Psyc 402 - Summer 99

R. G. Tonks

Revised reading list and assignment description.

Readings from Dr. Paranjpe's list will be maintained, except for the deletion of Rychlack and a detour through a few philosophies of science (e.g., Hermeneutics and Feminism) prior to reading Danziger's Constructing the Subject. As such, our time remaining in the semester will be roughly split between covering a foundation in philosophy of science and then developing a critical history of contemporary psychology.

There will be a midterm exam between the two halves of the course. This exam will involve two short essays based upon questions that will be distributed in advance. Following that will be the introduction of group projects on developing a working "world-view" that supports your philosophy of psychology as a "science" within a culture. The group projects involve the integration of each of your term papers with those of others in your group. This project is designed to have you think seriously about what kind of "science" of psychology you would make if you had the opportunity. The science that you and your partners create will be built upon your "histories" that you are constructing for your term papers. During the last two weeks of the course the students in each group will present their papers to the class along with their group philosophy. These group presentations will likely be built upon the foundational material that will be covered in the first half of the course. The term papers will be due on the last day of classes, there will be no short paper, and no final exam.

There will continue to be a core of readings with support articles that will be summarised and presented by the students. These short presentations will be worth 10% of your total course marks. The papers for these presentation will be selected by the students from the list that follows. Depending upon interest, additional articles will be presented in lieu of those on this list. It is hope that while reading through Danziger we will also consider some other articles that will complement both your group projects and the other readings from the course.

In following from Dr. Paranjpe's initial list we will continue to consider the foundational issues of ontology, epistemology, ethics and logic as they contribute to the construction of various ideologies of psychology. Thus, when looking at various psychological theories or models of today, or from other times, you will be able to discern their qualities and make a "rational" judgement about their merits and demerits.

Let's make the best of this opportunity to have rich small group discussions.

We can all enhance and develop our appreciation of psychology and its histories.

Short Presentation 10 % Presentation 20 %

Midterm Exam 20 % (personal/group)

Term Paper 30 % Participation 20 %

Core readings:

Week 5 Causality:History of the concept in Western thought

1. Paranjpe, A.C. (1998). Self-as-agent. Chapter 6 Part I (pp.1-48). In Self and Identity in Modern Psychology and Indian thought. New York: Plenum.

Positivism and Natural Science

1. Abbagnano, N. (1967). Positivism. In P.Edwards (Ed.) The encyclopedia of philosophy, v.6, 414-419. New York: The Free Press.

2. Passmore, J. (1967). Logical positivism. In P.Edwards (Ed.) The encyclopedia of philosophy, v.6, 52-57. New York: The Free Press.

3. Stam, H. (1992). The demise of logical positivism: Implications of the Duhem-Quine thesis for psychology. In C.W.Tolman (Ed.) Positivism in psychology: Historical and contemporary problems, 17-23, New York: Springer-Verlag.

Week 6 From Naive to Sophisticated Falisificationism

1. Popper, K. (1970). Normal science and its dangers. In I.Lakatos and A.Musgrave (Eds.) Criticism and the growth of knowledge. New York: Cambridge University Press. (pp. 51-58).

2. Paranjpe, A.C. (1998). Consciousness: Some western Views (Ch 3, pp.117-173. Theoretical Psychology: The meeting of east and west. New York: Plenum.

3. Mannheim, K. (1985). The sociology of knowledge, Chapter 5 in Ideology and Utopia (pp. 264-311). (L. Wirth & E. Shils, Trans.). San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Janovich.

Does this invite Scientific Anarchy ?
Feyerabend --Against Method & Farewell to reason ...

Week 7 Feminist views of Science

1. Fonow, M. M. & Cook, J. A. (1991). Back to the future: A look at the second wave of feminist epistemology and methodology. In M.M.Fonow & J.A.Cook (Eds.) Beyond methodology: Feminist scholarship as lived research. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

2. Farganis, S. (1989). Feminism and the reconstruction of social science. In A. Jaggar & S.Bordo (Eds.) Gender/ Body/ Knowledge: Feminist reconstructions of being and knowing. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.

Week 8 Hermenutics: Objectivism and Relativism

1. Woolfolk, R.L., Sass, L.A. & Messer, S.B. (1988). Introduction to hermeneutics. In S.B.Messer, L.A.Sass, & R.L.Woolfolk (Eds.) Hermeneutics and psychological theory: Interpretative perspectives on personality, psychotherapy, and psychopathology. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.

2. Taylor, C. (1985). Peaceful Co-existence in psychology. Chapter 5 in Human Agency and Language: Philosophical Papers I. Cambridge: Press Syndicate.

