PSY - Psychology
PSY 105 Introduction to Psychology (3 Credit Hours)
The course is an overview of the major areas of psychology, what psychologists do, and the methods employed in the investigation of basic psychological processes underlying human behavior. Areas reviewed may include: history, physiological psychology, learning theories, cognition, motivation, emotion, perception and sensation, human development, social psychology, abnormal psychology, therapy, and psychological issues of current debate in popular culture. The concepts examined will be linked to everyday reasoning and life.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
PSY 205 Abnormal Psychology (3 Credit Hours)
This course provides students with information regarding the symptoms, causes, and treatment of what is generally recognized as ‘abnormal’ behavior. Students will be expected to think critically about the research evidence with regard to various explanations and treatments of mental illness, and to develop clinical rationale for diagnostic choices they might make as a hypothetical treatment provider. Additionally, students will become familiar with the major assessment index for psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and learn how to apply its categories to several client cases discussed in class.
May be repeated for credit. Equivalent to PSY 2050.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
PSY 218 Fundamentals of Gerontology (3 Credit Hours)
This course is designed as an introduction to the field of gerontology and its social implications. It will examine the current major issues in gerontology, including the biological, physical, psychological, sociological, political, demographic, and economic aspects of aging. The course will follow a life span perspective on aging, demonstrating how income, education, ethnicity, and gender all affect the aging process and a person’s lifetime choices. We will explore aging from a variety of cultural and subcultural perspectives, and will look at theoretical and applied research in the area of gerontology.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
PSY 225 Psychology Statistics (3 Credit Hours)
This course is an introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics as applied to problems in the behavioral and social sciences. Topics will include measures of central tendency and variability, correlation, hypothesis testing, t tests, analysis of variance and regression. Students will also learn to use statistical software and to choose the appropriate analysis for various types of data.
May be repeated for credit.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Corequisites: PSY 225L
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Animal Behavior, Neuroscience or Psychology.
PSY 226 Motivation & Emotion (3 Credit Hours)
This course will investigate theory and research on evolutionary, physiological, developmental, and social perspectives of motivations and emotions, specifically as it has to do with human cognition. We will explore the current theories of how and why people thing the way they do in light of evolutionary pressures which resulted in an effective system of rewards and punishments for thoughts which are thought to have resulted in increasing adaptive and/or decreasing maladaptive outcomes, respectively.
May be repeated for credit.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
PSY 236 Mental Health & Society (3 Credit Hours)
The focus of this course will be to critically examine the field of mental health and mental health service delivery from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. More specifically, we will examine societal challenges and controversies including the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness with a focus on recovery in relation to a range of issues including trauma, substance abuse and occurring disorders. Attention will be given to cultural issues relevant to mental illness, the financial and social policy implications of current mental health service delivery, the legal and political issues surrounding mental health, and positive interventions such as vocational training and support.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Mental Health Rehab Technician or Psychology.
PSY 250 Lifespan Dev in Context (3 Credit Hours)
This course introduces students to developmental theory and research across the lifespan, exploring the interaction of heredity and environment and its influence from conception to death. In addition, the impact of socio-cultural contexts (e.g., culture, gender, socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity) on biological/physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development will be considered throughout.
May be repeated for credit.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
PSY 255 Social Psychology (3 Credit Hours)
This course will provide an overview of theory and empirical research in social psychology, with topics including: social cognition, the social self, attitudes and persuasion, prejudice and inter-group relations, social influence, attraction and interpersonal relationships, aggression, and prosocial behavior.
May be repeated for credit.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
PSY 275 Intro Tech in Animal Behavior (3 Credit Hours)
This course will use lecture, primary literature, discussion, and hands on activities to address common methods and techniques that are used in the study of animal behavior. These activities will focus on how topics in animal behavior are addressed scientifically and will provide exposure to both historical and modern techniques for animal behavior research. Topics covered will include behavioral sampling techniques, basic learning processes, and human behavior.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Animal Behavior.
PSY 285 Research Methods (3 Credit Hours)
The underlying logic of primary methods of research in the social and behavioral sciences will be investigated. The development of research questions and their relationship to theory will be discussed. Students will identify and select appropriate methods for conducting research. The interpretation of research results will be reviewed in terms of their significance and meaning. Second-year status required.
May be repeated for credit.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Animal Behavior, Neuroscience or Psychology.
PSY 286 Intro to Psych Research (1-9 Credit Hours)
This course is for students who wish to be introduced to engaging in the discovery process of
research. The research questions are generally generated by a faculty mentor while students receive
closely supervised training in conduct of psychological/behavioral research and receive course
credit. Faculty permission is required and registration requires that the student and faculty member
articulate the goals, action plan and grading criteria used for the course. Each credit a student enrolls
in for this course should represent at least 40 hours of combined research/preparation work, thus a 3
credit hour experience would need to document 120 hours of work. Students must enroll in this
course at least three weeks prior to the beginning of the semester in which they wish to take the
course.
May be repeated for credit.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment limited to students with the UG Research attribute.
