Courses of Instruction

PSYCHOLOGY (PSY-Arts and Science)

MPF 111 Introduction to Psychology (4)

Introduction to content, methods, issues, and theories of psychology. Credit not granted to students who have earned credit in EDP 101. IIC.

179 Introduction to Jewish Studies (1)

Introduction to Jewish studies as a subject of academic study, basic concepts in Jewish studies and multidisciplinary approaches to Jewish studies. Cross-listed with ART, ENG, GEO, GER, HBW, HST, POL, REL.

200 Selected Topics of Psychological Inquiry (1-3; maximum 4)

Selected topics emphasizing application of psychological principles and methods to contemporary issues. Information on topics to be offered each term is available in department office.

MPF 210 Psychology Across Cultures (3)

A topics course, focused on the examination of culture and cultural perspectives, within the United States and globally, as frameworks through which theories and findings of the field of psychology may be critically evaluated. Prerequisite: PSY 111. IIIA.

221 Social Psychology (3)

Theories and research findings of social psychology including social cognition, intergroup relations, social perception and judgment, social relationships, social influence and persuasion, and group processes. Prerequisite: PSY 111.

MPT 231 Developmental Psychology (3)

Psychological development over the lifespan; research and theory in physical, perceptual, cognitive, language, and socio-emotional development.

241 Personality (3)

Bases and acquisition of personality, emphasizing principles, theories, and research. Prerequisite: PSY 111.

MPT 242 Abnormal Psychology (3)

In-depth survey of symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of major psychological disorders including functional and organic psychoses, neuroses, personality disorders, psychophysiological disorders, affective disorders and suicide, alcoholism and other drug use disorders, psychosexual deviations, mental retardation, and abnormal behaviors associated with childhood, adolescence, family, and old age. Prerequisite: PSY 111.

251 Introduction to Biopsychology (3)

Introduction to basic research and theory in physiological psychology: brain mechanisms and consciousness, memory, thought, emotion, and stress. Basic neurophysiology and neuroanatomy, as well as nervous system-endocrine system integration are included.

262 Business Psychology (3)

Personnel psychology. Applications of psychological principles in business, industry, or government personnel administration. Emphasizes practical findings and principles and means by which they are discovered.

MPT 271 Cognitive Psychology (3)

Introduction to basic topics in cognitive psychology including attention, perception and pattern recognition, memory, concepts and categories, problem-solving and reasoning, and language.

273 Introduction to Perception (3)

Introduction to basic research and theory in sensation and perception.

293 Introduction to Psychological Statistics (4)

Topics include probability, descriptive univariate and bivariate statistics, and statistical inference procedures such as t tests, analysis of variance, regression and nonparametric statistics. Prerequisite: STA 261. 3 Lec 1 Lab.

294 Research Methods (4)

Fundamental principles in psychological research and design as illustrated by: scaling, measurement, correlational and experimental procedures, naturalistic observation, etc. Provides information to draw appropriate inferences from data. Prerequisites: PSY 293.

Advanced Courses

Note: PSY 294 is a prerequisite to these courses. Students should also take a 200-level course in a given area of psychology (e.g., clinical, psychobiology) before taking a 300- or 400-level course in that area.

320 Advanced Topics In Psychology (1 to 4)

Advanced consideration of selected topics, emphasizing the application of psychological theories, principles, research and methods to focused phenomena, including contemporary issues.

324 Advanced Social Psychology (3)

Advanced topics in contemporary social psychology. Prerequisite: PSY 221 or permission of instructor.

325 Psychology of Prejudice and Minority Experience (3)

Consideration of psychological factors underlying prejudice toward racial, ethnic, and other minorities. Impact of prejudice and discrimination on members of minority groups. Prerequisite: PSY 221. Cross-listed with BWS 328.

326 Psychology of Women (3)

Review and integration of emerging theory and research about women and their behavior, with particular attention to uniquely female experiences throughout the life cycle and to the influences that affect women in contemporary society. Prerequisite: PSY 221. Cross-listed with WMS 326.

327 Introduction to Social Cognition (3)

Consideration of cognitive factors underlying social interaction and thought. Discussions of how we encode, interpret, process, recall and respond to social stimuli. Prerequisites: PSY 221 or permission of instructor

328 Psychology of Stigma and Victimization (3)

Examination of the interplay between cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors as they evolve in relationships between deviation and normal persons. Emphasis on beliefs that people hold about persons with specific marks or stigma, as well as the impact of such beliefs upon victims of stigmatization processes. Prerequisite: PSY 221.

MPT 332 Child Development (3)

A survey of research and theory on physical, cognitive and social development in infancy and childhood. Prerequisite: PSY 231.

MPT 333 Adolescent Development (3)

Survey of research and theory on physical, cognitive, and social development in adolescence. Prerequisite: PSY 231.

