Resource Unit: Learning
and Memory
By Kyle Muntzinger
Introduction
Learning is involved in almost every phenomenon
psychologists study and occurs in many different ways. Every
individual uses learning techniques and processes and
summons unique thoughts and memories to perform day-today functions. Psychologists have always asked the question
“Why do humans act as they do in life?” To answer this
question a number of psychologists throughout history have
studied how we as humans learn. Psychology defines learning
as a relatively permanent change in a person’s behavior that
results from study, instruction, or experience. From this
definition many theories and processes of learning have been
developed. Pavlov, Skinner, Bandura, and other psychologists
are known in the psychology world as the Behaviorists. These
psychologists have studied and experimented at great lengths
to determine the origin of human learning and behavior.
Introduction
Page 2
Certain main ideas are focused on in learning.
Behaviorism is term used when talking about learning. This
school of psychological thought consists of three main
perspectives of how we as humans learn. According to the
certain psychologists people acquire behaviors through
classical conditioning, operant conditioning, or social learning.
Each method is associated with the well-known psychologists
mentioned above that have experimented and theorized on the
subject of learning. Each theorist explains how behaviors are
obtained through the appropriate learning techniques.
Introduction
Page 3
This unit also focuses on memory and how memory can
affect the individual. The storage and retrieval of what has
been learned or experienced is what psychologists call
memory. Memory is developed in three stages: encoding,
storage, and retrieval. Within the stages of memory
psychologists have identified different types of memory. From
short term memory to long term memory psychologists have
discovered many intricate details about the human brain.
In summary this resource unit is to cover the main
concepts of the Behavioral School of Psychological Thought
from classical conditioning to social learning. Also, memory
will be discussed in detail. Concepts of how we as humans
develop our memory through certain processes and steps will
be discussed.
Objectives
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Learning
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Understand the definition of learning
Identify who Ivan Pavlov and his learning theory of classical
conditioning
Explain the process of classical conditioning and being able to create
their own situation using neutral stimuli, UCS, UCR, CS, and CR
Understand the terminology of classical conditioning
Recognize the applications of classical conditioning to human behavior
in everyday life
Summarize the concepts of Watson’s experiment with Little Albert
Define the Law of Effect and Reinforcement
Identify who Skinner is and understand the concepts and terminology
of operant conditioning
Create examples of positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and
punishment
Objectives
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Learning
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Understand the workings of a Skinner Box and the
concepts of reinforcement schedules
Be able to identify the difference between a primary and
secondary reinforcer
Understand the negative reinforcement learning methods
Application of operant conditioning to human and animal
behavior
Identify who Bandura and his theory of social learning
Explain the processes of social learning
Understand the concepts related to social learning
Summarize the applications of social learning to human
behavior
Objectives
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Page 3
Memory
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Define memory
Identify the processes of memory
Identify the three stages of memory
Identify the memory areas of the brain
Explain the methods of retrieving information from
memory storage
Understand memory techniques in improving storage of
thoughts
Understand the types and reasons of memory loss
Vocabulary: Learning
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Key People:
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Edward Thorndike
Ivan Pavlov
B.F. Skinner
Alfred Bandura
John B. Watson
Vocabulary: Learning
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Acquisition
Avoidance Learning
Classical Conditioning
Conditioned Response/Stimuli
Continuous Reinforcement
Discriminative Stimuli
Escape Learning
Extinction
Fixed-Ratio/Interval
High-order conditioning
Law of Effect
Learning
Positive/ Negative Reinforcement
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Observational Learning
Operant Chamber
Operant Conditioning
Latent Learning
Phobias
Primary/Secondary Reinforcers
Scheduled Reinforcement
Shaping
Skinner Box
Spontaneous Recovery
Trial
Unconditioned Response/ Stimuli
Variable-Ratio/Interval
Vocabulary: Memory
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Memory
Encoding
Storage
Retrieval
Semantic Memory
Episodic Memory
Declarative Memory
Procedural Memory
Sensory Memory
Short-term Memory
Long-Term Memory
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Chunking
Recall
Recognition
Confabulation
Schema
Decay
Interference
Elaborative Rehearsal
Mnemonic Devices
Activities
The class is comprised from a range of twenty-five to thirty
students. The students range from sophomore to senior status within
the high school. Due to the number of students in class most
instructional time will be spent in the official classroom. Some time
may be spent in the computer lab for web based activities when space is
available. The class will be covering eight units comprising of the
history of psychology, the schools of psychological thought,
psychological disorders, treatment methods of psychology, life span
development, and intelligence and psychological testing. In the
following slides I have listed a timeline for the unit activities and the
resources available for the teacher as well as the students.
