2016-2017 Academic Catalog 
    
    May 20, 2024  
HELP
2016-2017 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Courses

 
  

  • PSCI 296 - Special Topics in American Politics: Capstone Seminar

    Focus changes with each offering, depending on faculty interest. A past topic was “Politics of Rich and Poor.” Open to juniors and seniors only or by Permission. May be repeated for credit twice (topics must be different).

    Spring 2015 Topic:American Constitutional Development
    This seminar is a chance to think critically about American constitutions in state and nation. The United States was the first country to draft a written constitution as the fundamental law, and we take it for granted that there is a foundational document containing the structure of the government and protections of our individual rights.  State constitutions have also played an essential role in shifting ideas about democracy and in changing political conditions.  Together we will critically examine American constitutional development and its effects over time on the contours of our political ideas and institutions.

    (US)

     

    Anticipated Terms Offered: PERIODICALLY
  

  • PSCI 297 - Honors Thesis

    Students receive variable credit for advanced research and readings in the honors program.  Applications are due in March of junior year.  Approval of department honors committee required.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall/Spring
  

  • PSCI 298 - Internship

    Academic experience taking place in the field with an opportunity to earn credit.  Application must be submitted to Career Services for their approval.  Student needs to find a faculty member sponsor.
  

  • PSCI 299 - Directed Study

    Undergraduates, typically juniors and seniors, construct an independent study course on a topic approved and directed by a faculty member.  Students should contact faculty member directly.  Offered for variable credit.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall and Spring
  

  • PSTD 101 - Introduction to Peace Studies

    How can we transform conflicts in our personal lives, our society, and our world so that they generate development and justice rather than oppression and destruction? We will examine the roots of interpersonal and collective violence and attempts to reduce and abolish it. When is nonviolent struggle effective? When is violence justified? Students will investigate these questions and develop skills to wage peace.

    Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Spring
  

  • PSTD 289 - Advanced Topics in Peace Studies:Peace Building, Mediation, and Conflict Resolution

    The purpose of this capstone course is to provide an opportunity for students to synthesize and reflect on theoretical and practical aspects of peace building, mediation and conflict resolution. These aspects are explored at interpersonal, local and international levels.  The course involves lectures, visits, and closely working with organizations involved in peace building related activities.   It will provide an opportunity to conduct independent research on a Peace Studies theme and area selected by the student so that s/he integrates the linkages between the themes, areas, and disciplinary foci of study.  The specific focuses and format of the course will vary according to interests of the faculty and availability of field resources. May be repeatable for credit.


    Spring 2015 Topic: The Abolition of Violence.
    Is it possible to abolish violence? For centuries, activists have worked to abolish many forms of violence, including dueling, slavery, prostitution, and war. In this seminar, we will study the theories and methods used by historical and contemporary movements to abolish different types of oppression and violence. How do activists go about transforming conflicts and building peace at the interpersonal, local, regional, and transnational levels? What skills do peacebuilders need in order to be effective? What kinds of ethical dilemmas do we face? In addition to examining historical case studies, each student will interview practitioners in order to conduct research on an existing anti-violence movement.  

    Prerequisites: PSTD 101  

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
  

  • PSTD 298 - Peace Studies Internship

    An Academic internship is a practical work experience with an academic component that enables a student to gain knowledge and skills within an organization, industry, or functional area that reflects the student’s academic and professional interests while earning credit. Maybe repeatable for credit.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Every Semester
  

  • PSTD 299 - Peace Studies Directed Study

    Undergraduates, typically juniors and seniors, construct an independent study course on a topic approved and directed by a faculty member. Offered for variable credit. May be repeatable for credit.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Every Semester
  

  • PSYC 020 - Topics in Men and Emotion

    One of the most pervasive gender stereotypes in Western societies is the belief that men “aren’t emotional.” In this inquiry-based seminar we will look at available scientific theory and research to determine just how accurate this stereotype is. Do men actually experience and express emotions differently than women? Is this true for all emotions or just some more than others? How can an enhanced understanding of the gendered nature of men’s emotional experiences help us in promoting human well-being for both men and women? In addition to immersing ourselves in existing research, we will also carry out a new research study on masculine gender socialization and emotion. Students will be responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data focused on a research question that we will formulate early in the semester. Fulfills the Values perspective. First year students only.

    Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically.
  

  • PSYC 030 - Twentysomething in the 21st Century

    First-year students are not only beginning their college careers, they are entering a new life stage. They leave behind adolescence, which entailed going through puberty, reaching sexual maturity, completing secondary school, and enter emerging adulthood, a life stage distinguished by instability, feelings of being incompletely adult, a sense of wide-open possibilities, and the beginning of moving toward enduring choices in love and work. This course will focus on development from age 18 to 29 in early 21st century American society. Students will learn how the typical experience of 18-29 year-old Americans today differs from past eras in American society, as well as the variations in emerging adulthood today, within American society and around the world. An important part of the course will be that students will learn to reflect on their own lives in historical and cultural contexts.
    Fulfills the Historical Perspective requirement
     

    Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: HP

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
  

  • PSYC 040 - Topics in Discourse

    Through class exercises and small group work, students will learn fundamental principles, generalizations, and theories in a new area of knowledge pertaining to issues of language/discourse. The topics in discourse will vary each semester based on current and relevant issues. Fulfills the Language and Culture Perspective requirement (LP).

    Fall 2016: Election Discourse

    In order to effectively analyze talk around the upcoming November ‘16 elections, we will leave our political convictions behind and learn how to analyze human (linguistic and non-linguistic) communication. Since this course carries the Language and Culture Perspective, it is expected that students will acquire the basic linguistic skills necessary for in-depth analysis of language, i.e., the presidential candidates’ political speeches, debates, interviews, and media presentations thereof. Students will be expected to commit themselves to a high-level academic atmosphere and a challenging workload that will result in stimulating class discussions. Must register for discussion section; participation in Weekend Seminar (and in election night) is required. For information before you enroll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gedrB3fY4wI#action=share

    Prerequisites: None

    Corequisites: None

    Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: LP

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall
  

  • PSYC 050 - The Psychology of Prejudice

    Psychology of Prejudice
    Why does prejudice exist? How does it affect ourselves, our relationships, and our society? In this first-year intensive, we we will explore these questions by turning to the scientific literature. Students will explore a variety of topics in the psychology of prejudice, including cognitive processing (e.g., categorization, activation, application), content and structure, expression, sociostructural causes and consequences (e.g.,power, status, threat), and their reduction or elimination (e.g., prejudice reduction, intergroup interactions, social change). Throughout the seminar, we will discuss a variety of different prejudices, including prejudice against racial minorities, sexual minorities, women and marginalized genders, and other social groups. The goals of this course are to (1) provide students with an in-depth understanding of prejudice and how they affect social and political reality, (2) critically examine theory and metatheory guiding research on stereotypes and prejudice, and (3) learn how researchers study stereotypes and prejudice.

    Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: GP

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Biennially
  

  • PSYC 101 - General Psychology

    Introduction to the principles of human behavior and to the various sub-disciplines of Psychology. Students are required to either participate in a psychology study or to read an empirical article and write a short paper. No prerequisite. Unless otherwise noted, this course is a prerequisite to all other psychology offerings. Discussion attendance required.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 105 - Statistics

    Introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics for the social sciences. Discussion attendance required.

    Not recommended for first-year students in their first semester.

    Prerequisites:

      

    Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: FA

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 108 - Experimental Methods in Psychology

    Presents the principles of the scientific method and methods of experimental research in psychology. The relations between experimental design and quantitative analyses are examined. Students will participate in the design of an experimental study including a search of relevant literature, the collection of data and will submit a report of the experiment. Discussion attendance required.

    Prerequisites:   ,  

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 109 - Qualitative Methods in Psychology

    Covers the principles of engagement in qualitative inquiry—with particular emphasis on observing, interviewing, and analyzing people in interaction. Classes take the form of a mix between lecture and discussion, supplemented by an individually conducted observation project, and an interview that is carried out as a small group project. Discussion attendance required.

    Prerequisites:  

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 120 - Introduction to Cognition

    The course provides an overview of some of the cognitive processes such as vision, attention, memory, concepts, language, thinking, and consciousness. We examine the cognitive architecture of those processes and the biological mechanisms that underlie them. The objective of the course is to familiarize students with some of the concepts and findings cognitive psychologists have developed and to stimulate critical thinking.

    Must register for discussion.

    Prerequisites:

     

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 130 - Psychology of Learning

    Focuses on historical and current issues in the psychology of learning. Topics include classical and operant learning, the role of language and cognition, and continuity and discontinuity in human and nonhuman species.

    Discussion attendance required.

    Prerequisites:

     

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 138 - Health Psychology

    Health psychology is a flourishing field that is devoted to understanding the interaction between psychosocial factors and health. This course provides a broad overview of theories, concepts, methods, and applications that form the core of health psychology. In this course, we will consider several areas of health and illness across the life span, including: stress and coping; the health care system; prevention and treatment of illness; etiology and correlates of health, illness, and dysfunction; and health promotion and maintenance. Students will also be encouraged to consider the ways in which psychological factors interact with social, cultural, economic, and environmental contexts to influence health.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Spring
  

  • PSYC 142 - Sensation and Perception

    Sensation, perception and cognition work together to give us meaningful information about the world. This course examines how information is picked up from the environment and then coded, transformed and integrated by the sensory systems. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of pain and touch to our survival and well-being. For each of the six senses, we will consider not only what kind of information it provides about the world, but also how it can be impaired, and how some impairments can be remedied. We will also explore some of the relations between perception and clinical, developmental, social, and cultural psychology.

    Not recommended for first year students.

    Fulfills the Basic Processes requirement of the Psychology major.
     

    Prerequisites:

      

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
  

  • PSYC 143 - Human Sexuality

    This course examines contemporary knowledge and attitudes towards human sexuality, relying on theoretical and empirical psychological research. Multiple perspectives are presented, including psychosocial, cross-cultural, and psychobiological. Sexuality across the life span is examined, including issues pertaining to: biological sexual differentiation, the sexual response cycle, intimacy and communication, varieties of sexual relationships and behavior, and sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. Emphasis is placed on the critical analysis and synthesis of research on sexuality in the context of current social and cultural influences.

    Fulfills the Basic Processes requirement of the psychology major.

    Prerequisites:

      

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 144 - Interpersonal Psychology

     

    In this course students will learn about the science of interpersonal relationships. The course will focus specifically on what psychologists have learned about attraction and what people look for in a long-term partner, the experience of love and intimacy, communication in intimate relationships, the role of personality and personal history in relationship satisfaction, interpersonal conflict and problem solving, parenting and co-parenting, and therapies designed to improve and strengthen relationship health.

    This course fulfills the Basic Processes requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:

      

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
  

  • PSYC 150 - Developmental Psychology

    Discusses the development of biological, cognitive and social functioning from conception to adolescence. Emphasizes and contrasts theoretical approaches to conceptualizing changes in developing children in light of current research.

    Fulfills the Developmental/ Cultural requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:

      

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 152 - Adolescent Development

    This course is designed to introduce students to the major theories and research on adolescent development. The course emphasizes both individual development and cultural influences and encourages students to consider the influence of multiple settings, historical time, and individual differences on the adolescent experience. This course not only offers students the opportunity to learn in a text-and lecture-based setting, but also encourages students to draw upon their personal experiences, knowledge, and professional goals as guides for understanding the complexity of adolescent development and adjustment.

    Fulfills the Developmental/Cultural requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:

      

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 153 - Human Development Across the Lifespan

    This course will explore theory and research on human development from conception through old age. Areas of development considered will include biological, cognitive, and emotional functioning, as well as relationships with family members, peers and friends, and romantic partners. The course will draw on theory and research in psychology as well as sociology and anthropology. The cultural approach to development will be emphasized, that is, human development will be portrayed as taking markedly different paths depending on the cultural context.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101 

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
  

  • PSYC 170 - Social Psychology

    Examines love, fear, conflict and other basic processes involved in group dynamics, interpersonal relations, community psychology, intergroup relations, organizational behavior and the interface between human nature and culture. These basic processes are related to the attempt to achieve a world of peace and justice. In addition to quizzes and a final exam, students are asked to apply their knowledge of basic processes in a personal or political action.

    Fulfills the Social/Personality requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:

      or Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered annually
  

  • PSYC 172 - Psychology of Personality

    Considers theories regarding behavioral differences among persons in response to the same or similar situations: includes typological, trait, psychoanalytic, traditional and neobehavioristic, and personological conceptions.

    Prerequisites:  

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 173 - Introduction to Abnormal Psychology

    Discusses the manner in which abnormal behavior has been traditionally defined and the implications of these definitions. Provides a comprehensive overview of the major categories of abnormal behavioral disorders with an emphasis on theory and research (e.g., schizophrenia, affective disorders, substance abuse, eating disorders, etc.). Special attention is paid to issues of assessment, intervention, legal issues and prevention.

    Fulfills the Social/Personality requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:

      

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 175 - Introduction to Clinical Psychology

    Surveys various approaches to clinical assessment and intervention. Emphasizes the assumptions underlying alternative approaches and the actual activities of clinical psychologists. This course also covers special topics including ethics, health psychology, clinical neuropsychology and forensic psychology.

