PSY 4604                         History of Psychology

Fall, 2004                        Dr. Dewsbury

M, W, F Period 2                  http://grove.ufl.edu/~dewsbury/

Room 130 Psychology              3 Credits

                                 Dewsbury@ufl.edu

 

 

 

SYLLABUS

_________________________________________________________________

 

TEXTS:    Goodwin, C. J. (2005). A history of modern psychology. (2nd Edition) New York: Wiley.

 

          Supplementary readings.

_________________________________________________________________

 

READING ASSIGNMENTS AND A TENTATIVE SCHEDULE are provided on the last page.

 

EXAM DATES: Friday, October 1; Friday, November 5; Monday, December 13, 10:00 A,M.-12:00 Noon(13B)

 

_________________________________________________________________

 

Course Objectives and Philosophy

 

     I believe that the course in the history of psychology can be the most important course in the undergraduate program.  It is only here that we begin to see and understand the evolution of this complex discipline called psychology.  I want the student to locate him- or herself in that history in order to understand the intellectual environment in which they exist and to see the assumptions underlying contemporary approaches.  Other sets of assumptions might lead to different approaches.

 

     My hopes are to a.) provide a survey of many of the major events and movements in the history of psychology b.) illustrate some of the problems one encounters in doing history, c.) demonstrate some problematic bases of much of our knowledge, and d.) provide hands-on experience in working with available materials for research in the field.

 

Some Organizational Considerations

 

     Recently, I have used Goodwin’s A History of Modern Psychology as the textbook for the course.  It has worked well though, like all textbooks, it has its flaws. I think it reads well and is reasonably complete, but it is not as overwhelming as some alternatives. The second edition of this book has just appeared recently and I will be using it for the first time.  Parts of it will be as new to me as they are to you.  The supplemental readings help in areas not covered by Goodwin.

 

     Exam formats are a key problem.  I think that we need them and I have scheduled 3 exams, including the final. I have tried numerous formats and settled on one.  We will have short-essay tests.  By that, I mean that exams will have straight-forward questions that can be answered in a few written sentences with 3 questions per page. For example,

 

What is the main difference between an epistemology based on empiricism vs. rationalism?

 

What was the importance of the “Termanites” (or “Termites”)?

 

I will make an effort to ask questions, at least some of which focus more on understanding than on memorization.  I encourage you to submit questions for possible use on the exams.  My plan is to give 17 7-point questions, of which you will need to answer 14, plus one mandatory 2-point question.  We will go over the exams when I return them, generally in the next class after the exam, but I will retain the exams.  You are welcome to re-examine them in my office.

 

     In extreme cases and where there is good cause and it is cleared with me in advance, make-up exams will be permissible when absence during an exam is unavoidable.  These will be constructed entirely of identification and short essay questions and should be taken as soon as possible after the date of the regularly scheduled class exam.

 

Coverage and Reading Assignments.

 

     Authorities disagree about what should be covered in courses in the history of psychology.  Some instructors begin with the ancient Greeks and spend much of the course on the period prior to the development of experimental psychology.  Others begin with Wundt at around 1879 and ignore pre-experimental thought related to psychology.  Goodwin offers a compromise.  I too would like to provide an intermediate approach, covering the earlier period but emphasizing the more recent developments.  My hope is to provide the background that you need but to spend more of our time on topics of direct relevance to psychology as a discipline.  I think this will result in a useful course and in good coverage.  However, this can make for an unevenness in the reading assignments with respect to both the area covered and the timing.  For that reason, I have added the supplementary readings.

 

     Because I continue to tinker with the course in an effort to improve it, the schedule that I provide at the end of this syllabus is only approximate.  I will deviate from it where it seems appropriate.  I have included five periods near the end of the course to cover “Fields of Psychology.”  This is to allow some flexibility in coverage.  If most of the class is interested in a particular part of psychology, such as cognitive or social psychology, I will try to provide coverage.  I also have some videotapes that would fit well at this point in the course.  This provides some opportunity for you to have a say in this part of the course and for me to try to make it maximally meaningful for you.

 

Supplementary Readings.

 

     I have chosen several articles that help to fill in in the content in some areas.  You will find these a bit more difficult than the textbook; they were written for psychologists rather than undergraduates.  However, they were written for a general psychological audience and I think that you will understand most of them.  Don't worry if you find some parts difficult.  These articles will be available on-line.

