Intro to Psychology

PSY201-75

The seat you choose today will be your assigned

seat for the remainder of the semester.
Intro to Psychology
PSY201-75
Instructor: Freya Edlin, Ph. D.
Email: freya.edlin@louisville.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 4PM–5PM (or by appointment)
Office Location: LF119
Materials:

Optional Textbook: Psychology in Everyday Life, 3rd

Required: iClicker or App
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Textbook: There is no required textbook for this
course.
Lecture time is limited so there will be things in
the textbook that I don't cover during the
lecture, but I will not test you on anything that
isn't in the lecture. Some people learn better by
reading the textbook. Others buy textbooks and
never open them. I'll leave it up to you to decide
if you want to use the textbook or not.
If you're one of those people who feels like you must have a
textbook then I would suggest Myer’s Psychology in Everyday
Life. The version to get is the 3rd edition. You can usually pick
up a used copy from around $20 from Amazon but the
cheaper ones will go fast so the longer you wait the higher it
will be.
Clickers: I like to use clickers in my class so you will
be required to get your hands on an i>clicker or get the
app for your phone.
6 month rental
iClicker Student app $15.99
iClicker+ $32.99
iClicker2 $34.99

You won't need to have your clicker the first week so

don't worry if you haven't gotten yours yet.
GRADING SCALE.
The final grade distribution (in %) will be as follows (rounded to the nearest whole
percentage point):
90 – 100: A
80 – 89: B
70 – 79: C
60 – 69: D
59 and below: F

SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS AND POINTS.

PUREMEMS 15%
Tests 25%
Exams 30%
Review 1 5%
Review 2 5%
Thinking Assignments 10%
Research Participation 10%
Optional Research Points 5%
 WHAT THE F@#? !
quizzes
tests
exams
comprehensive reviews
 Retrieval Practice

two different groups:

- Study/Study
- Study/ Test
wait 5 minutes…
test both groups on the material
which group does better?
 Example

Wilhelm Wundt is credited with creating the

first psychological laboratory in 1879.
 Quiz Question
When did Wilhelm Wundt create the first
psychology lab?
A)

A)

B) 1876
C) 1877
D) 1878
E) 1879
 Test Question
Who created the first psychology lab?
Wundt
Freud
James
Pavlov
 Exam Question
Quiz- When did Wilhelm Wundt create the
first psychology lab?
Weekly Test - Who created the first
psychology lab?
New - What important contribution to
psychology happened in 1879?
Wilhelm Wundt is credited with creating the
first psychological laboratory in 1879.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS/MAKEUP
EXAMS. I expect all online assignments to be
turned in by the specified deadline (date and time)
as to facilitate learning of the material. However, I
am willing to provide early exams if you notify me
in advance that you cannot attend the exam.
Likewise, I will allow you to take the online
tests/reviews/PUREMEMs early if can’t attend
class or if there is some reason you can’t complete
the assignment during the entire allotted time. I
reserve the right to revoke this privilege for any
individual who is taking advantage of this policy.
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. If you
experience any TECHNICAL difficulties while
trying to complete your assignments on BB,
please contact Blackboard technical support.
If you get locked out of an online test contact
me so I can unlock it.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. If
you require special accommodations to
complete this class contact the DRC
immediately.
CONDUCT. The key to intellectual discussion is mutual respect
among participants. Taking this into consideration, it is important
that we each listen carefully and actively process comments and
questions brought forth by every person. It is also important to be
aware that we may cover topics, theories, or research findings that
go against your personal beliefs. Know that you are not responsible
for defending your way of thinking, but rather you are responsible
for sharing information for further thought. Although we can
disagree with and challenge each others’ opinions and statements,
we must all do this in a way that respects each individual and
focuses on the issues, not the individuals. As a courtesy to the
instructor and others in the class, turn off the ringer on your cell
phones during class. Please be careful to turn off your mics when
you’re online.
CONTACTING ME. It is my goal to provide each
student with all of the assistance they need to succeed
in this course. If you are having difficulties in class, are
struggling with any of the material, or are simply
curious about psychology and would like to sit down
and chat, please feel free to drop by during my office
hours or schedule a time to meet with me. The best
way to contact me is through e-mail, and I will typically
respond within 24 hours on weekdays. If you are
struggling in this course for any reason, please contact
me immediately. Do not wait until the end
of the semester because then it will be
too late.
For the Research requirement you will need to create an account on Sona
Make sure you associate your Sona account with 201-75 Edlin
What is Psychology?

modern definition:
The scientific study of behavior and mental
processes.
Answering questions objectively based on
Scientific observable facts, data, and established
Study
methods

Behavior Observable actions

Thoughts, feelings, sensations,

Mental
Processe perceptions, motivations, dreams,
s subjective experiences
What are some big ideas in Psychology

Exploring human strengths

The biopsychosocial approach
The two-track mind
Critical thinking
Exploring Human Strengths
Psychology doesn’t focus on the abnormal!

Positive psychology
improving normal
finding happiness
promoting virtue
building relationships
Behavior is a Biopsychosocial Event

old Nature vs. Nurture

debate

Now we know that

living creatures are
influenced at three
levels:
Biological
Psychological
Social-cultural
Intelligence
Personality
Depression
etc
 Two-Track Mind
Dual Processing
conscious and unconscious
Goodale & Milner studies
postcard slots with brain damage
hand grasp width and optical illusions

Also separated into slow and intentional vs. fast and automatic
 Critical Thinking
The internet has made critical thinking one of
the most important skills that you can learn in
college.
Critical thinking is the art of analyzing and
evaluating thinking with a view to improving
it.
UofL has adopted
the Paul–Elder model
 The Paul Elder Model’s Elements of Thought
Purpose
What is your goal or objective?
Question
What question are you trying to answer? Can you divide it into sub-questions? Are there other ways to think
about the question?
Assumptions
What assumptions are you making? Are they justified?
Point of view
Does your point of view have any weaknesses? What other points of view should you consider?
Data, information, and evidence
Do you have relevant data to support your reasoning? Do the data suggest explanations that differ from your
those you have given? How clear, accurate, and relevant are the data to the question?
Concepts and theories
What key concepts and theories are guiding your reasoning? What alternative explanations might be possible
given these concepts and theories?
Interpretation and inferences
To what extent do the data support your conclusions?
Implications and consequences
What implications and consequences follow from your reasoning?
 Critical Thinking

Knowing how to think critically is extremely important!

but it’s also exhaustive and time consuming.

The end goal is be a good consumer of

information.
critical thinking isn’t an either/or thing
Use the right level based on the
importance of the situation.
 Questions
1. When did Wilhelm Wundt create the first
psychology lab?
a)

a)

b) 1876
c) 1877
d) 1878
e) 1879
2) According to the modern definition,
psychology is the scientific study of _______.

a) thoughts and behavior

b) thoughts and observable facts
c) mental processes and behavior
d) behavior and observable facts
3) Which of the following is not one of the
three levels of influence that are important to
consider when studying behavior or mental
processes.

a) biological influences
b) social-cultural influences
c) psychological influences
d) cognitive influences