General and Cognitive Psych software sources
I am using CogLab this term and I like it. The students have to pay for an access code (I think about $10 - check with your rep). You can't modify any of the experiments, and the data is kind of difficult to access (though, after using Mellab disks, it's much easier that putting disks in and out of a computer). However, nothing needs to be downloaded. PsychExp is free, but the students download Authorware. I know that this shouldn't be a problem, but our tech guys on campus go loony when students start downloading software onto campus computers (they would have to load it on each machine for me, etc.). For General Psych, I would recommend taking a look at the Dushkin website for Pettijohn's textbook. There are nifty survey questions and some really good exercises (for example, one that does correlations, central tendencies, etc. There are many good websites for intro textbooks, but I must say, this is my favorite. http://p-wadsworth.thomsonlearning.com/coglab/index.html http://www.olemiss.edu/PsychExps/ http://dushkin.com/connectext/psy/ At 02:11 PM 4/11/01 -0600, Johnna K. Shapiro wrote: It's been a long time since I've been active on this list, so please forgive me if this has been recently discussed. I'm looking to integrate some lab activities into my Gen Psych sections next Fall and wanted to know if any of you had some recommendations for software sources (i.e. demo packages, lab packages, web sites, etc.) Also, I have a computer lab for my Perception and Cognition course and am looking for recommendations for software for that as well. (For instance do any of you use SuperLab or CogLab?) All of my labs would be Mac based. Finally, if this has been a recent thread (and I just missed them) if you could give me a sense of when in the archives to start hunting, that would be great, too. regards, Johnna Shapiro Johnna K. Shapiro, Ph. D. Assistant Professor of Psychology Illinois Wesleyan University [EMAIL PROTECTED] Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://chiron.valdosta.edu/dbriihl/ Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: Vision Questions
Going for 2 and 3 2. Are there folks who are color-blind as a result of having no cones at all? This seems unlikely to me (isn't the fovea all cones?), but I wasn't sure. Color blindness (no color vision at all) can results from either missing all cones or missing 2 of the 3 types. If an individual is missing all cones, it does lead to visual problems other than color blindness - they tend to have problems with bright light (since rods work better in dim light). Complete color blindness can also occur with damage to V4 in the brain. 3. What would cause poor depth perception? Is there a particular brain region or visual pathway that, if damaged, results in the inability to perceive depth? Poor depth perception - such as problems with binocular disparity? Ah, that I know (through experience!). The visual system needs appropriate environmental stimuli as it is developing, otherwise, no binocular disparity. If someone has a lazy eye or one eye is a lot stronger than other, this may only partially develop or not develop at all! An individual with one eye would not have binocular disparity. However, you learn monocular cues that can be used for depth perception. Thanks in advance, Larry Larry Z. Daily Assistant Professor of Psychology Department of Psychology White Hall, Room 213 Shepherd College Shepherdstown, West Virginia 25443 phone: (304) 876-5297 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] WWW: http://webpages.shepherd.edu/LDAILY/index.html Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://chiron.valdosta.edu/dbriihl/ Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Movie on Repressed Memories
My students will be presented a debate on repressed memories and they wanted to start with a film clip. One of the students remembers a film about repressed memories that was shown on Lifetime, but can't recall the name of the film. Any help? I already looked on Cannon's website for films for psychology. Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://chiron.valdosta.edu/dbriihl/ Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: graduate school interview
Here is what I have on my website. Before the Interview Learn as much as you can about the company or school that you have an interview with. This conveys interest and enthusiasm (NOTE QUESTIONS 2, 9, 10 in Grad School and 19, 20, 21 in Employers). What is your e-mail address? What is the message on your answering machine? Employers are influenced by these factors. How might an employer view you if they must reply to hotstud@, sexybabe@, or druggy@? The same holds true with an answering machine. Keep the message professional sounding - at least while you are job hunting. Questions that they might ask you: Graduate Schools (from a TIPS discussion 2/96 and PSYCHTEACHER 1/00) 1. Why do you want to be a psychologist? What qualifications do you have that will make you a successful psychologist? 2. What attracts you to our program? What do you like about it? What do you hope to gain? 3. Will you tell me a little about yourself as a person? 4. What are your future plans and goals? 5. What do you see as your strengths and weaknesses? 6. What do you think you will bring to the program? What are your special attributes? 7. Have you ever had personal therapy? If yes, what did you work on? If no, why not? 8. What are your research interests? Tell me about your research project. 9. What is your theoretical orientation? 10. Which of our faculty members would you like to work with? 11. Where else have you applied/interviewed? 12. What are your hobbies, avocations, interests outside of psychology? 13. What undergraduate classes did you find the most interesting and why? Employers (from VSU's Career Planning and Placement): 1. What do you see yourself doing five years from now? 2. What are your long range career objectives? 3. What are the most important rewards you expect in your career? 4. Why did you choose the career for which you are preparing? 5. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses? 6. Tell me about yourself - how would you describe yourself? 7. How do you think a friend, professor, etc. would describe you? 8. What motivates you to put forth your best effort? 9. Why should I hire you? 10. How do you determine/evaluate success? 11. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our organization? 12. What qualities should a successful (name of job applying for) possess? 13. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? 14. Describe your most rewarding experience (in college, etc.). 15. What led you to choose your field or major? 16. If you could do so, how would you plan your course of study differently? 17. Do you think that your grades are a good indication of your academic achievement? 18. Are you able to work under pressure? Tell me of a situation where you had to work under pressure and how you handled it. 19. Why did you decide to seek a position with this company? 20. What do you know about our company? 21. What criteria are you using to evaluate the company for which you hope to work? Topics for questioning during an interview - What can you ask? For the graduate school (from PSYCHTEACHER 1/00): 1. What opportunities for research practica are there? 