Introduction to Psychology

Contents of this web page

General comments Conceptual outline Quantitative skills Course administration Schedule of lectures and assignments

General Comments

In class, we will consider selected topics in some depth. The topics have been chosen to broadly represent the substantive areas of psychology. They include areas in which our understanding is considerable, and others in which we know very little. In the course of doing this, you will see the mode of operation of both the social and natural sciences, since psychology falls within both of these approaches. At one end (e.g., in the study of color vision), psychology is much like physics, whereas at the other "end" (e.g., in the study of violence), psychology is more like sociology. And in some areas of study (e.g., addiction), there are both social and natural science perspectives.

The text provides a readable and coherent presentation of the state of the field and its major problems, and will also serve as a background for the lectures. Text assignments match, more or less, the materials covered in lecture.

In accordance with the emphasis on critical thinking in the course:

• The course meets the general education quantitative requirement. In this regard, there are five exercises during the course in which you will learn to interpret and analyze data. This material is presented on the course web page. The data you will analyze will be generated in the class, itself. You will submit your responses by email.
• We will engage in a few data collection enterprises. These will be primarily surveys that you will fill out anonymously, but will also include some observational, interview, and experimental studies. In all cases where you are to submit data, the system is set up so that we can record the fact that you have submitted the data, a course requirement, without linking the data in any way to your identity. The data will be represented in our data base, to which you have access, with a code number randomly assigned to you, known to no one but yourself. This subject number will be randomly assigned to each of you at the beginning of the course. It will be a number between 1 and 400.

Unless otherwise indicated, most of the material collected from in class questionnaires will be used at least partly to illustrate points presented in the class, and you will have access to the summary data.

Why does the course meet for 4 hours/week instead of 3? For four reasons: 1) you can learn more in four hours; 2) the full class laboratory demonstrations and data collections are rather time consuming; you will learn much from these, but to make sure you still get 3 hours of regular instruction, we extend the course by one hour/week; 3) with the extra time, we can be a little more relaxed about covering the material. 4) It's easier to do examinations with half of the class in the room at one time, thus splitting the midterm into two one-hour sessions. (We can also call off class on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.)

Conceptual Outline of the Course (Lectures)

1. Scientific Understanding. We will discuss the nature of explanation in psychology, and the different types of explanation that psychologists and biologists employ. We will illustrate the nature of explanation by observing some animal behavior (on videotape) and trying to interpret and understand it.

LAB: Observation and interpretation of behavior (videotape of rat behavior).

We will also commence our class research project on forgiveness.

2. The route to discovery. We illustrate the "scientific method," through a historical treatment of the discovery of how salmon migrate. We also introduce, with both salmon data and some data generated by the class, the basic concepts of statistics: description of data, probability, and statistical inference.

3. Brain and Mind. We next consider whether all behavior and mental events can be represented as biological (physical) processes (and hence be subject to discovery by the scientific method). After briefly discussing the history of discovery of the brain mind relationship, we will expand on one current problem in this area: cerebral organization (lateralization) in humans: the functions of the left and right cerebral hemispheres, and left handedness.

LABS: Data collection by students on symmetric and asymmetric facial expressions

Measuring the speed of the nerve impulse in humans

Lateralization questionnaire: collection and analysis of data on asymmetries and handedness: Class analysis of this data

II. "WORLD VIEWS" IN PSYCHOLOGY

4. Psychoanalysis and Dreams. We will illustrate different types of explanations and present the psychoanalytic approach in the study of dreams. We will discuss various approaches to dreams, emphasizing the Freudian theory of dreams, including its origins, and the nature of the evidence for the theory. This will give you the opportunity to experience the frustrations of the enterprise of scientific psychology, as it comes to grips with a fascinating phenomenon that is very difficult to study. It will also serve as an introduction to Freudian theory and the psychoanalytic approach, one of the major world views that have come out of psychology. The study of psychoanalysis will also give us a chance (by contrasting hysterical and neurological illness) to discuss the ways in which the study of the brain can and cannot aid us in the understanding of behavior and mind.

