Academic Programs

How does the mind create the reality we perceive? How do experiences shape the brain, and how do processes in the brain influence thought, emotion and behavior? This course investigates these and similar questions by studying the science of the human mind and behavior. The course covers topics such as memory, perception, development, psychopathology, personality, and social behavior. A focus is on the biological, cognitive, and social/cultural roots that give rise to human experience. Additionally, the course will consider how behavior differs among people, and across situations.

This course provides an introduction to the concepts and methods of statistics and is aimed at helping the student to gain a fundamental understanding of the tools needed to understand and conduct research in psychology. Topics to be covered include frequency distributions and probability, descriptive statistics, simple correlation and regression, sampling distributions, t-tests and basic and factorial analysis of variance. Non-parametric tests such as Chi-square will also be introduced. The course will focus on the interpretation and communication of statistics, and we will work with the SPSS software package to analyze data. This course is the first of a two-course sequence in statistics and research methods that is required of all prospective psychology majors. The course is ordinarily taken in the first semester of the sophomore year, and the student should have at least one previous psychology course.

This course is a continuation of Psychology 203. Its objectives are to extend the skills and abilities students acquired in the fall semester, and to provide an introduction to the research methods and data analyses used in the study of psychology. Students will gain an understanding of research methods and design through a combination of readings, lectures, class discussions, and hands-on laboratory experience. Students will work both individually and in groups to design and conduct observational studies, surveys, and experiments. There will be a strong emphasis on learning to present research results in different ways. Ethical issues will be discussed at each stage of the research process, and students will develop their ability to assess research critically.

This course investigates the early and multiple factors contributing to psychopathology emerging in childhood, as well as the diagnostic and treatment standards now in practice. We will emphasize an empirically-based developmental psychopathology perspective, with an emphasis on the risk and protective factors that shape abnormal and normal developmental trajectories. We will explore various models for understanding maladaptive development (e.g, the role of genes, psychosocial influences) through the examination of current research and diagnostic practices in specific diagnostic areas (e.g., autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Throughout this course, students will be encouraged to relate empirical findings to the field’s theoretical models in considering the genetic, biological, cognitive, and cultural influences on child development.

To develop is to change. From birth to death, we are constantly changing as we grow – sometimes we gain skills, sometimes we lose them. In this class, we will study the balance of growth and decline across the lifespan, and think carefully about the unique characteristics of people at each life stage. We will explore many changes from infancy through old age, including: cognition, physical maturation, social interaction, gender, language, and cultural influence. Textbook, research articles, and popular writings on the nature of growth and decline at different life stages will be used to facilitate discussion and writing.

Social Neuroscience aims to elucidate the links among mind, brain and social behavior. We will focus on theories and methods from neuroscience used to address classic social psychological questions. You will gain a working knowledge of current findings while investigating the brain systems underlying social behavior. We will cover basic neuroanatomy and explore research on the neural underpinnings of social judgments, culture and cognition, emotion recognition, embodied cognition, empathy, attachment, theory of mind, sexual attraction, endocrine responses, love, and neuroeconomics, among other related topics. Through this process you will learn about a variety of neuroscience methods involving social psychology paradigms, lesion studies, patient research, and neuroimaging. Prerequisite: Introduction to Psychological Science or an Introductory Biology course or permission of Instructor.

This is a specialized course that prepares students to understand the biological, motor, perceptual, cognitive (including intelligence), language, emotional, social, and gender development of children. The process of human development from conception through early adolescence is studied. Emphasis is placed on what enables children to reach physical, mental, emotional and social maturity, and helps us to address the question “What environments promote optimum development for children?” Child development history, theory, and research strategies will be discussed, as well as the effect of family, peers, media, and schooling. This class would be good for those interested in children, education, or the cognitive and social development of humans. This class is not appropriate for students who have already taken Psych 216 (Developmental Psychology).

This course is about how people perceive, remember, and think about information. Major topics include object recognition, memory, concept formation, language, visual knowledge, judgment, reasoning, problem solving, and conscious and unconscious thought. The neural underpinnings of these topics are also considered where possible. Prerequisite: one introductory psychology course.

