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Course Descriptions
Introductory courses in Psychology:
105. Psychology of Human Adjustment. Introduction to basic theoretical principles of psychological coping and adjustment. Students will learn greater insight and efficacy in dealing with social and behavioral forces they encounter and will acquire an appreciation for the importance of psychology and its reliance on other disciplines to understand and improve complex social and behavioral phenomena. (M4, III.C) Staff
120. Introduction to Psychology. Overview of research drawn from biological, perceptual, cognitive, developmental, clinical, social, and personality traditions in the discipline. Staff
Intermediate Courses in Psychology
204. Survey of Social Psychology. Psychology as a social science, through comprehensive study of traditional content of human social behavior. Topics include attitudes and their formation, social cognition, attribution, prejudice, aggression, conformity, interpersonal interaction, group dynamics, and leadership. Participation in group studies designed to illustrate methodology of the social science orientation and to provide thorough understanding of principles underlying individual behavior and attitudes within a social situation. May not be taken for credit by students who have completed Psychology 340. Does not count towards the psychology major. (M4) Staff
205. Spaces for Living: Design in Mind. (Also Interdisciplinary 205) We live amidst architecture—buildings, houses, interiors, and landscapes—but we rarely take the time to think about the spaces where we live. Why have our homes, communities, cities, and public spaces evolved as they have? Are some spaces more pleasing to the eye and the mind than others? How do our physical spaces affect our mental life? To explore these questions, we will read about domestic life (the idea of “home”), architecture, and design. Does not count towards the psychology major. May Term. (M6) Dunn
207. Lifespan Development. Individual development as a lifelong process. Representative theories, research, and controversies on conception and birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age, death and dying. Insight into social, emotional, cognitive, and physical aspects of aging along the various stages of development. May not be taken for credit by students who have completed Psychology 370 or 371. Does not count towards the psychology major. Staff
211. Experimental Methods and Data Analysis I. Scientifi c method as the means through which knowledge advances in the field of psychology. Developing and researching hypotheses, collecting data, testing hypotheses using appropriate statistical techniques, interpreting and reporting statistical results. Research methodology, descriptive statistics, and inferential statistics, as well as use of the computer software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to analyze psychological data. Students will be responsible for researching a topic and creating a research proposal. Prerequisite: Psychology 120. Fall. Writing-intensive. Staff
212. Experimental Methods and Data Analysis II. Statistical techniques that build on concepts introduced in Psychology 211. Mastering inferential statistics and nonparametric statistical procedures. Students will carry out the research study outlined in their proposals from Psychology 211 and complete an APA-style research paper. This course must be taken in the semester immediately following Psychology 211 and with the same instructor. Prerequisite: Psychology 211 with a grade of C or better. Spring. Staff
218. Industrial/Organizational Psychology. This course will explore the history, advances and contemporary trends in the field of industrial/organizational psychology. Students will learn about the application of psychology to the world of work as achieved through the use of science and practitioner collaboration as the main tools of this discipline. Students will study the factors that contribute to an optimal fit between the worker, the job and the organization with the goals of improved worker performance and well-being. Students will critically examine the psychological implications that come with the challenge of meeting these commonly competing goals in our current society. Staff
230. History, Theories, and Systems. Historical origins of contemporary psychology, including structuralism, associationism, functionalism, behaviorism, Gestalt, and psychoanalysis, as well as recent developments in the field. Prerequisite: Psychology 120 or permission of instructor. Brill, Dunn
250. Animal Behavior. (Also Biology 250) Neurological, ecological, and genetic basis of behavior, with emphasis on evolutionary mechanisms that govern acquisition of behavioral patterns. Prerequisite: Biology 100 or 112 or Psychology 105 or 120. Fall, alternate years. Two 70-minute periods, one 3-hour laboratory. Kuserk
251. Philosophy of Psychology. (Also Philosophy 251) An examination of philosophical and empirical theories of the mind. Main questions will be: What is the mind? How does the mind relate to the brain and behavior? Can the mind be studied scientifi cally? What is the nature of conscious experience? Different accounts of the nature of mind will be discussed such as behaviorism, materialism, and functionalism. In addition, we will survey main approaches to the mind found in contemporary cognitive science, a multi-disciplinary field consisting of (among other things) artifi cial intelligence, cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience and philosophy. Staff
275. Health Psychology. Survey of contemporary psychological research examining promotion and maintenance of physical and mental health. Well-being and illness defined and best understood by examining biological, psychological, and social factors. Topics include psychological perspectives on stress; cardiovascular disorders; cancer; HIV/AIDS; obesity, alcoholism, smoking; prevention and health promotion; and patient behavior. Prerequisite: Psychology 120. Dunn, Toedter
Advanced Courses in Psychology
315. Cognitive Psychology. Major issues, research fi ndings, and theories of human mental processes. Topics include perception, attention, memory, human information- processing, mental imagery, language, creativity, thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making. Prerequisite: Psychology 211. Johnson, Zaremba
320. Cognitive Neuroscience. An investigation of how the brain serves as the basis for our thought processes. Topics include attention, perception, learning and memory, language, emotion, and consciousness. We will start with an overview of the structure of the brain. Particular emphasis will be placed on human cognition and on neuroimaging techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging. Students will learn about the evolution of such techniques and how they contribute to understanding of the brain. Prerequisite: Psychology 211. Johnson
325. Physiological Psychology. Biological basis and physiological correlates of behavior, as well as survey of comparative psychology. Topics include neurophysiology and neuroanatomy, input and output channels of the organism, biological bases of motivation, emotion, perception, learning, and memory. Laboratory projects in neuroanatomy and electrophysiology. Prerequisite: Psychology 211. Johnson, Zaremba
