Dolan CSEM Fall 2010

Forty Studies That Changed Psychology

Fall 2010                                                                                 Patrick Dolan, Ph.D.

College Seminar: CSEM 1.026                                                           Hannan House #204, 973-408-3558

Monday & Friday 12:00 – 12:50 PM                                     pdolan@drew.edu

Peer Mentor: Rachel Weiner rweiner@drew.edu                 Office hours:

          Tuesday & Thursday 10:30 – 12:00

                                                                                                                                            Or by appointment

Psychology is the science of mental processes and behaviors. Effective treatments for depression and anxiety, improved child rearing practices, and enhanced educational techniques are just a few examples of how psychological research has directly and profoundly improved our quality of life.   This seminar will explore some of the most influential studies in psychology -- topics that include the influence of nature versus nurture, conformity, sexuality, and false memories. In the process of discussing the methods and results of the particular studies, we will address the controversies, ethical dilemmas, and long-term implications of the findings on understanding what makes us tick.

More broadly (and perhaps more importantly), as a College Seminar, I hope that by the end of the semester, you will be able to…

• enter into and participate in a scholarly conversation both orally and in writing;
• comprehend, evaluate, and analyze materials and texts as well as think synthetically and creatively about them;
• evaluate and explain the appropriate use of different kinds of information from a variety of academic and non-academic sources.
  

Readings

 Hock, R. R. (2009).  Forty Studies That Changed Psychology: Explorations into the History of

Psychological Research (6th Edition). Pearson: New Jersey.

Moodle

This will be the main means to share documents and resources, including turning in all of your assignments, so please visit regularly.  Our Moodle site also has a “question/discussion” forum. I strongly encourage you to have a visible presence there -- it is an ideal place to ask questions, get feedback on ideas and thoughts, and to continue the conversation after the class discussion has ended. For those less inclined to speak up in class, this is a great way for you to actively participate. This is also a good place to get help with your glossary definitions (see below).

Learning Philosophy

You are in charge of your decision to learn in this course. What you bring to this course is yourself and your decision to work hard, contribute, and learn. What you do in here will depend on that. The seminar’s success depends on your active, informed engagement with the material and participation each day.  For each hour we spend in class, you are expected to spend 2-3 hours working outside of class. I encourage you to raise questions in class and to make frequent use of my office hours to clarify material.  

For each class I expect you to…

• do the reading and accompanying writing assignment ahead of time;
• come with notes, comments, and questions on the readings;
• participate in class discussion;
• share your own perspectives while showing knowledge of the readings and material;
• bring the syllabus, Forty Studies book, and a copy of the assignment due that day.
  

Grades

To earn an A will require excellent work. The grade of B is earned for good work, and C for adequate or fair work.  Poor work will earn a grade of D and unsatisfactory work will receive a grade of U or “unsatisfactory for credit”.

50% -- Attendance and Participation

Attendance means being on time, awake, attentive, and prepared for class (students will not be penalized for absences covered by Drew Policy).

Participation will be evaluated on your preparation, contribution, and degree of critical inquiry (see grading rubric below). I’ll be assessing you after each class. Active participation on the Moodle discussion forum will also be noted.  You will assess yourself and submit your assessment to me at mid-term and at the end of the semester. I would encourage you to be honest with yourself and me while completing these assessments. In the event that we do not see eye to eye, or that your assessment is below average, you will be required to schedule a meeting with me.

50% -- Course Assignments
There will be a reading and a corresponding writing assignment for every class period (due the day they are listed below). The writing assignments will focus on enhancing your understanding of the reading and encourage you to think more deeply about the material in preparation for class discussion. These will be graded as either “strong”, “competent”, “weak”, or “unacceptable”. Writing assignments are to be turned in electronically via Moodle by 10:00 AM on the day it is due.  You should also bring a copy to class to facilitate discussion. Late assignments will automatically receive a “weak” grade (at best). 

Format: your assignments should be typed, double-spaced, 1” margins, left justified, 12 pt. font of your choice (within reason!). Title pages, plastic covers, special folders, etcetera are not to be used. Style-wise, put your best foot forward! As with all college assignments, make sure your writing is concise, well written, spell checked, and grammatically correct.

