Schedule: Introduction to Psychological Studies

   Class MWF 12:00-12:50 in CL-256 | Psychology 202 | Dordt College  | Dr. Sherri Lantinga | Spring 2009

    IPS Syllabus  | http://homepages.dordt.edu/~lantinga/IPS/index.html

Note: this schedule is VERY TENTATIVE and likely to change (with notice) (last revised April 2, 2009)

 

DATE

 CLASS TOPIC

READING PREPARATION

ASSIGNMENT
W Jan 14 Welcome! introducing ourselves and the course    
F Jan 16 Who are we? what does the Bible say about people? How does that relate to what psychology says? Lantinga (pp. 250-259);
Miller & Delaney (pp. 3-5, 16-18)		 Reading Summary #1 due
M Jan 19 Exploring the self: thinking about the human self and doing some on-campus research    
W Jan 21 Data interpretation: what does our research suggest about the self? what conclusions can we draw? schedule coffee times   Professional Development paper due
F Jan 23 Finding psychology literature: what are the main types of literature? where do they live in a library?   PsycInfo quiz due; Service Learning vs. Current Events choice due
M Jan 26 Big questions: what big questions do we have about people that psychology can help answer?    
W Jan 28 Major theories/schools of psychology: how do humanism, behaviorism, and other theories describe human psychology and compare to a biblical perspective? Vitz (http://ipsciences.edu/pages/why-ips/a-brief-history-of-psychology.php) Reading Summary #2 due
F Jan 30 Big questions and theories: how do the major theories answer the big questions?    
M Feb 2 Big Question group presentations    
W Feb 4

no class - Dr. Lantinga at a seminar

 Research Methods in psychology (wikipedia) Reading Summary #3 due
F Feb 6 Writing about psychology: what is distinct about APA style? what belongs on a title page and references page? what does it mean to write with integrity in psychology? APA Manual section 1.04 (pp. 7-9); skim sections 1.06-1.13 (pp. 10-28) and Figure 5.1 (pp. 306-316)
Citing sources (see sections V and VI on Text Citations and Quotations)		  
M Feb 9 Reading a journal article: what are the main sections of an empirical paper?    
W Feb 11 Journal article summaries: how can we translate and summarize psych research for public gain?    
F Feb 13 Journal article summary presentations   Journal article summary due

~~~ CALLING, CAREERS, AND PSYCHOLOGY  ~~~
M Feb 16 Calling: how does calling relate to careers and majors? Where does psychology fit? Career planning; 
Major and career		  
W Feb 18

Your Dordt education: what is required for a degree in psych? what are Dordt's 4 curricular coordinates? What is the psych department mission and student learning objectives?

Psych Department Advising Handbook (hard copy or on-line)
Self-insight (personal interviews) assignment due
F Feb 20 Transcripts: what are the important data on a transcript? What inferences can we draw about a person?   bring your college transcript (hard copy)
M Feb 23 BA-level psych careers: what are your options as a psychology graduate? Entry-level psych jobs;
What can you do with a BA in psych?		  
W Feb 25 Job skills: what skills, knowledge, experience, and relationships can you develop now to help you begin your career? how do covert curricular skills compare to desirable employment skills? Covert curriculum;
Valuable job skills;
Maximize chances of a good job		  
F Feb 27

no class - Dr. Lantinga at a conference

    
M Mar 2 Why consider graduate school? what are the advantages and disadvantages of going to grad school vs. pursuing a BA-level career? Should you go to grad school?
 
W Mar 4

Applying to grad school: what are the primary and secondary admission criteria? when should you start the application process?

 Applying to grad school
 
F Mar 6 Reference & recommendation letters: what's the purpose of reference letters? how can you get a strong recommendation?; Chicago Semester representative here Recommendation letters Service Learning journals due
Current Events Entries due
 
M Mar 9 Resumes & cover letters: what is the purpose of these documents? what should they include? What is a resume?;
Cover letters		 Four-year plan due
W Mar 11 Review and revise resumes   Resume draft due
 
Mar 12-23                                                  Have a great spring break!
W Mar 25 Writing cover letters   meet in computer lab
 
F Mar 27 Review and revise cover letters   meet in computer lab
M Mar 30 Interview skills: what to wear (and not wear) to an interview? what happens in interviews and what are some basic dos/don'ts (DVD)? Interview Prep dress for an interview
W Apr 1 Hiring: how are candidates selected for a position? what makes for a good fit?    
~~~ ETHICS, COUNSELING, & RESEARCH ~~~
F Apr 3 Ethical standards: what are the general principles and minimum ethical standards for professional conduct in psychology? APA Ethical Principles (bring hard copy to class)  
M Apr 6 Ethical case studies: how do APA ethical standards apply in research, teaching, and clinical situations?    
W Apr 8 Clinical evaluations: what kinds of information do psychologists gather from clients and how do they use it? Faiver, Eisengart, & Colonna (pp. 46-55);
APA Multiaxial Assessment (pp. 27-33)		  
F Apr 10 Psychological research methods: what are some of the ways research is done in psychology? What tensions do a scientific approach present for Christian psychologists?   Service Learning Journals due
Current Events Entries due
M Apr 13 Anecdotal & testimonial "evidence": why does science give better information than talk shows and infomercials? Stanovich chapter 4 (pp. 55-74)  
W Apr 15 Experimental research: why are experiments the best way to test causal claims? Stanovich chapter 6 (pp. 87-102)  
F Apr 17

Career presentations

   Job application package due
~~~ REFLECTIONS ON PSYCHOLOGY ~~~
M Apr 20 no class - work on library survey   Clinical testing/interview reflections due
W Apr 22 no class - work on library survey Siouxland conference April 23  
F Apr 24 Library Survey Teams report to library staff   Service Learning and Current Events reflection papers due;
Library Survey Report due
M Apr 27 Service Learning presentations    
W Apr 29

Current Event presentations

    
F May 1 Course wrap-up & evaluations    

T May 5

Professional Development paper due in Dr. Lantinga's office by noon    

Dordt College Psychology Department Mission Statement:
In light of God's Word, the Dordt College Psychology Department is dedicated to a Reformed Christian perspective in developing students'
understanding of the psychological knowledge base, professional and interpersonal skills, and desire to use their knowledge and skills in serving others.