Abnormal Psychology (Thursday, 12/01/2005, 1:00 p.m.)

[romanywitch]

CLASS IS NOW CLOSED

Jenny looks around at the assembled students. "Okay, guys, looks like I have some serious laying down of the law to do on you. I didn't want to do this. I figure you're all good kids, but I notice Drusilla let you guys get away with pretty much not doing a thing in class if you didn't want to. That changed when I took over, and not all of you got the picture."

"This school's a privacy advocate's nightmare. Every classroom has cameras. I gave you guys a pass on past participation and attendance. I could go and ask for access to the surveillance logs for records of both, and yet, I haven't. What, are you guys thinking that because of that, you can take advantage of me?" She shrugs. "Time to start out by clarifying my policies."

"Miss a week's worth of classes, and you get detention. That's two classes. Not two consecutive classes. Same with homework. Starting with Tuesday's work, which I notice a lot of you didn't turn in. Miss turning in your overdue homework by December 13th, and you get detention. This doesn't count the experiment proposal, which I already said you guys would get detention for if you didn't finish it up by today. And I do grade you on participation. Anyone that got a zero for participation on Tuesday? I'm giving you once chance only to make up that participation electronically in an OCD thread to be posted via e-mail. I won't be allowing that for today's class or any other classes. And guys? Electronic participation doesn't excuse you from homework assignments."

"All of your homework from now until the end of the term--which is coming up really soon, guys--builds on the prior assignment. Some of you haven't turned in the experiment proposals yet, or even given me the name of your partner. So. Those of you who haven't turned in proposals are getting paired up with who I choose, and you're getting detention, just like I said in class on Tuesday. The students getting detention are: Bagoas Bontecou, Raven Darkholme, Faith Lehane, Draco Malfoy, and James Sawyer. Please turn in your proposals by the end of class today. You will not receive full credit for them, as they're all overdue, but you will receive credit. Your pairings are written on the whiteboard with the class notes at the bottom of the post. Cameron, you haven't turned this in at my request, so you're not going to receive detention and you will receive full credit."

"See the class notes at the bottom of the post written on the whiteboard for optional extra credit."

"If any of you are worried about doing all the work while your partner does nothing, then please save the links and send them to me save your notes and show them to me in order to prove who has done what work."

"Now. Let's talk about experimental design. You guys have some great proposals. I really like what I've seen, and everything I've received through today is acceptable. Now. What's next? How are you going to design your experiment? Pair up into your groups, talk about the tasks you're going to ask your fellow students to do. Come up with four tasks, tell me what they are, and tell me what you think they'll accomplish in relation to your experiment. Tell me how many students you think you need for an acceptable sample size. I'm thinking a bare minimum of five, but if you can get more, or want to, then by all means, go for it. If your partner has a scheduling conflict and can't make it to class today, find someone else to talk to. Feedback from others helps researches maintain an unbiased view."

"If you don't have a hypothesis or an expected result, then you guys can come up with one today. Be sure to put all your homework in the correct thread bin for me."

"I'll be available if you have any questions on experimental design. Or, you know, any questions. After class, I'll be taking these over to Professor Maclay for the Ethics classes to review--they're taking the place of your standard hospital or university Ethics Board--and then we'll get started on final approvals and then running the experiments next week."


Class Notes - 11/29/2005

Final Experiment Pairings
Mitchell, Cameron/Darkholme, Raven
Lehane, Faith/Malfoy, Draco
Bontecou, Bagoas/Sawyer, James

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.

Optional Extra Credit
Write a 100 word essay on a famous psychologist or psychiatrist and his or her contribution to the field. If you have done this already as your alternate assignment for the "What I Learned From The Class Project" essay, then write a 100 word essay on a particular field of psychology. Please see me if you have a question about what is or is not acceptable here. You may only do one essay for extra credit, not both.

Please remember that electronic participation counts as extra credit if you were in class that day and participated.

James, Paige - I need notes from your teachers and a copy of your class schedules. Just have them drop me an e-mail.

Cameron - If you haven't already, see our school's tech guy and get one of those classroom solution things I heard announced yesterday by Dean Bristow, then ask one of your friends in the class to transcribe Tuesday's homework for you. I'll give them extra credit for the transcription. And when you get opposable thumbs, you can toss me an e-mail for electronic participation credit.


