PSY 6608                          History of Psychology

Spring, 2005                      2 or 3 credits

Dr. Dewsbury                      Tues: Larsen Hall Room 239

T, Th Period 5                    Thurs.: Rogers Hall 110

http://grove.ufl.edu/~dewsbury/

http://www.psych.ufl.edu/~dewsbury

(under construction)                   

 

SYLLABUS

 

Texts

 

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

 

and Supplemental Readings

 

 

Key Dates

 

Reading assignments

See the last page of this syllabus

 

Tentative Exam Dates

 

1. Thursday, February 3

2. Thursday, March 17

3. Friday, April 29 (7:30-9:30 A. M.)(29A)

 

Paper 

 

Paper proposal due:  Tue., February 15

Paper due:           Tue., April 12

       

Goals

 

     I hope to (a.) provide you with information regarding  some of the prominent people and events in the history of psychology, (b.) provide information on some aspects of history that are often neglected, (c.) show how some aspects of these histories have been constructed in the service of the agendas of their authors, (d.) generate an appreciation of the history of the field, (e.) help you to understand where you and current work undertaken stand in relation to historical and contemporary context.

 

On the Textbook

 

     In the past, I have used Hergenhahn’s An Introduction to the History of Psychology.  Students complained that it was too information-rich.  Thus, more recently I have used Hothersall’s History of Psychology book because it is more readable.  Now I am using Goodwin’s A History of Modern Psychology, now in its second edition, which resembles Hothersall’s, but which seems stronger to me.  It has less information than does Hergenhahn’s, but covers most of the main points quite well.  Nevertheless, the book does need to be read closely.  Most students seem to like it, so I have adopted it again this year.  However, Hergenhahn has more detailed information and would be a good reference for those of you who may want more.

 

Supplementary Readings.

 

     I have chosen several articles that help to fill 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.

 

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

2. From the UF Library Home Page, click on “Find Journals” and enter the name of the journal you want to access. 

3. Select a link (shown in blue). Click on the record. If there is more than one, you may have to try several

4. Follow instructions until you get to the article desired. Generally, you want to “browse” the journal or tables of contents, “check available issues,”  “archive” or the like.

5. Find the correct issue and article.

 

     Some of you may reach the journal title in the library web site and find access to it denied  You may need to use the "Remote Access" option.

 

 

     From the Library's home page (http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/) click on "[Remote Access]." This will bring you to the Connecting

Off-Campus Page. Choose the second option, primary proxy, by

clicking on "Logon Now." At the Logon Page, enter:

1) your 14 digit

library number or 2) your GatorLink username and password, then

click "Login." The former option requires an activated library

card; however, the latter does not. At this point, you should be

connected through the proxy server. It is important that you only

use links on the web pages. Do not use your browser by entering

addresses, clicking on favorite places, or using your back button.

This will disconnect you from the system. You may return to the

library home page by clicking on "UF Libraries' Home Page."

Students may be interested in other connection options listed on

the Connecting Off-Campus Page. For instance, there is a secondary

proxy that allows one to turn the connection on and off, as well

as allowing use of the browser. However, this option requires a

more complicated set-up and has some limitations.

 

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

 

February 15: Benjamin, L. T., Jr. (2000). The psychology laboratory at the turn of the 20th century. American Psychologist, 55 (3), 318-321.

 

February 15: Evans, R. (2000). Psychological instruments at the turn of the century.  American Psychologist, 55 (3), 322-325.

 

March 31: Taylor, E. (2000). Psychotherapeutics and the problematic origins of clinical psychology in America.  American Psychologist, 55 (9), 1029-1033.

 

March 31: Humphreys, K. (1996). Clinical psychologists as psychotherapists: History, future, and alternatives.  American Psychologist, 51 (3). 190-197.

 

April 5: Riger, S. (1992). Epistemological debates, feminist voices: Science, social values, and the study of women.  American Psychologist, 47 (6), 730-740.

 

April 5: Milar, K. S. (2000). The first generation of women psychologists and the psychology of women.  American Psychologist, 55 (6), 616-619.

April 5: 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.

 

April 14: Leahey, T. H. (1992). The mythical revolutions of American psychology.  American Psychologist, 47 (2), 308-318.

 

April 14: Morawski, J. G. (2000). Social psychology a century ago.  American Psychologist, 55 (4), 427-430.

