Humans are complex organisms, and psychology provides a rich, interdisciplinary understanding of the study of mental life, experience, and behavior. Through this course, students develop an appreciation for these complexities by focusing on individual and social behavior, as well as the physiological and neurological processes underlying them. Central to this course is an understanding of the diverse methods, experimental designs, foundational theories, and research used to inform the various subdisciplines in psychology. Topics frequently covered in this survey course include: research methods, sensation and perception, learning and memory, developmental, personality, abnormal, and social psychology.
Although many people believe that psychology is based on common sense, personal experience, or intuition about human behavior and mental processes, the discipline is actually founded on the results of scientifically conducted experiments and studies. Thus, learning the methods for how data are collected, analyzed, interpreted, and communicated form the foundation for an undergraduate degree in Psychology. In this course, students practice using critical thinking and integration of primary research articles to produce logically organized writing in the manner that psychologists use in the discipline, explore the basic principles of empirical research in order to understand the ethical considerations and the characteristics of different types of research designs, and gain facility in beginning-level statistics. Overall, this course aims to strengthen students' identity as scientists and welcome students to the Psychology major.
This course covers experimental design and research methodology, elementary and advanced techniques of data analysis, and basic issues in the philosophy of science. Laboratory and individual research is required.
This course focuses on the milestones of human development from conception through late childhood. It considers physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional changes that occur during the first decade of life with special attention to various contexts of development. It addresses major theories as well as current research and methodology that explain how and why developmental change occurs. Implications for child-rearing, education, and social policymaking are also examined.
This course focuses on the development of individuals from adolescence through death. The domains of cognitive, physical, and psychosocial development are examined, with a particular emphasis on the multiple factors and contexts that influence development in each of these areas. Current theories and research are explored on a variety of topics relevant to adolescence and adulthood, including adolescent rebellion, identity development, midlife crisis, and caring for elderly parents.
This course considers human development from the beginning to the end of life. Students focus on the major biological, cognitive, and social changes that occur at each stage of development. Students examine the central questions, theoretical perspectives, research methods, and scientific findings that guide current understanding of human development. The course also emphasizes the ways in which individual development cannot be clearly understood without examining the social and cultural context in which individuals are embedded. The course satisfies a foundational category elective in Psychology.
Social Psychology is a field that uses empirical methods, primarily experiments, to study the social nature of our behaviors, attitudes, perceptions, and emotions. This course is a survey of theory and research literature pertaining to the prediction of human behavior in social settings. Topics covered include research methodology, social perception, attitudes and attitude change, prejudice, aggression, attraction, helping, conformity, group behavior, and the application of findings to current social problems.
This course considers the contributions of the nervous system to the understanding of the behavior of humans and other animals. To this end, the course surveys the basic structure and function of the nervous system, the principle methods for its study, and how knowledge of it informs an understanding of such phenomena as sensation and perception, movement, sleep, emotion, learning and memory, language, and abnormal behavior.
This course introduces the role of counseling and psychology in educational settings with a focus on K-12 schools. Students examine the specific roles and responsibilities of school counselors, school psychologists, and mental health counselors working in the school setting. Class discussions focus on the academic, career, and social emotional needs of school aged students and how these professionals promote culturally sustaining practices and support a safe, healthy learning environment. Experiential components of the course include introductory counseling, consultation, collaboration and advocacy skills.
Beginning with a brief study of the anatomy and physiology of the sexual and reproductive systems, the course progresses to the consideration of cultural heritages, including cross-cultural and sub-cultural variations. Consideration is given to the evolution of attitudes and behaviors across the life span, including the psychological foundations of the dysfunctions.
This course focuses on the application of psychological theory and methods to work behavior in industry and social service organizations. Research on job satisfaction, work motivation, personnel selection and training, decision making, and group processes within organizations are considered.
Evolutionary forces have shaped human behavior and the mechanisms of the human mind. In this course students learn the power and limits of evolutionary explanation about human behavior and cognition. After studying the basic processes of biological evolution, including natural and sexual selection, students apply these principles to selected issues in psychology. Examples of topics that may be included in this class are mate selection, sex difference, parenting and kinship, cooperation and conflict, dominance relationships, and social status.
This course considers the ways in which human culture and human behavior varies across cultural contexts. Students review psychological research on culture, examine the theoretical and methodological foundations of cross-cultural research in psychology, and discuss the mounting evidence suggesting that many psychological processes are culture-specific and context dependent.
An activity course for psychology majors that teaches important skills associated with academic and co-curricular planning. Using a hands-on workshop approach, students learn about and implement varied planning models in relation to short and long-term aspirations. In addition, each class member practices specific strategies for exploring their interests and identifying relevant courses, internships, research opportunities, and summer employment. Presentations by faculty and guest speakers provide varied perspectives on career options as well as the graduate school application process. As part of their coursework, students complete an initial personal statement, tentative 5-year plan, and a curriculum vita. Students also develop skills related to finding job opportunities, interviewing, and communicating research interests and ideas. Furthermore, students receive feedback from both their peers and various psychology faculty members on this coursework.
