BETHEL
COLLEGE
Department
of Psychology
Fall,
2007
(PSY 211: M W
F 9:00-9:50 AM; KSC 016)
Paul T. Lewis,
Instructor
Meets the Social Sciences General
Education Requirement
Introductory
Remarks
People are puzzling, are they
not? The very moment that you think
you've achieved some modicum of understanding, they'll do something
completely
unexpected. And too, even more
disconcerting is the fact that you yourself are not immune to `acting
out of
character'. But just as fascinating are
the times when we act like other animals (e.g. fish, birds, monkeys,
dogs,
cats, and yes, the ubiquitous laboratory rat)
. . . in doting on or doing away with our young, working with
tireless
industry, defending our territory or mate, posturing for position on a
dominance hierarchy, or playing with creative abandon.
Just what are the conditions under which all
of these things might happen, and why do they happen?
Psychology is the discipline devoted
to the scientific study of the what’s and why’s of both the human and
non-human
individual's behavior and mental processes.
It is a study having the potential to offer insights to the
other social
sciences as well as humanities and natural sciences, and to everyday
life as
well, as people attempt to live their lives, raise their families, work
towards
common goals, enjoy each other's company, realize their dreams. And like any discipline of the mind, it
serves its highest function in the mind's liberation, which itself
presupposes
an idea of what the `good' is, or should be.
It is thus a study which is at once
`empirical', concerned with describing as accurately as possible just
what is
the case in the real world; `theoretical', focused on why the realities
we
describe are present; and `moral', interested in whether or not that
which we
describe should be maintained or ameliorated.
Welcome to this course! I hope that
you and I will develop a
mutually satisfying learning experience as we discover/rediscover the
delights,
intrigues and subtleties of psychological theory and the scientific
method. Above everything else I want to
create with
you an atmosphere wherein you express and value your own ideas at the
same time
that you enter into the expressions of your classmates.
Briefly, my philosophy of education
emphasizes two principles: the first is
that the learner is the principal agent of learning; the second is that
the
teacher is an instrumental cause, i.e. a means, of the learner's
learning. Underwriting these two
principles is the
belief I have that one learns best through dialogue, whether it be
within the
internal soliloquy one has with oneself, or the external dialectic one
has with
others. Therefore, you as a learner
should take primary responsibility in asking and answering questions
that are
psychologically interesting to you and your classmates, as well as
answering
questions that I, your teacher, believe are important to entertain in
the
development of an articulate understanding and critique of the
psychological
sciences. And while I am the teacher, I
also want to learn. Thus, I too will
take the role of questioner, as well as one who provides answers.
Class Format
I shall be using a variety of
methods to assist you in the learning of the subject matter of this
course. Lectures will be anywhere from
5 minutes to 50 minutes with the median length around 15 minutes. Quite a large percentage of class time,
about 35 to 40% will consist of the rather nebulous lecture-discussion
wherein
I attempt to confine myself to short busts of lecturing 5, 10, or 15
minutes,
interspersed with large group discussions of similar lengths. Other class formats include more formally
structured large and small group discussions and debates, written and
experiential exercises, individual and group experiments, as well as
occasional
audio-visual and computer presentations.
Students will be expected to check their email regularly,
to schedule
several one-on-one appointments with the instructor, to engage
in e-mail
conversations with him and classmates, to participate in small
group
collaborative research projects, and finally, to keep open the
possibility of attending other relevant lectures, discussions, or
symposia.
You should know too in advance that
during class time my organization may be quite structured, at other
times quite
loose, and both quite intentional:
Sometimes I shall simply read a paper, as opposed to deliver a
lecture
on a particular subject; sometimes a more careful exegesis of the text
we're
all reading will be what is done.
Perhaps the simple question `what did you find important about
the
reading, and why?' will take up our entire time together.
Finally, we might engage in a series of
questions and subsequent discussion designed to tease out the moral
implications of an issue, or reveal the growing edge of our thinking
about a
subject.
In short, this as much a course in
thinking critically about the substantive content in psychology as it
is one
focused on the pure assimilation of that content; but even more
important is
its emphasis on how such content might relate to not only your own
experience
of everyday life, but the broader human condition as well.
Learning
Objectives
General Education Social Science Objectives:
1.
Acquire a fundamental sense of the workings of the scientific
method as
it is applied to understanding psychological phenomena;
2.
Develop a basic understanding of the principles and theories
comprising
psychology;
3.
