19238

PSY 103 A Introduction to Psychology

Kristin Lane

. T . Th .

9:00 -10:20 am

OLIN 202

SSCI

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.

19261

PSY 103 B Introduction to Psychology

Barbara Luka

. T . Th .

10:30 -11:50 am

HDR 101A

SSCI

See above.

19258

PSY 204 A Research Methods in Psychology

Sarah Lopez-Duran

M . W . . . T . . .

9:00 -10:20 am 1:00 pm -3:00 pm

OLINLC 115 HDR 101A

LSCI

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.

19259

PSY 204 B Research Methods in Psychology

Sarah Lopez-Duran

M . W . . . . W . .

9:00 -10:20 am 1:00 pm -2:59 pm

OLINLC 115 HDR 101A

LSCI

This course has a choice of labs, see above.

19257

PSY 216 Developmental Psychology

Sarah Lopez-Duran

. T . Th .

9:00 -10:20 am

OLIN 203

SSCI

What can infants do better than adults? What benefits come along with the costs of aging? This course will explore the many ways in which humans grow and change across the lifespan, and the ways that cultures deal with these changes. The physical, motor, cognitive, intellectual, emotional, personality, and social changes from infancy and childhood through old age will be examined.  Textbook, research articles, and popular writings on the nature of growth and decline at different life stages will be used to facilitate discussion and writing. Prerequisite: Introduction to Psychology.

19262

PSY 228 Cognitive Psychology

Barbara Luka

M . W . .

3:00 pm -4:20 pm

HDR 101A

SSCI

Cross-listed: Cognitive Psychology How do people acquire information? And once information is acquired, what happens to it? Does it sit, still, in the mind/brain? Or does it change, either knowingly or unknowingly? If information in the brain changes with time, how might that change come about and to what end? This course is about how people perceive, remember, and think about information. The major topics that will be covered include object recognition, memory, concept formation, language, visual knowledge, judgment, reasoning, problem solving, and conscious and unconscious thought. In addition, we will consider the neural underpinnings of these topics where possible. Prerequisite: Psychology 103 or permission of the instructor.

19240

PSY 230 Neuroscience

Frank Scalzo

. . W . F

10:30 -11:50 am

OLIN 202

SSCI

Cross-listed: Cognitive Science The ability to express thoughts and emotions, and to interact with the environment, is dependent in large part on the function of the nervous system. This course will examine basic concepts and methods in the study of brain, mind and behavior. Topics include the structure and function of the central nervous system, brain development, learning and memory, emotion, sensory and motor systems, the assessment of human brain damage, and clinical disorders such as schizophrenia, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. Prerequisite: Introduction to General Psychology, Introduction to Developmental Psychology or Introduction to Biology.

19236

PSY 238 Clinical Psychology

Beth Gershuny

M . W . .

1:30 pm -2:50 pm

OLIN 202

SSCI

Clinical Psychology involves the integration of research, theory, and therapy/consultation to better understand, predict, prevent, and/or treat psychological illnesses and symptoms. Clinical Psychology also promotes functional adaptation and “healthy” forms of coping. As such, this course will provide a broad overview and critical evaluation of various clinical approaches to assessment, research, and treatment. In addition, current controversies in the field will be considered; ethical issues will be addressed; and what being a clinical psychologist entails (e.g., training, practice) will be discussed. Prerequisite for this course is PSY 103 (Introduction to Psychology).

19252

PSY 261 Theories of Counseling

Christie Achebe

. T . Th .

10:30 -11:50 am

OLIN 305

SSCI

Cross-listed: SRE This course is an overview of selected counseling models whose attraction is their potentiality for wide application to normal developmental issues, by counselors and social workers and for teaching self-counseling skills. We shall examine them in the context of their historical or intellectual origins. In particular we shall look out for what they deal with best (their focus of convenience) and aspects which have been kept outside their scope (range of convenience- especially in the context of the increasing diversity in the demographics of our schools. Approaches to be explored will include: Psychoanalytic (Sigmund Freud), person-centered (Carl Rogers), Adlerian therapy (Alfred Adler), reality therapy (William Glasser), behavior therapy (Lazarus), cognitive behavior therapy (Albert Ellis), and family systems (Minuchin).

19588

PSY / CMSC 308 Seminar in Cognitive Science

Barbara Luka / Sven Anderson

. . W . .

7:00 -9:00 pm

RKC 101

N/A

Cross-listed: Philosophy (2 credits)   Juniors and seniors concentrating in cognitive science are strongly urged to take this two-credit course.  Each student will present research in progress or a significant paper from the current literature.   The purpose of the seminar is to help students become familiar with a cross-section of current cognitive science research, including topics from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, computational modeling, philosophy of mind, linguistics, music cognition, and artificial intelligence.   In addition to helping juniors select a senior project topic, the seminar is intended to enhance communication among seniors about their research projects. Prerequisite: permission of the instructors. (Can be taken no more than twice for credit.)