Portfolio: Simply doing the assignments is the base-line expectation, but I also want you to think about the work you submitted. So, in addition to collecting all of the assignments on Moodle, I will ask you to select the six you consider to be the best, and write a reflection on them as representative samples of your writing. This final portfolio will constitute 1/4^th of your course assignments grade, and is due Wednesday December 8^th (second reading day before finals week). Your course glossary will also be part of this final portfolio (see below).

Glossary: You will routinely encounter words that are unfamiliar to you.  Throughout the semester you are to maintain a glossary in which you note these words and their definition.  Definitions can likely be found online -- google’s define: <word> search function, merriam-webster.com, and dictionary.com are all fine sources. There are also some psychology-specific online dictionaries: allpsych.com/dictionary, dictionary-psychology.com, and so on. Having trouble finding a satisfying definition? Post a question to the Moodle forum! There is a good chance that one of your classmates also had trouble with that word and may have found a good definition (and some of them have an Introduction to Psychology text book with a glossary in the back). I’ll also be monitoring the forum to help out with questions. I’ll periodically ask to see your glossary, and you will need to hand it in with your portfolio at the end of the semester.

No extra credit will be offered in this class.

Additional advising meetings

During the semester we will have three mandatory individual meetings in my office. Signups will be passed around in class the week before. The first is during Week 2 just prior to the Add/Drop period, the second is during Week 10 just prior to Spring ’11 registration, and the third is during Week 15 just prior to leaving for winter break.  I would encourage you to meet with me at other times as well!

Advice for doing well in the College Seminar (and other classes!)

1. Don’t fall behind! You have something due each class so regular work and attendance is crucial. Check syllabus and Moodle regularly for announcements and assignments.

2. Keep trying, even if an assignment doesn’t make sense. At a minimum, be prepared to discuss why you had difficulty with a particular assignment, so you can work on how to approach readings and/or assignments that are not immediately accessible to you.

3. If you feel lost or confused more consistently, get help right away. My office hours are there to help you with your academic concerns in my (or other) classes.  I am committed to being available to you even if my posted hours don’t fit your schedule -- just email or chat with me after class to arrange a different meeting time.

Class etiquette

Please be courteous and realize that it is not appropriate to enter and/or leave in the middle of class. Please arrive to class on time. Cell phones, computers, and other technology must be turned off before class begins.  Obviously, this means that you should not be receiving phone calls, sending emails/text messages in class, or checking your computer or phone for messages. Since this course spans the lunch hour, feel free to eat lunch in class but please minimize disruption to others.

Email etiquette

Keep in mind that most members of the faculty at Drew have certain expectations regarding email correspondence. This includes…

• a meaningful subject line. “CSEM: <topic>” is good. Blank or “hey” is not.
• an appropriate salutation. Starting with “Hi Prof. Dolan” is good. “Yo” is not.
• using appropriate capitalization, grammar, spelling, and refraining from cryptic abbreviations (e.g. “r u free l8r?”).
• using email for brief questions, comments, or setting up appointments, not requests for summaries of entire classes.
• responding to emails I send you so that I know you got it (and I will do the same!). It is also useful to include the text of my initial email so I know the context; “See you then” isn’t helpful unless I know when you’re referring to.
• checking your email daily. If you have an alternative preferred email address please have your Drew email forwarded to that address.
  

Academic Accommodations
Should you require academic accommodations, you must file a request with the Office of Educational Affairs (BC 114, 973-408-3327). It is your responsibility to self-identify with the Office of Educational Affairs and to provide me with the appropriate documentation from that office at least one week prior to any request for specific course accommodations.  There are no retroactive accommodations.

Academic Integrity
All work in the College Seminar must adhere to the College Standards on Academic Integrity. You must do your own work. You must cite sources appropriately in all papers and presentations. You must acknowledge the contribution of other students to your work. Any student who is in violation of this policy will be referred to the Dean’s Office for further action. The policy can be found at: http://depts.drew.edu/cladean/drewonly/Academic%20Integrity%20Booklet2.htm

DONUT and Library Training

This seminar is designed with the assumption that you will have completed both the orientation to the Drew Computing environment (DONUT) and the orientation to basic use of the Drew Library, both of which are a part of the Common Hour, within the first four weeks of the semester.