    Prerequisites:   and PSYC 109  or Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 193 - Discourse, Identity, and the Critique of Romance

    This FYI explores how people make sense of themselves by what they say and how they say it (‘discourse’) - with a focus on the construction of a ‘modern identity’ and the sense of who we are in ‘Late Modernity’. This particular semester we will focus on how the search for a unique sense of self that is ‘recognized’ by others is something that has resulted in modern times in more distant and ‘cool’ relationships vis-à-vis ‘the other’-especially in romantic relationships. Since this course carries the Language and Culture Perspective, it is expected that students will acquire the basic skills in linguistics necessary for the acquisition of some basic Maori, and some in-depth analyses of discourse. Students will be expected to commit themselves to a high-level academic atmosphere and to a challenging workload that will result in stimulating class discussions. Participation in Weekend Seminar required.

    Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: LP

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 200 - Research in Program Evaluation

    How does an individual track movement toward achieving his or her goals? How does an organization do the same, especially when achieving its goals requires the coordination of many individuals and groups? How does an institution go about creating its own systematic future improvement? In this course, a selective team of student researchers will contribute to ongoing research evaluating how well and in what ways engagement in responsible, adaptive, creative, collaborative, integrative endeavors progresses over time. Particular skills learned may include (a) developing ways to make improvement “visible”; (b) evaluating existing measures; (c) collecting data via surveys, interviews, and observation; (d) analyzing data qualitatively and statistically, and making sense of findings; (e) sharing results and implications with various stakeholders to improve programs. Skills and experiences from this class are valuable for students who are considering careers not only in psychology but also in fields where applying psychology research thinking is sought after, including management, education, healthcare, sales and marketing, and service. Open to undergraduate in psychology and other majors interested in program evaluation.
    This course fulfills the mid-level Lab/Research requirement for the psychology major.
  

  • PSYC 201 - Laboratory in Social Psychology

    General principles of experimental design are learned through the design and performance of original experiments in experimental social psychology. This course covers various topics in psychology, with a focus on violence and nonviolence, intergroup relations, and power dynamics. Both group and individual experiments are conducted in these topic areas of social psychology, and activities will include experiments, surveys, case studies, field observations, and psychological test constructions. Students are also involved in lab experience and writing research papers.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101 , PSYC 105  , AND PSYC 108 

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 202 - Laboratory in Developmental Psychology

    A general introduction to conceptual issues related to research in the area of human development. Students participate in group research projects involving observational and experimental techniques and receive training in all phases of research, including formulating research questions, data collection and analysis, and report writing.

    Prerequisites:   ,  , and   

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 203 - Research in Stigma, Intersectionality, and Health

    This course provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to conduct research in the Stigma, Intersectionality, and Health Lab administered by professor Nicole M. Overstreet. The Stigma, Intersectionality, and Health Lab conducts research examining the connection between stigma and health on an individual, interpersonal, and structural level, with a particular focus on stigmatized attributes that are visible, such as race and gender, and those that are concealable, such as mental illness, sexual minority status, and HIV/AIDS. Students in this course will be responsible for a variety of research tasks, including, but not limited to, coding, data entry, data collection, data analysis, survey development, and scientific writing.

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

     

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  , PSYC 105  , PSYC 108  , and Instructor’s permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall and Spring
  

  • PSYC 206 - Research on Youth Purpose

    This course involves students in ongoing research addressing how young people develop a life purpose. Actual work depends on the stage of the research project, and may include literature reviews, data collection and follow-up, data analysis and interpretation, argument building, and writing and presentation of findings related to the relationship of educational experiences to life purpose, culture and purpose development, and emotions and life purpose. This is a collaborative course where students work as a team on current research that encompasses research partners in six countries around the world.

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

    (may be repeated for credit)

    Prerequisites: PSYC 105  , PSYC 108  , PSYC 109  , PSYC 150  , and Instructor’s permission. PSYC 252  is helpful, but not required. Both PSYC 150 and PSYC 252 may be taken concurrently with PSYC 206.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall and Spring
  

  • PSYC 207 - Lab in Cultural Psychology

     

    This lab focuses on the cultural organization of human psychological experience and human psychological functioning. Students will learn about the fundamental principles of cultural psychology, different schools of thought in cultural psychology, and what it means to have a research process that is inclusive of culture. The course combines literature, fieldwork, and collaborative research to learn, discuss, and develop the skills necessary to conduct cultural psychological research.

     

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
  

  • PSYC 210 - Research on Ideology and Violence

    This course provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to conduct research in the Ideology and Intergroup Violence Lab administered by professor Andrew L. Stewart. Students in this course will be responsible for a variety of research tasks, including, but not limited to, data collection, data entry, data analysis, and scientific writing. The Ideology and Intergroup Violence Lab conducts research examining the etiology and prevention of intergroup violence, particularly in gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation, and other intergroup relations. This course may be repeatable for credit.

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 105  , PSYC 108  , and Permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall and Spring
  

  • PSYC 211 - Fundamentals of Applied Research through Internship

    This is a mid-level internship course. Students will attend a weekly 3-hour seminar, and complete a placement at a local community organization. The main goal of this course is to provide you with the opportunity to apply and further develop your psychological knowledge and skills through an internship in a non-academic setting, while discussing these experiences and sharing skills with an academic community in a weekly seminar setting. The course is intended to serve as an opportunity for students to begin developing and exploring their own professional identity. This internship in applied psychology, and the community we will build in seminar, presents an opportunity for you to learn about work life from firsthand experience, to interpret workplace events and client service through a psychological perspective, and to employ students’ psychological knowledge and skills toward solving practical problems and meeting the needs of your internship site.

    Fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.
     

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  , and at least 1 course from the basic processes, developmental, or social/personality content areas (PSYC 120-175).

    Students will be required to complete an application in order to be placed in the course, and may need to attend some training or complete some screenings (such as CORI screening to work with youth) in advance of the start of the course.

    This course requires instructor permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
  

  • PSYC 216 - Research in Political Psychology

    This course involves students in ongoing research in political psychology, with a specific focus on activism and civic engagement. This includes working with, and possibly collecting, different kinds of data: survey-based measures of identity, activism, and political attitudes; interviews; and content analyses of media outlets and websites. Students will have the opportunity to participate in different phases of research depending on the nature and stage of the project (from project development, to data collection, to coding, to data entry and analysis).

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  , PSYC 105  , PSYC 108  , and Instructor’s Permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Every semester
  

  • PSYC 218 - Research in Learning & Culture

    This course involves students in ongoing research addressing issues on the cultural organization of learning in childhood. This includes working with different kinds of data: videotapes of naturally occurring interactions, videos of children participating in games and structured activities, and interview data with parents and family members. Students will have the opportunity to participate in many phases of research depending on the nature and stage of the project (from data collection, to coding, to data entry and analysis).

    Prerequisites:  ,  ,  ,   ,   and Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 219 - Research in Culture and Development

    This course involves students in ongoing research addressing the intersection of human development and culture. This includes research on cultural identity development in immigrants as well as ties between cultural identity and engagement with civil society, school, and family.

