1.

We are all may be here for a different reason - some of us need the general education requirement, some are fulfilling a program requirement, and some may find the material interesting! Either way, I'm sure that we all come into this class with a preconceived view about the field of psychology.

So...what do you think?  Are psychologists just those bearded, white-haired old timers who nod at your every word while judging everything you say!? Do you have a preconceived notion of what this field is all about? Here are a few questions to get you discussing your thoughts about the field.

A. What comes to mind when thinking about the field of psychology?

B. What names come to mind when thinking of the field?

C. What do you think psychologists do? After you state what you think they do, find out what they really do (either cite our text or look online at apa.org). In other words, do your expectations match reality? Also, include an area that surprised you in your reading - what made you say: "wow, I didn't know they did this!"

2.

As our text describes, the history of psychology is full of great discoveries and advances. Our history is also marred with a number of unethical approaches to observing and assessing human behavior. For this discussion post I would like you to choose one study (for example you could choose; Henrietta Lacks or the Tuskegee experiment) that demonstrated an unethical approach to studying the mind and behavior and or human body.   

Be sure to:

(A). What happened in the study - give details of the timeline, the population studied, and what was done.  

(B). Name at least 2 ways in which this study was unethical and what underlining ethical principle(s) were violated.  

(C). In what ways could this study have been completed ethically? In other words, could anything have been changed to study the same objectives in an ethical way?

(D). What's your take on this study? How did you react when reading about it? What do you think lead the researchers to conduct such a study?

The type of quality care that a child is put into can play a big role in how an infant develops; while there are both negative and positive outcomes from having your child in non-parental care it is extremely important to find a daycare where the caregivers will support your infant’s growth and development. A caregiver needs to be warm and nurturing and be knowledgeable about child development and have the understanding that each child learns and grows at their own pace. I have been fortunate to have been home with my 3 children for the past 12 years, even though I would be a nervous wreck putting them into child care at any point in their lives the aspects I would look for would be: a safe clean environment, large enough space for play time and rest, how the center approaches learning, make sure the staff meets minimum education requirements and that they receive the training to provide a creative, developmentally appropriate, and educationally sound environment for my child (Childcare Education Institute).  

IN 7-8 LINES, WHAT DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS PASSAGE OR HOW WOULD YOU COMMENT

Your 20 year-old son is still living at home. He has a job at a local fast-food restaurant and makes enough money to pay for his car and to provide his own spending money. He does not contribute to household expenses or buy his own clothing. He was a B student in high school and does not want to work in the restaurant as a career, but he is not sure what he wants to do. He spends most of his free time with his friends from high school. Although you do not object to your son living with you and he is helpful around the house, you are concerned that he is delaying making some important choices.

Describe issues that might be relevant in this case scenario, such as the son’s levels of cognitive and moral development (Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg), issues relevant to choosing a career or job (Marcia), and ways that as parents one can foster the development of autonomy and independence in children. You need to explain your answer in relation to the theories described in the readings. In your own opinion, do you think this young man is in a good position as he enters adulthood? Why or why not?

Question:

How does this conflict with what a behaviorist might say? Provide an example that supports each side.What does the humanistic/existential approach say about free will?

Reading:

1. Chapter 9 in Friedman & Schustack's Personality: Classical theories and modern research;

Chapters 26-29 in Friedman & Schustack's Readings in personality: Classical theories and modern research

In Chapter 3 of Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Kuhn discusses the “box” of the paradigm and describes efforts to place all the events of nature within that box. What are the advantages and/or dangers associated with attempting to place social science in a box? Use the case of behaviorism to make your point; did behaviorism become confined to a box and, if so, to what consequence?

Explain how Holmes' concept of violence and suffering expand the definition of violence and connect to social determinants of health.

What are three concepts that were most surprising to you of the male anatomy and female anatomy at first?
• What sexual concepts do you think should be more widely known?
• What do you think would be different if more people were aware of these facts?
• How do you think social and cultural influences have had an impact on attitudes of the general public about these facts?

