Chapter 1 introduction full

Editor's Notes

• #3: Pedagogy Notes Consider asking the class for examples of human experiences that psychology seeks to understand. Examples include consciousness, sensation and perception, learning and memory, motivation, social interaction, development, thought, and language Consider asking the class how psychology can help solve problems. Answers include increasing our understanding of ourselves, improving learning and decision making, improving psychological and physical health, and improving our social interactions.
• #5: Pedagogy Notes Time: 3:19 Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uBeshFGN9c
• #6: Pedagogy Notes Let students discuss in pairs for a few minutes before coming together to discuss with the entire class. Alternatively, students’ responses can be conducted as a short in-class or take-home writing assignment, to be collected for low-stakes assessment.
• #7: Pedagogy Notes Popular media often confines psychology to personality assessments and observable human characteristics, but the field offers much more.
• #8: Pedagogy Notes Psychological scientists understand there is a continuous evolution of the discipline. Careful examination of evidence should adjust conclusions if there is a contradiction. Figure 1.3 Confucius (551–479 BCE) The Chinese philosopher Confucius said, "The common man marvels at the uncommon, the wise man marvels at the commonplace." Psychologists combine curiosity about the commonplace with the search for rigorous scientific evidence.
• #10: Pedagogy Notes The ebook provides two tables with helpful information (Table 1.1 and Table 1.2) from which examples can be drawn and presented. You can ask students for suggested strategies before or after presenting examples from the tables.
• #11: Pedagogy Notes The ebook provides two tables with helpful information (Table 1.1 and Table 1.2) from which examples can be drawn and presented. You can ask students for suggested strategies before or after presenting examples from the tables.
• #12: Pedagogy Notes The ebook provides two tables with helpful information (Table 1.1 and Table 1.2) from which examples can be drawn and presented. You can ask students for suggested strategies before or after presenting examples from the tables.
• #16: Pedagogy Notes After students finish submitting their responses, reveal to students that they were asked to test one of two different hypotheses: whether the person was an introvert, or whether the person was an extravert. Questions 1, 4, and 9 are neutral “filler” questions unrelated to introversion or extraversion. Questions 2, 5, and 7 are questions that would help to confirm extraversion. Questions 3, 6, and 8 are questions that would help to confirm introversion.
• #17: Pedagogy Notes The bold questions are more likely to be selected if the person is asked to test the hypothesis that this person is an extravert. You can project your computer screen during lecture to reveal the collated responses to the Google Form survey. In other words, did most students choose Questions 2, 5, 7? Google Forms represents responses with a bar graph, which will make it visually easy to determine what the most common responses were. If you’re holding class online, then you can share your screen as you show students their collated responses to the Google Form survey.
• #18: Pedagogy Notes The bold questions are more likely to be selected if the person is asked to test the hypothesis that this person is an introvert. You can project your computer screen during lecture to reveal the collated responses to the Google Form survey. In other words, did most students choose Questions 3, 6, 8? Google Forms represents responses with a bar graph, which will make it visually easy to determine what the most common responses were. If you’re holding class online, then you can share your screen as you show students their collated responses to the Google Form survey.
• #23: Pedagogy Notes Although most of the people involved with the early development of psychology were white European males, today the field is much more inclusive and is contributed to by a diverse group of psychological scientists. An example of an early false assumption: People with schizophrenia are possessed by the devil or other evil spirits. An example of unethical research: the Tuskegee Syphilis Study conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service that withheld treatment from African American men in order to observe the disease course
• #26: Pedagogy Notes Examples of empirical evidence include fMRI and questionnaires.
• #27: Figure 1.7 Astrology: Pure Pseudoscience Astrology (not to be confused with astronomy) is based on the belief that celestial bodies and phenomena affect human affairs. "When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars" there will be absolutely no effect on any human being. In contrast, astronomy is the scientific study of celestial objects (such as planets, moons, stars, suns, and solar systems), space, and the physical universe as a whole.
• #30: Pedagogy Notes Examples from the text can be used to demonstrate how psychology can inform us in ways that common sense and intuition cannot: Money and happiness: no link after $75k a year Gender differences in amount of talking: no difference Increase of suicide during the holidays: no increase
• #31: Pedagogy Notes The report linking vaccinations and autism has been retracted from the publishing journal. The author of the report received over $500K to falsify his findings. Considered “one of the most serious frauds in medical history.” Measles outbreaks in the United States and Canada due to loss of herd immunity Figure 1.9 Measles As fewer children are vaccinated against dangerous diseases such as measles, society begins to lose herd immunity, and diseases that were once nearly wiped out start making a comeback.
• #32: Pedagogy Notes Homeopathy includes: The treatment of serious medical diseases with small doses of natural substances that would cause the symptoms of the disease in a healthy person “Rebirthing” for the treatment of psychological disorders. A girl was crushed and suffocated in the early 2000s.
• #33: Pedagogy Notes Critical thinking can help us to avoid the dangers, misunderstandings, and misperceptions about psychological issues. Critical thinking helps us to develop psychological literacy.
• #34: Pedagogy Notes Link: https://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/news-statements-quiz/ This online quiz from the Pew Research Center functions well as an in-class demonstration. Consider answering the questions as a class. Students can answer each question by raising their hands. You can also have students answer the questions with their eyes closed to prevent students from being swayed by their classmates' responses.
• #36: Figure 1.13 Cultural Distance From the United States Based on survey responses from around the world, this map shows other countries' levels of cultural and psychological similarity or dissimilarity to the United States. (Muthukrishna et al., 2018)
• #37: Pedagogy Notes Using these diverse perspectives, psychology and the scientific method can be applied to abstract topics, like love, by studying: Physiological response to touch Developmental response to touch Links between family happiness levels and touching
• #38: Pedagogy Notes Insights generated by combining the different perspectives have revealed this set of unifying themes.
• #39: Pedagogy Notes Learning Goal: Students will be introduced to the idea that culture shapes our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. First, prompt students to each take out a piece of paper and in 30 seconds, complete the phrase “I am ____” with as many different completions as they can generate before the clock runs out. Scale for Class Size: In smaller classes, you could try a format in which students spend more time sharing their answers with one another (e.g., have each student share their top attribute; have the students discuss the topic in small groups). You could also extend the activity by having students complete the original activity in the Ma & Schoenenman (1997) paper, which involves spending more time writing down aspects of the self.
• #40: Pedagogy Notes The slide provides examples of aspects of “possible selves” students could have identified in their responses. Point out that the self is comprised of many possible aspects. There are many possible aspects of the self that a person could recognize at any given time. Try This: Instruct students to categorize their responses (e.g., traits, current states, relationships, physical descriptions, social roles, etc.). You can either supply categories or ask students to generate them. Use these lists as a starting point for an in-class or online conversation on the different ways we define the self. Emphasize that when we think of ourselves in a given role, the way we produce the list changes. For instance, if you imagine yourself as a coach, you will likely list different factors about yourself than if you think of yourself as a sibling.
• #41: Pedagogy Notes Reveal that research has documented that people portray themselves in different ways depending on their cultural background: Some cultures, especially Western countries, tend to be more individualistic and define the self in terms of personal attributes (e.g., personality traits) to a greater extent, whereas other cultures tend to be more collectivistic and define the self in terms of social roles to a greater extent. For example, a study found that American undergraduates are more likely to define themselves in terms of personal attributes rather than social roles, and Kenyan undergraduates exposed to Western educational influences tended to do so as well. But workers in Nairobi and tribespeople tended to define themselves in terms of social roles to a greater extent. Conclusion: Culture is a powerful influence that shapes not only how people define themselves, but also a host of other cognitions, emotions, and behaviors. It’s important for psychological researchers to contextualize their findings in terms of culture and to consider how psychological processes might differ in other cultures. Throughout the course, we’ll learn regularly about how culture influences a wide range of psychological phenomena, from our perceptions of the world around us to our social lives.
• #43: Pedagogy Notes Examples of cultural universals: the ability to read emotions, the preference for fairness, the capacity for language, the capacity for love in a mating relationship Figure 1.14 The Search for a Mate From an evolutionary perspective, humans have evolved a motivation to love and care for their young to help ensure that their genes are passed onto the next generation. (Buckels et al., 2015)
• #44: Pedagogy Notes Culture is passed from generation to generation as children learn it from parents, caregivers, and the larger society. Examples of cultural variation: parenting styles, preferences for conformity versus individuality
• #45: Pedagogy Notes The example of mate selection and parenting… Across cultures, people tend to select mates similar to them in economic status, age, intellectual ability, and physical attractiveness (nature). Cultures that have higher levels of gender equality show smaller gender differences in mate preference (nurture). Humans have evolved an innate motivation to parent their young, whereas culture provides scripts for how parenting is done (both!). An example of evolved tendencies and contemporary culture conflicting: reproducing after puberty while still pursuing schooling, career, and a stable lifestyle.
• #46: Pedagogy Notes This example cognitive finding interacts with the evolutionary perspective.
• #47: Pedagogy Notes This example cognitive finding interacts with the evolutionary perspective. Figure 1.16 Signs of Attraction In which of these photos does the model seem more attractive? If you chose (a), you're not alone. In that photo, the model's pupils are dilated (enlarged), which is often a sign of sexual interest and attraction. Over a lifetime of reading people, we develop the ability to tell when people are interested in us by looking at their pupils.
• #49: Pedagogy Notes You can ask the class how this example of conflicting conscious and unconscious processes could be problematic. An expected student response is that people may overlook potential mates who they would have a connection with and instead focus on others who they will not connect with, hence missing opportunities for love and real attraction.
• #50: Pedagogy Notes You can discuss the example of the biological perspective on relationships, as provided in the text: The role of oxytocin in interpersonal trust and romantic relationships: It has been known that oxytocin plays a critical role in childbirth, lactation, and bonding between mothers and their infants. Might it also play a larger role in developing trust of any kind? People’s bodily reactions synchronize with each other as they form close connections.
