Introduction to Psychological Science

 

Professor: Patrick McGuire

 

Course Number: PSY 141 A

CRN Number: 10066

Class cap: 22

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

 Tue  Thurs    8:30 AM - 9:50 AM Olin 205

 

Distributional Area:

SA  Social Analysis   

 

Crosslists: Mind, Brain, Behavior

How does the mind create the reality we perceive? How do experiences shape the brain, and how do processes in the brain influence thought, emotion and behavior?  This course investigates these and similar questions by studying the science of the human mind and behavior. The course covers topics such as memory, perception, development, psychopathology, personality, and social behavior. A focus is on the biological, cognitive, and social/cultural roots that give rise to human experience. Additionally, the course will consider how behavior differs among people, and across situations.

 

Introduction to Psychological Science

 

Professor: Patrick McGuire

 

Course Number: PSY 141 B

CRN Number: 10349

Class cap: 22

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

 Tue  Thurs    10:10 AM - 11:30 AM Hegeman 102

 

Distributional Area:

SA  Social Analysis   

 

Crosslists: Mind, Brain, Behavior

How does the mind create the reality we perceive? How do experiences shape the brain, and how do processes in the brain influence thought, emotion and behavior?  This course investigates these and similar questions by studying the science of the human mind and behavior. The course covers topics such as memory, perception, development, psychopathology, personality, and social behavior. A focus is on the biological, cognitive, and social/cultural roots that give rise to human experience. Additionally, the course will consider how behavior differs among people, and across situations.

 

Design and Analysis in Psychology I

 

Professor: Frank Scalzo  

 

Course Number: PSY 201

CRN Number: 10069

Class cap: 18

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

 Tue  Thurs    10:10 AM - 11:30 AM Reem Kayden Center 111

 

 

  Wed     10:10 AM - 12:10 PM Henderson Comp. Center 101A

 

Distributional Area:

LS  Laboratory Science   

 

 

This course provides an introduction to the research designs and data analyses central to psychological science, helping to build a strong understanding of research methods, ethics, and statistics. This course is required for students prior to moderation in Psychology and is built around hands-on laboratory experiences designed to illuminate experimental psychology for intended majors. This course must be taken before the second course in the two-part sequence, Design & Analysis for Psychology II (PSY 202). Together, these courses are intended to provide a strong foundation for designing, conducting, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating empirical research in the discipline. Prerequisites: Introduction to Psychological Science or its equivalent, and sophomore status at the College.

 

Design and Analysis in Psychology II

 

Professor: Justin Dainer-Best  

 

Course Number: PSY 202

CRN Number: 10070

Class cap: 32

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

Mon  Wed     10:10 AM - 11:30 AM Hegeman 102

 

Distributional Area:

MC  Mathematics and Computing   

 

 

This course explores the study of research designs and data analyses central to psychological science and other related disciplines. (These ideas are introduced in PSY 201, but it is not a prerequisite for this course.) A focus will be on selecting appropriate research designs and analyses for specific research questions. Students will analyze data using the JAMOVI software package and practice communicating their results to diverse audiences. This course is intended to provide a strong foundation for designing, conducting, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating empirical research in the discipline. Prerequisites: PSY 141 or by permission of the instructor.

 

Design and Analysis in Psychology II Laboratory A

 

Professor: Justin Dainer-Best  

 

Course Number: PSY 202 LBA

CRN Number: 10071

Class cap: 16

Credits: 0

 

Schedule/Location:

   Thurs    9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Henderson Comp. Center 101A

 

Distributional Area:

None

 

Design and Analysis in Psychology II Laboratory B

 

Professor: Justin Dainer-Best  

 

Course Number: PSY 202 LBB

CRN Number: 10072

Class cap: 16

Credits: 0

 

Schedule/Location:

   Thurs    1:30 PM - 3:30 PM Henderson Comp. Center 101A

 

Distributional Area:

None

 

Methods of Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology

 

Professor: Elena Kim  

 

Course Number: PSY 205

CRN Number: 10073

Class cap: 22

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

 Tue  Thurs    8:30 AM - 9:50 AM Hegeman 102

 

Distributional Area:

SA  Social Analysis   

 

 

This course provides an overview, history and politics of diverse qualitative research perspectives and methods within psychological science. It focuses on qualitative research paradigms such as thematic analysis, grounded theory, phenomenological methods, case studies, discursive psychology, and narrative psychology.  The course provides students with hands-on experience as it covers the entire process of a qualitative study, from formulating a research question to interpreting data and reporting your analysis. You will learn to design an original qualitative psychological study and collect data using a variety of qualitative tools including observation, in-depth interviews, focus-group discussions, discourse analysis, content analysis, and thematic analysis. You will also acquire skills in interpreting and managing qualitative data using specific software (MAXQDA). Ethical qualitative research practice will be emphasized throughout the course. Prerequisite include one introductory course such as  An introductory Psychology, An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology,  Introduction to Sociology, or consent of the instructor.