The ability to express thoughts and emotions and to interact with the environment largely depends on the function of the nervous system. This course examines basic concepts and methods in the study of brain, mind, and behavior. Topics include the structure and function of the central nervous system, brain development, learning and memory, emotion, sensory and motor systems, the assessment of human brain damage, and clinical disorders such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease.

Clinical Psychology involves the integration of research, theory, and therapy/consultation to better understand, predict, prevent, and/or treat psychological illnesses and symptoms. Clinical Psychology also promotes functional adaptation and “healthy” forms of coping. As such, this course will provide a broad overview and critical evaluation of various clinical approaches to assessment, research, and treatment. In addition, current controversies in the field will be considered; ethical issues will be addressed; and what being a clinical psychologist entails (e.g., training, practice) will be discussed. Prerequisite for this course is PSY 103 (Introduction to Psychology).

Social Psychology is the scientific study of human thought, behavior, and feelings in their social contexts. This class will survey many of the processes that influence and are influenced by our interactions with others, such as attitude formation and change, conformity and persuasion. We will also use principles of social psychology to understand the ordinary origins of benevolent (e.g., altruism, helping behavior) and malevolent (e.g., aggression, prejudice) aspects of human behavior. Throughout the course, we will emphasize the influence of culture, race, and gender on the topics addressed. Students should have completed Introduction to Psychology or its equivalent.

This course is designed to provide a broad overview of the major historical and contemporary psychological theories of personality and their applications. Theories covered in this course will include, but will not be limited to, psychoanalytic, neo-analytic, existential, humanist, behavioral, cognitive, and trait. Through the common threads and unique lenses of each theory, this course will repeatedly grapple with the questions of “Who are we, and why?” Particular focus will be given to the applications of personality theory to the understanding of health and behavior (i.e., clinical applications), and ultimately Axis II personality disorders will be considered.

This course provides a survey of health psychology; the scientific study of behavioral, cognitive, and affective influences on biological function. We will emphasize the interaction of biological and psychological factors on individuals' health. Topics include behavioral influences in cardiovascular disease, weight management, personality and illness, social support, pain management, physiological manifestations of stress, psychoneuroimmunology, behavioral/medical treatments, and lifestyle interventions. The course will emphasize the biopsychosocial model in understanding health and disease. Prerequisite is Introduction to Psychological Science or an Introductory level course in Biology.

Memory is fundamental to all aspects of learning and behavior in all animal species. However, the study of human memory presents a special case because humans use language. Language provides a unique mechanism for encoding and retrieving memories, but language also biases memory. This course is an overview of classic theories and current research in human learning and memory. We will evaluate models of memory, including debates on the cognitive representations of knowledge. We will also examine the role of awareness in memory, false memory, the biological bases of memory, diseases and disorders of memory, and methods for brain imaging. Prerequisite: 100 level course in Psychology or Biology or permission of the instructor.

Over the course of the semester we study theoretical insights and conceptual attempts to understand human behavior. These are traced from the speculations within the Ancient World to current scientific thinking and methods guiding the study of psychology and other social science disciplines. Importantly, because a discipline is also about people who advance it, students are introduced to the lives and times and ideas of individuals who have made significant contributions to the field. Particular attention is given to such figures as James, Pavlov, Freud, Skinner and Asch, to mention just a few. Illumination will also come from a consideration of correspondence between and among pivotal individuals in the field. Critical analyses and integrations are juxtaposed with historical renderings. Upper college students likely will benefit from this course because they already possess the foundational knowledge necessary to draw comparisons and critically evaluate varying points of view. Lower college students likely will use the course to greet the intellectual domains they enter.