2. Do faculty take an active interest in mentoring students? If so, how? 3. What is the program's philosophical approach and how does it play out in their training? 4. Where do students go on internships, jobs? 5. Talk to students and find out whether they are happy there. Listen to why they are happy/not happy. 6. What percentage of students complete the program? 7. If the program is not APA-approved, why not? What are they doing to get approval (if they want it)? For the employer: 1. Opportunities for growth 2. Typical career paths and realistic time frames for advancement 3. Typical first year assignments 4. Initial and further training programs 5. Performance evaluations and promotional opportunities 6. Company's "personality" and management style 7. Expectations of new hires 8. Interviewer's own experience with the organization 9. Characteristics and qualities of person successful with company 10. Description of work environment and departmental structure 11. Challenging facets of the job 12. Differences from competition 13. Organizations strengths and weaknesses How should you look? (From VSU's Career Planning and Placement) 1. Minimum or no cologne or perfume (women, moderate makeup) 2. Clean, attractive, controlled hairstyle (men, facial hair shaved or neatly trimmed) 3. No food, gum, or cigarettes 4. Clean nails (women, no chipped polish) 5. Clothes should be clean, pressed (suit if possible - typically blue or grey) 6. Empty pockets (nothing bulging or to play with) 7. Matching conservative sock or hosiery 8. Shined or polished shoes in good repair 9. Moderate jewelry 10. Attache case (women, can be a conservative purse) Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: Student goals, expectations
Hey - let's make it 10 cents. Perhaps the reason _why_ we made it to that Doc. level school was because we did buy the book, speak in class, be motivated, take classes because our advisors said to, etc. I remember going to college and being shocked that 3 hours of studying for a test did not mean I was going to get an A (or, for that matter, pass). I didn't study very much in high school - I really don't remember even reading the book that often. I had to change that behavior - but I didn't change it until near the end of my freshman year when I decided that I wanted to go overseas to study and had to bring up my grades to do that. I was also lucky enough to be roomed with someone who wanted to be premed and worked hard to get to med. school, so she didn't bother my studying (although I'm sure I bothered hers at times!). The school attitude also helped. It was small, not frats or sororities, and almost everyone lived on campus. The classrooms were constantly open, including the labs, until late at night. I remember most of the class getting together after dinner, radio playing, working in the lab. The seniors also could ask for a study desk in the buildings (not just the library) so we had a special place to study besides our room. Here, we cannot leave a single classroom unlocked and I don't think that sends the right message. At 10:22 AM 2/28/01 -0500, H. Gelpi wrote: Had to add my 5 cents Responding to the reality that we were probably not perfect students either. I completely remember playing the "do the minimum and maintain the GPA" game in college. Even in grad school, while juggling work, school, and personal life, there were textbooks and readings I did not completely keep up with, etc. I guess the point is I understand that we may not be that different from today's students. However, The big (and often shocking) difference for me is this. When I attended classes, no matter how I felt about the class, I had the sense to present myself to the instructor as a highly motivated and dedicated student, regardless of my interest level or occasional lack of preparation. Also, if I hadn't properly prepared for a class, for whatever the reason, I tried to bring as little attention to that as possible. On the other hand, many of my students proudly make statements that I would have considered (and still do) academic suicide. They often make it known that your class is not even close to a priority. And if that's not bad enough, they inform you that they have no intention of reading the book, or even buying it. To make it worse, this lack of preparation does not prevent them from asking uninformed and irrelevant questions. Maybe college was more intimidating to me. Maybe it was good manners. I actually recall as a 1st or 2nd grader when we were obligated to sit "eyes up and at ready" with pen and paper on desk before our teacher entered the class. Was I dreaming? Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://chiron.valdosta.edu/dbriihl/ Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: Sensation and Perception Text
I use Matlin and Foley. I have used others, but my students had a really tough time understanding the material in the other texts (particularly Coren, Ward, Enns). I have also used Goldstein (in fact, that is the book that I was taught from) and it is a good book as well. What I would really like is for someone to write one that has a heavier amount of applied topics - or, maybe include it as an end-of-the-chapter supplement (the way that Goldstein has end of the chapter material in his books). I have found myself focusing more and more on how students can use this material in their lives. Anyone know of a book like that? At 12:59 PM 2/26/01 -0500, Larry Z. Daily wrote: Hello all, I'm going to be offering Sensation and Perception for the first time this fall and was wondering if any TIPSters could recommend a text. I was prepping this course years ago, but accepted another position before I actually got to teach it. At the time, I was favoring Matin Foley (4th ed). That book (a 1997 text) has not been updated since. I had also looked at Sekuler Blake, which has a new edition coming out this summer. Are there any others worth considering? Thanks for your help, Larry Larry Z. Daily Assistant Professor of Psychology Department of Psychology White Hall, Room 213 Shepherd College Shepherdstown, West Virginia 25443 phone: (304) 876-5297 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] WWW: http://webpages.shepherd.edu/LDAILY/index.html Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://chiron.valdosta.edu/dbriihl/ Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: Techno Aid for poster presentation
You should be able to save individual pages and load them later on - I have saved pages from WebCT and have even been able to call them up in Word. Think about it this way - has the school server ever gone down and the web site has been accessed from your cache file? At 08:28 AM 2/23/01 -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Dear Listmates, I was sketching out some preliminary ideas for one of my posters for WPA. The presentation concerns my web-based option for a term project in Intro Psychology, and it relies heavily on my privately-owned and operated Blackboard site. I am techno-knowledgeable, but not overly so. I was thinking that it might be really neat and effective to set my laptop computer up near the poster with some sample pages from the site that folks could look at. I doubt that I can hook the modem up in the middle of the poster floor, but was trying to remember if caching some pages of my website would allow me to accomplish the same thing without necessarily being connected to the web. Am I correct? Do you know how I would go about setting this up? I would like some instructions for how to do this, if it is possible, and would appreciate your help. Thanks and have a great weekend. Nancy Melucci East Los Angeles College Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://chiron.valdosta.edu/dbriihl/ Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: TIPS: student insecurity and class discussions
