Psychology

A survey of the major areas of psychological study. Scientific psychology, psychophysiological processes, sociocultural determinants of behavior, personality development, and psychopathology. Material Fee.

This course is an examination of the application of psychological findings to help understand, manage, and change physical and mental health and wellness. Concepts to increase coping skills, interpersonal relationships, and the understanding of common life problems will be explored. An emphasis in the course is on promoting a proactive approach to mental and physical health. Material Fee.

This course will provide the generalist practice social worker with the following: introduction to the study of human sexual behaviors with particular attention paid to the issue of gender development; premarital, marital, and postmarital sexual patterns; birth-control; sexual dysfunction; cross-cultural sexual patterns; sexually transmitted diseases; and alternative sexual life-styles. This course will explore the interaction between psychosocial, biological, and environmental factors as they influence sexual attitudes and expression and their influence on social and economic justice.

Cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development from preconception through adulthood from a psychosocial perspective of the human life cycle. Theories of human behavior, including the biological, psychological, cultural, and environmental are discussed and examined. The course is designed to familiarize the prospective psychologist, social worker, counselor, or teacher with these developmental patterns of human behavior. Material Fee.

This course will provide students with an overview of the major approaches to conceptualizing career development and intervening with clients who present with vocational issues. In addition, a variety of specific issues, including career counseling with diverse populations, traditional and non-traditional career assessment techniques will be addressed.

This course is designed to provide an overview of the psychology major and minor, strategies for success in the major, and guidance to make informed decisions about education and careers. This course will examine the many subfields of psychology, the different occupations relevant to psychology students, and the educational and training requirements for different occupations. Students will become familiar with the APA writing style, the APA Code of Ethics, internships and research opportunities, and professional organizations and conferences in the field.

Psychology majors must learn the content of psychology, but also must learn how psychologists how what they know. This course is a critical-thinking skills course in which the main goal is to build skills as a consumer of research - both in psychology and the real world. Topics include the scientific method, psychological research methods and research claims, ethical considerations in research, and systematic evaluation of research validity. Students will also investigate psychological literature and write a research proposal to address a research question.

An introduction to descriptive, correlational, and experimental statistical concepts as applied to psychological measurement and research. Topics include the scientific method, ethical considerations in research, hypothesis testing, the application of statistics to research design, and drawing inferences through data analysis.

A variety of counseling techniques. Emphasis is placed on developing basic communication skills in a therapeutic setting. The student is expected to demonstrate proficiency in interpersonal relations by the end of the course.

Varied approaches to counseling and psychotherapy with emphasis upon both theory and techniques involved in the various approaches.

Health Psychology is the scientific study of psychological factors that relate to health enhancement, disease prevention, safety, and rehabilitation. This course explores the relation of lifestyle behavior and both mental and physical health. Students will keep a wellness log of their own behaviors as well as provide written and oral reports on contemporary research on the interaction of behavior and health. Material Fee.

Theories of learning, memory, cognition, and education, with an emphasis on application in the classroom. Designed for the prospective teacher, this course is also appropriate for prospective psychologists and counselors.

Major theoretical approaches and scientific contributions to the understanding of human learning and memory. Classical, operant, and social learning paradigms will be a focus. Traditional and current models of memory will be discussed.

A survey of theory, research, and diagnostic criteria pertaining to psychopathology. This course will examine the historical precedents of abnormal psychology, and review current strategies in diagnosis and treatment of mental disorder. The present revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will be a focus.

This course will examine social influence as a determinant of behavior. Emphasis will be placed on the cultural diversity of society and how culture affects social behavior. In addition, the power of the situation to dictate behavior will be stressed.

A consideration of the theory, development, and application of testing. Construction of tests for use in classrooms will be emphasized, as well as intelligence, achievement, aptitude, and personality measures. The course is designed to provide a good basic understanding of testing from the perspective of both the test designer and the test user, and is designed for prospective educators, psychologists, and counselors.

A psychological and biological study of the many sensory modalities and their perceptual mechanisms. Emphasis will be on the human adult, but there will be some treatment of developmental aspects and the sensory apparatus of other species, as well as clinical aspects of the sensory impaired. Material Fee.

This course is a survey of the theories and research in the field of cognitive psychology, including information-processing theory, attention and memory theories, semantic organization and categorization, language, problem-solving, and creativity.

The biological processes underlying behavior of organisms. The course will examine the nervous system at the level of the neuron and synapse, subsystems within the brain, and the brain itself. An attempt will be made to relate these levels and systems to behavior (as far as is currently known). Since this is a relatively new science, many current issues will be discussed as they arise.

Using the hypothesis and research method developed in PS 318W Research Methods, the student will obtain approval from the Institutional Review Board for the research, collect data, analyze the data using a statistical software program, record the results, and discuss the implications of those results. Students will be encouraged to present their research at a psychology conference. In addition, part of the course work will include coverage of statistical concepts appropriate for advanced data analysis.

This course includes the study of a variety of disabilities that afflict school-age children and youth. Attention will be given to their special problems of adjustment and adaptation. Additional emphasis will be placed on techniques and resources for assisting these children to maximize their respective potentialities.

A study of the determinants of behavior at the individual, interpersonal, group, intergroup, and interorganizational levels.

Major theories of personality and the factors involved in the development of personality. Material Fee.

Modern psychology draws its heritage largely from philosophy and the biological and physical sciences. In this course, students review the scientific and philosophical contributions that resulted in contemporary behavioral science. The diverse branches of modern psychology can then be understood as they relate to each other and to the culture of the student.

This is the capstone course in the Psychology major. This course is a student-driven seminar in which students lead and participate in discussions about current themes and issues in psychology. Students will read, review and discuss current journal articles and book chapters on various topics germane to the present study of psychology. Writing will be emphasized.

An exploration into a relevant, current, and/or applicable topic in the field of psychology. Students are expected to learn about an issue predetermined by the instructor in depth through readings, research projects, and/or field experiences. Students are expected to conduct extensive out of class research and writing activities. This course may be repeated with different topics up to three times.

This course allows a student to gain experience in a professional setting. The student must work under the supervision of a professional who agrees to serve as supervisor. It is the student’s responsibility to find a placement site that will provide the fieldwork experience. A minimum of 125 hours is required to earn 3 credits, or a minimum of 250 hours is required for 6 credits.