Psychology 3950G-001

History of Psychology

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

1.0    CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

A survey of the major ideas and scholars important to the development of Western psychology, examined from an historical and sociocultural perspective. Recommended for those thinking of graduate work in clinical psychology. CPA accredited programs require coursework on this topic and most will accept this course as fulfilling the criterion.

Prerequisites: Psychology 2820E (or both Psychology 2800E and Psychology 2810) 

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

Antirequisite: Psychology 3893F/G (King's)

Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.

4 lecture/discussion hours; 0.5 course

 

2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

       Instructor:                                                     Dr Jessica Trevena-Peters      

       Office Hours:                                                By appointment          

       Email:                                                          jtreven@uwo.ca

 

       Teaching Assistant:                                      Mirrah Maziyah Mohamed

       Office:                                                         TBC

       Email:                                                          mmoha87@uwo.ca

 

            Time and Location of Classes:                Wednesdays from 12:30 – 3:30 pm in Room 1130, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building                                                                                   

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western

http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.

3.0  TEXTBOOK

Fancher, R. & Rutherford, A. Pioneers of Psychology, 5th Edition. New York: Norton

 

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

Psychology, historically, has evolved as a bridge between philosophy and physiology. In this course we will explore and discuss the philosophical background that has underpinned the development of the field of psychology. The emergence of psychology as a science will be explored and key historical figures discussed. The historical roots in the development and growth of sub-disciplines will conclude this course.

 

This course deviates from studying the discipline of psychology itself. It, instead, focuses on the ideas of key (psychological) historical figures, across various times, who have contributed to the development and evolution of thoughts, ideas and methodologies in the field of psychology over the centuries. As you will see, such ideas, theories, methods and findings are embedded within the lives and therefore contexts of these pioneers.

 

The course will follow a chronological order, as does the textbook. Taking a historical perspective will allow evaluation of why past ideas, which may now be discredited, appeared legitimate in their time. In contrast, although science, technology and access to information have markedly evolved over the years, ideas and attitudes of the early pioneers continue to recur in various forms as the field of psychology develops. Moreover, fundamental questions and ideas that intrigued earlier scholars continue to draw interest, often in evolved form, today.

 

Throughout the course, we will draw on historical perspectives to inform questions such as:

  • What is the relationship between the ‘mind’ and ‘body’?
  • What is the nature of the mind and where does human knowledge come from?
  • What is the relationship of psychology as a science and applied profession?
How have historical ideas shaped the sub-specialities that we know of today in psychology?

   4.1    STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES 

Learning Outcome

Activity

Assessment

Participation and Communication

 

Be an active participant in understanding, exploring and presenting how the history of psychology evolved and how key questions or ideas in psychology have continued over time (albeit in evolved form).

 

Readings

Lectures

Discussions

Oral presentations

 

Group Summary

Individual Oral Presentation

 

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge

 

Present (orally) and demonstrate knowledge (in written form) of the history of psychology, including grounding in philosophy (and physiology), how it emerged as a science, and how this history has shaped the sub-disciplines of modern psychology.

 

Readings

Lectures

Discussions

Assessment tasks

Mid-term Exam

Written Essay (Final Paper)

Application of Knowledge

 

Identify and critically discuss how a key question has persisted (in evolved form) across time in the study of psychology.

 

Conduct research investigating the historical underpinnings, ideas and key figures / pioneers of a psychological concept drawn on today.

 

Demonstrate the ability to apply historical information and evidence to convey the historical development of a current day psychological concept.

 

Readings

Lectures

Assessment tasks

Individual Oral Presentation

Written Essay (Final Paper)

 

5.0     EVALUATION

Task

Grade

Class participation as assigned by a brief group summary of last class’ ‘key points’

10%

Individual Oral Presentation

20%

Mid-term Exam

30%

Final Paper

40%

Group Class Summary (oral)

At the commencement of each class, assigned students will present a brief synopsis of the key learnings / take-home points from the previous class. This will serve as both an opportunity for reflection of information covered and to review content. Each student will be allocated to presenting, in a small group. Groups will be determined in class.