    Prerequisites:  ,  ,  ,  ,   or Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 220 - Research in Family Violence

    Students in this course will work in Professor Denise Hines’ research lab on various projects related to issues in family violence. Ongoing projects focus on male victimization of female-perpetrated partner violence, and research and evaluation of the Clark Anti-Violence Education (CAVE) program, which focuses on the prevention of sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking among Clark University students. Other projects vary year by year, but focus on the general topic of family/interpersonal violence. Students will engage in a variety of tasks, including but  not limited to: data coding, background literature searches, and recruitment of participants. A one-year commitment is required, with that commitment beginning in the fall semester. Students can elect to take the second semester as a capstone research requirement.

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:  

     ,  ,  , and Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered most semesters
  

  • PSYC 221 - Research in Social Psychology

    Fall 2015:

    Undergraduate students in this course will have the opportunity to conduct research in Professor Randi L. Garcia’s lab on various projects related to sexual objectification, the dynamics of diverse group interactions, and the gender division of household labor. Research projects in this lab examine the consequences of sexual objectification for both women and men in the workplace, how stereotyping and discrimination play out in diverse versus homogenous groups, and the complexities of the gender division of household labor using an intergroup relations framework. Students in this course will engage in a variety of task including, but not limited to, literature review, research design, survey development, data collection, the coding of videotaped interactions of “first dates” and small group interactions, data analysis, and scientific writing.

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  ,

     , and Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
  

  • PSYC 222 - Research in Cognitive Development

    Students participate in an ongoing research project in collaboration with the instructor and graduate students. Students participate in designing and conducting studies in schools and day-care centers, analyzing data and presenting findings. Recent topics include the development of early literacy, the interaction of language and knowledge development in early elementary school, and children’s understanding of counting, measuring number, matter, and energy.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 120  or    and Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 223 - Research in Motivational and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents

    Ongoing research on the effects of contexts (home, school, etc.) on the emotional and motivational development of children.

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 108   and Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 224 - Research on Identity Development

    Designed to train students in an ongoing research project on the development of subjectivity and identity in and through discourse, particularly narrative discourse.

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 109   and Instructor’s permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 225 - Research on Intergroup Conflict and Cooperation

    This course involves students in ongoing research addressing the relations between members of different ethnic, national, religious, and racial groups. Most of these research projects focus on the role of past conflict and group-based victimization on current intergroup relations. Both destructive phenomena (such as hostility and revenge) and constructive phenomena (solidarity, reconciliation, and prosocial behavior across groups) will be studied. This course is grounded in social psychological literature and theories, and students will be exposed to multiple methods (ranging from content analysis of interviews to surveys and quasi-experimental studies).

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:  

     ,  , PSYC 109  and Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 226 - Research in Men’s Mental Health

    Students will collaborate on studies of the way men experience, express, and respond to problems in living. Data collected include interviews, questionnaires, and other methods for exploring links between masculine gender socialization and men’s well-being.

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: Instructor’s permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 227 - Research on Addictive Behaviors

    This course involves students participating in ongoing research examining the etiology and treatment of addictive behaviors. This includes research projects investigating risk factors for relapse to substance use and treatment development for substance-using populations. Students will become familiar with basic theories, research methods, and research findings in addictions; actively participate in research team meetings; and develop competence in key research tasks.

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:

     ,  ,  ,  ,  , and instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 228 - Research in Youth & Anxiety

    This 2-semester research course addresses issues surrounding the etiology and intervention of anxiety symptoms in youth, with a specific emphasis on the family context (e.g., parenting styles, family processes). The research draws from both the clinical and developmental sub-disciplines of psychology and, thus, addresses aspects of normative child and adolescent development as well as the development of psychopathology. Data include coded observations of dyadic interactions, standardized interviews, and questionnaire data.

    For the 2016-17 This year will be dedicated to research related to child and adolescent mental health problems and interventions. There is a special emphasis on basic intervention research addressing family processes in youth anxiety disorders. In this course, students will participate in research conducted at the Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Clinic at UMass Memorial Medical Center. Specifically, through attending weekly lab meetings and participating in an ongoing research project, students will learn how to generate research questions and hypotheses; how to design studies to address these research questions and hypotheses; how to collect, clean, and enter data into study datasets, how to analyze data; and how to interpret findings and disseminate information at professional meetings and in peer-reviewed publications.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101 ,

     ,  , PSYC 109  and Instructor’s permission. PSYC 173  or PSYC 150  recommended

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Every year
  

  • PSYC 229 - Research in the Development of Language

    Students participate in a research project concerning the interaction between language development and early literacy acquisition. Students are responsible for various phases of research, including literature reviews, data collection and analysis, and interpreting results.

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 150  and Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
  

  • PSYC 231 - Couples Research

    This course involves undergraduate majors in all phases of ongoing research being conducted in the Couples Research Laboratory of professor James Cordova. Students will participate in weekly lab meetings. Depending on the phase that studies being conducted in the lab, students can be involved in project design, recruiting participants, interviewing participants, observing couples’ interactions and coding their behavior, gathering data, managing data and library research.

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 105  , PSYC 108  and Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 232 - Research in Community

     

    This course provides a hands-on experience with conducting community/clinical psychology research through the Mental Health, Culture, and Community Research Program. Students will be actively involved in a variety of research projects that examine a range of topics, including cultural influences on the help-seeking process, emotion regulation and coping strategies, the development and expression of depressive symptoms, and the psychotherapy process. Current research projects take place in the local community, including local health organizations and schools. In order to maximize the experience on this project, students participate in a weekly class in which the theoretical underpinnings of the project are discussed. Students are also required to write a final paper and present a poster at Academic Spree Day.

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

     

    Prerequisites: Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 233 - Research on Thinking in Societal Context

    Students participate in ongoing interview research on the different knowledges and other resources people bring into their reasoning about complex situations, and on the manner in which people’s subjectivity and their modes of thinking are shaped by their societal context and cultural history, with particular attention to gender. Students receive training in interview practices and qualitative data analysis, and conduct hands-on specific analyses of interest to them and pertaining to this research project. Weekly lab meetings, including undergraduate students, graduate students involved in the research, and the instructor, are devoted to discussing the theoretical background of the research, its methodology and the students’ ongoing analyses.

    Prerequisites: Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 234 - Research on Adult Development

    This course involves students in research addressing issues pertaining to adult development. Possible topics include identity development in emerging adulthood, relations between emerging adults and their parents, the transition to parenthood, and midlife marriage and work transitions, among others. Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be employed, including interviews and questionnaires.

    This course fulfills the mid-level lab/research requirement of the psychology major.
     

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  , PSYC 105  , PSYC 108  , PSYC 109  , and Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
  

  • PSYC 235 - Research on Diverse Families and Sexualities

    This course involves undergraduates in all phases of ongoing research being conducted in the Diverse Families and Sexualities Laboratory of Professor Abbie Goldberg. The two primary research projects that Dr. Goldberg’s team is working are: (1) The Transition to Adoptive Parenthood Project, a 10 year longitudinal study of heterosexual, lesbian, and gay adoptive parents, which focuses on parents’ experiences in a wide range of settings (e.g., their communities; their children’s schools); and (2) The Postpartum Well-Being Study, a study of sexual minority and heterosexual women during the first year of parenthood, which focuses on their mental health, sexual identity, partner relationships, social support, and experiences with health care professionals.

