Department of Psychology
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Department of Psychology
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Course Descriptions 2002-2004
All courses are for 3 credits unless otherwise noted
PSY 100 - Introduction To Psychology
Prerequisite: None
Broad introduction to the methods, findings and theories of scientific psychology. Research methods, learning, the brain and behavior, perception, social behavior and intelligence will be covered, along with other selected topics (e.g., motivation, human development, memory, abnormal behavior). Students are required to participate as subjects in psychological research or to complete an alternative writing assignment.
PSY 202 - Social Psychology
Prerequisite: PSY 100
Survey of theory and research in social psychology including topics such as attitudes, social perception, interpersonal attraction, aggression, social behavior, social influence, cooperation and competition, behavior in groups, the environment.
PSY 203 - Groups And Teams
Prerequisite: None
This course will explore the dynamics of groups and teams. Course content will include the similarities of and differences between groups and teams, and the dynamics experienced by groups and teams such as cooperation/ competition, communication, conflict, and social influence. Topics will be presented in the context of lecture, discussion, and in-class exercises.
PSY 204 - Psychology of The Infant and Toddler
Prerequisite: Psych 100
A comprehensive overview of infant and toddler development and major issues involved in understanding the impact of culture and the family upon very young children, focusing on the ages from birth through age 3. Major content area will include motor, intellectual, language, personality, social, and emotional development.
PSY 205 - Learning I: Behavior Modification: Theory And Practice
Prerequisite: PSY 100
Basic current principles of learning. Application to both normal and abnormal behavior, individual and social situations. Behavioral treatment of diverse problems will be studied.
PSY 206 - Psychology Of Childhood
Prerequisite: PSY 100
The social, emotional, moral and sex-role development of children will be studied in the context of their interrelationships with such variables as peer acceptance, parental child-rearing patterns, sibling status, socioeconomic status and school experience. The focus is on children approximately ages 3 through 12.
PSY 207 - Mental Retardation
Prerequisite: PSY 100
An introduction to mental retardation and allied behavior with emphasis on behavioral concepts and methods. Analysis of research and case histories in behavior modification. Supervised field experience (Monday evenings) with people classified as mentally retarded.
PSY 208 - Psychology Of Adolescence
Prerequisite: PSY 100
Adolescent patterns of development and the major issues involved in understanding the impact of culture upon the teenager. An examination of the influence of family, neighborhood, school and the mass media. The focus is on youth approximately ages 12 through young adulthood.
PSY 217 - Research Methods I
Prerequisite: PSY 100
This course introduces students to the skills and knowledge necessary to be effective consumers of psychological research. These include: how to conduct a computerized literature search using PSYCINFO; how to read articles in scholarly journals; elementary research design and logic; and the fundamentals of writing in the style of the American Psychological Association. Topics such as the cause and effect and the differences between experimental and non-experimental research are discussed.
PSY 227 - Behavioral Science Statistics (4 credits)
Prerequisite: PSY 100
An introduction to the descriptive and inferential methods used to evaluate psychological research. Topics include graphic methods, central tendency, variability, correlation hypothesis testing and sampling distributions.
PSY 300 - Educational Psychology
Prerequisite: PSY 206 or PSY 208
Factors affecting the learning process in school. Course covers aims of educative process, evaluation of individual differences, personality factors, intelligence, achievement, educational test constriction, motivation, problem-solving, concept formation, teacher attitudes, critical incidents in classroom, school and community.
PSY 301 - Abnormal Psychology
Prerequisite: PSY 100
Description and interpretation of various disorders of feeling, thinking and behaving included in the DSM-IV. Clinical and experimental data will be applied to selected theoretical issues.
PSY 302 - Psychopathology Of Childhood
Prerequisite: PSY 206 or PSY 208
This course provides a description and interpretation of childhood psychological disorders. Areas of study include definitions of disordered behavior, pathology within the context of normal development, assessment strategies, and a focused examination of variables that influence internalizing and externalizing child psychological disorders.
PSY 303 – Industrial And Organizational Psychology
Prerequisite: PSY 100
The industrial situation defined in human terms. Analysis of roles and social systems, job satisfaction, psychological factors influencing productivity, personnel selection, placement and evaluation, fatigue, accident prevention, market research, advertising, job analysis and classification, and organizational structure.
PSY 304 - Job Satisfaction And Motivation
Prerequisite: PSY 100, PSY 303 or Permission of Instructor.