Attendance/Participation/Homework Grades For 11/29/2005
Addams, Wednesday - dropped from class and school
Anders, Samuel T. - Attendance 100%; Participation 0%; Homework 0%
Atreides, Jessica - Electronic Attendance 100%; Participation 100%; Homework 0%
Bontecou, Bagoas - Attendance 100%; Participation 0%; Homework 0%
Broots, J.C. - Attendance 100%; Participation 100%; Homework 100%
Callisto - Attendance 100%; Participation 50%; Homework 100%
Crane, Jonathan - Attendance 100%; Participation 0%; Homework 0%
Darkholme, Raven - Attendance 100%; Participation 0%; Homework 100%; Extra Credit 100%
Harkness, Jack - Attendance 100%; Participation 0%; Homework 0%
Lehane, Faith - Attendance 100%; Participation 0%; Homework 0%
Mal Doran, Vala - Attendance 100%; Participation 0%; Homework 0%
Malfoy, Draco - Attendance 0%; Participation 0%; Homework 0%
Matthews, Paige - Electronic Attendance 0%; Participation 0%; Homework 0%
Mitchell, Cameron (TA) - Attendance 100%; Participation 0%; Homework 0%
O'Neill, Jack - Attendance 100%; Participation 0%; Homework 0%
Sark, Julian - dropped from class and school
Sawyer, James - Electronic Attendance 0%; Participation 0%; Homework 0%
St. Clair, Medusa - Attendance 100%; Participation 100%; Homework 100%

Useful Links:
Ms. Calendar's Voice Mail
Ms. Calendar's E-Mail
Wikipedia: Psychology Experiments

Links to Approved Experiment Proposals:
Atreides, Jessica/Broots, J.C.
Harkness, Jack/Matthews, Paige
Anders, Samuel T./Mal Doran, Vala
Callisto/O'Neill, Jack
Crane, Jonathan/St. Clair, Medusa

OOC: When turning in missing homework, even if you're not technically in class that day due to schedule conflict, please use the OCD threads I will be setting up for them. It makes my life and my grading much, much easier. Thank you!

OOC: OCD Comment threads are coming shortly. ETA: Done! Comment away!

ETA: Some students have detention. Better check behind the cut tags to find out if you're one of them.

ETA: What To Discuss To Make-Up 11/29/2005 Participation

Also, participation and homework go via slowplay (I know at least one of you is in Oz and therefore can't post at normal hours for most of the gamers here) until I start grading the class. That's usually either the day before or the day of the next class.

Comments

Sign In

[romanywitch]

Jenny has a sign-in sheet on her desk, but no snacks today.

Re: Sign In

[pure-blooddraco.livejournal.com]

Draco signs in.

Re: Sign In

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack signs in.

Re: Sign In

[http://users.livejournal.com/_gottahavefaith/]

Faith signs in.

Re: Sign In

[medusae-x.livejournal.com]

Duce signs in

Re: Sign In

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Cameron signs in.

Re: Sign In

[2ls-in-oneill.livejournal.com]

Jack signs in.

Re: Sign In

[aka-vala.livejournal.com]

Vala signs in.

Re: Sign In

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders signs in.

Re: Sign In

[blueskin-mystiq.livejournal.com]

Mystique signs in.

Re: Sign In

[dorky-broots.livejournal.com]

Broots signs in. When the mun finally scrapes teh brain cells to answer

Discussion

[romanywitch]

Discuss with each other, or ask questions of your teacher.

Re: Discussion

[http://users.livejournal.com/_gottahavefaith/]

Faith looks around for Draco, because they should probably plan their experiment.

((ooc- could we do a cool one like this? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobo_doll_experiment)))

Current Homework - Experimental Tasks, Sample Size, Hypothesis/Prediction (If Needed)

[romanywitch]

...

Re: Current Homework - Experimental Tasks, Sample Size, Hypothesis/Prediction (If Needed)

[aka-vala.livejournal.com]

Four Tasks:

I'm thinking we'll need to:
1)ask for volunteers for the experiment. If we set up outside somewhere with a table advertising free taste tests of a new product, I bet we can get more than five participants.
2)ask them to listen to the descriptions of the "different" products
3)ask them to taste each one
4)then ask them to give us which they preferred and why

I'm thinking most people will assume there is a difference because we told them there was, that a few might claim they just can't taste it, but that many will claim a preference. We can then compare their choices with the descriptions we gave in order to see how the one affected the other.

