PSY 101 Introductory Psychology • 1st Day of Class

First Day of Class

At the end of this class, you should....

Know more about the instructor, his background, and how to get in touch with him.
Know where to find the syllabus, course schedule, and class assignments
Understand better the nature of an Introductory Psychology class
Recognize how certain myths about student learning can keep you from doing your best in this and other classes
Have begun to reflect on how different fields of psychology deal help us understand the world in which we live and the people we come to know

•    Instructor introduction

•    Location of syllabus, course schedule, and class assignments at my webpage: www.hevern.com

•    Psychology as most fascinating subject in college
•    Probably broader than many of you know or may suspect
•    May be among the more difficult classes you take (!!!) Not because of me, but

The subject matter is enormous

Psychology is not just common sense: it is scientific

Biological, cultural, and multiple other approaches

If you had psychology in high school, often not taught as a college-level class

• Need to confront some of the myths about learning that can keep you from your best. Your attitude will determine how well you actually do in a course like this.

WRONG: My ability to learn is fixed by my intelligence

WRONG: Learning is easy

WRONG: Learning is mostly up to what teachers do in the classroom

Mindset: Intelligence is Fixed vs. Can Grow
(Claro et al., 2016)

Why is learning hard?

In order to learn, we actually must make mistakes and making mistakes can erode or undermine our confidence in ourselves. We sometimes feel humiliated in front of others if we are mistaken and we can "second-guess" ourselves.

"Celebrities of 2019"

Look over the list below and put a check mark (√) in Column A for every person you know.

I am using the 2019 list because the pandemic disrupted more ordinary ways that celebrities would interact with the public during 2020 and 2021.

Go back and in Column B rate how well you like each person you know on a scale of 1 to 7
where 1 = hate, 4 = so/so, and 7 = love

1a. How many of these 20 celebrities do you know? More than half? Almost all?

1b. Consider why psychology would be interested in asking your about how well you know celebrities?

2a. Who is your favorite person? and who is your least favorite person?

2b. Why do you like your favorite person? What is it about this person that appeals to you?

2c. Why don't you like your least favorite person? What is it about this person which turns you off?

Some Psychological Perspectives on reactions to celebrities

Personality & clinical psychology = what kind of person you are. Your own ways of reacting to the world. How normal or abnormal you might be compared to others.

Among these celebrities are there certain ones to whom you gravitate? Do you see certain traits or values in the celebrities you like or dislike that affect how you react?

Social & cultural psychology = how the world around you shapes or influences you in terms of preferences, tastes, values, goals, etc. What does it mean to be a "fan"? Do people in all places of the world like the same things?

Notice that among the 21 listed here, there are 4 women and 17 men. What does that suggest to you about social and cultural values?

Developmental psychology and family life = What you are like at different ages in terms of your physical, intellectual, and social abilities. The role of those around you as you grew up.

Would a person either 7 years old or 70 years old have the same responses to these celebrities as someone your age?

Biological psychology = How our sensory-perceptual abilities and our bodies, particularly our nervous system and brain, deals with experience and permits us to do what we do

Is there anything about the kind of work that Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Canelo Alvarez, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers are involved in that would concern psychologists?