Session Overview
| This session is an introduction to the subject of psychology: the scientific study of how we think, feel and act as well as the history of psychology. |
Session Activities
Readings
Read the following from oneĀ of the following textbook chapters:
- Chapter 1, “Introduction to the Science of Psychology: History and Research Methods”
- StangorĀ Chapter 1, “Introducing Psychology”
then download and study these:
Further Study
These optional resources are provided for students that wish to explore this topic more fully.
Summary videos of the chapters: Watch video 1 and 2 for this chapter
MIT psych 101 video Intro lecture
Crash Course: What is PsychologyĀ What does Psychology mean? Where does it come from? Hank gives you a 10 minute intro to one of the more tricky sciences and talks about some of the big names in the development of the field.
Crash Course: Research in PsychologyĀ So how do we apply the scientific method to psychological research? Lots of ways, but today Hank talks about case studies, naturalistic observation, surveys and interviews, and experimentation. Also he covers different kinds of bias in experimentation and how research practices help us avoid them.
| TYPE | CONTENT | CONTEXT |
|---|---|---|
| Web resource | History of Psychology: Contemporary Foundations.Ā Discovering Psychology.WGBH Educational Foundation, 2001. | Timeline of key events, publications and perspectives in the development of psychology, from late 19th century to the present. |
| Textbook supplement | Study materials for Ch. 1, “Psychology: Yesterday and Today.” InĀ Kosslyn & Rosenberg,Ā Psychology in Context, 3/e(Pearson, 2007) | Practice test questions, flashcards, and media for a related textbook. |
