PSY 101
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
3, 3/0; SSIF
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.
PSY 205
INDEPENDENT READING
1, 1/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, permission of instructor.
Supervised readings on a specific topic in psychology chosen mutually by the student and faculty supervisor at the time of registration.
PSY 304
LEARNING: THEORY AND RESEARCH
3, 2/2
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 306
STATISTICS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH
3, 2/2
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 308
SENSATION AND PERCEPTION
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 310
BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
Major learning principles as applied in behavior-modification techniques; premises, ethics, and assessment of behavioral methods; reinforcement, extinction, punishment, modeling, and cognitive change as methods of changing human behavior.
PSY 311
PERSONALITY: THEORY AND RESEARCH
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 321
COMPARATIVE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 325
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 327
ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING I
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 340
COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
Introduction to research and theoretical issues in cognitive psychology; history of memory and thought, acquisition of information, attention, short-term and longterm memory, pattern recognition, speech perception, space perception, and higher-order mental processes.
PSY 355
LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 356
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 357
ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT DEVELOPMENT
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 365
PSYCHOLOGY IN THE WORKPLACE
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 367
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
Organizational behavior from a psychological perspective; theories of and methods in organizational behavior and research; behavioral research in organizational settings, motivation, leadership, group dynamics, communication, and organization analysis and development.
PSY 370
ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY I
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 375
FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 376
HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 381
PSYCHOLOGY OF CULTURE
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 382
PSYCHOLOGY OF THE CONSUMER
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 383
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
Psychosexual aspects of human sexuality; historical views of human sexuality; sex research; physiology of sex; gender identity; puberty; early learning of sexuality; heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality; ways of sex; sexual minorities; social and legal issues of sex; portrayal and handling of sex in the media; sexual difficulties; eroticism; social-psychological attitudes toward sex; future trends of sexuality.
PSY 384
PSYCHOLOGY OF AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
Reasons for aggression; biological vs. environmental causes of aggression; definitions and scientific study of aggression; methods to control aggression.
PSY 385
PSYCHOLOGY OF PERSONAL ADJUSTMENT
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
Theory, research, and practical application of personal growth and adjustment throughout the lifespan; theories of adjustment; characteristics of the healthy personality; sex roles and gender differences; interpersonal relationships; adjustments to school, work, and retirement; understanding and managing stress; human sexuality; strategies for coping and adjustment.
PSY 387
PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER
3, 3/0; DIIF
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 388
PSYCHOLOGY OF DEATH AND DYING
3, 3/0
Prerequisite: PSY 101.
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.
PSY 404
THEORIES OF LEARNING
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 304.
Major theoretical interpretations of learning; the history and development of learning theories; cognitive versus stimulus-response explanations; recent mathematical, neurophysiological, and information-processing models.
PSY 411
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 311.
Dimensions, theories, and empirical findings in psychopathology. Concept of abnormality, problems and schemes of classification, theories of neurosis and psychosis, etiology, and classification and treatment for selected disorders.
PSY 412
COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, 3 credit hours of psychology; PSY 411 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.
PSY 415
THE COMPETENT INFANT
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 355.
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.
PSY 416
ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 355; PSY 411 recommended.
Significant issues and problems related to child psychopathology. Taxonomy of childhood behavior disorders, role of the family, assessment of psychopathology in children, mental retardation, aggressive behavior, poverty and psychopathology, learning disorders, neurosis and psychosis in children, developmental disorders, therapeutic approaches.
PSY 417
THE ATYPICAL INFANT
3, 3/3
Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 355.
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.
PSY 421
PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
3, 2/2
Prerequisites: PSY 101, 3 credit hours of psychology.
The brain and nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, and their relationship to animal and human behavior; psychosurgery, physiological basis of language, intelligence, emotion, motivation, learning, sexuality, abnormal behavior, perception, and motor behavior.
PSY 427
ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING II
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, 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.
PSY 430
PSYCHOLINGUISTICS: LANGUAGE STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 340.
Theoretical and empirical literature regarding human language processes. Animal vs. human communication, speech production, speech perception, language acquisition, grammar, sentence production and comprehension, and the relationship between language and cognition. Integrates language processes into the general framework of cognitive psychology.
PSY 432
HUMAN MOTIVATION AND EMOTION
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 304.
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.
PSY 440
ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 311; PSY 411 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.
PSY 441
INTRODUCTION TO NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, 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.