335. Conditioning, Learning, and Behavior. Procedures, phenomena, and processes of conditioning and learning in animals and humans. Major issues, research fi ndings, and contemporary theories of conditioning and learning. Behavioral approach to the study of learning. Topics include classical (Pavlovian) and instrumental (operant) conditioning and their interaction; reinforcement; stimulus generalization, discrimination, and control; biological constraints on learning; and cognitive components of conditioning and learning. Laboratory work. Prerequisite: Psychology 211. Johnson, Zaremba
340. Social Psychology. A survey of the major theoretical and empirical research in social psychology, including person perception and social cognition, attitudes and persuasion, prejudice and stereotyping, interpersonal attraction, and helping behavior. Some theoretical applications will be discussed, as will methodological approaches to social psychological questions and problems. Students will complete research projects and writing assignments. Prerequisite: Psychology 211. Dunn
345. Psychology of Women. (Also Women’s Studies 345) Research on gender differences and female gender development from various perspectives. Critical analysis of assumptions about human nature and science embedded in our approach to these issues. Interdisciplinary approach, with attention to biological, cognitive, behavioral, and social factors that infl uence emergence of gender. Topics include gender-role development, achievement and motivation, health issues, sexuality, adjustment, victimization, and minority-group issues. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. Zaremba
360. Humanistic Psychology. Spectrum of disciplines and approaches to human experience and behavior. Explores range of human capacities and potentialities so as to enhance individual and society. Topics include self-awareness, personal functioning, interpersonal perception and communication, love, and creativity, as well as humanistic approaches to child-rearing, education, and clinical practice. Experiential exercises. Prerequisites: Psychology 211 and permission of instructor. Lyons
361. Personality. Major systematic interpretations of personality, including works of Adler, Allport, Erikson, Freud, Maslow, Rogers, and Skinner. We will consider what it means to be “normal,” as well as each theoretical perspective’s guides to living. Theoretical and applied level of analysis included. Prerequisite: Psychology 211. Dunn, Lyons, Toedter
362. Abnormal Psychology. Analysis of disordered behavior: description, possible origins, prevention, treatment, and social signifi cance. Current research and new developments. Class lectures and discussions, case studies. Prerequisite: Psychology 361. Toedter
363. Tests and Measurement. Opportunity to develop the skills for assessing quality of commonly used measures of human behavior. Basic material on norms, reliability, and validity leads to evaluation, administration, and interpretation of tests currently in use in clinical, industrial, and educational settings. Topics include ethics, testing and the law, and test construction. Prerequisite: Psychology 211. Toedter
366. Counseling Psychology. The interviewing process and commonly used intervention strategies and techniques. Emphasis on values clarifi cation and development of relationship in the counseling process. Experiential components. Prerequisite: Psychology 361. Lyons
370. Infancy and Childhood. Development of the child from prenatal period through pre-adolescence. Theories, research, and current issues in cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development with emphasis on stability and change across these stages of development. Topics include physical changes, attachment, emotions, parenting, morality, language, memory, education, peer relations, aggression, and gender identity. Developmental methodology and empirical evidence. Prerequisite: Psychology 211. Schmidt
371. Adolescence, Adulthood, and Aging. Development of the person from adolescence through death. Understanding theories, research, and current issues in cognitive, socialemotional, and physical development with emphasis on stability and change over these stages of development. Topics include physical growth and decline, identity development, peer relations, romantic relations, health and nutrition, leaving home, marriage, parenthood, vocational choice, grandparenthood, retirement, illness, death. Developmental methodology and empirical evidence. Prerequisite: Psychology 211. Schmidt
372. Developmental Implications of Medical Technologies. (Also Interdisciplinary Studies 372) Explores implications of recent medical advances. Topics include: assisted reproductive technologies, genetic testing, premature and low-birth-weight infants, performance-enhancing drugs, sex selection, and euthanasia. Students will be provided with an overview of the medical technologies in question and will explore ways in which individuals, families, and society are socially, emotionally, morally, legally, and economically affected by these advances. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. (U1) Schmidt
373. Contemporary Work-Life Challenges. (Also Interdisciplinary 373) An exploration of the emerging theories and controversial issues regarding the relationship between work, family, and other life roles. Both the employee and employer perspective will be discussed within an organizational context, and from various moral perspectives. Students will also consider and react to the psychological adjustment and decision-making issues posed by the impact of work on one’s family and life roles, and vice versa. Some of the contemporary trends addressed in the course include gender differences, legal issues, child care, cross-cultural perspectives, and technology-driven fl exible work arrangements. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. (U2) Brill
375. Seminar in Social/Personality Psychology. Contemporary issues in social psychology and/or personality psychology. Issues will vary to refl ect new disciplinary developments or instructor interests. Prerequisite: Psychology 211; junior or senior standing or permission of instructor. Staff
376. Seminar in Experimental/Cognitive Psychology. New developments and contemporary issues in experimental and cognitive psychology. Prerequisite: Psychology 211; junior or senior standing or permission of instructor. Staff
377. Seminar in Developmental Psychology. Contemporary issues in developmental psychology, focusing on how developmental theory and methodology can promote health and welfare across the lifespan. Topics vary from year to year. Practical approaches for developmental psychologists in explaining, assessing, and intervening in current social challenges. Individual and societal implications of various issues from the perspective of developmental science. Ethical and cultural infl uences on developmental psychology. Prerequisite: Psychology 211; junior or senior standing or permission of instructor. Staff
378. Seminar in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. In- depth study of emerging areas in industrial/organizational psychology. Issues will vary to refl ect new developments and contemporary approaches. Prerequisite: Psychology 211; junior or senior standing or permission of instructor. Staff
190-199, 290-299, 390-399. Special Topics.
381-384. Independent Study.
386-388. Field Study.
400-401. Honors.