Individual Oral Presentation

Across two classes, each student will complete an oral presentation (5 minutes) addressing the following question: how has a question or idea that emerged historically in psychology continued to be explored in modern-day psychology (albeit in a different way)? For example, nature/nurture, consciousness/unconsciousness processing, difference/similarity etc.

Mid-term Exam

The mid-term exam will cover the first 8 classes, from the 8th of January to and including the class on the 4th of March. This content includes the historical background of our course (and does not include the growth of sub-disciplines in psychology). The format will be multiple choice and short answer.

Students unable to attend the midterm exam will be required to provide documentation attesting to this. Students who provide necessary documentation will be given an opportunity for a make-up examination. There will be one date and time for the make-up exam which will be determined after the mid-term exam date. 

Final Paper

The final paper will bring together history of and current-day psychology. It will require you to select a particular area of interest and do some historical ‘digging’. Select a current-day idea, theory, assessment, or treatment approach in Psychology (ideally in your area of interest). Trace the historical routes in the development of this – including key advancements and influential figures or findings that have contributed to the acceptance and evolution of your chosen topic. Be aware that the breadth and information available on various topics, historically and currently, will differ greatly. Dates to discuss proposed topics and ideas will be made available.

You are to write a paper of 2500-3000 words, approximately 10 pages (typed, double spaced). The paper should follow the APA style. Specific details on the marking criteria will be provided within the course.

 

Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.

 

Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:

70%     1000-level and 2000-level courses
72%     2190-2990 level courses
75%     3000-level courses
80%     4000-level courses
   
The Psychology Department follows Western's grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):

A+  90-100      One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A    80-89        Superior work that is clearly above average
B    70-79        Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C    60-69        Competent work, meeting requirements
D    50-59        Fair work, minimally acceptable
F    below 50    Fail


6.0  ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE

Task

Due Date

Brief group summary (presented orally) of last class’ ‘key points’ at beginning of class

Schedule to be determined in first class with presentations commencing 15th January and finishing on 1st April (11 classes total)

Individual Oral presentation

5th and 12th February (to be allocated in class)

Mid-term Exam

11th March

Final Paper

1st April

 

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

Philosophical Background: psychology in the making

  • 8th January: A grounding in philosophy and Descartes, the empiricist tradition (Locke) and continental rationalists (Leibniz)
    • Chapters 1 and 2

 

Psychology: an emerging science

  • 15th January: Physiologists of the mind, sensation, perception and Gestalt Psychology
    • Chapters 3 and 4

 

  • 22nd January: Experimental psychology emerges (Wundt), structuralism (Titchener) and higher-order functions (Ebbinghaus)
    • Chapter 5

 

  • 29th January: Darwin and the evolving mind
    • Chapter 6

 

  • 5th February: Galton and measuring the mind
    • Chapter 7

Oral Presentations: first half of class, 5th February

 

  • 12th February: James and functionalism
    • Chapter 8

Oral Presentations: second half of class, 12th February

 

Reading Week 14-23 February

 

  • 26th February: Psychology as a behavioural science
    • Chapter 9

 

  • 4th March: Freud and Psychoanalysis
    • Chapter 11

 

Psychology: growth of sub-disciplines

 

Mid-term Exam: 11th March (covering first 8 classes.)  

 

  • 11th March: Personality and Social Psychology
    • Chapters 10 and 12

 

  • 18th March: Clinical and Applied Psychology
    • Chapters 15 and 16

 

  • 25th March: Cognitive Assessment and Developmental Psychology
    • Chapter 13

 

  • 1st April: Cognitive Psychology and Neurosciences
    • Chapter 14 (and refer back to Chapter 3)

 

Final Paper Due: 1st April


8.0     STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link:  http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.



9.0    POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12

 

The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf


Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html

 

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:

  1. Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
  2. For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;

For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html

Students seeking academic consideration:

  • are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;  
  • are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;

must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence



10.0        OTHER INFORMATION

Office of the Registrar web site:  http://registrar.uwo.ca

Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca

Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:

    http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html

- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2019-2020 Calendar References

No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.

Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute lecture notes, wiki material, and other course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.