5. Behaviorism and Phobias. We will consider the general view of humans and science put forth in the position called behaviorism. This position emphasizes the role of learning, and calls for an objective science of psychology. We will sample research on animal learning to illustrate this approach, considering the problem of what is associated in Pavlovian conditioning and the problem of avoidance learning. Behaviorism and psychoanalysis are probably the two approaches in psychology that have had the greatest influence in the world at large. We will contrast psychoanalytic and behavioral appproaches by examining phobias. This will also give us an opportunity to explore applications of basic learning principles.

LAB: Class data on phobias and passions.

6. Sociobiology: Sex and human nature. We will consider a third general view of the nature of man, sociobiology. This approach emphasizes adaptation and the evolutionary origins of behavior. We will apply it to the understanding of some aspects of sexual behavior, particularly sex differences, in humans.

LAB: Questionnaire on sex differences. Class analysis of this data.

III. SPECIAL TOPICS IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGY

7. Color Vision. For an example of psychology as it should be, and a model for other less well developed areas of psychology, we will explore the basic phenomena and theories of human color vision. This will illustrate the relations between theories, observations and experiments. We will see how two alternative theories deal with a set of data, and how each theory emphasizes different phenomena and leads to different types of experiments.

LAB: Many in class demonstrations of color vision phenomena

8. Movement and face perception. The construction in the mind of a model of the world. We will briefly discuss how we make sense out of the world, through a series of in class demonstrations of the illusion of movement. We will also discuss the study of higher levels of organization in perception with a consideration of the psychological and neurological basis of face perception.

LAB: Computer demonstrations and experiments on perceived movement

9. Reading. The rapidly developing field of cognitive science will be introduced through the analysis of the reading process. With many demonstrations and a few in class experiments, we will explore how we can infer mental processes by studying behavior. We will pay particular attention to the use of the method of reaction time, which we will illustrate in some detail. We will also consider computer simulation of mental events and behavior. Finally, we will relate basic scientific findings about reading to the problem of teaching reading and treating reading disability.

LAB: Computer simulation of word matching.

Demonstrations of some of basic phenomena in reading

10. Thinking and decisions. We will discuss some basic features of human inference, how it goes awry, and the implications for major issues in society. The emphasis will be on decision making, and the extent to which humans are rational.

LAB: Questionnaire on inference and biases. Student analysis of results.

11. Appetites and Addictions. Here we will have the opportunity to study the motivation of behavior. Basic research findings on hunger will be related to the understanding and treatment of obesity and anorexia. We will discuss food selection and the interaction of biological, cultural, and psychological influences. We will also consider heroin addicition, in terms of psychological and physiological mechanisms, and as a problem in society, illustrating both natural science and social science approaches. We will also discuss other addictions.

LAB: Questionnaire on body image. Student analysis of results.

Identification of infant facial expressions

Self data collection on weight stability

12. Person Perception. Through experiment or observation, and lectures, we will explore an area that is not yet well understood: How people perceive other people, and how they form impressions of them. We will consider the role of attractiveness in this process.

LAB: Impressions study in class..

13. Social facts: Violence. Using violence as an example, we will explore how some basic social "facts" about violence come to be established. The focus will be on the nature of evidence, and how evidence leads to conclusions. We will consider two examples: 1. the establishment of the fact that southern white males,in the USA, are more inclined to resort to violence in response to challenges/insults than northern white males. 2. Evaluation of whether it is the case that violence seen on TV promotes violence in the individuals who experience this.

14. Nature and nurture. We will consider a fundamental and politically sensitive issue in psychology: the role of genes (nature), as opposed to environment (nurture) in the determination of behavior. We will discuss athletic ability, intelligence and personality. And we will consider whether, as Freud proposed, experience in the first years of life has a strong determining effect on later life.

IV. CONCLUSION: THE FUTURE AND FRONTIERS OF PSYCHOLOGY

15. We will briefly consider three recent and important new lines of study in psychology.

One is the development of the new field of neuroscience, which we will illustrate with a discussion of the biochemistry of mind. We will focus on findings that drugs (like prozac) that affect levels of brain neurotransmitters may produce surprising changes in personality.

We will then consider the computer revolution and modern cognitive science, and the use of computers to study the mind and to model the mind.

Finally, from the perspective of the new field of cultural psychology, we will re-examine psychology's view of human nature, from the point of view of how different cultures mould human nature. We will consider the definition of the self, the nature of human relationships, and the view of humans as "economic" creatures, optimizing within the framework of a market economy.

