| Contacting me | AnnouncementsImportant announcements about the course will appear here. You can review for the FINAL EXAM. This is a practice test that you can use as a diagnostic tool to see how well you know the material. You can review for your individual chapters on the final exam:
There is a Review Test for Chapters 8 and 11. There will be a review session on Thursday, April 6 from 12:10 to 1:05 in the regular classroom. Links to previous tests:
NOTE: The test on Chapters 3 and 4 will be on Thursday, not Tuesday. I would like to spend time on Tuesday going over the material from the preliminary test. We will also begin the chapter on learning. Remember to look at the Student Psychological Association's bulletin board near Room 119 in Williams Hall for upcoming events. Extra Credit: If you want to earn extra credit for participating in research, make sure you read the guidelines. |
Barney Beins
Email: Beins@ithaca.edu
Office: 119-N Williams
Phone: 607-274-3512 or 607-274-3304 (Psych Dept.)
Exceptions: I will be unavailable for office hours on the following days:
| January/February | February/March | April/May | |||
| January 16-20 | February 27-March 3 | April 3-7 | |||
| January 23-27 | March 6-10 | April 10-14 | |||
| January 30-February 3 | March 13-17 | April 17-21 | |||
| February 6-10 | March 20-24 | April 24-28 | |||
| February 13-17 | March 27-31 | May 1-May 5 | |||
| February 20-24 |
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In this course, you will learn about psychology. This will involve both the content of psychology and the processes that psychologists use to develop find out more about behavior. Both of these elements are important because in order to understand psychology, you have to know some facts, but you also need to be able to evaluate whether you can trust the facts you encounter. After you complete this class, I hope you will be more scientifically literate, knowing what science is and what it isn't, and knowing what kinds of questions to ask when somebody tries to tell you about a scientific area. As such, you will be able to differentiate between science and pseudoscience.
Psychology covers a broad spectrum of areas. We won't be able to cover in this class everything psychology has to offer. There simply isn't time to do that. Consequently, we will cover many (but not all) of the most important areas. You will have the opportunity in this class to investigate an additional area of your choice that we don't discuss as a class.
Part of your learning in this class will develop because of some writing you will do.The writing will not be onerous; it will generally consist of small assignments that will require some thought about the material we cover and how it applies to you.
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When you finish this methods course, you should have diverse knowledge, including
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This course requires consistent work throughout the semester. You will complete critical thinking and application assignments andsmall writing projects.You may also make a brief presentation in class. If you fall behind in the work, you will experience difficulty catching up. The material is not difficult per se, but it is extensive; if you have problems, make sure you see me about them.
If you need help at any point or if you are confused about something, make sure you talk to me about it. I have office hours so students know when I'll be around to help. (I am around at other times, too, not just during my office hours.)
Smith, R. A. (2002). Challenging your preconceptions: Thinking critically about psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Weiten, W. (2005). Psychology: Themes and Variations (Briefer Version) (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
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| January 16-20 |
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Reading and Topics: Weiten (WW)--Chapter 1: The
Evolution of Psychology We will begin to deal with the way psychology developed over the past 125 years. The discipline started as a narrow study of thought and perception and has expanded to involve an extraordinary breadth of areas. |
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Discussion: What do psychology majors do? Asking and answering questions about behavior. Why would a researcher do this?: The Ivy League Nude Photo Scandal What do you think of this quotation? The air crib: parenting enters the mechanical age READ FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY
19: Research on Stuttering |
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Concept Check 1.1: Who made each of these statements? Why do you think so? Concept Check 1.2: Who made each of these statements? Why do you think so? |
| January 23-27 |
| Reading and
Topics: WW--Chapter 2: The Research Enterprise in Psychology RAS--Chapter 2, Psychology and the Popular Press Behavior is complex, so there should be no surprise that psychologists have developed multiple approaches to studying human and animal behavior. Our discussion this week will focus on the different ways that researchers create new information. One of the most important messages from this material is that we are always trying to draw conclusions with insufficient information. As a result, in science, all conclusions are tentative. We gain increasing confidence in our conclusions as we conduct research, but scientists have to live with uncertainty all the time. One implication is that when we read or hear about scientific research in the popular press, we have to be wary. Reporters are trained to write, not to be scientists; the media exist to make money by attracting interest of readers and viewers, not to discuss scientific matters accurately. As a result, reporters invariably simplify the complicated scientific studies whose results make it into the popular press. As a result, you should treat with suspicion anything you hear on the news by asking, "What did they leave out?" |
