Psychology (PSYC)

Introduces the scientific study of mind and behavior, providing coverage of the major areas of research in psychology, including thinking, social interaction, human development, the nervous systems, abnormal psychology, personality, learning, the history and applications of psychological science, and others.

Prerequisites: ENGL 100 or concurrent registration.

Offered: Fall, Spring.

Meets: Social & Behavioral Science: PSYC

Explores the structure and function of the nervous system from the molecular and cellular levels to the systems level. Includes signaling mechanisms, sensory systems, motor systems, language, emotion, neurodegeneration and psychopathology.

Prerequisites: ENGL 100 or concurrent enrollment.

Offered: Fall, Spring.

Covers theory and research of human cognitive processes including perception, attention, visual cognition, learning, memory, language, decision making, problem solving, intelligence, and social cognition.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101.

Offered: Fall.

Covers theories, concepts, and research pertaining to human development throughout the lifespan including biological, cognitive, emotional and social development..

Prerequisites: PSYC 101.

Offered: Fall, Spring.

Studies the individual in social contexts including person perception, attribution processes, the self, interpersonal attraction, attitude formation, aggression, prosocial behavior and social influence.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101.

Offered: Fall, Spring.

Survey of research and theory on the human aging process including physical, cognitive, and social sciences.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101.

Offered: Spring.

Application of descriptive and inferential statistics to the research problems of psychology. Projects include computer analysis of data.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101, completion of computational skills requirement.

Offered: Fall, Spring.

Theories, models, and conceptions of personality, methods of studying personality, and research findings.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101.

Offered: Fall, Spring.

Explores and applies job search, career self-management, and career-life preparedness strategies. Includes developing purposeful goals and plans, identifying job opportunities, professional communication and relationships, and navigating work-life transitions. Requires fees.

Prerequisites: At least Junior standing.

Offered: Fall, Spring.

Meets: Social & Behavioral Science: PSYC

Research on the effects of gender on cognition, personality, emotions, interpersonal relations, labor-force participation and behavior. Theories of gender role development and gender typing are examined. Not open to those with credit in PSYC 380.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101.

Offered: Fall, Spring.

Selected topics in psychology.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101.

Offered: Occasionally.

Analyzes scientific methods in psychology. Includes research design, data collection and interpretation, computer-based statistical analysis, and writing research reports.

Prerequisites: PSYC 250 or BIOS 210, completion of Reading/Writing skills.

Offered: Fall, Spring.

Examine theory and research of human learning and memory. Explores learning through classical and operant conditioning, observational learning, and classroom learning. Covers procedural memory, semantic memory, and episodic memory.

Prerequisites: PSYC 205, PSYC 300.

Offered: Spring.

The child's development of the sounds, grammar, meanings, and social knowledge that underlie the ability to use language; theories of language acquisition; and the relation of oral language to the acquisition of literacy.

Prerequisites: PSYC 300 or ENGL 287.

Offered: Occasionally.

Examines the sensory organs and perceptual mechanisms used in vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Emphasizes vision and audition.

Prerequisites: PSYC 205 and PSYC 300.

Offered: Fall.

Examines research and theories on culture influences human development, social interactions and perceptions. Discusses the self and psychological functioning.

Prerequisites: PSYC 220 or PSYC 260.

Offered: Fall.

Meets: Ethnic Diversity

Assessment of individual characteristics including issues related to measurement, test construction, test usage, reliability and validity, and specialized applications.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101, PSYC 250.

Offered: Fall.

Surveys the field of child and adolescent psychopathology. Examines historical factors and contemporary approaches to mental disorders in children and adolescents.

Prerequisites: PSYC 210 or permission of the instructor.

Offered: Fall.

Covers brain structure, neural communication, the neural control of movement, the biological basis of complex behaviors (such as sleep, learning, memory, sex, language, and addiction), emotion, and psychological disorders.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101 or BIOS 101.

Offered: Fall.

Covers how cognitive processes are explained by the structure and function of the brain. Includes neuroanatomy, research methods, and other areas such as perceptual processing, object recognition, language, memory, emotion, and attention. Requires fees.

Prerequisites: PSYC 205 and PSYC 300; or consent of instructor.

Offered: Spring.

Covers brain structure and function using clinical case studies as the primary source of information. Includes basic neuroanatomy, behavioral disorders, severe neuropsychiatric conditions, neuropsychological testing, emotion, language, thought, and memory.

Prerequisites: PSYC 200 or consent of instructor.

Offered: Fall.

Covers the basic principles of psychopharmacology, including how drugs influence psychological phenomena, how and why drugs are used for treatment for psychopathological and neuropsychological conditions, mechanisms of addiction, tolerance and abuse, the social, recreational and religious context, and the history of substance abuse.

Prerequisites: PSYC 200 or consent of instructor.

Offered: Fall.

Covers neuroplasticity form a predominantly behavioral perspective. Includes neural development of the human brain, implications for psychological and social behavior, neuroplasticity of the brain with respect to both learning and aging, and brain repair after acquired brain injury. Community-based learning designation.

