romanywitch: (Default)
romanywitch ([personal profile] romanywitch) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2005-11-29 03:39 pm
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Abnormal Psychology (Tuesday, 11/29/2005, 1:00 p.m.)

OOC: I have just started grading. For the sake of my sanity, this post is now CLOSED. A new psych post for Thursday's class will be going up shortly.

Jenny is sitting at the desk, laptop in front of her and sign-in sheet in front of the desk.

"Okay, guys, sign in, sit down, and take a look. Since your 100 word proposal was due today, I expect you guys aren't going to have any problems using them in the discussion. Be sure to let me know who you're partnered up with when you turn in your proposal." She gestures over at a series of bins. "Make-up homework goes in the OCD threads I'll be creating shortly there, guys."

On a projection screen in the front of the classroom is this image.

"Read through your handout on the Asch Conformity Experiment and the scientific method, and then start talking about a few things:

"First, how well does your experiment proposal translate into a hypothesis? Jack, Paige, your initial proposal included a hypothesis, so you're both a step ahead of the game. If it translates well, tell me why. If it doesn't, tell me why not." ETA: This goes in the Scientific Method discussion thread.

"Second, what's your prediction of the results of your experiments, guys?" ETA: This goes in the Scientific Method discussion thread.

"Third, check out the study in the handout. What do you think you would have done in the situation? Be honest with me. Not everyone here is a rugged nonconformist. And whatever answer you would have given? Tell me why in a 100 word essay. Turn it in in the right comment thread where the homework bin is or you won't get credit for it." ETA: Any discussion on this experiment goes in the Asch Conformity Experiment discussion thread. Your essay goes in the Current Homework thread.

"Now, I'm creating an additional comment thread sending out an e-mail to the class list for group discussion. This is partly for those of you that are going to be missing a class due to a scheduling conflict. This isn't intended for those of you who should be here to make up something--unless you come see me about getting an excused absence. Anyone who wants to earn some extra-credit, though, it'd be nice if you guys could do some discussion with the ones that are going to miss being in the class. Right? Any questions? I'll also be holding regular office hours. You can always turn in missing homework in my office if you'd rather."

"And guys?" Jenny looks over the class. "Don't make me hand out detentions for missing proposals. You've had two weeks to find a partner and come up with an idea and 100 words to explain it. Get them in to me by the end of class."

The Scientific Method
1. Observation and description of a phenomenon or group of phenomena.

2. Formulation of an hypothesis to explain the phenomena.

3. Use of the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena, or to predict quantitatively the results of new observations.

4. Performance of experimental tests of the predictions by several independent experimenters and properly performed experiments.

OOC: Those with IC schedule conflicts (so far, the only ones I'm aware of are Callisto on Thursdays and Jessica on Tuesdays and Thursdays) and excused absences can post in the comment labeled 'e-mail' and it will count towards their attendance/participation grade. Please see me in Jenny's office hours--preferably with an IC note from the clinic--to get an excused absence.

Useful Links:
Jenny's Voice Mail
Jenny's E-Mail

Re: E-MAIL/OUT OF CLASS DISCUSSION

[identity profile] the4thsister.livejournal.com 2005-11-29 10:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Miss Calendar, I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to Tuesday's Psych lessons as it's clashes with my Western Literature Class.

I hope this will be okay, I will keep up with the work this why though no problem.

*attached are the pieces of missing work*

((I've not had chance to write the essay cos of RL stuff, sorry))

Re: SIGN-IN/ATTENDANCE

[identity profile] medusae-x.livejournal.com 2005-11-29 10:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Duce takes a bagel and schmears it before heading to a seat. She winces at the Asch conformity diagram, because seen through many sets of eyes, it's enough to induce a headache. The snakes, however, think it's clever.

Re: SIGN-IN/ATTENDANCE

[identity profile] cameronmitchell.livejournal.com 2005-11-29 10:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Canine or not, Cameron pads into the room and barks his attendance, hoping Jenny got Spider's voice mail.

Re: DISCUSSION - THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

[identity profile] cameronmitchell.livejournal.com 2005-11-29 10:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Cameron had remained quiet through class seeing how the only things he could add were barks and whines. He waits for the rest of the students to leave to see if Miss Calender wants to talk to him, though.

Re: DISCUSSION - THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

[identity profile] medusae-x.livejournal.com 2005-11-29 10:14 pm (UTC)(link)
"Fond as we are of the scientific method, it can, sadly, be used to posit and 'prove' just about anything. Example. A neurotic, barking dog.
Observe: The dog is a neurotic, barking, pest.
Hypothesize: The dog is a neurotic, barking pest because it's got no bone.
Theorize: Presence or absence of enrichment will affect the dog's neurotic barkyness.
Test: Give the dog a bone. It shuts up. Give it a toy, it shuts up. Take the bone and toy away, and the dog barks again.
Theory proven out: Enrichment affects the state of the dog's neurosis.

Looks cool and happy and proven, right? Until you realize that something is missing from the equation. Dogs are social creatures. If left alone long enough, all dogs will become neurotic and yappy and eventually violent, because they go insane. It wouldn't have been the enrichment at all, but the contact with the person who brought the enrichment, that actually helped the dog. Contrariwise, if you did the same experiment but never let the dog see another living being, the enrichment wouldn't matter, the dog would eventually curl up and waste away."

Duce sighs, "Which is why the scientific method is nice in theory, and very helpful in creating theory, but fails if used as the only method of proving a theory."

Re: SIGN-IN/ATTENDANCE

[identity profile] anextimeagent.livejournal.com 2005-11-29 10:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Jack signs in, and nabs a bagel. He's having a good day week month. His life pretty much can't get any better. Accordingly, he beams at Ms. Calendar, hands in his overdue assignments [[in the OCD threads below]] and takes his seat secure in the knowledge that the universe loooooooves happy people and would neeeeeever mess up their lives.

Re: SIGN-IN/ATTENDANCE

[identity profile] anextimeagent.livejournal.com 2005-11-29 10:17 pm (UTC)(link)
You were in my Criminal Justice class earlier. Okay, who do I have Criminal Justice and Abnormal Psych with? Vala? Cam?

Re: E-MAIL/OUT OF CLASS DISCUSSION

[identity profile] conathon.livejournal.com 2005-11-29 10:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Miss Calendar,

I wont be attending your class because of conflicts with my Western Literature class.

Here's my completed work assignments.


Re: SIGN-IN/ATTENDANCE

[identity profile] cameronmitchell.livejournal.com 2005-11-29 10:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Cameron's head droops as Jenny clearly doesn't know. He sighs and resignedly lets himself be petted.

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