Psychology of Paranormal Beliefs

Spring - 2025

PSYC 3160-A
Mon/Wed 4:00 - 5:15 pm, Hale 307

Paralinks
Presentation Schedule	Presentation Guidelines
FINAL PAPER INFORMATION!
Key Points to Consider
GRADES

Instructor:	Stephen T. Paul, Ph.D.		Office:	471 Nicholson
E-mail:	paul@rmu.edu		Office Hours:	M/W: 1:00 - 3:30
Phone:	(412) 397-5416.			& appointment.

If a thing exists, it exists in some amount; and if it exists in some amount, it can be measured.

-- Edward L. Thorndike

The easiest lies to tell are the ones you want to be true.

-- Holly Black

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So is a lot.

-- Alexander Pope

Text:	Smith, J. C. (2018). Critical Thinking: Pseudoscience and the Paranormal, 2nd Ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell. [978-1-119-02935-9]
Overview:	The formal study of human behavior (Psychology) has been around for less than 200 years. In this relatively brief time, the purview of psychology has become unmanageably vast. There are more sub-fields of psychology than could be represented in the number of classes typically needed to achieve an undergraduate degree. In addition, there are dozens of "fields" popularly believed to be related to the science of psychology, but which are not (e.g., astrology, biorhythms, speed-reading, channeling, subliminal self-help, psychic surgery, etc.). Such pseudoscientific topics are often lumped together with, or outright labeled as, "psychology" to the immense disservice of the true fields of psychology. This course will equip students with the means to distinguish nonscientific (pseudoscientific) from scientific claims as well as improve their critical thinking skills when it comes to evaluating claims regardless of source or topic.
Objectives:	Upon successful mastery of this course, students should be able to: Demonstrate understanding of the basic methods of knowledge acquisition, including the strengths and weaknesses of each. Discuss what science can prove about paranormal claims. Show a basic understanding of psychological phenomena that contribute to and support paranormal beliefs (e.g., placebo effect, ideomotor effect, cognitive dissonance). Explain the self-correcting nature of science. Name and describe the common fallacies that support irrational thought and behavior (e.g., theory influencing observation, anecdotal evidence). Discuss how operant and classical conditioning contribute to superstition. Think more rationally about any claim. "Bend spoons with their minds" (misdirection); talk with the dead (cold reading); "read minds" (deception); and predict stock market fluctuations with 100% accuracy (heuristics and algorithms).
Web Site:	http://www.drspeg.com/courses/courses.html
Policies:	Attendance: Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes. Specific absence policies are determined by each academic department and faculty member, announced at the beginning of each course, and presented in the course syllabus. Students whose absence exceeds the announced departmental or faculty policy may receive academic sanctions up to and including a course grade of "F." Such students are permitted to attend the remaining classes but are not permitted to take any examinations. In this course, attendance is strongly recommended, but your final grade will not be directly tied to attendance. Academic Integrity: Academic Integrity is one of this university's highest ethical values. All students are expected to understand and adhere to the standards of Academic Integrity as stated in the RMU Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found on the RMU website at www.rmu.edu/ai. Any student who violates the Academic Integrity Policy is subject to possible judicial proceedings that may result in sanctions, as indicated in the Policy. Depending on the severity of the violation, sanctions may range from receiving a zero on an assignment, to being dismissed from the university. If you have any questions about the Policy, please consult your course instructor. NOTE: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology for the completion of coursework is not allowed unless expressly permitted by the instructor for the course. Excerpt from Robert Morris University Academic Integrity Policy document (rev. Jan 6, 2025, Section B.6) - Violation of "Fair Use:" "Fair Use in copyright law is a doctrine that allows one to use brief excerpts of copyrighted materials for teaching or research without permission of or payment to the copyright holder. In particular, students featuring original works of others, including images, videos, etc., in their own works must ensure that they comply with the legal and artistic implications of such use. This includes knowledge of the concepts of licensing, copyright, fair use, and public domain." Improper use of any such work or similar authored by other people is a violation of academic integrity as is the failure to comply with "fair-use" requirements. In many cases, written permission from the artist is required for use in a student's project. Students who feature the original artistic media works of others in their projects should ensure that they have complied with the legal and artistic implications of this use. This includes knowledge of the concepts of "licensing," "copyright," "fair use" and "public domain." (See www.fairusenetwork.com) Accessibility Accommodations for Students: Robert Morris University welcomes students with disabilities into all of the University's educational programs. If you have, or think you may have, a disability that would impact your educational experience in this class, please contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to schedule a meeting with the SAS Coordinator and Assistant Director Molly Hill. She will confidentially discuss your needs, review your documentation, and engage with you in the interactive process to determine your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. To learn more about academic accommodations, please visit http://rmu.edu/sas, email sas@rmu.edu, or call 412.397.6884. Masking: You may elect to wear face masks in the classroom. Please respect individual decisions about whether to mask. Any negative response to an individual who elects to wear a mask will be reported to Student Conduct. If you are feeling ill but well enough to attend class, we strongly encourage the use of a face mask until you are feeling well. In an Emergency: RMU Police emergency response telephone number is: 412-397-2424. From campus telephones dial only: 2424. RMU Alert: All students are urged to sign up for the RMU emergency alert notifications at www.rmu.edu/rmualert. Always check with RMU to see if classes are in session during inclement weather. Lectures & Readings: I expect that you will have read each chapter before we meet in class to discuss it. When you read, take note of portions that you don't understand well, or that you might have questions about. In this way you will arrive prepared for class to discuss the material like a true scholar. NOTE that I do not provide lecture notes or slides to students (i.e., as files that could be downloaded or emailed). I've tried this multiple times in the past and then watched students' grades plummet. It isn't a good idea (especially for this class). Grading: The exams will constitute 70 percent of your final grade (x1=10 percent, x2=15 percent, x3=20 percent and 25 percent for the final exam), the pop-quizzes, combined with occasional in-class activities, will constitute the remaining 30 percent of your final grade. The breakdown below will be used to determine final grades (based on overall percent earned by semester's end): A =   93.0 - 100 B =   83.0 - 85.9 C = 70.0 - 76.9 A- = 90.0 - 92.9 B- =  80.0 - 82.9 D =   0.1 - 69.9 B+ = 86.0 - 89.9 C+ = 77.0 - 79.9 F =   0.0 Use of Personal Technologies During Classtime: The use of laptops, cell phones, MP3 players, or any technology that distracts you (and/or your neighbors) from course content and delivery are prohibited. If you are caught using ANY technologies during class time, you will be marked absent for that class. If the instructor deems your electronic addiction to be disruptive you may be asked (or required) to leave. Exception: Audio recording is allowed. It was shown back in 2014 (and replicated since) that notes taken by hand result in superior memory/learning compared with notes taken on computer/laptop. The classic demonstration of this is: Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159-1168. Missed Assignments: In the event that you miss a graded assignment (exam, activity, etc.) due to an excused absence, you have one week (or until the last day of classes; whichever comes first) from the date of the missed assignment to make arrangements with me to complete that missed assignment. If the original assignment cannot be completed, a replacement activity may be assigned. If you fail to make arrangements with me to make up any missed assignment by the deadline, you will receive a zero for that assignment.
Assignments:	(1) In order to demonstrate to me that you are keeping up with the readings, you should provide me with 250-word summaries per chapter to compose 15 percent of your final grade. Due dates for the summaries are Wednesday (before class) each week, and they should be emailed to me NOT PRINTED OUT - the specific chapters that will be due may be found in the schedule/calendar of events at the end of the syllabus. (2) Class participation will constitute 20 percent of your grade. This will be earned through in-class activities and class discussion. If you do not actively participate, you will not earn all the points in this category. I cannot stress enough the importance of your active participation in this class! (3) You will also be responsible for critically analyzing a topic that is course-relevant (and has received prior approval from the professor). I have a number of pre-approved suggestions for topics, but if there is one in particular that you want to cover that is not on my list, please talk to me about it. This class project will be presented via PowerPoint and should last between 10-20 minutes. This will constitute 25 percent of your final grade (note that students may team up for presentations, but I expect that presentations involving more than one student will be noticeably superior to presentations by single students). The presentation will be worth 15/25 while your participation in other presentations will be worth 10/25 points. (4) You will also be completing a final comprehensive reflection paper (worth 15 percent of the final grade) summarizing your experiences in and reactions to the course. I expect this paper to be about 4 pages long. (5) Naturally we will have a standard final exam (100 questions taken from the readings) that will be worth the remaining 25 percent of your final grade. SUMMARY of ASSIGNMENTS Assignment Percent of Grade 1)  Chapter Summaries 15 2)  Class Participation 20 3)  PowerPoint Presentation (15 + 10 =) 25 4)  Final Reflection Paper (about 4 pages) 15 5)  Final Exam 25
Comment:	The goals of this class do NOT include forcing you to change your current beliefs. Re-evaluate them, perhaps, but NOT necessarily to change them. Your final grade will not be determined by the degree to which your beliefs match or mismatch my own. I have great respect for students willing to participate fully in class; especially a class such as this. The practice of asking questions (even simple ones) or challenging even minor points results in a broader understanding of issues and reflects genuine interest in the topic and in one's education. Such qualities are associated with excellence in learning, and are correlated with success in college and beyond.

