History/Systems of Psychology

2.1 Discussion. The Triune Image

Getting Started

In John 17, we learn how Jesus talks to His father. In many ways, we learn how Jesus interacts with another part of Himself. “… He looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him. (John 17:1 NIV). For our living God is a Triune God: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. If we are made in the image of God, then perhaps we are triune beings, too.

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

· Discuss the multiplicity of God’s nature and perhaps our own.

· Articulate how Freud’s theory of personality development may reflect our triune nature.

Resources

· Bible

· Video: The Triune Image

Background Information

When we read John 17:1 and take in Jesus’ prayer to the Father, rarely do we think of Sigmund Freud! What could Jesus’ prayer to our Holy Father in heaven have to do with one of the founding “fathers” of psychology and psychiatry?

Jesus’ prayer to His father can also be regarded as Jesus praying to Himself, another part of Himself, the Father portion. Many believers recognize the triune nature, or multiplicity of God. There is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Freud’s theory of personality development does not depart too far from our belief in a triune God. Specifically, Freud states that our personalities develop as a result of our “Id” or our base nature, wrestling with the Ego, our desired state, in order to get what it selfishly desires. The “Super-Ego” mediates between the two.

Doesn’t this bring to mind the flesh of the “Id” as it wages battle with our highest desires to do good, be good, and even to be holy as our Lord is holy? Doesn’t it bring to mind how the Holy Spirit, the mediator, helps us to keep our fleshly desires at bay? Truly, we may very well be the triune beings Freud posited us to be….although we might use very different verbiage and spiritual understanding to explain our three-part nature!

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. Listen to and watch the video “ The Triune Image .”

3. Navigate to the discussion topic and respond to the following discussion questions:

a. Discuss the multiplicity of God’s nature and perhaps our own.

b. Articulate how Freud’s theory of personality development may reflect our triune nature

4. Your initial post is due by the end of the fourth day of the workshop.

5. Read and respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings, as well as instructor follow-up questions directed to you, by the end of the workshop.

6. Your postings should also:

a. Be well developed by providing clear answers with evidence of critical thinking.

b. Add greater depth to the discussion by introducing new ideas.

1.4 Assignment. Capstone Reflection Journal. Exploration in Areas of Specialization

Getting Started

As you get further into the Masters of Arts in Psychology program, you will need to choose an area that you will specialize in. Your choices include Life Coaching and Positive Psychology, or the increasingly popular study of Organizational/Industrial Psychology. Both are fascinating, with a strong base of research, and both have great career potential. If you don’t know much about either one at this point, that’s fine. In fact, that is the reason you are being asked to become familiar with these now, so as you get further along in the program you will be able to make an informed decision about which of these two specializations best suits your interests and career goals.

In this journal entry, you’re just doing some brainstorming about which of the two specializations appeal to you most, while trying to get an idea of the type of work you potentially see yourself doing in the future. Think of this as an exercise where you envision work you are intrinsically motivated to engage in. When you are intrinsically motivated to do something, you engage in tasks because you find them interesting. The big payoff of intrinsic motivation is primarily about the enjoyment of learning and the opportunity to grow in your experience. That intense interest in a topic is a far more potent long-term career motivator than a paycheck.

In addition to thinking about your own interests, ask yourself how your life’s work will impact the lives of others and how current world events are playing an integral role in your career decisions. Like many of the psychologists who have gone before you, your work will also affect current societal events and even have a degree of influence over the course of history. The questions become: Where do I see myself making the best contribution to the field? What trends do I see unfolding in psychology? What direction do I want psychology to take in the future?

Once you’ve had a chance to sort this out, you are in a good position to come up with three possible topics you might be interested in doing a research paper about in the next course. You will be writing on only one of these topics, and this list doesn’t commit you to any of them. Right now, you are only brainstorming ideas, but you will be working with one of these topics more later, in Workshop Five. So choose topics that will enable you to see if your chosen area of specialization is an area that truly interests you.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Reflect on an area of specialization for future coursework.

· Discuss the preferred type of work that promotes intrinsic motivation.

· Suggest topics for research in line with the chosen area of specialization.

Resources

· Video: Martin Seligman on Positive Psychology

· Video: Industrial Organizational Psychology Explained

Background Information

In PSY-520 you created a Capstone Reflection Journal. In this assignment, you will add another entry to it.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. Watch the videos:

a. “ Martin Seligman on Positive Psychology ” (Closed captioning is provided.)

b. “ Industrial Organizational Psychology Explained ” (Closed captioning is provided.)

3. Open your ongoing Capstone Reflection Journal that you have saved in a Word document.

4. Title this new journal entry PSY-530 1.4 Exploration in Areas of Specialization, <Day, Month Year>. As you write your journal during this session, reflect on the following questions:

a. Which of the two specializations, Life Coaching and Positive Psychology or Industrial/Organizational Psychology, interests you more? Explain your response.

b. Describe the type of work you could envision yourself doing if you were to enter a profession with the chosen specialty mentioned above.

c. List three possible topics in that chosen specialization that you would consider writing a paper about as you get further into the curriculum. Think of topics that would allow you to explore that discipline in a way that further educates you about that specialty.