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Discussion: Characteristics of pseudoscience Can a computer have ESP? (Created by Professor William E. Glassman of Ryerson University) The link between teen births and temperature Example of a correlational pattern in research READ Chapter 2 in Challenging your Preconceptions and be prepared for a mini-quiz on Tuesday, January 24. |
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Concept Check 2.1: Identifying independent and dependent variables. Concept Check 2.2: Understanding Correlation Concept Check 2.3: Matching Research Methods to Questions Concept Check 2.4: Detecting Flaws in Research |
| Preliminary Test 1 on Thursday, Jan. 26: WW Chapters 1 and 2; RAS Chapters 1 and 2 |
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Reading and Topics: WW--Chapter 3: The Biological Bases of
Behavior The brain may be the most complicated structure in the universe. We know a lot about it, but there is much more that we don't know. This discussion will highlight the way the brain contributes to thought and behavior. It is too simple to believe that knowing about biological processes explains psychological processes; we will talk about the difference between biology and behavior and how they affect each other. |
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Discussion: How do drugs work? Do the brains of women and men differ? |
| Test 1 on Tuesday, January 31 |
| February 6-10 |
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Reading and Topics: WW--Chapter 3: The Biological Bases of
Behavior We will continue to explore the relation between biology and behavior. |
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Discussion: Do we behaver in certain ways due to evolutionary adaptation? The controversial, but growing, area of evolutionay psychology relies on the assumption that some of our behaviors have arisen because they have been naturally selected. READ FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9 At this Evolutionary Psychology site, read these segments:
How
certain is paternity? Be prepared for a mini-quiz on these readings before we initiate our discussion. How strokes affect behavior. From "My Mother's Best Friends" in Newton's Madness 1991) by Harold Klawans. |
| February 13-17 |
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Reading and Topics: WW--Chapter 4: Sensation and
Perception We take for granted that what we see, hear, feel, etc. really exists. In truth, every signal we receive from the outside world is filtered and translated by our sensory systems, processed further in our sensory cortex, then refined by our cerebral cortex. Many different parts of the brain are at work. At every point along the route, the messsage we are processing undergoes alteration. So our final evaluation of the world around us is the product of many different pieces of information coming together. We experience the world seamlessly, but our perceptions disguise the complexity of the process. |
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Discussion: Finding your blind spot The subjectivity of perception: Color perception and Perception of brightness Creating colors: Additive color mixing Are we affected by sensations that we are not aware of? Distinguishing Figure and Ground Paying attention: In this video, keep your eye on the people in black and count the number of times they pass the ball. Does size matter? Illusory motion: The Phi Phenomenon Touch: The sensory homunculus and the body of the homunculus |
| Preliminary Test 2 on Thursday, February 16: WW Chapters 3 and 4; RAS Chapters 4 and 5 |
| February 20-24 |
| Reading and Topics: WW--Chapter 6: Learning Learning is a complicated process. Like sensation and perception, learning proceeds automatically, without our awareness of the many individual components associated with it. Learning can take place at the level of autonomic, involuntary processes; it can also occur in behaviors that we feel we can control. There is controversy over the extent to which we actually have control over our behaviors in some cases. |
Operant Conditioning: "Gym rats" John Watson and Little Albert Conditioning in a fish--Combining operant and classical conditioning |
| Test 2 on Thursday, February 23 |
| February 27-March 3 |
Reading and Topics: WW--Chapter 7: Human Memory We normally take memory for granted, but research has revealed that remembering is more complicated than we think. Remembering something requires a number of different components, including becoming aware of the item to be remembered, encoding it into memory, and retrieving it later when we want to recall. Each of these stages itself involves multiple components. In addition, forgetting is complicated. We still don't know exactly what happens when we forget, but we do know that it is not simply the reverse of learning. |
| Can we predict what people will remember? The link between food and memory. Can you name the presidents? Primacy and recency effects, Serial position effect, von Restorff effect, Proactive and retroactive interference. |
| Test 3 will be on Thursday, March 16: WW 6 and 7; RAS Chapters 6 and 7 |
| March 6-10 |
