| Introductory Courses | Intermediate Core Courses | Intermediate Elective Courses | Advanced Elective Courses |400-Level and Capstone Courses
These courses provide an introduction to the concepts and methods of the discipline and provide a foundation for additional courses in Psychology.
Psych 100/101: Introductory Psychology
A general survey of selected content areas in psychology, including personality and human development; physiological psychology; learning; intelligence; heredity and environment; and motivation and emotion. In Psych 101, separately scheduled discussion sessions provide students with the opportunity to work concretely with constructs and methods as they apply to specific problem areas.
Please note: Students may earn credit for either Psych 100 or Psych 101, but not both.
Psych 201: Introduction to Behavioral Research
An introduction to the ways of discovering, describing and making warranted assertions about aspects of people and social life. The chief objectives are 1) to help students develop the skills and knowledge necessary to become intelligent critics of research in the behavioral and social sciences, and 2) to give them a rudimentary understanding of the design and evaluation of scientific research. Statistical material is treated in a conceptual manner. Classroom work and course examinations concentrate equally on research design and research evaluation.
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101.
Note: This course is that same as Psych 102 (offered before Fall 2007).
Psych 105: Biological Foundations in Psychology
This course provides knowledge of the biological foundation of psychology. A basic background in physiology, evolution, genetics, and heredity is essential to the understanding of the content of most of the required courses in the Psychology major. This course targets students who lack requisite knowledge from prior coursework. Using neural and psychologically relevant examples, this course will provide a foundation for understanding physiological, genetic, developmental, and evolutionary influences on behavior. Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101.
200-level elective courses
Courses in this elective category provide an opportunity to explore areas of interest in the field. Some courses will fulfill diversity requirements in the College, and all can be used as general electives in the major.
Psych 234: Psychology of Cross-Cultural Relations
This course examines the nature and dynamics of inter-group relations within a multicultural context, studying relations among diverse cultures and racial groups in the United States and globally. The course looks at cross-cultural relations from an interdisciplinary perspective, discussing psychological and sociopolitical perspectives.
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101.
Psych 235: Psychology and the Afro-American Experience
This course is an examination of theory and research, primarily by psychologists, that bears on the Afro-American experience. The course focuses on the psychological literature, but also draws upon other social science disciplines, case studies, and relevant works of fiction. Major topics of the course are the black family and child development, black identity and personality, black activism, and the dynamics of individual and institutional racism.
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101.
Psych 236: The Psychology of Women
Psychological theories about women from Freud to the present are examined with emphasis placed on biological and socio-cultural perspectives as they have influenced the development of a psychology of women. Special attention is paid to the developmental process and the unique issues and concerns of the female infant, child, adolescent, young adult, and older woman.
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101; Recommended: Psych 330, 341.
Psych 290: Special Topics in Psychology
This course is conducted by various members of the faculty with special attention to their fields of scholarly interests. Topics vary by semester.
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101.
Psych Z270: Statistics
The applied study of the scientific method in the behavioral sciences. Fundamental statistical concepts and techniques are surveyed and used, with primary emphasis on the logic underlying the use of descriptive and inferential tools in scientific inquiry. Topics include parametric and non-parametric statistics, e.g., correlation and analysis of variance. Required for the BS degree.
Prerequisites: Psych 101 and Math 114 or Math 124 or equivalent coursework.
Psych 271L (CS 271L): Introduction to Cognitive Science Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field fundamentally concerned with furthering our understanding of the development, underlying processes, and implementation of language, perception, problem-solving, learning, memory, and other intelligent capacities. This course offers an introduction to this science for all levels of undergraduate majors in psychology, computer science, biology, and other related fields. Required for the Minor in Cognitve Science.
The intermediate core courses provide the required distribution of course work that forms the core of the major. Select a course from each of the five areas to fulfill core major requirement. Some areas allow choice between two courses to fill the area requirement. If the second course is also taken, it can be used as an "elective at any level" but not as an advanced course requirement.
Note: These courses had 200-level numbers previous to Fall 2007 but have not changed in other ways.
1. Clinical/Personality Area (select 300 or 315)
Psych 300: Personality
Conceptions of human nature are examined in light of various theories of personality. This course focuses on the theories of Freud, Adler, Sullivan, Erikson, Kelly, Ego psychologists, and other theorists presenting the behavioristic and humanistic perspectives. Among the topics to be addressed are personality structure and its development; stress and coping; neurotic styles; and human motives and their measurement.