I really haven't found just making class participation part of the grade to be a good incentive. The students just don't talk because they have been trained not to talk. What I have done to help the process is give the students guidance (as well as a grade). In my history class, I give them all of the essay questions that could be on the test in the syllabus. That is what we go over. It gives them structure when they are reading the books. In my senior seminar course, the students are required to write up a short summary of the debate that is being presented (so they will know what is going on). I have found that showing the student how to be prepared works quite well. In class, I will give them choices (is it this or this?) and I make sure not to make them feel stupid if they say something absurdly wrong. There are times that the the students don't talk. So, I wait. Painful, long minutes of me staring at them and them staring at me (the longest period of time was 10 minutes of utter silence). Finally, someone says something. I have now made it part of my History syllabus that, if people are not prepared and we wait longer than 5 minutes, then they learn it on their own - class is done for the day, goodbye. If I must do this, I only do that once and they will be prepared for the rest of the semester. You might also consider giving a midterm participation grade - so they are aware of where they are at. Their definition of participating may not be the same as yours. Oh, and BTW, I really have not found that the best students are the only ones that participate. I think some of my students who don't do as well on exams actively participate just to bring their grade up. Other students who make straight A's on their exams get very upset when I tell them their A is in jeopardy because they haven't made a peep all semester and have flat out told me they don't think it is fair to grade them in that way. At 02:24 PM 2/22/01 -0500, Stephen Smith wrote: Louis_Schmier [EMAIL PROTECTED] 02/22/01 14:13 PM I have found, with very rare exceptions, that having an open and honest discussion with them about your concerns and in which you listen to their concerns usually gets interesting results. *** If the humanistic approach doesn't get results, you might try a behavioral approach. Make class participation a significant component of the overall grade. --Steve Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://chiron.valdosta.edu/dbriihl/ Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: visual neglect
From what I understand, it's not that they can't focus their attention on the unattended side (and most of the time that would be to the left). Studies have shown that they can, if given appropriate cuing (take a look at some of the work done by Posner and Raichle). Chances are, if you pinch them, they will respond to that side. At 02:39 PM 2/8/01 -0700, Michelle Miller wrote: Hi, Can anyone help me field this question: When patients with visual neglect experience pain on the unattended side of the body (say, a hard pinch on the unattended arm), how do they typically respond? Thanks! -- Dr. Michelle Miller Assistant Professor Department of Psychology Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ 86001-5106 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~mdm29/ Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] chiron.valdosta.edu/dbriihl/ Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Intro Midterm and Final Exams
I've gotten some great suggestions and I thank all of you. However, I need to clarify something - this is to be a comprehensive midterm and final and they must stand on its own. I am teaching a Georgia GLOBE course (or e-core) for the Board of Regents. The BOR decided to create a series of courses that a student could take on-line to obtain their core. Individuals were hired to create an on-line course and they were told that they had certain restrictions to follow (for example, the buttons and location of materials had to be the same for all of the courses). One of the restrictions was that every student had to take a proctored exam. An intro to psych course was created - not by me. I am one of the first people who is teaching an e-core course that has not had a hand in developing said course (and that is harder than it sounds!). One of the things I must do is give a proctored midterm and a final (in addition to chapter quizzes) - the value of which has already been set (again, not by me). The midterm and final are separate from the chapter quizzes. Since I have never given one, I just wanted to know what was reasonable. Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] chiron.valdosta.edu/dbriihl/ Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Recommendation for a student
A student e-mailed me, asking for a recommendation for a job. I e-mailed her back and asked her what the job was about and a few other questions. This is her reply: In the interview he asked me what I thought you would say about me and I said that because you knew me on a more "professional (?)" level that you would prob. say that I was a good speaker (from Senior Seminar)...he told me that I would have to speak to crowds during meetings, and that I had been exposed to researching and reporting...because I will be reviewing credit and making decisions about the data given to me. I told him about my 100 on my final (that may be an interesting topic to talk about :) Here's the problem. This student was barely a "C" student and her last semester she almost received a "D" in one of my courses. The _only_ reason she didn't was because she REALLY buckled down and studied for the last test and, indeed, received a 100. However, nothing else that she did even came close. She was an OK speaker, nothing special. Any suggestions on how I'm supposed to handle this phone call? Can I tell the interviewer about her other grades? I believe that she included me as a recommendation before I was asked. Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: Office Hours
