PSYCHOLOGY AS A PROFESSION

PSYCHOLOGY AS A PROFESSION DEGREE COURSE YEAR: FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH SEMESTER: 1º SEMESTER 2º SEMESTER CATEGORY: BASIC COMPULSORY OPTIONAL NO. OF CREDITS (ECTS): 6 3 LANGUAGE: ENGLISH SPANISH 1. COURSE DESCRIPTION This is an overview course that covers the past, present, and future of psychology. The course is designed to give psychology majors a sense of how the discipline of psychology developed, what s hot today, and the types of careers available upon graduation from IE. Accordingly, the course will be divided into three parts: Past The history of psychological thought. This section of the course addresses the roots of modern psychological thought and methodology, from their origins in philosophy and the natural sciences through the refinement of psychology in its current form. The material we cover will introduce you to the lives, times, and ideas of individuals who have made significant and longstanding contributions to the field of psychology and the social, economic, political, and institutional contexts in which these individuals lived. We will cover topics such as: the history of ideas about "the mind;" key historical and social events that shaped the field; when and how psychology became a science; life histories of psychologists; and how ideas about what is "normal" shape and are shaped by psychology. Present Current trends in psychology what s hot! Situated against the historical backdrop presented in the first section of this course, the second section will focus on current trends in psychology: what is hot and what is not in today s psychological research. Within the last 10 years, there have been several major revolutions in psychological research. With the advent of more advanced technology, there has been a biobehavioral revolution focusing attention on the biological level of analysis (brain imaging, genetics, pharmacological) across all domains from examining brain patterns of racism or an individual s taste preference for Coke versus Pepsi to exploring the genetic markers of autism or compulsive gambling. Coincident with the biobehavioral movement, there has been an emerging trend of using behavioral methods in social sciences, particularly in the fields of economics, policy, and law. Today, we see policy makers reconfiguring organ donation policy to take into account framing effects in behavior and typical cognitive biases and politicians using principles of group inclusion/exclusion (sending people a list of their voting record and their neighbors voting record) to improve voter turn-out. The growing use of experimental methods is convulsing a profession where hunches and instinct have long ruledl 1. 1 Good German, (2010, Dec 8th). How Behavioral Science is Remaking Politics. Retrieved from http://www.disinfo.com/2010/11/how-behavioral-science-is-remaking-politics/. Edited by IE Publishing Department. 1

Future What are possible career paths for a psychology major? The final section of the course will provide you with information and skills that will help you select and pursue a career in psychology. Students will get an overview of the discipline of psychology, including expectations for the psychology major, career options for students completing a bachelor s degree in psychology, and career options for students who pursue a graduate degree in psychology. It will also emphasize development of skills required for library research, writing in the style of the American Psychological Association, and understanding ethical and professional issues in the discipline of Psychology. 2. COURSE OBJECTIVES To learn about the progression of ideas and methodologies as people s explorations of the mind and behavior evolved from philosophizing to using the scientific method. To learn about the major figures and schools of thought in psychology s history. To be able to place current psychological thought within that historical development and context. To be aware of the current changes occurring within the psychology and the history of some of the more recent sub-disciplines within psychology. To be able to describe and understand the requirements of the psychology major at IE. To understand the specializations within the discipline of psychology. To be familiar with the career options available to students who complete differing levels of training in psychology (B.A., M.A., Ph.D). To acquire the skills and knowledge expected of successful applicants to graduate programs in psychology. To develop a set of tools and materials to help enter the work force prepared. To demonstrate effective learning strategies to implement in pursuing an academic program and career in Psychology. 3. COURSE CONTENT HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY (8 SESSIONS) Philosophical underpinnings from the ancients to the moderns German Physiology and Psychophysics Wundt the rise of experimental psychology Structuralism Evolution of Functionalism and Pragmatism Mental tests, IQ tests, Personality tests, Eugenics & Immigration Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Behaviorism Cognitivism CURRENT TRENDS (4 SESSIONS) Neuroimaging Techniques Behavioral Sciences 2

CAREERS IN PSYCHOLOGY (16 SESSIONS) 10 Things every Psychology Major should be able to do What do I want to do vs. what am I good at will versus skill. What is Psychology? Career Options for Psychology Majors What can I do with a Bachelor s Degree in Psychology? What can I do with a Masters/Doctoral degree in Psychology? The Job Search and Application Process Preparing Cover Letters & Resumes; Interviewing Graduate School The Application Process The content of this course will be provided through a series of reading materials, classroom lectures/ discussions, guest speakers and site visits. It is further expected that the student become acquainted with and use the University computer systems, especially the Blackboard program, to acquire materials and to communicate with the class and instructor. 4. EVALUATION At the close of the semester, you will be assigned a grade based on demonstration of your knowledge on weekly assignments, individual and group projects, and participation. Class content includes power point presentations, videos, weekly readings, guest speakers, and site visits. Please see your class schedule for all due dates. Each of these assignments will be discussed further in class. REQUIREMENTS History Presentation WEIGHTING 20% (30 minutes in-class presentation) Career Portfolio 20% Homework Assignments 10% (Weekly short-answer assignments) Class Participation 20% Exam 30% Total 100% Classroom participation (max 20%) will be evaluated using the following rubric: (2) Excellent Participation - Arrives to class on time and prepared - Actively listening during lecture and discussion (this means not doing other work or reading, talking to your neighbor, or using your computer/phone for non-class related things) - Active, enthusiastic involvement in class discussions and activities - Using understanding of course materials to explain or support comments - Asking good, thoughtful questions relevant to course materials - Promoting discussion through engaged listening and encouraging responses from classmates without dominating the conversation - Valuably contributing to small group discussions and keeping group on task (0) Acceptable Participation - Arrives to class on time and prepared - Actively listening during lectures and discussion (this means not doing other work or reading, talking to your neighbor, or using your computer/phone for non-class related things) - Demonstrating some understanding of course materials - Asking clarifying questions - Participating in small group activities 3

