PSYCHOLOGY12. Page1. The mind is its own place And in itself can make A heaven of hell; a hell of heaven. John Milton, Paradise Lost

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1 Page1 PSYCHOLOGY12 The mind is its own place And in itself can make A heaven of hell; a hell of heaven. John Milton, Paradise Lost Everyone has a theory of human nature. Everyone has to anticipate the behaviour of others, and that means we all need theories about what makes people tick. A tacit theory of human nature that behaviour is caused by thoughts and feelings is embedded in the way we think about people. Stephen Pinker, The Blank Slate Any ape can reach for a banana, but only humans can reach for the stars. Apes live, contend, breed, and die in forests end of story. Humans write, investigate, create, and quest. We splice genes, split atoms, launch rockets. We peer upward into the heart of the Big Bang and delve deeply into the digits of pi. Perhaps most remarkably of all, we gaze inward, piecing together the puzzle of our own unique and marvelous brain. It makes the mind reel. How can a three-pound mass of jelly that you can hold in your palm imagine angels, contemplate the meaning of infinity, and even question its own place in the cosmos? V.S. Ramachandran, The Tell-Tale Brain DEFINING THE MIND The ancient Greeks used the word psyche to describe the essence of life, which they believed was separate and distinct from the physical body. Thus every human being, according to this view, consisted of body and psyche. The way the Greeks used the word psyche it is commonly translated as soul. Over time it became used increasingly to denote mind, and it is from this development that we have the word psychology which literally means the study of the mind. This definition of psychology isn t actually that helpful, however, because nobody can seem to agree on precisely what mind is. We don t have the same problem with brain, which is the physical organ inside the skull. But mind is something different. We sometimes use the word as a metaphor, when we say things like He has a good mind (meaning, he is intelligent) or Be mindful of your surroundings (meaning, be attentive). There are some psychologists who think that mind is entirely metaphor that it is simply a metaphor for the functions of the brain. Or, to put it another way, that mind is a word referring to what the brain does. Again, not very helpful, because it simply re-states the problem. What does the brain do? And can human behaviour be fully understood simply by studying the brain? There are some people who think this, but most don t. Human behaviour seems to be a puzzling combination of biology and environment, and the brain is simply a part although an obviously central part of this process. This is why psychology is often defined as the study of the mind, rather than the study of the brain. By the way, the study of the physical structure of the brain (and by extension the nervous system as a whole) is

2 Page2 called neuroscience; the field of neuroscience has historically been an important influence on psychology. There is also a branch of medicine called neurology, which focuses on treatment of illness and dysfunction in the nervous system and brain. Just to add to the fun, there is a field within psychology called neuropsychology, which gives special attention to the brain. I hope you re getting the idea that defining mind and therefore defining psychology itself is not an easy task. I won t pretend it is by giving a simplistic definition here. Instead, let me suggest that the entire point of Psychology 12 is to explore the meaning of psychology, and since the concept of mind is central to psychology, you can think of this course as an exploration of mind. Not brain although brain will come into things. WISHFUL THINKING To give you a fuller idea about what the study of psychology entails, let me share a number of questions with you, questions which are all of central importance to the study of psychology. Although it is unrealistic (to say the least) to suggest that we will answer all of these questions in this course, I can at least promise you that we will explore these questions. And it isn t just wishful thinking to talk about getting answers you might be surprised at how many answers psychologists have come up with to these and other questions. What is the mind? Does it even exist? How is it different from the brain? Or is it? What is science? Is psychology a science, or something else? How is a psychology experiment different from, say, a chemistry experiment? How do psychologists find things out about human behaviour? Are their methods reliable? What is consciousness? Are animals conscious? Are plants? Are machines? Could they be? What is it that makes you who you are? Is it the structure of your brain? Is it the nature of your environment? Are some people born bad? Are some born good? What is memory? How does it work? Why do we forget most of the things that happen to us? Are those memories stored in the brain somewhere or are they lost forever? What are dreams? Do they mean anything? Do they matter? What is personality? Are there different types of personalities? Can you change your personality? What is addiction? What does it mean to be addicted to something? Most of us have heard of drug and alcohol addiction. Are there other kinds of addiction? Can a person be addicted to sex? To gambling? To pornography? To the internet? What is mental illness? How is it different from physical illness? What types of mental illness are there? How can a person know if he or she is mentally ill? Can mental illness be cured? What is happiness? Can we learn how to be happy? Or is happiness something we can t control? What is intelligence? What does it mean to be intelligent? Can a person try to become more intelligent? Can intelligence be measured or tested? Should it be?