This course covers experimental design and research methodology, elementary and advanced techniques of data analysis, and basic issues in the philosophy of science. Laboratory and individual research is required.
This course considers the phenomena and methods of sensation, perception, and action in biological organisms. It focuses primarily on vision and audition, but with an emphasis on the general principles of how various forms of physical energy in the world are transduced and transformed to yield useful representations and purposeful behavior. Students wishing to facilitate a deeper understanding of the material may want to take PSYC 251, MATH 121, or PHYS 111/112 (or 121/122) prior to taking this course. Laboratory work is required.
This course is concerned with the lawful relationships between the behavior of organisms and the natural world. The course explores the scientific principles that govern these relationships with particular emphasis upon environmental control of voluntary behavior. Note: The laboratory component of this course requires daily work with live animals. Students must be able to commit one hour, MTWF, at the same time each day.
This course is an introduction to psychological testing and measurement. Students address the topics of test development, validation, and administration; survey commonly-used psychological measures; and discuss ethical, legal, social, and emotional impacts of decisions based on measures. In computer-based laboratories, students analyze test data with frequently-used statistical tests and procedures.
This course focuses on the biological causes and effects of psychological phenomena such as memory, emotion, attention, motor control, and perception. Students address these topics with an array of physiological methodologies such as measures of brain activity (e.g., EEG), muscle activity (e.g., EMG), heart rate, stress response (e.g., skin conductance), and eye tracking. Students learn the application of these methods including their strengths and weaknesses, as well as how to link psychological theories to physiological functions.
The major focus of this course is aberrant human behavior and the scientific basis for understanding its causes. Students learn the major approaches utilized today in diagnosis and treatment of these disorders including biological, psychoanalytic, cognitive, behavioral, humanistic, and community-systems models.
This course focuses on the development of psychology from its origins in philosophy to its establishment as a distinct experimental science. The class evaluates the contributions of philosophers and psychologists in terms of the political, cultural, social, and intellectual tenor of the times. Students gain historical sophistication and develop the ability to critically examine both historical and current issues in psychology.
This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of several theoretical models of the determinants of human behavior. Taking an historical perspective, students learn about psychoanalysis, behaviorism, humanism, and other models of personality. A comparative approach is stressed with an emphasis on structural criticism of each theory and its philosophical underpinnings.
This course is concerned with how humans learn, think, reason, and solve problems. It addresses the ways in which humans input, encode, transform, store, retrieve, and output information. The course presents major concepts, methods, research findings, and controversies concerning human cognition and examines application of cognition to topics such as eyewitness testimony, autobiographical memory, childhood amnesia, and expertise.
What does it mean to be healthy, and how do we promote health and maintain it? What factors disrupt or undermine our health? What is well-being, and how might it be distinct from health? What contexts or environments cultivate health and well-being, versus illness and suffering? Interweaving foundational and current research in health psychology, with findings from positive psychology that promote human thriving, this course aims to: explore factors that underlie our health habits and lifestyles; understand the role of stress, emotions, outlook and behavior in illness development; examine the intrapersonal, social/cultural, relational, institutional and societal contexts which promote health and wellbeing; and interrogate popular and scientific sources in order to tease apart platitudes from methods for meaningful change. Students master concepts from the empirical literature, synthesize information from medicine, public health, social psychology, personality, organizational scholarship, neuropsychology, health psychology and positive psychology, and engage in experiential learning that requires application of empirically-based findings to targets of self-change and change in local communities or organizations.
Mental health disorders among children and adolescents are pervasive. Youth violence is a serious social problem. This course examines the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health problems of children and adolescents based on the empirical literature.
This course explores how children learn language with seeming ease by examining classic and contemporary theories of language acquisition. The focus is on all areas of language (phonology, semantics, syntax, morphology, and pragmatics) and their typical developmental sequence. Special topics, such as language development disorders, critical/sensitive period hypothesis, bilingualism, bidialectalism, pidgins and creoles, and animal communication systems are covered. When possible, language data from languages other than English are presented.
Neuropsychology is the study of how the systems of the brain work together to support thought and behavior. Neuropsychologists often infer the function of a particular brain region by assessing the type of dysfunction expressed after damage to that brain area following a stroke or head trauma. In this course, students learn basic neuroanatomy, clinical assessments, and the functional delineations of the brain's cortex. Topics may include split brain patients, language disorders, perceptual agnosias, Parkinson's Disease, attentional neglect, phantom-limb syndrome, and memory loss.
This course explores how people make sense of themselves and others in the dynamic context of social interaction. Students read and discuss classic and current empirical research in the areas of interpersonal perception and social cognition.