 Unit three will cover the Learning School of Psychological Thought
and Memory.
Activities
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Day #1
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Introduction video explaining the basic concepts and
theorists associated with the Learning.
Video: Discovering Psychology
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By Philip Zimbardo
Watch Video #8
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Learning
Prominent researchers — Pavlov, Thorndike, Watson, and Skinner
— have greatly influenced today’s thinking about how learning
takes place. This program examines the basic principles of classical
and operant conditioning elaborated by these renowned figures.
Activities
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Page 3
Day #2
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Notes will be given on Ivan Pavlov, his theory of classical conditioning
and the process of learning acquired through Pavlovian conditioning.
Students will participate in training one another to blink to a sound of a
bell by using a straw to blow into a persons eye. This will give the
students a hands on experience with classical conditioning.
To further the understanding the classical conditioning students in
groups of two or three will also draw a scenario in which classical
conditioning is used in their everyday lives. Paper, colored pencils, and
markers will be provided. The groups will then present their scenario
explaining the process of classical conditioning within the situation
depicted. The presentations will be given the next day.
Activities
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Page 4
Day #3
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The classical conditioning scenario presentations will be given by the
groups.
Continue notes on classical conditioning explaining extinction,
spontaneous recovery, and stimulus generalization/discrimination.
Students given case study worksheet about Watson’s experiment on
Little Albert. A discussion about stimulus generalization/discrimination
will follow after all are finished.
Ask students to bring in school appropriate ads for next class. The ads
must include a brand or logo and some object or person that does not
necessarily apply to the product being sold. Students will be given
limited answers as to why the ads are needed for the next class.
Activities
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Page5
Day #4
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Proceed with a discussion of classical conditioning in
everyday life. Present the ideas to the students about
conditioning fears and phobias with classical conditioning.
Give examples of taste aversion to the students. Also,
explain the positive uses of classical conditioning like past
memories of loved ones and advertisements. Then ask the
students to hand in ads and ask a few students to explain
random ads as to why it is classical conditioning. As each
person presents give them candy and explain at the end of
class that you were training them to relate candy and the
good taste of the food with presenting in class.
Activities
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Day #5
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Explain Thorndike’s Law of Effect and his experiments
with puzzle boxes. Show examples of puzzle boxes with
overheads.
Continue note taking with an introduction of B.F. Skinner
and operant conditioning. Explain the terminology and
procedures of operant conditioning.
Show examples of animal training with funny videos from
Internet using LCD projector. Explain how the training is
operant conditioning and shaping of animals.
Show video clip of the movie “Animal trainers” to give
further explanation of shaping.
Activities
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Day #6
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Further explain the differences of positive reinforcement, negative
reinforcement, and punishment. Give students in groups a worksheet
of scenarios where examples of positive, negative reinforcement, and
punishment are present. Each group works on one scenario. Using
jigsaw methods reassign students to new groups where each has the
answer for all the scenarios. After everyone is completed have the
original groups present their answer for their assigned scenario.
Introduce the Unit project of using the computer program Sniffy the
Virtual Rat. Explain scheduling reinforcements and examples of the
program. In groups of three or four, students are to train Sniffy to
perform a behavior in the virtual Skinner Box. Each will be provided
with a copy of the program and given one week to complete the
assignment.
Activities
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Day #7
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Present the notes on Bandura and social learning theory.
Explain the processes and terminology associated with the
theory.
Break the class into two groups for a debate. Label each
group either for or against violence on television and in
video games. Each group must present an informed
argument on why TV violence and video games either
harms or does not effect teenagers in today’s society by
using the social learning theory and other knowledge.
Activities
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Day #8
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Introduction video explaining the basic concepts
and terminology of memory.
Video: Discovering Psychology
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By Philip Zimbardo
Watch Video #9
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Memory and Forgetting
The program looks at the complexity of memory: how
images, ideas, language, physical actions, even sounds
and smells are translated into codes that are represented
in the memory and retrieved as needed.
Activities
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Page 10
Day #9
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Short lecture on what memory is in terms of
psychology, the processes of memory, and the
three stages of memory.
Give students worksheet of the brain to color the
appropriate areas associated with certain parts of
memory.
Activities
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Page 11
Day #10
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Present notes on Remembering and the methods in
which a person can improve their memory. In
providing examples of each method use memory
game activities like matching games.