Become acquainted with some of the principal findings associated
with
most of the major psychological sub-disciplines;
Additional Objectives:
4.
Develop greater facility for self and other understanding.
5.
Write your own objective here:
Required
Text and Readings
Smith, E.E., Nolen-Hoeksema, S.,
Fredrickson, B., & Loftus, G.R. (2003).
Atkinson & Hilgard's introduction to psychology (14th
Edition).
Chicago: Harcourt Brace Janovich.
Additional required readings may be
placed on reserve from time to time.
The Study Guide, while not required,
is recommended.
Course
Requirements and Evaluation
1.
6 objective quizzes, but only 5 count:
20% of your total grade. Miss
any one with no penalty. Take all 6 and
delete your one lowest. No make-up
quizzes will be given (exceptions for bona-fide college functions). Quizzes will be announced the preceding
class session.
2.
1 one-hour objective-essay Midterm test worth 20% of your total
grade.
3.
1 two-hour objective-essay comprehensive Final test worth 20% of
your
total grade.
4.
1 5-7 double-spaced typewritten proofread book review plus
supporting
materials on a book and topic area to be chosen from an acceptable list
within
the first two full weeks of class:
worth 20% of your total grade.
It is due Nov. 30, and may be lowered one-third letter grade for
each
day late. It is a guided endeavor
(topic proposal, first and final drafts with supporting materials). Details will be forthcoming.
5.
Attendance, being on time, paying attention, class discussion,
writing
short analytic papers, participating in jigsaw classroom exercises: worth 20% of your total grade.
Miss 4 class sessions with discretion, no
penalty. Miss more than 4 and this part
of your grade will suffer. Tardiness
will be noted, so take caution. Lap-top
users beware: e-mailing and net-browsing during class will not be
tolerated!
6.
Extra Credit: Details will be
forthcoming.
Class
Itinerary
8/29
Introduction; Studying Psychology,
History, Theories, Methods,
Statistics
Chap 1, Appendix
9/3
Biological Bases of Behavior
Chap 2
9/10
Development
Chap 3
Topic Proposals Due Friday
9/17
States of Consciousness: Sleep,
Dreaming,
Altered States, Parapsychology
Chap 6
9/24
Learning and Conditioning; Memory,
Thought, Language
10-3
Chaps 7, 8, 9
F 10/5
Catch-up and
Recapitulate
M 10/8
Midterm Test
W 10/10
Midterm Review
F 10/12
Special Topics
First Drafts plus supporting materials
due.
10/15
FALL BREAK
10/17-
Emotion,
Evaluation and Individual Differences
10/22
Chaps 11, 12
10/24-
Personality, Stress &
Coping
11/5
Chaps 13, 14
11/7-
Abnormal Psychology & Methods of
Therapy
11/19
Chaps 15, 16
11/21-
THANKSGIVING BREAK
11/25
11/26
Social
Psychology
12/5
Chaps 17 and 18.
Final Draft plus supporting materials due Friday,
11/30.
F 12/7
Catch-up and Recapitulate
Th 12/13
Final Exam,
Comprehensive: 8:00 am.
NB: I reserve the right the alter this schedule as the situation
warrants!
Concluding
Comments
If you are a student who has a
physical or learning disability and wish to request accommodations or
services
to support your efforts in this course, you must notify the instructor
and Dan
Quinlin in the CAD by the end of the second week of classes. I would also appreciate it if athletes,
music and forensic and other students who may be missing classes due to
these
activities get a list of the dates of these misses to me by the second
week of
classes. And regardless of the reason
for your missing, you will be responsible for whatever is covered on
the day
that is missed.
Note well that if there are too many
misses, you might not be able to stay in this course!
Indeed as you approach 25% misses, you may be administratively
dropped, or if you reach 25% misses you may be failed in the course
regardless
of your performance in other areas of the class. Please
ask questions regarding the justification for this policy
if it is unclear to you!
Please Note: make
sure to make it a habit to check your Bethel E-Mail everyday. You never know when I might be sending you
an important missive regarding the business of this course.
If ever you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to see me during scheduled office hours or by
appointment. Office: KSC #104. Telephone: x292 or 316-284-5292.
Home
Address: 925 Emmaline Lane, Newton, KS:
Home telephone: 316-283-8135.
Office
Hours: MWF - 10-10:50 am; MW - 3-3:50 pm; M - 4- 5
pm; TTH - 4-5 pm
Here's to a good course!
Paul
T. Lewis,
Instructor