Courses

PSYC 101G. Introduction to Psychology
An examination of the scientific study of psychology. Lectures emphasize current concepts in the biological roots of behavior, learning and memory, perception, social behavior, psychopathology, and applied psychology. Laboratories stress the application of quantitative interpretations of data and the scientific method to the study of human behavior.

PSYC 201. Research Methods I: Statistical Analysis
An introduction to the scientific method as applied in the social and behavioral sciences. Topics include: descriptive and inferential statistics, the design and analysis of experiments, and the drawing of logical conclusions from behavioral data. Includes laboratory.

PSYC 202. Research Methods II: Design and Communication
An introduction to the methods involved in behavioral research. Includes the logic, preparation, and design of controlled experiments. Emphasis is placed on the interpretation of data and the communication of results. Experience is gained in literature search and writing reports using appropriate style and format. Includes laboratory.

PSYC 207. Introduction to Health Careers
(Cross listed as BIOC 207, BIOL 207, and GPHS 207). Students will have the opportunity to explore a variety of health careers through readings and with guest speakers who visit the class. The objective of this class is to make students better informed about career choices in the health professions and allow them to reflect on their choice of career. Additionally, the students will learn about the expectations required to be a successful applicant to a professional school. Students will be expected to write a substantial paper at the end of the class that will allow proper placement in a two week health careers externship during the Scots Term.

PSYC 216. Learning and Memory
This course provides an in-depth overview of the historical and current theories of learning and memory. Specifically, we will discuss the key concepts and principles of classical and operant conditioning as well as various aspects of the different types of memory. The class will also include a brief introduction to the growing importance of neuroscience in the understanding of learning and memory processes. Information obtained in this course will enable you to more thoroughly appreciate the role of learning and memory in shaping so many aspects of our behavior and identity.

PSYC 217. Health Careers Externship
(Cross listed as BIOC 217, BIOL 217, and GPHS 217). In cooperation with health professionals, these experiences involve observation of the health care professional’s daily routines. At the end of the course, students are expected to reflect on what they have learned from this shadowing experience.

PSYC 221. Lifespan Development
An exploration of physical, social, emotional and intellectual development through the lifespan. Particular emphasis is given to child, adolescent and late adult development. Course content includes theory, research, and practical applications.

PSYC 233. Social Psychology
A study of how other people influence the perceptions and behaviors of the individual. These influences are studied through all aspects of the human experience, including attitudes and attitude change, the formation of the self-concept, emotional experience, prejudice, group dynamics, and social norms and values.

PSYC 236. Abnormal Psychology
A study of the origins, symptoms, and classification of mental illness, including the study of anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. Includes comparisons among the various biological and psychological approaches to therapy, and critical analysis of the influence of politics and culture in diagnosis.

PSYC 237. Industrial/Organizational Psychology
An overview of the psychology of work and human organization. Topics include: learning, motivation, attitudes, group dynamics, and leadership as they apply to work in organizations.

PSYC 239. Health Psychology
An exploration of the psychological influences on how people stay healthy, why they become ill, and how they respond when they do become ill. Topics include: the links between stress and immune system function and disease, psychological factors that mediate reactions to stress, and behaviors that endanger health.

PSYC 240. Personality
A theory-oriented exploration of human differences and similarities. Covers psychodynamic, humanistic, and behavioristic models. Topics include: the role of the family, cross-cultural variables, and the immediate social-environment in shaping personality.

PSYC 243. Mind, Brain, and Behavior
A first exposure to the relationship between the brain and behavior. Topics include: neuronal communication, perception, cognition, learning and memory, and the biological basis of consciousness.

PSYC 250. Special Topics
A study of a subject of special interest. Topics previously offered include: humanistic psychology, drugs and behavior, the psychology of language, and the application of psychology to community issues.

PSYC 251. Research Practicum
Faculty supervised participation in a research project. The student will work on a research project under the direction of a faculty member.

PSYC 287. Political Psychology
Political Psychology is one of the oldest and newest approaches to the study of politics. How does the political mind work? What motivates political behavior and influences political judgment? This topical course introduces emotion and cognition, morality, group centrism and prejudice, socialization and biology, personality, media effects, and aggression, with effects on electoral choice and participation, political identification and perception, public policy attitudes, and even political violence. In doing so, we begin to uncover the psychological underpinnings of democracy.

PSYC 290. Cross-Cultural Psychology Practicum
A practical experience which combines the study of Psychology and inquiry into cultural differences that impact human behavior and experience. The course will include on-campus meetings prior to departure and site visitations to educational institutions, businesses, governmental offices, and other commercial institutions or cultural sites in that target country.