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101.
Psych 315: Abnormal Psychology
This course examines the range of common psychological disorders, their characteristic symptoms, possible causes, and treatment. It takes a critical scientific approach to the criteria used to define psychological abnormality, the theories used to explain it, and the therapies used to treat it. Etiology, dynamics and treatment of psychopathology.
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101.
2. Social Area (select 330)
Psych 330: Social Psychology
A scientific attempt to understand and explain how the thought, feeling, and behavior of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others; focuses on the drama of social interaction.
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101.
3. Developmental Area (select 341 or 342)
Psych 341: Infancy and Childhood Development
This course explores human development from infancy to middle childhood, i.e., from childbirth to ages seven or eight. Major emphasis will be placed on early perceptual, cognitive, social and affective development bearing the following questions in mind: How does the world of space and objects appear to the infant? How does he or she acquire knowledge and discover reality? How does the child experience the world of people and develop a sense of self? How does the child develop attachments to others and what role is played by the significant people in his or her life?
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101.
Psych 342: Adolescence
This course is designed to acquaint students with psychological characteristics of adolescent development, theoretical approaches to adolescence, and experimental studies of the causes of a variety of behaviors during adolescence. The course will also focus upon major problems and characteristics of adolescents in modern society.
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101.
4. Cognitive Area (select 350 or 355)
Psych 350: Learning and Memory
An introduction to current views of behavioral change, learning, and remembering. The course focuses on concepts, theoretical issues and applications of current research.
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101.
Psych 355: Perception
Perception is the sensation and interpretation of objects in the world, a necessary first step in interacting with these objects. This course explores 1) how our eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin provide us with information about what's "out there" -- people, soft drinks, voices, perfumes, air conditioning, rain drops, and on and on; and 2) how our brains process this information to determine who we're looking at, whether the soda is flat, what the voice is saying, and so on.
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101.
5. Psychobiology Area (select 360)
Psych 360: Behavioral Neuroscience
This course provides an overview of the field of neuroscience. Selected topics are neuroanatomy, brain physiology, communication in the central nervous system, immunology, and psychopharmacology. This course also includes a critical discussion of various research techniques. One goal for students is to develop critical thinking skills, as consumers of scientific information.
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101 and either Psych 105 or a college level biology course or its equivalent.
Advanced elective courses provide an opportunity to build on previous learning in small seminars focused on specialized topics.
Note: Courses in this category require a) either Psych 100 or Psych 101; b) Psych 201; and the prerequisites listed for each course.
Psych 301: Psychological Testing
An examination of the assessment process and the methods (tests, interviews observations) used in it. Emphasis on the standards of validity for tests and procedures and on proper test use. Introduction to some major psychological tests.
Prerequisite: Psych Z270.
Psych 302: Human Motives and Emotions
An examination of major issues in the area of human motives and emotions. Theoretical analyses from the early theories of James, Dewey, Freud and Watson to contemporary studies employing the evolutionary behaviorist and cognitive perspectives. Topics include the relationship among motives, emotions and personality, and the rationality of the emotions.
Prerequisite: Psych 300.
Psych 333: Group Dynamics
An examination of small group behavior from a theoretical and empirical perspective. The group is viewed as a system functioning in a number of environments—physical, personal, social, and task. Each of these interrelated environments influences various aspects of group process. Thus leadership, power, conformity, status, goals, etc., are considered as interrelated processes of social interaction.
Prerequisite: Psych 330.
Psych 335: Social Attitudes and Public Opinion
This course examines the nature of attitudes, beliefs, and values, and the influences which individuals’ attitudes have upon their behavior. Various theories of attitude organization and attitude change are discussed, and the development of social attitudes is explored by examining the differential impact of the family, the educational system, the mass media, and the general social environment. The changing content of public opinion over time and its relationship to the political system are also discussed. Prerequisite: Psych 330.
Psych 337: Communication and Society
This course explores interpersonal interaction and the functional and dysfunctional ways in which communication occurs. Participants examine non-verbal communication, including paralanguage, spacing and gestures. Additionally, they acquire experience using the internet, for research purposes as well as for on-line communication with other course participants. Discussions also focus on various aspects of the mass media.
