Course Descriptions

85 Forensic Psychology
Forensic Psychology is the application of psychological insights, concepts, and skills to the understanding and functioning of the legal and criminal justice system. This course will address current theoretical and empirical issues in the study of psychology and law. Topics may include eyewitness testimony, credibility assessment, jury decision making, child abuse and memory for traumatic events, juvenile delinquency and criminology, prediction of violence, and insanity defense. Janury, 4 credits.

89* States of Consciousness
Ordinary and non-ordinary states of consciousness; meditation, sleep and dreaming, biofeedback, psychoactive drugs, schizophrenia, depression, sensory deprivation and overload, and social identity. Laboratories, guest speakers, and demonstrations. January, 4 credits.

92 Psychology of Human Sexuality
The psychology and psychobiology of human sexual responses; the development of normal sexuality; sexual deviations and incompetencies, and remediation of sexual problems. One semester, 3 credits.

1
00 Introductory Psychology
An introduction to major areas of psychology, emphasizing theories, research methods, critical thinking, and communication skills, to enable students to think like psychologists. One semester, 3 credits.

148 Field Work
Participation in psychologically relevant experiences in a supervised setting, plus weekly seminar. Placements arranged to meet interests and goals of individual students, such as working with children or adults in a community agency, etc. Prerequisites: 100, other relevant coursework, and instructor permission. One semester, 3 credits.

212 Experimental Psychology
Basic research designs and scientific methods for testing theories of sensation, perception, motivation, cognition, animal learning, and social psychology. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: 100. One semester, 4 credits.

222 Biological Bases of Behavior
Introduces the neural, genetic, biochemical, and structural mechanisms that underlie normal and abnormal human behavior. Lecture, films, and visual aids. Prerequisite: 100. One semester, 3 credits.

224* Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience
Introduction to the study of the neural mechanisms that underlie normal human and animal behavior and the consequences of brain damage and dysfunction. Lectures and laboratories (some dissection required). Prerequisite: 100. Recommended: Some high school biology. (Not open to those who have taken 222.) One semester, 4 credits.

242 Child Psychology
Major theories and issues relevant to children's physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development from conception through preadolescence. Prerequisite: 100. (Not open to those who have taken CHDV 105.) One semester, 3 credits.

244 Psychology of Adolescence
Major theories and issues relevant to the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development of adolescents. Prerequisite: 100 and instructor permission. One semester, 3 credits.

314 Statistics
Data analysis in the social sciences; analysis of distributions, central tendency, variability, correlation, and parametric and non¬parametric statistical tests; use of computer packages including SPSS. Prerequisites: Minimum passing scores on the Math Placement test and sophomore standing. One semester, 4 credits.

317 Literature Review Seminar
Seminar on conducting literature reviews on psychological topics, resulting in a scholarly paper written by each student. Prepares for 400-level courses in Psychology. Opportunity to begin developing research proposal for 417. Prerequisites: 212, 314 and junior standing. One semester, 3 credits.

322* Behavioral Neuroscience
Role of our biological nature in psychological experience and behavior. Topics include learning and memory; motivation and emotion; sensation and perception; pain, stress, and psychosomatic illness; sleep, dreaming, and circadian rhythms; brain dysfunction and damage; Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases and Schizophrenia. Seminar, discussion, and laboratory. Prerequisite: 222 or 224. One semester, 4 credits.

332* Sensation and Perception
Considers human and animal sensory abilities and limitations, and how they are reflected in their perceptions of the world; the nature and development of these perceptions, and the circumstances that distort them. Seminar, discussion, and laboratory. Prerequisites: 222 or 224. One semester, 4 credits.

334* Psychology of Learning
Human cognition and animal learning covering basic phenomena in classical and instrumental conditioning, memory, language learning, concept formation, problem solving, and thinking. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: 100. One semester, 4 credits.

335* Techniques of Behavior Change
Principles of learning theory; application of ehavior-change techniques to human behavior in various settings, including designing and evaluating behavior-change programs; consideration of ethical issues. Lecture, laboratories, field observations, and guest speakers. Prerequisite: 100. Recommended: 212. January, 4 credits.

