Sorry for crossposting but I can't remember the source of a handout I've had for a few years.
Someone said we could freely use his (I believe it was a 'he') handout on Why Psychology Is Hard. I've been using it but no longer remember who the kind soul was who wrote it and shared it. If that person recognizes his (or maybe her, my memory is bad) piece, replicated below (I didn't know if an attachment would work), then please let me know backlist. I'll only include the first two paragraphs here, just in case I'm supposed to be protecting this piece: Thanks Annette WHY INTRO PSYCH IS A TOUGH COURSE Because the course is "introductory," some students imagine that Intro Psych ought to be a relatively easy course. Yet many students are shocked to discover that it is one of the most difficult courses they take, especially early in their college careers. There are several reasons why this happens, and listing some of them for you to think about--and maybe do something about--may save you some hassle, disappointment, and grief. In fact, most introductory level courses will be more difficult than many students imagine for these same reasons. The first reason Intro Psych is a tough course is that we will cover a very broad range of topics through the semester, from concepts and ideas that are very biological to others that are very "social," from topics that may sound like common sense to others that are challenging technical areas. Each of those topical areas will have its own vocabulary and concepts to learn, enough so that some observers claim that Intro Psych requires that a student learn more new terms than he or she would in a semester-long course in a foreign language! In addition, some of the “concepts” are just that: abstract concepts, which cannot be made concrete. Many human behaviors reflect an on-going process without a ‘beginning’ or an ‘end’—they are not ‘entities’. For example: schizophrenia is not an “illness” that can be clearly defined. Intelligence is something that no two psychologists may define the same way. Thinking! What is “thinking”? You get the idea. ================================================ Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 619-260-4006 [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
