Syllabus -- [PDF Download]
Homework / Discussion Questions -- [PDF Download]
Jan. 20 -- [LINK]
This is an interesting 2-page article that provides much to think about. Be sure to click on the link for the second page (if you have difficulty, try clicking on the number 2
rather than the button labeled "Next Page"). Do you recognize yourself in anything described in the article?
Jan. 23 -- [LINK]
This article was written by your amazing professor, as a basic explanation of the research methods typically used in psychology. So, class time will be
spent answering any questions and clarifying anything that is less than perfectly clear. Bring your questions.
Jan. 25 -- [LINK]
This is part 2 of the article written by your amazing professor, so bring those questions about this material as well as any lingering issues from last time. :)
Jan. 27 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
[LINK 3]
The first link takes you to a brief explanation of evolutionary psychology, whereas the second takes you to a 22-minute talk by the brillian psychologist
Steven Pinker. Start with the reading, followed by the video. Link 3 is entirely optional, but contains a list of human universals for you to skim over.
The list ends up being longer than you might think, although some of the universals are quite specific.
Feb. 1 -- [LINK]
Start with this page, and note that there are small square icons for pages 1-9 near the bottom of the entry. Study and know pages 2, 3, 5-8.
These are the basic structures typically covered in introductory psychology courses.
Feb. 17 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
The first link is to a brief interview with Deborah Tannen, about her book explaining communication patterns between mothers and daughters. The second link is to a
brief summary of Deborah Tannen's work uncovering differences in male-female uses of conversation.
Feb. 20 -- [LINK]
Use the homework questions to guide you to the concepts to learn. Do not worry about the theories mentioned, or the high level of detail in some areas.
March 19 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
[LINK 3]
Here are three brief readings about prejudice and discrimination (based on race, religion, and size). Read the homework questions before tackling the readings.
If you are interested in the extent to which you have been conditioned to associate "white" vs. "black" people with "positive" vs. "negative," I encourage you to take
this optional online test that measures your unconscious associations. This is the latest method psychologists use to measure "prejudice."
If you decide to take it, note your results and we'll talk about them in class:
[LINK]
Follow the instructions and select the Race (Black-White) IAT a little past the midpoint of the list. The entire process takes 10-15 minutes and all questions
have to be answered for scoring to occur. Of course you can always choose to do some of the other association topics as well.
March 30 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
Start with the first link and answer the homework questions pertaining to it before moving on to Link 2 and doing the same.
April 4 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
There are many online measures that supposedly assess your personality. Nearly all of them are crap. In contrast, these two links take you to legitimate online measures of what psychologists refer to as the Big 5 personality dimensions. We're going to cover these in
class so the presentation will be more meaningful if you've taken the tests and written down the results (percentile scores for each dimension). If you take both
tests, bring both sets of results to class.
April 20 -- [LINK]
Notice that this article is 3 pages long. Although it is written for the general public, it can be a little bit dense in places. So, take your time and really
try to imagine what would be involved in cognitive-behavioral treatment for depression.
April 23 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
[LINK 3]
Each link is to a short article about body image. Think about how each does or does not apply to you.
April 25 -- [LINK]
Just a brief article to complement the reading from the Forty Studies book. How many of these myths did you believe?