    Students will participate in weekly lab meetings. Students will also participate in transcribing participant interviews, coding data, entering data, and assisting with other lab tasks. To be accepted into the lab, students must: meet a minimum GPA requirement; interview with Dr. Goldberg and a doctoral student; be able to articulate the intersection between their interests and career goals and the foci of/opportunities provided by the lab; and be able to commit to one year in the lab.

    This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.

     

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101   and Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 236 - Stigma and Health

    This course provides an introduction to the phenomenological experience of stigmatization and will critically engage you to understand health consequences of stigmatization. In this course, we will examine perspectives on the origin and function of stigma and consider models that examine the connection between stigma and health on an individual, interpersonal, and structural level. We will also consider the health implications of living with stigmatized attributes within society. We will focus on stigmatized attributes that are visible, such as race and weight, and those that are concealable, such as mental illness, sexual minority status, and HIV/AIDS. Finally, we will consider multi-level interventions to reduce stigmatization and its downstream influence on individual health. 

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  ,  PSYC 108  , and PSYC 138  , or Instructor’s permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall
  

  • PSYC 237 - Dating and Sexual Violence: Research and Prevention

    This course explores research on the prevalence, risk for, consequences of, and prevention and treatment of dating and sexual violence. Historical, legal, and psychological perspectives on these issues will be highlighted. Students may also be trained to deliver an empirically-supported prevention program addressing dating and sexual violence on college campuses.

    Open to sophomores and juniors; seniors by permission of instructor.

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:

      and a 170-level course.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
  

  • PSYC 238 - The Psychology of Human Nature: Our Evolutionary and Cultural History

    This course will examine the history of the human species, beginning with pre-human ancestors and continuing through Homo sapiens. Most of the course will focus on human cultural history over the past 40,000 years, examining such important developments as the beginning of settled communities, the earliest evidence of art and adornment, the taming and use of fire, and the creation of large civilizations with science, arts, division of labor, and government.

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:

      

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
  

  • PSYC 240 - Race and Racism: Theory and Experiences

    This course addresses the historical and sociopolitical construction of the concept of race and racial categories, and the ways in which ‘race’ shapes our social world. Using Critical Race Theory, we focus on social inequality and on the importance of approaching racism as a systemic phenomenon that structures societies at all levels and in all domains. The objectives of the course are to provide students with a critical and theoretical appreciation of the historical construction of ‘race’ and of its functioning in the social world, and to lead them to use this perspective as an analytic tool for understanding the world around them, for examining how their own identity in this racialized social world has shaped their experience, and for understanding the experiences of people from ‘racial’ groups different from their own. Readings, films, class activities, and assignments are designed to promote these objectives and to stimulate students’ reflections about the role they want to play as social agents.

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  and instructor’s permission. Course open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
  

  • PSYC 241 - The Psychology of Resistance during Genocide

    What enables people to resist against violence and oppression, even when they are targeted and severely restricted such as during genocide? How do people overcome the uncertainty and fear that characterize these situations, and what motivates them to engage in resistance even when this can mean sure death? This seminar explores these questions about the psychology of resistance among victim groups during genocide and mass violence, drawing on oral histories and academic literature. This course is interdisciplinary, and addresses students of Psychology, Sociology, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Peace Studies, IDCE, Race and Ethnic Relations, and other social sciences. Students in this course will (1) develop lay theories of the psychology of resistance; (2) work with video-recorded, archived oral history interviews that were conducted with genocide survivors during the Holocaust and other genocides; (3) integrate this knowledge with psychological and sociological literature on this topic; and (4) apply this knowledge to other contexts. Students will present their individual and group work in class and at Academic Spree Day. 

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

     

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
  

  • PSYC 243 - Human Development and Culture

    This course examines the ways an individual’s psychological and social development takes place in a cultural context. Readings include qualitative and quantitative studies of different parts of the life span in diverse cultures (such as India, Guatemala and the United States). While most readings are drawn from psychology, some readings are by writers in anthropology and philosophy.

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 108  , PSYC 109  , and a 150-level course

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 244 - Cognitive Development

    This seminar explores the perceptual and cognitive abilities of babies and young children. How does their knowledge of physical objects, space, the biological world, number, and people’s minds and behaviors evolve? How does their ability to imitate and communicate develop? How do they learn to categorize and label objects? How does reasoning and problem-solving change with age? Different theoretical approaches will be considered, especially with respect to the role of experience, innate factors, and cultural factors in development.

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 120  or PSYC 150  , or Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
  

  • PSYC 245 - Psychological Perspectives on Criminal Behavior

    Examines various types of criminal behavior according to psychological theories. We first will discuss major psychological theoretical perspectives on crime, including psychobiological theories, personality theories, learning theories, and developmental theories. We will then discuss the intersection between various mental disorders and criminal behavior. The third part of the course will address specific types of crime, including sex offending, serial killing, terrorism, and battering. The semester ends with a discussion of various legal issues related to mental health, including insanity and competency.

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 108   or instructor’s permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 246 - Self and Identity in Social Context

    What makes us who we are-what is a Self? Is our Self comprised of memory, a set of cognitive functions, or our personality? What are the narratives we use to understand our lives in a social world? How is our Self translated into identities, and how do those identities operate in the larger social world? How are those identities shaped by those around us, and how much can or do they change?


    The first objective of this course is for you to understand how psychologists study each of the above questions and others, as well as how they have attempted to answer them. We will do this through discussions and reflections on empirical and theoretical readings in psychology, as well as readings from related fields, excerpts from novels (both traditional and graphic), and other sources. The second objective of this course is for you to produce a scholarly zine (a kind of self-made magazine) or blog that explores questions related to self and identity, and for which you have polished and self-reflective answers, informed by psychological theory.

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  , PSYC 108  , and PSYC 109  

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall or Spring, Bi-annually
  

  • PSYC 248 - Children with Learning Disabilities

    The topics in this course arise from an old question: What cognitive and linguistic skills underlie speaking, reading, writing, and learning? Some practical implications of that old question are: Who are the children that fall under the term “learning disabled?” If a preschooler has a language disorder, does he/she “catch up” during school years? What happens to children with “developmental delays” when they enter school? Can early language programs help these children achieve academic success? How does instructional style influence classroom learning? What is literacy and what is required to be a good reader?

    The course should be of interest to students interested in developmental psychology, communication disorders, and education. This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.


