This course provides students with a thorough and rigorous introduction to the study of behavior and mental processes, and prepares students for more advanced work in psychology and related fields. Fundamental psychological laws and principles of human behavior are examined in the light of the scientific method. The course is a prerequisite for all other courses in the department.

In this course, students learn how the structure and function of the central and peripheral nervous systems support mind and behavior. Topics include neuroanatomy, developmental neurobiology, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, and neuropsychiatry. The course is designed for prospective majors and nonmajors who are interested in exploring a field in which biology and psychology merge, and to which many other disciplines (e.g., chemistry, philosophy, anthropology, computer science) have contributed. Not open to students who have received credit for PSYC 215.

This course introduces students to theory and findings in social psychology, which involves empirical study of human behavior and mental processes in social situations. Topics include impression formation, interpersonal attraction, and persuasion, as well as prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. The readings, lectures, and discussions consider these and other topics in a variety of domains. The course also examines the research methods used by social psychologists, especially experiments, with an emphasis on recent efforts within the field to strengthen the quality of evidence on which we base our conclusions. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101.

This course introduces the fundamentals of personality psychology. Topics include a variety of personality theories, the trait debate, physiological factors that may shape personality, assessment of personality and approaches to personality research, and personality over the life-course. Readings include Freud, Erikson, Rogers, and research articles on abnormal psychology and personality. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101.

This course explores how regulation and dysregulation of mind results from differential brain activity. Following an introduction to the structure and function of the central nervous system, students consider examples of neurological and psychiatric pathology and discuss psychological and neuroscientific approaches to intervention. Topics include neuronal signaling, neuroanatomy, neuroplasticity, psychopharmacology, states of consciousness, categories of mental illness, models of psychotherapy, and human/machine interactions. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101. Not open to students who have received credit for NS/PY 160.

A course in the use of statistical methods for describing and drawing inferences from data. Experimental and correlational research designs are studied by analyzing data for numerous problems. Topics covered include sampling theory, correlation and regression, t-tests, chi-square tests, and analysis of variance. Students also learn to analyze data using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and get practice writing empirical reports in American Psychological Association style. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101 or NRSC/PSYC 160.

This course provides an overview of contemporary research and theories concerning the structure and processes of the mind. Topics covered include information processing, artificial intelligence, sensory memory, masking effects, object recognition, attention, short-term/working memory, long-term memory, false memories, language, and decision making. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101.

Our minds are simultaneously the most intimately familiar things imaginable and the most mysterious. We live every minute in and with our minds, and we only experience the world through them (perhaps, we even are our minds), and yet we may not know them as well as we think. Despite recent progress in the sciences of the mind, it even remains difficult to place the mind in the physical universe. In light of these puzzles, this course asks: How should we relate to our minds and their operations? How do our thoughts and experiences connect to the external world? How could a conscious, first-person perspective arise in a physical universe?

This course reviews the etiology, symptoms, and treatment of the major mental illnesses. Topics range from affective disorders to psychosomatic presentations to dissociative disorders. Students master diagnostic criteria, review case material, and evaluate research on a variety of topics related to psychopathology. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101.

A comprehensive introduction to current thinking and research in developmental psychology, including theoretical, empirical, and applied issues. This course covers prenatal development through old age and death, and considers the physical, cognitive, and socioemotional dimensions of development. Topics include attachment, language acquisition, gender, play, development across cultures, and interactions between dimensions of development. This course emphasizes critical thinking, research, and applications to everyday life. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101 or EDUC 231.

An exploration of the nature of musical experience in cognitive, neuroscientific, and bodily terms. Does music belong to an altered state of consciousness or is it a function of our ordinary state of consciousness and bodily? Why does music compel us to move? Are the emotions that we experience through music the same as those that spring from our personal experiences? Is music essentially an interior experience, and if so, how does it connect us so powerfully to others? What are the relationships between music and language in the brain? How can music and speech become one in song? These questions, long fascinating to philosophers, are now being considered through the scientific study of the brain and mind. Recommended background: previous study of music, neuroscience, or psychology.