Make-Up Homework: Asch Conformity Experiment (100 words, due 11/29/05)

[romanywitch]

Anders, Samuel T.
Atreides, Jessica
Bontecou, Bagoas
Crane, Jonathan
Harkness, Jack
Lehane, Faith
Malfoy, Draco
Matthews, Paige
Mitchell, Cameron (TA)
Note: Cameron, grab one of those solutions from the school's tech guy and see if you can get someone to transcribe this one for you.
O'Neill, Jack
Sawyer, James

Re: Make-Up Homework: Asch Conformity Experiment (100 words, due 11/29/05)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_gottahavefaith/]

I definetely would not have agreed with the majority. First of all, you never should trust what others tell you above what you can observe yourself. Unless there's a magic spell or a demon or something else actively trying real hard to prevent me from telling the lengths of the lines, I'm not gonna be wrong. Also, while I'm very likely to be led astray by authority figures that act like they like me I'm not easily led astray by crowds. I'm not a very social person, and most people don't get along very well. So I might just, like, contradict what the others were saying out of spite. So, yeah, I would have said that it was the same as line C- not whatever wrong answer the other people gave.

Make-Up Homework: Experiment Proposal (100 words, due 11/18/2005)

[romanywitch]

Be sure to list both partners' names on the essay.

Mitchell, Cameron/Darkholme, Raven
Lehane, Faith/Malfoy, Draco
Bontecou, Bagoas/Sawyer, James

Re: Make-Up Homework: Experiment Proposal (100 words, due 11/18/2005)

[blueskin-mystiq.livejournal.com]

Experiment

Still to be cleared

Raven Darkholme and Cameron Mitchell


I’m interested in doing online cognitive neurologic testing. I’d like to set it up so that students can take the tests online. I want to set up a database specific to student ID, so that people can’t sign in more than once after completing the tests, but allow them to pause the tests to say go to class. I don’t want the results to be identifiable to specific students, so the ID would have to be stripped back off the records. I’m not quite sure how to do that.

A school size sample would be fine.

A possible hypothesis would be that the sample is expected to score high functioning.

I need some help. I’m not sure where to get stats to compare.


Is this enough material for the project? And how can I get Cameron to type? Not that I mind working with him, but I don't know how set up a voice recognition program for wolf.

Make-Up Homework: Sample Diagnosis - Drusilla (100 words, due 11/10/2005)

[romanywitch]

Bontecou, Bagoas
Harkness, Jack - Made up 11/29/2005
Mal Doran, Vala - Made up 11/29/2005
Malfoy, Draco
O'Neill, Jack
Sawyer, James

Re: Make-Up Homework: Sample Diagnosis - Drusilla (100 words, due 11/10/2005)

[pure-blooddraco.livejournal.com]

I believe that Drusilla was probably a schitzophrenic. She obviously lived in a world of her own that no one could bring her out of. Her thinking was extremely erratic and disorderly. She hardly made sense when she was going off on one of her tangents. Well, it made sense to her but not to us. And she was delusional. She thought her doll was alive and could interact with people. She often talked of violence and thought she could predict the future.

Your Parents & Their Influence (100 words, due 10/27/2005)

[romanywitch]

Bontecou, Bagoas
O'Neill, Jack

Re: Your Parents & Their Influence (100 words, due 10/27/2005)

[persian-eunuch.livejournal.com]

My parents died when I was ten. They were murdered for their loyalties. Before then, they loved and cherished me, They taught me to love Truth and abhor the Lie, to walk in the ways of Light and eschew the darkness. Father taught me weapons: swiord and bow. Watching their deaths and that of my sisters left me numb for the first years I was a slave. I still draw on their teachings: that I am worthy of love, that the light is better than darkness, and to be true.

Make-Up Homework: What You Learned From The Class Exercise (100 words, due 10/20/2005)

[romanywitch]

Note: If you feel uncomfortable doing this, it is the one homework assignment I am assigning an alternate essay for. Please see me.

