Course Listings

101 General Psychology 4 hours
This course introduces you to the scientific study of behavior. We examine the role of heredity and environment in the development of the individual. We show how motivation, emotion, learning, perception, intelligence, personality, and the developmental, social and biological bases of behavior have all been studied scientifically. We also examine the implications of psychological research and theory for contemporary problems.

120 Cross-Cultural Psychology 4 hours
In an increasingly international world, we need to understand people from other cultures. This course will introduce the study of psychology in the context of cross-cultural research. In addition to using descriptions of psychological research, case studies, films and group projects, we’ll explore psychology in its cultural context by email contact with classes in other countries to discuss the issues we are studying. This course serves as an enrichment course for the major. It is suitable for freshmen, has no pre-requisites and will satisfy a social sciences general education requirement.

215 Experimental Methods 4 hours
Topics covered include types of experimental design and control, problems of definition, measurement, reliability and validity, descriptive statistics, statistical inference, and ethics in experimentation. Laboratories provide experience in human behavioral research, with an emphasis on methodology, analysis, and interpretation of data. Offered yearly. Prerequisite: Psychology 101. Also listed as Biology 215.

216 Learning: Theory, Methods, and Application 4 hours
This course will begin with the findings and theories in operant and classical conditioning. Application of these techniques and other complex forms of learning will be applied to issues in learning and retention. Laboratories and class projects will emphasize experimental design and data interpretation. Prerequisite: Psychology 215.

217 Psychological Testing 4 hours
This course will use traditional psychometric methods to examine issues in intellectual and personality assessment. The emphasis will be on reliability, validity, and utility of current techniques of psychological tests. Additional topics will include the legal and ethical controversies associated with the measurement of human ability. Prerequisites: Psychology 101 and 215.

220 Industrial Psychology 3 hours
This course will survey a range of psychological principlesand research finding that have been applied to business and industrial settings. Topics will include the traditional ones such as testing, personnel selection and human factors; and will include recent developments in job satisfaction and motivation, human relation training and decision-making strategies. Prerequisite: Psychology 101.

225 Psychology and Film 3 hours
Although good literature and film always go beyond what we explicitly know today in the science of human behavior, the literary work is always consistent with the principles we do know. In this course students will learn concepts from the literature of psychology and use them to analyze films. Occasionally the materials from psychology will be presented following the viewing of a film in the hopes that students will experience an enhancement of meaning from that achieved with the interpretive constructs they initially brought with them.

250 Development Across the Life Span 3 hours
This course is designed for the student who wishes to gain a broad perspective on the entire range of human development, from conception to old age. We explore the common principles which describe developmental changes across all ages, as well as the differences in thought, emotion and behavior from age to age. The theories of Piaget and Erikson are particularly useful to understand both the commonalities as well as the differences.

254 Abnormal Psychology 3 hours
Study and descriptions of various forms of abnormal behavior. The relation between abnormal behavior and values. Various models employed to understand abnormal behavior are evaluated. Prerequisite: Psychology 101.

261 Psychology of Childhood 4 hours
We will study principles of development from infancy through middle childhood. We examine social, emotional, cognitive changes, as well as the role of parents, schools, and community in supporting that development. Learning to observe and/or interview children is an important part of the course. Prerequisite: Psychology 101.

262 Psychology of Adolescence and Young Adulthood 4 hours
We will study physical, cognitive, emotional, social and moral development during the period of transition from childhood to adulthood. We will look at the influence of family, peers, schools and culture by using different theoretical perspectives to analyze case studies. Prerequisite: Psychology 101.

280 Special Topics Seminar 1 - 4 hours
From time to time, the department will offer special topics in psychology, based on particular interests of department members or the availability of visiting faculty.

281 Independent Study 1 - 4 hours
Students may arrange to pursue topics of individual interest upon making an individual agreement with a faculty member.

315 Program and Policy Evaluation 4 hours
This course will focus on the methods used in program and policy evaluation. The topics will include instruments design, data collection procedures, needs assessment and utilization of findings. The role and responsibilities of evaluators will be examined. Material will be drawn mainly from the literature dealing with health and social service delivery systems. Prerequisite: Mathematics 108 or Psychology 215.

324 Exceptionality 3 hours
This course examines the philosophical, historical, legal and ethical foundations of services for individuals with disabilities. Characteristics of specific disabilities, etiology, and socio-psychological implications are explored. Categorical and non-categorical classification systems; assessment, diagnosis and evaluation; and educational adaptations and assistive technologies are included. Participants will explore the impact on families of disabilities at different life stages, from infancy and early childhood to adolescence and adulthood. Includes observation at a community site. Also listed as Education 324.