19237

PSY 325 Anxiety & Its Disorders

Beth Gershuny

. T . . .

9:30 -11:50 am

OLIN 302

SSCI

“…For [some] individuals, anxiety is a curse – something they could live without. But could we all live without anxiety? Many of our most prominent philosophers, psychologists, and psychiatrists think not (David Barlow).” Everyone feels anxious at various points in their lives. For some, however, such anxiousness becomes extreme, incapacitating, and perceived as beyond the person’s control. Similar to the pervasiveness of anxiety in general, anxiety disorders specifically are the most prevalent of all psychological illnesses. They also are among the most treatable. This course will provide a detailed overview and critical analysis of the anxiety disorders with particular focus on the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of such disorders; and state-of-the-art psychological/cognitive-behavioral conceptualizations and approaches, and related empirical findings, will be emphasized. Prerequisite for this course is PSY 245 (Personality), PSY 241 (Abnormal Psychology), or PSY 264 (Adult Psychopathology).

19264

PSY 338 History & Systems of Psychology

Stuart Levine

M . . . .

3:00 pm -6:00 pm

Library 3

SSCI

In this seminar, theoretical insights and conceptualizations of human behavior will be traced from the speculations of the Ancient Greeks to current scientific domains of study of psychology and other social science disciplines. Because a discipline is also about the people who advance it, students will be introduced to the lives, times and ideas of individuals who have made significant contributions to the field. Particular attention will be given to such figures as James, Pavlov, Freud, Skinner, and Asch, to mention just a few. Critical analyses and integrations of current conceptual understandings of thought, emotion and behavior will be juxtaposed with historical renderings. Upper college students likely will benefit most from this course because they already possess the foundational knowledge necessary to draw comparisons and critically evaluate varying points of view.

19242

PSY 347 Brain Mechanisms and Addictive Behavior

Frank Scalzo

. T . . .

9:30 -11:50 am

HDR 106

SSCI

Rapid strides have been made recently in our understanding of the neurological underpinnings of addiction. This research conference will begin with a brief history of our understanding of the mechanisms of brain reward systems and how the findings in this area have led to modern concepts of addictive behavior. An in-depth analysis will be made of contemporary theoretical and neurobiological approaches to conceptualizing and treating addictive behaviors, particularly drug abuse. Some consideration will be given to the extension of the addiction concept to such behaviors as gambling, eating, sexual activity and others. Primary source journal articles will be used in addition to excerpts from texts, and thus familiarity with research methods and statistics is required. Students will be expected to make frequent presentations in class.

19265

PSY 362 Racial and Cultural Considerations in Counseling and Psychotherapy

Christie Achebe

. . . Th .

1:30 pm -3:50 pm

OLIN 302

SSCI

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.

19235

PSY CLN Independent Research: Clinical Psychology

Beth Gershuny

. . . Th .

2:30 pm -4:30 pm

PRE

LSCI

2 credits This course will provide basic training and direct experience with research in Clinical Psychology in general, and research in the empirical domains of Anxiety- and Trauma-Related Disorders (e.g., Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) in particular. Rudiments of research planning, design, and conduction will be discussed; and relevant ethical issues will be considered. Theoretical paradigms and empirical findings – and relevant books and articles – will be reviewed and critiqued, and these will be used to create bases for the evaluation of existing research questions as well as the creation of new research questions. In addition, existing datasets will be analyzed, and new data will be collected. Ultimately, the goal is that projects – both preexisting and new – will lead to the generation of Senior Project ideas and plans, and ultimately to conference presentations and publications.

19263

PSY COG Independent Research: Cognitive Psychology

Barbara Luka

. . . Th .

2:30 pm -4:30 pm

PRE 111

LSCI

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.)

19260

PSY DEV Independent Research: Developmental Psychology

Sarah Lopez-Duran

. . . Th .

2:30 pm -4:30 pm

PRE

LSCI

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.)

19241

PSY NEU Independent Research: Neuroscience

Frank Scalzo

. . . Th .

2:30 pm -4:30 pm

PRE 101

LSCI

(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).

19239

PSY SOC Independent Research: Social Psychology

Kristin Lane

. . . Th .

2:30 pm -4:30 pm

PRE

LSCI

(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. Students are expected to enroll for two consecutive semesters. (This course may be taken for a maximum of eight credits and must be taken twice to fulfill the Laboratory Science distribution requirement.)