Psychology Courses with Descriptions
PSY 100 Foundations of Contemporary Psychology (4 credits)
An introduction both to basic principles and recent formulations in psychology. Topics include the central psychological processes of attending, perceiving, learning, thinking, remembering, and study of social behavior and the development and organization of personality. Required of psychology majors. Prerequisite: None.
PSY 130 Positive Psychology (4 credits)
The scientific study of the strengths and virtues such as contentment, happiness, and hope, the capacity for love and work, courage, compassion, resilience, creativity, curiosity, integrity, self-knowledge, self-control, and wisdom that enable individuals to thrive; study of the strengths that foster justice, civility, parenting, leadership, teamwork, purpose, and tolerance. Prerequisite: None.
PSY 200 Topics in Psychology (4 credits)
Offered occasionally on special topics of current interest that are not listed among regular offerings. Prerequisite: See individual listings in Schedule of Classes.
PSY 215 Introduction to Basic Psychological Processes (4 credits)
A survey of the processes of learning, memory, and thinking, including physiological factors underlying these processes. Prerequisites: PSY 100 or 130.
PSY 225 Intro. to Life-Span Developmental Psychology (4 credits)
A survey of the principal cognitive, social and behavioral processes that operate across the life-span. Prerequisite: PSY 100 or 130.
PSY 235 Introduction to Social Psychology (4 credits)
Overview of traditional and current trends in social psychology. Attention is given to theoretical approaches to attitudes, interpersonal processes, and social perception. Prerequisite: PSY 100 or 130.
PSY 245 Intro. to Individual Differences and Personality Psychology (4 credits)
A survey of basic research in individual differences and personality, including major areas such as gender, aggression, altruism, conflict, and measurement of personality variables. Prerequisite: PSY 100 or 130.
PSY 250 Introduction to Research Design (4 credits)
General introduction to design, function, and interpretation of research in the social sciences. Aimed at providing necessary preparation to evaluate the empirically based content of psychology. Required of psychology majors. Prerequisite: PSY 100 or 130.
PSY 251 Statistics and Research Design (4 credits)
The principal statistical procedures employed in social science research. An introduction to descriptive statistics, probability, and inferential statistics necessary to carry out and interpret social science research. Prerequisite: PSY 250 and MTH 012 with a minimum passing grade of 2.0 or placement via ACT score.
PSY 305 Creativity and Innovation (4 credits)
Interdisciplinary approach to understanding cultural, societal, individual, cognitive and biological determinants of creativity and their application to innovation. Prerequisite: PSY 100 (This course is currently the only 300 level psychology course that is not writing intensive and does not satisfy the Writing in the Major degree requirements).
PSY 311 Sensation and Perception (4 credits)
Approaches to the basic sensory systems and perceptual processes. Prerequisite: PSY 250.
PSY 316 Cognitive Psychology (4 credits)
The information processing approach to problems in pattern recognition, selective attention, mental operations, short- and long-term memory, the psychology or reading, problem-solving, and probabilistic reasoning. Prerequisite: PSY 250.
PSY 318 Physiological Psychology (4 credits)
Biological bases of behavior with emphasis on humans and related mammalian species: basic neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, motivation, emotion, learning and memory, sleep and dreams, sensory-motor mechanisms, brain stimulation, and psychopharmacology, hormones, and behavior. Prerequisite: PSY 250.
PSY 319 Animal Behavior (4 credits)
Comparative psychological, ethological, and sociobiological viewpoints on behavior of animals. Emphasis will be on vertebrate species, including humans. Discussion of reproductive, aggressive and social behaviors, learning, communication, etc. Stresses an evolutionary perspective. Prerequisite: PSY 250.
PSY 321 Child Development (4 credits)
Theory and principles of child development from birth to puberty. Selected topics include: maturational processes, learning and motivation, intelligence, self-concept, and child-rearing practices. Prerequisite: PSY 250.
PSY 322 Adolescence and Youth (4 credits)
The adolescent experience and the transition to adulthood, as influenced by physiological change, intellectual growth, and social attitudes. Topics include the quest for identity, juvenile delinquency, drug use, the youth culture, relationships between generations, and vocational choice. Prerequisite: PSY 250.
PSY 323 Adulthood and Aging (4 credits)
Psychological change, from young adulthood to death; topics include potentials for psychological growth and sources of crisis, changes in intellectual processes, attitudes toward aging, retirement, and the needs of the aged. Prerequisite: PSY 250.
PSY 327 Socialization in the Family (4 credits)
Some areas of research and theory on socialization processes. Areas of focus: attachment and separation, conscience development, sex-role identity, ego-identity, etc. Role of principal agents, e.g., family, peers, school. Prerequisite: PSY 250.
PSY 330 Social Cognition (4 credits)
The theory and research of thought processes underlying social phenomena, such as impression formation, persuasion, conformity, compliance, stereotyping, and attraction. Areas of focus include attitude formation and change, attribution theory, the role of affect in cognition, schema theory, and theories of nonverbal behavior. Prerequisite: PSY 250.
PSY 333 Motivation (4 credits)
The nature of physiological and behavioral mechanisms that control an organism's reaction to the demands of its environment. Prerequisite: PSY 250.
PSY 337 Interpersonal Processes and Group Behavior (4 credits)
Group structure, function, and process. Focus on how individuals affect the behavior of people in groups; how the group, in turn, affects the behavior of the individual. Topics include leadership, cohesion, group therapy, crowds, and mobs. Prerequisite: PSY 250.