Provide pictures of general areas like bathrooms,
offices, and bedrooms. Flash the images for a few
seconds and ask the kids to write down what they
saw. This activity will provide the understanding
of schema.
Activities
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Page 12
Day #11
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Start the class by using a clip from the movie “50
First Dates” showing examples of memory loss.
Present notes on Forgetting and the causes of
memory loss. Play the telephone game with chains
of students to show examples of memory loss.
Activities
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Day #12
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Page 13
Review worksheet for students to fill out.
Jeopardy game following completion to help study.
Day #13
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TEST DAY!!!!!
Evaluation
Multiple Choice
1.) When Pavlov’s Dogs were conditioned to salivate with circles projected on
the screen they also salivated when they saw a similar stimulus like an oval
on the screen. This phenomena is known as…
A. Generalization B. Extinction C. Discrimination D. Reinforcement
2.) The cognitive learning style that has NO goal, but asserts that we gain
knowledge as we experience life is called ______.
A. Latent Learning
B. Observational Learning
C. Classical Conditioning
D. Operant Conditioning
3.) The first and shortest stage of memory lasting only a fraction of a second
is…
A. Long Term B. Short Term C. Context-Dependent D. Sensory
Evaluation
Page 2
4.) According to Freud we do this with painful or unpleasant
memories, which is also known as…
A. Brain Damage B. Repression C. Absent Minded D. Time
5.) The skills needed to ride a bike are stored as what kind of
memory?
A. Procedural B. Episodic C. Generic D. Echoic
Matching
6.) Ivan Pavlov___
7.) B.F. Skinner___
8.) Albert Bandura ___
9.) Chunking___
10.) Mnemonic Devices___
A.) ROYGBIV is an example
B.) Psychologist of Operant conditioning
C.) Psychologist that experimented with dogs
D.) Grouping items make it easier to remember
E.) Theorist of Social Learning
Evaluation
Page 3
Short Answer: Fill in the formula
11.)
The Smith’s dog Fido loves to go outside. Anytime he realizes that the
family is about to take him out he gets very excited. During Christmas the
Smith’s hung a bell around the garage door doorknob to help decorate their
home for the holidays. After a time of taking Fido outside with the bell
ringing when they open the door Fido now gets excited any time the bell rings.
The Smith’s now get very frustrated every time they go to the garage to leave
without Fido with the dog thinking he is going outside.
Before Conditioning- What occurs naturally?
Neutral Stimulus- _________ = No response
UCS- _________= UCR __________
During Conditioning- NS and UCS are paired to elicit same response.
Neutral Stimulus- _________ + UCS ________ = UCR ___________
After Conditioning- NS is now conditioned (CS) and elicits a learned response.
CS- ___________ = CR _____________
Evaluation
Page 4
Essay
12.) Identify the theorists of classical conditioning, operant
conditioning, and social learning. Compare the processes of
each learning theory. What is the difference between positive
and negative reinforcement? Give one example of how each
learning theory applies to humans and society.
13.) What are the processes of memory? What are the three
types of memory? Identify the differences in capacity and
duration between the three and provide examples of each
memory type.
Resources
Teacher References
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1.
Weiten, Wayne. Psychology: Themes & Variations.
Australia: Wadsworth Thomson Learning, 2001.
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2.
A college textbook that covers in depth the more difficult topics
of psychology. Good for those hard to answer questions, the
book elaborates further into the broad topics of psychology.
Sheehy, Noel. Fifty Key Thinkers in Psychology. Great
Britain: Advanced Students/Teacher Resource, 2004.
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Biographical details anchor these profiles of how 50 people from
backgrounds as diverse as medicine, philosophy, linguistics, and
mathematics formed and refined their seminal ideas. The
biographies are presented alphabetically, but an alternative table
of contents sequences them chronologically from von Helmholtz
and Galton to Alan Baddeley (memory) and John Anderson
(computer simulation of cognition).
Resources
3.
Slater, Lauren. Opening Skinner’s Box: Great Psychological
Experiments of the Twentieth Century. Norton, 2004.
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4.
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Slater presents ten key psychology experiments and the people involved
in them presenting dramatically compelling narratives that really
underline why these experiments were so important. Slater looks at
Skinner and his box, Milgram and obedience to authority, Rosenhan and
psychiatric diagnosis, Darley and Latane and group behavior in
moments of crisis, Festinger and cognitive dissonance, Harlow's
monkeys, the "Rat Park" addiction study, Loftus and false memory,
Kandel's sea slugs, and Moniz and psychosurgery.
