2020-2021 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Courses
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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)?
Prerequisites for this course require a grade of C- or better
This course fulfills the capstone requirement of the Psychology major.
Prerequisites: PSYC 108 - Experimental Methods in Psychology & PSYC 109 - Qualitative Methods in Psychology & ONE MID LEVEL SEMINAR (PSYC 236-259)
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PSYC 297 - Honors
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
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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
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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
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PSYC 300 - Developmental Psychology Forum
This forum provides the opportunity for graduate students and faculty members to discuss theoretical and methodological problems, read key articles, plan and present research and share updates on ongoing projects and trends in the field of developmental psychology.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PSYC 301 - History, Theory and Method: Research Design
This course is a graduate level survey of psychological research methods as they relate to the history and philosophies of science, “micro”-theories, and substantive conceptual or pragmatic issues in psychology. Special emphasis is placed on developing useful and logically consistent links between different areas of inquiry and different methods. Students will apply concepts and methods to the development of their own programs of research.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every fall semester
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PSYC 303 - Assessment
Adult Assessment: This course introduces students to the clinical diagnostic interview and major psychological assessment instruments (WAIS, Rorschach, TAT, and MMPI-2) for use in adult clinical assessment. As part of the course, students will learn to assess psychometric properties of tests and administer and interpret these tests with adult subjects.
Anticipated Terms Offered: every fall
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PSYC 304 - Child Assessment
Spring Semester Child Assessment: In this course students develop skills in the administration and interpretation of clinical assessment instruments with children. Throughout the course, emphasis is on a developmental understanding of children as a base from which to interpret individual differences and psychopathology.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every spring
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PSYC 306 - Qualitative Methods
A graduate-level introductory seminar into qualitative research, its conceptual roots, covering the ontological and epistemological concerns, but centering on the methodological issues surrounding contemporary psychological research. Textbook readings will be supplemented with contemporary articles on ethnography, ethnomethodology, discourse and narrative analysis.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered biennially
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PSYC 308 - Social Forum
This is a forum on research and theory in social and cultural psychology in which graduate students and faculty members discuss theoretical and methodological problems, plan new research and share updates on ongoing projects.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
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PSYC 310 - Systems of Psychotherapy
This course provides a historical and current overview of the major systems of psychology relevant 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.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PSYC 311 - Psychopathology
Examines the difficulties of defining psychopathology and reviews the major diagnostic categories currently in use from phenomenological, theoretical and research perspectives. Special attention is given to gender, class, and diversity issues.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PSYC 315 - 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.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PSYC 316 - The Social Psychology of Collective Violence and its Aftermath
This graduate seminar will provide an overview of classic and current social psychological theories and research on the origins, course, and aftermath of ethnic violence (including e.g. hate speech and political campaigns against ethnic minority groups; slavery and other forms of oppression; ethnic mass killings and genocide). We will cover these themes from the perspective of the victim, bystander, and perpetrator. In the first half of the semester, we will examine societal and situational factors as well as psychological processes that influence how human beings come to perpetrate mass violence against members of other groups (such as dehumanization and deindividuation, entitativity and intergroup emotions, moral exclusion and social categorization processes); we will also look at the literature on bystanders and rescuers. In the second half of the semester we will focus on how individuals and groups cope with ethnic victimization and respond to it in its aftermath, including future generations. We will examine both destructive, negative outcomes (such as trauma, revenge, siege mentality and competitive victimhood) and constructive, positive phenomena (such as the effect of apologies and truth commissions, reconciliation and forgiveness, and inclusive victim consciousness that can motivate solidarity with other victim groups). While the focus will mostly be on social psychological literature, occasionally we will draw on sources from sociology, genocide studies, and clinical psychology. Students will be expected to write conceptual review papers and research proposals on a related topic of their choice, and they will be responsible to lead one of the weekly discussions.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PSYC 317 - Research
This is a variable unit graduate course for students engaged in research at the PhD level. This course replaces the PSYC 399–Directed Studies course.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall and Spring
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PSYC 319 - Advanced Topics in Social Psychology
An intensive treatment of key 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.
SPRING 2020: Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination–This course introduces students to psychological theories of prejudice and intergroup relations, with a strong emphasis on applying these theories to the multi-ethnic context of the United States as well as to other contexts in various part of the world such as Turkey, Germany, South Africa and Australia. The course will consist of mini-lectures, some large-group and small-group discussions, films, and opportunities to discuss ideas for research projects with peers. The course begins with an overview of key issues in the study of intergroup relations, in reference to perceptions and experiences of many native and immigrant groups in the United States as well as other groups around the world. We will then review classic and contemporary theory and research on prejudice and intergroup relations, with special attention to examples from social psychology. We will also focus on applications of such theory and research to pressing social issues, such as racial segregation in schools and affirmative action.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PSYC 323 - Theory and Research in Social and Emotional Development
Explores theories and research on social and emotional development across the lifespan. Highlights contributions of the child, family, and the larger sociocultural context and their interplay. Emphasizes research methods and analysis in developmental research (e.g., modeling growth and change).
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PSYC 327 - Advanced Cognitive Development
This course is intended to familiarize the student with major theories, issues, and research associated with the study of cognitive development and functioning across the lifespan. The coverage of topics is non-exhaustive and reflects the instructor’s opinions of the importance and quality of research as well as personal interests. For each topic, the readings are designed to provide a foundational background as well as representational research in the area. For each session there will be substantive areas covered as well as focus on a specific methodological/statistical issue in developmental research. We will also focus on critical thinking skills and evaluating primary source materials - both critique of work and finding the merit.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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PSYC 338 - Psychotherapy Practicum
Clinical psychology graduate students in this practicum learn how to conduct clinical interviews and individual psychotherapy using acceptance-based behavior therapy. Class time is devoted to group supervision, case conceptualization, evidence-based interventions, and discussions of the broader issues related to providing individual psychotherapy. Students also receive training in integrating data gathered from clinical interviews and standardized assessments to inform case conceptualization and monitor client progress over time. Students should expect to see between two and three clients over the course of the one-year practicum.
Prerequisites: PSYC 303
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every semester
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PSYC 340 - Mini-Practicum
Clinical psychology graduate students in this practicum complete a year-long, 5-10 hour per week, community placement. Mini-practicum sites are approved by the Director of Clinical Training.
Prerequisites: PSYC 338
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every semester
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PSYC 342 - Couples Therapy Practicum
Students in this practicum learn to assess and treat the full spectrum of mildly to severely distressed couples. The treatment approach emphasizes fostering intimacy, closeness, and mutual acceptance, while at the same time teaching useful communication and problem-solving skills. Students treat both married and unmarried couples as long as they are currently living together and are not violent. Depending on the number of students in the practicum, students either treat couples as part of a two-person team or as the sole therapist. Class time is devoted to group supervision, discussions of the broader issues of couple therapy and a weekly journal club. Students should expect to see between two and three couples over the course of the one-year practicum, with each course of therapy being approximately 20 to 25 sessions. Students in the practicum learn about the correlates and predictors of marital distress, how to assess a couple’s level of distress and commitment, how to formulate and test therapeutic hypotheses over the course of treatment, and how to conduct a powerful and effective approach to couple therapy. Students should expect to be proficient and capable of proceeding quite independently by the end of this one year practicum.
Prerequisites: PSYC 338
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every semester
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PSYC 344 - Externship
Clinical psychology graduate students in this practicum complete a year-long externship in a community placement of their interest. Externship sites are approved by the Director of Clinical Training. Students also have regular meetings with the Associate Director of Clinical Training to discuss ongoing progress, supervision, and professional development topics.
Prerequisites: PSYC 342
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every semester
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PSYC 346 - Advanced Therapy Practicum
Clinical psychology graduate students who have completed Externship may elect to take this practicum. This experience is a year-long experience in a community placement of the student’s interest. Training sites must be approved by the Director of Clinical Training.
Prerequisites: PSYC 344
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every semester
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PSYC 350 - 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.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PSYC 354 - 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).
Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
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PSYC 358 - Stereotypes and Prejudice
This graduate level course provides an introduction to the social psychology of stereotypes and
prejudice. Students will explore a variety of topics regarding stereotypes and 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).
Further, students will engage both theoretical and metatheoretical debates in the field of
stereotypes and prejudice and will develop a critical approach to assessing empirical research.
