History and Systems

An integrative course emphasizing the origins and background of the science of psychology. Important contributors and their schools of thought are studied and related to the present systematic developments. 

PSYC 1101 or PSYC 1101H with a grade of C or higher 

1. Define science: What it is and what it is not.

2. Describe the persistent questions that have characterized psychology since its birth.

3. Describe the major philosophical traditions that influenced psychology from the time of the ancient Greeks to the 21th century.

4. Describe how the study of physiology had influenced the birth of psychology.

5. Describe the historical influence of Darwin’s theory of natural selection on psychology.

6. Describe the rise of behaviorism, neobehaviorism, and the emergence of cognitive psychology in the 20th century.

7. Describe the rise of Gestalt psychology and its impact on perception, cognition, and neuroscience.

8. Describe the origins of psychoanalytic theory.

9. Describe the origins of humanistic psychology.

10. Describe the rise of psychobiology as a major force in contemporary psychology.

11. Communicate effectively the tenets of the major theoretical systems of psychology and distinguish among these systems.

12. Evaluate behavior from the different theoretical systems of psychology. 

13. Describe the current state of psychology as a natural science.

• Hergenhahn's An Introduction to the History of Psychology by Tracy Henley, Cengage Publishing (9th edition)

Exams (60% of overall grade)

Five regular exams will be proctored using Respondus LockDown Browser on D2L + a webcam. Click here to download the latest version of LockDown Browser. To begin the exam, go to Quizzes on D2L. Click on the Exam; then click Launch LockDown Browser. The startup sequence will take a couple minutes. You will need to do a webcam check, read some instructions, take a photo of yourself, show your UNG ID, complete an environment check, complete a facial detection check, and then take the exam. The purpose of this startup sequence is explained in the startup instructions. You must take the exams by yourself with no notes or other resources. There will be 40 questions per exam, and you will have 60 minutes. You will have two attempts for each exam. Only questions missed in the first attempt will be on the second attempt. It is highly recommended you study between exam attempts. If you wish to review your exam submissions, you can do so during office hours. Submission views will not be opened on D2L for at-home viewing. Exams cannot be made up without proper documentation from the Dean of Students; this will be required to determine make-up eligibility. 

Psychological Time Traveler Portfolio (40% of overall grade)

This project will take place across the whole semester. In this project, you are imagine that you are a psychologist from the 22nd century who has just developed the technology to travel back in time through the minds of humans. This project will require the following steps:

1. Now that you have developed this new technology, it's time to test it out! You are going to learn about psychology by traveling into the minds of those who have influenced psychology throughout history. For this step, you need to list all the minds throughout history you plan to visit. You need to pick one person per chapter for Chapters 2-19 (i.e., 18 people--one per chapter). 

2. You will write a journal- or diary-style description of your experiences inside the mind of this person. Include (1) an accurate description of this historical period or system, (2) how this person influenced this period/system, (3) how they might have differed from others of the same time period/system, (4) how they learned from knowledge/influence in a prior period/system, and (5) your own reflection (from the perspective as the time traveler that you are!) on this time period/system in the big picture of psychology history. 

3. Combine everything from the above two steps into a single document/portfolio by downloading and using the portfolio template on D2L. Then add a conclusion paper that summarizes your time traveling experiences, what you learned during your travels, and what you think the future holds for the field of psychology at-large. (This will also be included in the same portfolio document.)

Please note this project must be completed individually. Cite your sources, including the textbook or any other reliable peer-reviewed sources. Each Step 2 journal/diary entry should be a minimum of 250 words. The summary paper should be a minimum of 500 words. All writing should be original and cannot use AI. Use of AI for any of this project will result in an 'F' in the course.  The total length of this portfolio should be a minimum of 5,000 words (or approximately 20 pages) not including title page, table of contents, headings, or references. 

> 90.0% = A

80.0 - 89.9% = B

70.0 - 79.9% = C

60.0 - 69.9% = D

< 60.0 = F

WEEK 1

Module 1: Chapters 1-4

Exam 1

Portfolio Workshop (nothing due)

WEEK 2

Module 2: Chapters 5-8

Exam 2

Portfolio Outline

WEEK 3

Module 3: Chapters 9-12

Exam 3

Portfolio Draft (first half only)

WEEK 4

Module 4: Chapters 13-16

Exam 4

Keep working on portfolio (nothing due)

WEEK 5

Module 5: Chapters 17-20

Exam 5

Portfolio - Final Draft