Psychology of Women involves an integrated study of women’s behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and social experiences, as well as a variety of issues faced by women both historically and currently. This course is designed to provide a broad overview of relevant topics including, but not limited to: sex differences and similarities in personality and cognition, gender development, sexuality, love relationships, media portrayals, physical and psychological health, and violence against women. Several disciplinary domains of psychology (e.g., personality, abnormal/clinical, social, developmental) will provide the theoretical and research lenses through which these topics are contextualized. Lectures, discussions, films, writings, and experiential exercises will be the primary vehicles for learning in this course; and critical examination and integration of material will be strongly encouraged. Prerequisite for this course is Permission of Instructor.

This course will explore the biological bases for the behavioral effects of several psychoactive substances including therapeutic compounds, such as antipsychotics and antidepressants, and drugs of abuse. The course will focus on mechanisms of drug action and physiological and behavioral effects. Broader societal issues such as drug addiction, drug policies and drug testing, and controversial therapeutic interventions will be discussed in relation to selected compounds. Prerequisite: An introductory Psychology or Biology course, or consent of the instructor.

This course is an exploration of the nature of culture as an environmental context within which development occurs across the lifespan. We will examine cross-cultural research from two perspectives: cross-national comparisons and subcultures within a larger, dominant culture. A particular focus will be contrasting Western cultures, such as the United States, with non-Western cultures, such as East Asia. We will examine the impact of culture on a variety of topics, including perception, social relationships, cognition and emotion. Some questions we will investigate are: Does cultural context influence our development, from childhood throughout adulthood? Can it shape our perception of art and beauty? Does conformity vary across cultures? What is the impact of culture on self-identity and the way we relate to others? In what way does cultural background influence emotional expression and cognitive processing? Empirical investigations of cultural variability in development are strongly emphasized. Prerequisite is permission of instructor.

Language has been described as “the skill that makes us human” and “the foundation of conscious awareness.” In this course we investigate the properties of language from the perspective of human cognition. We examine how sentences are produced and understood, the relationship between concepts and the words we use to describe them, and how interpersonal contexts (shared knowledge, irony, humor) influence language comprehension. We also examine the neural basis of linguistic knowledge and the relationship between language and memory.

No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness (Aristotle). We of the craft are all crazy (Lord Byron). Throughout time, there have been writings about a supposed connection between ‘madness and genius’ and ‘madness and creativity.’ Indeed, who among us has not heard of the ‘mad scientist,’ ‘mad genius,’ or ‘mad artist?’ One needs only to think of Van Gogh in a fit of psychosis cutting off a piece of his ear after a quarrel with Gauguin and then presenting it to a prostitute, or Winston Churchill in episodes of depression or mania crafting speeches that became legendary, or Charles Darwin succumbed by panic disorder and imprisoned by his “illness” creating The Origin of Species, or Virginia Woolf in a state of depressive despair filling her pockets with rocks and drowning herself in a nearby river. But are people of higher intellect and creativity more susceptible to madness (i.e., mental illness, psychological disorders)? Does madness lead to creativity and genius, or do creativity and genius render one mad? Ultimately, is the supposed connection between madness and creativity, and madness and genius, a fallacy, or is such a connection indeed a truism that warrants further empirical and conceptual inspection? Throughout this course, we will discuss and explore these questions and critically examine various possible answers through a psychological lens that further incorporates literary and artistic perspectives. Permission of instructor required.

This course is designed to examine various forms of adult psychopathology (i.e., psychological disorders) within the contexts of theoretical conceptualizations, research, and treatment. Etiology and pathogenesis of symptoms (both core and associated), diagnostic classifications, and treatment applications will be addressed. Adult forms of psychopathology that will receive the primary emphasis of study include the anxiety, mood, psychotic, and substance-related disorders. Prerequisites Introduction to Psychological Science or permission of instructor.