This course provides an introduction to the theoretical perspectives and research findings of cultural psychology, with an emphasis on comparisons between North American and East Asian cultural groups. Topics include defining culture as a topic of psychological inquiry; the methods of conducting cross-cultural research; the debate between universality versus cultural specificity of psychological processes; acculturation and multiculturalism; and cultural influences on thought, emotion, motivation, personality, and social behavior. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101.

This course provides comprehensive coverage of the major methods used in psychological research, with special emphasis on experimental design. Students receive extensive practice in designing, conducting, analyzing, and interpreting the results of research studies, and writing reports in American Psychological Association style. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 218.

This course introduces research methods through collaborative community partnerships. Students collaborate with local professionals, such as teachers, on research projects that originate in their work sites. Class meetings introduce design issues, methods of data collection and analysis, and ways of reporting research. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 218.

A comprehensive introduction to current thinking and research in educational psychology, including theoretical, empirical, and applied issues. This course addresses our understanding of what constitutes knowledge, how we motivate and direct learning, and how we can work with diverse learners. Students adopt tools and thinking strategies to develop a critical lens of key educational psychology topics. As such, this course emphasizes critical thinking, research, and applications to teaching and learning (e.g., creating lesson plans). A thirty-hour field placement experience is required. Prerequisite(s): EDUC 231 or PSYC 101.

Sport, exercise, and performance are familiar physical experiences that have strong psychological components. Many of these aspects can apply to numerous other forms of performance (e.g., dance, theater). This course examines the science and application of the biopsychosocial connections of these pursuits. Topics include arousal/anxiety, motivation, team/group dynamics and leadership, injury and stress, exercise adherence, and performance enhancement strategies. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101.

The course examines the field of perception: how we organize and interpret sensory information so that we can understand the external world. Topics covered include principles of psychophysics; the eye and brain; pattern perception; color vision; perception of depth, size, and motion; hearing and auditory system; touch; taste; and smell. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262. Recommended background: PSYC 222, 230, or NS/PY 160.

This course introduces health psychology from a biopsychosocial perspective. The course first describes the theoretical underpinnings of the biopsychosocial model, and the fundamentals of anatomy and physiology. The course then reviews the current research on stress, coping and illness, health disparities, and stress management techniques. Research on psychosocial contributors to heart disease, cancer, chronic pain syndromes, and other illnesses is reviewed, along with implications for prevention and treatment. Recommended Background: PSYC 218. Prerequisite(s): any 200-level PSYC course.

The course examines historical and recent trends in animal learning. Topics include classical and operant conditioning, biological constraints on learning, and cognitive processes. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: NRSC/PSYC 160 or 200, PSYC 222, 230, or 250.

This course examines religion from a social-psychological perspective, focusing on current psychological science to understand why some humans find religion compelling and the implications of religious faith (or lack thereof). Topics include the psychological benefits of religious faith, negative outcomes of religious faith, the role of religion in inter-group conflict, how thoughts of the divine affect perceptions of physical space, and how mental systems make sense of information about religion. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 218.

In the American criminal justice system, the administration of justice is influenced by a broad range of variables, many of which have been the subject of empirical research in social and cognitive psychology. This course examines how psychological research informs the dialogue surrounding controversial issues in the criminal justice system. Topics covered include eyewitness testimony, confession evidence, detection of deception, expert testimony, cognitive bias in evaluations of forensic evidence, and reconstructed/repressed memories. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

This course acquaints students with counseling psychology, a specialty within professional psychology that facilitates clients and communities to remedy problems, engage in prevention strategies, and help them to develop, enhance, and affirm their strengths, skills, and cultural authenticity. The course covers the history of counseling psychology, the theory and practice of psychotherapy, diagnosis, assessment, career and work psychology, multiculturalism, social justice and advocacy, prevention/consultation, suicide, ethics, and various applications of counseling psychology. The course provides opportunities to practice basic helping skills. It is a Purposeful Work Infusion course, which helps students explore career options and trajectories in the profession. Only open to juniors and seniors. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101.