     

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  , PSYC 108  , and PSYC 120  or PSYC 150  ; or Instructor’s permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
  

  • PSYC 249 - Women in Society

    Examines how women’s psychological functioning and development can be understood in societal context, with a central attention to differences as well as commonalities among women. To examine the workings of the societal context, we discuss anthropological and sociological studies of women’s status in various societies and of different women’s status within a given society and we examine how gender, race/ethnicity and class operate jointly in structuring societies and cultures. The focus of the seminar is on how economic, historical and cultural processes impinge on the individual, for example how cultural representations of femininity and masculinity, the workings of social institutions, or language as the symbolic carrier of meaning, configure social life and individual subjectivity, and we discuss the interconnections between those social and cultural processes. We center on individual women’s functioning within that context, covering such topics as women’s personal development, life issues of women, intellectual functioning, personal power, and women’s roles and functions in society, including issues relating to role choices and adult development. The objective of the course is to guide students to approach individual functioning and development as the functioning of social agents participating in, and shaped by a complex social and cultural world.

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:

     ; Sophomores and juniors only or Instructor’s permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
  

  • PSYC 251 - Special Topics in Psychology

    Spring 2016 Topic: The Psychology of Music

    This course will cover the psychology of music in its broadest sense.  Why does music exist and what functions does it serve psychologically, socially, and evolutionarily?  What cognitive and brain mechanisms allow for the perception and performance of music? Can music promote physical, social, and emotional well-being?  How is the act of music listening related to identity development in adolescence? 

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

     

     

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically.
  

  • PSYC 252 - What is My Purpose in Life?

    What is meaningful to me? How can I contribute? Where am I headed? What do I intend to do with my life? In this first seminar, we will explore beyond who we are (identity) to consider why we are here (purpose). We will examine how purpose functions in our personal psychology, read other individuals’ paths to their purposes, consider criteria to help us find or forge our own purposes, and evaluate ways to study purpose through a psychological lens.

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

     

    Prerequisites: PSYC 105   and PSYC 109  

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually or Bi-annually
  

  • PSYC 254 - Psychology of Sexual Orientation

    This course will take an intersectional, life course approach to the topic of sexual orientation, attending to the various social locations that intersect with sexual orientation (e.g., gender, race, religion) and the shifting nature and meaning of sexual orientation at different stages of development. The course will begin with an overview of the history and politics of sexual orientation research, attending to controversial and timely issues such as the causality of sexual orientation and how we “count” sexual minorities in surveys. The focus will then shift to exploring the intersection of sexuality and gender. For example, we will discuss and interrogate “compulsive heterosexuality” and the construction of masculinity and femininity, attending to how family, peers, the media, and other key socialization agents (re)enforce our ideas about sexuality and gender. We will explore sexual identity development and sexual fluidity across the life course, and will attend to and critique dominant “coming out” narratives. We will critically examine the empirical research on sexual minority youths and adolescent sexual orientation, tackling complex topics such as media portrayals of gay teen suicide and the changing use and meaning of various sexual identity labels. We will address the intersection of sexual orientation and gender identity in young adulthood and beyond, examining, for example, the sexual identities of individuals who identify as transgender. Intimate relationship dynamics and family-building in LGBTQ communities, as well as aging issues, will also be discussed. Finally, tensions and conflicts surrounding LGBTQ activism and advocacy will be explored. Class assignments will include weekly reading response papers, experiential exercises and writing assignments, and a class project and presentation. Active class participation is a must; this is intended to be an engaged, dynamic seminar with 15 participants who are dedicated to thinking, learning, and growing.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 105  , PSYC 108  , PSYC 109  or Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
  

  • PSYC 255 - Experimental Social Psychology

    The course will explore in some depth the contributions of experimental research to understanding various social psychological phenomena, including conformity and obedience; cognitive dissonance; self-concepts; impression formation and attribution; liking and interpersonal attraction; prejudice and stereotyping; social dilemmas; aggression; helping and altruism; and others. Each student will write a paper and lead a discussion on one such topic, which he or she will select. All students will read these papers and selected works in these topic areas.

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:

      

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 257 - Teaching Psyc as a Way of Learning

    This First Seminar is for mid- and upper-level psychology majors who have taken PSYC 109 . Students in PSYC 257 will serve as Peer Learning Assistants (PLAs) for PSYC 109 , where the primary tasks will be to organize sections and classes around the following three inquiry-based tasks: (i) getting students actively involved in discussions in section and on Black Board; (ii) helping students to organize (and stay on top of) their observation projects; and (iii) support and guide a group of six students through an inquiry-based interview project. The goal for participants in PSYC 257 is to learn to conduct and guide small group projects and discussions and through this activity deepen their understanding of qualitative, inquiry-based, psychology. This will be achieved by weekly meetings to go over the experiences of PLAs and preparing the upcoming projects.

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: Registration by instructor permission only.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered most semesters.
  

  • PSYC 258 - Emerging Adulthood: Dev. from Late Teens through the 20s

    This course focuses on development from ages 18 to 29, a period of the life course now known as “emerging adulthood.” Topics explored include family relationships, friendships, love and sexuality, school and work transitions, religious beliefs, and views of what it means to become an adult. The course is international in scope, highlighting differences between industrialized and developing countries. Perspectives from psychology, sociology and anthropology are considered.

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 259 - Psychotherapies

    This course provides an overview of the major theoretical approaches to conducting psychotherapy. There is a strong emphasis on diversity issues in psychotherapy throughout the course, as well as ongoing consideration regarding how therapeutic interventions can be evaluated empirically. Students are exposed to the various therapeutic approaches through primary source readings, class illustrations and discussion, videos, and a final research paper.

    This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:  PSYC 105 , PSYC 108  , and PSYC 109  

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 263 - Knowledge, Development and Instruction

    This is an advanced seminar that combines an in-depth examination of research in cognitive development and the learning sciences, with classroom-based research in a public school setting (focusing on learning progressions of key concepts in math, science and classroom discourse).

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  , PSYC 150  , and a First Seminar (PSYC 236-259)

    Anticipated Terms Offered: offered periodically.
  

  • PSYC 264 - Social and Cultural Psychology of Genocides

    This seminar reviews social psychological theories on the psychology of genocide, addressing processes among victim, perpetrator, and bystander groups. Perspectives from cultural psychology that allow for a more contextualized understanding of the evolution of mass violence are also included. While most of the available literature has dealt with the Holocaust, we will also read and discuss the Armenian genocide; genocide in Cambodia, Rwanda, and Sudan; and other relevant contexts and events. In addition to discussing psychological processes and societal factors that enable the evolution of genocide, we will address topics such as rescuing behavior and resistance during genocide, propaganda and hate speech, and psychological reactions to extreme mass violence. The aftermath of genocide and questions of transnational justice will also be briefly touched on.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

     

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  and a First seminar (PSYC 236-259) or Instructor’s permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 265 - Psychology of Men

    Explores topics related to the social learning and social construction of masculinity and the male gender role in different social contexts including families, friendships, mental and physical health, sports, and intimate relationships.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  and a First Seminar (PSYC 236-259) or Instructor’s permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 266 - Social and Personality Development

    Explores theories and research on the social, emotional, and personality development of individuals across the lifespan. Highlights contributions of the child, family, the larger sociocultural context and their interplay to development. Topics covered include parent-child attachment, temperament, peer relations, self-development, sex-role socialization and issues particular to emerging adulthood, midlife, and older adults. Emphasizes research methods and analysis in developmental research (e.g., modeling growth and change).

