CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014

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ELEMENTARYPSYCHOLOGY
ProfessorElenaFesta
Spring2014
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TEXTBOOK &
ONLINE MATERIAL
Gazzaniga,M.S.,Heatherton,T.F.,&Halpern,
D.F.(2011).PsychologicalScience(Fourth
Edition).W.W.Norton:NewYork,NY.
https://canvas.brown.edu
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CLASSROOMS
Lectures:
MetcalfAuditorium(MWF1212:50pm)
SectionMeetings:
MetcalfRm 104or105(AssignedSectionTime)
ComputerAssignments:
MetcalfRm 107
OpenStudentHoursMTh 7:3010:00pm
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CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014
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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)
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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
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GradeBreakdown
Exams 68%
SectionParticipation 17%
ZAPSLabActivities 10%
ResearchParticipation 5%
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CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014
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ImportantDates
2/17 LongWeekend
2/21 Exam1
3/21 Exam2
3/22 3/30 SpringRecess
4/25 Exam3
5/15,25pm FinalExam
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ONLINE ORIENTATION
https://canvas.brown.edu
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WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY?
Psychologyisthemostpopularmajorat
manycollegesanduniversities
Psychologyispersonallyrelevant
Psychologyisrelevanttousall
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CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014
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WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY?
Thestudyofmind,brainandbehavior
Importantquestions
Whatarethebasesofperceptions,thoughts,memories,
andfeelings,oroursubjectivesenseofself?
Howdoesthemindusuallyallowustofunction
effectivelyintheworld?
Whydoesthemindoccasionallyfunctionsoineffectively
intheworld?
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PSYCHOLOGISTS EXPLAIN HUMAN
BEHAVIORS IN REAL LIFE CONTEXTS
Mostpeopleareinterestedinfiguring
outothersbehavior
Makesyoumoreawareofhowpeoplework.
Makeyoumoreawareathowyouwork
Canhelpyoubemoreamoreeffectivestudent
Canhelpyoubemoreeffectiveinyourcareer
Canhelpyourelatebettertoothers,includingfamily
membersandfriends
Goalsofpsychology:Understandmental
activity,socialinteractions,andhow
peopleacquirebehavior
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CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014
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SURPRISING RESULTS
Isntpsychologyjustcommonsense?
Participantswhoheldacupofhot
coffeeratedanotherpersonas
warmerandlessselfishthandidthose
whoheldacupoficedcoffee(Williams
&Bargh,2008)
Ourpsychologicalprocessescansurprise
us
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WHAT DO PSYCHOLOGIST DO
BESIDES TREAT MENTAL ILLNESS?
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PSYCHOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IS
USED
IN MANY PROFESSIONS
Somestudentsdevotetheirlivesto
studyingmind,brain,andbehavior
Manyprofessionsrequireaknowledgeof
psychology
Opportunitiesforpeoplewithgraduate
degreesinpsychologyareexpectedto
growapproximately12percentbetween
nowand2018(U.S.BureauofLabor
Statistics,2009)
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CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014
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PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
TEACHES CRITICAL THINKING
Humansareintuitivepsychologists
Canpeopleintuitivelyknowifclaims
relatedtopsychologyarefactorfiction?
Criticalthinking: Systematically
evaluatinginformationtoreach
reasonableconclusions
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HOW CRITICAL THINKING
WORKS
ResearchersfoundlisteningtoMozartled
researchparticipantstoscorehigherona
testrelatedtointelligence(Rauscher,
Shaw,&Ky,1993)
Subsequentresearchlargelyfailedtoget
thesameresults
AreviewofstudiestestingtheMozart
effectshowedthatlisteningtoMozartis
unlikelytoincreaseintelligence(Chabris,
1999)
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WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT
MIND, BODY, AND EXPERIENCE
Natureonlyside
Whowearecomesfrominborntendenciesand
geneticallybasedtraits
Nurtureonlyside
Weareallessentiallythesameatbirth,andwearethe
productofourexperiences
Natureandnurtureareinterdependent,not
dichotomous
Naturethroughnurture
Positionthattheenvironmentconstantlyinteractswith
biologytoshapewhoweare,andwhatwedo
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NO ONE PERSPECTIVE TELLS
THE WHOLE STORY IN PSYCHOLOGY
Howdoyoudeterminewhichperspective
givesthebestexplanationsofpsychology?
Theuseofscienceandcriticalthinking
Makingconnectionsbetweendifferent
perspectives
Adheringrigidlytooneschoolof
psychologicalthoughtwillinvariablylead
toincompleteexplanations
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PSYCHOLOGY
CROSSES LEVELS OF ANALYSIS
Researcherscanexplainbehaviorat
manylevelsofanalysis
- biologicallevel
- individuallevel
- sociallevel
- culturallevel
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CLPS Spring 2014: Introduction 1/22/2014
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HOWTHESEAPPROACHES
APPLYTOOUREXPERIENCE OF
THEWORLD?
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HOWDIDTHEPASTSHAPE
OTHERSEXPERIENCES?
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