Prerequisites: Psych 100 or 101, Psych 330
Psych 338: Community Psychology
Contributions of psychology to the understanding of human communities. Community mental health, ecological, and social structural approaches to community psychology are examined.
Prerequisite: Psych 330.
Psych 339: The Psychology of Law
This course provides a basic understanding of the interaction between law and psychology, including developmental, social, and clinical psychology. Topics include rules of evidence construct validity, statistics in the court, child witnesses, eyewitness testimony, recovered memory, criminal investigatory practices, insanity, competence to stand trial, and constitutional rights of search and seizure.
Prerequisites: Psych 315 and Z270
Psych 343: The Psychology of Adult Development and Human Aging
A developmental approach to human integrity and functioning in the second half of the life span. Stereotyped ideas about the aging process are critically reviewed. Newer approaches to facilitating psychological well-being in the latter years of life are given
special attention.
Prerequisite: Psych 100 or 101.
Psych 344: Personality Development
This course examines basic issues in the development of personality, which is distinguished from cognitive and intellectual development. Each topic covers a central developmental issue characterizing a specific age and having critical implications for overall development. Topics include temperament and personality development, separation and autonomy, competence and achievement, the development of the self and self-concept, and adult development. Emphasis is on primary source material used in research reports.
Prerequisites: Psych 300, and 341 or 342; or permission of instructor.
Psych 345: Moral Development
This course examines different research areas and different theoretical views concerning the development of moral attitudes and behavior. The first and most central area of study concerns moral understanding and the development of judgments about morality. Other important issues discussed are the development of moral feelings, especially empathy and guilt; the connections between judgments, feelings, and action, including the development of self control; and social and family antecedents of moral development. Prerequisite: Psych 341 or 342.
Psych 346: Language Development
This course focuses on various theoretical approaches to the development of language. Pragmatic, semantic, and syntactic aspects of language acquisition are studied in depth. The role of language-specific, cognitive, and social factors in the process of acquisition are considered, with reference to both normal and disordered populations.
Prerequisites: Psych 341 or 356; or permission of instructor.
Psych 356: The Psychology of Language and Thought
Behavioral and physiological approaches to the processes underlying language and thought, and to the relationships between them.
Prerequisite: Psych 350 or 355.
Psych 361: The Brain and Behavior
An in-depth consideration of the neural mechanisms mediating reinforcement (reward and punishment), motivation (hunger and sex), attention, and learning.
Prerequisite: Psych 360.
400-Level and Capstone Courses
Courses in this advanced category are designed for majors who have already completed much of the intermediate core. Provided other criteria are met, they can be used to fulfill the capstone requirement. Note: Courses in this category require a) either Psych 100 or Psych 101; b) Psych 201; and the prerequisites listed for each course.
Psych 403: Gender, Culture, and Health This course studies health throughout the lifespan, using theory, research, and practice models emerging in health psychology, community-based public health, and work addressing gender and racial disparities in health and mental health. Through individualized journals and final projects, students will study interventions mobilizing individual, family, and social resources preventing illness and promoting health in diverse settings. Prerequisite: Any 300-level course in psychology, or permission of instructor.
Psych 415: Psychological Trauma: Individual and Society
This course explores the theory, research, and phenomenology of response to such traumatic events as combat, rape, and concentration camp survival. It examines normative psychological processes, common symptom picture, and the developmental, socio-cultural, and personality factors that influence response. Discussions also focus on present and past controversies within the research, and on the personal, social, and professional implications of the material.
Prerequisites: Psych 315.
Psych 420: Principles of Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is defined and a number of existing systems of psychotherapy are studied and compared through close reading of cases reported in the literature by the originators of each system.
Prerequisites: Psych 300 and 315.
Psych 430: Internship in Psychology
An internship course to give students the opportunity of combining human service or research in an area of psychology with a weekly seminar where they can reflect on their field experiences. As part of the seminar, students will be expected to attend its weekly meetings and to complete readings and a written term project relevant to their field experience as worked out in consultation with the faculty coordinator.
Prerequisites: Psych 315 and one upper level course and permission of the instructor.
Psych 434: Social Perception
Research in social perception seeks to discover how one attends to, thinks about, and understands others and oneself. Social perception entails observing behavior and forming impressions of character, ability, mood, and intentions. This course examines these processes, primarily through consideration of advanced texts and original research reports.