What career will you choose? Is the person across the street likely to be a criminal? How do public policies affect decisions to save for retirement, seek preventive medical care, or conserve environmental resources? John F. Kennedy captured a truth about human decision-making when he noted that “[t]he essence of ultimate decision remains impenetrable to the observer - often, indeed to the decider himself.” In this course, we will heed Kennedy's reminder that conscious reflection and verbal report often lead to inaccurate descriptions of the causes of our judgments and decisions. Our focus will be on trying to ascertain the underlying causes of these mental processes by relying on contemporary research in fields such as psychology, neuroscience, economics, political science that offer the systematic study of how people make decisions given limited time and vast uncertainty. Sources will include empirical articles as well as review papers, videos, and case studies. We will consider applications of this work to domains such as finance, politics, the environment, and medicine. This course is open to students with all backgrounds, although comfort with algebra will be assumed.

Juniors and seniors concentrating in cognitive science are strongly urged to take this two-credit course. Each student will present research in progress or a significant paper from the current literature. The purpose of the seminar is to help students become familiar with a cross-section of current cognitive science research, including topics from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, computational modeling, philosophy of mind, linguistics, music cognition, and artificial intelligence. In addition to helping juniors select a senior project topic, the seminar is intended to enhance communication among seniors about their research projects. Prerequisite: permission of the instructors. (Can be taken no more than twice for credit.)

Psychophysiology is the field of study correlating cognitive, emotional, and behavioral phenomena to physiological responses. A variety of response systems will be covered in this course, including heart rate, skin conductance, muscle activity (electromyography), changes in pupil diameter, and eye gaze. Special attention will be devoted to measures of brain activity, including electroencephalography, event-related potentials, functional magnetic resonance imaging, optical imaging, and magnetoencephalography. These types of psychophysical measures are widely used in studies of psychopathology, cognition, emotion, health, and social psychology. In addition, psychophysiological measures have been used for biofeedback, neurofeedback, and gaming applications. The course will involve a combination of lecture, discussion, demonstrations, and non-invasive laboratory experiences with biological recording technology. Tours of additional psychophysiology labs will occur outside of class meeting times. The course will emphasize theory, research methodology (strengths and limitations of each measure), and practical applications. Participants will complete a substantial literature review. Prerequisite: Moderation into psychology or consent of instructor.

“…For [some] individuals, anxiety is a curse – something they could live without. But could we all live without anxiety? Many of our most prominent philosophers, psychologists, and psychiatrists think not (David Barlow).” Everyone feels anxious at various points in their lives. For some, however, such anxiousness becomes extreme, incapacitating, and perceived as beyond the person’s control. Similar to the pervasiveness of anxiety in general, anxiety disorders specifically are the most prevalent of all psychological illnesses. They also are among the most treatable. This course will provide a detailed overview and critical analysis of the anxiety disorders with particular focus on the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of such disorders; and state-of-the-art psychological/cognitive-behavioral conceptualizations and approaches, and related empirical findings, will be emphasized. Prerequisite for this course is PSY 245 (Personality), PSY 241 (Abnormal Psychology), or PSY 264 (Adult Psychopathology).

Grounded Cognition” proposes that cognitive systems evolved to support action, so that perceptual systems (neural structures that encode physical and sensory information) are the foundation of concepts in memory. Recent advances in neuroimaging methods, including event-related potentials and functional magnetic resonance imaging, provide strong support for this new perspective, driving a re-evaluation of many long-held assumptions regarding the representation of concepts, processes of memory, and the role of language in cognition. In this course we examine these new theories on the “embodiment” of knowledge in the context of prevailing paradigms. We will also explore laboratory demonstrations of non-invasive imaging techniques used to study embodiment, including eye-tracking and electrophysiology. The structure of this course encourages the development of analytic and empirical skills, with an emphasis on both writing and research methods. Each participant will prepare a literature review (a synthesis of theoretic perspectives) and a proposal for independent research (a creative design for future investigation). This is a Writing Intensive course.
Prerequisite: Moderated students or consent of instructor.

This course focuses on the empirical study of intergroup relations. It is designed to provide an overview of the social psychological study of issues in prejudice and stereotyping. The bulk of the course will examine the cognitive, affective, and motivational origins of stereotyping and prejudice, but we will also explore the experience of being a target of prejudice – how are members of disadvantaged groups affected by cultural stereotypes and prejudice? A broad range of social groups will be considered, including gender and ethnicity. Finally, we will discuss scientifically-based means of prejudice reduction.

