Psychology course offerings

PSYC 100 General Psychology – GS 3
This course provides a survey of the many aspects of behavior which are of interest to psychologists. This includes a survey of the nervous system and biological bases of behavior, mental processes, human development, learning theory, personality, mental health and abnormality, interaction and group dynamics and other aspects of social behavior. The course introduces the scientific methods used in all the basic fields of modern psychology and covers alternative ways of understanding the human experience.  The focus of the course is on the complex interplay between external and internal stimuli and the environmental, individual, social and cultural factors affecting human behavior and relationships. Fall and Spring semesters. Fulfills General Education Area 3 - Human Relationships.

PSYC 212 Abnormal Psychology
This course examines diagnostic criteria, suspected causal factors and therapeutic interventions for a wide variety of abnormal behaviors, ranging from anxiety and mood disorders to schizophrenia. Emphasis is placed on critical evaluation of theoretical accounts and empirical findings emerging from psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, biomedical and integrative perspectives. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or Instructor’s consent. Fall semester.

PSYC 221 Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Psychological principles and research methods are used to understand individuals’ work-related thoughts, feelings and actions. Major topics in human resources (e.g.  selection and training), organizational psychology (for example, leadership and motivation), and workplace characteristics (e.g. safety and health and workplace technology) are surveyed. Prerequisites: PSYC 100 or Instructor’s consent. Alternate Spring semesters (odd-numbered years).

PSYC 231 Early Childhood Activities
Students work as teaching/childcare assistants in the College Children’s Center (or other child education setting) for four to six hours per week. Specific work hours are arranged by each student in consultation with the director of the Children’s Center or off-campus program administrator. Class meets four hours per week during which fundamental theories of learning and cognitive development are explored with emphasis on practical applications in preschool settings. Students develop knowledge about theories of learning and cognition and skills in defining educational goals, conducting individual learning activities and designing and using cognitive assessment instruments. (A change in the composition of the Psychology Faculty may affect this course.)

PSYC 281 Environmental Psychology
Students in this course will examine how we affect the built and natural environments and how they affect us. Topics covered include cognitive mapping, personal space, territoriality and environmental design (e.g. residential, learning, work and leisure environments). The course will conclude with a discussion concerning how we might promote more harmonious and environmentally-constructive interactions with our planet. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or Instructor’s consent. Alternate Fall semesters (even numbered years).

PSYC 289 Special Topics
A course designed primarily for first- and second-year students on a special topic in psychology. Offered whenever a mutual interest exists for a member of the faculty and a sufficient number of students. Prerequisite: PSYC 100.

PSYC 301 Basic Principles and Methods of Psychological Research
This course provides an introduction to many of the basic principles involved in research, including hypothesis formulation and testing, experimental control, measurement issues and research ethics. The course also addresses a variety of basic research methods and issues in data collection and analysis. Laboratory experiences will provide students with an opportunity to practice relevant skills. Prerequisites: PSYC 100 and SSCI 224. Fall and Spring semesters.

PSYC 310 Chemical Substances and Behavior
This course is designed to provide a broad, general introduction to behavioral pharmacology by examining the neurological, physiological and psychological mechanisms of drug action. Topics covered include tolerance, side effects, drug interactions and abuse potential of both recreational and therapeutic drugs. In addition, societal issues associated with drug use and abuse will be examined (for example, decriminalization and public costs of drug dependence). Prerequisites: PSYC 100 or BIOL 100 or BIOL 121 and sophomore standing. Alternate years.