 

Adult Abnormal Psychology

 

Professor:  James Hobbs

 

Course Number: PSY 210

CRN Number: 10074

Class cap: 22

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

  Mon  Wed    3:30 PM - 4:50 PM Reem Kayden Center 103

 

Distributional Area:

SA  Social Analysis   

 

 

This course is designed to examine various forms of adult psychopathology (i.e., psychological disorders) within the contexts of theoretical conceptualizations, research, and treatment.  Potential causes of psychopathology, diagnostic classifications, and treatment applications will be addressed.  Adult forms of psychopathology that will receive the primary emphasis of study include the anxiety, mood, eating, and substance-related disorders.  Prerequisites: Introduction to Psychology or permission of instructor. This course fulfills the Cluster A requirement for the Psychology Major.

 

Gender in the History of Psychological Disorders

 

Professor: Elena Kim  

 

Course Number: PSY 216

CRN Number: 10075

Class cap: 16

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

 Tue  Thurs    11:50 AM - 1:10 PM Hegeman 106

 

Distributional Area:

SA  Social Analysis   

 

Crosslists: Gender and Sexuality Studies

This course examines the history of abnormal psychology from the perspective of women’s experiences within this field. We will explore the role that psychiatry has played in defining and shaping what has been considered ‘normal female’ as opposed to ‘normal male’ behavior. The course begins with the history of conceptualizing the ‘female madness’ starting from the witchcraft persecution in Europe to the emergence of diagnostic categories such as “neurasthenia’ and ‘hysteria’ which were frequently applied to women in the 19 th and early 20 th centuries. We will discuss biological explanations used to explain mental disorder in women and associated psychiatric practices of the past. The key point of the course is to look at how gender roles and stereotypes may have contributed to definitions of mental illness with varied impacts on women and men. For example, we will read materials about how women who deviated from their ascribed gender roles were continuously likely to be categorized as ‘insane’. In the second part of the course, our focus will be on how diagnoses have changed over time and the modern day gender biases still found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Intersections of gender with race, class and sexual subjectivity in the history of abnormal psychology will be examined throughout the course. Prerequisites: Introduction to Psychological Science or permission of the instructor. This course fulfills the Cluster A requirement for the psychology major.

 

Child Development

 

Professor: Sarah Dunphy-Lelii  

 

Course Number: PSY 224

CRN Number: 10076

Class cap: 22

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

Mon  Wed     10:10 AM - 11:30 AM Hegeman 308

 

Distributional Area:

SA  Social Analysis   

 

 

This is a specialized course that prepares students to understand the biological, motor, perceptual, cognitive (including intelligence), language, emotional, social, and gender development of children. The process of human development from conception through early adolescence is studied. Emphasis is placed on what enables children to reach physical, mental, emotional and social maturity, and helps us to address the question “What environments promote optimum development for children?” Child development history, theory, and research strategies will be discussed, as well as the effect of family, peers, media, and schooling. This class would be good for those interested in children, education, or the cognitive and social development of humans. This class is not appropriate for students who have already taken Psych 216 (Developmental Psychology).

 

Cognitive Psychology

 

Professor: Tom Hutcheon  

 

Course Number: PSY 230

CRN Number: 10077

Class cap: 22

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

 Tue  Thurs    11:50 AM - 1:10 PM Reem Kayden Center 111

 

Distributional Area:

SA  Social Analysis   

 

Crosslists: Mind, Brain, Behavior

Cross-listed: Mind, Brain, Behavior. Cognitive psychology is the study of mind: how we perceive the world, remember, represent knowledge, acquire new information, become aware of our emotions, make plans, reason, and use language. In this course we examine the empirical foundations that determine our understanding of mind, including classic research designs, recent advances in computational modeling, philosophical perspectives, and changes in cognition throughout the lifespan. The course, which fulfills the Cluster C requirement for the Psychology Program, also considers the neural underpinning of these topics. Enrollment is open to students who have completed Introduction to Psychological Science, Introduction to Neuroscience, or Foundations of Mind, Brain, and Behavior.

 

Sensation and Perception

 

Professor: Tom Hutcheon  

 

Course Number: PSY 233

CRN Number: 10078

Class cap: 22

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

Mon  Wed     3:30 PM - 4:50 PM Olin 205

 

Distributional Area:

SA  Social Analysis   

 

Crosslists: Mind, Brain, Behavior

As we read a line of text our eyes make a series of short, rapid movements (saccades) followed by brief pauses (fixations).  Yet, we experience reading as a continuous flow of information.  Reading reflects a fundamental question for the study of sensation and perception: how does our brain construct a stable representation of the world when provided with ever changing sensory information?  This course will begin to address this, and related questions, by studying the anatomy and physiology of sensory structures that receive stimulus information, with a particular emphasis on the visual and auditory systems.  Next, we will move to the cognitive processes that turn this raw sensory information into our perception of the world.  Finally, we will discuss how the same sensory information can often lead to very different perceptions across individuals and cultures.  Readings will consist of a combination of textbook chapters and empirical articles.  Prerequisite: PSY 141, CMSC 131 or permission of instructor. This course fulfills the Cluster C requirement for the Psychology major.