(-2) Unacceptable Participation - Fails to attend class or shows up more than 5 minutes late - Attending class, but not physically or cognitively engaged (e.g. not listening or attempting to participate in class discussions or small group activities, reading newspaper, working on other work, using your cell phone, or on the computer doing things other than class-related work (e.g., email, facebook, surfing the web), etc.) - Making non-constructive comments during discussion - Attempting to distract others or redirect class discussion off topic - Repeatedly talking to others on topics not related to class Final Exam (30%) The first part of the final exam is a multiple-choice test (with 3 options), which includes theoretical contents. The second part is focused on practical activities (e.g., students will have to make a report, or write their opinion about a specific topic). The evaluation criteria and weighting are specified below. WRITTEN EXAM EVALUATION AND WEIGHTING CRITERIA Multiple choice test (30 questions; 3 options each) Formula score: Right answers 0,3 points 6 Practical activities To obtain a good evaluation in this part, it is necessary: - To structure the contents 4 - To write the contents correctly - To demonstrate critical thinking - To demonstrate ability to summarize the information TOTAL 10 VALUE OF EACH EXERCISE RETAKE POLICY - Each student has 4 chances to pass any given course distributed in two consecutive academic years (regular period and July period). - Students who do not comply with the 70% attendance rule will lose their 1st and 2 nd chance, and go directly to the 3rd one (they will need to enrol again in this course next academic year). - Grading for retakes will be subject to the following rules: Students failing the course in the first regular period will have to do a retake in July (except those not complying with the attendance rules, which are banned from this possibility). Dates and location of the July retakes will be posted in advance and will not be changed. Please take this into consideration when planning your summer. The retake will consist to work on your qualitative research and present in written format your findings to the professor. Please, review step D Final Presentation and Written Report of this syllabus. The maximum grade that a student may obtain in the retake will be 8 out of 10. 4

Attendance: It is expected that student will attend every class session. Students must notify before but justify after the professor of absences. In order to receive an excused absence, students must bring a note of justification to class. Only with an excused absence are students allowed to makeup the missed assignment. In general, students who miss class will be responsible for obtaining notes and assignments from other students. Students who miss a class, in which a quiz is given, will not be able to make up the quiz under any circumstances. Academic integrity: Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. Anyone found cheating or plagiarism will at a minimum receive a 0 on the affected assignment and an automatic lowering of your final course grade one full letter grade and will be referred to the University Judicial System for further action. Further penalties could include a note on your transcript, failing the class, or expulsion from the university. Disabled students: To request academic accommodations due to a disability contact Candela Terriza. If you have a letter from DSS indicating that you have a disability that requires accommodation, please present the letter to your instructors promptly. Student privacy statement: At times, students may disclose personal information through class discussions. It is expected that the class will respect the privacy of their classmates. The information disclosed in the class will not be repeated or discussed with other students outside of the course. Decisions about grades are made carefully, and are final at the end of the semester. Please do not contact me about a grade change unless there has been a clerical error, which you can document. I do not give extra credit or makeup assignments at the end of the semester. Also, please note that any disputes about grades from earlier in the course must be resolved before the final exam. Once we arrive in the final exam period, your grade from earlier in the semester is set. 5. USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN CLASS Students are expected to arrive promptly for each class and to remain for the entire session. Please demonstrate courtesy and respect for the instructor and for other students during class by turning off cell phones, not using the computer for non-class related activities (Facebook, Skype, email, reading the news), not reading the newspaper during class, not sitting in the back talking about non related topics, etc. 6. BIBLIOGRAPHY 6.1. COMPULSORY Supplemental articles provided on Campus Online and distributed in class. 5

7. OFFICE HOURS CONTACT INFORMATION Office hours The instructor is available to meet with you by appointment. Please write an email where you should outline the objectives of the meeting, and the points/questions/doubts, which you would like to discuss during the meeting. It is very important to write the email with all your doubts in order to have a more effective and efficient meeting. Email If you have a small doubt and need to resolve quickly and not necessary in person, you are welcome to write an email with your doubts and clear questions. I will try to respond to you within 48 hours. Realize I will not likely be on line when you send your email and I will need some time to access and thoughtfully respond to your questions. Make sure your clock setting is correct on your computer; otherwise I will have no idea of when you emailed me. 6