 

     There are several ways in which you might access these articles.

 

     First, you could go to the library and read hard copy.  This will not work if you all try to do it at once.  The other, preferred, approaches require on-line access to the university library.  If you have a GatorLink account and Acrobat reader, which can be downloaded free of cost, on your computer, you should be able to get the readings on-line.  I can access these materials from my home computer, as can many students. However, some students find that they need to use a computer in the library.

 

     There may be minor variations in how this works but this worked for me as of August, 2004:

 

     1. From a university-linked site with an Acrobat reader, dial up to the UF library electronic journal site:  http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/ej/.

     2. Type in the name of the journal containing the article you wish to access (American Psychologist).

     3. Click on “APA PsychArticles.”

     4. Click on the volume number you want.

     5. Click on the issue number you want.

     6. Find the article that you want in the Table of Contents.

     7. Click “View Article” in the format you prefer.

 

     The assigned articles follow.  Both the volume and issue numbers are given to help you find them.

September 24: Benjamin, L. T., Jr. (2000). The psychology laboratory at the turn of the 20th century. American Psychologist, 55 (3), 318-321.

 

September 29: Evans, R. (2000). Psychological instruments at the turn of the century.  American Psychologist, 55 (3), 322-325.

 

October 18: Taylor, E. (2000). Psychotherapeutics and the problematic origins of clinical psychology in America.  American Psychologist, 55 (9), 1029-1033.

 

November 10: Humphreys, K. (1996). Clinical psychologists as psychotherapists: History, future, and alternatives.  American Psychologist, 51 (3). 190-197.

 

November 15: Riger, S. (1992). Epistemological debates, feminist voices: Science, social values, and the study of women.  American Psychologist, 47 (6), 730-740.

 

November 15: Milar, K. S. (2000). The first generation of women psychologists and the psychology of women.  American Psychologist, 55 (6), 616-619.

 

November 17: Minton, H. L. (2000). Psychology and gender at the turn of the century.  American Psychologist, 55 (6), 613-615.

 

November 22: Lal, S. (2002). Giving children security: Mamie Phipps Clark and the racialization of child psychology.  American Psychologist, 57 (1), 20-28.

 

November 29: Leahey, T. H. (1992). The mythical revolutions of American psychology.  American Psychologist, 47 (2), 308-318.

 

December 1: Morawski, J. G. (2000). Social psychology a century ago.  American Psychologist, 55 (4), 427-430.

    

Paper.

 

    I would like to have you write papers.  One of the benefits from a course in the history of psychology should be to get you to use primary source materials of historical interest and to learn how to find them.  These skills can be honed with a paper.

 

     There are many possible topics.  Most of you will probably write about an individual psychologist.  Generally, this should be an individual who is deceased.  You should prepare a critical discussion of his or her life and work.  You will probably want to use some space for biographical material.  However, the major emphasis should be on the person's work.  As this is a course in the history of psychology, some cognizance of historical context should be provided.  It should be clear why the person was important to psychology.  You should be critical.  You should be able to evaluate the person's work, its strengths, and its weaknesses.  If you choose a person about whom much has been written (e.g., Freud, James, Darwin), you will need to focus on one or a few aspects of the person's work.  For others, it may be a challenge to piece together enough to make a paper.

 

     Some of you may wish to write on a particular topic in the history of psychology rather than to emphasize a single person.  This is fine; indeed, I encourage it.  In general, it may be a bit more difficult and risky, but can lead to a very fine paper-- often the best in the class.

 

     Be sure that you do not simply rehash material from the rest of the course.  Many of you will wish to write about a psychologist or problem that will be covered during the last part of the course.  These are the more recent individuals and those most closely related to current sub-fields.  Feel free to read ahead to select such an individual, even if we will not touch on them in the course.  If you have an interest in a particular area (e.g., social psychology, physiological psychology, women,  minorities) you may wish to consult an instructor, a specialty text, or me for ideas.  I have a list and tally of the previous papers submitted since I have been teaching the courses in the history of psychology (Horney, Maslow, and Piaget are in the lead).  Should you choose a topic, be careful to provide a true historical focus; do not simply write a literature review of a current topic with old references.

 

     Some tips concerning choice of topic and style can be found on my web site.