 

Face Perception

 

Professor: Tom Hutcheon  

 

Course Number: PSY 306

CRN Number: 10082

Class cap: 12

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

  Wed     9:10 AM - 11:30 AM Olin 107

 

Distributional Area:

SA  Social Analysis   

 

Crosslists: Mind, Brain, Behavior

Faces carry important information about the identity, thoughts, emotions, and future behavior of an individual, and humans prioritize this information from the earliest stages of development. This seminar will explore the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying face perception, the developmental time course of face perception, and individual differences in face perception. In addition, we will consider how social characteristics of the face and the observer interact to influence how a face is perceived. Students will complete a data collection project with the goal of replicating an existing finding in the face perception literature. This course is open to moderated students who have completed at least ONE of the following prerequisites: Cognitive Psychology (PSY 230), Neuroscience (PSY 231); Sensation and Perception (PSY 233), Learning and Memory (PSY 234), Attention (PSY 235), or Drugs and Human Behavior (PSY 237), or with instructor’s permission.

 

Current Treatments of Psychological Disorders

 

Professor: Justin Dainer-Best  

 

Course Number: PSY 319

CRN Number: 10079

Class cap: 12

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

Mon       3:10 PM - 5:30 PM Olin 310

 

Distributional Area:

SA  Social Analysis   

 

 

The field of psychotherapy has changed significantly over the past 50 years, with new therapies focusing on helping people change their thinking or behaviors and in some instances placing a greater focus on the social and interpersonal context in which symptoms occur. Newer therapies, grounded in clinical psychological science, place a greater emphasis on the biopsychological bases of behavior, present functioning, achieving change within shorter time periods, and demonstrating treatment efficacy. In this course, we will focus on common treatments for common mental illnesses, including anxiety and mood disorders, personality disorders, and substance use disorders. Readings will consist of original research and both primary and secondary sources. Students will be expected to make oral presentations of material in class and to write a substantial research/review paper. Prerequisites: Moderated in psychology and a course related to psychopathology (PSY 210, PSY 211, or PSY 217), or permission of instructor.

 

Psychobiology of Stress and Mental Illness

 

Professor: Frank Scalzo  

 

Course Number: PSY 391

CRN Number: 10080

Class cap: 14

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

 Tue      12:30 PM - 2:50 PM Henderson Computing Center 101A

 

Distributional Area:

SA  Social Analysis   

 

Crosslists: Mind, Brain, Behavior

Recent advances in the understanding of the neurobiology and physiology of stress have changed the way stress is viewed, both as a primary phenomenon and as a secondary factor that precipitates or causes a variety of psychiatric disorders. The latter include phobias, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and schizophrenia. This research conference will examine recent findings on the mechanisms and biological consequences of stress and will explore links between these effects and psychiatric disorders as reported in journal articles. Students will be expected to read and develop critiques of these articles as well as make class presentations. This seminar is intended for students who have moderated in psychology or biology, but is open to students with suitable background.

 

Senior Conference

 

Professor: Frank Scalzo  

 

Course Number: PSY 405

CRN Number: 10081

Class cap: 30

Credits: 1

 

Schedule/Location:

   Thurs    4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Preston 110

 

Distributional Area:

SA  Social Analysis   

 

 

In Senior Conference, psychology majors will cultivate the skills necessary to complete a successful Senior Project and continue to build community among their cohort. Topics will include: scientific writing, approaches to evidence, data collection, data analysis, and data management. Professional development and preparing for life after Bard will also be emphasized. Enrollment is required for psychology majors who will begin their psychology Senior Project during the Spring 2024 semester.

 

Research in Developmental Psychology

 

Professor: Sarah Dunphy-Lelii  

 

Course Number: PSY DEV

CRN Number: 10083

Class cap: 6

Credits: 2

 

Schedule/Location:

   Thurs    1:30 PM - 3:30 PM Preston

 

Distributional Area:

None   

 

 

In this course, students will participate in laboratory research in child developmental psychology. Special emphasis will be placed on 3- to 5-year olds' social cognition, perspective-taking, and memory in the context of games. The majority of time in this course will consist of independent laboratory work and research, and students will work with young children, parents, and members of the community to initiate research protocols in our Preston-based laboratory. There will be a weekly laboratory meeting, readings, assignments, two short papers (a literature review and a summary of your empirical project) and student presentations. Open to first-year, second-year and junior students with consent of the instructor. (This course may be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits).