November 18: Anti-Psychiatry
Read/Watch:
November 20: Looking back over the semester
If you have a few minutes, look back over the readings, units, what we’ve talked about and think about what you found most interesting/helpful and the least interesting/helpful.
November 11: Culture-Bound Syndromes
Read:
Optional:
Ask:
November 13: False Memories & Moral Panics
Read:
Optional:
Ask:
November 6: Race, Social Pathologies & Sociology
Read:
Ask:
October 23: Little Albert
Read:
Ask:
October 28: IRBs, Double-Blind Trials & Professional Norms
Read:
Do: Look over TSU’s IRB forms and think about how the ethical issues and professional norms discussed here are put into practice. Are there things missing from the IRB forms? Are there things that don’t make sense?
October 30: WEIRD Research
Read:
Optional:
Do: Pick a topic and look through several recent studies on that topic; what kind of research subjects do the papers involve? Do the authors comment on this? Should they?
Ask:
November 4: Titicut Follies (1967) & Patient Privacy
Watch: Titicut Follies (you can also watch the film on Kanopy.)
Write: Your final film blog.
Ask:
REMINDER: You need to complete two blogs on any of the units we have covered so far. Email them to me by next Monday.
Also on Monday, we will begin talking about your final projects. We discussed how you needed to put three things together: a topic/question, data, and a digital methodology. Come to class with an idea for at least two of these things, and we will talk about how to turn that into a workable project.
Read through the instructions page on Digital Humanities for ideas about tools you might use. I also encourage you to think creatively when it comes to data. You could do a mostly traditional research paper, in which case your data would be journal articles and books. On the other hand, you could decide you want to talk about how mental institutions developed in the US. In that case, your data might be architectural plans, data on the locations of the institutions, etc.
Unit-Wide Questions:
October 2: Insulin Comas, ECT & Other Physical Therapies
Read:
Ask:
October 7: The Drug Revolution
Read: Anne Harrington’s “Depression” from Mind Fixers: Psychiatry’s Troubled Search for the Biology of Mental Illness
Optional reading/listening: “An Epidemic of Depression or the Medicalization of Distress?” (NPR interview with Anne Harrington)
Ask:
October 9: Talk Therapies
Read:
Do: Research one type of psychotherapy (look here, here or here for examples) and make a content map to think through the following questions:
Ask:
Before You Begin: Take the MBTI here, and take a Rorschach inkblot test here. Think about the following questions:
Unit-Wide Questions:
September 25: IQ
Read: “Science, Ideology, and Ideals: The Social History of IQ Testing”
Optional reading:
Ask:
September 30: Psychoanalytic and Projective Testing
Read:
Optional reading: “Has Wikipedia Created a Rorschach Cheat Sheet?”
Ask:
Unit-Wide Questions:
September 18: Early American Neurology
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Optional reading:
Ask:
September 23: Psychosurgery
Read:
Watch:
Optional:
Ask:
Unit-Wide Questions:
September 9: Behaviorism & Conditioning
Read:
Optional reading: B.F. Skinner’s “Behaviorism at Fifty” (1963)
September 11: Freud & Psychoanalysis
Before you start reading: list everything you know about Freud here. The results will display as a word cloud, so please use one word answers (or if you have to use two words, smush them together.)
Read:
Optional reading:
Ask:
September 16: Phenomenology & Altered States
Read:
Optional reading:
Below, you will find a list of questions to think about throughout this unit, readings and questions for each class (August 27, August 29 & September 3), and some optional readings that could form the basis of an extra-credit blog or your final project.
Unit-Wide Questions
August 26: A Mysterious Waif at Bellevue
Read:
Ask:
August 28: The Snake Pit
Watch: The Snake Pit (you can stream the film online, but if you want to watch with subtitles, you will need to download the film and the subtitles.)
Write: Your first film blog. Instructions are available here.
September 4: “Ten Days in a Madhouse”
Read: “Ten Days in a Madhouse”
Two notes on the reading:
Ask:
Optional reading & ideas for extra-credit blogs & projects
Browse the “mental asylum” tag on Undercover Reporting and think about how other undercover reports differ from or are similar to Bly’s.
Browse the “Stunt Girls (and Boys) of the Late 1880s” page on Undercover Reporting
Research Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute (formerly known as the Central State Hospital for the Insane.) The hospital was criticized by famed reformer Dorothea Dix in the 1840s, and the subject of an undercover report by Frank Sutherland in the 1970s.
Watch “Born Sexy Yesterday,” a video-essay about pop culture tropes, and compare this to The Snake Pit and news articles on the mysterious waif at Bellevue. Ask why the trope of the amnesiac woman or the woman without a past is so compelling to audiences across such a large span of time.
