91801

PSY 121

History and Systems of

Psychology

Stuart Levine

M W 1:30 pm-2:50 pm

RKC 101

SSCI

Over the course of the semester we study theoretical insights and conceptual attempts to understand human behavior. These are traced from the speculations within the Ancient World to current scientific thinking and methods guiding the study of psychology and other social science disciplines. Importantly, because a discipline is also about people who advance it, students are introduced to the lives and times and ideas of individuals who have made significant contributions to the field. Particular attention is given to such figures as James, Pavlov, Freud, Skinner and Asch, to mention just a few. Illumination will also come from a consideration of correspondence between and among pivotal individuals in the field. Critical analyses and integrations are juxtaposed with historical renderings. Upper college students likely will benefit from this course because they already possess the foundational knowledge necessary to draw comparisons and critically evaluate varying points of view. Lower college students likely will use the course to greet the intellectual domains they enter. Class size: 22

91815

PSY 128

The Science of Behavior

Sarah Dunphy-Lelii

Lab:

T Th 8:30 am-9:50 am

T 1:30 pm-3:30 pm

OLIN 204

HDR 101A

SCI

Cross-listed: 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. We will focus on the biological, cognitive, and social/cultural roots that give rise to human experience, and consider how behavior differs among people, and across situations. Writing, speaking, group, and hands-on laboratory experiences will augment readings from the text, popular culture, and research journals. This course is not available to students who have already completed Psychology 141 (Introduction to Psychological Science). Class size: 22

91802

PSY 141 A

Intro to Psychological Science

Thomas Hutcheon

M W 1:30 pm-2:50 pm

RKC 102

SSCI

Cross-listed: 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. Class size: 22

91803

PSY 141 B

Intro to Psychological Science

Justin Hulbert

T Th 10:10 am-11:30 am

OLIN 205

SSCI

See above. Class size: 22

91804

PSY 141 C

Intro to Psychological Science

Thomas Cain

T Th 11:50 am-1:10 pm

RKC 102

SSCI

See above. Class size: 22

****************************************************************************************************************************************************************

91702

PSY 203

Statistics for Psychology

Frank Scalzo

T Th 10:10 am-11:30 am

OLINLC 115

MATC

This course provides an introduction to the concepts and methods of statistics and is aimed at helping the student to gain a fundamental understanding of the tools needed to understand and conduct research in psychology. Topics to be covered include frequency distributions and probability, descriptive statistics, simple correlation and regression, sampling distributions, t-tests and basic and factorial analysis of variance. Non-parametric tests such as Chi-square will also be introduced. The course will focus on the interpretation and communication of statistics, and we will work with the SPSS software package to analyze data. This course is the first of a two-course sequence in statistics and research methods that is required of all prospective psychology majors. The course is ordinarily taken in the first semester of the sophomore year. Prerequisite: Introduction to Psychological Science or its equivalent. Class size: 34

LAB OPTIONS: (register separately)

91806

PSY 203 LBA

Statistics for Psychology Lab

Frank Scalzo

W 10:00 am-12:00 pm

HDR 101A

Class size: 17

91807

PSY 203 LBB

Statistics for Psychology Lab

Frank Scalzo

W 1:30 pm-3:30 pm

HDR 101A

Class size: 17

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************

91808

PSY 210

Adult Abnormal Psychology

Richard Gordon

M 9:10 am-11:30 am

PRE 110 / ASP 302

SSCI

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. Class size: 22

91809

PSY 221

Developmental Psychology

Thomas Cain

T Th 3:10 pm-4:30 pm

OLIN 201

SSCI

To develop is to change. What accounts for the individual differences between us, but also the similarities that define people of a certain age? How do developmental scientists frame these questions empirically, and interpret the answers they get? In this class, we will study the balance of growth and decline across the lifespan from birth to death, and think carefully about the unique characteristics of people at each life stage. We will explore the many causes of change from infancy through old age, including: cognition, physical maturation, social interaction, language, and cultural influence. Textbook, research articles, and popular writings will be used to facilitate discussion and writing. This course fulfills the Cluster B requirement for the Psychology major. Prerequisite: PSY 141. Class size: 22

91810

PSY 230

Cognitive Psychology

Justin Hulbert

W F 10:10 am-11:30 am

OLIN 201

SSCI

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. Class size: 22

91811

PSY 332

Cognitive Aging

Thomas Hutcheon

T 1:30 pm-3:50 pm

OLIN 309

SSCI

Cross-listed: Mind, Brain, Behavior Healthy aging is associated with changes in the efficiency of cognitive and neural processes. While particular processes decline (such as attention and memory), others improve (such as emotion regulation). In the current course, we will examine current theoretical accounts of cognitive aging with a primary focus on identifying and evaluating the strategies older adults implement to deal with age-related changes in cognition. Although the course will primarily look at healthy aging, it will also include an examination of age-related diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease), allowing for a discussion of the ways in which the effects of disease differ from those of healthy aging. Readings in the course will be composed of theoretical articles as well as empirical studies that rely on a variety of research methods including behavioral testing and functional neuroimaging. The course will culminate in the proposal of a novel training paradigm designed to improve functioning of older adults in daily life. This course is open to moderated psychology majors, moderated MBB students, or with permission of the instructor. Class size: 12

91812

PSY 336

the social Psychology of Emotion, Cognition, and Bias

Thomas Cain

W 1:30 pm-3:50 pm

OLIN 309

SSCI

Cross-listed: Mind, Brain, Behavior There is a common misconception that cognition and emotion are two opposing psychological processes. Cognition is often thought of as cold, rational, and accurate. Emotion is seen as irrational and biased; as something that spoils our otherwise accurate cognitive processes. This course will be an exploration, from a social psychological perspective, of how emotions and cognition interact to influence our thoughts, perceptions, and behavior. The class will begin by examining the relationship between emotion and cognition from a variety of psychological perspectives. As the class progresses, we will focus more on how emotion and cognition influence social perceptions, social interactions, and intergroup relations. Students will be expected to read primary research articles in psychology. Prerequisite: Moderation in psychology or instructor permission. Class size: 12

91813

PSY COG

Cognitive Psychology: Advanced Methodology

Justin Hulbert

F 12:30 pm-2:30 pm

PRE

Cross-listed: Mind, Brain, Behavior 2 credits In this course, students will gain experience working in a cognitive neuroscience laboratory. Using controlled experiments and brainwave recordings, we will investigate the cognitive processes that allow for the adaptive encoding, consolidation, retrieval, and forgetting of associative memories. Students will participate in all phases of the research process including experiment design, stimulus development, programming, data collection, analysis, and presentation. Enrollment is open to first-, second-, and third-year students with the permission of the instructor. Typically, this two-credit offering requires a two-semester commitment. Class size: 6

91814

PSY DEV

Research in Developmental Psychology

Sarah Dunphy-Lelii

Th 12:00 pm-2:00 pm

PRE

2 credits 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). Class size: 6