MPT 334 Adulthood and Aging (3)

Psycho-social functioning across adulthood with a focus on middle and old age. Changes in and determinants of body structures and functions, motor skills, intelligence and cognition, personality, and social behavior. Prerequisite: PSY 231.

MPT 343 Psychopathology (3)

Physical, developmental, and social sources, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of abnormal behavior; emphasis on current research and theory. Prerequisite: PSY 241 or PSY 242.

344 Analysis of Interpersonal Behavior in Small Groups (3)

Study of interpersonal relationships and group processes in an unstructured discussion course. Class members form a self-analytic training group. Problems for analysis are drawn from the development of the group. Prerequisite: PSY 241 and permission of instructor. Offered infrequently.

MPT 345 Childhood Psychopathology and Developmental Disabilities (3)

Study of children considered biologically, psychologically, and/or socioculturally deviant. Psychological theory and practice are emphasized. Prerequisite: PSY 242. PSY 231 is recommended.

348 Later Generations of the Holocaust: Psychological Effects (3)

Course examines the powerful, prolonged, detrimental psychological impact of the Holocaust on later generations of survivors.

350 Advanced Topics in Personality Theory and Research (3)

Topics in personality theory and research at an advanced undergraduate level. Prerequisite: PSY 241.

351 Advanced Biopsychology (4)

Current theories and research in sensory information processing, motivation, emotion, and learning and memory. Laboratory includes basic experiments in physiological psychology and anatomy of sheep brain. Prerequisite: PSY 251 or ZOO 205 or permission of instructor. 3 Lec. 1 Lab.

356 Psychopharmacology (3)

Survey of the major classes of psychoactive drugs. In addition to behavioral and psychological effects, emphasis is placed on sites and mechanisms of drug action. Prerequisite: PSY 251 or ZOO 305 or permission of instructor.

MPT 372 Learning and Cognition (4)

Theories and empirical findings of learning and cognitive phenomena including behavior analysis, conditioning, discrimination, memory, learning, and thinking. Prerequisite: PSY 271. 3 Lec. 1 Lab.

373 Introduction to Mathematical Psychology (3)

Application of mathematical techniques in psychological theory including introduction to measurement and scaling, decision theory, and mathematical models of learning and memory. Prerequisite: STA 301, 368 or 462, or permission of instructor.

MPT 374 Psychology of Language and Thought (3)

Provides an acquaintance with research and theory in thinking, communication, psycholinguistics, and relation of language to thought processes. Prerequisite: PSY 271.

375 Perception (4)

Current theories and research on perceptual phenomena with experiments in human perception. 3 Lec. 1 Lab.

400 Senior Thesis in Psychology (1-5; maximum 8)

Quasi-independent research with faculty supervision. Prerequisite: Junior standing and permission of instructor required.

MPC 410 Capstone Seminar in Psychology: The Multiple Determinants of Behavior (3)

Promotes the integration of the student's knowledge of psychology to a particular topic within psychology.

420 Seminar in Social Psychology (3)

Intensive study of a major topic in the general area of social psychology. Topic may be from among the following areas: socialization, social cognition, person perception, attributions, attitudes and stereotyping, small group, intergroup and organizational process, prejudice and victimization. Prerequisite: PSY 221.

430 Seminar in Developmental Psychology (3)

Current research and theory on topics in developmental psychology. Prerequisite: PSY 231.

451/551 Cognitive Neuroscience (3)

Presents the modern science of understanding mechanisms of the mind in which cognitive theory is integrated with neuropsychological and neuroscientific evidence. Topics include the cognitive and biological bases of perception, attention, memory, language, hemispheric specialization, executive function, imagery, and consciousness. Techniques of cognitive science such as brain imaging (MRI, PET, ERP), the study of patient populations, and computational analyses will be integrated with content of the course. Prerequisites: ZOO 305 or one of the following: PSY 251, 271, 273.

MPT 453/553 Human Factors (3)

Introduction to the field of human factors. Application of principles of experimental psychology toward the goal of optimizing relations between the individual and technological products and environments. Prerequisite: PSY 271 or PSY 273.

456/556 Neurobiology of Learning (3)

Empirical and theoretical approaches to the neural basis of learning and memory. Emphasis is placed on neural mechanisms and recent development in the field. Prerequisite: PSY 351.

MPT 462/562 Work Space and Work Organization (3)

Seminar concerned with the use of various tools for the description and analysis of the work environment. Covers three basic components: a) traditional approaches to task analysis; b) workplace simulation through the use of MicroSaint, a computer simulation tool; and c) an ecological approach to task analysis. Practice-oriented; majority of efforts devoted to analysis and discussion of actual work sites. Prerequisite: PSY 453.

