PS124 Introduction to Psychology Unit 1 Nichola Cohen Ph.D. NCohen@kaplan.edu Overview Get to know each other Class expectations and the syllabus What is Psychology? Questions Syllabus Please read it! Reading: Introduction to Psychology by Charles Stangor Each week 1-2 chapters Check the reading tab for each unit Flex seminars Choice of seminars Please see the syllabus for times You only need to attend 1 seminar Or you can complete seminar option 2 Your professor will access the rosters for all seminars in the cohort to grade you for your participation Deadlines All assignments and DB posts are due by 11.59 PM EST Tuesday Late penalty is 1 letter grade per week Extensions can be granted for extenuating circumstances Email me in advance! Late work for Units 1-4 will not be accepted more than 3 weeks after the due date Because of the conditional admission policy, late work will not be accepted for Unit 5 Late work for Units 6-8 will not be accepted after the last day of Unit 8 Late work for Unit 9 will not be accepted after the Saturday of Unit 10 Discussion board You should post 1 primary response and 2 peer responses Primary post = 200 words Peer responses = 75 words Posts must be substantial You must make reference to the reading 4 points for this! APA formatting required Psychologists can be either researchers or practitioners; one thing they have in common is that they use the scientific method within their work (Stangor, 2010) Stangor, C. (2010). Introduction to Psychology. Flatworld Knowledge. Projects Projects: Units 4, 7 and 9 Start thinking about them early Read the rubric! Unit 4 project = 125 points Unit 7 project = 125 points Unit 9 project = 135 points Quizzes Quizzes: Units 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8 20 multiple choice questions 1 hour Can only access once! Do the reading before you access the quiz You can also take the practice quiz before you take the real quiz Questions Course questions section Email me Discussion board Seminar CLAs and GELs The purpose of CLAs are to measure your mastery of the skills and knowledge described by the course outcomes We want to see you achieve mastery on these assessments GELs measure your general education skills across your degree program We do not expect you to achieve mastery of a GEL at this point in your studies Course outcomes PS124-1: Apply psychological theories, processes, and concepts to human behavior. Assessed with Unit 4 project PS124-2: Examine how various theories of neuroscience explain human development and behavior. Assessed with Unit 7 project PS124-3: Discuss psychological disorders and treatment approaches. Assessed with Unit 9 project One final thing…. Be nice! What is psychology? What is psychology? The scientific study of the mind and behavior What is psychology? The scientific study of the mind and behavior Psychologists all rely on scientific methods Research psychologists – use scientific methods to create new knowledge Psychologist-practitioners – use existing research to enhance the lives of others include counseling, clinical, and school psychologists Levels of explanation within psychology Psychologists understand behavior at different levels, from lower-level biological factors to higherlevel cultural factors. Social and cultural Interpersonal Biological Levels of explanation within psychology Psychologists understand behavior at different levels, from lower-level biological factors to higherlevel cultural factors. Social and cultural E.g. Gender influences depression Interpersonal Biological Levels of explanation within psychology Psychologists understand behavior at different levels, from lower-level biological factors to higherlevel cultural factors. Social and cultural E.g. Gender influences depression Interpersonal E.g. Individual thought processes influence depression Biological Levels of explanation within psychology Psychologists understand behavior at different levels, from lower-level biological factors to higherlevel cultural factors. Social and cultural E.g. Gender influences depression Interpersonal E.g. Individual thought processes influence depression Biological E.g. Genes and neurotransmitters influence depression What challenges might Psychologists face studying the mind and behavior? What challenges might Psychologists face studying the mind and behavior? People display individual differences on psychological dimensions. Behavior is produced by many factors. The causes of behavior are often outside conscious awareness. The history of psychology The history of psychology Psychology evolved from philosophy and physiology The history of psychology Psychology evolved from philosophy and physiology Philosophy: Asked similar questions to Psychologists BUT did not experimentally test them Physiology: Relied on controlled experimental observation and experimentation which became the methodology for Psychology Schools of thought in psychology Schools of thought in psychology Group of psychologists who share similar ideas and theories and investigate similar problems Examples: Structuralism: goal was to identify the basic elements or “structures” of psychological experience Functionalism: goal was to understand the purpose of psychological characteristics Psychodynamic psychology: understanding human behavior focusing on the role of unconscious processes Behaviorism: the scientific study of behavior, not the mind Cognitive psychology: studies mental processes, including perception, thinking, memory, and judgment. Social-cultural psychology: study how social situations and the cultures influence thinking and behavior Subdisciplines and career paths in psychology Subdisciplines and career paths in psychology Subdisciplines and career paths in psychology What is psychology? The scientific study of the mind and behavior Psychologists all rely on scientific methods Research psychologists – use scientific methods to create new knowledge Psychologist-practitioners – use existing research to enhance the lives of others include counseling, clinical, and school psychologists