A fundamental assumption of language processing research is that the meaning of a sentence arises from the sum of the meanings of the constituent words that comprise the sentence. Figurative expressions, in contrast, convey meaning that extends beyond the literal meanings of the words in the utterance, for example: literature is a gold mine; you are the sunshine of my life; her laughter is sparkling champagne. In each of these examples, a novel domain is invoked to illuminate a comparison and to bring out a relevant characteristic that is salient between the two domains. Because the comprehension of figurative language is not simply compositional, models of language processing predicted that metaphor comprehension would require more cognitive effort, and would require a longer period of time for a listener to infer the speaker’s intended meaning compared to the time needed to interpret literal language expressions. Surprisingly, research instead supports the conclusion that even novel metaphorical expressions are understood quickly and easily. In this course, we examine both the cognitive and neurological characteristics that make this paradoxical accomplishment possible. We examine current theories of metaphor, including approaches of Cognitive Linguistics and cognitive science. We also examine how new research technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging are contributing to our understanding.

"Who am I?" This deceptively simple question underlies classic and current research about the self - dubbed by William James as psychology's "most puzzling puzzle." Topics to be covered include self- esteem, self-concept, self-schemas, malleability of individual and social identities, self-illusions, the role that culture and social group memberships play in defining the self, and the centrality of the self in processes such as memory, impression formation, and attitude formation. In addition, we will consider how children develop the concept of self as separate from other people. We will approach these issues from varying psychological perspectives, with a focus on social psychological research, but will also draw on primary sources in social and cognitive neuroscience, and developmental psychology. This course is appropriate for Upper College students in Psychology or related disciplines. Prerequisites: Psychology 103, 203, and 204 or their equivalents.

This course will examine the remarkable rise in the use of psychotropic medications to deal with a wide spectrum of human behavioral difficulties. The increased use of medication cannot be understood apart from the development of a biological / neuroscience perspective on human psychological disorders. After a look at the historical origins of modern medication in the antipsychotic, antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs in the 1950s, this course will focus on three disorders in which medications have played a central role: depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and attention-deficit disorder. Contrasting viewpoints on the nature, origins and treatment of these disorders will be emphasized. The social implications of the new medical perspective on problems that were previously viewed as primarily psychological as well as the impact of the enormous influence of the pharmaceutical industry on the use of medication will be critically examined. In addition there will be some commentary on the psychotherapy / medication dichotomy that is dividing the mental health field. Prerequisites: Moderated in psychology or permission of the instructor.

This seminar will examine newly discovered drug treatments for several mental illnesses. Initial class meetings will focus on in-depth readings that will provide a background for understanding the methods used for identifying and testing potential new therapies. Subsequent meetings will consist of student-led discussions of topics of interest. This course is open to moderated psychology students and other students at the discretion of the instructor.

Rapid strides have been made recently in our understanding of the neurological underpinnings of addiction. This research conference will begin with a brief history of our understanding of the mechanisms of brain reward systems and how the findings in this area have led to modern concepts of addictive behavior. An in-depth analysis will be made of contemporary theoretical and neurobiological approaches to conceptualizing and treating addictive behaviors, particularly drug abuse. Some consideration will be given to the extension of the addiction concept to such behaviors as gambling, eating, sexual activity and others. Primary source journal articles will be used in addition to excerpts from texts, and thus familiarity with research methods and statistics is required. Students will be expected to make frequent presentations in class.

