12155

PSY 128      The Science of Behavior

Frank Scalzo       Lab:

W       1:30 pm-3:30 pm T  Th   10:10 am-11:30 am

ALBEE 100 OLIN 203

LS

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: 18

 

12156

PSY 141 A  Intro to Psychological Science

Richard Lopez

T  Th 10:10 am-11:30 am

OLIN 202

SA

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

 

12157

PSY 141 B  Intro to Psychological Science

Thomas Hutcheon

W  F  1:30 pm-2:50 pm

OLINLC 118

SA

SSCI

Cross-listed: Mind, Brain, Behavior

See above. 

Class size: 22

 

12158

PSY 204      Research Methods in Psychology

Sarah Dunphy-Lelii

M  W   10:10 am-11:30 am

RKC 103

LS

SCI

 This course provides 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; students must register separately for a lab.  Prerequisite: PSY 203 or equivalent. 

Class size: 45

 

12159

PSY 204 LBA  Research Methods in Psych Lab

Sarah Dunphy-Lelii

M          1:30 pm-3:30 pm

ALBEE 100

LS

SCI

Class size: 16

 

12160

PSY 204 LBB  Research Methods in Psych Lab

Sarah Dunphy-Lelii

T         2:00 pm-4:00 pm

ALBEE 100

LS

SCI

 Class size: 16

 

12161

PSY 204 LBC  Research Methods in Psych Lab

Sarah Dunphy-Lelii

Th     8:00 am-10:00 am

ALBEE 100

LS

SCI

 Class size: 16

 

12162

PSY 210      Abnormal Psychology

Justin Dainer-Best

T  Th 10:10 am-11:30 am

HEG 106

SA

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: 18

 

12163

PSY 220      Social Psychology

Kristin Lane

T  Th  3:10 pm-4:30 pm

HEG 204

SA

SSCI

Cross-listed: Gender and Sexuality Studies; Sociology

Social Psychology is the scientific study of human thought, behavior, and feelings in their social contexts. This class will survey many of the processes that influence and are influenced by our interactions with others, such as attitude formation and change, conformity and persuasion. We will also use principles of social psychology to understand the ordinary origins of benevolent (e.g., altruism, helping behavior) and malevolent (e.g., aggression, prejudice) aspects of human behavior. Throughout the course, we will emphasize the influence of culture, race, and gender on the topics addressed. Students should have completed Introduction to Psychological Science or its equivalent. This course fulfills the Cluster B requirement for the Psychology Major. 

Class size: 22

 

12164

PSY 230      Cognitive Psychology

Justin Hulbert

T  Th 11:50 am-1:10 pm

HEG 204

SA

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

 

12847

PSY 232      Social Neuroscience

Richard Lopez

T  Th  1:30 pm-2:50 pm

OLIN 203

SA

SSCI

 The field of social neuroscience aims to elucidate links between the mind, brain, and social behaviors. In this class we will focus on recent theorizing and methodologies from neuroscience that have identified the psychological processes at play as we go about our dynamic and complex social lives. Specifically, we will examine the brain bases of social judgments, the experience and regulation of emotions, embodied cognition, empathy, attachment, theory of mind, sexual attraction, romantic love, and neuroeconomics, among other topics. Along the way we will learn about a variety of methodological approaches used by social neuroscientists, including social psychology paradigms, lesion studies, patient research, and functional neuroimaging (e.g., fMRI). Prerequisite: Introduction to Psychological Science, an Introductory Biology course, or permission of Instructor. This course fulfills the Psychology "Cluster C" requirement.

Class size: 22

 

12166

PSY 341      Predicting Behavior

Thomas Hutcheon

W      10:10 am-12:30 pm

ALBEE 100

SA

SSCI

 One of the primary goals of the science of psychology is to understand and predict human behavior.  Linear regression is an important statistical tool in psychological research as it allows for the estimation of the relationship between two or more continuous variables and the translation of this relationship into prediction.  This seminar will serve as an introduction into the development, theory, and use of simple and multiple linear regression in the context of psychological research.  Topics will include data visualization, hypothesis testing, model selection, parameter estimation, and estimation of model fit.  Students will read and evaluate empirical articles that implement regression analyses across a range of psychological topics.  Students will get hands-on experience conducting their own regression analyses on existing datasets and the course will culminate in a data collection project where students apply regression techniques to answer a psychological question of their choosing.  This course is intended for moderated psychology majors and moderated MBB students; non-psychology students may enroll with permission from the instructor.