Titicut Follies is an observational documentary that was intentionally directed to gain the attention of state representatives and mental health professionals in the mid 1900’s. The need for immediate funding and directional aid is seen within the strenuous conditions portrayed at Bridgewater State Hospital. Wiseman, along with his crew and the hospital superintendent unveil the graphic horrors lived by those in a criminally insane institution before ethic codes and mental health awareness.
While the intentions of this film were to gain the audiences’ captivation and support, Wiseman received criticism for invading and exploiting patient privacy. Patients faces and nude bodies were viewed on film, without their consent. However, the superintendent of Bridgewater signed patient privacy wavers (as he was their legal guardian) bypassing the need for patient consent.
The patients observed within Titicut Follies were criminally charged with insanity and placed at Bridgewater for the well being of themselves and those around them. These patients often times did not have active families and were hidden away from the rest of society. Ethically, the film should not have taken place, as these patients were not in the correct state of mind to understand and sign a privacy waiver. However, many believe the film portrayed a side of the mental health field that was desperately needing change.
This film is now used for educational purposes, such as classroom discussion and history of mental health. Titicut Follies portrays human behavior in two different ways: those of the criminally insane and those in authority positions. This is a blatant divide of interaction which results in many of the horrific scenes viewed throughout this film.
Often times, guards and nurses both mentally and physically abuse their patients by hitting, name-calling, spitting, etc. While this is an accurate portrayal of life inside an asylum for the criminally insane, it also provokes human emotion among the audience of the film. This human emotion is what Wiseman hoped to promote a movement for funding mental health hospitals. Although his plan took a different turn, the intentions of Titicut Follies was to help the patients inside.
As we have learned throughout the history of psychology, the task of observation proves to be a valuable tool in learning and categorizing human behavior. Wiseman used observation as method of film to gain emotion and attention among his audience. The exploitation of the conditions at Bridgewater and the criminally insane patients started a discussion amongst families of patients, mental health professionals, and state representatives of the lack of funding and health treatments available. This film is a stepping stone to the mental health awareness era we are currently experiencing. Titicut Follies provides an educational supplement to the first-hand experiences of patients and subjects experiencing mental health issues. #blog
Before mental health awareness became a movement in the United States, those who were different from the rest of society were often thrown away into asylums- to no longer be a hassle to the world around them. Their rights were diminished and the treatment endured, substantial. If truly mentally ill, with no representative present, does a mentally handicapped person have a say so in their treatment? Today, we would say yes; however in the late 1800’s, testing, treatments, and inhumane observations were implicated upon those who had no say-so in their well-being.
We often think about ethics, morals, and principles in the field of psychology, though it wasn’t until the mid 1900’s that ethic codes were established by the American Psychology Association (APA). Before this, studies focused on finding an explanation to an issue, rather or not there was substantial harm or risk involved. For example, the Monster Study (1939)- which used positive and negative speech therapy on children. Though the results of this study were never published (due to fear of obvious backlash), the children involved harbored more speech imperfections upon completion of the study than before. This is a prime example of unethical research done before modern day advances in psychological research.
Mental asylums contained one of the most profound mistakes in the history of psychological research. Patients were often mistreated, without rights, and subjected to torture for the purpose of studying the humans’ thoughts, behaviors, and motives. Dorothea Dix advocated on behalf of the mentally ill for better living conditions and standards during the mid 1800’s which brought about positive change to mental asylums. The asylums began implementing individual health plans and removed caging, restraints, etc. due to the persuasive work of Ms. Dix. She also challenged the traditional theory that those who were mentally unstable could not be helped, meaning it was possible for treatment and release rather than discarding mentally-unfit individuals.
This movement was the initial start to mental health awareness policies, which continue today. The term ‘moral treatment’ was coined out of this era, and later imposed on psychological research standards in the mid 1900’s. Though the joining of psychology and biology had been warranted for some time, ethical and moral guidelines should have been in place prior to conducting research on humans.
Psychological testing is a recent development in the field of Psychology. For many years, testing of the mind relied on therapists’ interpretations of the material gathered from a patient. However, now with testing such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), testing relies on self interpretation.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was developed in 1942 by Katherine Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs-Meyers. Though neither of these ladies had a background in psychology, they closely followed works of Freud, Jung, and other intrinsic psychologists. The MBTI is based off of Carl Jung’s 16 different personality types and measures the 5-factor model: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. This test is usually used to identify qualities and downfalls in an interview process. However, many believe this test is faulty and follows the Barnum-Forer effect principles. This is because the results of the MBTI are often flattering such as: thinker, performer, nurturer, etc. and can be applicable to many people. Another reason skeptics disdain the MBTI, is for it’s test-retest reliability. For example, the first time I took the MBTI, I was told I had an ESTP personality type- the next time, ISTP. How can one be classified as both introverted (E) and extroverted (E) within a 3-month span? While the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a fun personality quiz, the test is wavering in the field of psychology.