 

     One possibility would be to write a paper that serves to link what we cover in the course with your major interest in psychology.  You may define your area as broadly or narrowly as you wish.  You may wish to write about the roots of “clinical psychology” or “Wolpe’s desensitization approach;” on “behavioral neuroscience,” or “the physiological control of ingestive behavior.”  The idea is to try to provide a linkage between the core history of psychology, as will be covered in the course, and the area of interest.  The goals in this kind of paper would be to give you some perspective on the roots of whatever approach is most meaningful to you as an individual psychologist and to familiarize you with the literature on the history of the area that is most meaningful to you.

 

     I encourage you to select a psychologist or topic that is relevant to your interests.  However, your paper should not be a rehash of a paper written for another course.  You are to create a new work that will expand your horizons.  I have had a problem with this issue in the past.  Above all, I want this to be a meaningful experience for you that will aid in your development as a psychologist.

 

     Length is not the major consideration; I anticipate that the mean length will be around 8-12 pages.  Many of the best papers are longer, but not all long papers are good and not all good papers are long.  Care in preparation, including spelling, will be a factor.  I prefer that the paper be stapled, with a cover page, but without a binder of any kind.

   

     I expect you to use the extensive reference materials available in the library and on-line.  Coverage from other textbooks will not suffice.  Toward that end  we will spend a period near the middle of the course reviewing some of these resources.

 

     I ask that you turn in your paper in duplicate so that I can retain a copy.  I wish to protect against plagiarism and to have a source of references to help future students deal with topics or psychologists with whom I may be less familiar (Sorry, I don't know them all!).

 

     I strongly encourage you to use APA style (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Ed.).  If you wish to use a system other than APA style, please clear it with me first and indicate it clearly on your paper.  You should know proper formats by now; if not, consult an appropriate source.  Major facts should be supported with a reference and the reference system should be used correctly and consistently.  Every source that you cite in your paper should be listed in a reference section or footnote and every source in a reference section should be cited in text.  Please note that the latest edition (5th) of the APA Publication Manual was published in the summer of 2001.  You can find help using APA style on the UF Library web site.

 

     I ask that you clear all topics with me.  A brief written proposal should be turned in no later than October 13.  However, feel free to turn it in earlier and get a good start.

     Among the important factors determining a grade are:

1. Inclusion of original analyses or opinions of the author--    something new. (A little creativity can be like a breath of    fresh air!)   

2. Demonstration of mastery of library sources.

3. Proper citation and reference form.

4. Reasonably good English prose writing style.

 

Some common errors in APA style:

1. Do not right justify.

2. Provide a title page.

3. No abstract is required.

4. Write from an outline.

5. All references cited in text should be listed in the Reference section and all references listed should be cited in text.

6. Be careful to use correct form for books, book chapters, journal articles, and materials from the web.

7. Minimize material from the web as it often is unreliable.  It is a great source for searching but much material is unrefereed.

7. In references for journal article titles, book titles, and chapter titles, only the first word in the title, the first word following a colon, and proper nouns are capitalized.

8. Number pages in APA style.

9. Provide a running head on the title page.

10. In text, provide page numbers for all quotations; these are not necessary for citations that are not quotations.

11. All in-text citations should include the author(s) and year of publication.  If there are three or more authors, list all three in the first citation and the senior author, et. al. thereafter.

12. Avoid slang (e.g., lab).

13. Sub-headings can help to structure the paper.

14. Tell the reader what you are about to write, write it, and tell the reader what conclusions you draw.

15. Double-space everything in the paper.

16. Proof read carefully.

 

     Please note that, out of habit, I mark grammar and spelling on all materials.  These marks often intimidate students.  They are not the primary factor in determining grades.  There is probably a zero correlation between the amount of red ink on a paper and the grade.

 

 

Other Topics

 

Grades.

 

     The primary bases for grades will be the three exams and the paper grade.  I plan to weigh each of these equally (25% each).

 

     I use a sliding scale in assigning final grades.  In past years the proportion of A's, B's, etc. has varied from year to year depending on the performance in the course.  I generally aim for about 25% A's, 30-35% B's and B+'s, 30-35% C's and C+'s, and 10% D's, D+'s, and E's. I try to keep 60 as an absolute minimum test score for a grade of C. I prefer not to give D’s and E’s if possible  However, this is quite flexible.  Sometimes the grade distribution is such that I cannot reach these targets. I am prepared to give either more A's or D's should performance appear to merit it.  Because I try to treat all students equally, I do not accept extra credit projects as means of increasing grades.