5. Your entry should be between 400 and 500 words in length.

2.2 Discussion. Behaviorism and a Biblical Worldview

Getting Started

The start of behaviorism is typically associated with the work of Ivan Pavlov (1897), the Russian physiologist who was best known for the theory of Classical Conditioning. He took the natural response of dogs to salivate when presented with food and conditioned them to salivate in response to a neutral stimulus (bell). His work set in motion the efforts of other behaviorists, such as John Watson, about whom you’ll learn more when you watch the video on Little Albert. Following in Watson’s footsteps was B. F. Skinner, who was arguably one of the best-known psychologists of the twentieth century due to his frequent appearances on television. Even today, decades after Skinner, behaviorism is firmly rooted in many aspects of modern culture. For example, when a parent tries to train their toddler to use the toilet, they might use small rewards each time the child complies. Or, when an employer wants to motivate their employees, they may offer a bonus if they meet a certain goal. These rewards aren’t labeled behaviorism, but they clearly work from behavioristic principles.

In this discussion, you will take your knowledge of behaviorism and apply critical thinking to its principles to see what aspects are compatible with a biblical worldview and which are not.

Then, in a more pointed way, you will answer the question of whether a Christian can adhere to a biblical worldview while also practicing behavioristic principles. This is not intended to be a yes or no response but one where you delve into behaviorism to see the practical implications and how it compares and contrasts with a biblical value system.

Finally, you will keep your critical thinking cap on to compare humanism with Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. It should prove to be an interesting and enlightening discussion, with wide-ranging views and ideas.

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

· Analyze the pros and cons of a behavioristic approach.

· Assess the compatibility of behaviorism with a biblical worldview.

Resources

· Textbook:  A History of Psychology: The Emergence of Science and Applications

· Video: Little Albert

· Article: Can a Christian Be a Behaviorist?

Background Information

Before participating in the discussion, read Chapter 13 in the textbook, watch the video “Little Albert” and read the article “Can a Christian be a Behaviorist?” The goal of this discussion is to achieve a deeper understanding of how a biblical worldview informs our study of psychology in general and of particular theories or concepts we often take for granted. For example, humanism works from the assumption that people are born morally good. It is only through living that we taint that morality. Is that consistent with a biblical worldview of human nature? You need to decide. This is the type of question you are trying to sort out in this discussion, and you will have many opportunities to respond to your classmates’ thoughts on these issues.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. Read Chapter 13, “Behaviorism,” in your textbook,  A History of Psychology: The Emergence of Science and Applications.

3. View the video “ Little Albert ” (5:56 min) and/or read:  Little Albert Transcript .

4. Read the article “ Can a Christian Be a Behaviorist? ”

5. Navigate to the discussion topic and respond to the following discussion questions:

a. What aspects of behaviorism seem to be  compatible with a biblical worldview? Give one or two examples.

b. What aspects of behaviorism seem to be  incompatible with a biblical worldview? Explain.

c. What is your response to the question: Can a Christian be a behaviorist? Explain.

d. What do you see as the main difference between behaviorism and Freud’s psychoanalytic theory as they relate to human nature?

6. Your initial post:

a. Should be 400 to 500 words.

2.4 Assignment. Critical Thinking

Getting Started

Students are often encouraged to use critical thinking when they approach an assignment. But many students aren’t clear on what critical thinking actually entails. So here’s a simple definition for starters:  Critical thinking is the objective analysis of an issue, situation, or facts to form a judgment. In other words, it’s not an analysis based on your opinion, feelings, or biases but, rather, on the actual information you have available.

Here are a couple of examples of how critical thinking could be applied to daily life:

· A couple who is preparing years in advance for their child’s college education applies critical thinking by: analyzing the family’s current and projected income, budgeting projected household expenses, and then, on the basis of this analysis, puts aside a predetermined amount of money each month for their child’s future education.

· A first responder coming upon the scene of an accident might apply critical thinking by: quickly analyzing the situation, evaluating priorities, and on the basis of this analysis determine which actions to take and in what order to perform them.

Critical thinking is a skill that is learned through practice. So this assignment gives you the opportunity to practice building those critical thinking skills, but in the context of the course content. You will read an article titled “Psychology and the Great War, 1914–1918” and then apply critical thinking principles to that article using the worksheet provided. The emphasis here is on skill building and not as much on coming up with the “correct” answer.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Utilize the concepts of critical thinking in response to an historical article in psychology.

Resources

· Video: 5 Tips to Improve Your Critical Thinking

· Article: Psychology and the Great War, 1914–1918

· File: Critical Thinking Worksheet (Word)

Background Information

Before starting this assignment, you should watch the video “5 Tips to Improve Your Critical Thinking” and read the article “Psychology and the Great War, 1914–1918.” You will also need to obtain a copy of the Critical Thinking Worksheet available on the course site. The worksheet draws from the five categories mentioned in the video and asks you to apply these principles to your careful reading of the article.

There is no right or wrong answer to the questions asked on the worksheet. You are being graded on how well you implement a critical thinking approach to the questions. This is a skill you will use later in the course and in all subsequent courses in the Master of Arts in Psychology program.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. Watch the video “ 5 Tips to Improve your Critical Thinking .”  (Closed captioning is provided.)

3. Read the article “ Psychology and the Great War, 1914–1918 ,” paying close attention to the five categories mentioned in the video on critical thinking.

4. Complete the  Critical Thinking Worksheet (Word) , filling in each category on the worksheet, responding to both of the following questions:

a. How did World War I positively or negatively affect the development of psychology as a discipline?

b. How did both events (WW I and the development of psychology) shape the state of Christianity in that time period?

5. Your critical thinking skills will be enhanced if you read the article carefully, possibly more than once, take notes, and try to keep your own feelings and opinions out of your analysis.

a. Length: Five paragraphs: one substantive paragraph for each critical thinking category.