Class size: 12

 

12167

PSY 348      Work/Legacy of Stanley Milgram

Stuart Levine

W       2:00 pm-5:00 pm

LB3 402

SA

SSCI

 Cross-listed: Human Rights; Social Studies

 It has now been more than fifty years since the original work of Stanley Milgram demonstrated the remarkable and very widely unpredicted and unexpected 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; this in the stated but false context of a psychology experiment on learning and memory.  The prominence of the initial work and the continued salience of such study and accumulated findings in the domain of social psychology cannot be over-stated.   And it very much has not reached the stage of dormancy as the publication of studies, literature reviews and conferences on the topic of obedience to authority continue to appear in unabated fashion.  It is even the case that as recently as six years ago a replication of the original study, with slight modifications, and with concordant results was published (J. Burger, January 2009).  Further revealing of prominence is that fact that a relatively new full-length movie version of the original study (a biopic) appeared this year.  In addition, a diligent search of current psychology or cross-disciplinary archives uncovers further studies that provide evidence that obedience and indeed destructive obedience is very much prevalent in our society and in many others as well and in a myriad of contexts.  The domain of the "Milgram study” is especially worthy of continuing interest.  This because of the vastness of both criticism and praise of the original work but also because of historical and significant events in the intervening years between 1960s and stretching to our current time.   The continuing study of obedience is vital for the betterment of institutions, even in a democratic society.  Social scientists should and must find a way to safely and ethically investigate the conditions that promote destructive obedience and thereby begin to learn the rudiments of how such can be minimized.  This is a college seminar.  It is not limited to psychology or social studies or for that matter majors in any particular discipline.  The two criteria for membership are a willingness to read with care and then with conviction share with others the results of such reading and study.  Over the course of the semester a sizable portion of the work contained in the body of the obedience literature is reviewed.  Admission by permission of the instructor.

Class size: 10

 

12169

PSY 353      Sleep!

Justin Hulbert

T         4:40 pm-7:00 pm

RKC 200

SA

SSCI

 People spend roughly one-third of their lives asleep. All too many spend the rest of their lives chronically underslept. What are the pressures that drive us to sleep? What are the benefits of sleep and the risks of not sleeping enough? In this upper-level seminar, we will attempt to answer such questions by reviewing the empirical literature and designing studies to better understand how we can get the most out of sleep. The course, which also may be of interest to students pursing a concentration in Mind, Brain, and Behavior (MBB), is open to moderated students who have the instructor’s permission or have already completed at least one of the following possible prerequisites: Cognitive Psychology (PSY 230), Learning & Memory (PSY 234), Neuroscience (PSY 231), or Introduction to Neurobiology (BIO 162).

Class size: 12

 

12170

PSY 375      Podcasts:Disordered Experience

Justin Dainer-Best

M          4:40 pm-7:00 pm

RKC 200

SA

SSCI

Cross-listed: Experimental Humanities

Despite the history of the term “talking cure,” we often focus almost entirely on the written word in courses introducing the basics of psychological disorders. In the rise of podcasts, however, we have an increased ability to learn about mental illness and treatment directly from people who are willing to share their experiences. In this seminar, each class meeting will revolve around a podcast episode that provides insight into some aspect of mental illness, accompanied by reading primary source research articles and theory. Topics will include cognitive processing therapy, gender identity, major depression, couples therapy, and opiate addiction. Students will be expected to make oral presentations of material in class and to write a substantive research paper, which may have auditory elements. Prerequisites: This course is limited to moderated students who have taken PSY 141 (Introduction to Psychological Science). A course in either Adult or Child Abnormal Psychology (PSY 210 or PSY 211) is also required, or permission of instructor.

Class size: 12

 

12173

PSY CL      Clinical Psychology: Advanced Methodology

Justin Dainer-Best

W       1:30 pm-3:30 pm

PRE

 (2 credits) In this course, students will participate in laboratory research related to clinical psychology. Specifically, students will work on projects relevant to understanding the relationship between mood and cognition. There will be a weekly lab meeting in which we will discuss progress on ongoing projects, and students will take turns presenting relevant empirical articles. In addition to rotating weekly presentations, students will be required to complete two short papers and have the opportunity to participate in all levels of the research process. Students will learn to conduct basic clinical interviews and to program experiments. Open to non-senior students with consent of the instructor.

Class size: 6

 

12171

PSY COG A  Cognitive Psychology: Adv. Methodology

Justin Hulbert

M          3:00 pm-5:00 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: 8

 

12172

PSY COG B  Cognitive Psychology:Adv Methodology

Thomas Hutcheon

Th     1:30 pm-3:30 pm

PRE

Cross-listed: Mind, Brain, Behavior

2 credits See above. 

Class size: 8

 

 

Cross-listed courses:

 

12413

HR 223      Epidemics and Human Rights

Helen Epstein

T  Th  3:10 pm-4:30 pm

OLIN 202

SA D+J

SSCI

Cross-listed: Gender and Sexuality Studies; Global & International Studies; Psychology Class size: 22

 

12127

MBB 317      Mind, Brain & Behavior Seminar

Sven Anderson Justin Hulbert

W       3:10 pm-4:30 pm

RKC 101

Cross-listed: Computer Science; Psychology Class size: 12