CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014

1

ELEMENTARYPSYCHOLOGY

ProfessorElenaFesta

Spring20141

TEXTBOOK &ONLINE MATERIAL

Gazzaniga,M.S.,Heatherton,T.F.,&Halpern,D.F.(2011).PsychologicalScience(FourthEdition).W.W.Norton:NewYork,NY.

https://canvas.brown.edu

2

CLASSROOMS

Lectures: MetcalfAuditorium(MWF1212:50pm)

SectionMeetings: MetcalfRm 104or105(AssignedSectionTime)

ComputerAssignments: MetcalfRm 107

OpenStudentHoursMTh 7:3010:00pm

3

CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014

2

SectionTimes

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

12:00 12:50pm(L01)

10:00 10:50 am(L03)

11:00 11:50am(L07)

1:00 1:50pm(L02)

11:00 11:50am(L04)

12:00 12:50pm(L08)

1:00 1:50pm(L05)

1:00 1:50pm(L09)

3:00 3:50pm(L06)

4

SECTION TAS

JoannaKorman joanna_korman@brown.edu Huaiyong Zhao huaiyong_zhao@brown.edu

LauraFlanagan laura_flanagan@brown.edu JuliaFranckh julia_franckh@brown.edu KristenGardner kristen_gardner@brown.edu DennisGu dennis_gu@brown.edu GillianMichaelson gillian_michaelson@brown.edu StefanRodriguez stefan_rodriguez@brown.edu JessicaSachs jessica_sachs@brown.edu

5

GradeBreakdown Exams 68%

SectionParticipation 17% ZAPSLabActivities 10% ResearchParticipation 5%

6

CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014

3

ImportantDates 2/17 LongWeekend 2/21 Exam1 3/21 Exam2 3/22 3/30 SpringRecess 4/25 Exam3 5/15,25pm FinalExam

7

ONLINE ORIENTATION

https://canvas.brown.edu

8

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY?

Psychologyisthemostpopularmajoratmanycollegesanduniversities

Psychologyispersonallyrelevant Psychologyisrelevanttousall

9

CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014

4

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY?

Thestudyofmind,brainandbehavior Importantquestions

Whatarethebasesofperceptions,thoughts,memories,andfeelings,oroursubjectivesenseofself?

Howdoesthemindusuallyallowustofunctioneffectivelyintheworld?

Whydoesthemindoccasionallyfunctionsoineffectivelyintheworld?

10

PSYCHOLOGISTS EXPLAIN HUMANBEHAVIORS IN REAL LIFE CONTEXTS

Mostpeopleareinterestedinfiguringoutothersbehavior Makesyoumoreawareofhowpeoplework. Makeyoumoreawareathowyouwork Canhelpyoubemoreamoreeffectivestudent Canhelpyoubemoreeffectiveinyourcareer Canhelpyourelatebettertoothers,includingfamily

membersandfriends

Goalsofpsychology:Understandmentalactivity,socialinteractions,andhowpeopleacquirebehavior

11

12

CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014

5

SURPRISING RESULTS

Isntpsychologyjustcommonsense? Participantswhoheldacupofhot

coffeeratedanotherpersonaswarmerandlessselfishthandidthosewhoheldacupoficedcoffee(Williams&Bargh,2008)

Ourpsychologicalprocessescansurpriseus

13

WHAT DO PSYCHOLOGIST DOBESIDES TREAT MENTAL ILLNESS?

14

PSYCHOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE ISUSED

IN MANY PROFESSIONS

Somestudentsdevotetheirlivestostudyingmind,brain,andbehavior

Manyprofessionsrequireaknowledgeofpsychology

Opportunitiesforpeoplewithgraduatedegreesinpsychologyareexpectedtogrowapproximately12percentbetweennowand2018(U.S.BureauofLaborStatistics,2009)

15

CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014

6

PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCETEACHES CRITICAL THINKING

Humansareintuitivepsychologists Canpeopleintuitivelyknowifclaims

relatedtopsychologyarefactorfiction? Criticalthinking: Systematically

evaluatinginformationtoreachreasonableconclusions

16

17

HOW CRITICAL THINKINGWORKS

ResearchersfoundlisteningtoMozartledresearchparticipantstoscorehigheronatestrelatedtointelligence(Rauscher,Shaw,&Ky,1993)

Subsequentresearchlargelyfailedtogetthesameresults

AreviewofstudiestestingtheMozarteffectshowedthatlisteningtoMozartisunlikelytoincreaseintelligence(Chabris,1999)

18

CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014

7

WAYS OF THINKING ABOUTMIND,BODY,AND EXPERIENCE

Natureonlyside Whowearecomesfrominborntendenciesand

geneticallybasedtraits Nurtureonlyside

Weareallessentiallythesameatbirth,andwearetheproductofourexperiences

Natureandnurtureareinterdependent,notdichotomous Naturethroughnurture

Positionthattheenvironmentconstantlyinteractswithbiologytoshapewhoweare,andwhatwedo

19

NO ONE PERSPECTIVE TELLSTHE WHOLE STORY IN PSYCHOLOGY

Howdoyoudeterminewhichperspectivegivesthebestexplanationsofpsychology? Theuseofscienceandcriticalthinking Makingconnectionsbetweendifferent

perspectives

Adheringrigidlytooneschoolofpsychologicalthoughtwillinvariablyleadtoincompleteexplanations

20

PSYCHOLOGYCROSSES LEVELS OF ANALYSIS

Researcherscanexplainbehavioratmanylevelsofanalysis- biologicallevel- individuallevel- sociallevel- culturallevel

21

CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014

8

22

HOWTHESEAPPROACHESAPPLYTOOUREXPERIENCEOF

THEWORLD?23

HOWDIDTHEPASTSHAPEOTHERSEXPERIENCES?24