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 108  and a First Seminar (PSYC 236-259)

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 267 - Narrative & the Critique of Romance

    Employing a capstone-format, this course examines the use of narrative as an increasingly influential and integrating paradigm within psychology, the social sciences, and the humanities. Our topic this semester will be the conceptual foundations of the narrative perspective including methods of analysis, and their application to the theme of Romance. The participants will be given the opportunity to explore ‘Romance’ in the form of a group project from a perspective of their own choosing, in which narrative serves as a basic analytic and organizing principle. This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 109  or Instructor’s permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
  

  • PSYC 268 - Contemporary Families

    The goal of this seminar is to engage students in the major theories, empirical research, and current controversies on contemporary families. Contemporary families are notably diverse, varying in terms of their racial/ethnic makeup, number of parents, gender of parents, biological relatedness among family members, and many other factors. In turn, modern families are the subject of considerable debate and discussion, with questions centering on whether “the family” is in transition or in decline, whether certain families are more valid than others, and so on. This seminar will examine the varied contextual forces and social locations that are fundamentally intertwined with, and serve to shape, family life (e.g., race, social class), as well as the many forms that contemporary families take (e.g., single-parent families, lesbian/gay-parent families, adoptive families). Special attention is paid to timely but understudied topics related to family life, such as the influence of reproductive technologies (e.g., donor insemination) and information technologies and social media (e.g., text messaging, the internet) on family life. This course will also emphasize the major theoretical perspectives that have been used to understand and theorize about families. Finally, media representations of diverse families, as well as resources aimed at addressing the needs of diverse families, will be examined and critiqued based on the empirical literature. This advanced seminar is ideal for students who wish to gain an in-depth understanding of family complexity and diversity, especially those who are interested in working with families in research or applied settings.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 108  and PSYC 109  or instructor permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
  

  • PSYC 270 - Advanced Topics in Social Psychology

    An intensive treatment of selected areas in social psychological research and theory, including consistency theories in attitude formation and in interpersonal perception; attribution theory in self-perception; and social/situational determinants of normal, everyday behavior and of antisocial behaviors such as violence, criminality and riots.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 108  PSYC 109  PSYC 170  or Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 271 - Creativity, Collaboration, and Human Development

    This capstone seminar will focus on the relationship between “the new” (creativity) and “the good” (morality/ethics). How can we create, invent, and innovate in ways that builds from what already exists–but improves, enhances, or changes it for the better? How can we come up with good ideas and implement them to make a positive difference for ourselves and others? This capstone seminar explores what creativity is, how it develops and is implemented, its collaborative nature, and how it affects individual, societal and cultural development over time. We will examine theory and research as well as case studies to discuss the experiences, opportunities, contexts, and effects of creativity-especially for the greater good.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

     

    Prerequisites: PSYC 109   , a 150-level psychology course , and a First Seminar (PSYC 236-259).

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
  

  • PSYC 272 - How to Make an Activist

    This capstone seminar explores the question, “what makes an activist” by examining the psychology of social/political activism and political engagement in the U.S. context. Why do some people want to change the world, and how can psychological theories help us better understand activism in the world, and in our own lives? It is not necessary for you to consider yourself an activist (or want to be an activist) in order to take this course. Together we will read empirical and theoretical work examining these questions, and make connections to the world around us. If you are involved with community-based work, or curious about why other people are, this course presents an opportunity to explore these issues from an interdisciplinary psychological perspective. The emphasis will be on how psychological processes and engagement are shaped by social context (history, social and cultural location) and individual differences (including not only personality, but also gender, race, sexuality, class, etc.).


    This course fulfills the capstone requirement for the psychology major.

     

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  , PSYC 108  , PSYC 109  and a First Seminar (PSYC 236-259).

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
  

  • PSYC 274 - Children With Disorders

     

    This course is designed to provide upper level students the opportunity to delve deeply into the topic of child & adolescent psychopathology. In particular, students in the course will become familiar with: 1) the conditions and disorders that typically develop and/or are diagnosed during infancy, childhood, and adolescence, including their diagnostic criteria, course and chronicity, and prevalence in the population, 2) how such disorders represent deviations from a more typical developmental trajectory, 3) the etiological or causal factors attributed to each disorder (i.e., genetic & environmental), and 4) current intervention and prevention practices. The course will also emphasize a developmental perspective and take an empirical approach.

    At the conclusion of the course, each student should be able to:

    1)       Describe the relative contributions of genetic, family, school/community, societal/cultural factors to the development of the primary childhood and adolescent disorders

    2)       Identify symptoms and diagnostic criteria for each disorder/condition

    3)       Explain current approaches to treatment and/or prevention of childhood psychological disorders

    4)       Evaluate the merits of an empirical article as well as the value of clinical research translated for public consumption

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

     

    Prerequisites:

     ,  ,  ,  ,  , and a First Seminar (PSYC 236-259) or Instructor’s permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
  

  • PSYC 275 - Societal Approaches to Thinking

    This capstone seminar provides a theoretical and methodological frame for studying how thinking is shaped by the societal context in which the person is situated, by the social location the person occupies in that context, by the cultural discourses in which he/she participates, and by the nature of what is being thought about. The seminar draws from readings from interdisciplinary sources, including psychology. We start with illustrative works from developmental psychology, sociocultural psychology and social psychology that approach thinking and reasoning in their social and cultural contexts. We also examine some works that do not emphasize the social context of thinking but that examine everyday thinking about social problems. We then discuss interdisciplinary writings that emphasize how societies and cultures are structured internally in terms of gender, race and class, and we examine empirical research on thinking and on personal epistemology that is grounded in this kind of societal framework. The last class of the semester will be a symposium in which each student will present her or his final paper in a 15-minute formal presentation, followed by class discussion.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: Juniors and seniors only or Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 277 - Masculinities and Violence

    This capstone seminar will focus on how masculinities interact with several forms of human violence. The course will begin with an examination of sociocultural and evolutionary theories of gender and masculinity, and we will debate the strengths and weakness of different perspectives. Each subsequent week will focus on a different form of human violence, including homicide, sexual assault, war and terrorism, bullying, sports, and others. The primary task of our discussions will be to examine how different forms of masculinity provoke, attenuate, or respond to human violence. Although our primary focus will be on understanding human violence, we will also examine efforts and solutions to reducing or eliminating violence (e.g., sexual assault prevention, suicide prevention, and pacifism). This seminar will be discussion based, interspersed with mini-lectures, activities, and media presentations. Students will also work toward developing a theoretically-grounded anti-violence intervention throughout the semester.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 108   AND  PSYC 109  and a mid-level seminar (PSYC 236-259)

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
  

  • PSYC 280 - Morality & Culture

    This course examines the development of moral reasoning and emotions from infancy through adulthood in diverse cultures. This includes a focus on key theories, methods, and research findings. Readings are primarily from psychology but also from anthropology, philosophy, and sociology.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:  PSYC 105 ,  PSYC 108  , PSYC 109 , and a 150-level psychology course (PSYC 150  , PSYC 152  , or PSYC 153 ).

