15. Describe Eysenck’s theory of personality.
16. Summarize behavioral genetics research on personality and its conclusions.
17. Outline Buss’ explanation for why the Big Five personality traits are important.
18. Summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the biological approach to personality.