INSTRUCTOR: Terry
Rew-Gottfried
OFFICE HOURS: MWF
9:50-11:00, or by appointment
OFFICE: Briggs
311
TELEPHONE: (832)-6706
CLASS MEETING: MWF
8:30-9:40, Briggs 317
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Speculations about the mind and its effect on behavior can be seen even in prehistory--as long a people have thought, they seem to have thought about thinking. The formal study of mind can be traced to ancient Greek, medieval, and enlightenment philosophy in Western cultures, but the beginnings of psychology as a separate discipline date back less than 150 years. In this class we will briefly consider some of these early philosophical roots. However, the focus will be on psychology as it has defined itself throughout its short history. From Wundt's first psychological laboratory to todayís multifaceted and often internally contentious discipline, we will consider where psychology has been and, through that survey, where psychology may go.
In one sense, this course is the most clearly "disciplinary" of all courses in psychology because we seek to understand what makes a particular approach to questions of human nature "psychological." On the other hand, because it is a survey of psychology's change over time, we will approach these varied viewpoints as culturally and historically embedded. Our survey will include consideration of virtually all other academic disciplines and various areas of application like medicine, engineering, social work, art, business, religion, and education. All of these areas of knowledge enrich the content and practice of psychology, and they provide a necessary contrast that aids in the description and definition of psychology.
From this survey of history and
current trends in psychology, I hope that we will accomplish two things.
First, we will understand the historical antecedents of the various viewpoints
about behavior, especially human behavior. Second, we will determine
what we as psychologists can learn from these various views, and we will
attempt to formulate our own theoretical stance, based on the work of psychologists
before us and on our vision of what psychology should accomplish.