We encounter hundreds of thousands of visual stimuli every day. How is this information organized meaningfully in the brain? By what biological and perceptual mechanisms does our brain translate simple light signals into the complex visual scenes of our daily lives? This course will explore the neuroscience and methodologies of vision science, covering topics such as visual attention, color perception, object recognition, spatial perception, visual memory, and many others. The course will be structured with a mix of lecture and discussion of relevant research articles. Students will develop the skills to recognize the current questions, issues, and methods in vision research, read and critique peer-reviewed scientific articles, and think critically about the applications of vision science in daily life. Prerequisite(s): NRSC 160/PSYC 160 OR PSYC 215.

This course focuses on the basic principles of comparative cognition. Topics include language and communication, mental representations and symbolic capacities, tool manufacture and use, creativity, and the interaction of these mental abilities. Discussions of an extensive reading list will focus on the cognitive skills of animals such as bees, birds, dogs, dolphins, elephants, and nonhuman primates. Not open to students with credit for PSYC S33 or FYS 580. Prerequisites: PSYC 261 or 262. Recommended background: PSYC 230.

This course explores how the neurological organization of the brain influences the way people think and act. Particular emphasis is given to the brain systems that support object recognition, spatial processing, attention, language, memory, executive functions, clinical syndromes, and unusual cognitive phenomena. A wide range of research techniques is introduced, including positron emission tomography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, neuropsychological assessment, event-related potentials, magnetoencephalography, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Prerequisite(s): NRSC160/PSYC160, PSYC 215, 222, 230, OR NRSC363/PSYC363.

Students in this course engage with issues at the intersection of the fields of political science and psychology. In particular, students examine the relevance of psychological processes to such topics as the evaluation of electoral candidates, what it means to identify as politically conservative or liberal, media effects (including social media), race and politics, foreign policy, and political reasoning. In addition to frequent readings, course participants also engage with relevant multimedia content, including podcasts and videos. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 218, or any one of the following: DCS 105, ECON 250, MATH 233, PLTC 218, SOC 205, or SOC 206.

Forensic psychologists play a crucial role in the criminal justice system. Typically this role involves conducting an evaluation of a defendant to provide an opinion to the court regarding a variety of issues, including competence to stand trial, restoration of competence, state of mind at the time of offense, competence to waive Miranda, risk assessments, and dispositional alternatives. Students will gain exposure to relevant psychiatric conditions and how these interface with the questions forensic psychologists must answer. Topics will also include malingering, ethics, testimony, and assessment of special populations (e.g., juveniles, psychopaths, sex offenders, cognitively limited individuals). Issues are explored through examination of cases, relevant empirical literature, media coverage of current cases, and review of court decisions. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 235, and PSYC 261 or 262.

This course examines a variety of perspectives on women's health issues, including reproductive health, body image, sexuality, substance use and abuse, mental health, cancer, AIDS, heart disease, poverty, work, violence, access to health care, and aging. Each topic is examined in sociocultural context, and the complex relationship between individual health and cultural demands or standards is explored. Prerequisite(s): one 200-level psychology course.

The brain is a complex object, and studying it scientifically requires a facility with tools and concepts for analyzing high dimensional data. This course will provide a survey of such tools through representative case studies in perception (how many types of odors are there?), genomics (how do we classify cell types?), and neural coding and dynamics (how does brain activity encode attributes of the world?). Students will develop intuitions for framing fundamental neuroscience questions as data-driven problems, and will also develop skills for exploring, visualizing, modeling, and interpreting data. No prior experience with coding is assumed or expected, and the course will emphasize the use of high-level computational tools rather than implementation of algorithms from scratch. Prerequisite(s): NRSC/PSYC 160.

Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester.

The course is an introduction to the concepts and methods used in the study of physiological mechanisms underlying behavior. Topics include an introduction to neurophysiology and neuroanatomy; an examination of sensory and motor mechanisms; and the physiological bases of ingestion, sexual behavior, reinforcement, learning, memory, and abnormal behavior. Laboratory work includes examination of neuroanatomy, development of neurosurgical and histological skills, and behavioral testing of rodents. Prerequisite(s): NRSC 160/PSYC 160 or PSYC 215.

Students in this course engage with psychological research relevant to race relations, reviewing, evaluating, and applying both classic work (such as social identity theory) and contemporary work (such as implicit bias research). After studying the limitations of intrapsychic and interpersonal approaches, students also consider the roles that institutions and policies play in maintaining racial hierarchies. Throughout the course, students aim to remain grounded in historical context and, consistent with an intersectional approach, they also remain cognizant of the ways that race’s impact is also influenced by other category memberships, such as gender and class. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 218 or SOC 206.

This course explores how psychology might be transformed in order to realize people’s liberatory potential. The course introduces liberation psychology methods, such as participatory action research, community building, QuantCrit (Quantitative Critical Theory), arts, testimonios, storytelling, and critical self-reflection and dialogue. Topics include the ways that psychology has been dehumanized (as Martín-Baró says, psychology "erases the very real thing of life that make up what we are as human beings"); how to embed human experiences within the historical, sociopolitical, and ecological context; and how to place psychology in the service of human liberation, especially for those who have hitherto been ignored or relegated to the margins of consideration. Recommended background: PSYC 261 or 262. Purposeful Work Infusion. Only open to juniors and seniors.

The course delves deeply into why and how youth decide to act to improve and transform their communities. We examine forms of engagement (e.g., service, political participation, advocacy) and use developmental theories and empirical research to consider how youth across contexts and identities choose to participate. Opportunities and barriers to engagement are explored and considered within the broader sociopolitical context. This course includes a community-engaged learning (CEL) project, and as such, students apply learning to both lived experiences and current youth programs. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101.

This course provides intensive coverage of classic and contemporary theory and research regarding the self. Topics include self-knowledge, self-esteem, self-regulation, self-presentation/impression management, and miscellaneous topics (e.g., developmental issues). Human diversity regarding these topics will be explored as well. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

What is personality, and how do we determine if personality is disordered? How do personality disorders develop, and how are they diagnosed and treated in clinical settings? This discussion-based seminar examines the etiology, classification, and treatment of personality disorders. Throughout the course, students engage with psychological theory, empirical research, and clinical case studies to develop a holistic and compassionate understanding of personality disorders. Emphasis is placed on current controversies, cultural context, and future directions of the field. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 218, and PSYC 211 or 235.

A course designed to give junior and senior majors an opportunity to explore a significant new area in biological psychology. Topics change from year to year and with the expertise of the faculty member. Only open to juniors and seniors. Prerequisite(s): NRSC160/PSYC160 or PSYC 215.

This type of thesis involves empirical research and report writing supplemented by individual conferences with an advisor. Students register for PSYC 457A in the fall semester. Majors writing a two-semester or honors thesis register for both PSYC 457A and 458A. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

This type of thesis involves community-based research and report writing in collaboration with a community partner and faculty advisor. Students complete 50 to 60 hours of work in a community placement and meet regularly with their faculty advisor for structured reflection about ethics, the cultural context of students' work, individual and social change, and other topics specific to students' placements. Students register for PSYC 457B in the fall semester. Majors writing a two-semester or honor thesis register for both PSYC 457B and 458B. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

This type of thesis involves a comprehensive and critical review of extant literature using resources available in Ladd Library and supplemented by individual conferences with an advisor. Students register for PSYC 457C in the fall semester. Majors writing a two-semester or honors thesis register for both PSYC 457C and 458C. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

