Historical Development of Psychology

Historical Development of Psychology

Psych. 401, MW 2:50 – 4:05, Spring 2008

Instructor: Michael Morgan (morgan@vancouver.wsu.edu)

Office hours: Wednesday 4:15 – 5:15 and by appointment; Room CL 208V

Teaching Assistant: Cecily Griffus

Book: An Introduction to the History of Psychology, 5^th Edition, by B.R. Hergenhahn

In this course you will learn about the history of psychology from ancient Greece to the present. Your knowledge of this history will be assessed with exams, papers, and homework assignments. Given that this is a designated writing course [M], writing will be a part of all of these.

Exams: There will be three exams and a comprehensive final exam. Each exam is worth 40 points and your lowest exam score will be dropped. That is, you will only be graded on 3 of the 4 exams. If you miss an exam you will receive a zero and that score will be dropped as your lowest. There are no late or make-up exams. Test questions will come from lectures and the assigned readings in the Hergenhahn textbook.

Papers: The theme for all writing assignments will be your view of human nature. The first assignment will be a short essay at the end of class today (5 points). The second assignment will be a presentation of your views in a story format (2-3 pages; 15 points). The third writing assignment will be a comprehensive presentation of your view of human nature (20 points). This paper will be read and commented on by two of your anonymous peers. This means you will read two student papers and receive 10 points for providing appropriate feedback (5 points/paper). You will make revisions to your paper and submit a final copy no later than April 21 (40 points). References, in APA format, must be included in papers 3 and 4. Turning a paper in late will cost you 10% of the maximum points available for each class day late. It is your responsibility to get the paper to me. If you turn the paper in early you will never have to worry about losing points for being late (even if you are sick, your car breaks down, or your computer crashes). The specific objective for each paper will be handed out next week.

Homework: A brief homework assignment (1 or 2 sentences) will be given to you prior to each lecture (2 points each). You will be responsible for completing 15 of the 20 assignments (30 points). Assignments will be due at the beginning of class. Late assignments will not be accepted. If you miss class, you can pick up the assignment from the bulletin board outside my office.

Important dates: Date Assignment Points

January 7 Paper 1 5

January 30 Paper 2 15

February 6 Exam 1 40

March 17 Exam 2 40

March 24 Paper 3 20

March 31 Return graded papers 10

April 16 Exam 3 40

April 21 Paper 4 40

April 28 or 30 Final Exam (40)

There are 240 points available. Grades (A B C D F) will be assigned on a 90%, 80%, 70%, 60% scale. Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Students needing accommodations must have them approved through Student Services.

The course schedule is outlined below. This schedule lists the topics covered each day, the corresponding reading assignments, the date for each exam, and the due dates for the papers and homework assignments (i.e., H1). This is a tentative schedule. Changes will be announced in class.

Week Date Monday Wednesday

1 Jan. 7 & 9 Intro.; Paper 1 Ch. 1: Psychology

2 Jan. 14 & 16 Ch. 2: Greeks Ch. 3: Christianity

H2 H3Allegory of the Cave

3 Jan. 21 & 23 --no class MLK-- Ch. 4: Science

4 Jan. 28 & 30 Ch. 4: Descartes Ch. 5 & 6: Philosophers

H5 Paper 2

5 Feb. 4 & 6 Ch. 7 Romanticism Exam 1

6 Feb. 11 & 13 Ch. 8: Physiologists Ch. 10: Evolution

H7 H8

7 Feb. 20 --no class Presidents-- Ch. 10: Intelligence Testing

8 Feb. 25 & 27 Ch. 9: Experimental Psych Ch. 11: Functionalism

H10 H11

9 Mar. 3 & 5 Ch. 12: Behaviorism Ch. 13: Neobehaviorism

H12 H13

Mar. 10 & 12 --Spring Break-- --Spring Break--

10 Mar. 17 & 19 Exam 2 Ch. 14: Gestalt

H14; How to grade papers

11 Mar. 24 & 26 Ch. 15: Mental Illness Ch. 16: Freud

H15; Paper 3 H16

12 Mar 31& Apr 2 Ch. 17: Psychoanalysis Ch. 18: Existential Psych.

H17; Return graded papers H18

13 Apr. 7 & 9 Ch. 18: Humanistic Psych. Ch. 20 Cognitive Psych

H19 H20

14 Apr. 14 & 16 Ch. 19: Psychobiology Exam 3

15 Apr. 21 & 23 Grades & Paper 4 Review

16 Apr. 28 & 30 Final Exam? Final Exam?

Historical Development of Psychology

Writing Assignments on Human Nature

The theme for the writing assignments in this class is your view of human nature. This is an important topic because all of the people discussed in this class have examined this question. As you will see, these views vary greatly.

Paper 2 (15 pts; January 30): On the first day of class you wrote an essay (Paper 1) describing your view of human nature. Paper 2 will require you to present your view of human nature in a story format. Your story can be based on real events or it can be fiction (e.g., Allegory of the Cave). The goal is to present your views in an interesting and memorable manner. Be sure to proofread your paper and have someone else read it--preferably, someone who is not afraid to criticize your work (e.g., someone in the writing center). This paper must not be longer than 3 pages (double spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point font).

Paper 3 (20 pts; March 24): The goal of this paper is to expand on your previous paper by identifying the historical basis for your views on human nature. Compare your view of human nature with those of historical figures. The views of any person can be cited. How are your beliefs similar to and different from their beliefs? Whose philosophy do you agree and disagree with? How does the Zeitgeist (i.e., your culture and time in history) affect your views? Although you should think about these questions, do not write specific answers to them in your paper. Instead, present your views in a creative and interesting manner.

This paper requires the use of references. Cite the source of your information in the text of the paper where the information is used and provide the full citation in a Reference list at the end of the paper. Do not use someone else's ideas without giving them credit in the paper. Presenting someone else's ideas as your own is called plagiarism and it is unethical. Turn in 3 copies of this paper. Write the title of the paper on all 3 copies, but only put your name on one (your title should be creative and descriptive). You will be responsible for reading and commenting on two of your colleagues' papers. These comments must be completed and returned to me in class March 31.

Final paper (40 pts; April 21): Revise your previous paper paying attention to the feedback you received from your peers. Work with the writing center to correct problems. The final paper should be your best possible writing effort!

All papers should be typed using double spacing, a 12-point font, and 1-1.5 inch margins. The references should be presented in APA format. If you have questions about an assignment seek help from me, the teaching assistant, or someone in the writing center before the paper is due. Turning in an assignment late will cost you 10% of the value of the assignment per class day.