The title for this course is taken from the title of a recent biography of Stanley Milgram authored by Thomas Blass, a professor of social psychology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County campus. It has now been forty years since the original work of Stanley Milgram demonstrated the remarkable and unpredicted finding that large numbers of individuals in multiple samples of American men and women studied were willing to punish another person when ordered to do so by an experimenter. The prominence of the initial work and the continued salience of such study in social psychology cannot be over-stated. In a review of the personal and situational determinants of obedient behavior in the "Milgram design" format, Thomas Blass (1991) lists as many as 200 references. It could well be that 100 more have appeared since the Blass review. Beside the volume of studies conducted and the attempts at review and theorizing, the domain of the "Milgram" study is worthy of continuing interest not only because of the vastness of both criticism and praise to which the work was subjected but because of events of our current time. These suggest that the continuing study of obedience phenomena is necessary and that social scientists should likely find a way to safely and ethically investigate the conditions which promote destructive obedience. This is an upper college seminar which serves as a Research Conference for psychology majors but is not limited to psychology or even social studies majors. The single criterion for membership is a willingness to read with care. A portion of the work contained in the body of the obedience literature will be reviewed from the perspective of trying to assess the continuing status of the phenomenon and the explanations and understandings that have been brought to light.

Sex and sexuality are integral to life and health, and often are topics of discussion and concern within the broad context of psychology in general and the specific contexts of clinical science and psychotherapy in particular. Though sexual dysfunctions may comprise diagnosable “disorders” that are amenable to treatment, a multitude of non-diagnosable sexual issues also are pertinent (e.g., sexual side effects from medications, relation between sexual activity and general psychological well-being). A consideration and balance of sexual ethics also often are at play in the therapeutic relationship. As such, this course will provide an in-depth empirical, conceptual, and theoretical examination of sexual behavior and its relevance to clinical science and psychotherapy. Topics will include, but are not limited to: sexual ethics and boundaries in the therapeutic relationship; “healthy” sexual functioning; sexual disorders (e.g., sexual desire disorders such as premature ejaculation and female orgasmic disorder, paraphilias such as exhibitionism and fetishism) and their treatment; the controversial and questionable veracity of sexual addiction as a diagnostic category; and sexual trauma. Prerequisites: PSY 210 (Development and Psychopathology), PSY 241 (Abnormal Psychology), or PSY 264 (Adult Psychopathology).

Comparative cognition explores the evolutionary origins of the human mind by comparing the cognitive abilities of humans and other animals. The primary focus of this course will be the evolutionary underpinnings of social cognition. We will investigate this topic through discussion of scientific, empirical literature comparing the abilities of human children and nonhuman animals (including apes, monkeys, dolphins, birds, and dogs). In particular, a large amount of research has targeted “theory of mind”, or the understanding that outward behaviors are caused by internal states (thoughts, beliefs), and not necessarily the actual state of affairs. Do chimpanzees interpret others’ behaviors in the same way we do? Are there differences in the perspective-taking abilities of domesticated mammals and wild mammals? What experimental methodologies might be used to answer these questions, and how might these change based on the species we’re investigating? Our discussions will focus on readings from empirical papers, theoretical essays, and books. Open to upper college students with consent of the instructor.

The idea that much of mental life occurs without conscious intention, awareness, or control has a long intellectual history in both psychology and philosophy, and has taken root as one of the central tenets of contemporary psychology. In this seminar, we will explore the ways in which large swaths of mental processes and behavior operate outside of conscious awareness. We will begin with the history of these ideas but place a special focus on the empirical research of the past 40 years. After reading work in cognitive psychology that introduces us to foundational concepts such as implicit learning, memory, and perception (i.e., subliminal perception), we will spend the bulk of our time engaging with how these processes unfold in our social worlds (e.g., attitudes, prejudices, emotions, goals, self-esteem, and relationships). We will conclude by considering the implications of this research for notions of free will and individual responsibility. Readings will draw from cognitive, social, and clinical psychology as well as neuroscience and philosophy. Prerequisites: 1. Moderation into Psychology or Cognitive Science plus one of the following courses: Social Psychology, Judgment and Decision Making, Human Memory, Cognitive Psychology; or 2. permission of the instructor.