3 Page3 PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHIATRY, AND OTHER DISTANT COUSINS Psychology is a relatively young discipline barely one hundred years old. It didn t spring into life from nothing. Part of what we will do in this course is consider some of the related fields of study which gave birth to psychology and continue to influence it today. As a field of study, psychology has its origins in philosophy, one of the oldest intellectual disciplines in human history. Philosophy is even harder to define than psychology. One traditional definition of philosophy is the love of wisdom, but that isn t very helpful. A (slightly) more useful definition is the study of thought and reason and the application of thought and reason to the physical world. A central question in the history of philosophy has been the question of mind and its relation to the body the socalled mind/body problem. Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on many of the questions that originate in philosophy. Psychology also has its origins in medicine, which can be broadly defined as the use of drugs and surgery to treat illness. Within medicine there are two distinct specialities which are of particular interest to psychology: one is neurology, the medical treatment of the brain and nervous system, and the other is psychiatry, which focuses on medical treatment of mental illness. Neuropsychology is a branch of psychology that gives special attention to the brain and nervous system, and clinical psychology deals with mental illness. Both types of psychologists often work closely with neurologists and psychiatrists. In addition to philosophy and medicine, psychology also grew from the field of biology, the scientific study of living things. In particular, psychology originated in physiology, a branch of biology which studies cells, tissues, and organs. Unlike philosophers, who focus strictly on mental processes, and unlike medical doctors, who focus strictly on illness, psychologists are concerned with how physiological processes relate to mental processes. Or, to put it another way, how the working of the body impacts the working of the mind (and vice-versa).experimental psychology is a branch of psychology that is closest to laboratory science; most experimental psychologists have extensive training in biology and chemistry as well as psychology. As mentioned earlier, neuroscience (or neurobiology) is an important field that overlaps with psychology, biology, and medicine. Psychology also developed alongside sociology, which is the use of scientific methodology to study society. Social psychology is a branch of psychology which attempts to explore the impact of society on the individual. Psychology has also had a close relationship with education, a broad discipline focusing on the relationship between teaching and learning. Learning in particular is a topic of great interest to psychology, along with memory, creativity and intelligence. Educational psychologists are specialists who deal with these areas, often working in school systems.

4 Page4 SYLLABUS So far I ve tried to give you a general sense of what psychology is, what it deals with, and where it came from. What follows is a far more detailed breakdown of specific topics we will explore in the course. This is not a contract! Everything here is subject to change. We may run out of time and have to skip certain readings or sections, or we may cover some material quicker than planned and add additional topics. Some topics will probably require more time and attention as we unpack them. However, in terms of the basic material we will use and the general sequence of topics, the syllabus below is fairly reliable. Part 1: Etymology, Origins, Methodology We ll spend the first two weeks of the course defining what psychology actually is. We ll explore the etymology and origins of psychology, as well as the related disciplines of philosophy, medicine, and experimental science. The distinction between physical science and social science will be important here, and we will talk about the scientific method alongside various methods used in psychology. We will look at two early schools of thought in the field of psychology: Sigmund Freud s psychoanalytic approach and John Watson s behaviourist approach. Defining psychology Is psychology a science? Origins and related disciplines Psychoanalysis Behaviourism Part 2: Consciousness and the Brain Since psychology is (supposedly) the study of the mind, we will spend some time trying to define what exactly mind is. We ll start with a classic, foundational question in philosophy known as the mind-body problem and we will consider the relevance of this question to contemporary psychology. We will then explore two fascinating (and highly practical) subjects that both grow out of the mental-physical connection: stress and the placebo effect. Finally, we will explore the modern field of neuroscience and the question of consciousness, including different states of consciousness, the effect of drugs on consciousness, and the nature of sleep and dreaming. Throughout this section of the course we will consider the physical structure of the brain and its relation to mental states. It s my self-portrait. Psychology, philosophy, and the mind-body problem Mental states and physical health: stress, anxiety, and depression The power of suggestion and the placebo effect States of consciousness Sleep and dreams Brain damage and its relation to behaviour

