PSY 202: Intro to Psychology II - Lecture 1

• PSY 202 is an introduction to Psychology II.
• Lecture 1 covers the course introduction and intelligence and IQ testing I.
• Dr. Jason Deska is the course instructor, located in JOR 935, email [email protected], office hours by appointment.
• Academic Assistants are Menahal Latif ([email protected]) and Justice Cupid ([email protected]).
• Emails should include PSY 202 in the subject line and use torontomu email.
• Course delivery is in-person at DCC 208 on Thursdays from 12 PM to 3 PM.
• The recommended textbook is Psychology: From Inquiry to Understanding, 5th Canadian edition.

Schedule of Topics

• Jan 16: Chapter 9, Course introduction; Intelligence and IQ Testing I
• Jan 23: Chapter 9, Intelligence and IQ Testing II, Quiz 1
• Jan 30: Chapter 10, Human Development I
• Feb 6: Chapter 10 and 11, Human Development II and Emotion and Motivation I, Quiz 2
• Feb 13: Chapter 11, Emotion and Motivation II, Quiz 3 and Paper Due
• Feb 20: No Class - Reading Week
• Feb 27: Chapter 12, Stress, Coping, and Health, Quiz 4
• Mar 6: Exam 1
• Mar 13: Chapter 14, Personality, Quiz 5
• Mar 20: Chapter 13, Social Psychology I
• Mar 27: Chapter 13 and 15, Social Psychology II and Psychological Disorders I, Quiz 6
• Apr 3: Chapter 15, Psychological Disorders II, Quiz 7
• Apr 10: Chapter 16, Treatments of Psychological Disorders, Quiz 8
• TBA: Final Exam

Quizzes

• Low stakes, contribute to 5% of the total grade.
• There will be 8 quizzes at the end of each chapter.
• There are 5 days to complete each quiz.
• There are no late submissions.

Exams

• The midterm will be in the classroom and run from 12:00 to 2:00.
• The midterm includes 50 multiple-choice questions and 2 short answer questions (choice of 3).
• The midterm covers Chapters 9-12.
• The final exam location and date is set by the university.
• The final exam includes 50 multiple-choice questions and 2 short answer questions (choice of 3).
• The final exam covers Chapters 13-16.

Written Assignment

• The due date is Feb. 13, 2025, with an on-time bonus of +1 mark.
• Grace period: Feb. 16, 2025, which is a penalty-free bonus time.
• Late marks: Feb. 17 onward, 2 marks per day.
• Final submission date: Feb. 24, 2025
• The assignment is in two parts: Critique a False Press Release (3 pages max) and Write Your Own Press Release (3 pages max).

Research Contributions

• Research contributions provide 3% of the total mark.
• Students engage with the psychological research community to better understand research.
• Up to 2% of the credits can be earned through online studies; the remaining should be from in-person studies.
• The SONA numeric ID is the only information researchers will have before students attend the session.
• Log-in information is sent Friday afternoon, January 24th to the TMU e-mail (and junk folder).
• Winter SONA will close on Friday April 11.
• Credits are based on the amount of time the study will take to complete.
• For an online study, all pages of the survey and debriefing must be reviewed to get credit.
• Arrive on time, and let researchers know if you cannot make it.
• Contact [email protected] for help.

Academic Integrity

• Common mistakes include using someone else's work, using AI, improper citation, test banks/old exams, posting course content online, and social media groups.

Late/Missed Assignments

• Academic Consideration Requests (ACR) will cover most situations like illness and emergencies.
• One "freebie" is allowed per term.
• ACRs are typically not approved for heavy course loads, work or volunteer obligations, and vacations/holidays.

Class Etiquette

• Arrive on time, be professional and polite.
• Respect each other's views, even during disagreements, and not use harassing or abusive language.
• Turn off/mute cellphones and avoid personal conversations during class.

How to Succeed

• Complete readings and take notes before class.
• Download lecture slides before class and take notes during the lecture.
• Start the written assignment early, and ask for help if you are struggling.
• Attendance affects final course grade better than high school GPA, study habits, and study skills.

Studying and Test success

• This class is like a gym for the mind.
• Content is the weights which must be lifted.
• Cramming does not work.
• Distributed practice each week works.
• Material should be revisited shortly after lectures.
• Test yourself and recruit a study buddy.
• Come to class to do well.
• Pay attention during class (consider hand-written notes).
• Study effectively, quiz yourself, study often, relate content to your own life, and explain content to yourself and others.

Theories of Intelligence

• 65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence.
• There is no consensus on what intelligence is.
• One attempt to define intelligence is that intelligence is whatever intelligence tests measure.
• Is intelligence one thing or multiple things?
• Is intelligence only found in humans?

Francis Galton (ca. 1890s)

• Intelligence is a byproduct of sensory abilities.
• Better sensory abilities = more intelligent.
• There is no real support for this theory.
• Helen Keller was blind and deaf since infancy, wrote 6 books, co-founded the ACLU, led to social improvements for blind people, and had an estimated IQ of 160.

Binet & Simon (1905)

• Developed the first intelligence test.
• Intelligence = higher mental processes and abstract thinking.
• By 1921, experts developed a list of intelligence-related abilities: abstract reasoning, adapting to novel environments, acquiring knowledge, and benefiting from experience.

Charles Spearman (1927)

• Suggested humans have both general intelligence (g) and specific intelligence (s).
• General intelligence (g) is overall intelligence.
• Specific intelligence (s) is for unique tasks.

Thurstone (1938)

• Challenged g, and believed there are 7 primary mental abilities: verbal comprehension, word fluency, numeric ability, spatial visualization, associative memory, perceptual speed, and inductive reasoning.

Cattell & Horn (ca. 1940/1960s)

• Fluid intelligence is the ability to learn and problem solve.
• Crystallized intelligence is accumulated knowledge over time e.g. facts, trivia, knowledge.
• Fluid intelligence flows into crystallized intelligence over time.

Thought Quiz

• Romeo & Juliet was written by William Shakespeare.
• Evaporation is the process by which liquid becomes gas.
• The Peregrine Falcon is the world's fastest bird.
• A dodecahedron has twelve sides.

Multiple Intelligences by Gardner (1983, 1999)

• An "intelligence" is distinct, independent of other abilities, exceptional in only one area (savant), and has an evolutionary advantage.
• Criticisms are that it has had a major influence on education but with a mixed academic reaction, intelligence vs, talent, G vs. S, and lack of falsifiability.

Triarchic Model by Sternberg (1983, 1988)

• Analytical (book smarts), practical (street smarts), and creative (creativity).
• The three components are likely related to 'g', and experience and exposure likely play a role.

Biological Bases of Intelligence

• The frontal lobe handles executive functioning, language, memory, planning, and impulse control.
• The prefrontal cortex deals with thinking, planning, and language, and is active during g-related tasks.
• The temporal lobe is for auditory processing, memory, and language.
• The parietal lobe is for spatial abilities.
• The occipital lobe handles visuospatial processing.
• Reaction time (faster processing) and working memory are likely related to intelligence.
• Some intelligent people may have attention or other processing issues, or age-related decline.

Summary of intelligence

• There is probably some form of g.
• There are probably subtypes of intelligence that cluster together.
• Definitions of intelligence are shaped by culture and education.