2018-2019 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Courses
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PSCI 252 - Political Parties and Interest Groups
This course examines the development, maintenance, and goals of interest groups and political parties in the United States. Topics include the history of groups and parties in American politics, group and party classification methods, characteristics of group or party members and activists, regulations governing group and party activities, and selected contemporary issues of relevance. (US)
Anticipated Terms Offered: periodically
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PSCI 256 - Russian Politics: From Dictatorship to Democracy and Back Again
In this introduction to the study of Russian politics, we will explore how a single political party has come to dominate the national stage, while opposition politicians are jailed, human rights are violated, and journalists fall victim to assassins’ bullets. In many ways, Russia appears to be turning back into a dictatorship only 15 years after throwing off seven decades of repressive communist party rule. Why and how has this happened? Through lectures, discussions, and films, we will examine contemporary Russia’s politics, economics, and culture. The course will touch on Russia’s history from 1917 to 1991, but our main focus will be on the contemporary period. (CP)
Course Designation/Attribute: GP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PSCI 266 - International Law
This course provides an introduction to the basic concepts, principles, institutions, and debates that characterize international law in a globalized world. Focusing on a number of key issue-areas this course investigates the origins and development of international law; particularly, it seeks to examine how international law influences the subjectivities, competences and responsibilities of the participant member states, and their consequent impact on state sovereignty, use of force, humanitarian intervention, international criminal tribunals, and other transnational legal mechanisms. The overall purpose of this course is to introduce and lay the foundation for an informed analysis on the limits and possibilities of international law in world affairs.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year.
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PSCI 281 - Civil Wars in Comparative Perspective
This seminar will offer students the chance to explore the causes and consequences of civil war through a comparative approach by looking at evidence from civil wars around the world. We will also explore other issues related to the conduct of civil war, including violence against civilians, the use of child soldiers, and the problem of refugees. Finally, we will evaluate some of the competing arguments for and against negotiated settlement, partition, or other means of ending civil wars and moving toward post-conflict reconstruction. (CP)
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PSCI 287 - Refugees, Migrants, and the Politics of Displacement
Refugees, Migrants, and the Politics of Displacement: CAPSTONE
In recent years, the number of forcibly displaced persons around the world has steadily grown. This seminar explores the causes and consequences of the global increase in forced migration, including the political and economic origins of refugee crises, their impact on the states that host refugees, the different dimensions of displacement as experienced by refugees and internally displaced persons, and possible solutions to crises of displacement. We will examine different cases studies of forced migration as a means of understanding the ways in which the various dimensions of the problem fit together.
Prerequisites: P = PSCI 070 OR PERM; JR/SR ONLY - CAPSTONE
Anticipated Terms Offered: EVERY OTHER YEAR
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PSCI 288 - Immigration, Identity, and Diversity Politics in the US
Today, one in ten residents of the U.S. was born outside the United States. Yet, debates over immigration continue to permeate American life, from attempts to ban Muslim immigrants from entering the U.S. to questions about the status of undocumented immigrants to state and local proposals that would limit immigrants’ rights. This course addresses these and many other issues, exploring the political and historical roots of contemporary US immigration policy as well as how immigration and immigrant groups have changed over time. We will also examine the integration of immigrants into the U.S., including the ways in which different groups are distinctive in their political attitudes and behaviors. Additionally, we will study the varying ways in which immigrant communities and immigration policy continue to influence political debate in the U.S.
Prerequisites: PSCI 050
Course Designation/Attribute: DI
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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PSCI 289 - Advanced Topics in International Relations - Capstone Seminar
Focus changes with each offering, depending on faculty interest. Recent topics: U.S. Foreign Policy; International Humanitarian Law; Terrorism; Intervention; and Ethnic and Nationalist Conflicts. Open to juniors and seniors. Can be taken twice.
