Psychology (PSYC)

Advanced research methodology for psychological research. Focuses on methods for use with experimental research design and nonexperimental research design (e.g., correlation and multiple regression). Measurement issues are covered, including reliability and validity. Computer lab uses statistical packages for analysis of data.

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

This course will provide a theoretical background and practical experience to statistics for psychology and other behavioral sciences. Statistics are the tools we use to summarize and describe the world around us and to explore the causal processes at work. Understanding statistics and how they are used and misused is vital to assimilating information as an informed citizen, as well as pursuing a career in the behavioral sciences or similar fields. In this course will cover topics including: principles of measurement, measures of central tendency and variability, probability and distributions, correlation and regression, hypothesis testing, t-tests, analysis of variance, and chi-square tests. You will learn and use computer programs to help you understand and perform select statistical analyses.

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

This ethics course is designed to provide a framework for the development of knowledge and skills related to ethical decision making in psychology. Attention will be given to ethics issues surrounding the science and practice of psychology in a broad context. The course is divided into three sections: (1) Interpersonal: the social context in which research/practice is conducted (e.g., mentoring, the peer-review process, and misconduct). (2) Research: issues pertinent to the collection of data (e.g., legal, ethical, and moral codes applied to human and non-human subjects). (3) Practice: the application of psychology ethics in professional practice settings (e.g., therapist-patient relationships; requirements for teaching). The ultimate goal of this class is to illuminate how ethical issues apply to all students as consumers, producers, and appliers of psychological research – and to embed ethicality in everyday professional practice and research. .

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

All graduate students who are not completing a thesis will be required to complete a capstone project. Students will complete a comprehensive literature search and effectively synthesize published research in a major area in psychology. The project applies knowledge and skills learned in the courses that comprise a student’s degree program. Ultimately, the project will culminate in a well-written and thorough analysis of current state of research in a major area of psychology. .

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

The focus of this seminar is the examination of development during childhood (infancy through middle childhood), including biological, cognitive, social, emotional, and cultural aspects. In particular, we will focus on theories, research, and applications for everyday interactions to garner an appreciation and understanding of normative and nonnormative patterns of development. The goals of this seminar are (1) to understand the mechanisms that shape development during childhood and (2) to articulate, critique, and defend theoretical, empirical, and applied positions concerning the nature of development. These objectives will be assessed through participation in and leadership of class discussion, systematic reflection, and completion of written reaction papers and a research paper/proposal. This seminar is part of the developmental graduate sequence.

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Biopsychology is devoted to understanding the mechanisms by which the brain takes in information through the senses, processes it, and translates it into thoughts and actions. This course will introduce students to the basic structure and function of neurons, the neurotransmitter systems, signal transduction in each of the senses, neuroanatomy, and research techniques. The ultimate goal of this class is to provide students with an advanced understanding of the physiology of behavior, and to identify ways in which these mechanisms underpin behavior relevant to other psychological disciplines.

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

The study of learning is critical to understanding how organisms acquire and remember information in order to better interact with their environment. The field of learning established psychology as an empirical branch of natural science, and was the dominant field of psychology for most of the 20th century. This course will introduce students to approaches to learning, learning theories, basic learning phenomena, and the importance of learning to the field of psychology as a whole. The ultimate goal of this class is to provide students with an advanced understanding of the basic learning paradigms and theories, and to identify epistemological virtues from learning that can be applied to all psychological disciplines.

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

This seminar course will examine the disciplines of cognitive science and cognitive psychology, with primary attention to the three predominant metaphors and models of the mind: the mind as a computer, the mind as a neural network, and the mind as a brain.

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

This seminar provides a broad overview of social psychology, both classic and current. The field is far too broad for meaningful comprehensive coverage, so selected topics will be addressed in a two-tiered format. First, foundational material will address such basic topics as the processes of attitude change; social influences on conformity, compliance, and obedience; the self and the pursuit of self-esteem; person perception and attribution; stereotyping and prejudice; attraction and mate selection; and group influences on performance.

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Motivation and emotion are processes that initiate and direct behavior. This course will introduce students to the concepts and theories of motivation and drives, as well as the influence of positive and negative emotional states. The ultimate goal of this class is to provide students with an advanced understanding of how motivation and emotions impact behavior, especially as it pertains to their psychological area of interest.

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

A comparative and critical study is made of a number of viewpoints in psychology from early experimental psychology to the contemporary field and organismic theories. This class will include a general review of the history of psychology, but will mainly focus on the development and evolution of theories both within and across different content areas of psychology. It will also provide you with an opportunity to read some original source material.

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

This course is a broad introduction to the field of psychological assessment, including an understanding of the conceptual issues underlying different approaches to testing and assessment. Surveys the major types of tests used in the field of assessment and addresses the development of the most commonly used instruments. The course also is designed to provide a framework for the development of skills related to assessment practice. Attention will be given to issues of measurement, identifying appropriate sources of diagnostic information, reliability, validity, identifying and selecting empirically supported test instruments, conducting the assessment process in an ethical manner, interpreting norm references and criterion-referenced test scores.

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

This course is designed to allow the program to add a specialized course that fits the needs and requirements of the cohort of graduate students but will not be a permanent elective course topic. Special topics courses allow the students and faculty to explore current new topics in the scientific field, to focus specialized training on a particular psychological subfield, and/or provide specialized training in a unique subfield/topic that is currently not an elective.

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.