 

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 psychology as a separate discipline.  Others begin with Wundt at around 1879 and ignore pre-experimental, philosophical and other approaches to areas that will later form the discipline of psychology.  I would like to work toward an intermediate approach, somewhat like Goodwin, covering the earlier period but emphasizing more recent material.  This year, for the first time, I plan to skip some of the early material, including that about the ancient Greeks, in order to have more time for developments in the 20th century.  I hope that this change improves the course.

 

     I think the present approach will result in a useful course and in good coverage.  However, this makes for some unevenness in the reading assignments.  The assignments are given in the schedule at the end of this syllabus.  Note in your planning that the balance in the amount of reading in different parts of the course varies quite a bit. This is also true of the balance between emphasis on textbook and lecture material.

 

     Because our time is so limited, my lectures will have to be focused on major psychologists and events.  I will try to trace broad themes where I can, but this must be limited somewhat.  I am open to an occasional experiment with a format other than lecture if there is a general wish to try it.

 

Exams

 

     As can be seen on page 1, I have scheduled three exams.  Each will cover about one-third of the course and be non-cumulative, although I reserve the right to ask general questions of perspective the last exam.

 

     The exams will use a format that simply entails asking questions that may require a few sentences for answers. Examples are the following:

 

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

 

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

 

I plan to give 17 7-point questions, asking you to answer any 14 of these, plus one 2-point questions for a total of 100 points.   Exams will be closed book and in-class.  In the past, most students have been able to handle this length test. If the first one is a problem, we can consider shortening the second exam.

 

     In extreme cases and where there is good cause and it is cleared with me in advance, I will prepare make-up exams.  These will be constructed entirely of identification and short essay questions and should be taken as soon as possible after the scheduled date.

 

     Please note that the final exam is scheduled for the last day of exam week.  There will be no early exams.  Please do not make plane reservations for that week as you will need to be here to complete the course on Thursday.  I don’t like it either!

 

     A lecture outline will be available on my home page on the internet at http://grove.ufl.edu/~dewsbury/.  It will provide an outline with relevant terms from the lectures. We will not cover everything in the outline. These terms are an aid to some of the important topics covered and should help you to study.  The outline 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.

 

Paper.

 

     Students taking the course for 2 credits will have no assignments other than the readings and the three exams.  Those students taking the course for 3 credits will need to complete a term paper for the third credit.

 

     Each student taking the course for three credits will write a term paper.  There are many possible topics for papers.  Some 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.  These are often difficult for recent psychologists.  As graduate students, 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, I prefer these papers.  They sometimes require more work, but have the potential for greater originality and potential benefit to the student.

 

     I encourage you to write on material that is from a period earlier than the last 40 years or so.  However, many of you will wish to write about a psychologist or problem that will be covered during the last part of the course.  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.  The more recent individuals are 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).

 

     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.  Coverage from other textbooks will not suffice.  Toward that end material concerning  some of the major library and web resources and their location is available on my web page.

 

     The web can provide an excellent guide to resources.  However, there is much unreliable information on the web. Much of this material has not undergone the editorial processes characteristic of most printed material.  I prefer that you use it as a tool but use printed sources (or web versions of printed and refereed sources) for most of your material.

 

     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 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 Edition), but, if you feel that you must, you can use endnotes as in the Chicago Manual of Style to provide documentation in your paper.  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.

 

     I ask that you clear all topics with me.  A brief written proposal should be turned in no later than February 15.  However, feel free to turn it in earlier and get a good start.  The paper is due April 12 so that I can try to get them back to you on the last day of classes.

 

     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.

 

     I have placed a guide to preparing term papers on the internet at the address given above.

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.

 

Grades

 

     Grades will assigned on the basis of the three exams and, if required, the paper or equivalent, each of which will be weighted equally.  I try to treat each student equally.  I find it difficult to weight extra work with that originally assigned for the course.  Therefore, I do not accept additional projects.  The grade will reflect performance in these four areas.  Plan ahead; low grades (and high ones) are permanent.

 

     I use a sliding scale in assigning final grades and I will be prepared to keep you informed of your general status as the semester progresses.  It will be more difficult for me to provide an exact grade estimate.  The proportion of A's, B's, etc. will vary from year to year depending on the performance in the course.  I prefer not giving grades of "C" or lower in graduate courses unless I feel that I must; I will if I have to.  In the past few years I have averaged about 45% A’s, 25% B+’s, 30% B’s.  I have had to give a grade of C or lower in 4 of the last 8 years.

 

     I plan to post exam grades on my web page by a code number submitted by you on the first exam.  You have a right to decline this posting.  Simply inform me that you do not want your grade to be posted in writing prior to the exam.

 

Attendance.

