Psychological Sciences Courses: Fall 2011
Psychology
PSY 103: Introduction to Psychology
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Competency. A single-semester introduction to psychology, including research methods, brain and behavior, individual differences and intelligence, memory, learning, development, motivation, perception, personality, mental disorders, psychotherapy and social psychology. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
PSY 209: Sexuality and Psychology of Love
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. To introduce students to the structural and functional complexities of human mating and relating behaviors. The methodology will be psychological with its various adjectival areas of inquiry, e.g. social, developmental, physiological, etc. Prerequisite: PSY 103 or permission of instructor. Offered Each Year. (UG)
PSY 211: Statistics for Psychology and Social Sciences
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; Quantitative Literacy requirement. Probability, frequency distributions, descriptive and inferential statistics, including correlational, non-parametric and ANOVA, emphasizing the application of statistics to analysis of research data. Prerequisite: PSY-103 and 3 credits Math or Placement test score in credited math course. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
PSY 220: Life Span Development
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course will explore the human psychological development from birth through aging, within the framework of scientific method. Offered as needed. (UG)
PSY 223: Forensic Psychology
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. Topics in psychology related to law, including causes of antisocial behavior, competency to stand trial, custody, eyewitness testimony and other questions of evidence, polygraph testing, and the juvenile justice system. Prerequisite: PSY 103 or permission of instructor. Offered Each Year (Fall or Spring). (UG)
PSY 229: Health Psychology
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. Aspects of psychology related to health: stress and coping, lifestyle effects on health including nutrition, exercise and sleep, substance use. Strategies for change in health-related behavior. Prerequisite: PSY 103 or permission of instructor. Offered Each Year (Fall or Spring). (UG)
PSY 302: Developmental Psychology: Infancy Through Childhood
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. Explores human psychological development from infancy through childhood, including cognitive and language development, socialization and personality. Includes a critical evaluation of current methodologies and discussions of practical and social applications of psychological knowledge about children. The course includes observations of children. Prerequisite: PSY 103 or permission of instructor. Offered Each Year (Fall or Spring). (UG)
PSY 304: Counseling and Interviewing
(3) Credit Hour(s)
An introduction to theories of counseling and psycho- therapy, emphasizing acquiring basic skills in listening and interviewing. This is a practical and applied as well as theoretical course including demonstrations and practice in class. Prerequisite: PSY 103 or permission of instructor. Offered Alternate Years. (UG)
PSY 309: Assessment in Psychology and Education
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course considers historical, political and legal aspects of testing and reviews currently available tests of aptitudes, skills and personality traits. It deals with test construction, item selection and interpretation, and ethics. Lab sessions develop skills in test use and interpretation. Prerequisite: PSY 103 or permission of instructor. Offered As Needed. (UG)
PSY 310: Social Psychology
(3) Credit Hour(s)
A study of individual-group relationships and the effects of social forces on the formation of attitudes, personality development and basic values. Studies of the behavior of the individual as affected by social contacts, social controls and social training. Prerequisite: PSY 103 or permission of instructor. Offered Each Year. (UG)
PSY 311: Psychology of Adolescence
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. Introduces psychological change between childhood and adulthood including psychological correlates of physical maturation, cultural definitions of adolescence, cognitive change and social challenges facing adolescents. Prerequisite: PSY 103 or permission of instructor. Offered Each Year (Fall or Spring). (UG)
PSY 312: Psychology of Adult Development and Aging
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. Views adulthood and aging as developmental stages. Includes interaction of behavior and physical change, cognitive and role change, life stage theories and cultural definitions of adulthood and aging. Focuses on normal development but also considers psychological aspects of problems associated with aging. Prerequisite: PSY 103 or permission of instructor. Offered As Needed. (UG)
PSY 313: History and Systems of Psychology
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Traces the evolution of psychology from its historical roots in philosophy and nineteenth century physiology through the present. Prerequisite: PSY 103 or permission of instructor. Offered As Needed. (UG)
