Psychology

This assignment will consist of a Powerpoint presentation of 10 minutes.  Thus, it will take up our entire class time on this day.  Below are a number of choices that I have accrued from the first few chapters of the book.  Thus, your selection will be from the topics of Biology and Psychology and Sensation and Perception.  The objective is to measure your understanding of a topic within the course thus far.  Similarly, it is to be done in a way that will involve self-learning, creativity and personal choice.  Similarly, I am interested in interactive learning among each other, as well as practicing not only written, but oral presentation skills.   If you have an area that interests you, please let me know the topic, and what you would like to present.  I am willing to work with you in defining an area that will fit within the course material objective.  Below are some choices:

1. Watch the movie, "At First Sight", and answer the following questions in presentation form: What was the movie about?, What did you learn about sensation and perception from this movie?, What is the difference?, What were the challenges Virgil faced in terms of perception?  The text spoke about perceptual organization. Thus, reference things like figure-ground perception, motion perception, depth perception, etc.  You can reference these concepts via book or outside sources.  Yet, within the book, they can be found from pages 73-79. Again, limit the questions to 10 minutes. 

.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_First_Sight_(1999_film)- The movie might be able to be found free on-line. I am not sure.  It is based upon a case study that was referenced in a book by Oliver Sacks.  He is a neurologist who wrote several books about unique cases that he practiced.  

 2. Throughout this semester we will discuss how personality, mental illness, intelligence, etc. can be based in biology as well as environment.  This debate has been called the nature vs. nurture debate.  Thus far, we have examined biology, as well as how twin experiments are used to control for environmental influence.  Thus, twin experiments have been used to control for biology.  Environment was the experimental factor.  This was because they were separated at birth and raised in different households.  Chapter 2, pages 57-58 spoke about kinship studies.  Questions: What is the nature vs. nurture debate?, What do you think and what have you found with research?, Look at previous research studies with twins who were separated, and tell us about them? You can choose one study if you wish. 

3. Chapter 2 is an overview of the human brain, the central nervous system and endocrine system. Throughout this semester we will be looking at specific areas and how they impact memory, learning, mental illness, etc.  Options: 1. How do neurotransmitters influence mental illness?  For example, SSRI's are used for depression and anxiety. 2. How is experimentation done within the brain?, For example, I am more interested in non-invasive procedures. 3.Voyage through a part of the brain in which you choose or do the entire central nervous system.  

This is an area that I wanted to include in case someone has an interest in neurology or the biology of human behavior.  Let me know if you choose this topic and what area you might like to present on. I can guide you with more specifics.

4. Explain Gestalt theory as it pertains to sensations and perceptions.  For example, proximity, similarity, continuity, common fate, top down versus bottom up processing.  So, what is Gestalt theory?  What are examples of how we perceive things into groups and make inferences?  How can we apply this in terms of learning and associations?

5. Choose a particular area of psychology in which psychologists might practice.  This could be in the area of industrial psychology, clinical, forensic, developmental, etc.  You might be interested in examining how psychologists impact ergonomics or leadership.  For example, industrial psychologists do a lot of research in motivation and how teams work together.  They study things like team dynamics, group cohesion, job analysis, etc.  If you choose an area, tell me about what it is, what they research and what you have learned. 

Objectives:

1. Incorporate a learning method in which you have freedom of choice and flexibility

2. Incorporate topics thus covered within the first few weeks and develop a measure

3. Practice oral presentation and organization of material in an interactive way

Measure:

1. 10 minutes

2. Use of Power Point in slide and bullet structure

3. Oral presentation in terms of organization of material and communication

4. Use of citations within the presentation as well as a reference slide

5. Measurements are somewhat flexible in content variation.  You have the flexibility to take the topic in whatever interests you, as long as it covers a topic thus examined.  So, I am more concerned with organization, content, and what you think and learned.