Recent advances in the understanding of the neurobiology and physiology of stress have changed the way stress is viewed, both as a primary phenomenon and as a secondary factor that precipitates or causes a variety of psychiatric disorders. The latter include phobias, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and schizophrenia. This research conference will examine recent findings on the mechanisms and biological consequences of stress and will explore links between these effects and psychiatric disorders as reported in journal articles. Students will be expected to read and develop critiques of these articles as well as make class presentations. This seminar is intended for students who have moderated in psychology or biology, but is open to students with suitable background.

This course will provide basic training and direct experience with research in Clinical Psychology in general, and research in the empirical domains of Anxiety- and Trauma-Related Disorders (e.g., Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) in particular. Rudiments of research planning, design, and conduction will be discussed; and relevant ethical issues will be considered. Theoretical paradigms and empirical findings – and relevant books and articles – will be reviewed and critiqued, and these will be used to create bases for the evaluation of existing research questions as well as the creation of new research questions. In addition, existing datasets will be analyzed, and new data will be collected. Ultimately, the goal is that projects – both preexisting and new – will lead to the generation of Senior Project ideas and plans, and ultimately to conference presentations and publications.

This course provides an opportunity for guided research in psycholinguistics. You will contribute to ongoing studies of language comprehension, including preparing stimuli, working with participants, analyzing collected data, reviewing recently published empirical papers, and developing your independent project. Requirements include consistent participation in weekly lab meetings and two short papers (a literature review and a summary of your empirical project). Open to first-year, second-year and junior students with consent of the instructor. (This course may be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits.)

In this course, students will participate in laboratory research in child developmental psychology. Special emphasis will be placed on 3- to 5-year olds' social cognition, perspective-taking, and memory in the context of games. The majority of time in this course will consist of independent laboratory work and research, and students will work with young children, parents, and members of the community to initiate research protocols in our Preston-based laboratory . There will be a weekly laboratory meeting, readings, assignments, two short papers (a literature review and a summary of your empirical project) and student presentations. Open to first-year, second-year and junior students with consent of the instructor. (This course may be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits and must be taken twice to fulfill the Laboratory Science distribution requirement.)

In this course, students will participate in laboratory research in developmental psychopharmacology, behavioral neuroscience, neuroanatomy and/or neurobehavioral teratology using the zebrafish as an animal model. Within these general fields, specific roles of neurotransmitter systems in normal behavioral development and the neurobehavioral effects of chemical insults during early development will be investigated. The majority of time in this course will consist of independent laboratory work and research. There will be a weekly laboratory meeting, readings, assignments, two short papers (a literature review and a summary of your empirical project) and student presentations. Open to first-year, second-year and junior students with consent of the instructor (this course may be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits and must be taken twice to fulfill the Laboratory Science distribution requirement).

This course will provide a unique opportunity to obtain supervised, hands-on experience working with clinical populations and to contextualize such experience with an applied scholarly analysis. Because an integral component of clinical psychology is the application of treatment to the amelioration of problematic symptoms, being an active part of the administration of such treatment both complements and enhances what can be studied only in limited ways via texts and journal articles. As members of this course, students also will become members of treatment teams at local community facilities (e.g. Astor Home for Children, Anderson School) and will receive both individual and group supervision. Because the foundation of clinical research rests on initial and direct clinical observations, students will incorporate their clinical experiences into the formation of clinically relevant empirical questions that will be addressed via critical literature review and the “case study” method. (This course may be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits.) Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor and Treatment Facility Liaison.

This course provides hands-on experience in the practice of Social Psychology. Students will work individually and in teams on ongoing and student-initiated research projects in the Social Psychology Laboratory. The realm of topics to be studied includes the roots of unconscious bias, perceptions and judgments of social distance, and the gender disparity in the sciences. Students will participate in all phases of the research process, including developing stimuli, programming studies, conducting experimental sessions, and coding and analyzing research data. Requirements include attendance at weekly lab meetings, two papers, a lab presentation, and other assignments throughout the semester. Enrollment is open to first-, second-, and third-year students with the permission of the instructor. Students are expected to enroll for two consecutive semesters. (This course may be taken for a maximum of eight credits and must be taken twice to fulfill the Laboratory Science distribution requirement.)