This type of thesis involves empirical research and report writing supplemented by participation in a weekly seminar. Students work individually to test novel hypotheses with human participants. Through the course of their research and seminar discussions, students gain experience with research ethics training and certification, data analysis, scientific writing in APA style, and professional development. Depending on the instructor, the seminar may have a topical focus (e.g., social psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology), and this will be communicated to interested students before they register. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

This type of thesis involves community-based research and report writing in collaboration with a community partner and faculty advisor. Students complete 50 to 60 hours of work in a community placement and meet in a weekly seminar for structured reflection about ethics, the cultural context of students' work, individual and social change, and other topics specific to students' placements. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

This type of thesis involves empirical research and report writing supplemented by individual conferences with advisor. Students register for PSYC 458A in the winter semester. Majors writing a two-semester or honors thesis register for both PSYC 457A and 458A. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

This type of thesis involves community-based research and report writing in collaboration with a community partner and faculty advisor. Students complete 50 to 60 hours of work in a community placement and meet regularly with their faculty advisor for structured reflection about ethics, the cultural context of students' work, individual and social change, and other topics specific to students' placements. Students register for PSYC 458B in the winter semester. Majors writing a two-semester or honor thesis register for both PSYC 457B and 458B. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

This type of thesis involves a comprehensive and critical review of extant literature using resources available in Ladd Library and supplemented by individual conferences with an advisor. Students register for PSYC 458C in the winter semester. Majors writing a two-semester or honors thesis register for both PSYC 457C and 458C. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

This type of thesis involves empirical research and report writing supplemented by participation in a weekly seminar. Students work individually to test novel hypotheses with human participants. Through the course of their research and seminar discussions, students gain experience with research ethics training and certification, data analysis, scientific writing in APA style, and professional development. Depending on the instructor, the seminar may have a topical focus (e.g., social psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology), and this will be communicated to interested students before they register. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

This type of thesis involves community-based research and report writing in collaboration with a community partner and faculty advisor. Students complete 50 to 60 hours of work in a community placement and meet in a weekly seminar for structured reflection about ethics, the cultural context of students' work, individual and social change, and other topics specific to students' placements. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

This course focuses on the basic principles of comparative cognition. Topics include language and communication, mental representations and symbolic capacities, tool manufacture and use, creativity, and the interaction of these mental abilities. Discussions of an extensive reading list will focus on the cognitive skills of animals such as bees, birds, dogs, dolphins, elephants, and nonhuman primates. Not open to students with credit for PSYC 325 or FYS 580. Recommended background: PSYC 230. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

This seminar-based course provides students with an in-depth overview of the psychological, social, and cultural factors that shape the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of romantic relationships through the lens of reality TV dating shows. Topics discussed include the factors that predict relationship initiation (e.g., attraction, mate selection, sociocultural influences, modern dating), stability, and longevity (e.g., trust, infidelity, conflict communication, positive illusions, equity theory, and social exchange theory,) and how these dynamics play out in different relationship contexts (e.g., non-traditional, same-sex, and relationships and aging). In addition to reading empirical research studies in the field of relationship science, students will also engage with real-world depictions of relationship dynamics through relevant TV shows and multimedia, including selected seasons of the Bachelor/Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise. Recommended background: Prior coursework in statistics and research methods. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 261 or 262.

Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term.

This course is an opportunity to work collaboratively with students and the instructor to redesign PSYC/EDUC 274. PSYC/EDUC 274 provides a comprehensive introduction to current thinking and research in educational psychology, including theoretical, empirical, and applied issues. Students adopt tools and thinking strategies to develop a critical lens of key educational psychology topics. As such, this course emphasizes critical thinking, research, and applications to every day (e.g., creating lesson plans). Recommended background: prior coursework in psychology and education.