A factor that I think plays a role in office visits is the distance from the majority of their classes (or, for that matter, your class) and your office. If students have to travel far, they aren't going to show. Our dept. is (literally) blocks away from the main campus and we have 1 small classroom building nearby for some of the courses. If my class is in that building, the students tend to show up more than if my class is in another building. I have also noticed that if the area around your office is student friendly (has computer space, places for them to sit and study, etc.) that also leads to more students in your office. While they might not be in your office, do they call? Use e-mail? Some of my students that must travel far are much more likely to e-mail me than to just stop by. And, as I have been sitting here attempting to write this e-mail, I have received 2 phone calls (as well as one stop in). Another factor - is your door open or shut? I have noticed that, when my door is shut, students automatically assume that I am not in and don't knock! One odd thing I have noticed is that some students assume that I favor those students that show up frequently to my office (not that this changes their office visiting behavior in any way :). They think that I like those students more because I'm always talking to them - not that I'm talking to those students more because they stop by more and that perhaps the reason why those students are doing better is because they are asking me questions. At 09:59 AM 12/6/00 -0500, Michael J. Kane wrote: Hi folks, Does anyone out there know of any research on factors that influence whether students take advantage of teachers' office hours? I don't know whether it's a function of my style, my courses, or my class sizes (or something else altogether), but I have a very difficult time getting my students to come to see me outside of class for extra help. The few that do come once tend to come back, but getting them in the door for the first time is what I'm concerned about. How do you all manage to get students who are struggling in your classes to come to you for help? On course evaluations my students endorse that I'm very approachable and that I relate to students very well, and yet (most) don't come. And my version of the "help me help you" speech just isn't cutting the mustard. Thanks for any input! -Mike Michael J. Kane Department of Psychology P.O. Box 26164 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC 27402-6164 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone: 336-256-1022 fax: 336-334-5066 Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Introducing psychology to young children
I have been given the opportunity to participate in a 6 week school enrichment program (1 hour a week) for kids in 4-6 grade. I offered to cover a few areas in the field of psychology. I have ideas for 3 weeks - one week we will talk about the brain and neurons and make a playdoh brain. Another week we will go over different visual illusions. Another week I (hopefully) will be bringing in an animal training to talk about operant conditioning. I have never taught psychology to this age group and I'm not sure what will work and what won't. I also want a couple of extra ideas (in case one idea bombs). Thanks in advance for the help. Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: Requirements to Declare Major?
We have been talking about it here - in fact, I posted a message a few weeks ago about that same subject and didn't receive any replies. I do know that there are some schools with requirements because I found a few through an internet search (if you want the names, I can send them). At 05:21 PM 11/8/00 -0500, Bev Ayers-Nachamkin wrote: Our students declare majors at the end of their first semester as sophomores. Once again I find myself jealously eyeing Education's requirement that, among other things, any student who wishes to major in Ed. must have and maintain a 2.5 gpa (soon to be 3.0). Have any of your programs established criteria that must be satisfied in order to major in Psych or Behavioral Sciences? Second half of the semester - must be I'm getting cranky ;-) If there is sufficient interest, I'll be glad to compile responses for the list. Cheers, Bev @@ Bev Ayers-Nachamkin Wilson College 1015 Philadelphia Ave. Chambersburg, PA 17201-1285 717-264-4141, Ext. 3285 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: Requirements to Declare Major?
Actually, here is the plan that I have been thinking about. We believe that the student should have at least a 2.0 GPA to get into Psychology (they need 2.0 to graduate). We have students that have less that a 2.0 trying to get into our major (the lowest was someone with a 1.2 - we get at least 4-5 EACH TERM with way lower than a 2.0). Our feeling is, if you can't make a 2.0 in your core and electives (they need to have completed 45 hours before becoming a psych major), then you will struggle - with a high likelihood of having to take each class twice. I have also thought about contracts. If a student is falls below the 2.0 in the psych major, then the advisor and the student create a written contract, so that way all parties know what is expected of them. I haven't hammered out all of the details yet, but this is designed to help the student that does have a bad semester. At 09:34 AM 11/9/00 -0500, Pollak, Edward wrote: We are also discussing this. We currently have a moratorium on internal transfers to Psychology because our 500+ majors are really taxing us. We just passed a rule that to transfer into psychology the students need to have passed psych courses in two different categories with grades of C or better. For various reasons we're not permitted to use a GPA criterion even though education can (because of certification issues). FWIW, I have always fought against arbitrarily high entrance criteria for the major. The fact is that we are a liberal arts school and require that our students major in SOMETHING. If all Depts. adopted a 2.5 GPA for new majors it would make a mockery of the notion that a 2.0 is passing and would represent fraud toward students who were told that they could major in psychology and are now told they can't. Let's face it, the marginally competent student needs a major. If you won't let them have one, then don't admit them! That being said, I see nothing inherently wrong with making the PSY major more rigorous. Such a move is (to me) inherently more fair than an arbitrary GPA requirement. It also lets students see (up front) what the requirements are. If your fear is that the Psych major is becoming the "last refuge of the incompetent," taken by those who can't hack it in other majors, the solution is to make your program more rigorous. That way you increase the quality of your program, let students know up front what's required, and warn off those students looking for an easy way out. Increasing the GPA requirement is, IMNSHO, just a cheap fix that unjustly punishes those students who get off to a shaky start in their first year and does little to improve the major. Heaven knows we've all seen students get drunk on freedom in their first year and take an academic nose dive. But we've also seen that many of those students sober up their second year and become great students. Whatever method you employ to restrict the major you need to have some way to accommodate these prodigal students. Ed Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, West Chester Univ. of PA, West Chester, PA 19383 ~~~ Husband, father, grandfather, biopsychologist, herpetoculturist and bluegrass fiddler Shameless self promotion: The Mill Creek Bluegrass Band performs every Tuesday night at Dugal's Inn, Mortonville, PA. Call 610- 486-0953 for directions. Date: Wed, 8 Nov 2000 17:21:04 -0500 From: "Bev Ayers-Nachamkin" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Requirements to Declare Major? Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Our students declare majors at the end of their first semester as sophomores. Once again I find myself jealously eyeing Education's requirement that, among other things, any student who wishes to major in Ed. must have and maintain a 2.5 gpa (soon to be 3.0). Have any of your programs established criteria that must be satisfied in order to major in Psych or Behavioral Sciences? Second half of the semester - must be I'm getting cranky ;-) If there is sufficient interest, I'll be glad to compile responses for the list. Cheers, Bev @@ Bev Ayers-Nachamkin Wilson College 1015 Philadelphia Ave. Chambersburg, PA 17201-1285 717-264-4141, Ext. 3285 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
