Course Syllabus
Course: PSY 2010
Division: Social and Behavioral ScienceDepartment: Behavioral Science
Title: Psychology as a Science and Career
Semester Approved: Spring 2019
Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2023
End Semester: Summer 2025
Catalog Description: This course centers around developing and improving students' scientific and critical inquiry skills. Any student could benefit from this course, but it has emphasis for students who are considering or have declared themselves psychology majors. Students enrolled in the course will gain better understanding of concepts ranging from research design, basic statistics, APA format writing, methods of finding and understanding classic or current social science research, and career options in psychology and related fields.
Semesters Offered: Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 3; Lab: 0
Prerequisites: PSY 1010
Justification: This course is designed to give any student basic skills they could use in scientific and critical inquiry through their lives. It has particular application for students who are psychology or other social science majors. It will help prepare students for upper division coursework and commonly transfers to four-year institutions in Utah that require a Psychology 2010 course.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Draw on the social and behavioral sciences to evaluate contemporary problems using social science research methodology. One of the main foci of the course is for students to conduct their own original research projects. To accomplish such, students will consider current questions, issues, or problems that impact their lives and then devise ways to scientifically evaluate the issues and the implications thereof.
Develop and communicate hypothetical explanations for individual human behavior within the large-scale historical or social context. For the purposes of the students understanding the science of psychology, they will complete research process assignments. These assignments will require them to develop and effectively communicate theories and research questions pertinent to their lives, interests, or current research. These smaller assignments will inform student’s insights of how individual behaviors impact families, groups, and society at large.
Explain and use the social-scientific method to test research questions and draw conclusions. For the purposes of the students' understanding the science of psychology, they will complete research process assignments and their original research projects. These assignments will require them to develop theories and progress through the scientific process finalizing with them presenting their results to an audience. In doing such, they will need to help audience members apply the research to their lives.
Write effectively within the social science discipline, using correct disciplinary guidelines, to analyze, interpret, and communicate about social science phenomena. Students will write in several components of the class. Every assignment has some level of writing. Students will complete research process assignments, application papers, resumes, and their final research project. These elements require not only communicating about the research and findings, but also a somewhat comprehensive survey of the literature. All of which require correct disciplinary writing conventions (APA Format).
Describe and analytically compare social, political, economic, cultural, geographical, and historical settings and processes other than one’s own. This is a foundational feature of psychology. Students will be exposed to unique cultural, social, and political perspectives so they might be able to better asses research questions, see how psychological careers may serve varying populations, and even tailoring their own resumes for the sector in which they might apply for a job. The associated assignments will demonstrate their ability to accomplish this objective.
Demonstrate a broadened understanding of the different elements of the field of psychology, such as research, therapy, careers, and life application/improvement. Throughout the course students will be required to apply the concepts learned to popular media outlets, social interactions, and personal lives. They will learn how to use what they learn in future education as well as their own lives. Students will also gain a better understanding of the diversity of fields within the discipline of psychology. This will be assessed through application assignments, career presentations, and research assignments
Content:
Several books will be used to teach this course emphasizing the following diverse objectives:
• introduction to research methods
• introduction to research design
• introduction to ethics
• introduction to statistics
• introduction to conducting quality literature reviews
• understanding social research and its implication
• writing in the social sciences and incorporating all of the above
• APA writing style
• careers in Psychology
Key Performance Indicators:
Research study (proposal, design, implementation, & presentation 40 to 60%
Career exploration presentations 20 to 30%
Research Process Assignments 10 to 15%
Resumes 10 to 15%
Application assignments 8 to 12%
Participation 5 to 10%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
APA Style Manual
Kuther, T., The Psychology Major's Handbook, current edition, Wadsworth Publishing.
Lawson, T., Scientific Perspective On Pseudoscience and The Paranomral
Davis, S., Giordano, P. Your Career in Psychology, Current Edition
Pedagogy Statement:
This course is best suited to provide students an opportunity to engage in research and career choices on their own. Thus an experiential lecture/lab model is preferred. However, circumstances may dictate adaptation
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture
Maximum Class Size: 40
Optimum Class Size: 30