PSY 338 Health Psychology (4 credits)
The application of theory and research in psychology to the enhancement of health and prevention and treatment of illness. The interaction between biological, social, and psychological factors in health and medical problems is emphasized. Prerequisite: PSY 250
PSY 339 Emotion (4 credits)
Understanding of human emotion from both a historical and theoretical viewpoint. Contemporary theoretical positions will be compared in terms of the roles that cognition, behavior, and physiological changes play in the emotional experience. Prerequisite: PSY 250.
PSY 341 Abnormal Psychology (4 credits)
The psychodynamics of abnormal behavior, clinical types, methods of investigation, and principles of psychotherapy. Prerequisite: PSY 250
PSY 342 Coping Strategies in the Normal Personality (4 credits)
Characteristics of healthy personality in the following dimensions: need gratification, reality contact, interpersonal relationships, and growth. Prerequisite: PSY 250
PSY 343 Psychopathology of Childhood (4 credits)
The psychopathology of children and adolescents, emphasizing dynamic cognitive-perceptual-motor variables. Prerequisite: PSY 250
PSY 344 Behavior Analysis (4 credits)
The theory and practice of behavioral psychology and behavior modification as it has been developed from Darwin, Pavlov, Skinner, Bandura, and others. Prerequisite: PSY 250.
PSY 358 History and Systems of Psychology (4 credits)
How psychology came to be as it is. The beginning of the great experiments and the schools of psychology; the schools to World War II; World War II to the present. People, experiments, theories. Prerequisite: PSY 100 and two psychology courses other than PSY 251.
PSY 362 Statistical Analysis with Computers (4 credits)
The principal computer packages used by social science researchers in analyzing data. A study of MINITAB serves to review basic statistical concepts and introduce the logic of structuring data sets. The remainder of the course will focus on the BMDP and SPSS packages. Prerequisite: PSY 251
PSY 370 Psycholinguistics (4 credits)
Identical with ALS 335
PSY 374 Psychology of Women (4 credits)
Examines gender differences resulting from the socialization of girls and women and the psychological impact of life events experienced exclusively or differentially by women. Topics include role conflicts, gender stereotypes, achievement, and employment. Identical with WS 325. Prerequisite: PSY 100 or 130.
PSY 381 Tests and Measurement (4 credits)
Theories of measurement and evaluation. Examination of construction and interpretation of tests of ability, achievement, interests, and special attitudes. Objective tests of personality. Prerequisite: PSY 251
PSY 399 Field Experience in Psychology (4 credits)
The application of psychological concepts and methods in a work setting. Includes a minimum of 10 hours/week in job placement with a classroom component, readings, and discussion of relevant literature. Does not count toward the major. May not be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: PSY 250 and 2 courses between PSY 310 and PSY 349 and permission of instructor.
PSY 415 Seminar in Basic Psychological Processes (4 credits)
Advanced seminar in a special topic related to cognition, perception, conditioning, or physiological processes. Prerequisite: PSY 250, PSY 215 and permission of instructor.
PSY 425 Seminar in Developmental Psychology (4 credits)
Advanced seminar in a special topic related to developmental psychology, such as theories of development, attachment, social policy. Prerequisite: PSY 250, PSY 225 and permission of instructor.
PSY 435 Seminar in Social Psychology (4 credits)
Advanced seminar in a special topic related to social psychology, such as theories of social influences on aggression or psychological effects of media. Prerequisite: PSY 250, PSY 235 and permission of instructor.
PSY 445 Seminar in Individual Differences and Personality Psychology (4 credits)
Advanced seminar in a special topic related to individual differences and personality psychology such as theories of personality, aggression, or religion. Prerequisite: PSY 250, PSY 245 and permission of instructor.
PSY 450 Advanced Experimental Psychology: Basic Psychological Processes (4 credits)
Issues in learning, perception, thinking, physiological psychology, and animal behavior with independent research project. Prerequisite: PSY 251 and permission of instructor.
PSY 452 Advanced Experimental Psychology: Developmental Psychology (4 credits)
Issues in design and methodology of psychological research with application to the developmental area. Independent project required. Prerequisite: PSY 251 and permission of instructor.
PSY 453 Advanced Experimental Psychology: Social Psychology (4 credits)
Theory and techniques of survey research, field experiments, laboratory experiments, and field studies. Experience in data collection; independent project required. Prerequisite: PSY 251 and permission of instructor.
PSY 454 Advanced Experimental Psychology: Individual Differences and Personality (4 credits)
Issues in design and methodology of psychological research on personality. Independent research project required. Prerequisite: PSY 251 and permission of instructor.
PSY 460 Senior Seminar in Psychological Science (4 credits)
This team taught seminar will bring to bear the understandings of various subdisciplines in psychology on a complex behavioral issue (e.g., child rearing, academic achievement, hostility and helping). The members of the department representing the relevant subdisciplines will lead the seminar discussion. Prerequisite: PSY 251 and PSY 358.
PSY 470 Apprentice College Teaching (4 credits)
Supervised participation in teaching undergraduate psychology courses. Discussion of teaching objectives and methods. May be repeated for a total of eight credits. Only four (4) credits may be offered to fulfill major requirements. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
PSY 483-485 Readings and Research Projects (2 or 4 credits)
Individual readings or laboratory research on a topic agreed upon by a student and a member of the psychology faculty. May be repeated for additional credit. Not more than 8 credits of reading and research projects may be counted toward fulfillment of the major in psychology. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
PSY 487 - 489 Research Apprenticeship (4 credits)
Students will be mentored by faculty in design and implementation of a research project. May be repeated for additional credit. Only 8 credits may be used toward the major. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
PSY 494 Honors Independent Studies (4 credits)
Independent honors research projects in clinical, developmental, experimental, and social psychology, respectively. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.