Academic Catalog 2023-2024

Psychology (PSYC)

PSYC 111  -  Introductory Psychology,  4 credits.  

The fundamental facts and principles of psychology. Special emphasis is placed on how psychologists answer questions and on processes related to normal functioning.

Frequency: Every Semester  
Core designations: Social Science S  
PSYC 199  -  Exploration Seminar,  0 credits.  
Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Repeatable: Yes  
PSYC 206  -  Developmental Psychology,  4 credits.  

A lifespan approach (from conception to death) to developmental literature and research. The psychological, cognitive and social development of the individual throughout the lifespan is emphasized. Course includes lectures, films and discussion.

Frequency: Every Semester  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
Core designations: Social Science S  
PSYC 212  -  Educational Psychology,  4 credits.  

Beginning psychology, with content adapted to the consideration of teacher education, especially principles of learning, motivation, and child and adolescent development. Emphasis is placed on the application of those principles in teaching situations. Registration is restricted to education majors only.

Frequency: Every Semester  
Core designations: Social Science S  
PSYC 218  -  Behavior Modification,  4 credits.  

The principles and practices of behavior modification, the systematic application of learning principles and techniques to assess and change individual behavior, will be covered in this course. Students will apply behavior modification principles to their own behavior and they will have the opportunity to consider the ethics of behavior modification, the research basis for behavioral analysis, and how treatment programs might be developed.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
PSYC 220  -  Psychology and Culture,  4 credits.  

This course examines how the various dimensions of culture influence self-concept, which, in turn, influences thoughts and behaviors in different domains including parenting, emotions, social relationships, and health. Issues of global significance such as ethnocentrism and prejudice will also be discussed. This course includes a 40-hour out-of-class experiential learning requirement.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
Corequisites: PEAK 400  
Core designations: International-Global Prspct G  
This course is PEAK Required  
PSYC 222  -  The Human Mind,  4 credits.  

This course surveys topics from the interdisciplinary field of cognitive science to examine how scholars from diverse fields (e.g., psychology, neuroscience, linquistics, artificial intelligence, philosophy, anthropology) conceptualize and study the human mind. This course requires at least 35 outside-of-class hours in addition to regular class meetings.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111  
Corequisites: PEAK 400  
This course is PEAK Required  
PSYC 227  -  Personality Dynamics,  4 credits.  

A survey of empirical approaches to understanding personality and adjustment. Personality issues such as emotion, perception, motivation, self-research, and healthy development will be covered.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
PSYC 230  -  Statistics and Psychology Measurement,  4 credits.  

A treatment of the basic statistical methods underlying research and measurement in the behavioral sciences. Both descriptive and inferential statistics are studied, with special emphasis on applications to psychological testing and research. Prerequisite: high school higher algebra or consent of instructor. This course can also count toward the global studies program and the environmental and sustainability studies program.

Frequency: Every Semester  
PSYC 300  -  May Seminar,  4 credits.  
Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
PSYC 301  -  Research Methods in Psychology,  4 credits.  

A study of research design in psychology and a survey of variables affecting the results and analysis of research. Students design and carry out research projects in consultation with the instructor.

Frequency: Every Semester  
Prerequisites: (PSYC 111 or PSYC 212) and PSYC 230  
PSYC 318  -  Learning and Behavior,  4 credits.  

A study of the basic principles of learning and behavior, with a research emphasis. Topics include simple reflexive behavior, Pavlovian conditioning, and operant conditioning. The role of learning in the lives of both human and nonhuman animals will be addressed. An animal laboratory component allows students to employ the basic principles of learning.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
PSYC 319  -  Behavioral Neuroscience,  4 credits.  

A study of the fundamental physiological correlates of behavior and mental processes. Topics include: the structure and function of the nervous system, neural communication and how neural activity corresponds with behavior. Methods used to study the nervous system and recent findings in behavioral neuroscience will be discussed.