Colman, Andrew. A Dictionary of Psychology. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2006.
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Offering more explicit factual information and explanation than many
other psychology dictionaries, this authoritative reference combines
comprehensive breadth, extensive cross-referencing, and clear
definitions in over 11,000 alphabetically arranged entries that cover
psychology, psychoanalysis, psychiatry, and psychology-related
disciplines such as linguistics. Entries supply word origins where useful
and give illustrations where necessary (especially for optical illusions).
Appendixes list phobias and abbreviations.
Resources
Page 3
Student References
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1.
Kasschau, Richard. Understanding Psychology. New York: Glencoe
McGraw-Hill, 2003.
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2.
Rathus, Spencer. Psychology: Principles in Practice. Austin: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston, 1998.
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3.
This is a secondary text to the student textbook that provides more of a
broad look into psychology. Though older, the book provides a more
guided look into the topics of psychology.
http://www.psychology.org
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4.
The student textbook covers the general topics of psychology. It
provides an overview of topics like the unit covered in this lesson,
learning and memory, to units about personality and individuality. This
book covers the general knowledge necessary for students in a
psychology course in high school.
The website is a database reference page in which students can search
for certain topics that lead to legitimate links throughout the Internet.
http://www.psychology.net/
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This website is an online magazine that posts articles of current and
ongoing research in the psychology world.
Resources
5.
http://www.learnpsychology.net/
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6.
The book covers the history of psychology to the modern day
experiments run in labs today. The author provides a very up to date
look into the world of psychology.
Domjan, Michael. The Principles of Learning and Behavior.
Belmont: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2003.
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8.
The website is a glossary of concepts and terms from Psychology. It is
for all ages and very user friendly. The website also provides articles
published from psychology journals.
Benjamin, Ludy. A Brief History of Modern Psychology. Oxford:
Blackwell Publishing, 2007.
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7.
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The book discusses the topics of conditioned responses, the psychology
of learning, and behaviorism.
O'Donohue, William. The Psychology of B.F. Skinner. Thousand
Oaks: Sage, 2001.
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This book covers the biographical information on B.F. Skinner and his
works in psychology.
Resources
9.
Hock, Roger. Forty studies that changed
psychology : Explorations into the history of
psychological research. Upper SaddleRiver, N.J.
: Prentice Hall, 1999.
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10.
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The case study book examines various experiments by
famous psychologists in history.
Radvansky, Gabriel. Human Memory. Boston:
Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2006.
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The book provides an in depth overview of memory
and how humans develop memory throughout the
stages of life.
Resources
Page 5
Media References
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The following are videos a part of a series of 2001 PBS program called
Discovering Psychology. The videos are narrated by Phillip Zimbardo, wellknown psychologist.
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1.
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Learning. This program examines the basic principles of classical and operant
conditioning. (VHS)
Remembering and Forgetting. The program looks at the complexity of memory:
how images, ideas, language, physical actions, even sounds and smells are
translated into codes that are represented in the memory and retrieved as needed.
(VHS)
Animal trainers. This program gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the
exciting (and dangerous) worlds of animal training and stunt performing.
(VHS)
3.
Activities Handbooks for the Teaching of Psychology.
•
4.
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Classroom exercises that use a variety of approaches, including demonstrations,
experiments, discussions, and simulations, provide complete descriptions of the
concepts involved, lists of materials needed, step-by-step instructions, and
suggested discussion questions and background readings.
(Demonstrations, Experiments, Discussions, and Simulations)
Volume 1
Covers sensory processes and perception, learning and conditioning, memory and cognition,
developmental psychology, social psychology, and personality.
Resources
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6.
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8.
9.
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Volume 2
Expands on the above topics, also covering such subjects as methodology, the use
of computers in psychology, and elementary statistical concepts.
Volume 3
Focuses on social psychology, learning and memory, sensory processes and
perception, statistics, developmental psychology, personality, ethics, and gender
roles and stereotyping.
Volume 4
Covers critical thinking, research methods and statistics, biopsychology and
animal behavior, sensation and perception, learning, memory, cognition, emotion,
development, human diversity, social psychology, personality, and psychological
disorders.
Sniffy the Virtual Rat. This computer program allows students to train a rat
in a virtual operant chamber using various methods theorized by B.F.