What were the legacies of Alexander the Great that made him so great? Did he make real changes to history or is it mostly propaganda? Explain your point of view.

Questions: Based on the situation described, answer the following question.

• One condition makes the bystander effect impossible. What is that condition, what text provides evidence of it, and for which person does it occur?

Class Notes:

Jesse and Geoff are taking a course like this, only it is on-campus with lectures and at a university in a large metropolitan area. Both know that in the middle of the semester, they will have to be gone for two weeks (one for vacation, one for work). They will need help from someone in the class during that time, at least to get copies of lecture notes. Geoff may also need someone to help explain the material to him.

At the end of the first day of class, as students are introducing themselves before the final bell, one student mentions she needs a ride home that night and another student immediately volunteers to drive her. When it is his turn, Jesse announces to the class of 50 students that he needs to borrow notes for material that he will have to miss when he has to be gone two weeks in the middle of the semester for a job commitment he cannot reschedule. There is an awkward silence. Then, people continue introducing themselves in hopes of finishing before the end of class. Jesse didn’t explicitly ask for an answer then, but he and many others felt it was very awkward.

Geoff also had to miss some days of class. However, he waited to ask for help until a few weeks into the semester. He was talking alone during a class break to Mark, a friend he had made. They often talked and sat near one another, they both were from the same high school, and they were both business majors. Just the week before, the teacher had asked Mark a tough question in class, and Mark clearly got embarrassed because he didn't know the answer. Geoff spoke up, answering the question and diverting attention to himself. Tonight, as they chatted during break, Geoff told Mark that was going on vacation the next two weeks up until just before the big test. He then asked if he could borrow Mark's class notes when he returned. He also said that he doesn’t understand the material well and asked Mark if he could go over the notes with him when he returned. Mark reluctantly said, "Sure, I'll help."

Define the "Fight of Flight" response in detail. What purpose does it serve? Does it function differently for us than it did for our ancestors? What impact does it have on us?

Case 1 Theft of a Title for an Ethics Text

Seven years ago, Victor published what has become a popular ethics textbook called Ethics with Applications. The book is now in its third edition. Looking through flyers for new ethics texts, he sees one with exactly the same title as his. Dismayed, he immediately contacts his editor, who tells him that titles, unfortunately, cannot be copyrighted but are fair game for anyone who wants to use them. Victor angrily writes both the publisher and the authors of the other text, complaining that they have stolen his title. They never answer him, and he remains extremely upset. He would never knowingly steal someone’s title and can’t understand their action. Even though what they did is legal, are they morally obligated not to use Victor’s title? Why, or why not? Should they at least apologize for doing so? Is there anything else they could do to make things right, or do they need to? Why, or why not? If titles cannot be copyrighted, then can this be considered stealing? Why, or why not? Is this an important or trivial issue, to your way of thinking? Why, or why not?

**PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN DETAIL, THANK YOU!

How would we decide if media violence actually causes increases in aggression? What types of data/studies would be useful?

If we had those studies, would we resist believing them?

Might there be others who don’t want us to believe the studies?

Gender in a Children’s Toy Store.

1) Can you detect a boys’ section and a girls’ section? How do you know?

2) How do the toys in the boys’ section and girls’ section differ? (Pay attention to number of toys, types of toys, content of the games, etc.)

3) How are the toys in the boys’ section and girls’ section similar?

What sorts of interactions with other children do the boys’ and girls’ toys encourage? (For example, competition or cooperation? Independence or dependence? Emotional intimacy or distance?)

4) Which toys (boys’, girls’, or both) are designed for active play? Which seem to encourage passive play?

5)For what sorts of adult roles do the boys’ and girls’ toys prepare children?

6) How might these kinds of toys influence boys’ sexual attitudes and behaviors?

7)How might these kinds of toys influence girls’ sexual attitudes and behaviors?

8)How do these observations relate to the social construction of gender?

What additional perspectives do women bring to our understanding of ethics? How might attention to these concerns alter our conception of virtue? Can feminist insights be incorporated effectively at the level of individual decision making, or does their impact require fundamental changes in the social and political environment?