COURSE PROJECT

During the semester, we plan to explore a particular topic in psychology, in order to find out something new! We will use data collected from the class, and perhaps data collected from others by students in the class. The resulting data will be presented to the class, and will be discussed. The aim will be to design a second study based on the first results, and to execute that study. This exercise is designed to give you an idea of how research proceeds in psychology.

This year, our project will center around the nature of forgiveness.

Quantitative skills

As part of this process, the class will be asked to participate in a few "take home" data collection projects. Most of the projects will be web based. Your data will be submitted electronically, and you will do some simple analyses using Systat, a data analysis program widely available on campus. You will hand in a brief report on four projects (less than a page) answering specific questions. Details about each project will follow during the course of the semester. Some exam questions will be based on these projects and others that do not require reports.

This year, we will be experimenting with a second statistical package called R. R is free, and you can install it on your own computer. Instructions for all assignments will be given so that you can use either R or Systat. However, if you use R and want help, please write Prof. Baron directly at baron@cattell.psych.upenn.edu. For information about R, including where to get it and how to install it on various platforms, see the CRAN web site (see also these notes). R is extremely powerful, like Systat, but it does not have a graphical user interface. The mouse is almost useless. However, Prof. Baron will provide detailed, step-by-step instructions for how to use it for the assignments. In some ways it should be easier because it can automatically download data from a web site.

Professor Jon Baron's job is entirely to design these projects and help you with them. He has two assistants, Rebecca Levine and Frank Mannino. The assistants will run help sessions, have office hours, and answer questions by email. Prof. Baron may also have help sessions and office hours, but he will certainly answer email and will see students by appointment (see his web page for available times: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~jbaron). To ask questions about quantitative assignments send email to: quant1@cattell.psych.upenn.edu (but not yet - it isn't set up).

Here is a general outline of the assignments, subject to change.

1. A study of lateralization and intuitive-analytic thinking, which will involve a questionnaire about handedness, footedness, etc. Make sure you've done the quesitionnaire before the assignment.
2. A questionnaire on sexual behavior and interests, to be completed by the class. The questionnaire will be designed to test the predictions of evolutionary theories of human sexual behavior. Questionnaire data will be made available to the class in the form of a Systat data file. Each student will carry out a simple analysis and submit a very brief report answering specific questions.
3. A survey on decision making. Do this one by your birthday. If your birthday is odd, do this one, and If your birthday is even, do this one. Then do the assignmetn, which does not involve Systat. Here is the feedback about that assignment (now completed).
4. Analysis of a survey about body images. The survey was done in class. The assignment is here. It is due by midnight, Dec. 11, the day of the last class.

Course administration

All course handout materials will also be duplicated on the psychology 1 website. This site also includes some sample old examinations, with answers. It will be useful for you to read these exams well before the first examination, to get an idea of what we consider important in this course. It would also be a good idea for you to take one of these old examinations under examination conditions (50 minutes), to grade your performance, and identify areas of competence and those needing improvement.

Results from the class surveys, and other data collection enterprises, including the class project, will be available on the web site. In addition, midterm and final examination results will be published, with your identity indicated by the last four digits of your social security number.

EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS

Your grade for the course will be based on performance on the midterm and finals, and for those of you who elect it, your participation and paper from the mini-course (see below).

Because of the large numbers in the class, examinations will have to be multiple choice and short answer (except for papers for the mini-course). All of the examinations will be OPEN BOOK/ OPEN NOTE. You may bring to class: your textbook, a dictionary, and your course notes. You are free to consult these at any time during the examination. The purpose of the open book format is to emphasize for that we are interested primarily in how you have learned to think about psychology and to understand the basic ideas. We are NOT interested in memorization. You can learn about the examination system from past exams available on the course web site; answers are available there, and it would be advisable for you to take one of these exams under examination conditions (50 minutes, open book). If you want some practice with questions, the Study Guide for your text has many multiple choice questions keyed to each chapter. The study guide questions are somewhat easier than the questions you will get, because the Study Guide questions are oriented to the typical Psychology 1 course, which uses closed book examinations.

The examination will cover materials in the text (50-60%) and the lectures (40-50%).