Skinner and other behaviorists. (CD-ROM)
Psyk.Trek 2.0. Interactive software that guides students through the subjects
of psychology with readings, experiments, and activities. (CD-ROM)
Resources
10.
11.
12.
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Approaches to Psychology. Examines the various approaches to the field of psychology
and looks briefly at the contributions of major psychologists in each of these areas. The
seven approaches covered: evolutionary, biological, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic,
psychodynamic, sociocultural. The presentation discusses the theories and experiments of
the Freuds, James, Jung, Adler, Erikson, Maslow, Rogers, Ellis, Piaget, Pavlov, Skinner,
Eysenck, Bandura, Kohlberg, Beck, Gardner, Milgram, Harlow, Asch, Sperry, Schachter,
and Chomsky. (Power Point Presentations)
What is Psychology?. These designed posters echo the topics in the What Is
Psychology? Power Point presentations, and are also based on the APA’s National
Standards for the Teaching of High School Psychology. Each 17" x 11" poster poses some
basic questions to help define the topic. (Posters)
Themes, Issues, and Debates in Psychology. By Richard Gross. Rather than dividing
psychology into its usual subtopics, this theme-based overview looks at several fascinating
issues that cut across multiple areas of research. Designed as a supplement to standard
textbooks, the book looks at topics such as heredity vs. environment, normality and
abnormality, cross-cultural psychology, free will vs. determinism, consciousness and the
mind-brain relationship, parapsychology, ethical questions in psychology, and psychology
as a science. Clearly written chapters periodically pose critical-thinking questions and also
recommend further readings and related Web sites. (Book)
Resources
13.
14.
15.
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The Science of Fear: The Daily Planet. Three programs use case studies,
explanations from psychologists, and experiments to show what science
reveals about the causes of—and treatments for—fear. (DVDs)
Teaching Psychology Using the Internet. By Stephanie Vargas. Highinvolvement lessons pull students into research and analysis of basic
principles of psychology. Ten lessons direct students to specific Web sites,
use short-answer questions to focus their reading, then engage them in
writing activities requiring critical analysis. Topics include early childhood
development, adolescent and adult development, sensation and perception,
states of consciousness, classical conditioning, memory, intelligence tests,
social psychology, and psychological disorders. Each lesson includes
detailed teacher instructions and reproducible handouts with URLs to visit
and questions to answer. (Book with Reproducibles)
The Mind’s Storehouse: Memory. Discusses topics such as encoding, storage,
and retrieval of memory. Demonstrations of short-term memory are also
presented and renowned researcher Elizabeth Loftus explains her role in
debunking the phenomenon of repressed memories. (DVD)
Resources
16.
17.
18.
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The Most Amazing Machine: Neuroscience and Behavior. Plunges into
the expanding field of neuroscience and the biology behind behavior,
exploring how areas of the brain and brain chemistry can alter mood and
cognition. (DVD)
Psychology. Acquainting students with the reasoning and methods of
psychology, these self-directed activities develop research and critical
thinking skills. Numerous activities guide students in independent study,
describe the problems of conducting research in psychology, and discuss
generalizations about psychological behavior. (e-Book)
Classical and Operant Conditioning. Topics include behaviorism,
classical and operant conditioning theories of Skinner and Pavlov,
Skinner boxes, and conditioning in everyday life. 55 minutes. (DVD)
Resources
19.
20.
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The Quiet Rage: The Stanford Prison Experiment. In 1971, Stanford psychology
professor Phillip G. Zimbardo devised an experiment that would rapidly spiral
out of control. A group of ordinary college students were divided arbitrarily into
"prisoners" and "guards." Hidden cameras captured what happened next: the
"guards" became gradually more sadistic, devising cruel mental tortures, while
the "prisoners" either broke down or succumbed in cowed and mindless
obedience. Combining grainy hidden camera footage with retrospective
interviews and narration by Zimbardo, this program chillingly demonstrates how
easily individual values can break down under situational pressure, and why this
important study is a metaphor for the effects of power in relationships where one
person exerts control over another, be they husband/wife, doctor/patient,
parent/child, victor/vanquished. (DVD)
The Human Brain Coloring Book. By Kapil Gupta. Don't be misled by the
simplicity of its title: this learning manual features 125 detailed computergenerated illustrations to foster mastery of the anatomy and physiology of the
human brain and spinal cord. The interactive coloring exercises help simplify the
wondrously complex. Each plate of a particular system or structure is
accompanied by explanatory text describing its function and position. (Book)