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 281 - Understanding and Addressing Mental Healthcare Disparities in the U.S.

    This course will provide students with an overview of the persistent disparities in access to, and engagement with, mental healthcare in the U.S. We will review the research that has found disparities with different populations and across numerous mental disorders, as well as consider why existing knowledge has not led to a reduction in these disparities. We will then consider a range of possible solutions that encompass greater attention to sociocultural factors. Students will be exposed to a combination of theoretical perspectives, practical issues, and experiential activities.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  and PSYC 173  

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
  

  • PSYC 283 - Historical Background of Contemporary Psychology

    Includes an appreciation of the generative ideas and world hypotheses underlying contemporary psychological approaches and traces the earlier manifestations of these ideas and world hypotheses in intellectual history or history of ideas.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  and a First Seminar (PSYC 236-259)

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 286 - Advanced Topics in Social Development

    This capstone seminar explores various topics in social development.

    Fall 2016

    This course will explore theories and research in social and personality development.  Beginning in infancy and moving through adolescence, we will examine how children form connections with others and become part of a social world while at the same time becoming individuals with unique experiences, perspectives, and self-concepts.  For each session there will be substantive areas covered (e.g., peer influences, parenting, gender roles) as well as focus on a specific methodological/ statistical issue in developmental research (e.g., measuring change). 

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:  

     ,   , and a First Seminar (PSYC 236-259)

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 287 - Basic Peer Counseling and Health Education

    In this course, students will be introduced to peer counseling and peer education through classroom presentations, readings, and experiential exercises. Students will be introduced to basic counseling skills, including listening and communication skills, as well as basic theories of peer counseling. There will also be classroom sessions on specific topics related to campus issues, such as alcohol and substance abuse, sexual assault, eating disorders, and other topics addressed by peer educators.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: Psyc 101, 173 or 175, and a mid-level First Seminar (PSYC 236-259)

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
  

  • PSYC 290 - Motivation and Self-Regulation

    Explores the motivation of human behavior (i.e., what energizes and directs our actions). Examines theoretical and empirical works relevant to motivation, particularly those emphasizing an active organism. Also applies motivational theories to various areas, including education, work, sports, psychopathology and psychotherapy.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites:

      , PSYC 105  , PSYC 108  , and a First Seminar (PSYC 236-259).

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 291 - The Psychology of Mindfulness

    This capstone seminar will examine the intersection between contemplative practice such as mindfulness meditation and recent empirical research in cognitive neuroscience, affective science, and clinical psychology. Emphasis will be placed on the history and origins of mindfulness practices, the scientific study of the practices, and adaptations of mindfulness practices by Western scientists for the treatment of psychological disorders and enhancement of well-being.  

    Key questions this course will address include: 1) What is contemplative practice and how does mindfulness influence psychological well-being? 2) What are the historical origins of mindfulness practices and how have such practices been adapted by Western scientists? 3) How does Western empirical inquiry inform our understanding of mindfulness (i.e. mechanisms)?

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: All introductory and mid-level requirements of the psychology major

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
  

  • PSYC 292 - Capstone Research in Psychology

    Independent study at an advanced level for qualified students.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: Permission

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 295 - Social Science Research to Influence Public Policy

    The purpose of this course is to teach students strategies for using their research knowledge to influence public policy decisions, particularly at the state level. Students will also be involved in the planning and implementation of the Family Impact Seminar, a seminar where Clark faculty and their colleagues present research to state legislators at an annual symposium at the State House in Boston in late March. Students will learn the importance of using research to influence public policy, the challenges in translating research into a format that is relevant to policymakers, and strategies for overcoming those challenges.

    Fulfills the capstone requirement for psychology majors.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 108   OR SOC 202  OR PSCI 107  OR GEOG 141  OR ID 132  

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Spring
  

  • PSYC 296 - What Children Know

    Examines the evolution of children’s knowledge about the physical world; the biological world; language, number and other symbolic systems; and the social world. How do infants’ and children’s perceptual and cognitive abilities interact with input from caretakers to advance their knowledge? How do symbolic systems such as language and writing get internalized? How is cognitive development relevant to education? Related topics are the evolution of language in the human species, the history of number and writing systems and animal cognition.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.

    Prerequisites: PSYC 150  , and a mid-level seminar (PSYC 236-259)

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically.
  

  • PSYC 297 - Honors in Psychology

    The Psychology Honors sequence is a two-semester experience designed to guide selected honors students through the design and execution of an independent honors research project. The Psychology Honors sequence is designed to be especially, but not uniquely, attractive to students interested in pursuing graduate study in Psychology or another related discipline such as medicine, teaching, and the law. The major focus of the experience is the completion of an individual research project conducted in close collaboration with a faculty mentor. These collaborations typically occur in individual meetings, as well as group meetings as part of the faculty member’s research team. In the fall of senior year, the student will develop the research project, submit a proposal to the IRB, and begin the project. In the spring semester students will complete their individual research projects and prepare written and oral presentations. Honors students are encouraged to present their projects at Academic Spree Day.

    Students interested in pursuing an Honors project must apply to the department during the spring semester of their junior year. In addition, students are strongly encouraged to have identified a possible faculty supervisor as early as the end of the sophomore year, as some faculty members may require that Honors students enroll in their research course and/or take a Directed Study with them during junior year, in order to start developing their Honors thesis prior to the senior year.

    This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.
     

    Prerequisites: By permission only.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 298 - Internship

    Academic experience taking place in the field with an opportunity to earn university credit. Does not count for Psychology major credit.
     

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 299 - Directed Study in Psychology

    Independent study for qualified students. Does not count toward Psychology major credit.

    Prerequisites: Instructor’s permission.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
  

  • PSYC 300 - Developmental Psychology Forum

    Devoted to the presentation and critique of different approaches to the individual and his or her ways of functioning in the world. The approaches considered may include: Piagetian, nativist, feminist or cultural/historical approaches, or may stem from interdisciplinary perspectives on a selected theme. The aim is to acquaint the participants with sympathetic expositions of several points of view and the application of these viewpoints to some selected topic of inquiry. Different topics are discussed in different years.

    Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
 

Page: 1 <- Back 10 … 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

Catalog Navigation
  Catalog Home
  History of Clark
  Accreditation
  Tuition and Financial Aid
  Admissions Requirements
  Departments and Offices
  Programs of Study
  Courses
  Undergraduate Academics and Special Programs
  Graduate Academics and Information
  Academic Policies
  Student Resources
  Facilities
  The Corporation
  Academic Calendar