PSY 101 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0; SS23

Introduction to the scientific study of psychology; research methodology; genetic, biological, cultural, and environmental influences on behavior; perception, learning; memory; intelligence; maturation; motivation; emotion; stress and coping; personality; social processes and psychopathology. Required for psychology majors. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 120 POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: HAPPINESS, HOPE AND HUMOR

3, 3/0

Introduction to positive psychology; topics include happiness, altruism, hopefulness, and humor. Determinants of subjective well-being, such as forgiveness, gratitude, and social support. Applying empirical research in positive psychology to everyday life. Offered occasionally.

PSY 205 INDEPENDENT READING

1, 0/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 grade of C, and permission of instructor. Supervised readings on a specific topic in psychology chosen mutually by the student and faculty supervisor at the time of registration. Offered occasionally.

PSY 250 PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE FUNDAMENTALS

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101 with a grade of C or higher. Overview of the science of psychology. Language and structure of research as a process of scientific inquiry. Analysis and evaluation of research articles. Fundamentals of writing in the discipline. Applying resources and skills for effective learning in psychology. Careers in psychology; ethical principles. Offered every semester.

PSY 295 RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN PSYCHOLOGY

1-3, 0/0

Prerequisite: Instructor Permission. Scholarship or creative work conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. Offered occasionally.

PSY 296 PSYCHOLOGY HONORS SEMINAR

1, 1/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 with a grade of A- or better; instructor permission. Introduction to research opportunities in psychology, leading to participation in PSY 499 Independent Study in Psychology or PSY 496/498 Honors Thesis I and II. Topics include research and applied careers in psychology, conference presentation skills, and advanced library skills. May be repeated. Offered every semester.

PSY 301 PERSPECTIVES ON CHILD ABUSE AND ADVOCACY

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: Junior or senior status; PSY 101 or CRJ 101 or SWK 101 or EXE 100 or Instructor permission. Introduction to child advocacy studies from a variety of diverse, professional perspectives. History, responses to child maltreatment, skills necessary to successfully conduct child advocacy, and other issues pertaining to child maltreatment and advocacy. Designed for students majoring in criminal justice, education, social work, sociology, psychology, or other areas where knowledge of child maltreatment and advocacy might be beneficial. Offered every fall.

Equivalent Course: CAS 301

PSY 304 LEARNING: THEORY AND RESEARCH

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Theories of learning and the scientific investigation of the learning process; the psychological correlates of learning, memory and attention, empirical laws and principles and their derivation from research on humans and animals; theoretical explanations of the learning process. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 308 SENSATION AND PERCEPTION

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Major facets of perceptual functioning, from sensory processes to complex perceptual integrative processes. Emphasis on basic concepts such as physiological correlates of perception, empirical laws and principles, and theoretical explanation of perceptual processes and their determinants. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 310 BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101. Covers applications of major learning principles. Behavior modification techniques in a variety of settings are reviewed. Focus is upon environmental effects on human behavior, though findings with animals and cognitive/behavioral techniques are also discussed. Provides limited applied experience including use in creating positive personal life changes. Offered occasionally.

PSY 311 PERSONALITY: THEORY AND RESEARCH

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Theoretical problems, methods, and empirical findings related to the development of an adequate theory of personality development and function; problems of theory construction, major theoretical approaches, personality determinants, and personality assessment; empirical research. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 321 COMPARATIVE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. The study of animal behavior from a psychological perspective; current theoretical models; evolution and adaptive functions of sexuality, predator-prey interactions, evolution of social organization, territoriality, dominance, aggression, learning, and instinct. Offered spring only.

PSY 325 SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Theoretical and empirical examination of the role of social factors on an individual's behavior; attitude formation and change, affiliation, attribution process, interpersonal attraction, small-group dynamics, aggression, conformity, leadership, and competition. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 327 ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING I

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Introduction to human development and change throughout early, middle, and late adulthood; current psychological theory and empirical evidence on patterns of aging, problems of aging, and benefits of aging; social, psychological, and biological determinants of adult development; cognitive change; personality change; family relations; life satisfaction; the stigma of old age. Offered fall only.

PSY 330 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL POWER OF LANGUAGE

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101, grade of C. Study of language from a psychological science standpoint. Properties of human languages; how language is represented in mind and brain; how it is acquired; whether it is specific to humans; relationship between language and culture; verbal and non-verbal aspects of how language is used to communicate. Offered fall only.

PSY 333 BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101, Grade of C or better. An introduction to the brain structures and processes that underlie cognition, emotion, and action. Topics include: general principles of behavioral neuroscience; neural, genetic, and epigenetic basis of behavior; functional brain anatomy; effect of drugs and hormones on brain and behavior. Offered every semester.