This class addresses the various ways in which people's perceptions, memories, and reasoning about the world may diverge dramatically from reality. The course will delineate a variety of such illusions and try to understand their underlying cognitive and neuropsychological causes. Class goals will be to understand their applications (for instance, to eyewitness accuracy) and to use them to help understand normal perception and cognition.
This course explores how people make sense of themselves and others in the dynamic context of social interaction. Students read and discuss classic and current empirical research in the areas of self-perception, interpersonal perception, and intergroup perception. Readings and discussion focus on theoretical knowledge supported by basic research on human cognition, motivation, and behavior and the relevance of that knowledge for issues of practical and personal importance such as academic achievement, interpersonal relationships, stereotyping, stigma, racism, sexism, aggression, homelessness, and criminal justice.
This seminar focuses on several facets of romantic relationships, from the initial stages of attraction and partner selection, to relationship building, maintenance, and dissolution. Other key topics include marriage and divorce, communication, and the qualities of relationships that predict relationship satisfaction and stability. Several theoretical perspectives on intimate relationships are presented in the course, and we also examine the advantages and limitations of different approaches and research methodologies. Particular emphasis is placed on empirical research on the course topics, although we also discuss the role of clinical observations (e.g., based on individual and/or couple psychotherapy) in understanding intimate relationships.
Cognition is the many ways organisms take in information from their sensory systems, process it, and act upon it. There are many forms of cognition, and those forms look different from species to species based on the organism's evolutionary history. Through readings, discussions, and independent data collection, this seminar explores the history of the field of animal cognition, its scientific and philosophical controversies, common methods, as well as topics like consciousness, communication, tool use, and intelligence in nonhuman animals. In order to bring course material to life, students conduct observational and experimental studies of animal behavior in both lab and field settings, culminating in an independently proposed and conducted empirical study.
Applied Multi-Method Assessment is an experiential learning seminar introducing students to methods of assessment used by psychologists and other professionals to understand the impact of programs and interventions on individuals and communities. The course focuses on qualitative research methods including interviews and focus groups that engage diverse constituencies, use a social justice lens, and are informed by quantitative approaches. Students learn about theory-based assessment, community-based participatory action research (CBPAR), culturally informed research, and qualitative data analysis. In assignments, workshops, and field work, teams of students conduct assessment research that applies course material.
The Psychology Senior Capstone Seminar provides an opportunity for psychology majors to read and critically analyze primary source materials and review articles drawn from varied subfields in psychology. Through weekly presentations, writing exercises, and ongoing discussion, students address key issues in the discipline concerning, for example, the ethical application of findings, the major paradigmatic shifts in the field, and the pros/cons of various methodological approaches. Students also write their Senior Capstone Paper as part of the course requirements, with seminar members sharing their progress regularly through writing workshops and informal presentations of their topic and proposal. The senior paper includes a comprehensive literature review of a specific research question, as well as a proposal for future research and/or application of findings.
This seminar reviews the major models of personality, psychotherapy, and clinical assessment. A strong emphasis in the course is placed on the comparison of cognitive-behavioral theories to psychoanalytic, humanistic, and systems approaches. Students have opportunities to develop and practice basic counseling skills as part of the humanistic segment of this course.
Independent study is available to those students who wish to continue their learning in an area after completing the regularly offered courses in that area.
Independent study is available to those students who wish to continue their learning in an area after completing the regularly offered courses in that area.
Students work with a faculty instructor in the Psychology Department in conjunction with a site experience related to clinical, counseling, and other applied careers in the discipline. The course includes 8-10 hours per week of on-site work and 3 hours of class time where practicum experiences and course-relevant readings are discussed. Students also complete written assignments focused on their fieldwork experience. Open to juniors and seniors with at least a 2.5 GPA. This course is specifically aimed for advanced psychology students and counts as an upper division psychology elective. Students who desire a year-long experience may continue in a subsequent semester through the University's Internship Program and may make those arrangements through the Career and Employment Services Office.
Interested students must complete an application to be submitted early in the Fall term of their senior year.
BA majors can receive either upper-level elective credit for PSYC 497 or use PSYC 497 to fulfill the departmental experiential requirement, but not both.
This scheduled weekly interdisciplinary seminar provides the context to reflect on concrete experiences at an off-campus internship site and to link these experiences to academic study relating to the political, psychological, social, economic and intellectual forces that shape our views on work and its meaning. The aim is to integrate study in the liberal arts with issues and themes surrounding the pursuit of a creative, productive, and satisfying professional life. Students receive 1.0 unit of academic credit for the academic work that augments their concurrent internship fieldwork. This course is not applicable to the Upper-Division Graduation Requirement. Only 1.0 unit may be assigned to an individual internship and no more than 2.0 units of internship credit, or internship credit in combination with co-operative education credit, may be applied to an undergraduate degree.