No Subject
The results are in - and the answer is - there really doesn't seem to be much out there! The two that someone gave me here are "Descriptive Tests of Language Skills in Critical Reasoning" (1989, ETS - a multiple choice test) and "The Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test" (an essay test based on response to a letter to the editor). The other responses are listed below. Deb - How about John Newman's Scale of Adult Intellectual Development? 60 items, giving scores on Absolutism, Relativism, and Evaluativism? If you're interested, I can send copies of the materials that he sent me, including definitions of the constructs and reports on reliability. Paul Smith Alverno College Jeff Ricker asked about good measures of critical thinking. The University of East Anglia's the Centre for Research in Critical Thinking has published a book by Alec Fisher and Michael Scriven called 'Critical Thinking: Its Definition and Assessment'. This may be of assistance. Details can be found at: http://www.uea.ac.uk/soc/phil/research/critbook.shtml. The homepage for the Centre for Research in Critical Thinking is at: http://www.uea.ac.uk/soc/phil/research/critphil.shtml. Wayne Spencer Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: Night vision (Student question)
What I have read is the opposite - Males appear to have better visual acuity under photopic conditions, while females have lower absolute thresholds under scotopic - and can be seen in childhood. Females also may dark adapt faster. There are other gender differences as well related to acuity. I'm pulling this information from: Coren, Ward, Enns (1994) Sensation and Perception (4th ed.) At 06:15 AM 11/6/00 -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Folks, Are there any explanations for variations in the acuity of night vision from person to person (other than owning night vision goggles)? A student asked what the explanation would be, according to her, her brother and husband see better in the dark than she does . I also wonder since this is a subjective and ancedotal account, if night vision has been studied with this in mind (finding out who might have better than average night vision and what neuroanatomical or neurochemical conditions would make this so.) Thanks for any help you can give me. Nancy Melucci Los Angeles Harbor College Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
RE: Responsibility for missed lectures
I always expect the student to get the notes - if, for no other reason, I'm always changing my lectures and I can't guarantee that I will tell the student everything that I covered in class. If the student has gotten the notes, then we go over specific points that they don't understand (I ask them to bring the copied notes to my office so I can see what the other student wrote as a refresher to me). This to me is no different than the students who show up in my office to ask questions about material that is straight out of the book. If they haven't read the book, then I tell them to do that first and then we will talk. -Original Message- From: Michael J. Kane [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, November 03, 2000 10:21 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Responsibility for missed lectures Hi all, I've got a question for how you all handle (or would handle) situations like this. I teach a course in which attendance is not mandatory; that is, I don't take attendance. However, on the syllabus and throughout the semester I emphasize to students that I often lecture on material that's not in the book, so while they are free to miss classes, they will also miss important course material that they are responsible for. Unfortunately, I've never thought to have an *explicit* policy about my role and theirs in "responsibility" for missed material. I provide students with a study guide before each exam, which is essentially an outline of all the important topics, themes, theories, experiments, etc. that will be fair game for the exam. Yesterday, a student emailed me asking me to explain one of the topics in the study guide. I asked whether she didn't understand part of it, or just plain missed those classes, and she wrote back that she'd missed them altogether. So, here's my question. Do I write her a long explanation of the topic, essentially providing her with the text of my lecture? Do I simply tell her it's her responsibility to get the notes, etc., from another student? The overworked faculty member in me leans toward the latter, but the teacher in me can't help considering the former. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Perhaps there's a middle ground I haven't considered. -Mike Michael J. Kane Department of Psychology P.O. Box 26164 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC 27402-6164 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone: 336-256-1022 fax: 336-334-5066 Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: Responsibility for missed lectures
Have you thought about putting them on a web site? I now have all of my syllabi there and some of my handouts. It also makes it easier for me to find those handouts as well! At 08:57 AM 11/3/00 -0800, Diana Kyle wrote: Tipsters, I appreciate reading the comments of Mike, Dennis, and Nancy. The beginning of every semester I encourage students to make friends with at least two or three classmates and arrange to get notes on lectures they miss. However, handouts have been another problem. It seems there is an endless request for handouts weeks later. I've decided next semester to put a copy of all the course handouts on reserve in the library for students missing or losing them to make their own copies. Hopefully, this will be a solution. I hate the thought of putting films I show in class on reserve. What are others doing? Diana J. Kyle, M.A. Psychology Department Fullerton, College Office: 714-992-7166 We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.- Aristotle The height of your accomplishments will equal the depth of your convictions. --William F. Scolavino Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
measures of critical thinking
Hi! Does anyone know of a fairly good measure of critical thinking? I would really like one that looks at the stages or development of intellectual and ethical thought (Perry, Bloom's etc.) if possible. I have two and the references to a few others, but I'm not sure of their reliability or validity. Thanks in advance! Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: Student Question