PSY 340 COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101 with a minimum grade of C. Introduction to the mind and thinking from a cognitive psychology viewpoint. Classic and contemporary research examining perception, attention, memory processes and structures, imagery, language processing, problem-solving and creativity, and decision-making. Theories of cognition based on information-processing, embodied cognition, and neural circuits and processing in the brain. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 350 STATISTICS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH

3, 3/1

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C, at least Sophomore status, and at least one of the following: MAT 114 or MAT 121 or MAT 126 or MAT 161 or MAT 202 or MAT 270 or MAT 301 or MAT 306 or MAT 311 or MAT 315 . Intensive study of the major descriptive and inferential statistics used in psychological research; graphic and tabular presentation of data, measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability theory, t-tests, analysis of variance, chi-square, correlation techniques; experimental design. Required for psychology majors. Completion of PSY 306 with a grade of C or better is a prerequisite for the required major course PSY 450. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 355 LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Psychological, biological, and social factors that affect psychological development throughout the lifespan; physical development, language acquisition, cognitive development, social development, personality development, morality and changing life tasks; genetic, cultural, and experiential determinants of development. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 356 CHILD DEVELOPMENT

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, Grade of C. Psychological, social, and biological factors that affect development from conception through preadolescence; comprehensive exposure to research findings and theories in child development. Physical development, language acquisition, cognitive development, social and emotional development, and moral development; mechanisms of developmental change such as genetic, cultural, historical, and experiential influences. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 357 ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT DEVELOPMENT

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Current theoretical and empirical understandings of the transitions from early adolescence to young adulthood; multidisciplinary approach; biological, psychological, and social factors emphasized. Biological, cognitive, interpersonal, self-concept, family, academic, and career transitions as well as psychosocial problems encountered. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 360 EVALUATING PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 350. Overview of the science and methodology of psychology in preparation for applied careers. Topics include: how to be a successful consumer of psychology information; research as a process of scientific inquiry; evaluation of research articles; writing in the discipline; ethical principles. Required for majors in Applied Psychology. Offered every semester.

PSY 365 PSYCHOLOGY IN THE WORKPLACE

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Theory and research in industrial/organizational psychology emphasizing personnel selection, classification, placement, training, and development; work motivation, job satisfaction, factors that influence productivity, leadership, and organizational theory. Offered fall only.

PSY 367 ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101, grade of C. Behavior, attitudes and performance of people in organizations. Interdisciplinary perspective of theory, research and practice of individual behavior and organizational performance. Addresses practical managerial problems and organizational functioning. Offered spring only.

PSY 370 ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY I

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Environmental psychology and the role of physical environment on behavior; physical environment-behavior relations, research methods, territoriality, privacy, crowding, environmental perception and attitudes, pollution and behavior, buildings and behavior. Offered occasionally.

PSY 375 FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Application of psychological knowledge to the civil and criminal justice systems; research endeavors that examine aspects of human behavior as well as the professional practice of psychology within the legal system; clinical, applied and research activities of psychology and law. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 376 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Theory and empirical research in the psychology of stress, coping, and health; health psychology, major physiological systems, components of stress, relationship of stress to health, physical and psychological consequences of stress, social support systems, coping with life crises, relaxation techniques, psychological intervention and treatment, and the holistic health model. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 381 PSYCHOLOGY OF CULTURE

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Similarities and differences in behavior cross-culturally; the dimensions along which individuals vary between cultures; the issues involved in conducting cross-cultural research; differences and similarities between cultures in the areas of the self and personality, conformity, obedience, aggression, attachment and child-rearing; abnormal psychology and culture-bound syndromes, and interpersonal and group relations. Offered occasionally.

PSY 382 PSYCHOLOGY OF THE CONSUMER

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Psychology of consumer behavior; psychological theory and measurement techniques as tools for understanding consumer behavior. Relevant material from learning, perception, attitude formation, personality, and motivation literature as it describes consumer decision making. Offered occasionally.

PSY 383 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101 grade of C or better. Psychosexual aspects of human sexuality. Topics include: historical views of human sexuality, sex research, physiology of sex, gender identity, sexuality throughout the lifespan, sexual orientations, social psychological attitudes toward sex, sexual difficulties, atypical sexual behavior, and love, intimacy, and communication in relationships. Offered every semester.

PSY 384 PSYCHOLOGY OF AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Reasons for aggression; biological vs. environmental causes of aggression; definitions and scientific study of aggression; methods to control aggression. Offered occasionally.

PSY 387 PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER

3, 3/0; DI23

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Empirical and theoretical issues of the psychology of gender issues; differences in female and male behavior in terms of such social factors as conformity to societal pressures, sex-role stereotyping, and gender-specific socialization patterns; biological influences on gender differences; development of sex differences; gender-role development; sex differences in cognition, personality, achievement, and leadership. Offered fall only.