This course will cover the theories that help to explain why people like (or dislike) their jobs and how they can be motivated to perform more effectively. The course will also cover how satisfaction and motivation are measured and the types of programs that can be designed to improve both satisfaction and motivation. The role of satisfaction and motivation in recruiting and retaining employees will also be discussed.
PSY 305 - Leadership In Organizations And Society
Prerequisite: PSY 100 And PSY 303
This course will introduce students to key theories of leadership (traits, behaviors, situational, etc.), the process of leadership, and the desirable and undesirable outcomes of leadership. Through activities and studies of historic leaders, students will also gain a better understanding of their own leadership capability.
PSY 306 - Cognitive Psychology
Prerequisite: At least six hours of Psychology above 100 level.
A survey of the various levels of processing which comprise the human mind. Research and theory areas to be covered include attention, pattern recognition, memory, problem solving, intelligence, language, and concept formation.
PSY 308 - Psychology of Social Change
Prerequisite: None
Psychological factors affecting institutional change. Deals with political and social movements, ideologies, nationalism, psychology of war and peace, problems of urbanization and industrialization.
PSY 315 - Psychology Of Gender
Prerequisite: None
Examines the biological and psychological development of sex Differences. It explores the research and controversies in the areas of intelligence, ability, and personality, and includes the historical and current feminist perspectives.
PSY 318 - Sensation And Perception
Prerequisite: PSY 100
An introduction to the study of sensory system processes and their relations to perception. Visual and auditory systems will be emphasized; other areas to be covered include the cutaneous and chemical senses.
PSY 320 - Theories Of Personality
Prerequisites: PSY 100
Analysis of principal theoretical positions through study of primary and secondary sources. Includes work of theorists such as Freud, Jung, Adler, Fromm, Horney, Allport, Dollard and Miller, and Mahler.
PSY 325 - Health Psychology
Prerequisite: PSY 100
Health psychology is a diverse and rapidly growing field that applies psychological principles to all aspects of health behavior. This course examines the theoretical, empirical, and historical bases for health psychology, as well as the ways in which it is currently applied by health professionals. Topics covered will include all the effects of stress, the determinants of addictive behavior, the impact of psychological factors on physical health, doctor-patient relationships, and the causes and treatment of chronic pain.
PSY 327 - Research Methods II (4 Credits)
Prerequisite: PSY 227
Content and method of experimental approaches to psychological research. Topics include philosophy of science and the basic nature of theory and research, research design and experimental control, observational research, instrumentation, and new experimental approaches to psychophysiological research.
PSY 401 - Psychology Of Adult Development
Prerequisite: PSY 100 and One Developmental Course
The factors affecting individual development during the young adult and middle years of life. Topics to be studied include personality and cognitive development, intimacy and
intimate relationships, parenthood, mid-life crisis, and vocational development.
PSY 402 - Current Research In Child Psychology
Prerequisites: PSY 227
Open to psychology majors with 75 or more credits who are following the Psychology of Children and Youth Concentration. In depth study of recent research on child and adolescent behavior. Primary journal research articles in areas of child development, pathology, therapy, and family influences will be analyzed in terms of theoretical foundations, experimental rigor, and practical application.
PSY 403 - Seminar In Diversity At Work
Prerequisite: PSY 100 And PSY 303
Students will explore the challenges of leading and motivating employees with different backgrounds. Research on affirmative action, sexual harassment, prejudice and discrimination, managing diversity, and multiculturalism will be discussed. Definitions of diversity will be expanded to include differences in communication styles, personalities, physical disabilities, sexual orientation, and family situations.
PSY 404 - Measuring Work Behavior
Prerequisite: PSY 100, PSY 303
This course will explore how and why work behaviors are measured. Topics include the testing of job applicants, measuring/appraising performance on the job, measuring employee attitudes/morale, and measuring the behavior of work groups. The word "behavior" will be broadly defined to include all of the above.
PSY 405 - Psychology Of Women And Work
Prerequisite: PSY 315 or Consent of Instructor
Study of women who choose to be homemakers, artists, scientists, nurses, politicians and executives. Includes psychological theories on coping with stress, assertiveness
and research on the problem of sexual harassment of working women.
PSY 407 - Learning II: Theories And Issues
Prerequisite: PSY 205 or Consent of Instructor
Examination of classic and current theories of learning and their intellectual antecedents. In-depth examination of Pavlovian and operant conditioning and the aversive control of behavior, including controversial issues, theoretical issues, unresolved problems, and representative application.