PSYC 302. Advanced Experimental Psychology
Students will investigate a major subject area in psychology. Students will engage in an in-depth experience in the methodology of studying psychology. Course topics will alternate with topics such as: social psychology, cognitive psychology, and learning and motivation. Includes laboratory.

PSYC 303. Drugs and Behavior
This course provides an introduction to the field of psychopharmacology, with special emphasis on the relationships between drugs and human behavior. Students will be introduced to specific neurotransmitter systems and the neurophysiology of specific drug use. Students will be able to appreciate more fully why people use both prescription and recreational drugs and the potential physiological and psychological consequences of such drug use, including addiction.

PSYC 304. Cognitive Neuroscience
Provides a deeper understanding of the neural basis of behavior and mental activity. Topics include the cellular and molecular basis of cognition, gross and functional anatomy of cognition, methods of cognitive neuroscience, and processes such as selective attention, language, emotion, and learning and memory.

PSYC 305. Behavioral Neuroscience
This course provides students a comprehensive review of the many applications of neuroscience to the understanding of behavior. Topics include the biological foundations of behavior, evolution and development of the central nervous system, sensation and perception, motor control, the effects of hormones on behavior, emotions and mental disorders, and cognitive neuroscience.

PSYC 318. Biopsychology
This course emphasizes understanding the function of the brain and its relation to behavior. Topics include: the biochemistry of neural conduction and synaptic transmission, neuropsychology, brain disorders, the biochemistry of learning and memory, and mechanisms of action of psychoactive drugs.

PSYC 321. Cultural Psychology
This course will expose students to issues of gender, race, and enculturation as they relate to psychology. Topics include: culture’s influence on research, health, development, social behavior, communication, emotion, and abnormality. The focus of these topics will include global and regional cultures.

PSYC 323. Psychology of Gender
This course will examine the psychology of gender by studying how gender impacts our thoughts and behavior, and how it is involved in family, work, relationships, and mental health. Theoretical approaches, empirical research, and cultural influences will be examined.

PSYC 330. Forensic Psychology
This course will provide an in-depth review of how psychology and the law interact. A review of theories from a variety of areas of psychology, which have been influential forces in the creation and implementation of laws, will be explored. Topics include: police psychology, eyewitness testimony, false confessions, violent and non-violent crimes.

PSYC 334. Stereotypes & Prejudice
In this course, we will examine the history of psychological research that outlines the causes, development, and persistence of stereotypes and prejudice, with a focus on the social, behavioral, cognitive, and neuroscientific roots. Central themes will be identifying (a) the active and passive processes that scaffold the demonstration of prejudice and discrimination, (b) the effects of discrimination on the target of prejudice, and (c) efficacy of efforts to change stereotypes and reduce prejudice at the individual level.

PSYC 345. Animal Behavior
(Cross-listed as BIOL 345) A study of the diverse and fascinating range of animal behavior. How do we explain that in various animals we can observe infanticide, competition, and polygamy, but also cooperation, altruism, and monogamy? Using an evolutionary approach, this course will examine both the proximate mechanisms and ultimate reasons that explain the great variety of animal behavior as elucidated by animal behaviorists through ingenious experimentation and patient observation.

PSYC 350. Special Topics in Psychology
A seminar on selected topics in psychology permitting in-depth analysis of an important psychological problem or phenomenon.

PSYC 351. Independent Study
Directed individual study in an advanced area of psychology. The student selects a topic in consultation with a member of the faculty.

PSYC 352. Internship in Psychology
An experience designed to allow students in Psychology to apply the concepts and ideas developed during study in the major to a particular workplace or setting.

PSYC 355. Theories of Counseling
A survey of major theories and practices in counseling and psychotherapy. Topics include: cognitive, affective and behavioral models, directive and nondirective approaches, the ethics of intervention, evaluation of research in counseling and psychotherapy, and an introduction to counseling skills.

PSYC 415. Readings in Psychology
An investigation of selected readings in advanced psychology topics from a variety of psychology approaches. Course topics will alternate. Some examples are: history and systems, psychology and health, perception, phenomenology, and cross-cultural psychology.

PSYC 420. Research Seminar
The development and completion of a major research project during the senior year. The students will read and critique their own and other research literature, and conduct and report their research project. The senior comprehensive examination is administered.

PSYC 455. Advanced Counseling Seminar
A seminar focusing on the analysis and application of the major theories and practices in counseling and psychotherapy. Topics include: empirical support for approaches, listening skills practice and ethics.