327 Neuroscience 4 hours
An examination of the physiological correlates of behavior with emphasis on the nervous and endocrine systems. Beginning with neuroanatomy, the course will examine vertebrate and invertebrate nervous systems, sensory and motor processes, mechanisms of arousal, and nervous system development. Laboratories focus on the relations between physiology and behavior, and will prepare students for further independent work. Prerequisites: Psychology 101, either Biology 215 or Psychology 215 , and Biology 141. Also listed as Biology 327.

328 Animal Behavior 4 hours
A survey of the modern field of animal behavior, tracing its origins from European ethology and American comparative psychology. Extensive coverage will be given to the topic of vertebrate social behavior, including social organization, sexual behavior, aggressive behavior, and parent-offspring interactions. Efforts will be made to integrate results from field and laboratory research. Laboratories emphasize techniques for recording, quantifying, and analyzing behavior. Required field trip fee. Prerequisites: Psychology 101, Biology 141 and either Biology 230 or Psychology 215. Also listed as Biology 328.

344 Social Psychology 4 hours
In the attempt to study the relationships between the individual and society, social psychology is the convergence of psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Issues to be studied include: language, thought and communication; identity, morality, cooperation and competition, aggression, violence and war; attitudes and attitude change, prejudice, discrimination and racism; authority, freedom, obedience, and justice; interpersonal attraction and love. Offered yearly. Prerequisite: Psychology 101 or Sociology 155. This course is also listed as Sociology 344.

347 Primate Behavior and Ecology 4 hours
This course is an introduction to the study of primate behavior and ecology. We will begin with an overview of the living primate species. Then we will consider the biological and social problems that primates face (e.g., finding a place to live, finding food, finding protection from predators, growing up within a complex social group, finding mates, and rearing young who can survive and reproduce), and the various solutions to these problems. Throughout the survey, we will examine the ways scientists have extracted general principles of behavior from the data, particularly those that are concerned with evolutionary processes. Methods of research used in the study of primate behavior will be emphasized. Prerequisites: Biology 141, Psychology 101, and either Biology 215 or Psychology 215. This course is also listed as Biology 347.

361 Introduction to Counseling and Clinical Psychology 4 hours
This course familiarizes the student with the research and practice of clinical psychology, including psychological assessment, clinical decision making, and varieties of psychological therapies. A segment of the course is devoted to developing and practicing interviewing skills (e.g., presentation of self, sensitive listening and accurate responding, and clear effective communication.) Prerequisite: Psychology 101 and 254.

365 Perception and Cognition 3 hours
The course will begin with the examination of basic sensory processes and their relationship to complex models of human perception, learning, and thinking. Research in language, problem solving, concept formation, memory systems and artificial intelligence will be considered. Prerequisite: Psychology 101 and 215.

454 Personality 4 hours
Students study the major theories of personality, their adequacy understanding human behavior and their impact on societal views of human nature. Prerequisite: Psychology 101.

480 Senior Seminar 4 hours
Students and faculty will discuss classical and contemporary issues in psychological research and theory. These discussions will be based on theoretical articles and major reviews of research. Students will have the opportunity to examine a variety of professional publications. Students will take an active role in leading discussions, as well as in selecting topics. Each student will research and present a lecture to fellow students and faculty on a topic of interest.

298/498 Field Experience/Internship 1-4 hours
In a placement at a social service, mental health, research, or child care agency, the student will participate in the activities of the agency, supervised by the on-campus supervisor as well as an agency supervisor. Students will participate in on-campus discussions of readings which raise a variety of ethical issues. In a journal, students will reflect upon their experiences. In a formal paper, students will analyze and discuss the organizational structures and staff-client relationships. Permission of instructor required. We expect that students who enroll in Field Experience (298) will have minimal background in psychology (perhaps only General Psychology and a onecredit-hour course) and/or want to observe at an agency that does not provide training or allow undergraduates direct interaction with clients. We expect that students who enroll in an Internship (498) will have a more extensive background in the social sciences and will be trained by the agency to work with clients. Will be offered every year. Students must arrange an internship prior to registration for the term in which they plan to complete their hours at the agency. Hours worked at the agency may be completed during any term. On campus discussions will be arranged as needed.

481 Independent Research 1-4 hours
Students may work independently or in small teams assisting faculty with their research projects. May be taken by arrangement with faculty.