As opposed to the MBTI, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (1989) is commonly used in psychology offices to produce an accurate measure of mental illness and other clinical problems. This test may only be administered by trained psychologists, meaning its’ validity is less likely to become compromised. Currently, the MMPI-2 has been updated to include only true and false questions, making the grading of the test more substantial in its interpretation. The test grades on 10 clinical aspects: hypochondriasas, depression, hysteria, psychopathic deviate, femininity/masculinity, psychasthenia, schizophrenia, hypomania, paranoia, and social introversion. However, the results rely on self-reported answers- therefore it is dependent upon the test-takers truthful answers. Over time, the MMPI has been upgraded to improve the conventional interpretations and clinical scales once used by Starke Hathaway, the creator of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.
Projective testing relies simply on interpretation, as many psychological testing did in the past. For example, the most widely used projective test, the Rorschach test (1918) contains a set of cards containing inkblots- a subject identifies what they see within the inkblots, and the test administrator will then interpret these answers. The clinical diagnosis is then dependent upon ones’ own interpretations of an inkblot as ‘a cow.’ As one can imagine, this test has many negative connotations associated with it. Though the Rorschach test is still used today, its’ results are widely ignored due to its’ online availability and publicism. However, the diversion away from the Rorschach test could be related to the rise of Art Therapy within western culture. Art therapy uses internal feelings (such as emotions, anxiety, and self-esteem) to create artistic interpretations of these feelings. Likewise, the Rorschach test often produces results that are transparent to what a subject is experiencing both internally and externally.
As it relates to introspection, psychological testing is not advanced enough to produce reliable and accurate results. Mentioned above, many of these tests rely on self-reporting in order to produce results. Though we like to think people are honest, many times when taken longitudinally, test results vary. The field of psychology aims to identify peoples’ thoughts, emotions, dreams, etc.; however, it is difficult to do so without truthful answers and/or neural and biological examination. As the field advances, so do technologies and our understanding of personality and human distinctions.
Once you’ve verified your WordPress account, you should be able to post to this blog.
Go to WordPress.com. At the top right, you will see a button that says “Write.”
If you have accepted the invitation to join our course blog, clicking that button should take you to a screen with a blank blog that will post to our course blog.
If you aren’t taken to this screen, try entering this url: https://wordpress.com/posts/my/hist4325.home.blog
During class discussions, we’ve talked about a lot of things that aren’t covered in the readings. On this page, you’ll find links to articles and videos related to those discussions. These are all optional, but you may find them interesting.
Diagnosing children:
Solitary confinement:
ATTENDANCE POLICY
You are expected to attend class regularly and arrive on time. Because this is a discussion-based course, being present to contribute to discussions is critical to what you get out of the course and also to your grade. Arriving late is disruptive and repeated lateness will be considered equivalent to an absence.
You may be absent two times with no penalty. You may also miss class without penalty for excused absences (these include you or a family member being ill, approved university activities, etc.), if you submit documentation for these absences. TSU policy allows instructors to fail students who incur three or more unexcused absences in a semester.
ACADEMIC CONDUCT
Your writing in this class should primarily consist of your own ideas expressed in your own words. However, academic work is collaborative in many ways and much of this class centers on dialogue between you and your fellow students. This means that you will sometimes use ideas from others (whether your classmates, our readings, or research you’ve done on your own) in your own writing. In this case, you will need to be careful not to present anyone else’s work as your own. To do this, use proper citations. If you use someone else’s ideas in a blog, say so. If you use someone else’s words, make sure they are in quotation marks. Properly citing any ideas you get from other people is important in academic work, and failure to do so is plagiarism.
My policy on plagiarism is that if you plagiarize in an assignment, you will have to redo the assignment and will receive no better than a 50 on it. You will also have to submit a statement demonstrating that you understand what plagiarism is and will not do it again. I will keep an eye on your work to make sure you abide by this. If you commit plagiarism a second time, you will fail the course. TSU policy also allows for repeated plagiarism to be reported to the Vice President for Student Affairs and the Vice President of Academic Affairs, who may take additional action.
Students in HIST 4325 are warned particularly against the following forms of academic dishonesty:
ACCOMMODATION FOR DISABILITIES
The instructor acknowledges and embraces the fact that all individuals have different learning styles, physical, or mental conditions that may affect their ability to participate in class or course related activities. This instructor will strive to afford all students with appropriate and feasible opportunities to learn and excel in this class. Any student, who has a condition which might interfere with his/her class performance, may arrange for reasonable accommodations by contacting the Office of Disabled Student Services. This office is located in room #117 Floyd Payne Student Center. The phone number is (615) 963-7400. You will be provided a document stating what type of classroom accommodations, if any, are to be made by the instructor. It is your responsibility to give a copy of this document to the instructor as soon as you receive it. Accommodations will only be provided AFTER the instructor receives the accommodation instructions from ODS; accommodations are not retroactive.
EQUITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENTS
Sexual misconduct, domestic/dating violence, stalking: TSU recognizes the importance of providing an environment free of all forms of discrimination and sexual harassment, including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. If you (or someone you know) has experienced or is experiencing any of these incidents, there are resources to assist you in the areas of accessing health and counseling services, providing academic and housing accommodations, and making referrals for assistance with legal protective orders and more.
Please be aware that most TSU employees, including faculty and instructors, are “responsible employees”, meaning that they are required to report incidents of sexual violence, domestic/dating violence or stalking. This means that if you tell me about a situation involving sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking, I must report the information to the Title IX Coordinator. Although I have to report the situation, you will still have options about how your situation will be handled, including whether or not you wish to pursue a formal complaint. Our goal is to make sure you are aware of the range of options available to you and have access to the resources you need.
You are encouraged to contact TSU’s Title IX Coordinator to report any incidents of sexual harassment, sexual violence, domestic/dating violence or stalking. The Title IX coordinator is located in the Office of Equity and Inclusion, McWherter Administration Building, Ste. 260 and can be reached at 963-7494 or 963-7438. For more information about Title IX and TSU’s SART or policies and procedures regarding sexual, domestic/dating violence and stalking please visit: http://www.tnstate.edu/equity.
If you wish to speak to someone confidentially, who is not required to report, you can contact the TSU Counseling Center, located in the basement of Wilson Hall, at 963-5611 or TSU Student Health Services, located in the Floyd Payne Campus Center room 304, at 963-5084. You may also contact the following off campus resources: Sexual Assault Center of Nashville at 1-800-879-1999 or http://www.sacenter.org or the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence at 615-386-9406 or http://www.tncoalition.org .
Harassment & discrimination: Tennessee State University is firmly committed to compliance with all federal, state and local laws that prohibit harassment and discrimination based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, religion, retaliation, veteran status and other protected categories. TSU will not subject any student to discrimination or harassment and no student shall be excluded from participation in nor denied the benefits of any educational program based on their protected class. If a student believes they have been discriminated against or harassed because of a protected class, they are encouraged to contact the Office of Equity and Inclusion at McWherter Administration Building, Ste. 260, 615-963-7494 or 963-7438, http://www.tnstate.edu/equity.
Metacognition is a term that refers to thinking about (or being aware of) how you think. On this page, you will find various tools to help you with this process.
One metacognitive method involves thinking about how you would complete a specific task (planning), asking yourself questions about what you’re doing and why while you’re doing the task (self-monitoring), and asking yourself whether your process made sense after you finish the task (reflection.) These steps together form a cycle that can help you with future tasks. In other words: work smarter, not harder.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom’s Taxonomy is one way of breaking down different steps or levels of thinking. In theory, these steps form a ladder with “remembering” being the simplest step and “creating” being the most complex. In reality, we move up and down the ladder as we work on various tasks.
MARSI & MAI
The MARSI and MAI are two tests to see what metacognitive strategies you use (and which you could probably use more.) These are useful tools to assess what you already do, and to refer to when you’re working on a task.
MARSI: Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory
MAI: Metacognitive Awareness Inventory
*You must write 4 blogs in total and must complete 2 during the first half of the semester, but can otherwise choose which blogs to write.
Bold dates are for assignments that are due for all students. Un-bolded dates are for unit blogs.
One of the questions we’ll talk about throughout the semester is how we know what we know (or what we think we know.) As part of this, I ask you to actively document how these topics come up in your life outside the classroom throughout the semester. How you do this is up to you. You could create a twitter or tumblr account to keep track of how often psychology comes up in your day-to-day life, use hypothes.is to collect and annotate things you read online, or start your own blog to write your observations in… It’s up to you.
The goal of this assignment is for you to actively notice when topics relevant to our course come up in your own life outside of the classroom. Did you see a movie that featured a psychologist? Tweet about it. Did you read a news article that referred to a psychology study? Blog about whether the news article got the research right or wrong. Think about this assignment as an attempt to document your own experiences and as a way to see where your knowledge about psychology and history comes from.
Something we’ll be talking about throughout the semester is the relationship between scientific knowledge, popular ideas and personal ideas. As more information is available and as psychology has become increasingly empirical, we still gain knowledge from a variety of sources and use those sources to interpret the world around us.
When approaching course readings, consider whether the source is a primary or secondary source. Primary sources are historical documents written during the time period they discuss. Secondary sources are documents written about historical events, but after the event took place. In other words, a document about the Civil War written in the 1860s is a primary source, while a document about the Civil War written in 2019 is a secondary source. Secondary sources typically use primary sources to understand and explain a historical event.
If the assigned reading is a primary source, consider the following questions:
If the assigned reading is a secondary source, consider the following questions:
History of Psychology 