Course

PSY COG   Independent  Research:Cognitive Psychology

Professor

Barbara Luka

CRN

18234

 

Schedule

Th                   2:30 -4:30 pm        .

Distribution

Laboratory Science

Cross-listed: Cognitive Science

(2 credits) This course provides an opportunity for guided research in psycholinguistics. You will contribute to ongoing studies of language comprehension, including preparing stimuli, working with participants, analyzing collected data, reviewing recently published empirical papers, and developing your independent project. Requirements include consistent participation in weekly lab meetings and two short papers (a literature review and a summary of your empirical project). 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 and must be taken twice to fulfill the Laboratory Science distribution requirement.)  On-line registration

 

Course

PSY DEV Independent  Research in Developmental Psychology

Professor

Sarah Lopez-Duran

CRN

18233

 

Schedule

Th                   2:30 -4:30 pm        .

Distribution

Laboratory Science

Cross-listed: Cognitive Science

(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 and must be taken twice to fulfill the Laboratory Science distribution requirement.)   On-line registration

 

Course

PSY NEU   Independent Research in Neuroscience

Professor

Frank Scalzo

CRN

18235

 

Schedule

Th                   2:30 -4:30 pm        .

Distribution

Laboratory Science

Cross-listed: Cognitive Science

 (2 credits)  In this course, students will participate in laboratory research in developmental psychopharmacology, behavioral neuroscience, neuroanatomy and/or neurobehavioral teratology using the zebrafish as an animal model. Within these general fields, specific roles of neurotransmitter systems in normal behavioral development and the neurobehavioral effects of chemical insults during early development will be investigated.  The majority of time in this course will consist of independent laboratory work and research. 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 and must be taken twice to fulfill the Laboratory Science distribution requirement).  On-line registration

 

Course

PSY SOC   Independent Research in Social Psychology

Professor

Kristin Lane

CRN

18236

 

Schedule

Th                   2:30 -4:30 pm        .

Distribution

Laboratory Science

Cross-listed:  Cognitive Science

 (2 credits) This course provides hands-on experience in the practice of Social Psychology. Students will work individually and in teams on ongoing and student-initiated research projects in the Social Psychology Laboratory. The realm of topics to be studied includes the roots of unconscious bias, perceptions and judgments of social distance, and the gender disparity in the sciences.  Students will participate in all phases of the research process, including developing stimuli, programming studies, conducting experimental sessions, and coding and analyzing research data. Requirements include attendance at weekly lab meetings, two papers, a lab presentation, and other assignments throughout the semester.  Enrollment is open to first-, second-, and third-year students with the permission of the instructor. (This course may be taken for a maximum of eight credits and must be taken twice to fulfill the Laboratory Science distribution requirement.) On-line registration 

 

Course

PSY 103 A  Introduction to Psychology

Professor

Kristin Lane

CRN

18237

 

Schedule

Mon Wed       10:30 - 11:50 am    RKC 102

Distribution

Social Science

Cross-listed: Cognitive Science

The course is designed to be a broad survey of the academic discipline of psychology. The text for the course, and therefore the course, is organized around five main questions: How do humans (and, where relevant, other animals) act; how do they know; how do they interact; how do they develop; and how do they differ from each other? Students are responsible for learning the material in the text without an oral repetition of the material in class.  On-line registration

 

Course

PSY 103 B  Introduction to Psychology

Professor

Barton Meyers

CRN

18238

 

Schedule

TuTh               10:30 - 11:50 am    RKC 101

Distribution

Social Science

See description above. On-line registration

 

Course

PSY / CMSC / PHIL 131   Cognitive Science

Professor

Sven Anderson

CRN

18131

 

Schedule

Mon Wed       9:00 - 10:20 am     RKC 103

LAB A: Fr       9:00 - 11:00 am     RKC 107

LAB B:  Fr     1:00 -3:00 pm        RKC 107

Distribution

Social Science

See CMSC section for description.

 

Course

PSY 204   Research Methods in Psychology

Professor

Sarah Lopez-Duran

CRN

18267

 

Schedule

Mon Wed       10:30 - 11:50 am    Olin 101

LAB A:  Tu     1:00 -3:00 pm        HDR 101A

Distribution

Laboratory Science

This course is a continuation of Psychology 203. Its objectives are to extend the skills and abilities students acquired in the fall semester, and to provide an introduction to the research methods and data analyses used in the study of psychology. Students will gain an understanding of research methods and design through a combination of readings, lectures, class discussions, and hands-on laboratory experience.  Students will work both individually and in groups to design and conduct observational studies, surveys, and experiments.  There will be a strong emphasis on learning to present research results in different ways.  Ethical issues will be discussed at each stage of the research process, and students will develop their ability to assess research critically. This course has a choice of labs.  See below.  .   On-line registration

