Psychology 571 Sec. 1: The Great Psychologists
Dr. Deborah Johnson
University of Southern Maine
Portland, Maine

"Philosophies are only pictures of the world which have grown up in the minds of different individuals."
William James, Notebooks

"Every reality has an infinity of aspects or properties. Even so simple a fact as a line which you trace in the air may be considered in respect to its form, its length, its direction and its location. When we reach more complex facts, the number of ways in which we may regard them is literally endless... All objects are well­springs of properties, which are only little by little developed to our knowledge... A man is such a complex fact. But out of the complexity all that an army commissary picks out as important for his purposes is his property of eating so many pounds a day; the general, of marching so many miles; the chair­maker, of having such a shape; the orator, of responding to such and such feelings; the theatre­manager, of being willing to pay just such a price, and no more, for an evening's amusement. Each of these persons singles out the particular side of the entire man which has a bearing on his concerns, and not till this side is distinctly and separately conceived can the proper practical conclusions for that reasoner be drawn; and when they are drawn the man's other attributes may be ignored."

"That theory will be most generally believed which, besides offering us objects able to account satisfactorily for our sensible experience, also offers those which are most interesting, those which appeal most urgently to our aesthetic, emotional and active needs."
William James, Principles of Psychology


Objectives: This course will focus on three highly influential psychologists ­ Sigmund Freud (1856­1939); Mary W. Calkins (1863­1930) and B.F. Skinner (1904­1990) ­ whose work represents the major perspectives of psychology­­psychoanalysis, humanism and behaviorism. Primary source readings from each of these psychologists will serve to introduce you to their "pictures" of human experience. Writing and small group discussion activities will enable you to explore the readings more thoroughly with the following goals in mind.
1 . Comprehending the primary principles, assumptions and
concepts of each of these psychologists.
2. Applying these theories to your own experience.
3. Comparing and contrasting the three different "pictures" of human thought, emotion, and action.
4. Exploring the nature of scientific creativity and
scientific genius by examining the process of theory
development for each of these thinkers.

Texts:
Unit I: 1/29­3/5 Gay, P. (ed.) (1989) The Freud Reader
Unit II: 3/7­4/4 Assigned articles by Calkins and others in Psychology 571 Packet
Unit III: 4/9­5/9 Skinner, B.F. (1948) Walden Two. Plus assigned articles in Psychology 571 Packet and Handouts (Programmed Text)

Texts are available at the Durham Book Exchange. The Psychology 571 Packet will be available at University Printing, Hewitt Hall.


Requirements:

Class time will include mini lectures, small group discussion, application activities and films. There will be frequent brief writing exercises. Class attendance is required; your active participation is needed to make this course a valuable learning experience for yourself and others. Your course grade will be based on exams, application papers, and class participation, including writing exercises. These requirementments are described in more detail below:

Exams (45%): For each of the three course units (Freud, Calkins, Skinner) an essay exam will be given. Although each exam will focus on the theories covered in the unit, you will be expected to compare and contrast theories on certain issues.

Application Papers (30%): For each of the three course units you will write an essay of 5­6 pages exploring your own experience in relation to the concepts/theories we have been discussing.

Class Participation (25%): This will include evaluation of various informal writing exercises as well as my assessment of your involvement in the course. Writing exercises will include in­class writing activities as well as the following:

Journal: I will expect you to keep a journal in which you summarize the reading assignments, generate questions on the readings and apply the material to your own experience. In addition to providing practice in writing (which I believe is essential for critical thinking), this journal should provide you with study guides for the exams and source material for your application papers.

Timeline: During the semester you will be creating a timeline covering the period from 1885­1985. This timeline will juxtapose events in your field of study and/or other fields of interest with the developments we are reviewing in psychology. This timeline will be shared with other students throughout the semester and compiled as a class timeline at the end of the course.



Class Schedule

1/24 Introduction: What is a Great Psychologist?
Reading: Syllabus

1/29 Freud's Life and Times
Freud Reader: pp. 3­41 (Skim) "An Autobiographical Study"

1/31 Hysteria and the Founding of Psychoanalysis
Freud Reader: pp. 97­111 "The Aetiology of Hysteria"

2/5 Freud's Analysis and Dream Interpretation
Freud Reader: pp. 142­172 "On Dreams"

2/7
2/12 The Classic Theory
Freud Reader: pp. 239­258 or 259­279 or 279­293
"Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality"

2/14 The Classic Theory under Strain
Freud Reader: pp. 545­562 "On Narcissism"

2/19 Revisions to the Theory
Freud Reader: pp. 628­658
"The Ego and the Id"
Application Paper I (draft) Due

2/21 Psychoanalysis and Culture
Freud Reader: "Obsessive Actions and Religious Practices" pp. 429­436 or "Creative Writers and Daydreaming" pp. 436­443 or "Theme of Three Caskets" pp. 514­522

2/26 Civilization and its Discontents
Freud Reader: pp. 723­742
"Civilization and its Discontents"

2/28 Civilization and its Discontents
Freud Reader: pp. 735­772
"Civilization and its Discontents"
Application Paper I (Revised) Due

3/5 EXAM I

3/7 Calkins Life and Times
Packet: Furomoto, "Mary Whiton Calkins..." pp. 1­6

3/12 Psychology and Associationism
Packet: James, Talks to Teachers pp. 8­24

3/14 Experimental Study of Association
Packet: Calkins "Classification of Cases of Association", pp. 25­28

3/18­3/22 SPRING BREAK

3/26 Self and Psychology: The Humanist Impulse
Packet: Calkins, "Self in Scientific Psychology" pp. 29­38

3/28 Introspection and the Self
Packet: Amen, "Experimental Study of Self"
pp. 39­53

4/2 Competing Perspectives in Psychology
Packet: Calkins: "Converging Lines" pp. 54­58 Application Paper 2 Due

4/4 Exam II

4/9 Skinner's Life and Times
Packet: Skinner, "Autobiography", pp. 59­74

4/11 Baconian Control and Operant Conditioning
Packet: Skinner, "A Case History...", pp. 75-87
*Programmed Text: "Elementary Concepts"

4/16 Basic Operant Concepts
*Programmed Text: "Shaping; or Intermittent Reinforcement; or Stimulus Control"
Packet: Skinner, "How to Teach Animals" pp. 88­92

4/18 Programmed Learning
*Programmed Text: "Avoidance and Escape; Punishment"
Packet: Skinner, "The Shame of American Education" pp. 93­100

4/23 Behaviorism vs. Psychoanalysis
*Programmed Text: "Experiments in Anxiety; or Inadequate Self Knowledge or Aggressiveness"

4/25 Applications: Infancy and Old Age
Packet: Skinner, "Baby in a Box" pp. 101­104. "Intellectual Self Management" pp. 105­110

4/30 Behaviorism and Culture
Packet: Skinner, "Man" pp.111­114; "Creating the Creative Artist" pp. 115­121

5/2 Utopias
Walden Two, pp. 1­94 (Chapters 1­11)

5/7 Walden Two, pp. 95­191 (Chapters 12­22)
Application Paper 3 Due

5/9 Walden Two, pp. 192­320 (Chapters 23­36)

5/14 HOW CAN WE RECOGNIZE A GREAT PSYCHOLOGIST??

*Programmed Texts will be handed out in class. You will be expected to complete them all prior to the exam, but specific assignments will be made on 4/16 and 4/23 for the purpose of class discussion.

EXAM 3 will be given during the regularly scheduled final exam period (now scheduled for Wednesday, May 22, 3:30-5:30 pm)