The goals of this course are to (1) provide students with an in-depth understanding of
stereotypes and prejudice and how they affect social and political reality, (2) critically examine
theory and metatheory guiding research on stereotypes and prejudice, (3) learn how researchers
study stereotypes and prejudice, and (4) develop a research proposal or review paper.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall or Spring
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PSYC 361 - Human Neuropsychology
This course provides a broad overview of neuropsychology graduate students. The goal of the course is to provide students with knowledge of brain and behavior relationships. Students will learn how the brain governs primary cognitive domains such as memory, attention, executive functions, and intelligence. It will also examine the neuropsychological tests used to evaluate the various cognitive domains. Students become familiar with the format and type of information provided in neuropsychological reports, and we will discuss some of the disorders typically seen in individuals referred for neuropsychological evaluations such as dementias, traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, ADHD etc.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PSYC 362 - PSYcast: Communicating Stigma Research on Social Issues
This capstone seminar provides students with an overview of theoretical perspectives on stigmatization and its connection to important social issues. This course also focuses on communicating psychological research on stigma to broader audiences via student development of podcast (digital audio) episodes. The course begins with a review and discussion of perspectives on the origin and function of stigma. Each week, we will consider a different social issue (e.g., obesity, substance use, mental illness, racial equality, and others) and discuss how stigma research informs these issues. Throughout the semester, students will listen to relevant podcasts on these issues and identify strategies for developing a ‘PSYcast’ episode, which are student-led podcast episodes that discuss a social issue from a psychological lens using stigma research. Students will be encouraged to grapple with challenging topics through discourse and experiential activities.
Graduate students will not complete a podcast at the end of the semester, rather, they will complete a weekly response reading for the week as outlined by bullet point 3 in the course requirements. Graduate students will also be responsible for listening to student submitted audio clips and determining on a yes/no basis if the audio clips adequately capture the key findings of the weekly readings. The final product for graduate students will be a 15-20 page review paper or a 15-20 page research proposal on a stigma intervention that addresses a current social issue.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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PSYC 365 - 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.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PSYC 369 - Psychology of Inequality
Inequality is a persistent feature of human societies with profound consequences for intergroup relations, health and safety, and psychological processes. In this seminar, we will examine the psychology of inequality through critical examination of the psychological literature. We will discuss what inequality is, how power and inequality relate to each other, the origins of hierarchy in human and non-human animals, attitudes toward inequality, and the consequences of inequality for health, discrimination, and oppression. We will also examine social movements and other efforts to attenuate inequality. Our focus will be global and include examination of inequalities based on gender, age, social class, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other intergroup relations.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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PSYC 377 - 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.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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PSYC 379 - Ethnicity, Race, Culture, and Child Development
In this course, we will examine both subjective and objective experiences related to ethnic, race, and culture among youth minority children across different contexts, such as familial, community, educational, and societal contexts. We will seek to understand the development of minority youth from an emic perspective, and will also explore how others in children’s environment (e.g., teachers, peers, observers) perceive them, integrating these different perspectives to evaluate how we can inform a culturally sensitive and empowerment-oriented environment for minority children and youths across different contexts. The aim of this course is to help students recognize the importance of considering these contextual factors to understand development, and if and how we can take these important factors into consideration in designing studies and programs of prevention and intervention so as to foster positive development for all children and youths.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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PSYC 384 - Culture and Human Development
How do the form and function of various developmental factors and processes vary as a function of cultural context? In this course we examine the ways an individual’s psychological and social development takes place in cultural context, from infancy to adulthood. We will also examine different ways we can define and conceptualize culture. Readings include qualitative and quantitative studies of different parts of the life span in diverse cultures (globally and within the United States). While most readings are drawn from psychology, some readings are by anthropologists, legal scholars, and literary authors. Course content has implications for theoretical, research, and applied purposes. The course format is highly interactive, including discussion of readings, class exercises, films, and student presentations. Course Requirements: For developmental psychology Ph.D. students, it satisfies the developmental graduate seminar requirement. Graduate students from all other programs and departments are welcome.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PSYC 386 - Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology
This capstone seminar provides students the opportunity to consider how to link theory and research in developmental psychology to authentic problems and issues. Students will be involved in a project working with a local organization, as well as have the opportunity to link the study of human development to areas of personal interest.