Bontecou, Bagoas
Harkness, Jack - We discussed an alternate on this; hand it in by the due date. And you owe me 106 words.
Matthews, Paige - We already discussed this one; hand it in by the due date.
O'Neill, Jack - We discussed an alternate on this; hand it in by the due date.
Sawyer, James

Re: Make-Up Homework: What You Learned From The Class Exercise (100 words, due 10/20/2005)

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

B.F. Skinner's theory of behavior is based upon the idea that learning is a function of change in behavior. Changes in behavior are the result of an individual's response to events that occur around them. A response produces a consequence such as defining a word, hitting a ball, or solving a math problem. When a particular pattern is rewarded, the individual is conditioned to respond. Reinforcement is the key element in Skinner's response theory. A reinforcer is anything that strengthens the desired response. It could be verbal praise, a good grade or a feeling of increased accomplishment or satisfaction. The theory also covers negative reinforcers -- any stimulus that results in the increased frequency of a response when it is withdrawn (different from adversive stimuli -- punishment -- which result in reduced responses).

[[OOC: To be completely fair, completely plagerized from http://tip.psychology.org/skinner.html]]

Quiz - What's Your Favorite Psychological Disorder? (due 09/29/2005)

[romanywitch]

Good job, guys! Everyone made this one up!

Make-Up Homework: Find A Picture Of Insanity (due 09/22/2005)

[romanywitch]

Anders, Samuel T. - Samuel, your link didn't work, so I couldn't see what you picked.
Bontecou, Bagoas
Callisto - Made up 11/28/2005
Darkholme, Raven - Made up 11/29/2005
Lehane, Faith - Made up 11/29/2005
Matthews, Paige</> - Made up 11/29/2005

Re: Make-Up Homework: Find A Picture Of Insanity (due 09/22/2005)

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Changing links as I can't get the original one to work either.]

I'm not so sure how technically insane this is, but it kinda makes me want to go insane (http://thecia.com.au/reviews/h/images/hedwig-and-the-angry-inch-5.jpg).

After Class Ends

[romanywitch]

Need to talk to Jenny privately? Can't manage to make it to her office hours or reply to her e-mails? This is a good time to do so.

Re: After Class Ends

[blueskin-mystiq.livejournal.com]

Mystique hangs around after class. "Um, I sent you my essay proposal." She still looks uncomfortable. "Let me know if you think that's enough for a project...." She's been looking unhappy ever since detention got mentioned.

Electronic Participation - 12/01/2005

[romanywitch]

An e-mail goes out to the students containing the whiteboard notes from today's class and both a written version and .mp3 file of Jenny's opening lecture.

Re: Electronic Participation - 12/01/2005

[lady-jessica-bg.livejournal.com]

Professor, I realize I didn't mark part of my last e-mail as the 100 word essay, but I intended my comments on the Asch Experiment to be the essay. ((Yes, I'm repeating myself from the other comment, sorry, but I sent that before I considered that Jessica might have a bit to say as well.))

As for today, Broots and I have not done extensive discussion together yet (for obvious scheduling reasons), but I believe that it would be a good idea to have the subjects do four puzzles of different types, such as the following:
A sudoku puzzle
A set of 5 riddles, or perhaps one of those 57HV=57 Heinz Varieties type puzzles
A logic puzzle
Something visual...a jigsaw puzzle, perhaps

I would think we'd need at least 10 people to have a reasonable sample.

Make-Up Electronic Participation - 11/29/2005

[romanywitch]

An e-mail goes out to the students containing the handouts from Tuesday's class and both a written version and .mp3 file of Jenny's opening lecture.
Link To 11/29/2005 Class Session

Re: Make-Up Electronic Participation - 11/29/2005

[http://users.livejournal.com/_gottahavefaith/]

((OOC- This is where we would make up last week's lack of participation, yes? And, um, what are we supposed to say here- talk about Asch or about the Scientific Method? (Sorry for all the questions!)))

OOC

[romanywitch]

Questions about classes for next term? OMG, RL sucks and you need to vent? Bueller? Bueller?

Re: OOC

[brambless.livejournal.com]

Wow. You're... really OCD.

You know, there's treatment for that now.

*is in awe of you, omg*

Discussion Questions From The 11/29/2005 Class

[romanywitch]

"First, how well does your experiment proposal translate into a hypothesis? If it translates well, tell me why. If it doesn't, tell me why not."

"Second, what's your prediction of the results of your experiments, guys?"

Discuss the Asch conformity handout in a more general manner. There are no specific discussion question on it. The more specific questions are reserved for your homework essay.

Re: Discussion Questions From The 11/29/2005 Class

[blueskin-mystiq.livejournal.com]

"Did anybody else read about Milgram's experiment too?"