Introduction to Psychology - Lecture Notes

Course Overview

Instructor: Dr. Paul Bloom

• Comprehensive introduction to the study of the human mind.
• Topics covered: brains, children, language, sex, memory, madness, disgust, racism, love, etc.
• Two lectures a week + course readings.

Course Logistics

• Attend both the lectures and do the readings.
  • Some overlap between lectures and readings but not always.
  • If you miss a class, get notes from a friend/classmate.
  • Slides available online in black and white, easy to print.
  • Not a substitute for attending class.

Textbooks:

• Peter Gray's Psychology, 5th edition
• The Norton Reader edited by Gary Marcus

Evaluation:

• Midterm and Final exams
  • Final on the last day of class.
  • Multiple choice, short answer, fill in the blank, etc.
  • Previous exams will be posted online.
• Weekly questions starting from the third week, to be sent to teaching fellows.
  • Designed to motivate students to keep up with the material and readings.
  • Pass/fail grading for these questions.
• Short book review.
• Experimental participation requirement (details to be provided).

How to succeed:

• Attend all classes.
• Keep up with readings (preferably before class).
• Form study groups.
• Introduce yourself to the person next to you to exchange resources.
• Establish contact with Dr. Bloom or teaching fellows.

Course Content & Goals

• Scientific insights into real-world problems (e.g., studying better, improving social skills).
• Goals: Introduce how the human mind works, using traditional sub-areas of psychology:
  • Neuroscience: Study of the mind by looking at the brain.
  • Developmental: How people develop and grow.
  • Cognitive: Computational approach to mind (e.g., language, object recognition).
  • Social: Study of how people act in groups.
  • Clinical: Mental health and mental illness.

Expanding Beyond Psychology

• Includes interdisciplinary aspects from evolution, economics, game theory, philosophy, computer science, anthropology, literature, theology, etc.

Example Topics & Specific Areas of Discussion

The Brain

• Physical nature of mental life.
• Brain damage case studies (e.g., Terri Schiavo) illustrating concepts like free will, consciousness.
• Mental life arising from physical brain.

Child Development

• Example: Dr. Bloom's son, Zachary.
• Key questions: Development, continuity, personality, intelligence.
• Genetic vs. environmental contributions to development.
• Influence of parenting on personality and behavior.

Attraction & Morality

• Scientific analysis of what makes a face attractive.
• Moral questions: Nature of good and evil (e.g., Osama bin Laden, Ted Bundy, Oskar Schindler).
• Study of extreme behaviors to understand moral concepts.

Mental Illness

• Discussion on common mental disorders in students (e.g., depression, anxiety).
• Profound social implications of mental health issues.
• Fascination with rare mental disorders (e.g., memory disorders, insanity, Capgras syndrome, Cotard’s syndrome) to understand normal life concepts.

Guest Lecturers & Special Topics

• Dr. Marvin Chun: Cognitive neuroscience, especially of faces.
• Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema: Depression, sex differences.
• Kelly Brownell: Psychology of food, eating disorders, obesity.
• Dr. Peter Salovey: Mysteries of love, on Valentine's Day.

Additional Tips

• Stay on top of coursework and readings.
• Engage with peers and instructors.
• Utilize guest lectures for comprehensive understanding.
• Experiment participation for hands-on experience in psychology research.