OK, I'm an optimist here. I assume that people are not going to steal even when something is open and available. David is constantly telling me to lock stuff up, but I don't. In my world, if it's mine, then no one has the right to get in my office, car, etc., and take it locked or unlocked. And (thank goodness) I'm right over 99% of the time. Our university is obsessive about locking doors to computer labs, classrooms, etc. that don't have a prof in them for fear that someone will come in and steal the equipment. Yes, we have had major thefts. But, quite frankly, if someone is able to get out of the building with over a dozen computers that are still in the box, I really don't think that it is the students taking them. Oh, sure there are a few students that would take anything that wasn't nailed down, but most of my students would be appalled at the thought (I know this, because they are upset that they can't get into a room unless they are supervised - and indignant that the university would think they would do something to the equipment). I'm sorry that those students at your university think that is OK, but I really don't believe that all of them think in that way. At 12:18 AM 11/1/00 -0500, Rick Adams wrote: Recently an incident occurred in which a student in one of my classes was caught stealing a computer chair from the IT lab. He wasn't arrested, but he was expelled from the school for violation of the honor code. It should also be pointed out that he is not an poverty level student who could not afford to purchase such a chair if he wanted to do so. Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: Two questions about Likert scales
One clever way that I have seen that helps fix this problem is the way that Linda Bartoshuk uses to measure taste perception. Instead of the standard 9 point scale from 1 to 9, she uses what she calls the Green Labeled Magnitude Scale. For example, if measuring bitterness, the scale ranges from nothing to very strong to strongest imaginable sensation. While I'm not sure how easy it would be to use in all situations that use the Likert scale, it could be adapted to a variety of measures. Using the computer game example - the most gory game I have ever seen or for computers, the most frustrating situation I have been in - you get the picture. And, instead of numbers, the scale is marked on a line like so (sorry if this wraps) /_//__/__/__/_/ nothing weak moderate strong very strong strongest imaginable sensation barely detectable I am trying out this scale this semester with a student who is interested in perception of spicy foods. We knew that we would get ceiling effects using a standard scale (one of our hot sauces is VERY hot), so we are trying out this one. At 05:51 PM 10/24/00 -0500, G. Marc Turner wrote: On #1, I was taught LIE-kert as an undergrad (and my mother learned it this way in her grad work) but LICK-ert as a grad student. After further investigation, Ken's statement is correct as best I can tell. It should be LICK-ert. (And hey, some of my professors in grad school knew him, and so I trust their pronunciation of his name.) On #2, again I'm going to agree with what I think Ken is getting at. The big question is one of instrumentation. Are the two groups using the scale in the same way? My feeling is that when a participant approaches a scale like this they form an idea in their mind that represents the mid-point. They then use this imaginary mid-point to determine how they respond. Not only could there be differences in interprtation between groups, there could be lots of variation within a group... and hence lots of noise and error in our measurements. On a semi-related note, when I finally finish my dissertation I'm hoping to revive some work on computer literacy I did a couple of years ago. Basically, I was in the process of developing a new measure of computer literacy and one of the things we looked at in the development was the issue of gender differences. Basically, we kept hearing claims that "males are more computer literate than females." Well, on the self-report portions of our instrument, which used a Likert scale, there was a difference between the genders. BUT, on the knowledge/application portion where participants had to actually perform some tasks...or at least demonstrate some knowledge about how to perform a task... there was NO difference. (Okay, the average scores between males and females differed by less than half a point on a scale of 0-50 so there was a "difference" but not a meaningful one.) Basically, it looked like one of two things was happening: 1) Females were less confident in their abilities to use a computer despite being equally capable (which appeared to be the case given the manner in which questions were asked.), or 2) Females interpretted and used the response scale differently than males did, which brings us back to the point Ken was making (I think). This was a side project I did on a whim in grad school so I never got to really look at things as much as I would have liked... Okay, back to working on the dissertation - Marc G. Marc Turner, MEd Lecturer Head of Computer Operations Department of Psychology Southwest Texas State University San Marcos, TX 78666 phone: (512)245-2526 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
Re: IRBs at small liberal arts colleges
Here is the link to our Grants and Contracts Web site. This contains information about our IRB. You probably will be most interested in the section Human Research Subjects. http://www.valdosta.edu/grants/ At 02:55 PM 10/12/00 -0400, Marjorie S. Hardy wrote: Hi! I work at a small liberal arts college whose primary mission is teaching, but where research is carried out in several departments (behavioral and natural sciences, mainly). Until I arrived, most of the research conducted by students and faculty in the psychology department took place on campus, utilizing college students as participants. However, my research typically involves children recruited from the community, and so I have taken it upon myself (with the Dean's encouragement) to formalize our procedures for using human subjects in research. In the past, I have always worked at institutions that had formal procedures in place, and although we have an informal process here, I wasn't sure if we met federal guidelines, or if I am legally protected when I venture out into the community. I have searched the past five years of TIPS archives and cannot find the answers to the questions I have. If you would like to respond directly to me, I would be happy to compile the responses and post them to the list. I am particularly interested in hearing from people at other colleges that are similar to mine (small, liberal arts colleges whose primary mission is teaching). I know the requirements for large research universites are different. (1) I am most interested in whether or not we are legally required to have an IRB. It is my understanding that if a university receives federal funds, it is mandated to have an IRB. But does this mean only federal funds directed to human subjects research, or does it encompass federal funds for non-human subjects research, or even federal funds unrelated to research (e.g., PEL grants)? I have read just about everything I can get my hands on (including 45 CFR 46), but I just can't find the answer to this!! (2) Related to #1, does your institution have a formal or informal process for reviewing research involving human subjects? I would also be interested in knowing how many institutions have no process in place at all. (According to "Protecting Human Subjects," published by APA, "Research universities should always have an IRB, but colleges that are primarily undergraduate insitutions may or may not have an IRB or a detailed procedure for review of research" (p. 158) Thanks in advance for your responses. Marjorie Hardy Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well I know these voices must be my soul... Rhyme and Reason - DMB
RE: The value of final exams?