 

     To help you get some idea, here is the breakdown of grades from recent years:

 

Year                    Percentage

          A         B+        B         C+        C         D

 

1997      25        18        21        7        25        0

1998      30        7        15        18        18        3

1999      32        9        18        14        23        4

2000      27        9        18        14        32        0

2001      28        4        12        8        40        2

2003      36        11        14        10        7        0

 

I have only had to give one “E” during the last six years.

 

     As a further guide, please not the following.  During the period from 1997-2001, the lowest 4-grade averages to earn each final grade was as follows: A 83.6; B+ 80.3; B 76.2; C+ 71.7; C 62.5.

 

     I realize that this system produces some ambiguity during the semester.  The alternative is to provide an absolute scale (e.g., A=90; B=80 etc.).  This would make it easier for students to know exactly where they ranked during the semester but would remove the flexibility of my present system.  I believe it would be less fair than the present system.

 

Lecture Outline.

 

     A lecture outline will be available on my home page on the internet at http://grove.ufl.edu/~dewsbury/.  It provides an outline with relevant terms from the lectures. We will not cover everything in the outline. These are an aid to some of the important topics covered and should help you to study.  It is not all-inclusive, however, and there will be questions on exams from lecture and/or the readings not in the list of terms.  There are many concepts, for example, that do not lend themselves to brief summaries in lists of terms.

 

Links

    

http://www.psych.yorku.ca/orgs/resource.htm Christopher Green’s web site of links to history-related sites.

 

http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic=History%20%26%20Theory%20of%20Psychology Christopher Green's York University History & Theory of Psychology Electronic Question & Answer Forum: a very useful Question and Answer page that can be very useful for students.  You may even want to submit a question.  It also can be reached through the page listed just above.

 

http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/  Christopher Green’s web site of full-text productions of classics in the history of psychology

 

http://www.cwu.edu/~warren/461outline.html Warren’s Street’s lecture outline for his course at Central Washington University.

 

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/Mind/Table.html    Rob Wozniak’s Mind and Body text.

 

http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/cm/psych/psych.html  UF Library site for resources in psychology.  (If this does not work, go to the UF Library home page and click on “Subject Guides and Specialists.”

 

http://www3.uakron.edu/ahap/ Home page for the Archives of the History of American   

 

http://www.psych.yorku.ca/femhop/ Division 35 (Society for the Psychology of Women) Heritage Site with biographies of some prominent women in psychology.

 

Attendance and Class Participation.

 

     I strongly recommend that you attend class.  I believe that the classes will be worthwhile and I strongly encourage regular class attendance.  I do not plan to take attendance on a daily basis.  However, should lack of attendance become a problem, I reserve the right to either start taking attendance or to give unannounced quizzes and to include results as part of the course grades.  I will cover material not in the book and provide depth on material that is in the book.  I think that you will have some difficulties with the exams if you choose regularly to skip class.  I hope that you will choose to attend class regularly.  You should note that class attendance will be even more important during some parts of the course than others.

 

Finding Me.

 

     My office is 357 Psychology.  My telephone number is 392-0601 x279.  I am on campus much of the time and available most of that time but I will try to keep Monday and Thursday, 1:15-2:15 as formal office hours.  Changes will be announced in class.  I can also be reached by e-mail: dewsbury@ufl.edu.

 

Some University or College Policies

 

Students Needing Special Accommodations.

 

     According to university policy, “students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation."

 

University Honesty Policy.

 

     The University has an explicit policy on academic honesty.  In essence, (a.) answers provided on exams should be solely those of the individual student with no outside help, and (b.) where a paper is required students should avoid plagiarism by ensuring that any material taken from various sources is attributed to that source and placed in quotation marks in the material is quoted verbatim.  Please recall the pledge that you are required to sign a registration each semester:

“I understand that the University of Florida expects its students to be honest in all of their academic work.  I agree to adhere to this commitment to academic honesty and understand that my failure to comply with this commitment may result in disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the University.”

 

Counseling and Mental Health Services.

 

     Should you require professional help during the semester, the University Counseling Center can be found in Room P301 Peabody Hall (392-1575) and the Student Mental Health Services is located in room 245 Infirmary (392-1171, www.hsc.ufl.edu/shcc).

