Psychology 102: Introduction & overview

Welcome to Psychology 102

Psychology 102:
Introduction & Overview

Dr James NeillCentre for Applied PsychologyUniversity of Canberra2009

Image source; http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Psi2.svgLicense: Unknown

Acknowledgements: This lecture is based on 2008 notes by Dr, Thea Vanags.

Staff

Unit convenor - Dr James Neill

Consultation hours:

Tues 14.00 15.00 (3B32)

Otherwise by appointment email

Tutors

Danielle Hopkins

Clare Watsford

Rebecca Pashley

Jessica Smeltink

Help/Support

Moodle discussion forum

Tutor

Unit convenor Moodle message or email or office hours or appointment

Library

Learning Resource Centre

Academic Skills Program

Smart Study Passport

Schedule

11 x 2 hour Lectures

Tues 2B9 10.30 12.20

6 x 2 hour Tutorials

Tuesday Weeks 2, 4, 6, 11, 12, 14

Check timetable and room number

Swaps must be approved by unit convener

Introduction & overview
James Neill

Intercultural & indigenous psych
Diana Grace

Consciousness
Vivienne Lewis

Cognitive processes
James Neill

Therapies
Tim Carey

Lecture
Topics

Sensation & perception
Thea Vanags

Learning
Janet Tweedie

Intelligence
James Neill

Motivation
James Neill

Social processes
James Neill

Summary & review
James Neill

Lecture
Topics

Textbooks

Psychology & Life
by Gerrig et al.
(includes MyPsychLab) The Principles of Writing in Psychology
by Smyth

Website

Moodle:

http://learnonline.canberra.edu.au/course/view.php?id=1318

Assessment

Essay 45%

Due Monday 21st Sept. by 5pm (Week 10) 45%

Final exam 45% - 2 hours

Online fortnightly quizzes 10%

Bonus marks 5%

Research participation - 4%

Moodle profile - 1%

Essay

45% of overall mark

1, 500 word essay on one of the seven essay questions

Some starting links and journal references will be given

Answer the question

Use APA style

Essay

Insert a completed coversheet as page 1.

Submit an electronic copy (via Moodle)

Late penalty 5% per day

Extensions exceptional circumstances only, documentation required.

Final exam

45% of overall mark

In the exam period

Multiple choice

2 hours long

More details when it gets closer

Online fortnightly quizzes

6 x 10 minute fortnightly quizzes

10% of overall mark for the unit

Best 5 out of the 6 quizzes count

Based on lecture, tutorial, and reading content from the previous fortnight

Bonus marks

Research Participation

Studies listed on the web 1% per study or hour

Keep participation slips and submit with a coversheet to the assignment box by the end of semester

For online studies, submit details at the end of the study

Bonus marks

Moodle Profile

Profile picture

200 word profile

10 interests

Summary

Unit outline important information!

Attendance at Lectures and Tutorials is strongly recommended, but not compulsory

Read assigned textbook chapters before lectures and tutorials

Help:

Use discussion forum

Approach tutor

Lecture break
have a stretch -

Intercultural & indigenous psychology

Image sources:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aboriginal_football.jpgLicense: Public domainhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gra_paper2.jpgAuthor: http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:NovyaradnumLicense: CC-by-SA 3.0

Mind, consciousness and alternative states

Is it true that older people need more sleep than younger people? What happens when we sleep? What is our brain doing? Does it sleep too?Can anyone be hypnotised? Do we remember forgotten memories under hypnosis?Does alcohol shrink the brain?What does ecstasy do to our brains?

Cognitive processes

Image sources:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human_brain_in_a_vat.jpgAuthor: http://www.flickr.com/people/43078695@N00License: Unspecifiedhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Synapse_blank.pngLicense: Public domain

Therapies for psychological disorders

Image source:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Papyrus_Migraine_Therapy.pngLicense: Public domain

Sensation

What happens when our senses get confused or interact in unusual ways? How do cochlear implants allow people to hear?Why can surgeons operate on the brain when people are conscious, yet they feel no pain?

Perception

www.theforesthaseyes.comWhy does the moon appear huge when you see it near the horizon? Which of these lines is longer?When you look at this... Insert perceptual illusions here....

Learning
& behaviour analysis

Do we learn because our parents ground us or take away privileges?What did Pavlov do with the dogs?What is countercontrol?Why are poker machines so addictive?How can we change behaviour?

Intelligence
& intelligence assessment

What is intelligence?What makes someone intelligent?Does intelligence change over a lifetime?Do you inherit intelligence from your parents?Image source:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ArtificialFictionBrain.pngLicense: CC-by-SA 3.0

Motivation

What makes us eat? What makes us want sex? Do some needs take precedence over others?What do we know about what determines sexual orientation?What makes people love their jobs? Why would a person go back to work after winning the lottery?

Social processes, society, and culture

www.stevekuo.com

www2.help.edu.myIf someone told you to administer a fatal electric shock to a complete stranger would you do it? Do we behave differently when we are part of a group, like when we are at the football?What is prejudice? Why are people prejudiced?What motivates people to help other people?

Tell your neighbour

Which topics interest you the mostAnd why?

If someone told you to administer a fatal electric shock to a complete stranger would you do it? Do we behave differently when we are part of a group, like when we are at the football?What is prejudice? Why are people prejudiced?What motivates people to help other people?

Essay writing in psychology

Address the essay question

State your position

Support your position with scientific research

Use mostly journal articles and edited books by experts

Essay writing in psychology

Esp. look for recent reviews and meta-analyses summarise their findings

Demonstrate knowledge you have gained about the topic

Direct quotes

This is a quote:

... For more than a century, clinical evidence has shown that the brains two sides serve differing functions (Myers, 2007, p.83) ...