 

     I recommend that you attend class; I hope that you will want to do so.  However, I do not currently plan to take formal attendance.   You are graduate students. If it proves necessary to alter this policy, I can. I will cover material not in the book and provide depth on material that is in the book.  I hope that you will choose to attend class regularly.

 

Courtesy in Class.

 

     Although this may not be necessary for graduate students, let me include the statement I make to undergraduates.  As you are not required to attend class, I ask that you attend to attend to what is going on.  Please do not talk during class, except as part of the normal interchange that is part of the class.  Should you feel an absolute need to study for another course or to read the Alligator, please do it elsewhere and skip class.  Please turn off all cell phones and similar devices before class begins.

 

     Finally, I have a watch and generally start about on time.  Further, I 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 end of the period with closing books, scuffling feet, etc.

 

Finding Me.

 

     My office is 357 Psychology.  The telephone no. is 392-0601 x279.  I will generally keep Tuesday and Thursday, 1:30-2:30 as regular office hours, but I will be there at many other times when you should be able to catch me.  I am generally easy to reach by e-mail; my address is: dewsbury@ufl.edu.

 

 

Web Sites

 

     Here are some other web sites that may be of use:

 

*Classics in the History of Psychology– the full text of about 200 influential books and articles from the history of psychology and related disciplines, plus links to over 200 more at other sites.  See especially the “Special Collections” and the “Suggested Primary Source Reading Assignments for History of Psychology Courses.”

http://psychclassics.yorku.ca

http://psychclassics.asu.edu

 

*History & Philosophy of Psychology Web Resources – links to dozens of web sites related to the history and theory of psychology

http://www.psych.yorku.ca/orgs/resource.htm

 

 

*History & theory of Psychology Eprint Archive (HTP Prints) – an on-line archive of articles about the history and theory of psychology. Students and teachers can use this material for their own research or deposit their own research for everyone else to see.

http://htpprints.yorku.ca/

 

*Glossing the Body Electric: A Review of Web Resources for Historians of Psychology – a 1998 article about the history of psychology as it appears on the World Wide Web.

http://www.yorku.ca/christo/webreview/

 

*Warren’s Street’s lecture outline for his course at Central Washington University.

http://www.cwu.edu/~warren/461outline.html

 

*Today in the History of Psychology: An interesting compendium by date

http://www.cwu.edu/~warren/today.html

 

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

 

http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/cm/psychology/ 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 Psychology.http://www.cwu.edu/~warren/today.html.

 

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

 

     Others can be found on my web page.

 

 

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).

 

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.

 

     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.

2005 Tentative Schedule, PSY 6608

 

Lecture

Supplemental

 

Date

Lecture Topic

Goodwin

Reference

Reading

 

 

 

 

Assignment

in Goodwin

Assignment

1

Jan. 04

Organizational

 

 

 

2

Jan. 06

Introductory material

1

1-7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

Jan. 11

Historiography

 

7-21

 

4

Jan. 13

Philosophy

2

24-45

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

Jan. 18

Philosophy

 

 

 

6

Jan. 20

Early physiological

3

54-81

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

Jan. 25

Early sensory

4

84-90

 

8

Jan. 27

Wundt

 

 

90-101

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

Feb. 01

Evolution & Galton

5

114-139

 

10

Feb. 03

EXAM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

Feb. 08

TBA

 

 

 

 

12

Feb. 10

James

 

6

142-159

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13

Feb. 15

Turn of the Century/ Instruments

 

159-167

Benjamin,Evans

14

Feb. 17

Titchener,et. al.

7

176-188

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

Feb. 22

Functionalism

 

188-206

 

16

Feb. 24

Testing & Applied

8

210-245

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17

Mar. 08

Gestalt

 

9

248-276

 

18

Mar. 10

Watson and Behaviorism

10

278-306

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19

Mar. 15

Neo-Behaviorism

11

308-341

 

20

Mar. 17

EXAM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21

Mar. 22

TBA

 

 

 

 

22

Mar. 24

Early Psychopathology

12

343-354

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23

Mar. 29

Psychoanalysis

 

354-370

 

24

Mar. 31

Clinical Psychology

13

370-394

Taylor,Humphreys

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25

Apr. 05

Women in psychology

15

436-439

Riger,Milar,Minton

26

Apr. 07

History of UF Department

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

27

Apr. 12

African Americans in Psychology

 

439-442

Lal

28

Apr. 14

Fields of Psychology

14

 

Leahey,Morawski

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29

Apr. 19

Psychology Today