Prerequisites: PSYC 200 or consent of instructor.

Offered: Spring.

Meets: Community Based Learning

Introduces interviewing in mental health counseling and the human service professions. Explores basic interviewing skills, uses and forms of interviewing, problems of interview communication, behavioral processes, and emotions in counseling.

Prerequisites: PSYC 205 or PSYC 210 or PSYC 220 or PSYC 260.

Offered: Fall.

Covers advanced theories, concepts, and research pertaining to human development during the first three years of life, including physical, motor, perceptual, cognitive, and social development, with focus on early mechanisms of change.

Prerequisites: PSYC 210, PSYC 300.

Offered: Occasionally.

Introduces questions, approaches, and empirical findings in the field of child developmental psychology through middle childhood. Examines major theories and research in order to comprehensively understand children's physical, language, cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Prerequisites: PSYC 210, PSYC 300.

Offered: Occasionally.

Examines theory and research relating to biological, cognitive, social, and emotional influences on development in the second decade of life across multiple contexts. Focuses on the developmental tasks of adolescence, such as forming an identity and developing mature relations with peers, family, and possible mates.

Prerequisites: PSYC 210, PSYC 300.

Offered: Occasionally.

Introduces theory and practice of crisis intervention in the helping professions. Covers the principles of crisis counseling, including skills and approaches to working with survivors of acute, chronic, and complex trauma.

Prerequisites: PSYC 330 or concurrent enrollment.

Offered: Fall.

Examines mental and behavioral disorders including theoretical models, diagnosis and classification, research findings, and treatment approaches.

Prerequisites: One of: PSYC 205, PSYC 210, PSYC 220 or PSYC 260.

Offered: Spring.

Compares major, systematic approaches to psychotherapy. Integrates case study analyses with theory. Includes research findings on the process and outcome of psychotherapy.

Prerequisites: PSYC 205 or PSYC 210 or PSYC 220 or PSYC 260.

Offered: Yearly.

Explores major theoretical approaches, research findings, and principles of health psychology including stress and coping; and the role of lifestyle, personality, and social support in health and illness. Considers links between psychology and specific diseases.

Prerequisites: PSYC 220 or PSYC 260.

Offered: Spring.

Explores research on the effects of gender on cognition, personality, emotions, interpersonal relations, labor-force participation and behavior. Examines theories of gender role development and gender typing. Not available to students with credit in PSYC 280.

Prerequisites: PSYC 220 and either PSYC 300 or SOCA 295.

Offered: Fall, Spring.

Examines selected topics in psychology.

Prerequisites: Varies by topic.

Offered: Occasionally.

Covers the structure of the nervous system and the major sensory, motor, and integrative neural systems. Explores the anatomical and physiological bases of multiple disorders of the nervous system.

Prerequisites: PSYC 200 or consent of instructor.

Offered: Spring.

Explores the self from a social psychological perspective. Examines theories and research on the self and teaches verbal and written communication skills.

Prerequisites: PSYC 220 and PSYC 300.

Offered: Occasionally.

Delves into fundamental techniques of counseling, including assessment of client problems, exploration of behavioral alternatives, applying psychological principles to effect change, and counseling relationship skills.

Prerequisites: PSYC 330 or PSYC 362.

Offered: Spring.

Focuses on a specific developmental topic such as moral development, adult cognitive development, Piagetian theory, etc. Incorporates advanced methodological issues, research reports, and primary theoretical sources.

Prerequisites: PSYC 210, PSYC 300.

Offered: Occasionally.

Examines selected advanced topics in psychology. May be repeated with different topic.

Prerequisites: Varies by topic.

Offered: Occasionally.

Covers concepts in the field of neuroscience. Includes neuroanatomy and a critical analysis of the current research in neuroscience. Provides students opportunity for identifying and thinking critically about current topics in neuroscience and applying these skills in writing, presentations, and discussions.

Prerequisites: PSYC 200, PSYC 420; and junior or senior; or consent of instructor.

Offered: Occasionally.

Provides hands-on experience working collectively with faculty and other students on faculty and student research projects. Includes designing, administering, analyzing and reporting original empirical research in psychology. Community-based learning designation.

Prerequisites: PSYC 300 and consent of instructor.

Offered: Spring.

Meets: Community Based Learning

Provides the opportunity for supervised experience in the field of psychology.

Prerequisites: 18 credits in psychology and consent of instructor and department chair.

Offered: Occasionally.

Discussion on ethical, methodological, historical, and/or philosophical issues in psychology, based on readings in psychology research, practice, and theory.

Prerequisites: PSYC 300 and 24 psychology credits, 85 degree credits and consent of instructor.

Offered: Fall, Spring.

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.

Participation in research activities under the direction of a faculty member.

Prerequisites: PSYC 300, consent of instructor and department chair.

Offered: Fall, Spring.