I guess I'm lucky because I am able to help students make those connections. Since I teach 4 4000 level classes, I know what I teach the students and I can easily connect specific ideas and examples from one class to another class. For example, right now I am teaching 3 different classes and I have many students in at least two (and probably about 25% of the poor souls are in all 3). So as I am teaching History, I can draw examples between, say, Wundt and Cognitive Psychology or Sensation and Perception. Now, if only I can get them to transfer their learning how to write an APA style paper from one class to another :). At 03:08 PM 10/5/00 -0400, Dennis Goff wrote: Marc Turner wrote: "I'm wondering if there have been any studies that have looked at (or simply asked) whether students study with short-term or long-term retention in mind. What appears to be happening here is that students study enough to get the material into memory long enough for the test, then they forget it. The only difference between a test during the semester and a comprehensive final is the amount of material they have to study for the next day. (Also, they pick up the material for the final faster than for the regular tests because of prior exposure.)" I wonder if the Zeigarnik Effect has a role here. That is, the students think the task is completed when the test is taken (order delivered). At that point they don't need the memories any more so they lose them. One way to overcome this limitation would be to convince the students that they will need the material at some later time. This hypothesis could serve as a focus for some research on this question. Just a thought. Dennis Dennis M. Goff Dept. of Psychology Randolph-Macon Woman's College Lynchburg, VA 24503 Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] These voices must be my soul... DMB
Re: Examination Device (new technology?)
I have an idea what that might have been. A few years ago, one of the book companies tried to market a product like that (I believe the company was McGraw Hill because we were using the Feldman intro book). For this product, the students didn't buy it - I was under the impression that it was something the university could buy (or get, depending on the number of textbooks sold). I don't remember the reasons why we didn't go with it, but I did hear stories from others that suggested we made the right choice. One of the things this system could do was have students punch their answers into a remote control like object and the instructor could see the results of the survey and post them to the class. At 09:48 PM 10/2/00 -0700, HART_CHRISTIAN wrote: Fellow TIPSters, Can you help me locate a device used for student examinations? I am trying to find information about a device that I can describe but not name. It would be great if someone on TIPS recognizes it or can point me in the right direction. Last semester a student was describing a device that her brother "had to buy at USC." She described it as costing about $40 and reported, from her brother, that all the students in his class were required to purchase it (in addition to textbooks). The student said that the device was used to record answers to multiple choice exams. After completing an exam, the student takes the device up to the instructor and "sends" the choices to the instructor's device. I was skeptical but intrigued. At my request, the student borrowed the device and brought it to class where I examined it for a couple minutes before class. It was neither a Palm nor a Windows CE device (or other PDA--I've seen them all). Instead, it appeared to be made of hardened plastic (like a Palm) and was not unlike a bulky calculater; it seemed designed purely for classroom testing. I don't recall whether it had an obvious infra-red interface. It was light-weighted, appeared to have the mass of about two fists, and was teal-colored. It even carried a manufacturer's name/logo imprinted on one side that at the time I was *sure* would be easy to remember without jotting it down(!) I returned the device and lost track of the student when she later dropped the course. Although I presume the device is relatively new, I expected little difficulty in locating it because 'I can always call the bookstore at USC where it was sold.' Wrong. The bookstore didn't know what I was talking about. Moreover, I've tried searching the web in vain. I'm very curious to learn more about the device because it could conceivably help me to pilot a teaching method for introductory psych. In any case, the device eliminates the need for form scanning, can be used for any course/exam that employs scantron-type forms, and apparently provides immediate score feedback to students. Can you help me out? Even if you're unfamiliar with this device, do you have a recommendation for web sites to check (beside NCS ETS)? I'm not very knowledgeable about newsgroups. Do you have a suggestion for one that might be good for posting my query? Thanks! Christian Hart, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Psychology Department of Behavioral Studies Santa Monica College Deb Dr. Deborah S. Briihl Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (229) 333-5994 [EMAIL PROTECTED] These voices must be my soul... DMB
Re: Gender differences in accepting homosexuality