Map of Course Objectives to Program Outcomes
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS	PROGRAM OUTCOMES	COURSE OBJECTIVES
Exams Final Project	1. Explain key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.	1, 2, 3, 4, 6
Exams Final Project	2. Apply the principles of psychology to individual and social behavior.	3, 5, 6, 7, 8
Final Project	3. Demonstrate information literacy in the field of psychology	7
Web Arguments Activity	4. Engage in innovative and integrative thinking and problem solving in psychology.	1, 2, 4, 6, 7
Final Project	5. Interpret, design, and conduct basic or applied psychological research.	4, 7
	6. Understand individuals from different cultural and developmental perspectives.
	7. Apply ethical standards to psychological science and practice.
Final Project	8. Write effectively for different purposes in psychology.	1, 4, 7
Final Project	9. Exhibit effective presentation skills for different purposes in psychology.	1, 4, 7
	10. Apply psychological content and skills to career goals.

Schedule:

Provided as a general outline/ordering of what will be covered. The course web page is considered the official class syllabus. Any change (eliminations) in course requirements, re-organizations in topics to be covered, or whatever else (e.g., including but not limited to assignment information, announcements, relevant links) will be posted on the official syllabus web page (i.e., HERE) and if possible, announced in class. THIS CLASS IS ALWAYS A WORK IN PROGRESS! This will be the third time that I have taught the course in this manner. I believe it will be an improvement over previous incarnations, but we will see: DATA > belief. My hope is that you will be patient with, and understanding of, the potential changes that may need to be made in the ordering and inclusion of the topics below throughout this semester.