PSYC 311 Personal Development: A Multicultural Perspective – GS 11
A facilitated discussion-based seminar exploring the concept/process of personal growth from a variety of psychological and cultural perspectives. Basic theories of personality and human development drawn from European, American, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern traditions, including such disparate approaches as those of Freud, Skinner, Horney, Zen Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic (Sufi) traditions are explored. The emphasis is on the student’s acquisition of a personal development perspective that enhances empathy for those from other cultures and provides a foundation for the student’s own personal growth in a global cultural context. (A change in the composition of the Psychology Faculty may affect this course.) Fulfills General Education Area 11 - Global Society

PSYC 312 Theories of Personality
This course consists of an examination of theories of personality from Freud to the present day. The dispositional, psychodynamic, phenomenological, behavioral and cognitive perspectives on personality are reviewed. For each perspective, the course will examine founders and leading proponents, essential theoretical concepts, methods of assessing personality and assumptions concerning human nature, problem behavior and behavior change. Students will be encouraged to compare, contrast and critically evaluate the various perspectives. Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Alternate Fall semesters (odd-numbered years).

PSYC 320 Abnormal Behavior in Childhood
A survey of the major forms of problem behavior in childhood and adolescence, including autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, eating disorders and anxiety and mood disorders of childhood. Reviews issues concerning the assessment, diagnosis, causes and treatment of these problems from diverse perspectives. Emphasis is placed on the developmental context of these problems and their relationship to healthy development. Prerequisites: SSCI 220 and junior or senior standing. Alternate Fall semesters (even-numbered years).

PSYC 321 Social Psychology
The influence of others on the thought, feelings and actions of the individual is examined. Major topics in social cognition (e.g. person perception and attribution), social evaluation (e.g. attitudes and prejudice), social influence (e.g. obedience and conformity), and social interaction (e.g.  altruism and aggression) are surveyed. Differing theoretical perspectives and research methodologies are analyzed. Prerequisite: PSYC 301 or Instructor’s consent. Fall semester.

PSYC 325 Group Dynamics
The interplay of groups and group members is examined. Major topics in group development and formation (e.g. affiliation and norms), influence and interaction within the group (e.g. conformity and leadership), group performance (for example, teamwork and decision making), and group conflict (e.g. conflict within groups and conflict between groups) are surveyed. Prerequisites: PSYC 100 and SSCI 224 or Instructor’s consent. Alternate Spring semesters (even-numbered years).

PSYC 331 Sensation and Perception
Students in this laboratory course will explore how humans sense and perceive the world via visual, auditory, chemical and skin senses. Physiological, psychophysical and cognitive approaches will be used to help explain how perceptions arise from the conversion of physical energy in the environment to electrochemical signals and how the brain then processes those signals. Topics covered include perceptual development, clinical aspects of vision and audition, music, speech and pain perception as well as applications with respect to art, education and health. Prerequisites: PSYC 301 or Instructor’s consent. Alternate Fall semesters (odd-numbered years).

PSYC 333 Conditioning and Learning
This is an advanced laboratory course on basic learning processes. This course investigates the physiological changes that underlie the learning process, issues in classical conditioning which have yet to be resolved (e.g. CS-blocking and overshadowing, the mechanisms underlying spontaneous recovery, discrimination and generalization, etc.), and many similar issues in operant conditioning theory. The course is conducted as a seminar/ discussion with related laboratory experience. Each student is required to conduct and report on an individual research project. This course is designed to meet the needs of junior/senior psychology majors, but should also prove useful to others interested in understanding the learning process. Prerequisite: PSYC 301 or Instructor’s consent. Alternate Fall semesters (even numbered years). (A change in the composition of the Psychology Faculty may affect this course.)

PSYC 337 Memory and Cognition
Examines historical and contemporary research in the study of human cognitive processes, with particular emphasis on the area of memory. Topics covered include attention, perception of symbolic material, mental imagery, problem solving and language. The course includes labs which provide in-depth applications of course concepts. Prerequisite: PSYC 301 or Instructor’s consent. Spring semester.

PSYC 345 Approaches to Psychotherapy
A survey of major systems of psychotherapy, including psychodynamic, behavioral and cognitive approaches. Representative therapies from each approach are studied. Basic assumptions, limitations and effectiveness are reviewed for each theory. Prerequisite: PSYC 212. Alternate years.