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SPRING BREAK--NO CLASSES |
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Reading and Topics: WW--Chapter 7: Human Memory (continued); RAS-- Chapter 8: Biases in Memory |
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Read the two brief articles on memory that are hyperlinked here. Be prepared for a mini-quiz on Tuesday, March 16 on the two articles. Can we predict what people will remember? The link between food and memory. Test 3 on March 21 |
| Reading and Topics: WW--Chapter 8: Cognition and Intelligence Psychology's initial domains involved sensation, perception, and learning. In the century and a quarter since the inception of psychology, these initial domains have evolved to include cognition, that is, our thought processes and the factors associated with decision making and problem solving. The more we study cognition, the more we have become aware how complex our thought processes are. Further, psychologists have studied the concept of intelligence for the past century. The initial foray into this area was fraught with severe problems; psychologists are still trying to figure out what intelligence is and how we can measure it. Regarding intelligence, there are complex and controversial social and scientific issues that still need to be resolved. |
| Read the two articles linked here. Be prepared for a mini-quiz on them on Tuesday, March 28. IQ Tests on the Web |
| POWERPOINT |
| Reading and Topics: WW--Chapter 11: Personality: Theory, Research, and Assessment Each person has a distinct personality, even those of us with no "personality". Psychologists have tried to identify characteristics of personality that are universally relevant, knowing that the most complex theory we develop is bound to be simpler than reality. Nonetheless, psychologists have identified a number of traits that can be used to describe and characterize the structure of personality. In addition, psychologists have developed an enormous number of instruments to measure different aspects of personality. One of the difficulties we have is that cultural influences on personality mean that a measurement that is valid for one group of people may not be valid for others. |
| Preliminary Test 4 on Tuesday, April 4: WW Chapters 8 and 11; RAS Chapters 8 and 9 |
| Individual Choice Chapters: Because there are too many chapters in the textbook to cover during the semester as a class, you have the opportunity to select one of the chapters in the book that we don't cover as a group. This will allow you to learn about a topic that might be of special interest to you. You should select one chapter from the following:
Part of the final exam will include questions about the chapter you select. |
Read the web articles below and be prepared for a Mini-Quiz on Thursday, April 6 Are people attracted to others with personalities similar to their own? Why are sensation seekers more likely to smoke? |
Test 4 on Tuesday, April 11: WW Chapters 8 and 11; RAS Chapters 8 and 9 |
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Reading and Topics: WW--Chapter 11: Personality (continued); Chapter 13:
Psychological Disorders Psychology is best known for its focus on psychological disorders, even though there is a large component of psychology that has nothing to do with abnormality. Since psychology adopted this focus, it has broken away from psychiatry. The difference between the two is that psychiatry deals with a medical model whereas psychology is more behavioral. As an illustration of why this is important, one should consider that psychiatrists are medical doctors who often rely on pharmaceutical treatments; psychologists rely on treatment of thought and behavior. There is a role for both approaches, although a considerable body of research has shown that psychological treatment is often as or more effective in the long-term. Depending on the therapist's theoretical background, treatment can take very different forms. |
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Are drugs necessary to treat schizophrenia? |
| Reading and Topics: WW--Chapter 15: Social Behavior Humans have evolved as social animals. Consequently, many of our behaviors have underpinnings that involve relationships with other individuals, with ingroups, and with outgroups. We generally have to make social decisions with too little good information, so we do the best we can with what is available. This leads to behaviors that are sometimes not strictly logical, but, rather, are psycho-logical. As we move through life, we learn to navigate the social environment by gaining a sense of what behaviors are appropriate in different social settings and what behaviors are effective in helping us reach our social goals. |
| Read the articles listed on the week of April 3-7 and be prepared for a mini-quiz on them on Tuesday, April 18 |
| POWERPOINT PRESENTATION |
| April 24-28 |
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Topic: Catching up |
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Test on Tuesday, April 25 |
| Course Evaluations on Thursday, April 27 |
| May 1-5 |
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FINAL EXAM--WEDNESDAY, MAY 3 FROM 7:30 TO 10:00 A.M. |
| Homework: None |
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There will be different components to my evaluation of your performance. First, we will have tests every two chapters or so; they will not be surprise tests. There will be a short preliminary test followed in the next class session by the actual, full-length test. They will be short answer and/or multiple choice in format.