336* Cognitive Psychology
The study of human thought processes and mental representations including topics such as attention, perception, memory representation and improvement, mental imagery, thinking, and artifi cial intelligence. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: 212. One semester, 4 credits.

338* Motivation and Emotion
Theory and research regarding the biological, behavioral, and social bases of motivational and emotional behavior. Prerequisite: 100. Recommended: 212. One semester, 3 credits.

348* Psychology of Aging
Current theories, issues, and research on adulthood, with emphasis on cognitive and personality changes occurring during middle and old age. Prerequisite: 100. One semester,
3 credits.

352 Social Psychology
Issues, theories, and research in social psychology; non-verbal communication, person perception, attitudes, social infl uence, aggression and helping, social exchange, interpersonal relationships. Prerequisite: 100 or SOC 100. One semester, 3 credits.

354 Diverse Identities
Theory and research on processes of identity formation and change. Topics include ethnic, racial, national, religious, gender, sexual, occupational, familial, and other identities. Analyzes stigma, prejudice, discrimination, and confl ict from a global perspective. Prerequisite: 100 or SOC 200 or junior standing. One semester, 3 credits.

362* Psychology of Personality
Study of major theories of personality, as well as the empirical and clinical research that illustrates and tests them. Prerequisite: 100. One semester, 3 credits.

364* Psychology of Women
Theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of the psychology of women; the effects of social context and the interplay of gender, race, class, and culture on psychological development, with special attention to where and how women fit into the world including the ways in which they have been and continue to be marginalized in various cultures. Prerequisite: 100. One semester, 3 credits.

368* Psychological Assessment
Provides an introduction to psychological assessment and measurement theory by examining the measurement of cognitive abilities, personality, and preferences. Includes development, administration, and interpretation of psychological assessment instruments. Prerequisite: 314. One semester, 3 credits.

372 Abnormal Psychology
Study of the description, causes, and treatments of dysfunctional behaviors; includes both clinical and empirical research perspectives. Prerequisite: 100. One semester, 3 credits.

374* Psychology of Exceptional Individuals
Characteristics, needs, and impact of atypical people throughout the lifespan; the mentally gifted and creative, as well as those with physical, cognitive, emotional, or behavioral disorders that begin during the developmental period. Prerequisite: 100. Recommended: 242, 244, or 348. One semester, 3 credits.

376* Clinical Communication
Emphasis on examining the change agents in psychotherapy and learning how to develop help-intended communication skills through the use of miniature mutual support groups. Analysis of communication using a verbal response mode classifi cation system. Lecture, discussion, and laboratory. Prerequisite: 100. One semester, 4 credits.

396* Research Practicum
Opportunity to learn and apply research skills by assisting faculty on research. May include research design, subject recruitment, data collection, data analysis, and writing up findings. Prerequisite: 100 and instructor permission. One semester. Variable credits. May be repeated for credit.

417* Research Seminar Advanced seminar
to gain individual experience in conducting psychological research involving collection and analysis of data to test theoretical models. Recommended for psychology majors planning
to attend graduate school. Prerequisites: 212, 314, and 317. One semester, 3 credits.

484 History of Psychology Seminar
History of psychological thought and systems from classical times to the present. Major psychological theories and theorists are studied in relation to the broader context of intellectual and social history. Senior capstone course. Prepares for Senior Presentation. Prerequisites: 317 and senior standing. One semester, 3 credits.

496 Independent Research
Opportunity to conduct independent individual research. Prerequisites: 212, 314, 317, and instructor permission. Credit and time arranged.

190, 290, 390, 490* Selected Topics in Psychology
Variable topics and credits. Prerequisites: 100 and instructor permission. May be repeated for credit.

295, 395, 495* Independent Study
Credit and time arranged. Prerequisites: 100, instructor permission, and extensive background in psychology or other social sciences. May be repeated for credit. Not offered every year.