Frequency: Every Semester  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
PSYC 323  -  Perception,  4 credits.  

This course begins with the anatomy of the sense organs and the physics of stimuli. Building from this foundation, we explore the information processing centers of the brain to understand how we organize conscious perceptions. Idiosyncrasies of this process produce illusions that show the constructed nature of our mental lives. We also explore cases of neural damage that give rise to surprising and informative deficits in perception.

Frequency: Alternate Years - 1st Semester  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
PSYC 324  -  Drugs and Behavior,  4 credits.  

The objective of this course is to introduce you to the topic of behavioral pharmacology. We will cover topics such as basic pharmacology, neurophysiology of drug effects, drug tolerance and drug abuse. Some issues we will cover include: Why do people take drugs? What effects do drugs have on the body? What is drug addiction? These questions will be considered from behavioral, pharmacological and neurophysiological perspectives.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212 or BIOL 121 or NEU 109  
Core designations: Social Science S  
This course is PEAK Optional  
PSYC 325  -  Health Psychology,  2 credits.  

This interdisciplinary field of psychology and medicine is explored through an investigation of the development and integration of behavioral and biomedical knowledge and techniques. The application of this knowledge and these techniques to chronic pain, cardiovascular problems, headaches and other traditionally stress-related disorders is considered.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212 or BIOL 101 or BIOL 121  
PSYC 326  -  Advanced Developmental Psychology: Aging,  4 credits.  

This course addresses the progression of normative human development during late life. Students will study foundational developmental theories of aging, research methods and ethics involved in the study of aging populations, and complex issues that affect aging individuals. This course is designed to be taken after completing an introductory-level course on human development.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: (PSYC 111 or PSYC 212) and PSYC 206  
Corequisites: PEAK 400  
This course is PEAK Required  
PSYC 328 / NEU 328  -  Human Neuropsychology,  4 credits.  

This course will provide a comprehensive understanding of brain and nervous system physiology. The focus will be on how the nervous system governs behavioral and cognitive processes. Functional and dysfunctional physiology and what this tells us about maladaptive behaviors will also be discussed.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: NEU 109 or (PSYC 319 or PSYC 321)  
Corequisites: PEAK 400  
This course is PEAK Required  
PSYC 345  -  Psychology of Sport,  4 credits.  

This course focuses on the many facets of sport and exercise psychology. Topics include sport socialization and motivation to participate, performance enhancement, coaching, team building and leadership, and the role of sports and exercise in the lives of children, adolescents and adults.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
PSYC 347  -  Psychology and Religion,  4 credits.  

This course explores an empirical investigation into the role that religion plays in people's lives. Current and historical research that explores psychological dimensions of religion is reviewed. Students read original works in the field and analyze recent research investigating a wide range of religious behavior and thinking.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
Corequisites: PEAK 400  
This course is PEAK Required  
PSYC 351  -  Social Psychology,  4 credits.  

This course presents psychological principles important to an understanding of human interaction and emphasizes how interaction in the social world influences individuals' thoughts and behaviors. The role of research in identifying these principles is stressed. Topics examined include attitudes, prejudice, love, human sexuality, conformity, compliance and obedience.

Frequency: Every Semester  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
Core designations: U.S. Cultural Diversity U, Social Science S  
PSYC 357  -  Abnormal Psychology,  4 credits.  

A systematic examination of personality maladjustment and disorganization. A clinical approach is emphasized, and case studies are included. Among topics discussed are affective disorders, psychoses, substance use disorders, personality disorders, mental retardation and treatment approaches.

Frequency: Every Semester  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
PSYC 361  -  Cognitive Psychology,  4 credits.  

This course addresses major theories and classical research in cognitive psychology. An emphasis will be placed on applying these theories to the full spectrum of everyday experiences. This course will also investigate, and attempt to explain, cognitive disturbances caused by neurologic insults.