PSY 388 PSYCHOLOGY OF DEATH AND DYING

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101, grade of C. Objective coverage of the relevant issues pertaining to death and dying; the stages of dying, counseling the dying person, attitudes of and reactions to death, psychological needs served by funeral and burial rituals, suicide, grief, bereavement, the child and death, effect of death on survivors, euthanasia, and medical and legal definitions of death. Offered occasionally.

PSY 389 TOPIC COURSE

3, 3/0

Examination of specific topics related to emerging areas of psychology. Offered occasionally.

PSY 392 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 with a grade of C or better and 3 additional hours of psychology. Examines psychopathology from a biopsychosocial perspective, exploring research and theory. Topics include: the concept of abnormality, classification, assessment, and treatment of psychopathology, and the etiology and characteristics of selected disorders.

PSY 393 ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 with a grade of C or better and 3 additional hours of psychology. Significant issues and problems related to child psychopathology. Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of childhood disorders, including, but not limited to ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, depression, conduct disorder, eating disorders, intellectual disability, and learning disabilities.

PSY 412 COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101, grade of C, and 3 credit hours of psychology; PSY 392 recommended. Theoretical and empirical literature regarding community mental health. Historical perspectives on the community mental health movement, assessment of psychological dysfunction, levels of evaluating institutional change, consultation, and program evaluation. Offered occasionally.

PSY 415 THE COMPETENT INFANT

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101, grade of C, and PSY 355 or PSY 356.The psychological world of the normal human infant. Primary empirical research and theoretical problems relating to the field of infant development; biological processes of development, prenatal development, birth, characteristics of the neonate, speech and language, cognition and learning, interactions and socialization, sex differences in behavior, theoretical models of early development. Offered fall only.

PSY 417 THE ATYPICAL INFANT

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101, grade of C, and PSY 355 or PSY356. The psychological effects of developmental delay in infants. Screening, assessment, and intervention of high-risk infants; definition of at-risk and high-risk infants, biological traumas and defects, prenatal traumas, birth and perinatal traumas, psychological crises in infancy, psychological assessment of developmental delay in newborns and infants, early intervention for high-risk infants and their families, psychological issues of parenting the high-risk infant. Offered spring only.

PSY 421 PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 333. Focus on the brain, nervous system, and endocrine system and their relationship to animal and human behavior. Includes: psychosurgery, physiological basis of language, intelligence, emotion, motivation, motivated behaviors, learning, sexuality, abnormal behavior, perception, and motor behavior. Offered fall only.

PSY 423 PSYCHOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF EATING

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 and 6 additional credits in psychology. Sensory, hormonal, and neural control of eating; role of reinforcement as a contributing factor to energy intake; individual physical disparities that cause variations in food intake; food preference; obesity; overlap between food intake and drugs of abuse. Offered occasionally.

PSY 427 ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING II

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 grade of C, and PSY 327. Complex psychological issues pertaining to late-life development and adjustment; theoretical and applied issues, research methodologies, empirical data in relation to cognitive processes, personality, self-conceptions, social contexts, clinical assessment and intervention, and cultural influences on the behavior of older adults. Offered occasionally.

PSY 430 PSYCHOLINGUISTICS

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 grade of C, and PSY 330 or PSY 340. Empirical approach to how we produce and understand language. Major theories, looking at language sounds, words, sentences, conversation, and discourse. Integrates language representation and processing into the general framework of cognitive science. Includes laboratory exercises and final project. Offered spring only.

PSY 432 HUMAN MOTIVATION AND EMOTION

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 grade of C, and PSY 304 or PSY 376. Motivation and the fundamental, empirical, and logical basis for its postulation and use in psychological explanations of animal and human behavior; motivation and how motivational processes interact with other psychological processes. Offered occasionally.

PSY 435 HUMAN MEMORY

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 101 with a grade of C or better, and at least one of the following Bio/Cognitive courses: PSY 304 or PSY 308 or PSY 321 or PSY 330 or PSY 333 Or PSY 340. Components and functioning of the human memory system and its neural basis in the brain. Theory and model-based examination of memory formation, storage, organization, retrieval success and failure. Exploration of memory errors, the role of emotion, amnesias, dementias, and mnemonics. Includes research project. Offered at least once a year.

PSY 440 ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 392; PSY 311 is recommended. Etiology, prevention, and treatment of addictive behaviors, emphasizing biological, psychological, and social factors; dependence on alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs, as well as gambling, eating disorders, and compulsive sexual behavior. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 441 INTRODUCTION TO NEUROPSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 grade of C, and 3 credit hours of psychology. The relationship between human brain function and behavior; functional anatomy of the brain; experimental and clinical techniques employed by neuropsychologists to uncover brain-behavior relationships. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 442 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 350. Issues and problems surrounding psychological assessment. Test construction, reliability, validity, administration, norms, and interpretation. Commonly used interviewing, intelligence, personality, neuropsychological, and personnel-assessment techniques. Provides limited applied experience. Offered every spring.