Prerequisite: Psych 330.
Psych 436: Religion, Spirituality, and Health
Students in this course will critically evaluate the empirical evidence and methodological issues in a growing body of research that links religion and spirituality to various health outcomes across the lifespan including: coping with cancer and HIV/AIDS; mental illness including anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia; alcohol and drug use; and mortality. Students also will explore the effects of Western and Eastern religious and spiritual practices intended to promote physical and mental well-being. Prerequisites: Psych 201 or Nursng 320 or Sociol/Crmjus L351, Psych 315
Psych 441: The Family and the Child: A Psychological View
The role of the family in the psychological development of the child. A psychodynamic view of the family, examining stages of development from the third trimester of pregnancy to sixteen years of age.
Prerequisite: Psych 341.
Psych 442: Psychology Internship: Field Placement in Early Child Development
This course is designed as a field laboratory course and fulfills two distinct functions: (a) It exposes the student to children in a naturalistic setting (nursery school or day-care) and trains him or her in the role of teaching assistant or early childhood caretaker; (b) it trains the student in research methods and techniques of data collection relevant to issues in child development. This involves the study of selected problems, search of the literature, formulation of hypotheses, design of observational and experimental studies, data collection and analysis, and the writing of research reports.
Prerequisites: Psych 341, and permission of instructor.
Psych 447: Cognitive Development
This course explores the general question of how thinking develops. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the development of thinking in childhood and on identifying those aspects of children’s approaches to conceptualizing, theorizing, and remembering which are changing during this time. Some attention will also be given to understanding possible mechanisms of cognitive change.
Prerequisite: Psych 341 or 342 or 350.
Psych 449: Developmental Disorders
This course examines the underlying causes of developmental changes in the brain and behavior that result in childhood neurobehavioral disorders. Attention is given to the neuropsychological outcome of premature infants, infants with genetic/chromosomal disorders (such as Down’s syndrome, or fragile X syndrome), and infants with problems resulting from environmental exposures (drugs, chemicals, and maternal illnesses).
Prerequisites: Psych 315 and 360.
Psych 450: Cognitive Psychology
An exploration of how human beings develop strategies for obtaining information from their environment, and how this information is organized, stored, and retrieved for later use.
Prerequisite: Psych 350 or 355.
Psych 455: Visual Perception Students are immersed in an intensive literature review of the classic, influential studies of visual perception (Did you know: There are "face detector" neurons? Blind individuals who see unconsciously? Individuals who see colors when viewing numbers?), comprising both physiological and psychophysical approaches. This seminar-style course furthers students' ability to critically read scientific articles, and prepares them to write their own. Prerequisites: Psych 355 and 270, or permission of instructor.
Psych 460: The Neuropsychology of Higher Cognitive Processes
The neural basis of higher cognitive functions, such as perception, language, and memory, including a consideration of human brain damage and psychological tests used to assess such damage.
Prerequisite: Psych 360.
Psych 462: Psychopharmacology
A survey of the background and history of psychoactive drugs, their current uses as research and therapeutic tools, and the difficulties in appraising their effects. Particular attention is given to the effects of drugs on the development of new fields of inquiry such as neuropsycho- pharmacology and influences on older fields such as biological psychiatry, etc.
Prerequisite: Psych 360, or equivalent.
Psych 463: Substance Abuse and the Brain This course examines commonly abused substances and their psychobiological effects. Accordingly, it surveys a variety of "street drugs" – from crack/cocaine, marijuana, oxycodone "E" to inhalants – focusing on the interaction with the rain reward and stress systems. Also explored are gender/age interactions as they relate to propensity to "try" and abuse drugs, especially during adolescent years. Prerequisite: Psych 360.
Psych 465: The Psychobiology of Development
Problems in behavioral development are explored from an evolutionary perspective. A major emphasis of the course is on the formulation of general principles of development applicable to a wide variety of species. A second emphasis is on interpreting the relation of the animal literature to an understanding of human development. Specific topics are drawn from naturalistic studies of animal and human development and from studies exploring the relation between biology and behavioral development. Prerequisites: Psych 341 and 360; or permission of instructor.