Frequency: Every Semester  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
PSYC 371  -  Introduction to Psychotherapy,  4 credits.  

This course is an introduction to clinical fields in psychology. It addresses three primary topics: careers in mental health settings, theoretical approaches to psychotherapy, and an introduction to therapeutic skills. Students will gain insight into the life of a clinician and further their understanding of the relationship between psychological science/theory and practice.

Frequency: Every Year - Second Semester  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
PSYC 380  -  Special Topics,  0-4 credits.  

Courses covering various topics of interest in this particular discipline are offered regularly. Contact department or program chair for more information.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Repeatable: Yes  
PSYC 382  -  Pre-May Seminar,  2 credits.  

Designed to orient the student to the practice, instruction and research of psychology in the United States. The student is also introduced to historical, cultural and socioeconomic factors that influence the development of psychology in the United States as well as in Europe. This course prepares students for the May Seminar.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
PSYC 383  -  Psychology of Gender,  4 credits.  

The course focuses on gender as a factor in the human experience. The course is designed to be taken after completing at least one introductory level psychology course, or a relevant social sciences course in another discipline. Students will study research investigations of gender and whether or not gender differences exist, as well as consider how race, ethnicity and class interact with each other to produce individual differences in the human experience. Topics studied include stereotypes, gender development, politics and work, and "isms" such as sexism, racism, heterosexism and classism. Special emphasis is given to methodology, research findings, and theory in explaining how and why individuals differ. This course can also count toward the women's and gender studies program.

Frequency: Every Year - Second Semester  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
Core designations: U.S. Cultural Diversity U  
PSYC 390  -  Academic Internship,  1-8 credits.  
Frequency: Every Semester  
Repeatable: Yes  
PSYC 407  -  Psychological Assessment,  2 credits.  

A study of the principles of assessment in psychology. Personality and intellectual assessment serve as the focus, with such issues as test construction and administration, reliability, and validation strategies discussed.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
PSYC 420  -  Cross-Cultural Psychology,  4 credits.  

This course exposes students to the history of cross-cultural psychology, cross-cultural research methods, and the major dimensions of cross-cultural variability. Research on the cross-cultural similarities and differences in basic psychological and developmental processes, conceptions of health, self construals, personality, abnormal behavior, and interpersonal behavior will be discussed. Cultural influences on ethnocentrism, prejudice, attributions, language and communication, treatment of abnormal behavior, and intergroup relations will be explored. This course can also count toward the global studies program.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
Core designations: International-Global Prspct G  
PSYC 452  -  Psychology and Law,  4 credits.  

Despite notable advancements in investigatory science, 'the law' is an intensely social process in which psychological processes influence enforcement and adjudication. We will apply social psychological fundamentals such as diagnosis, attribution, and prejudice to understand that law includes human judgments with their strenthts and limitations.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
PSYC 471  -  Psychology in Contemporary and Historical Perspective,  4 credits.  

A study of the historical antecedents to contemporary psychology and related issues. The course traces the philosophical, medical, clinical, physiological and scientific history of psychology. These areas are considered in light of contemporary issues in psychology.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or PSYC 212  
PSYC 477  -  Senior Seminar in Psychology,  1 credits.  

A course in which seniors form a community of scholars as they revisit and reflect on cornerstone topics in the discipline and integrate their psychology major with their future plans.

Frequency: Every Semester  
Prerequisites: PSYC 301  
PSYC 480  -  Independent Study,  1-4 credits.  

This course provides an opportunity for individual students to conduct in-depth study of a particular topic under the supervision of a faculty member. Contact the department or program chair for more information.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Repeatable: Yes  
PSYC 487  -  Directed Research,  1-4 credits.  

This course provides an opportunity for individual students to conduct research in a specific area of study, completed under the direction of a faculty mentor. Specific expectations of the research experience to be determined by the faculty. Repeatable for credit. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

Frequency: Not offered on a Regular Basis  
Repeatable: Yes