PG600

HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY

I. Course Content/Objectives
The purpose of this course is to help you along the path toward intelligent thought. The history of psychology - taught as systems and theories of psychology- is an excellent vehicle for learning to think critically and with new cognitive tools.
The course is divided into 3 units. During the first unit you will be studying events in the history of philosophy and events in the history of physiology that culminated in the debut of psychology; as well as the history and nature of that first psychology in Germany and in America. Class time will be devoted to presenting some basic concepts related to methodology and metatheory; then to overviewing the history material you will have been studying, as well as the nature of the "first" psychology. During the second unit of study you will be studying the three major viewpoints in psychology the emerged after the first psychology failed: functionalism, behaviorism, and gestaltism. Class time will be devoted to presenting some historical information and some conceptual information about these "classical schools" of psychology. During the third unit of study you will be studying neo-behavioristic learning theory and, to a lesser degree, the advent of cognitive psychology. Class time will be devoted mostly to discussing issues that divided the neo-behaviorists; issues that serve the larger purpose of teaching us lessons about psychology's interface with issues in the philosophy of science generally. Limited class time will be devoted also to understanding the theories themselves.

II. Texts
Marx, M. H. & Cronan-Hillix, W. A. (1987). Sytems and theories in psychology. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Hergenhahn, B. R. & Olson, M. H. (19??). An introduction to theories of learning . 5th ed. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

III. Outside Readings
Many important papers will be brought to your attention during class; complete references will be provided. Only the following papers are actually assigned. Copies of these will be made available by a system we will create on the first day of class. Please retain copies only long enough to make copies of your own.

(1) Titchener, E. B. (1898). The postulates of a structural psychology. The Philosophical Review, 7, 449 - 465.

(2) Angell, J. R. (1907). The province of functional psychology. The Psychological Review, 14, 61 - 91.

(3) Watson, J. B. (1913). Psychology as the behaviorist views it. The Psychological Review, 20, 158 - 177.

(4) Hull, C. L. et al., (1940). Concerning scientific theoretical methodology. In C. L. Hull, et al. Mathematico-deductive theory of rote learning: A study in scientific methodology, pps 1 - 13. New Haven: Yale University Press.

(5) Turner, M. B. (1967). The language of psychology. In M. B. Turner, Philosophy and the science of behavior pps. 189 - 209. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

(6) Skinner, B. F. (1950). Are theories of learning necessary? Psychological Review, 57, 193 -216.

(7) Kendler, H. H. (1952). "What is learned?"- A theoretical blind alley. Psychological Review, 59, 269 - 277.

(8) Restle, F. (1957). Discrimination of cues in mazes: A resolution of the place versus response question. Psychological Review, 64, 217 - 228.

(9) Howard, D. V. (1983). An overview. In D. V. Howard, Cognitive psychology: memory, language, and theought, pps 3 - 34. New York: MacMillan.

IV. Assignments for units

Unit #1 Marx & Cronan-Hillix Chs. 2, 3, 4. Only pps. 40 - 50 of Ch. 3 Hergenhahn & Olson pps. 31 - 47
Readings # 1, #4, #5
Unit #2 Marx & Cronan-Hillix Chs. 5, 6, & 7
Hergenhahn & Olson Chs. 7, 10
Readings # 2, #3,
Unit #3 Marx & Cronan-Hillix Ch. 10, 11
Hergenhahn & Olson Chs. 4, 5, 6, 8
Readings #6, #7, #8, #9

V. Exams/Grades
There will be an exam associated with each unit of work. The exams will be some sort of mixture of objective questions (e.g. matching, fill-in blanks, identify author of quotations), and short-answer "essay." You are responsible for everything in the reading assignments and lecture material. Grades: 90% and up = A; 72-89.99% = B; 60-71.99% = C ; 59.99% and less = F.

VI. Lecture/Attendance
I will endeavor to create a significant intellectual opportunity in this class. You are expected to study and learn the assignments on your own, as well as attend class, take good notes, and raise questions/arguments along the way if you don't understand or you disagree. I will not keep an official record of your attendance but inevitably will know of anyone who is attending less than regularly and will take that into account on "borderline" situations involving grades.
We have a lot of work to do in this course. I WILL put on a very well-organized and substantively high-level course. If you hit the ground running and work steadfastly, then you WILL look back on this as having been a formative experience in becoming a psychologist.

Students with disabilities see me A.S.A.P. about accomodations.

Office Hours After 3:00 PM, Monday - Thursday, 209 Thach

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