PSYC-2301 Introduction to Psychology

Moira Martin

Credit Spring 2023

Section(s)

PSYC-2301-040 (58015)
LEC DIL ONL DIL

PSYC-2301-072 (65346)
LEC LEA ONL DIL

Course Requirements

1)     READ TEXTBOOK CHAPTER

We will cover about a chapter a week. To begin each week, plan to read the chapter in your textbook to get yourself familiar with the material. It is not advisable to skip the videos, tables, or charts within the chapter because these elements can be some of the most informative and meaningful of the material presented.

 

2)     WATCH LECTURE VIDEOS

For each chapter, I will post up on blackboard at least one (but usually more) lecture video(s). These videos are my way of helping you make sense of the material and are a replacement for what you would otherwise be experiencing in a face to face classroom setting. They will also help you to better understand which aspects of the chapter I think are important and deserve attention. It is a very good idea to stop the video while playing so that you can take notes on elaborations I make on concepts. Especially helpful will be to write down examples or scenarios that I mention which help to apply the concept in the real world.

 

These videos will become especially helpful at exam time. You will find that my exam questions are largely focused on the lecture videos. In other words, students who attempt to make it through this course without watching the videos will not only miss out on some pretty cool information about life and the world, but also likely not do well on the exams. I used this method of presentation and testing during the second half of the spring 2020 semester, and it was easy to see who was keeping up with the videos and who was not. I know from access to the videos that some students play only a few minutes of the videos, some skip through and play the video intermittently, and some watch the full video (assuming they’re not in the other room watching Netflix while my video plays!).

 

Here’s the deal: Textbooks can be dry – I get it! Professor videos can be dry, too, and can drag on. I’ll try my best to make the material interesting. But when it comes to the exams, you’ll need to truly “understand” the concepts, not just have some memorized sense about them. What’s the difference between memorization and understanding? Here’s an example: If you think of a concept, like let’s say, “object permanence,” and what you picture in your mind’s eye are words that define that concept, you’re likely memorizing. Memorization is very well known to be a “low level” type of memory aid. Students typically forget in a couple weeks material that was memorized. I’m shooting for you to remember the material for years! Yes, I’ve honestly had students contact me years later and say they still remember stuff from class! That’s what we’re going for. A true “understanding” of object permanence would be you developing an image in your mind’s eye that is of a baby not realizing that her rattle still exists in the world when it’s hidden from her view!! And why is that so important? Because it’s a sign of her developing (but still immature) memory system. Okay, so this second example of understanding also includes with it what we call “meaningfulness.” If you can make something meaningful to you, you are likely not to forget it. I try to help you make meaning out of things during my videos.

 

3)       EXAMS (

Readings

1)     TEXTBOOK: This class uses the following free open educational resource (no cost) textbook which you can find here:

https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_introduction-to-psychology/index.html

 

Stangor, Charles. Introduction to Psychology (PDF - 14.0MB). 2010. (Courtesy of Charles Stangor and the Saylor Foundation.) 

 

Note that the above referenced textbook is a 2010 edition. If you prefer a 2017* edition which includes a print option and study aids, please go the following website:           

 

https://students.flatworldknowledge.com/course/2585656

 

*Keep in mind that the chapters and page numbers of this version will be different from those listed in the assignment schedule.

 

2)     SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS: For our discussions / papers, I will post supplemental materials (articles, videos, etc.) that are typically quite current and often related to application of course concepts to current cultural affairs.

 

3)    Other resources used in this course will be provided by the instructor via Blackboard. 

 

OPTIONAL RESOURCE

I will be providing you with recorded lectures plus powerpoint lecture slides all posted up on Blackboard. That said, sometimes students benefit from additional videos and study materials. At the following website, you will find a listing of 40 videos from Hank Green’s “Crash Course” in Psychology. If during the semester you wish to watch other videos in addition to mine, Green’s are an excellent resource.

 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtOPRKzVLY0jJY-uHOH9KVU6&app=desktop

 

Course Subjects

COURSE DESCRIPTION

How do humans grow and develop psychologically? How common is the human tendency to conform to others’ behavior? How much of our relational past influences our adult life? Why do we fall prey so easily to mistakes in our thinking? What learning methods help us to remember and what methods set us up for forgetting? How do we feel pain? How can we see reality so differently than others? Where does stress come from, is it inevitable, and how bad is it for our bodies?

 

This course is a survey of introductory topics that will address these questions and more. Topic areas include life-span development, social life, learning, memory, sensation and perception, personality, physiological basis of behavior, psychological disorders, therapy, and research methods.

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

GENERAL COURSE OBJECTIVES

·       Develop a love of learning about the topics in Psychology

·       Develop and hone your critical thinking skills

·       Understand the various research methods that psychologists use to critically evaluate evidence

·       Gain an awareness of the breadth of the academic discipline of psychology

·       Understand psychological concepts well enough to recognize them in real world settings

Office Hours

Office Hours

Published: 04/12/2023 10:10:20