MPT 470 Seminar in Cognition (3)

Intensive study of a major topic within the general area of human cognition. Topic may be drawn from the areas of perception, memory, decision making, psycholinguistics, intelligence, or learning. Prerequisite: PSY 271. Offered infrequently.

MPT 471/571 Spatial Cognition (3)

Survey of current behavioral research on mental representations of spatial information. Topics include mechanisms of navigation, spatial updating, reference frames, development, memory, and individual differences. Prerequisite: PSY 271.

473/573 Mathematical Modeling of Psychological Processes (3)

Develops quantitative tools for studying behavior, including experimental techniques, mathematical analysis, and computational models of cognitive, social, and brain function. Topics can include models of concept learning and categorization, attention, memory, decision making (group and individual), and neural networks. Issues such as model selection, evaluation, and simulation are integrated throughout. Prerequisite: (one of the following: PSY 294, STA 301, STA 368, STA 462) and (one of the following: PSY 221, PSY 251, PSY 271, PSY 273, PSY 373).

474/574 Advanced Cognitive Processes (3)

Advanced introduction to central concepts in cognitive psychology. Primary topics include perception, attention, memory, categorization, skill acquisition and expertise, automaticity, decision making, visual imagery, and language. The neuroanatomical and neurophysiological implementation of basic cognitive processes will also be addressed. Prerequisite: PSY 271 or instructor approval.

475 Fundamentals of Sensation and Perception (3)

Detailed overview of principles, mechanisms, and neural substrates underlying sensory processing in vision and audition. Prerequisite: PSY 273 or instructor permission

480 Independent Reading for Department Honors (1-6; minimum 4, maximum 6)

Prerequisite: senior standing and permission of instructor.

485/585 History and Systems of Psychology (3)

History of psychology from its early philosophical forbearers, through its development within various sciences, to a stage of quasi-maturity in the systems of late 19th and 20th centuries.

MPC 490 Capstone Experience in Psychology: Research Apprenticeship in Psychology (3; maximum 6)

Allows students to integrate their work in psychology by participating in a specific faculty-directed research project. Minimum of three semester hours must be earned to meet the Capstone requirement. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

491/591 Research Methods and Problems (2)

Provides knowledge of basic research assumptions made by psychologists and a forum for discussion of research problems. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

492/592 Principles of Psychological Measurement (3)

Introduction to basic theory and principles underlying psychological tests and measurement procedures. Includes survey of selected current tests. 3 Lec. 1 Lab. Offered infrequently.

493/593 Basic Statistical Methods for the Behavioral Scientist (3)

Overview of basic statistical methods employed in contemporary psychological research; sets and functions, probability theory, probability distributions, sampling and estimation, hypothesis testing, Bayesian inference, decision theory, and non-parametric statistics. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

494/594 Correlation and Multiple Regression for the Behavioral Scientist (3)

Detailed treatment of correlation and multiple regression as used in contemporary psychological research. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

495/595 Analysis of Variance for the Behavioral Scientist (3)

Detailed treatment of analysis of variance as used in contemporary psychological research. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

496/596 Analysis of Covariance Structures for the Behavioral Scientist (3)

Topics include correlation, multiple regression, canonical correlation, multivariate analysis of variance, factor analysis, and causal modeling. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

603/604 Proseminar in Psychology I, II (1, 1)

Overview of contemporary psychology.

620 Seminar in Experimental Psychology (2-3)

Current research and theory in topics from experimental psychology.

630 Seminar in Social Psychology (3)

Current research and theory in topics from social psychology.

641 Ethics in Clinical Intervention (3)

On being an ethical psychologist. Client/Therapist relationship issues. Clinical interviewing. Prerequisite: (a) either admission to the clinical program or approval by the clinical faculty, and (b) permission of instructor.

642 Theory of Assessment (1)

Modules offered in five-week sprint mode. Individual modules offered irregularly. Illustrative modules include interpreting correlation and multiple regression; principles and paradoxes; conditional probability and Bayesian approaches to prediction; decision theory; and theories of intelligence. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

643 Psychopathology (1)

Modules offered in five-week sprint mode. Individual modules offered irregularly. Illustrative modules: schizophrenic disorders, affective disorders, personality disorders, borderline syndrome, genetics of psychopathology, psychoanalytic theories of neuroses, DSM-III, women and mental health, family-systems models, interpersonal models, archetypal and alchemical perspectives, child and adolescent psychopathology, childhood hyperactivity, developmental disabilities, eating disorders of childhood and adolescence, emancipation and identity disorders of adolescence, college student mental health. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

644 Methods of Assessment (1)

Modules offered in five-week sprint mode. Individual modules offered irregularly. Illustrative modules: MMPI, advanced MMPI, intellectual assessment, projective techniques, Rorschach, interviews, personal construct theory, person-centered approaches, analysis of verbal behavior, analysis of nonverbal behavior, ego development, interpersonal diagnosis, family-systems approaches, children, adolescents, learning disabilities, the difficult child, school consultations. Prerequisite: either admission to clinical program or approval by clinical faculty, and permission of instructor.