PSYC 360 Psychological Testing
This course surveys the psychological tests used to assess constructs such as intelligence and personality and those used in clinical, educational and business settings. Emphasis is placed on building skills in informed selection and use of psychological tests and on familiarity with the basic procedures used to establish their norms, reliability and validity. Social and ethical issues surrounding psychological testing are also addressed. Prerequisite: SSCI 224 or Instructor’s consent. Alternate Spring semesters (odd-numbered years).

PSYC 370 Physiological Psychology
The purpose of this course is to relate behavior to bodily processes, especially the working of the brain. Topics covered include functional neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, brain evolution, motor control and neural plasticity, regulation of internal states, sexual behavior, emotions, memory and cognition and neurological disorders Different research methodologies employed to investigate the biological underpinnings of behavior are also analyzed. Prerequisites: PSYC 301. Fall semester.

PSYC 373 Behavioral Medicine and Health Psychology
A laboratory course surveying the interdisciplinary field which develops and integrates psychological and medical science knowledge and techniques and applies them to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of such disorders as heart disease, chronic pain, cancer and various stress-related disorders. The laboratory component is focused on training in measurement of stress-related arousal and in biofeedback and related stress management skills. Prerequisite: PSYC 301 or Instructor’s consent. Alternate Spring semesters (even-numbered years).

PSYC 380 Comparative Behavior
Comparative Psychology, also known as Evolutionary Psychology, attempts to improve our understanding of basic psychological processes via a thorough examination and comparison of similar or analogous processes among a variety of species. During this course the student will compare various species’ ways of dealing with common behaviors like sleep, eating, biological rhythms, learning, reproductive behavior and social behavior. The comparative method allows us to trace the evolutionary trajectory of our species.  Doing so may help us better understand what/who we are now and what our species may become in the future. The course involves observational, experimental and field laboratory work. Prerequisites: Biology majors should have had SSCI 224 or consent. Psychology majors should have had PSYC 301 or Instructor’s consent. Alternate Spring semesters (odd numbered years). (A change in the composition of the Psychology Faculty may affect this course).

PSYC 410 Cross-Cultural Psychology
This course places psychology within its cultural context. Students will examine how Western culture has shaped the field by influencing psychologists’ theories and research. Cross-cultural psychology approaches as in the study of people across ecological settings and cultural contexts –will then be introduced as a means of assessing the universality of psychological theories, i.e. the degree to which such theories can be generalized to all humans. Students will also be exposed to some of the cross-cultural literature so that they may be better able to discern the subtle effects of culture on all people. Prerequisites: Senior standing. Spring semester.

PSYC 420 A History of Psychology
The course places psychology within its historical context. The factors outside of psychology that have had an impact on theory and research and the factors within psychology that have shaped the field are examined. The contributions of philosophy and physiology to the founding of modern psychology are considered at the outset, while the majority of the course is devoted to the history of psychology since 1879. The course is organized around the development of the major schools of modern psychological thought and focuses on the lives and contributions of prominent psychologists. Prerequisites: Senior standing. Fall semester.

PSYC 489 Special Topics
An advanced-level course for junior and senior students on a special topic in psychology. Offered whenever a mutual interest exists for a member of the faculty and a sufficient number of students. Prerequisite: PSYC 301.

PSYC 490 Independent Study
Individual study of an approved topic in psychology under the direction of a psychology faculty member. Permits faculty and students to explore together some subject of special or personal interest. Reading and tutorial discussion are required, written work is optional. Prerequisites: Instructor’s consent and approval of the Associate Dean of Social Sciences.

PSYC 492 Directed Research
Qualified students may perform psychology research projects under the supervision of a psychology faculty member. Prerequisites: Instructor’s consent and approval of the Associate Dean of Social Sciences.

PSYC 494 Internship
This course requires placement at an internship site, consisting of work experience with an appropriate government or private agency or business directly related to the educational goals of the student. The accompanying classroom experience includes exposure to professional training and career choices, ethical standards, interviewing and micro-counseling skills and research issues in clinical and professional applications of psychology. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing, Instructor’s consent. Alternate Spring semesters (odd-numbered years).