Avoid direct quotes in your essay.Phrase ideas in your words.

Plagiarism

This is a plagiarism:

For more than a century, clinical evidence has shown that the brains two sides serve differing functions (Myers, 2007). ...

Do NOT plagiarise; the consequences are substantial.

Citations

This is citing your sources or references:

... The results of clinical studies have shown that each side of the brain serves a different function (Myers, 2007). ...

Do cite your sources in your essay.

Essay writing: What to do

Put ideas and information into your own words

Cite the sources (reference material) you have read which have informed your ideas.

Essay Topic 1

How can behaviour modification be used to break a habit? Explain with reference to psychological theories and research.Key wordsBehaviour, Habit, Behaviour modification, Behaviourism, Learning

Classical conditioning, Operant conditioning, Reward, Reinforcement, Extinguishing

Think aboutBehaviour modification is a major theoretical and applied clinical and health psychology topic

Consider some example habits e.g., smoking, eating, exercise

How will you limit/focus the topic?

Essay Topic 2

What are "smart drugs" (also see "cosmetic neurology")? Do smart drugs "work" and if so, how and for what types of tasks and people? What are the risks? Discuss with reference to psychological theories and research.Key wordsSmart drugs, Neuroenhancement, Cosmetic neurology, Academic performance, Intelligence

Think aboutThis is a relatively new topic; might need additional research.

Consider the main types of neuroenhancement reported by students and workers.

Summarise what is know, but also what is not known.

Essay Topic 3

Why do we dream? Discuss with reference to psychological theories and research.Key wordsDreams, Consciousness, Sleep

Think aboutThis is a classic psychological topic, but despite much research, conclusive answers are few and far between

Sleep there will be a lot of literature on this

Summarise what is known and what is is not known

Describe existing theories and research

Essay Topic 4

What are the short and longer-term psychological effects of physical exercise and what causes these effects? Discuss with reference to psychological theories and research.Key wordsExercise, Fitness, Aerobic exercise, Anaerobic exercise, Anxiety, Depression

Think aboutThis is a well-researched topic

Look for recent reviews and meta-analyses summarise their findings


Essay Topic 5

What are the human psychological effects of contact with animals? Discuss with reference to psychological theories and research.Key wordsPets, Animals, Well-being, Stress, Anxiety, Health, Nature-contact

Think aboutThis is an increasingly well-researched topic



Essay Topic 6

What is pain? What psychological treatments are recommended for physical pain management and how effective are they? Discuss with reference to psychological theories and research.Key wordsPain, Hurt, Sensation, Perception, Cognition

Think aboutThis is an increasingly researched health psychology and clinical psychology topic



Essay Topic 7

What are the effects of "sensory deprivation"? Discuss sensory deprivation research in relation to sensation and perception theories.Key wordsSensation, Perception, Sensory deprivation, Consciousness, Altered states, Relaxation, Flotation tanks, Torture

Think aboutThis topic was popularised by research in the 1950's and 1960's (see see John Lilly)

The topic has been pursued more recently for both positively psychological benefits (e.g., relaxation inf loat tanks) and for psychological harm (e.g., as a form of disorientation/torture)

Researching the topic

Sources

Textbooks too general

Books written by experts in the field

Journal articles always

Internet not in a Psychology paper

Avoid direct quoting write in your own words

Do not plagiarise

Essay plan

Definitions

Limitation

Introduction

Logically arrange your main points

Conclusion

APA style - Citations

Citations

Attribute idea(s) to the author(s)

Not just at the end of a paragraph

One author

Ellis (2002) suggested that eyewitness testimony is not reliable.

Eyewitness testimony is not always reliable (Ellis, 2002).


Two authors

Wells and Loftus (2003) reported that

Eyewitness testimony has been shown to be unreliable (Wells & Loftus, 2003).

In text, use the word and

In parentheses, use &

For 2 authors, they are both always named


Three to five authors

First time, list them all

Perfect, Hunt and Harris (2002) reported that

Many factors affect memory (Perfect, Hunt & Harris, 2002).

All subsequent citations, use et al.

Perfect et al. (2002) reported that

Many factors affect memory (Perfect et al., 2002).


Six authors or more, always use et al. e.g., Neill et al. (2009) or (Neill et al., 2009)


Citing more than one reference

Weston (2002) and Perfect (2001) claimed.In parentheses, use the same order as reference list (alphabetical by authors surname)

These findings suggest that delays affect memory (Perfect, 2001; Weston, 2002).

APA style Reference list

Book Ryckman, R. M. (2000). Theories of personality (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: WadsworthJournal ArticleSkagerberg, E. M. (2007). Co-witness feedback in lineups. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 21(4), 489-497.Edited bookMcKone, E., Martini, P., & Nakayama, K. (2003). Isolating holistic processing in faces (and perhaps objects). In M. A. Peterson & G. Rhodes (Eds.), Perception of faces, objects, and scenes (pp. 92-119). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

APA style Reference list

Alphabetical by authorMcKone, E., Martini, P., & Nakayama, K. (2003). Isolating holistic processing in faces (and perhaps objects). In M. A. Peterson & G. Rhodes (Eds.), Perception of faces, objects, and scenes (pp. 92-119). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ryckman, R. M. (2000). Theories of personality (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.Skagerberg, E. M. (2007). Co-witness feedback in lineups. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 21(4), 489-497.

Next week

Lecture Intercultural & indigenous psychology (Diana Grace)

Tutorials Tues or Thurs - check Timetable

Psychology 102: Introduction & overview

Education

Transcript of Psychology 102: Introduction & overview