645 Intervention (1)

Modules offered in five-week sprint mode. Individual modules offered irregularly. Illustrative modules: client-centered, interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral, rational emotive, personal construct, existential, contextual, marital, family-systems, group, and play therapy; encounter growth groups; special issues in the treatment of women, children, and adolescents; clinical use of dreams; archetypal perspectives; therapy supervision; consultation and intervention in the school, community, and mass media. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

646 Psychological Assessment I (3)

First course of a two course sequence designed to introduce doctoral students to psychological assessment. Course covers topics such as principles of psychological measurement, assessment issues with multi-cultural populations and the ethics of assessment. Contemporary theories of intelligence and use of the Wechsler Scales are also taught. Prerequisite: admission to Ph.D. program in clinical psychology.

647 Psychological Assessment II (3)

Second course of a two course sequence designed to introduce doctoral students to psychological assessment. Course covers topics such the diagnosis/assessment interface and specific assessment techniques such as interviewing, behavioral observations and measures such as personality, adaptive behavior and academic achievement are taught. Prerequisite: admission to Ph.D. program in clinical psychology and PSY 646.

650 Independent Reading (1-5; maximum 20)

Supervised, in-depth study of circumscribed area of psychology. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

651 Professional Development in Clinical Psychology (1)

Practical training in professional issues associated with being a clinical psychologist. Specific topics will be student driven. Prerequisite: either admission to the clinical program or approval by the clinical faculty and permission of instructor.

660 Special Clinical Problems and Methods (3)

Brief coverage of specialized topics important for clinical practice, but not included elsewhere in clinical program. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

670 Graduate Placement in Psychology (1-4; maximum 12)

Supervised experience in psychological interventions in public and private agencies or settings. Includes both seminar meetings and on-site conferences. Prerequisite: admission to clinical program, approval by clinical faculty, and permission of instructor.

685 Practicum in the Teaching of Psychology (3)

Supervised experience in preparation and presentation of lectures, demonstrations, and evaluation in undergraduate psychology courses.

686 Continued Supervision of Teaching (1 to 2)

Orients graduate students to basic, practical issues related to college teaching, and to help students reflect on and improve their skills as teachers. To be taken concurrently with teaching responsibility.

687 Practicum Preparing Future Faculty I (1)

Orients graduate students to basic, practical issues related to college teaching, scholarship and service, and how these faculty roles are affected by institutional context. To be taken concurrently with membership in the Psychology Department's Preparing Future Faculty program.

690 Research Practicum I (1-4)

Student serves in apprentice relationship to faculty member on a program of research. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

692 Research Practicum II (1-3; maximum 6)

Assistance at increased level of responsibility with ongoing faculty research projects. Prerequisite: PSY 491/591 and permission of instructor.

697 Theory and Practice of Narrative Research (4)

Provides an introduction to the application of social constructionist epistemology and narrative methodologies in psychological research. Also provides an overview of conceptual frameworks and an opportunity for students to apply knowledge. Prerequisites: Graduate status and at least one previous graduate-level course in social science methodology.

700 Research for Master's Thesis (1-12; minimum 4, maximum 12).

710 Independent Research in Psychology (1-5; maximum 18)

Design and execution of an independent research project with faculty supervision.

720 Advanced Seminar in Experimental Psychology (1-4; maximum 18)

Consideration of a specialized topic in depth from current research literature in experimental psychology. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

730 Advanced Seminar in Social Psychology (3-4; maximum 18)

Consideration of a specialized topic in depth from current research literature in social psychology. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

740 Advanced Seminar in Clinical Psychology (1-4; maximum 18)

Consideration of specialized topics in clinical psychology. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

750 Advanced Clinical Techniques (1-4; maximum 24)

Provides integration of theory and research in techniques of psychological intervention, with practicum experience in the application of these techniques. Prerequisite: PSY 641, admission to clinical program, approval by clinical faculty, and permission of instructor.

755 Continuing Clinical Supervision (1-3; maximum 3)

Provides ongoing supervision of cases in the Psychology Clinic after the end of PSY 750. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

770 Advanced Seminar in Applied Psychology (2-4; maximum 18)

Consideration of specialized topic in depth from current research literature in applied psychology. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

790 Advanced Seminar in Research Procedures (3; maximum 6)

Current methods of research design, experimental procedure, and analysis. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

840 Internship in Psychology (1-6; maximum 12)

Year-long internship in clinical or research setting. Required of clinical students, optional for others. Prerequisite: permission of director of clinical training program or departmental chair.

850 Research for Doctoral Dissertation (1-16; minimum 16, maximum 60)

Prerequisite: admission to candidacy for doctoral degree.

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