I just read on this a few days ago - this is data from Altmeyer's book on right wing authoritarianism. In surveys, women tended to hold somewhat negative views on homosexuality and that this was equal for men and women. Men on the other hand, were much more negative about homosexuality between men - much more neutral about lesbians. At 11:12 AM 2/23/99 -0500, Marie Helweg-Larsen wrote: Hi Everyone We're currently discussing gay/lesbian issues in my Human Sexuality class. Many students are wondering about gender differences in acceptance of male and female homosexuality. (1) What are the differences and (2) Why do these differences exist. As to (1) I know that males consistently are more homophobic than females. I suspect that men are more extreme in their attitudes toward male homosexualty (very negative) and female homosexuality (relatively positive). But I'm not sure about women. Are women also more accepting of female as opposed to male homosexuality. I need data -- certainly someone has researched this! (2) I suspect that men react the most negatively towards male sex because men generally are more conservative and male sex breaks more norms (both in terms of males showing affection, possibly being affeminate, and possibily engaging in anal sex). I suspect men might be more positive toward lesbians because it doesn't seem as inconsistent with women's roles and they ultimately might think they can jump into the action! But I need more ideas. So research for (1) and ideas/and research for (2). Marie -- Marie Helweg-Larsen, Ph.D. Department of Psychology Transylvania University 300 North Broadway Lexington, KY 40508 Voice: (606) 281-3656 Fax: (606) 233-8797 Deb Deborah S. Briihl, Ph.D. Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (912) 333-5994 You've got so many dreams that you don't know where to put them so you better turn a few of them loose. - Fire
Re: color psychology
Yes, there is some lit. out there that has demonstrated that colors can seem to manipulate mood, etc. HOWEVER, a sheet of paper probably won't work - you need to have all of the walls painted this color for any noticable difference. This is an easy to do experiment. Some of my students did something very similar for my Sens and Perc class a few years ago. A few of them photocopied their dependent measure on different colored paper (something like a crossword puzzle or a logic problem - you get the idea) then they examined for difference. Shockingly (I'm sure :), no difference was found. Of course, no one was sitting paper, but, if your school is like mine, the seats are different colors and you may be able to use that as the variable. At 09:55 AM 2/10/99 -0400, you wrote: TIPSters... I recently came across an article in a local newspaper that talked about the use of "color psychology" to manipulate people. The article made many claims, including the notion that "sitting on a piece of yellow construction paper while you're studying" can allow one to "receive [the color's] frequency," which, in turn, seems to allow one to focus better. I AM NOT making this up! I'm curious, however, if anyone is aware of any research on this topic; this seems to be a good topic to explore in a parapsychology course that I'm developing, which is looking at paranormal phenomenon from a skeptical perspective. Any help would be appreciated! Cheers, Lou - Dr. Louis Manzaphone: (717) 867-6193 Assistant Professor of Psychology fax: (717) 867-6075 Lebanon Valley College E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Annville, PA 17003 "Living in the limelight, the universal dream...for those who wish to seem. Those who wish to be...must put aside the alienation, get on with the fascination, the real relation, the underlying theme." Rush, "Limelight" (lyrics, N. Peart) - Deb Deborah S. Briihl, Ph.D. Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (912) 333-5994 You've got so many dreams that you don't know where to put them so you better turn a few of them loose. - Fire
Re: changing eye color
It could be the fact that hazel eyes are multiple colors and various colors in clothes emphasize different colors. My eyes have brown, blue-gray, and green in them. Just like a scarf, earrings, or a tie can bring out a color in an outfit, maybe clothes can do the same to eyes. Deb Deborah S. Briihl, Ph.D. Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (912) 333-5994 You've got so many dreams that you don't know where to put them so you better turn a few of them loose. - Fire
critical thinking syllabus
I have added a section of critical thinking about pop psychology into my senior seminar class (alias "cram everything into that should have been taught in their sophmore year class"). Anyway, this section will be about 2-3 weeks of the basics and them doing research in this area about some topic. Syllabi or basic activities to wake up these skills (please don't ask me to tell them to buy another book - I already have them buy 2)? I'm starting out with parapsychology as an example (have video tape, will use). Deb Deb Deborah S. Briihl, Ph.D. Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (912) 333-5994
RE: Looked like cheating
At 07:20 AM 2/1/99 -0600, Paul C. Smith wrote: Sue Frantz wrote: After a bit more probing, I discovered they both had been taught (by separate teachers in separate school districts in separate decades) that to summarize something, you take each sentence and reword it. No wonder they looked alike! I explained that's not the best technique for summarizing. :-) That is the reason why I put in my syllabus a sentence in bold capital letters stating that summarizing is not taking random sentences out of the article or just switching a word or two in the sentence. Before I began doing this, I would get article summary papers like that all of the time. Students are required to turn in the entire article they are summarizing and I have had a few students kind enough to highlight the sentence they copied from. When my intro to psych students do this, I give them a chance to rewrite the paper without copying it the first time I catch them (of course, they may not and get an F). Deb Deborah S. Briihl, Ph.D. Dept. of Psychology and Counseling Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 (912) 333-5994