Week 9 Review and Start Danziger

Monday

Review

Friday Midterm Papers Please

Danziger, K. (1990). Constructing the subject: Historical origins of psychological research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

1. Chapter 1 - Introduction: (pp. 1-16). (Review)

2. Chapter 2 - Historical roots of the psychological laboratory: (pp. 17-33).

Week 10

Danziger (1990):

1. Chapter 3 - Divergence of investigative practice: The
repudiation of Wundt: (pp. 34-48).

2. Chapter 4 - The social structure of psychological
experimentation: (pp. 49-67).

Danziger (1990):

3. Chapter 5 - The triumph of the aggregate: (pp. 68-87).

4. Chapter 6 - Identifying the subject in psychological research: (pp. 88-100).

Week 11

Danziger (1990):

1. Chapter 7 - Marketable Methods: (pp. 101-117).

2. Chapter 8 - Investigative practice as a professional project: (pp. 118-135).

3. Chapter 9 - From quantification to methodolotry: (pp. 136-155).

Danziger (1990):

4. Chapter 10 - Investigating persons: (pp. 156-178).

5. Chapter 11 - The social construction of psychological knowledge: (pp. 179-197).

Week 12

Group Presentation # 1

Group Presentation # 2

Week 13

Group Presentation # 3

1. Danziger, K. (1994). Does the History of Psychology have a future? Theory & Psychology, 4 (4), 467-484.

Possible Supplemental readings

1. Koch, S. (1992). Psychology's Bridgman vs Bridgman's Bridgman. Theory & Psychology, 2 (3), 261-290.

2. Green, C. D. Of immortal mythological beasts. Theory & Psychology, 2 (3), 291-320.

3. Bickhard, M. H. (1992). Myths of Science. Theory & Psychology, 2 (3), 321-338.

1. Lakatos, I. (1970). Falsification and the methodology of scientific research programmes. In I.Lakatos and A.Musgrave (Eds.) Criticism and the growth of knowledge. New York: Cambridge University Press.

1. Feyerabend, P. (1987). Farewell to reason. New York: Verso.

- Chapter 1 "Notes on Relativism": (pp. 1-89).

2. Feyerabend, P. (1988). Against method (2nd edn.). New York: Verso.

- Chapters 1-5: (pp. 1-54).

- Appendix I Intro: (pp. 165-169).

1. W.Tomm (Ed.) The effects of feminist approaches on research methodologies. Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 1989.

- Chap 2: Marsha Hanen "Feminism, reason, and philosophical method." (pp. 31-56)

- Chap 3: Hilary M. Lipps "Toward a new science of human being and behavior."

2. Cook, J. A. & M. M. Fonow (1990). Knowledge and woman's interests: Issues in epistemology and methodology in feminist sociological research. In J.McC. Nielsen (Ed.) Feminist research methods: Exemplary readings in the social sciences. Boulder: Westview Press.

3. W.Tomm (Ed.) The effects of feminist approaches on research methodologies. Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 1989.

- Introduction: Winnie Tomm. (pp. 1-12)

- Chapter 1: Thelma McCormack "Feminism and the new crisis in methodology". (pp. 13-30)

1. Greenwood, J.D. (1992). Realism, Empiricism, and Social Constructionism: Psychologicval theory and the social dimensions of mind and action. Theory & Psychology, 2 (2), 131-151.

Comments on Greenwood

2. Harre, R. (1992). What is real in psychology: A plea for persons. Theory & Psychology, 2 (2), 153-158/

3. Shotter, J. (1992). Social Constructionism and Realism: Adequacy or accuracy? Theory & Psychology, 2 (2), 167-174.

1. Mos, L.P. (1998). On methodological distinctions: Nomothetic psychology, or historical understanding. Theory & Psychology, 8 (1), 39-57.

2. Bernstein, R.J. (1988). Beyond objectivism and relativism: An overview (chp 1). Beyond objectivism and relativism: Science, hermeneutics, and praxis. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

1. Blackman, L. What is doing history? The use of history to understand the constitution of contemporary psychological objects. Theory & Psychology, 4 (4), 485-504.

Readings on the History of Psychology in Canada

1. Wright, M.J. & C.R. Myers (1982). History of academic psychology in Canada. Toronto: H?

 2. Tolman C.W. (1996). Opposition to the Ideal System as Leitmotif in Nineteenth Century Anglo-Canadian Psychology. Canadian Psychology, (37), 137-144.

1. Tolman, C. (1999). Introduction to Symposium on The philosophical origins of psychology in Canada. History and Philosophy of Psychology Bulletin, 11 (1), 3.

2. Kenwood, C. (1999). The Anti-Sceptical psychology of George Paxton Young. History and Philosophy of Psychology Bulletin, 11 (1), 4-10.

3. Hagman, M. (1999). John Clark Murray on the emancipation of women: A comparison with John Stuart Mill. History and Philosophy of Psychology Bulletin, 11 (1), 11-16.

4. Jung, K. (1999). John Watson on Authority and Truth: Psychology as a moral Science. History and Philosophy of Psychology Bulletin, 11 (1), 17-21.

1. Wright, M. J. (1992a). Women Ground breakers in Canadian Psychology: World war II and its aftermath. Canadian Psychology, 33, 4, 675-682.

2. Wright, M. J. (1992b). The golden anniversary symposium: CPA's first 50 years. Canadian Psychology, 33, 4, 695-696.

3. Ferguson, G. A. (1992). Psychology in Canada 1939-1945. Canadian Psychology, 33, 4, 697-705.

4. Williams, D. C. (1992). The frustrating fifties. Canadian Psychology, 33, 4, 705-709.

5. Belanger, D. (1992). The structuring of Canadian psychology: Honni soit qui mal y pense! Canadian Psychology, 33, 4, 710-712.

6. Pyke, S. W. (1992). The more things change . . . . Canadian Psychology, 33, 4, 713-722.

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