 

Course

PSY 204   Research Methods in Psychology

Professor

Sarah Lopez-Duran

CRN

18268

 

Schedule

Mon Wed       10:30 - 11:50 am    Olin 101

LAB B:  Wed 1:30 -3:30 pm        HDR 101A

Distribution

Laboratory Science

This course has a choice of labs.  See above. .   On-line registration

 

Course

PSY 229   Social Cognition

Professor

Kristin Lane

CRN

18240

 

Schedule

Mon Wed       3:00 -4:20 pm        RKC 102

Distribution

Social Science

How do we think about people?  In this course, we will explore how people reason about and understand both other people and themselves. Topics to be covered include memory about people, impression formation, attitudes and stereotypes, development of the social self, the development of social thought, and automatic social behavior. Throughout the course, we will consider whether thinking about people is an extension of more general modes of thought that are simply applied to people, or whether thinking and reasoning about people comprise a unique set of psychological processes. Readings will include classic and current readings in social cognition, including original empirical papers and work from the emergent field of social cognitive neuroscience. Prerequisite: Students must have completed PSY 103 (Introduction to Psychology). PSY 203 or 204 are recommended but not required. On-line registration

 

Course

PSY 241   Abnormal Psychology

Professor

Richard Gordon

CRN

18239

 

Schedule

Tu  9:30 – 11:50 am  OLIN 309 / PRE 110

Distribution

Social Science

This course provides an intensive introduction to the clinical  description, causes and treatments of psychological disorders.  Included will be a discussion of various anxiety disorders (for  example, phobias, panic, obsessive-compulsive disorder), somatoform  disorders (hypochondria, body dysmorphic disorder), eating  disorders (anorexia and bulimia nervosa), schizophrenic disorders,  personality disorders, mood disorders (depression, bipolar  disorder), and substance abuse/dependence. There will be an  emphasis on current approaches to treatment (especially cognitive- behavioral therapies and psychopharmaceuticals), as well as a  spectrum of causal factors, ranging from social and interpersonal  influences to problems in brain functioning. Requirements will  include papers on research studies as well as a midterm and final  exam.  Prerequisite:  General Introduction to Psychology. On-line registration

 

Course

PSY 248   Human Memory

Professor

Barbara Luka

CRN

18241

 

Schedule

Mon Wed       12:00 -1:20 pm       Olin 204

Distribution

Social Science

Cross-listed:  Cognitive Science

Memory is fundamental to all aspects of learning and behavior in all animal species.  However, the study of human memory presents a special case because humans use language.  Language provides a unique mechanism for encoding and retrieving memories, but language also biases memory.  This course is an overview of classic theories and current research in human learning and memory.  We will evaluate models of memory, including debates on the cognitive representations of knowledge. We will also examine the role of awareness in memory, false memory, the biological bases of memory, diseases and disorders of memory, and methods for brain imaging.  Prerequisite: 100 level course in Psychology or Biology or permission of the instructor. On-line registration

 

Course

PSY 252   Drugs and Human Behavior

Professor

Frank Scalzo

CRN

18242

 

Schedule

Wed Fr           9:00 - 10:20 am     Olin 202

Distribution

Social Science

Cross-listed: Cognitive Science, Science, Technology & Society

This course will explore the biological bases for the behavioral effects of several psychoactive substances including therapeutic compounds, such as antipsychotics and antidepressants, and drugs of abuse.  The course will focus on mechanisms of drug action and physiological and behavioral effects.  Broader societal issues such as drug addiction, drug policies and drug testing, and controversial therapeutic interventions will be discussed in relation to selected compounds.

Prerequisite: An introductory Psychology or Biology course, or consent of the instructor.  On-line registration

 

Course

PSY 256   Psycholinguistics

Professor

Barbara Luka

CRN

18243

 

Schedule

TuTh               9:00 - 10:20 am     Olin 204

Distribution

Social Science

Cross-listed:  Cognitive Science

This course is an introduction to the field of psycholinguistics: the study of the relationship between language and cognition.  Its main goal is to develop a deeper understanding of this relationship, examining the following questions:  How is language represented, processed, and acquired?  What is the relationship between language as a social construct and cognitive processes embodied in individual language users?  What do the patterns of language breakdown tell us about linguistic representation and normal language processing?  What experimental methods are used to study the relationship between language and the brain? The course will address research areas relevant to psychology, linguistics, philosophy, computer science, and neuroscience.   On-line registration 

 

Course

PSY 267   Introduction to School Counseling: Multicultural Perspective

Professor

Christie Achebe

CRN

18496

 