• #53: Figure 1.20 Experiences Can Change the Brain Neuroscientists have shown that London taxi drivers develop a larger hippocampus, the spatial memory region of the brain, as they spend more years navigating the complex street system of London. (Maguire, Woollett, & Spiers, 2006)
• #54: Pedagogy Notes Phases of the human life cycle include conception, infancy, toddlerhood, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle age, and old age. Figure 1.21 Psychology Across the Lifespan Developmental psychologists study how people change physically, cognitively, and socially as they progress from infancy through old age.
• #56: Pedagogy Notes The instructor can ask the class for other examples of research questions for which the personality and social psychological perspectives would offer complimentary viewpoints. Potential answers include questions about behaviors (e.g., violence, generosity) occurring consistently due to personality or inconsistently due to situational factors.
• #57: Pedagogy Notes Breakups of romantic relationships are one of the strongest predictors of depression among adolescents. Girls are more prone to post-breakup depression than boys are. Perhaps this is because girls feel more involved in their romantic relationships. However, in ongoing relationships, support and strain may affect men’s emotional well-being more than women’s.
• #58: Pedagogy Notes People with a growth mindset are better at changing their own behavior by setting goals and sticking to them even when setbacks occur. Students of psychology should maintain a growth mindset to motivate and effectively apply their learning. This is an example of using psychology to learn psychology!
• #59: Pedagogy Notes The study unit provides specific examples of how psychology can impact our lives and communities. Instructors may introduce some of them to the students: consequences of addiction and its treatment genetic and environmental influences on disease effective job interviewing techniques best parenting practices improving sense of community in neighborhoods increasing participation in sustainability programs
• #60: Pedagogy Notes Positive Psychology is a relatively recent movement in psychology Instructor may want to include the Interactive Figure 1.24 “Let’s Meditate” and play each recording for the class. The guided meditation recordings should be introduced as a contribution of positive psychology as a way of reducing stress with mindfulness.
• #61: Pedagogy Notes Happiness has three components: positive emotion and pleasure, engagement with life, and living a meaningful life with good relationships and a history of accomplishment 
• #62: Pedagogy Notes Happiness has three components: positive emotion and pleasure, engagement with life, and living a meaningful life with good relationships and a history of accomplishment 
• #64: Figure 1.28 Psychological Advances can Change the Rules of the Game Through the power of systematic scientific inquiry, professional football and the public have finally come to realize that there is a link between concussions, brain injury, and psychological disorders.
• #66: Pedagogy Notes You can further explain these strategies with details from the textbook: Studies have shown that people retain 10% more information when they engage in distributed practice versus cramming. Self-testing is more effective than rereading, practicing with concept maps, or simply assessing what you do and don’t know. The more you practice with certain question formats, the better you become at answering questions in this format . The Cornell note-taking method divides pages into three sections: notes, cue column, and summary section. Calendars can be paper or electronic, whichever you prefer. Try asking students if they have used these strategies, and if so, how have they applied them?
• #67: Pedagogy Notes You can further explain these strategies with details from the textbook: The Cornell note-taking method divides pages into three sections: notes, cue column, and summary section. Calendars can be paper or electronic, whichever you prefer. Try asking students if they have used these strategies, and if so, how have they applied them? Figure 1.29 The Cornell Note-Taking Method The Cornell note-taking method is an excellent way to organize your notes for easy reference and self-review. Divide your page into three sections, as shown below. (1) The note-taking area is the bulk of your page. Use this space to jot down key concepts, paraphrasing in your own words and using abbreviations whenever possible. (2) The cue column is a space to remind yourself what was important from your reading or lecture. Either as you are taking notes or within 24 hours after, identify the important themes that you may be tested on. Add these to the cue column, lining up your cues with the relevant notes to easily locate the answers to your questions. Then use the cue column to study for exams. (3) Use the summary section to write brief summaries of the material. Immediately or with 24 hours of writing your notes, reflect on the main concepts and takeaway points. Your note-taking section may be messy and your cue column may not convey a complete picture of the material, so use the summary area to organize your notes and identify the main themes or ideas. Summarizing helps you evaluate your understanding of the material as you go along, and it also provides an excellent resource for review when you're studying for exams.
• #68: Pedagogy Notes You can further explain these strategies with details from the textbook: People often believe they are more affective at multitasking than they actually are. Studies have shown that multitasking during studying reduces test scores. Studies have found a correlation between excessive online activity and lower grades. Teaching another person is an excellent way to learn the material. Try asking students if they have used these strategies, and if so, how have they applied them?
• #69: Pedagogy Notes Time: 7:11. To focus on just the technique rather than the discussion around it, you can cut the video down to 1:11 to 2:02, and play from 2:02 to 4:00 to for some possible psychological explanations for why the Pomodoro technique might work. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0k0TQfZGSc
• #70: Pedagogy Notes Let students discuss in pairs for a few minutes before coming together to discuss with the entire class. Alternatively, students’ responses can be conducted as a short in-class or take-home writing assignment, to be collected for low-stakes assessment.
• #71: Pedagogy Notes Webs, wows, and wonders are a wonderful way to do a short classroom assessment to see what students learned and what they did not understand. These can be reviewed before the next class, and teachers can respond to the most common webs, wows, and wonders.