PSY 290 Developmental Psychopathology (3 Credit Hours)
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an introduction to psychopathology as it relates to children and adolescents. As our awareness of childhood psychopathology grows, it is even more important to become familiar with issues affecting children’s wellbeing as professionals, parents, and community members. In this course, we will discuss the underlying theories and research that form the basis of our knowledge of child and adolescent psychological disorders. Throughout the semester, students will demonstrate knowledge of the etiology, diagnosis, course, and treatment of a variety of behavioral, emotional, developmental and health-related disorders. Finally, we will consider the many dynamic and interactive factors that contribute to the development of disorder, as well as how such factors affect the course and treatment of such disorders in our culture and others.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
PSY 300 Psychology Internship I (3-12 Credit Hours)
The internship is designed for students to actively participate in a community organization or agency of their choice (as available) for 120 hours per 3 credit course. The primary goal of the internship experience is to allow the student an opportunity to apply theoretical and technical skills gained in the classroom setting to actual work in the community. Internship sites include mental health facilities, hospitals, homes for disadvantaged children, local schools, juvenile centers, police departments, and community action agencies. Students are expected to develop a working understanding of the issues and social dynamics of clinical work and agency relations within a community setting. Prerequisite: Third-year status or consent of instructor.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Anthropology, Neuroscience, Psychology, Social and Cultural Studies or Sociology.
Enrollment limited to students with the UG Internships attribute.
PSY 305 Special Topics Seminar (3 Credit Hours)
Special Topics Seminars are developed by a faculty who has interest in a select area that is not covered in depth in a regular course area. Students may also petition to have a special topics course developed. Consent of instructor required.
May be repeated for credit.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
PSY 308 Animal Communication (3 Credit Hours)
The scientific study of animal communication draws from a range of disciplines, including physics, psychology, neuroscience, behavioral ecology, cognitive science and linguistics. This course will investigate communication from a taxonomically diverse and multimodal perspective, including acoustic, visual, and chemical signaling. Specific attention will be given to the social, environmental, and evolutionary drivers of communication within the network of signalers and receivers.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
PSY 310 Children and Stress (3 Credit Hours)
Explores issues children and their families face when there is illness, death, divorce, or hospitalization. The work of Bowlby, Robertson, and others as it relates to emotional and psychological impacts of separation and illness will be discussed.
May be repeated for credit.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
PSY 325 Psychology of Aging (3 Credit Hours)
As an introduction to the psychology of aging, course materials will focus on the behavioral changes which occur during the normal aging process. Topics include cognitive, perceptual, learning and intellectual changes with age; social factors in aging; family issues; changes in the concept of career and employment; ageism; personality changes; and health concerns.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Animal Behavior, Neuroscience or Psychology.
PSY 330 Psychology of Stress (3 Credit Hours)
This course investigates the nature of stress and its impact on the individual's personality, abilities, and health. Key theories of stress are presented. Current research issues in stress and coping are reviewed. Personal, as well as institutional responses to and interventions with stress will be emphasized.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
PSY 345 Sports Psychology (3 Credit Hours)
The course is intended to investigate the science of Sport Psychology from its theoretical foundation to its practical application. The perspectives of the course range from the study of individual differences and sport behavior to the impact of social influences and group dynamics on sport. Specific topics include: psychological variables; personality and individual differences in athletes; skill acquisition; and, an examination of the role of exercise and sport across the life span. crosslisted with SPT 345.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment limited to students in the *Psychology, Exercise Sport Performance or School of Social Behav Sci departments.
PSY 350 Theories of Personality (3 Credit Hours)
This course is designed to expose students to a variety of contrasting theories regarding the origin and nature of personality. These theories have served as the underpinning for applications of the field of psychology, and chronologically they represent changes in the field since its inception. Original readings from various theorists will be used as the backdrop for learning about the research, history, and paradigms within personality psychology.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Psychology.
PSY 362 Animal Cognition (3 Credit Hours)
A major focus of this course will be on cognitive evolution in a variety of species, with specific attention to cognitive development in dolphins, whales, monkeys, apes, and humans. How do animals think without language as we know it? The fundamental principles and theories of learning and information processing in animals will be explored. The history, nature, and philosophical implications of cognitive science also will be explored, including attention to artificial intelligence.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Animal Behavior or Neuroscience.
PSY 364 Soc & Emotion Dev in Childhood (3 Credit Hours)
This course is an overview of the issues in social and emotional development of children and adolescents. The family provides the primary socialization context through the early portions of the lifespan, and thus holds a fundamental key to understanding the origins of children's adaptive and maladaptive, psychological, emotional and interpersonal outcomes. In this class, we will examine the accumulating evidence that family discord increases children’s vulnerability and by the same token we will work towards understanding of how the family remains a primary resource of positive emotional and social support.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Animal Behavior, Neuroscience or Psychology.
