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
Define science: What it is and what it is not.
Describe the persistent questions that have characterized psychology since its birth.
Describe the major philosophical traditions that influenced psychology from the time of the ancient Greeks to the 21th century.
Describe how the study of physiology had influenced the birth of psychology.
Describe the historical influence of Darwin’s theory of natural selection on psychology.
Describe the rise of behaviorism, neobehaviorism, and the emergence of cognitive psychology in the 20th century.
Describe the rise of Gestalt psychology and its impact on perception, cognition, and neuroscience.
Describe the origins of psychoanalytic theory.
Describe the origins of humanistic psychology.
Describe the rise of psychobiology as a major force in contemporary psychology.
Communicate effectively the tenets of the major theoretical systems of psychology and distinguish among these systems.
Evaluate behavior from the different theoretical systems of psychology.
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)
Weekly Zoom Meetings (Required to watch LIVE or RECORDED)
Each week we will meet via Zoom on Mondays at 10 am for the duration of the semester. These meetings could last up to an hour, based on the number of questions students have; however, they could be much shorter. Click here or click the "Weekly Zoom Meetings" link on D2L to access the meeting. The purpose of these meetings is to go over any content and assignments for each week and answer any questions students have. It is beneficial to attend in person if possible. However, the meetings will be recorded for those who cannot attend live. Failure to attend and/or watch the recordings will result in withdrawal from this course as they are part of the attendance requirement. Missing 20% of this course for any reason will result in withdrawal. What counts towards attendance is attending/watching these meetings, logging into D2L each week, and participating in D2L discussions.
Syllabus Quiz (3% of overall grade)
In the first week of this class, you will complete a syllabus quiz. This quiz will be proctored on D2L. Click on Quizzes. Then start the Syllabus Quiz. Please use the syllabus to help you complete this quiz. You have unlimited attempts and time. The purpose of this quiz to make ensure you understand the requirements of this class. You will need to use the general syllabus and the course syllabus.
🚫 AI use is strictly prohibited.
Discussions (15% of overall grade)
Each week you will engage in discussions with your peers. The Psychological Time Traveler Portfolio (described below) is a semester-long project. Each week, you will discuss you progress and ideas related to this project using the Discussions feature on D2L. Read the instructions for each week's discussion prompt before posting. You must complete your initial discussion post first before you can see anyone else's posts. Once posted, you should review the posts from your peers. Then you should respond to at least two peers' posts. These should be meaningful posts. You will NOT earn full credit for writing things like "nice" or "good job." You need to actually engage in dialogue as if you were having a discussion or group activity in-person in the classroom. You are being graded on (1) the quality of your initial post and (2) on the quality, effort, and engagement of your discussions with peers.
🚫 AI use is strictly prohibited.
Psychological Time Traveler Portfolio (32% 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:
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).
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.
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.
🚫 AI use is strictly prohibited.
Exams (50% 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.
✅ AI is allowed and encouraged to generate study aids, practice questions, and general exam preparation.
> 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
Syllabus Quiz // Discussion 1 // Exam 1
WEEK 2
Module 2: Chapters 5-8
Discussion 2 // Exam 2
WEEK 3
Module 3: Chapters 9-12
Discussion 3 // Exam 3
WEEK 4
Module 4: Chapters 13-16
Discussion 4 // Exam 4
WEEK 5
Module 5: Chapters 17-20
Discussion 5 // Exam 5 // Portfolio due