Module+1+Discovering+Psychology

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= = =Module 1: //Discovering Psychology//= Goals of module:
 * Be able to define psychology.
 * Identify the goals of psychology.
 * Know:
 * Modern approaches to psychology
 * Historical approaches to psychology
 * Experimental psychology
 * Applied psychology
 * Define the differences between the field of psychology and psychiatry.
 * Describe careers in psychology and careers that make use of psychology.

=**Links:**= Below are links that are highly recommended by the authors of your text. You might have to use one, all or other sites to complete work on this module.
 * http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/topic.htm This site contains classic documents of psychology by topic, i.e. Behaviorism, Gestalt Theory...
 * http://www.psychweb.com a portal that provides links to other sites on the Web. Public and professional documents are available for consumption.
 * http://www.apa.org American Psychological Association.
 * http://psychologicalscience.org Similar to APA.
 * The following websites provide information that challenges some of the myths associated with the paranormal, i.e. psychics, mystics, astrology, firewalking, mentalism among others:
 * http://www.csicop.com
 * http://www.skeptic.com
 * http://www.randi.org

=**Video Links**:= Go to this link [|//Past, Present and Promise//] from the series Discovering Psychology. Open the document below and answer the questions as best you can. Share your answers with each other. Some people will get something that another has missed. Some might have a different interpretation for an answer than you. Compare.

This video excerpt demonstrates what life might be like for (a) parent(s) raising a child that has autism. As you watch, take notes on what the parents say about their son, his condition and how the cope with it. Again, this is your responsibility. media type="youtube" key="Z_R_CUxrZ8I?fs=1" height="385" width="480" =

= =**Points in Module 1 (up to p. 11)**= [|Donna Williams] has several videos posted on Youtube. As you will learn, despite her psychological condition manages to grow and develop into a very talented and valued member of society. How this comes about is important. The humanistic approach would say that we have an innate desire to grow and develop, and that it is necessary that certain conditions be met in order for this to happen. See [|Abraham Maslow] for a more in-depth discussion on this notion. [|Test anxiety] is discussed in this module. We are experience some form of "performance anxiety" in our lives, i.e. before a sports contest many athletes talk of 'stomach butterflies.' Text anxiety is not that much different, but can be highly disastrous for those seeking to achieve a worthy grade in a course for which they have studied, yet cannot do well on exams. Behaviorists might suggest ways to control a behavior that is not desirable. Typically, it is based on a sort of conditioning (classical or operant). Psychologists such a [|B.F. Skinner] noted how important the environmental awards and punishments are in shaping behavior. Still, not all behaviorists agree that learning to manage behavior can only be achieved via rewards and punishments, since we do learn from observation. This idea was pursued by [|Albert Bandura .] The [|psychoanalytic approach] is introduced here. You might have seen the film, [|//Analyze This//], where a psychiatrist played by Billy Christal works with a mafioso patient played by Robert Deniro. This approach - which originated from the work of Sigmund Freud - focuses considerable time making sense of our past (usually childhood) experiences and how they impact on our behavior.
 * N.B.** For the homework assignment, **"What Psychologists Do"**, be sure to read p. 5. There are six different modern approaches outlined on that page and further developed in later pages. Use p.5 as a reference for the Scenarios 1-6. For example, in **Scenario 1**, the explanation of Joe's behavior suggests that his behavior is influenced by his environment, namely the people in it. Thus, it is consistent with the description of the **behavioral approach** (see p. 5 for this). Be sure to note which of the approaches on p. 5 matches with the explanation given for the other five scenarios. As well, be sure to identify which type of psychologist would deal with each scenario, i.e. in Scenario 1 it would be an applied psychologist, and more specifically a **school psychologis**t.

=**Points in Module 1 (from p. 12 to end)**= The history of psychology (Structuralism, Functionalism, Gestalt, and Behaviorism) is examined. Then a look at careers in psychology is shown. Finally, some discussion takes place on the issue of note taking and study skills. These latter sections are important to all of you on a personal level. We can all use a tune-up once in a while on how to improve our academic performances. That pretty much marks the end of the module. There is a quiz at the end of all modules. This is something that you ought to do as it is a very proactive way to prepare for quizzes and tests.

=**My Chosen Career in Psychology (minor project)**=

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" How many times have we heard that question. Well, now is the time to pony up and at least provide that you have more than just a one word answer. That is, just saying, "A psychologist," doesn't count. You will have to research a career in psychology, and then create a brochure for that career.

Purpose: To understand thoroughly what is required in terms of character, training, and job demands for a certain field in psychology.

Format: A brochure which advertises the job to high school students. Use Pages.

Due date: TBA.

Grade category: Minor project (15 points) As a point of departure for this assignment, take a look at the publication from the APA, //21st Century Careers in Psychology//, below. You might also try the[| Encyclopedia of Psychology] Rubric for this assignment can be found at [|Making a Brochure Career in Psychology] For an idea on Forensic Psychology see the video below media type="youtube" key="R_7iDcrugHQ?fs=1" height="301" width="497"
 * Research (3 sources - use American Psychological Association format)
 * Language (Issues related to grammar, word use, spelling)
 * Creativity (you are advertising
 * Meets (or surpasses) the expectations of the assignment.