 

     If we do not succeed in convincing you of the centrality of a course in the history of psychology, I hope that we can at least create an interesting and meaningful educational experience.

 

Incomplete Grades

 

     The "I" grade should not be given unless the instructor

and the student have completed an "I" contract (it's available, along with the "I" policy in the AAC advising manual on our website --www.advising.ufl.edu -- just click the "Academic Advising Center" title and type "advisor" and "1001" when asked; then go to "I" in the index, and you will see the form and the policy).

 

     "I" grades should be given out only when a student who is passing the course (D or better) can no longer function to complete the class.  The student and the instructor should meet and agree how and when the student will make up the work.  There must be a deadline when the "I" grade will change, whether the work is complete or not.  There must be a grade specified, if the work is not completed per the contract, i.e., "you will get this grade __ if you don't complete the work described here."

 

     The student should get a copy of the form, and the instructor should give another copy to the staff person in the main office who is in charge of grade changes.  That person should review all "I" contracts each semester and change the grades (for those which have expired) to the "default" grade specified on the form.  That staff person should also note when a course has been completed satisfactorily (and the grade changed) and should then remove the "I" contract from the "live" file

and give the completed "I" contract back to the instructor, once a grade change has been submitted to Linda O'Donnell in the AAC.

 

     Further, instructors shouldn't agree to an "I" contract with a student immediately before, during or after the final exam, unless a documented emergency has prevented the student from being able to complete the final exam.  Of course, instructors have some discretion in determining when they will make this sort of exception; but I would urge you to be strict in this regard.  One thing we are trying to prevent with the "I" contracts are students begging professors to change "D" and "E" grades

to "I" grades after the student has legitimately earned a "D" or "E" grade.

 

 

Courtesy in Class.

 

     Disruptions in class can affect both the instructor and other students.  Let’s try to arrive on time and be courteous to each other.  Please do not talk during class, except as part of the normal interchange that is part of the class, which I encourage.  Should you feel an absolute need to study for another course or to read the Alligator, please do it elsewhere.

 

     Please turn off cell phones before class.

 

     I have a watch and rarely go over the scheduled end of the class by more than a minute or two.  I do not need to be reminded of the approaching end of the period with closing books, scuffling feet, etc.

 

A Final Word.

 

     I believe that a course in the history of psychology can be the most important course in your psychological course work.  Many of you will disagree, preferring to focus on the latest research results.  However, the history course is the one place in our curriculum where the entire fabric of psychology can be examined.  I firmly believe that some breadth of perspective is necessary if we are to work our way out of the morass or fragmentation that many believe characterizes contemporary psychology.

 

PSY 4604 FALL, 2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOPIC

ASSSIGNED READINGS

 

LECTURE

 

 

 

 

 

Date

 

Goodwin

On-line readings

REFERENCE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in Goodwin

 

 

 

1

 

Aug. 23

Organizational

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

Aug. 25

Introductory material

1

 

1-7

 

 

 

3

__

Aug. 27

Historiography

 

 

7-21

 

 

 

4

 

Aug. 30

Historiography

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

 

Sep. 01

Philosophical Roots

2

 

24-34

 

 

 

6

__

Sep. 03

Philosophical Roots

 

 

34-49

 

 

 

x

 

Sep. 06

LABOR DAY

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

 

Sep. 08

Philosophical Roots

 

 

49-51

 

 

 

8

__

Sep. 10

Early Physiological

3

 

54-81

 

 

 

9

 

Sep. 13

Early Sensory

4

 

84-90

 

 

 

10

 

Sep. 15

Wundt

 

 

90-101

 

 

 

11

__

Sep. 17

Evolution

5

 

114-125

 

 

 

12

 

Sep. 20

Comparative Psychology

 

 

125-132

 

 

 

13

 

Sep. 22

James

6

 

142-159

 

 

 

14

__

Sep. 24

Turn of the 20th Century

 

Benjamin

159-167

 

 

 

15

 

Sep. 27

Titchener/Structuralism

7

 

176-188

 

 

 

16

 

Sep. 29

Instruments in psychology

 

Evans

 

 

 

 

17

__

Oct. 01

EXAM 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

 

Oct. 04

Library Methods

 

 

188-206

 

 

 

19

 

Oct. 06