The exam structure of the course is as follows:

Midterm exam: Monday, October 30. (28 questions, multiple choice and short answer, of which you chose 25 to answer)

The midterm will cover through lecture set 7 (color vision) and the readings up through color vision.

You will receive a total midterm score, which is the number correct on the midterm. THERE IS NO PENALTY FOR GUESSING. IF YOU ANSWER MORE THAN THE DESIGNATED NUMBER OF QUESTIONS WE WILL GRADE THE FIRST N (25) QUESTIONS.

Final examination: Date to be set by the University, for the MWF 1 slot. Each part of the final examination will have 28 questions, of which you answer any 25.

Part I. Coverage is the same as for the Midterm

Part II. Coverage from lecture 16 to the end, with corresponding readings. Part II will also include some general questions that refer to materials in Part I, but will not involve detailed questions about Part I.

The MIDTERM is OPTIONAL. You either take them both or you don't. Part I of the final covers the same material. YOU WILL GET THE HIGHER GRADE OF YOUR MIDTERM GRADE AND PART I OF THE FINAL. That means, if you are happy with your midterm grade, you need not take Part I of the final, and will need only a general acquaintance with the Part I materials.

For the final exam, Part II will be given for the first hour (50 minutes). Then, people who wish to count their midterm grades can leave, without taking Part I of the final.

THERE WILL BE NO MAKE UP EXAMS FOR THE MIDTERMS.

Students who fail to complete the final requirements will receive an I, which becomes an F within a specified period according to University rules. There will be a makeup examination offered before the I to F conversion time, within the first few weeks of the following semester. If you do not complete all course requirements, you will automatically get an I.

The final grade consists of the average of midterm (or Part I of final) and Part II. For students taking the minicourse, each of the previous parts will count for one-third, along with a one-third weighting for the minicourse grade.

REMEMBER, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS NOT YOUR GRADE, BUT INCREASING YOUR ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD, THE NATURE OF MIND AND BEHAVIOR, AND TO IMPROVE YOUR CRITICAL THINKING. YOUR GRADE WILL BE A VERY IMPERFECT MEASURE OF THAT.

MINICOURSES

Adam Cohen, Sophia Moskalenko, and Daniel Strunk will each offer a mini-course during the year, on a specific topic that will be announced. The mini-course will meet for one-hour for three consecutive weeks sometime during the semester. Each class will be limited to 20 students, and will engage in readings in the original literature on a specific topic. Some sort of writing assignment and evaluation will be included in the mini-course. Students who volunteer to participate in the mini-course will be expected to add about the normal workload of another course for 2/3 weeks, and will have an opportunity to get a sense of how psychology works and to discuss this with the graduate teaching assistant, who will be a knowledgeable researcher in the topic area. The evaluation of the mini-course will count for one-third of the course grade. We can only handle a maximum of 20 students in each mini-course. If there is an oversubscription, participation will be determined by some random selection procedure. Once you are in the mini-course, you are committed to completing it.

INSTRUCTORS

The instructor is Paul Rozin.
Room 112. 3810 Walnut St.
898-7632
email: Rozin@psych
Office hour: Wednesday, 10:30 - 11:30

There are two graduate assistants for the course Psych 1 day course (MW 1-3) and there is one for the evening course (MW 8-10). We will pool the results from the two courses, and you should feel free to contact any of the graduate assistants.

Adam Cohen (Penn Advance MW 8-10 course)
Office: B 24 Psychology Lab Building
Phone:
email: acohen2@psych
Office hour:

Sophia Moskalenko (MW 1-3)
Office: D41 Psychology Lab Building
Phone:
email: smoskale@psych
Office hour:

Daniel Strunk (MW 1-3)
Office: C-8, Psychology Lab Building
Phone:
email: strunkd@psych
Office hour: 3:00-4:00PM Wednesday

You are welcome to visit with us during office hours, or by appointment. A good time to talk with us is in the 10 minute break in the 2 hour class, or right after class. Usually, we are too busy to chat just before class.

There are no regular "discussion sections" of this class. Special review sessions will be held before examinations.

Lecture Plan and Reading Assignments

Monday/Wednesday 1-3; Monday/Wednesday 8-10

(All reading assignments are in Gleitman, Fridlund, & Reisberg, 5th ed.)

# Read pp. 193-204 BEFORE color vision lectures

* No class, Wednesday, Nov. 22