PSY 315: Cognitive Psychology: Learning, Thinking and Problem Solving
(3) Credit Hour(s)
A historical and problem-oriented investigation of the theory and research literature in learning, memory and motivation. Human and animal behavior will be considered. Prerequisite: PSY 103 or permission of instructor. Offered Alternate Years. (UG)
PSY 321: Sensation and Perception
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. Writing Intensive. A study of theories, empirical data, research tools and techniques relating to sensation and perception. Perceptual organization and the relationship of perception to clinical and social areas will be considered. Prerequisite: PSY 103. Offered Alternate Years (Fall or Spring). (UG)
PSY 335: Junior Seminar in Psychology
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Current topics and controversies in psychology are discussed through readings in the research literature. Students develop critical thinking skills by preparing discussion topics and writing research papers. Prerequisite: Upper division status in Psychology and completion of PSY 353/353L with C or better, or permission of instructor. Offered Each Semester (UG)
PSY 353: Research Methods in Psychology
(4) Credit Hour(s)
Students learn to think scientifically about behavior through studying experimental and observational methods. Laboratory experiences in searching literature, planning studies, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting research in scientific writing style. Experimental, observational, single subject, and survey research methods and principles of research ethics are included. Prerequisite: PSY 211 Statistics for Psychology and Social Sciences with C- or better and upper division status. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
PSY 353L: Research Methods in Psychology Laboratory
(0) Credit Hour(s)
Laboratory techniques for Research methods in Psychology. Required corequisite: PSY-353. (UG)
PSY 354: Topics in Psychological Research
(4) Credit Hour(s)
Writing Intensive. Building on skills learned in PSY 353/353L, students plan, conduct, analyze and report several research projects focused on one topic area of psychology. Topics include personality, development, cognition, biopsychology, social psychology. Prerequisite: PSY 353/353L. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
PSY 354L: Topics in Psychological Research Laboratory
(0) Credit Hour(s)
Laboratory techniques for Topics in Psychological Research. Required corequisite: PSY-354. (UG)
PSY 404: Biological Bases of Behavior
(3) Credit Hour(s)
A neurophysiological approach to understanding the relationship between brain and the various aspects of behavior, including emotional, developmental, cognitive, and social behavior. Films, laboratory experiences and guest speakers are included. Prerequisite: PSY 103 or permission of instructor. Offered As Needed. (UG)
PSY 408: The Psychology of Mental Illness
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. The origins, symptoms and treatment of various forms of mental illness. Current theories of abnormal behavior examined within a research framework. Prerequisite: PSY 103 or permission of the instructor. Offered Each Year (Fall or Spring). (UG)
PSY 444: Senior Thesis
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Information Literacy; Research and Presentation requirement. Writing Intensive. Students develop topics, review previous research, plan, conduct and report individual research projects. Final projects are presented in paper or poster sessions. Required of all seniors. Prerequisite: PSY 353/353L and PSY 354/354L, senior status in psychology and continued upper division status. Junior year students otherwise eligible by permission of instructor and chairperson. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
PSY 457: Independent Study Or Research
(1 - 6) Credit Hour(s)
Reading or research arranged for the individual or a small group. Open to juniors and seniors with 2.5 GPA, no current Incomplete grades, and permission of the instructor. Students must complete an independent study contract. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
PSY 458: Field Experience in Psychology
(1 - 6) Credit Hour(s)
Practical experience in a community agency, business organization or other psychology-related setting. Prerequisite: Permission of psychology department chair. Offered Each Semester. (UG)
PSY 530: Psychology of Health and Disability
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course applies biopsychosocial models of health, illness and disability, including the effects of stress and lifestyle on health and illness, psychosocial aspects of disability, including social attitudes and perceptions, adjustment to and secondary effects of disability, health beliefs and their consequences for behavior. This course is designed for Physical Therapy students to be taken in the professional phase of their curriculum. Students will have had exposure to patients with musculoskeletal and neurological disorders and will therefore be able to consider the issues addressed in the course in the context of specific illnesses and/or disabilities relating to these body systems. Prerequisites: PSY 103 and graduate phase Physical Therapy student status. Offered Each Spring. (GR)