SPRING 2019 Topic: GLOBAL ORDER AND DISORDER
This capstone seminar-Global Order and Disorder-is inspired by the series of dramatic events that is shaping the international order and the transatlantic alliance constructed at the end of the Second World War. The re-ordering of global power and trade relations is marked by Trump in Washington DC, which coincides with the growing tide of nationalism in Europe and elsewhere. Theresa May in Great Britain, Geert Wilders’ near victory in Netherlands, Viktor Orban in Hungary, and Marine Le Pen’s strong showing in France. These movements are feeding off each other and spawning racism, anti-immigration sentiments, xenophobia, protectionism, and eroding the coherence of the post-Cold War global order. Meanwhile, China is quietly stepping into the global leadership vacuum created by the retreat of the United States and United Kingdom behind protectionist walls. Beijing has positioned itself as a steady, forward-oriented, and benevolent alternative to the United States. Chinese assertiveness is strongly evident in the contested waters of South China Sea and in North Korea. China is also expanding its political reach through the ‘One Belt-One Road’ (OBOR) initiative, which is creating an alternate trade and investment system. Trump’s ‘America First’ policy and the clumsy dalliance with the Russian leader-Vladimir Putin-and the variety of intelligence leaks and claims of widespread hacking have sowed seeds of confusion in the U.S-Russia relationship. Russia is also increasing its influence through disinformation and with its oil and gas wealth. It is also expanding its influence in the Russian near abroad and in the Middle East by supporting the Syrian and Iranian regimes. The purpose of this course is to examine broad patterns of order and disorder in interstate relations by analyzing power, economic, and military relations among major and minor powers.
Prerequisites: PSCI 069 OR INSTRUCTOR PERMISSION; JRS & SRS ONLY
Anticipated Terms Offered: EACH SEMESTER
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PSCI 294 - Peer Learning Assistant
Peer Learning Assistants (PLAs) are undergraduate students who are selected by a faculty member to facilitate teaching and learning activities. These activities may include: providing feedback on drafts of writing assignments, leading small group discussions, working with individual students who are having difficulty, and facilitating group project work (in or out of class & online).
Registration is by instructor permission only
Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall & Spring
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PSCI 297 - Honors
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
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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.
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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
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PSTD 101 - Introduction to Peace Studies
The 21st century has seen the proliferation of terrorism, war, and increasing economic and ecological precarity throughout much of the world. In these uncertain times, human and non-human exposure to vulnerably and violence has intensified. In a moment where coalescing fundamentalisms and right-wing populisms expand globally, what does it mean to be a ‘chisel of peace’? What does it mean, in other words, to resist mechanisms of violence without reproducing their terms, at home or abroad? What are the institutions, ethical codes, and moral principals of non-violent resistance? And when is violence justified? Offering an introductory survey of the interdisciplinary field of Peace Studies, this course addresses these and other important questions.
Course Designation/Attribute: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Spring
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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
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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
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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.
Course Designation/Attribute: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically.
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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 2017: Friendship
How do we talk about ourselves and others as friends - and friendship in general? How do we tell friendship stories? Why don’t we “fall-in-friendship” as we “fall-in-love?” Are friendship-stories the same as love-stories - just without sex and the institutionalization in marriage? In this FYI we follow up on questions like this through 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 analysis of language/talk. 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 session is required.
Course Designation/Attribute: LP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall
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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.
Course Designation/Attribute: GP, DI
Anticipated Terms Offered: Biennially
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PSYC 060 - Education and Effective Practice
What is the best form and structure for education in these times? How do we best improve the quality and intellectual aims of education? To what extent are our current educational institutions utilizing the growing knowledge base about how people learn? Is education a right and does it equitably deliver on the promise of providing a well-balanced citizenship for democracy? These and other questions will be the focus of this First Year Intensive seminar. The course will consider what we currently know about human learning in formal and informal settings and map that onto the educational institutions of our times, with special focus on secondary and college environments. This course is designed to deepen students’ ability to read analytically and communicate with others about one of the most enduring issues of our times. Simultaneously, the course aims to improve first year students’ ability to reflect on the differences in their learning contexts as they transition from high school to college.
Prerequisites: VE Placement
Course Designation/Attribute: VE
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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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
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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 for this course require a grade of C- or better.
Students must score 50% on Part 1 of the Math placement prior to enrollment, and may take this placement exam a maximum of two times.
Students scoring under 50% will be required to take a refresher math course and pass with at least a “C” grade before being able to enroll in PSYC 105.
(Contact the Psychology Department for a list of eligible courses)
The math placement test can be found on Moodle under “My Courses” then “Placement Tests.”
Prerequisites:
Course Designation/Attribute: FA
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
Placement Guidelines
Students must score 50% on Part 1 of the Math placement prior to enrollment, and may take this placement exam a maximum of two times.
Students scoring under 50% will be required to take a refresher math course and pass with at least a “C” grade before being able to enroll in PSYC 105.
(Contact the Psychology Department for a list of eligible courses)
The math placement test can be found on Moodle under “My Courses” then “Placement Tests.”