Library Liaison

If you need help looking up a reference for this course, Jody Caldwell is our Reference Librarian. Her number is 973-408-3481 and her email is jcaldwel@drew.edu. She has set up a website specifically for this seminar:

http://www.drew.edu/depts/library.aspx?id=80757

Writing Center

The Writing Center is a place for Drew students to discuss any kind of writing, get an impartial reader’s response to what they have written, and discover how to make the writing process more manageable. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this service for all of your classes.  Find out more at http://depts.drew.edu/writecen/

Participation Rubric

Syllabus (subject to change)

Week 1

Monday 8/30       

 Friday 9/3            Ch. VIII introduction and Reading 29: Who’s Crazy Here, Anyway?

Week 2                   ** Second individual advising meeting with me **

Monday 9/6          NO CLASS: Labor Day

Friday 9/10           Preface p. xv – xviii (ethics of research involving human and animal participants)             

Week 3  

Monday 9/13        Reading 31: Learning to be Depressed

Friday 9/17           Ch. VII introduction and Reading 25: Are You the Master of Your Fate?

Week 4

Monday 9/20        Reading 26: Masculine or Feminine… Or Both?

Friday 9/24           Reading 27: Racing Against Your Heart

Week 5

Monday 9/27        Ch. III introduction and Reading 9: It’s Not Just About Salivating Dogs!

Friday 10/1           Reading 10: Little Emotional Albert

Week 6

Monday 10/4        Reading 11: Knock Wood!

Friday 10/8           Reading 12: See Aggression… Do Aggression!

Week 7

Monday 10/11      Ch. IV introduction and Reading 13: What You Expect is What You Get

Friday 10/15         Reading 16: Thanks For the Memories!

Week 8                   ** Mid-term evaluation **

Wed. 10/20             Ch. V introduction and Reading 17: Discovering Love

Friday 10/22         20: In Control and Glad of It!

Week 9

Monday 10/25      Ch. I introduction and Reading 1: One Brain or Two?

Friday 10/29         Reading 2: More Experience = Bigger Brain

Week 10                 ** Third individual advising meeting with me **

Monday 11/1        Reading 3: Are You A “Natural?”

Friday 11/5           Ch VI introduction and Reading Reading 24: Thoughts Out of Tune

Week 11

Monday 11/8        Ch. II introduction and Reading 5: Take A Long Look

Friday 11/12         Reading 6: To Sleep, No Doubt To Dream

Week 12

Monday 11/15      Ch. IX introduction and Reading 33: Choosing Your Psychotherapist

Friday 11/19        

Week 13

Monday 11/22      Ch. X introduction and Reading 37: A Prison By Any Other Name…

Friday 11/26         NO CLASS: Thanksgiving

Week 14

Monday 11/29      Reading 38: The Power of Conformity

Friday 12/3           Reading 40: Obey at Any Cost?

Week 15 (reading/finals week) ** Fourth individual advising meeting with me **

Wed. 12/8             Final portfolio due!

Fall 2010 College Calendar:

Monday Aug. 30^th:     Classes Begin

Friday Sept. 3^rd:          Last day to add a semester long class without instructor’s signature.

Monday Sept. 6^th:     Labor day, no classes

Monday Sept. 13^th:   Last day to add a semester long class with instructor’s signature, to

change P/U option, Enroll from Wait List or drop a semester long

class without a “W” (Note: No reduction in charges for any reduced

load after this date).

Oct. 8^th – 10^th:            Family Weekend

M&T Oct.18^th – 19^th: Reading days, no classes

Wed. Oct. 20^th:          Monday classes meet

Friday Nov. 5^th:        Last day to drop semester long course with a “W.” (Courses

discontinued after this date earn a grade of “U”).

M-W Nov. 1^st-10^th:    Registration for Spring 2011 Semester. (Material available one week

before; clear financial account required to register)

Wed. Nov. 24^th:         Thanksgiving recess begins, no classes, residence halls close 12:00

noon; halls re-open Sunday, Nov 28 at 12:00 noon.

Monday Nov. 29^th:   Classes resume

Monday Dec. 6^th:      Wednesday classes meet, Last Classes meet

T-W Dec. 7^th-8^th:        Reading days, no classes

Thursday Dec. 9^th:    Final Examinations begin

Wed. Dec. 15^th:          All examinations and semester end, residence halls close at 12:00

noon on Thursday, December 16.

College Seminar: FORTY STUDIES THAT CHANGED PSYCHOLOGY

Student Contract

I have read and understand the syllabus for College Seminar: FORTY STUDIES THAT CHANGED PSYCHOLOGY. I understand the expectations set forth in this syllabus and I am aware of the consequences should I fail to observe them.

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