5 Page5 Part 3: Nature and Nurture One of the iconic questions in the study of human behavior is the famous nature vs. nurture debate. Everyone agrees that biology and environment are both important factors in shaping who we become. But the debate is one of degree: to what extent is a person shaped by biology, and to what extent is a person shaped by environment? Another aspect of the debate concerns control: how much control do we have over who we are and what we become? Is biology destiny? Central to this topic is the study of genetics, and the interaction of genes and environment touches on a range of defining issues, including intelligence, creativity, sexuality and sexual orientation, gender identity, and personality. Genetics is a fascinating field of study which is developing at an astonishing rate. Most people have a vague, passing familiarity with the basic language of genetics: DNA, genes, chromosomes ; and even if they don t really understand what these terms mean, most people have an idea of what is meant by genetics although often they are misinformed about the implications and significance of genetic research. Separating facts from myth will be an important goal in this section of the course. Genes, chromosomes, DNA The Human Genome Project Heredity and environment: the debate Learning and intelligence Personality Sex and gender Part 4: Abnormal Psychology Abnormal psychology is a blanket term describing a branch of psychology that deals with the understanding and treatment of any type of unusual pattern of thought or behaviour. This may or may not include mental illness or mental disorders. We will consider a wide range of topics, including developmental disorders, psychosis and neurosis, clinical depression, schizophrenia, personality disorders, and psychopathology. An extremely important underlying philosophical question is, What is normal? And is normalcy simply a cultural construct (that is, does each society and culture simply make up its own idea of normal ) or is there an underlying, objective reality that distinguishes normal from abnormal, and mental health from mental illness? Defining abnormal psychology Psychology and psychiatry Brain disorders Mental illness Psychotherapy and drug therapy

6 Page6 STATE OF MIND I would like to wrap up this course overview with a few comments about what this course can offer you and how you should approach this course if you want to benefit from it. If I had to put into one sentence what I hope this course will help you achieve, it would be this: By the end of Psychology 12, you will have a greater understanding of what human beings are and why they do what they do. Of course, there are many ways to more fully understand human beings: history, art, literature, music, and religion, for example, are all windows into the human soul. You can also learn an enormous amount about human beings simply by observing what they do and what they value. Entertainment, sports, and the daily news can all tell you a great deal about what it means to be a human being. Psychology, however, aims to apply the discipline of rational thought and the rigor of scientific methodology to the study of human beings. And this is something you have to prepare yourself for. To succeed in this course you will have to be disciplined in your thinking and willing to dedicate yourself to an enormous amount of reading and writing. You will be tested regularly on your knowledge and comprehension of classroom discussion, notes, and assigned readings. Psychology 12 is not a science course in the strictest sense, but the approach is similar to a science course in some respects. We are interested in facts, not opinions. In explanations, not possibilities. In knowledge, not belief. This is what makes psychology such a fascinating and unique discipline. It is part philosophy and part science, but not fully either one, and on its own terms quite different from both of them. Perhaps the most important quality you can bring to this course is curiosity. Specifically, curiosity about people. If you are curious about what makes people do the things they do and if you are willing to do some hard (but rewarding) work to find out some answers (and more detailed questions), then you will find this course to be quite rewarding. If, on the other hand, you are the kind of person who tends to shrug and lot and say, Who cares? then you are in the wrong place. A student of psychology asks constant questions, but who cares? is never one of them. A student of psychology is never satisfied with simple answers or explanations based entirely on faith or dogma. A student of psychology wants to know the reasons for why people do what they do, all the while accepting that unlike plants, animals, or virtually anything else on this planet, human beings are so complex and unpredictable that the reasons may be elusive at best and completely paradoxical at worst. But the student of psychology keeps questioning, observing, and reasoning because the process of understanding human behaviour is as rewarding as the end result.