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
Fulfills the Basic Processes requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites:
Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the Basic Processes requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites:
Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
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PSYC 200 - Lab in Program Evaluation
How does one know if new programs put in place are meeting the stated goals? Leaders interested in strengthening the quality of their programs and improve outcomes pertaining to human development and learning often turn to program evaluation as a valuable tool. Program evaluation provides insights into a program’s effectiveness; evaluation data can be used both to improve program services and individual learning. This course is designed to provide psychology majors a first-hand opportunity to participate in authentic research projects on program evaluation. Methods will not be taught in a vacuum; rather students will learn methods while working on ongoing program evaluation. Students will receive training in all phases, including formulating research questions, data collection and analysis, project management and reporting for actual users of our findings. Skills and experiences from this Problems of Practice class are valuable for students who are considering careers not only in psychology but also in fields where applying psychology research is useful, including educational settings, healthcare, human services, management, and sales and marketing.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the mid-level Lab/Research requirement for the psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 105 , PSYC 108 , PSYC 109
Course Designation/Attribute: POP
Anticipated Terms Offered: varied
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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. May be repeated for credit (3 times).
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
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
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PSYC 204 - Lab in Decision Making
Each of us makes dozens of decisions in a day. Some are relatively inconsequential (such as what brand of toothpaste to buy) whereas others may be life changing (such as which college to attend). What is involved in decision-making? What roles do context, ethics, commitment, purpose, and cognitive biases play? Students will evaluate existing studies, find and/or apply examples of decision-making psychology research in everyday life, and conduct analyses then present empirical findings in APA style during a student research conference.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the lab/research requirement for the psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 105 , PSYC 108 , PSYC 109
Anticipated Terms Offered: varied
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PSYC 205 - Research in Child Development across Contexts
This course provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to be involved in research under the supervision of Professor Ana Marcelo. Students in this course will be responsible for a variety of research tasks, including, but not limited to, data collection, data entry, data coding, data analysis, and data dissemination. Professor Marcelo’s research examines the different risk and protective factors in child development across different contexts, with a particular focus on cultural context.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the mid-level lab/research requirement of the psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 150 OR PSYC 152 OR PSYC 153 and Permission
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every semester
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
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
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 105 , PSYC 108 , and Permission
Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall and Spring
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
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
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PSYC 215 - Research on Child Mental Health
This course involves students in ongoing research in Dr. Amy Heberle’s lab. Research in the lab addresses the etiology, prevention, and treatment of mental health problems in young children, particularly children growing up in poverty. Current areas of focus include critical consciousness as a potential protective factor for young children experiencing marginalizing systems and elementary and early educational interventions that promote thriving for children in poverty. 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. This is a collaborative course where students work as a team on current research.
This course fulfills the lab/research requirement of the psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 108 , PSYC 109 , and either PSYC 150 , PSYC 152 , or PSYC 153 . By permission of instructor.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every semester
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major
Prerequisites: PSYC 101 , , and Instructor’s permission.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 108 and Instructor’s permission.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 109 and Instructor’s permission
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better.
This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 101 & Instructor’s permission
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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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 for this course require a grade of C- or better
Prerequisites: PSYC 101 , , , PSYC 109 and Instructor’s permission. PSYC 173 or PSYC 150 recommended
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every year
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 150 and Instructor’s permission.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
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
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better.
This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 101 & Instructor’s permission.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
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
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the Lab/Research requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 101 and Instructor’s permission.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
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
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: and a 170-level course.
Course Designation/Attribute: POP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: Course open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.
Course Designation/Attribute: DI
Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better.
This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 101
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
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
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
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
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
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
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PSYC 247 - 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?
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better.
This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 101
Course Designation/Attribute: AP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
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
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PSYC 251 - Special Topics in Psychology
This course addresses current or timely topics, that are in a pilot phase or that are known to be one time offerings. Special Topics can vary from semester to semester.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 101
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically.
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
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
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PSYC 253 - Pretend Play and Child Development
This course is designed to unpack the development of play and the developmental significance of play. We will explore and discuss the different forms of play and discuss different theories of play. We will also discuss how play develops overtime and identify different factors that may contribute to this development. Moreover, will explore how the ability to engage in play contributes to different aspects of development, such as emotional development, social development, and cognitive development. Finally, we will examine and discuss if and how the development of play and the developmental significance of play may vary as a function of gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and developmental status. At the conclusion of this course, students will have a better understanding of the developmental significance of play.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better.
This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 108 , PSYC 109 , and PSYC 150 or Instructor’s permission
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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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 for this course require a grade of C- or better
Prerequisites: PSYC 105 , PSYC 108 , PSYC 109 or Instructor’s permission.
Course Designation/Attribute: DI
Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
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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.
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better.
This course fulfills the mid-level First Seminar requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 109 - Qualitative Methods in Psychology and Registration by instructor permission only.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered most semesters.
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