PSY 450 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I: INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODS

3, 2/2; IN23

Prerequisites: PSY 350 with a grade of C or better; completion of Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning general education requirement (limited to MAT courses only and at the level of MAT 114 or higher). Laboratory investigation in the behavioral sciences; higher-order correlational and parametric statistics, various approaches to research, and the interpretation and communication of research findings. Laboratory experiences to illustrate course content. Requires minimum of five laboratory exercises and reports. Required for psychology majors. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 458 ADVANCED RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: PSY 450. This course is a continuation of PSY 450 and focuses on advanced methods used in psychological research and the application of these methods through the completion of a research project. Topics covered include: ethics in psychology, experimental design, research with human subjects, statistical analyses, potential confounds, the development of scales and other measures. Offered every semester.

PSY 460 ADVANCED LEGAL PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 grade of C, and PSY 375 or PSY 325. How behavior in legal contexts is influenced by social psychological, cognitive, and developmental processes. Social and cognitive influences on eyewitness testimony and memory, false confessions, jurors' decision making and evaluation of trial evidence, social influence among jury members, children's participation in the legal system, and discrimination in the legal system. Offered spring only.

PSY 466 PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 grade of C, and PSY 365 or PSY 367. Problems, tools, and strategies involved in applying psychological principles to personnel selection, placement, training, and assessment in organizations; the roles of personnel psychologists, job analysis, developing performance criteria for jobs, performance appraisal, interviewing, the uses of employment testing, predicting job success, training programs, and social and ethical issues in personnel psychology. Offered occasionally.

PSY 468 PROFESSIONAL SKILLS IN PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 360; Senior Standing. Preparation for careers in psychology. Topics covered include: the role of science in applied psychology, critical thinking, careers in psychology and related fields, general and field-specific professional skills, and professional ethics that guide the field. Offered every semester.

PSY 470 ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY II

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 and PSY 370. Advanced- level continuation of PSY 370. Theory building in physical-environmental behavior relations, innovative and unobtrusive measures, individual human needs in the physical environment, and basic processes and their relationship to the physical environment. Contact department regarding course availability.

PSY 471 HISTORY AND SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 grade of C, 6 credit hours of psychology and senior standing. History of the emergence of modern psychology from pre-Socratic thought to the present. Emphasis on systematic examination of psychology's historical roots as expressed in contemporary theories and models. Required for psychology majors. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 472 SEMINAR ON PSYCHOLOGY

3, 3/0; RE23

Prerequisites: PSY 101 grade of C, PSY 350 grade of C, PSY 450, and 6 credit hours of psychology. Topic areas for each course vary and are announced prior to student enrollment. Coursework involves the study of basic theoretical principles and empirical laws of different psychology content areas; individual presentations on relevant topics. Required for psychology majors. Offered Every Semester.

PSY 480 PSYCHOTHERAPY: THEORY, RESEARCH, AND PROCEDURES

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 311 or PSY 392. The contribution of psychology to the practice of psychotherapy; theory, research, and clinical applications; the scientist-practitioner model; major theories of psychotherapy; the social impact of therapy; research support for major therapy systems; ethical issues. Offered fall only.

PSY 481 PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: PSY 101 grade of C, and PSY 350. Issues and problems surrounding psychological testing. Test reliability, validity, construction, administration, norms, and interpretation; commonly used intelligence, personality, neuropsychological, and personnel-assessment techniques. Provides limited practicum experiences. Offered spring only.

PSY 488 INTERNSHIP

3-15, 0/0

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor; second semester junior standing; minimum 2.5 GPA. Supervised field experience in a variety of settings to supplement the classroom instruction of the Psychology Department. Offered every semester.

PSY 495 SPECIAL PROJECT

1-3, 0/0

Prerequisite: Faculty supervisor permission. Research conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. Offered occasionally.

PSY 496 HONORS THESIS I

3, 0/0

Prerequisites: PSY 450, 72 credit hours, and permission of instructor. Honors psychology students initiate research that is formally presented in thesis form. Formal research proposals (oral and written) presented to supervisors and honors thesis committee. Extensive library research. Required for students in the departmental honors program. Offered occasionally.

PSY 498 HONORS THESIS II

3, 0/0

Prerequisites: PSY 496 with a minimum grade of B and permission of instructor. Honors psychology students conduct research proposed in PSY 496 and submit a formal thesis in written form. Oral defense of work before faculty supervisor, thesis committee, and interested faculty members. Required for students in the departmental honors program. Offered occasionally.

PSY 499 INDEPENDENT STUDY

3-12, 0/0

Prerequisite: Faculty adviser permission. Offered occasionally.