Schedule

Tu  Th  10:30 – 11:50 am  Olin 302

Distribution

Social Science

Introduction to School Counseling: Multicultural Perspective

The rapidly changing demographics of our schools and communities reflect a broadening of the cultural architecture of America. How education and psychology continue to handle the ramifications for this diverse landscape of children is the challenge of the future. This course examines the efforts of schools to make the existing K-12 school counseling programs more comprehensive, developmental, preventive, data- driven and culturally responsive to the needs of all children. The position statement of the American School Counselors Association , (ASCA 2003) will be used as a template to explore the skills  and processes counselors  need to accomplish their expanded leadership, collaborative, system change,  advocacy and social justice roles .  On-line registration

 

Course

PSY 348   The Man and the Experiment that Shocked the World: Work and Legacy of Stanley Milgram

Professor

Stuart Levine

CRN

18245

 

Schedule

Mon                3:00 -6:00 pm        .

Distribution

Social Science

Cross-listed:  Human Rights, Science, Technology & Society

The title for this course is taken from the title of a recent biography of Stanley Milgram authored by Thomas Blass, a professor of social psychology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County campus. It has now been forty years since the original work of Stanley Milgram demonstrated the remarkable and unpredicted finding that large numbers of individuals in multiple samples of American men and women studied were willing to punish another person when ordered to do so by an experimenter. The prominence of the initial work and the continued salience of such study in social psychology cannot be over-stated. In a review of the personal and situational determinants of obedient behavior in the "Milgram design" format, Thomas Blass (1991) lists as many as 200 references. It could well be that 100 more have appeared since the Blass review. Beside the volume of studies conducted and the attempts at review and theorizing, the domain of the "Milgram" study is worthy of continuing interest not only because of the vastness of both criticism and praise to which the work was subjected but because of events of our current time. These suggest that the continuing study of obedience phenomena is necessary and that social scientists should likely find a way to safely and ethically investigate the conditions which promote destructive obedience. This is an upper college seminar which serves as a Research Conference for psychology majors but is not limited to psychology or even social studies majors. The single criterion for membership is a willingness to read with care. A portion of the work contained in the body of the obedience literature will be reviewed from the perspective of trying to assess the continuing status of the phenomenon and the explanations and understandings that have been brought to light. On-line registration

 

Course

PSY 358   Preschoolers’ Thinking: Cognitive Development Between  2 - 5 Years of Age

Professor

Sarah Lopez-Duran

CRN

18246

 

Schedule

Th                   9:30 - 11:50 am     Olin 309

Distribution

Social Science

Cross-listed:  Cognitive Science

The primary focus of this course will be the cognitive developmental underpinnings of children’s burgeoning concepts about the social and biological world around them. Children undergo enormous changes in their thinking in the years before they enter school, and these changes have alternately been described as continuous and discontinuous, qualitative and quantitative in nature. In particular, a large amount of research has targeted children’s “theory of mind”, or the understanding that outward behaviors are caused by internal states (thoughts, beliefs), and not necessarily the actual state of affairs. Does a 3-year old understand that two people can have different perceptions of the same experience? When do children realize that thoughts and dreams can’t be touched, the way a toy can? Our discussions will focus on readings from empirical papers, theoretical essays, and books. Open to third and fourth year students with consent of the instructor.  On-line registration

Course

PSY 362   Racial and Cultural Considerations in  Counseling and Psychotherapy

Professor

Christie Achebe

CRN

18497

 

Schedule

Thur   1:30 – 3:50 pm  Olin 302

Distribution

Social Science

Cross-listed:  SRE

Each of us is embedded in a matrix. We interact with one another from our racial and cultural perspective. As mental health professionals our race and culture impact how we do therapy and how our clients respond to us. Partly because we lack a consensus on an operational definition of race in counseling research, we have sometimes fallen short of integrating race into the therapy process when appropriate. For race and cultural factors to be meaningful in our work so we can understand one another, this course will explore a typology that handles race and culture as psychological variables. A projected consequence of the increase and shifts in the society’s demographic profile is the likelihood that more non-white therapists might be counseling white clients, those with similar racial and cultural characteristics and other diverse groups. This dynamic calls for an examination of the following: a conceptual rationale capable of integrating racial and cultural material into existing theoretical orientations and process research in therapist client matching, effect of communication style difference, effect of the stage of Ethnic Identity of client and therapist, effect of difference in the therapeutic relationship, differential attribution of sources of client’s problems, therapist credibility and competence, strategies for moderating differences in cultural values/assumptions, worldview and the development of culturally appropriate interventions. We will engage all this through examining research studies, writing reflective response papers and in experiential activities.

 

Course

PSY 391  Psychobiology of Stress and Mental Illness

Professor

Frank Scalzo

CRN

18500

 

Schedule

Thur   9:30 – 11:50 am                  RKC 200

Distribution

Social Science

Cross-listed:  Cognitive Science

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.  On-line registration