PSY 450
RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I: INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODS
3, 2/2
Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 306 with a grade of C or better, 3 credit hours of psychology.
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.
PSY 453
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY II: METHODS IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
3, 2/2
Prerequisite: PSY 450; PSY 325 recommended. Continuation of PSY 450.
Focus on research methods used in social psychology. Includes artifacts in social psychological research, the rights of subjects, the responsibilities of experimenters, and the problem of generalizing results to the “real” world. Requires minimum of four research exercises and reports, including the formulation of at least one original experimental design.
PSY 454
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY II: METHODS IN PHYSIOLOGICAL AND COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY
3, 2/2
Prerequisite: PSY 450; PSY 321 or PSY 421 recommended. Continuation of PSY 450. Focus on research methods used in comparative and physiological psychology; principles of behavioral observation, quantification of behavior, methods employed in the investigation of the nervous system, surgical and histological techniques, and the application of physiological methods to the understanding of behavior. Requires minimum of four research exercises and reports, including the formulation of at least one original experimental design.
PSY 455
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY II: METHODS IN COGNITION
3, 2/2
Prerequisite: PSY 450; PSY 340 recommended. Continuation of PSY 450.
Research methods used in studying cognitive processes. Shortand long-term memory, language, concept formation, and attention and thinking. Requires minimum of four research exercises and reports, including the formulation of at least one original experimental design.
PSY 456
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY II: METHODS IN SENSATION AND PERCEPTION
3, 2/2
Prerequisite: PSY 450; PSY 308 recommended. Continuation of PSY 450.
Focus on research methods used in sensation and perception. Includes classical psychophysical methods and recent advances in methodology. Emphasis on visual modality. Requires minimum of four research exercises and reports, including the formulation of at least one original experimental design.
PSY 457
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY II: METHODS IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
3, 2/2
Prerequisite: PSY 450; PSY 411 recommended. Continuation of PSY 450.
Methods and analysis of data used in clinical research. History of clinical psychology, ethical issues, special problems in clinical measurement and research, statistical procedures, the use of tests, case study and group designs, analogues, social interaction measures, and genetics. Requires minimum of four research exercises and reports, including the formulation of at least one original experimental design.
PSY 458
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY II: METHODS IN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
3, 2/2
Prerequisite: PSY 450; PSY 355 recommended. Continuation of PSY 450.
Focus on research methods used in studying developmental psychology. Includes methods used in studying lifespan development in the areas of perception, learning, personality, cognition, and attention. Requires minimum of four research exercises and reports, including the formulation of at least one original experimental design.
PSY 466
PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101; 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.
PSY 470
ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY II
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 370. Advancedlevel 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.
PSY 471
HISTORY AND SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGY
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, 6 credit hours of psychology.
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.
PSY 472
SEMINAR ON PSYCHOLOGY
3, 3/0; OCIF
Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 306, PSY 450, 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.
PSY 480
PSYCHOTHERAPY: THEORY, RESEARCH, AND PROCEDURES
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 311; PSY 411 recommended.
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.
PSY 481
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS
3, 2/2
Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 306.
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.
PSY 488
INTERNSHIP
Variable credit
Prerequisite: Approval of faculty supervisor.
Supervised field experience in a variety of settings to supplement classroom instruction.
PSY 495
SPECIAL PROJECT
Variable credit
Prerequisite: Approval of faculty supervisor.
Research conducted under supervision of a faculty member.
PSY 496
HONORS THESIS I
3, 0/3
Prerequisites: PSY 450, 72 credit hours, 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.
PSY 498
HONORS THESIS II
3, 0/3
Prerequisites: PSY 496 with a minimum grade of B, 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.
PSY 499
INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit.
Prerequisite: Approval of faculty supervisor.
Extensive library research conducted under the supervision of a faculty member.
Graduate Courses:
PSY 590
INDEPENDENT STUDY
3, 0/0
PSY 690
MASTER’S PROJECT
3, 0/0
Research or investigation of a specific psychological topic, planned and carried out by the student with the approval, consultation, and guidance of a graduate faculty member of the Psychology Department.
PSY/BUS/EDF 715
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND
TECHNIQUES
3, 3/0
Prerequisites: PSY 101 and instructor permission. Major management theories and factors affecting organizational systems; managing conflict and negotiating agreements; effective interpersonal skills for managers; defining
problems and generating creative alternatives; types and sources of information needed by managers; relation of leadership style to
staff productivity and development; relating effectively to upper-level management.