Psych 466: Hormones and Behavior
In this course students study the relationships between behavior and the neuroendocrine system studied in diverse behavioral systems of animals, including humans. Participants acquire an understanding of the complex interactions between hormones and behavior; study endocrine bases of sex differences, reproduction, affiliation, aggression, homeostasis, biorhythms, and other behavioral systems; explore clinical implications; and learn to read, evaluate and discuss original research findings.
Prerequisite: Psych 360 or permission of instructor
Psych 467: Evolution and Behavior
Comparative, biological study of the behavior of humans and other animal species. Neural, endocrine, genetic, and developmental mechanisms of behavior are examined within an evolutionary framework.
Prerequisite: Psych 360 or Biology 111-112.
Psych 470: History, Systems, and Theories of Psychology
This course explores the theoretical and methodological problems of contemporary psychology—especially clinical psychology—in historical perspective. It provides a broad overview of the development of psychology as an independent discipline and of the various sub-specialties in the field; and it evaluates the significance of new movements and methods by examining intellectual antecedents and underlying assumptions.
Prerequisites: Junior or senior status.
Psych 475: Experimental Methods: Learning and Perception
The course is focused on the use of laboratory methods and research design in the traditional areas of experimental psychology (e.g., perception, learning, problem solving). Students design experiments, collect and analyze data and report their findings. The objectives of the course are to help students develop knowledge of the logic and techniques of experimentation, along with the skills required to use this knowledge.
Prerequisites: Psych 350 or 355.
Psych 476: Experimental Methods: Physiological
Lab research on selected topics in physiological psychology, including hormonal influences, brain-behavior relationships, and mechanisms of reward and punishment. Emphasis is on the acquisition of research skills through the use of surgical, histological and statistical techniques in investigations mainly derived from computer-simulated data bases.
Prerequisite: Psych 360 or Biol 211 or 212.
Psych 477: Experimental Methods: Social
The general purpose of the course is to introduce the students to experimental research methods in social psychology. Class activities include examination of the relevant literature, participation in pre-designed studies, and the formulation, carrying out, and analysis of an original research project. The student has an opportunity to become familiar with the use of laboratory equipment such as audio and video recorders.
Prerequisite: Psych 330.
Psych 478: Experimental Methods: Personality and Abnormal Psychology
This course immerses students in research literature in personality and abnormal psychology and prepares students to conduct their own empirical research. Students learn how to read and critique research articles, use databases for literature searches, write a literature review, design a research project, analyze data using a statistical package and write a paper in the form of a journal article.
Prerequisites: Psych z270 and Psych 300 or 315.
Psych 486: Research Apprenticeship in Psychology
This course is designed to provide undergraduate majors in psychology with opportunities to participate in empirical research under the direction of a full-time faculty member. Students may be involved in all aspects of research including review of the literature, selection of tasks and measures, preparation of experimental protocols, data collection, coding and analysis. This course is open only to psychology majors.
Prerequisites: Psych 100 or Psych 101, and Psych 201 or 270, plus 3 additional psychology courses; and permission of instructor.
Psych 488, 489: Directed Study in Psychology
Independent work on special problems or in certain fields of psychological interest. Students must make arrangements with individual instructors and have projects approved by the department.
Prerequisites: At least 2 intermediate-level psychology courses, and permission of instructor.
Psych 490: Special Topics in Psychology
Conducted by various members of the faculty with special attention in their fields of scholarly interest. Topics vary by semester. Prerequisites vary.
Psych 496, 497: Honors Research
Independent study; the research, writing and defense of thesis.
Prerequisite: Permission of Psychology Curriculum Committee.
Psych 498: Senior Honors Seminar I
An intensive program of directed research combined with weekly discussion.
Prerequisite: Permission of Psychology Curriculum Committee.
Psych 499: Senior Honors Seminar II
An intensive program of directed research combined with weekly discussion.
Prerequisite: Psych 498.
Graduate courses that may be open to advanced undergraduates
Psych 650: Advanced Cognitive Psychology
An examination of various higher mental processes and their application from an information processing framework.
Prerequisite: Graduate status or permission of instructor.
Psych 670: Advanced Statistical Methods
This course is designed to instruct students in advanced statistical topics and to give training in the use of the corresponding computer methods. Emphasis is placed on the statistical methods which are of most general interest and importance to social scientists; multiple regression analysis and variance. Data and examples from a variety of disciplines will be presented. Prerequisite: Graduate status and permission of instructor.