PSY 365 Biological Bases of Behavior (3 Credit Hours)
This course is an introduction to the biological basis of human behavior. The primary systems of human behavior will be examined within the context of the brain's function. Topics will include the anatomy and physiology of the brain, the structure of the nervous system, the role of hormones, language processing, developmental changes, emotions, and the biological basis of psychological disorders.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Animal Behavior, Neuroscience or Psychology.
PSY 370 Drugs, Society, and Behavior (3 Credit Hours)
The course is a study and research-based critique of the theoretical and applied findings of ethnobotany as well as the various psychological theories regarding addiction, treatment methods and effectiveness, including popular or folk psychology. Selected drugs and their chemical effects will be examined along with concepts related to addiction diagnosis. Current, historical, and legal aspects of drugs, addiction, and behavior will be explored. Socio-cultural dimensions of drugs and behavior will also be examined.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
PSY 375 Trauma and Health (3 Credit Hours)
This course is designed to prepare students to understand the causes, risk factors, diagnoses, and treatment related to the experience of trauma and how trauma affects both physical and emotional health. This course will help prepare students to response effectively in a entry level human service job to those who have experienced traumatic events in their lives and to help plan how prevent education can either mitigate the effects of trauma or help prevent it.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Animal Behavior, Mental Health Rehab Technician, Neuroscience or Psychology.
PSY 380 Human Learning and Behavior (3 Credit Hours)
This course will present basic theory and mechanisms of positive behavioral change in humans. It will focus on the role of environmental factors, reinforcement contingencies and emotions play in producing and maintaining our behavior. Major learning theories willl be covered in detail. Students will be asked to engage in a project using these techniques to modify their own behavior.
May be repeated for credit.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Animal Behavior, Neuroscience or Psychology.
PSY 383 Memory & Cognition (3 Credit Hours)
How individuals acquire and apply knowledge plays a critical role in everyday life. This course is designed to introduce the basic concepts and theories associated with studying human memory and cognition. Emphasis will be placed on the application of these theories by discussing topics which are of most relevance for students. The study of reading, for example, is included in chapters on attention, language, and text comprehension. Efficient learning strategies will be discussed in relation to short- and long-term memory as well as visual imagery. A discussion of language will reveal how the implications of sentences influence legal testimony and advertising, and a chapter on decision making discusses implications in court room and emergency scenarios.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Animal Behavior, Neuroscience or Psychology.
PSY 405 Special Topics Seminar (3 Credit Hours)
This course is designed to explore a specific topic in psychology in some depth. The topic chosen will vary according to the instructor's area of research and specialization. Students will be required to read, present, and discuss related articles each week.
May be repeated for credit.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Psychology.
PSY 410 Theory/Res/Pract Couns Psych (3 Credit Hours)
This course is intended to be a general introduction to the field of counseling psychology by surveying the major theoretical approaches underlying both individual and group practice in clinical and counseling work. In addition to studying a variety of theoretical approaches, students will be exposed to the research indicating which approach seems to work best with certain types of client problems. Approaches to be examined include Psychoanalytic, Adlerian, Existential, Client-Centered, and Cognitive-Behavioral.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Art Therapy, Mental Health Rehab Technician or Psychology.
PSY 430 Intro to Art Therapy (3 Credit Hours)
This course will introduce students to the theory and practice of art therapy. In addition, the relationship between art and various theories of psychotherapy will be explored. Through discussion and experiential exercises, students will explore the various materials and techniques used with different client populations.
May be repeated for credit.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
PSY 486 Adv Research in Psychology (1-9 Credit Hours)
(credits- variable 1-9): This course is for students who wish to undertake research with a faculty mentor and receive course credit. Faculty permission is required and registration requires that the student and faculty member articulate the goals, action plan and grading criteria used for the course. Each credit a student enrolls in for this course should represent at least 40 hours of combined research/preparation work, thus a 3 credit hour experience would need to document 120 hours of work. Students must enroll in this course at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the semester in which they wish to take the course.
May be repeated for credit.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Enrollment limited to students with the UG Research attribute.
PSY 505 Special Topics: Applied Animal Behavior (3 Credit Hours)
Applied Animal Behavior Science focuses on applying the principles of ethology to animal care, ethics, and welfare. As such, this course explores three inter-related topics animal ethics, welfare science, and the use of behavior to understand the experience of animals. Specific topics to be explored include: ethical frameworks, history of animal welfare science, principles of animal welfare science, theories of animal emotion, and the use of behavior as an indicator of welfare state. The course will explore these topics through examples derived from a diverse array of agricultural, companion, laboratory, and zoo animal models.
Academic Level: Graduate
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
PSY 2050 Abnormal Psychology (3 Credit Hours)
This course provides students with information regarding the symptoms, causes, and treatment of what is generally recognized as ‘abnormal’ behavior. Students will be expected to think critically about the research evidence with regard to various explanations and treatments of mental illness, and to develop clinical rationale for diagnostic choices they might make as a hypothetical treatment provider. Additionally, students will become familiar with the major assessment index for psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and learn how to apply its categories to several client cases discussed in class.
May be repeated for credit. Equivalent to PSY 205.
Academic Level: Undergraduate