PSY 410 - Psychological Tests And Measurements
Prerequisite: PSY 227 Or One Statistics Course
The measurement of human behavior through psychological testing. Considers construction and use of psychological tests, methods of determining reliability and validity, and current issues in psychological testing. Introduction to tests of intelligence, achievement, interest and personality
PSY 418 - Physiological Psychology
Prerequisite: 9 Credits of Psychology or Consent of Instructor
An examination of the psychological processes underlying behavior. Analysis of stimulus reception through sensory processes, electrical and chemical aspects of the nerve impulse, cortical functioning and control, effector mechanisms, sleep and wakefulness, developmental synthesis of behavior, and the physiological components of motivation and emotion.
PSY 419 - History And Systems Of Psychology
Prerequisites: 9 Credits of Psychology or
Consent of Instructor
The historical development of psychology as a science. Critical examinations of the classical systems of psychology, their philosophical antecedents, and contemporary developments.
PSY 420 - Seminar In Applied Psychology
Prerequisites: 15 Credits in Psychology
A survey of the contemporary field of Applied Psychology. Topics will include education and training, professional ethics issues, and the integration of practice and research. Course content focuses on such areas as Clinical/Health, Organizational/Industrial, Applied Cognitive, Applied Social and School Psychology.
PSY 430 - Human Neuropsychology
Prerequisite: PSY 100
Study of the organization of the nervous system, funcitonal neuroanatomy, neuropathology, neurological disorders, behavioral neurology, and clinical neuropsychology.
PSY 460 - Seminar In Psychology
Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor
Note: May be repeated with change of topic.
In-depth study of specific topic in psychology utilizing primary sources and relevant psychological literature.
PSY 480 - Independent Study
Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor
Supervised research on an acceptable psychological topic with associated readings. An honors course for seniors and second semester juniors. Term research project.
PSY 490 - Internship In Psychology
Prerequisite: Advanced students with departmental approval
Students serve as aides, usually in first and second year classes or assist faculty with research.
PSY 496 - Mental Health Field Experience: Group Supervision
Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor
A field placement in a mental health setting such as a hospital, clinic, human service agency, group home, school counseling office, or specialized classroom. The student acquires knowledge regarding methods of intervention and the treatment philosophy of the placement agency by participating in an observational and supportive role. Students participating in the practicum are obligated for the equivalent of one day per week.
PSY 497 - Mental Health Field Experience
PSY 498 - Research Field Experience
Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor
A field placement intended to develop research skills by allowing the student to participate in the programs of a selected agency or department which is actively involved in research. By assisting in a current research project or
projects, the student will gain experience in one or more of the following: research design, the collection and analysis of data, and/or the interpretation of data. Students participating in the practicum are obligated for the equivalent of one day per week.
PSY 499 - Applied Behavior Analysis Internship
Prerequisite: Written Consent of Department Chair, Faculty and Dean of School Arts and Sciences
GRADUATE COURSES
PSY 505 - Psychological Assessment Techniques
Prerequisite: None
The construction and use of psychological tests, including tests of intelligence, achievement, personality, and interest. Students will be given an opportunity to familiarize themselves with major tests and to study problems of validation and administration.
PSY 506 - Theories of Interviewing And Counseling
An introduction to the interview in vocational and counseling settings. The interview as an information gathering process and its role in decision-making.
PSY 507 - Industrial And Organizational Psychology
Psychological methods, research findings and theory applied to industry, business, and other organizations. Interface between worker and organization, including performance evaluation, personnel decisions, training, motivation, satisfaction, leadership, organizational influences, communication, job design, work environment, group processes, human relations, psychological adjustment.
PSY 508 - Applied Social Psychology
The study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another. The relationship between attitudes and behavior, explaining the behavior of self and others, cultural and group influences, persuasion, interpersonal attitudes and relationships, aggression, altruism, cooperation and competition. Special attention to applications of social psychology within organizations, institutions, and the workplace.
PSY 538 - Training And Development In Organizations
This course covers the essential competencies in the practice of organizational training and development, including analyzing performance problems; developing skill hierarchies and learning objectives; instructional module development; program evaluation; and transfer of training to the job. This course revolves around the instructional strategy known as criterion-referenced instruction (or instructional systems design). Students are encouraged to bring - and apply the concepts to - any training activities they may be currently involved with in their own work context.
PSY 580 - Independent Study
Research, conference and papers on the appropriate topic under the supervision of a member of the department. A clear statement of the student's research and writing plans must be submitted prior to the beginning of the course to the professor with whom the student will be working. Must be approved by advisor and the Dean.