The final exam will allow you to make up for poor performance on the tests.You will be able to select parts of the final exam and use them to replace earlier test scores. Your performance on the final will replace the earlier scores; if you score lower on the final exam component, your grade will go down.
You will also have some mini-quizzes in class. They will be based on material written for the popular media that relate to what we are studying in class.
Your final grade in the class will be based on the total points accumulated on the preliminary tests, full tests, and mini-quizzes. Extra credit points will be added to the points based on tests and quizzes.
PLEASE KEEP YOUR SCORES THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER. IF THERE ARE ANY DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN MY RECORDED SCORES AND YOUR SCORES, IT WILL BE EASY TO RECONCILE.
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You can get extra credit for this class in three different ways.
1. You can participate in an approved experiment within the Psychology Department. After participating, you need to write a summary of the research question that they are investigating, what you did in the study, and what methodology they used. You also need to indicate what, if anything, you got out of this research participation. Was the experience interesting? Were you bored? Confused? (Please note: You do not have to say that you learned a lot, or even a little, from participating in a study. I seriously want to know what you got out of the experience.) If you do not hand in your responses to the points below, you will get one point for participation in the study and will not earn the maximum of three points.
These are the elements you must include in your summary of the study.
(a) You need to describe the research question for the study in which you participated
(b) You must outline of the methodology; that is, what you did during the study
(c) You also need to describe your reaction to the study: What did you think about the way the study was conducted? Did you learn anything? What was it like to participate?
When you are ready to submit your information, go to the FORM FOR RESEARCH PARTICIPATION.
2. You can read and summarizing an approved journal article from a psychological journal. There are a few elements you must present. (a) You need to explain why the researchers did their work, (b) how they did it, (b) the results of the study, and (d) what they concluded. You also need to indicate (e) how easy or difficult it was to understand the article and explain yourself.
3. You can bring a summary of a report in the popular media (e.g., magazine or newspaper article) that relates to the kind of research we deal with in class. Your written report should include what the research was about, what methodology they seem to have used, what the researchers concluded, and what additional information you would like to have seen in their report to have a complete understanding of the issue.
Each activity (#1-3) will be worth a maximum of 3 percent on your final exam grade, with a maximum of ten points allowed. Before doing any extra credit work, you must check with me in advance so that I can assess its suitability, although if somebody recruits for research participation in class, you do not need to check with me. The credit you earn for each one will depend on the quality of your write-up. Please note that you are not guaranteed 3 points per attempt.
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General
Information - Spring 2006 Academic Calendar.
January
February
March
April
May
Exam Slots and Corresponding Class Exams
(Go to the top of the syllabus) American Psychological Association American Psychological Society (Go to the top of the syllabus) This page is maintained by Barney Beins, Ithaca College Department of Psychology Copyright: Barney Beins, Department of Psychology, Ithaca College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||