Kauffman
Intro Psychology
Unit #1: Introduction & Social Psychology (Modules 1, 2, 53, 54, & 55).
Syllabus (subject to change)
1. For Course Outlines and Grading Expectations and percentages go to Mr. Kauffman’s
webpage for the Intro Psychology information.
2.
CLASS IS A BODY OF KNOWLEDGE. YOUR TEXTBOOK IS A BODY OF KNOWLEDGE. YOU
MUST BRING THESE TWO TOGETHER TO HAVE SUCCESS. *Notes and active dialogue
with the text are required in some format.
INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY + SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
“Calling 9/11 senseless, mindless, insane, or the work of madmen is wrong…it fails to adopt the
perspective of the perpetrators, as an act with a clearly defined purpose that we must understand in order
to challenge it most effectively.”
Philip Zimbardo
Psychology Department Chair
Stanford University
The Essential Questions of this Unit: These will be answered throughout the unit as applied essays.
1. How does psychology explain the insurgency in Iraq and the Abu Ghraib scandal (Iraqi prison
abuse)?
2. Why did the GBN hazing ritual become so out of control and why did those girls participate in the
first place?
3. Is world peace possible?
4. Do video games & movies teach violence or act as a healthy release of aggression?
5. How can governments and communities combat terrorists and extremism?
Daily Schedule:
“If the King destroys a man, that’s proof to the King it must have been a bad man.”
-Thomas Cromwell, in Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons, 1960
Day1 (Fill In Day & Date)_______________
1. Welcome & Class Expectations
2. Course Outline-Online
3. What is Psychology? - “A Letter to the Psychology Student”
4. Opinion Survey
*H.W.: Review ALL ONLINE class documents ON YOUR OWN and get materials. (Textbook, Notebook, Binder)
AND Read pp. 1-11 in your textbook, take detailed notes, & answer the following question at the end
of your notes: “What from the reading was of most interest to you? Why?” Response should be ½ to
1 page long.
Day 2_______________
1. Questions? Concerns?
2. Candid Camera & Psychological Thinking
3. 7 Perspectives of Psychology Lab-Expert in your Perspective
4. H.W. Read “Perspectives of Psychology” in Xeroxed packet & fill in “Contemporary Psychological
Perspectives Graphic Organizer” as thoroughly as possible. BE NEAT! Pay attention to in-class
instructions on how to complete this assignment.
Day 3_______________
1. Continue 7 Perspectives of Psychology Lab
2. History AND scope of Psych: What’s surprising?
3. Review graphic organizer-Autism Case Study
4. Complete “Explanations of Human Behavior Case Studies”
5. H.W. Complete H: I-4.
Day 5__________
1. H I-4: Survey of Enduring Issues Lecture
2. Review goals of psychology – DEPC
3. Intro to Social Psychology: Case Study _HAZING RITUALS
4. H.W. Read pp 674-679 in textbook and take notes – focus on vocabulary, examples of vocabulary,
experiments, important people, real-world examples!!!! NOT acceptable to take notes only on the bold
terms.
Day 6_________
1. GBN Hazing Video Application + Response Review
2. Read article “Little Girls Are Made of Pig Guts and Beer”
3. EQ#2 –Review and Instructions- Due in 2 Days
4. H.W. Read pp. 681-687 in textbook and take notes. Answer E.Q. #2 (Complete the sample outline of
EQ format – use 2 social psychology principles from pp 674-679 and 2 social psychology principles
from pp. 681-687). Due DAY 8
“Have you ever noticed how on example-good or bad-can prompt others to follow? How one
legally parked car can give permission for others to do likewise? How one racial joke can
fuel another?”
–Marian Wright Edelman, The Measure of our Success, 1992
Day 7___________Conformity & Obedience
1. Go to lab and to Complete Psych Sim “Everbody’s Doing It!”
2. H.W. Read pp. 687-692 in textbook and take notes. Think About: How do the concepts in the reading
and the PsychSim help explain GBN even further? Finsih Typed EQ #2 for Next Class
Day 8___________
1. Review E.Q. #2. Going further: How could this have happened? Why so surprising? Would you do the same
considering all of the factors? What other factors are influencing these and other extreme behaviors? (Cults,
Fan Behavior, Nazi Germany, Terrorist bombings, Food FIGHT!)
2. H 18-3: Milgram Experiment
3. Human Behavior Experiments Video Application + Response
4. H.W. Read articles “Why Did They Do It?,” “The Face of War,” and “Power Turns Good Soldiers into
‘Bad Apples’”. Write down the 10 most important points that help explain “Why they did it?”
Day 9___________
1. Review Abu Ghraib articles.
2. Making further connections (activities, articles, video clips) – deindividuation, groupthink, group
polarization.
3. Psych Sim “Not My Type”
4. H.W. Finish reflection for PsychSimRead pp 694-698 in textbook and take notes. Stop at Aggression.
Day 10___________
1. Review PsychSim and Concepts
2. 20/20 video clip on stereotypes and prejudice + Jane Elliot Experiment
3. H 18-7: Just World Scale
4. H.W. Read pp 698-709 in textbook and take notes
Day 11___________
1. PsychSim – “Social Decision Making
2. H 18-8: Aggressiveness Questionnaire
3. EQ # 5
4. H.W. Complete Text Readings and Notes
Day 12____________
1. Review PsychSim + EQ
2.
Review Social Psychology Unit Project Expectations and Directions
Day 13_____________: Unit Project Time
Day 14_____________: Unit Project Time
Day 15_________________: Unit Project Time
**Project is Due on Day 16:________________: Review and Start of Unit #2 Social Engineering and Learning