FALL 2020: College-Going Emerging Adults.This course focuses on understanding the development of young adults who are of college-going age (ages 18-29 years). We will consider how a young person develops with and within many developmental contexts; how these contexts both shape and are shaped by the young person’s experiences within them. We will explore topics such as the role that relationships play in development, in particular how they might shape a young person’s school and career pathways. We will also explore topics sparked by students interaction with the assigned readings, and their exploration of rich qualitative and quantitative data collected with young adults taking varying developmental paths. The course takes a relational approach to understanding the different facets of emerging adult development by examining the many factors that might contribute to their developmental experiences. Classes will feature opportunities for rich discussion, thought provoking activities, and a few guests from community based organizations and other scholars in the field.
This course may be repeatable for credit.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PSYC 387 - Ethics and Professional Issues in Clinical Psychology
This course addresses a range of ethical and professionals issues faced by clinical psychologists. Among the questions that we grapple with are, What constitutes confidentiality in therapeutic relationships? How do the ethical guidelines regarding confidentiality differ for adults versus minors? What is the duty to warn and when is it necessary? What are common ethical dilemmas in the initiation and termination of therapeutic relationships with mental health consumers? What are the tensions between ethical standards in clinical research versus clinical practice? How do psychologists manage complex professional issues such as multiple roles, determining and practicing within the boundaries of clinical competence, and recognizing and addressing professional misconduct in the workplace? For first-year clinical students.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PSYC 389 - Clinical Workshop
Clinical Workshop provides an opportunity for all clinical students to hear outside speakers present on topics of clinical relevance (first semester) and for students to present and receive feedback on their clinical cases (second semester). The agenda for the series is organized by the Associate Director of Clinical Training in consultation with the Director of Clinical Training. This seminar is required of all clinical students for the first four years of their program.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester.
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PSYC 391 - Psychology of Mindfulness
This 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 addressed will 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)?
Anticipated Terms Offered: periodically
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PSYC 391 - 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)?
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PSYC 398 - Clinical Internship
This course is for graduate students in the clinical psychology training program who are completing their APA-approved internship. Permission of the Director of Clinical Training is required.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
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PSYC 1000 - Introduction to Psychology
This course provides a survey of the methodology and content of present-day psychology. Course covers main concepts and content areas of psychology by exploring how psychologists explain the ways we acquire knowledge, develop through our lives, and are influenced by cognitive, biological, social, and environmental/cultural factors. You will be encouraged to think critically about psychology and claims that are made about psychology by psychologists and in our society.
Anticipated Terms Offered: fall, summer
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PSYC 1090 - Qualitative Methods
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.
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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PSYC 1320 - Developmental Psychology
This course provides a comprehensive overview of human psychological development from the prenatal period through the entire lifespan. History, theory, and methods specific to developmental study will be discussed to lay the groundwork for the state of the field, in addition to a broad overview of current research and theory specific to developmental issues. The importance of culture and context will also be emphasized throughout the course. Students will learn the basic skills necessary for scientific and psychological writing, and in general will become critical consumers of research on human development.
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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PSYC 1480 - Introduction to Clinical & Counseling Psychology
Provides an overview of psychologists role in contemporary culture. This course critically examines various theories of cognitive, educational and personality assessment. It reviews theories of intervention and change with attention to their assumptions concerning normal and normative behavior and assesses current directions in health psychology.
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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PSYC 1520 - Adolescent Development
This course is designed to introduce you to the research and theory of adolescent and early/emerging adulthood development. We will discuss topics such as change vs. stability in personlity, transitions into long-term relationships/parenthood, and media use in adolescence. We will explore the biological, social, emotional, and cognitive aspects of development, paying particular attention to the contextual factors that direct and inform developmental outcomes. An overarching theme will involve the consideration of how cultural factors and the social world influence development.
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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PSYC 1550 - Human Behavior in the Social Enviorment
A study of the process of human development from conception to death. Bio-psychosocial and cognitive development will be examined from an individual and systems perspective. Dual focus on person and environment is presented. Human development is examined utilizing a systems orientation that highlights the effects of culture. The impacts of health, diversity, oppression, and social policy on human development are discussed throughout the course.
Anticipated Terms Offered: varied
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PSYC 1560 - Cultural Psychology
Provides a survey of theory, methods and research in culture and psychology. We will discuss different definitions of culture, and consider what the different definitions imply for how culture should be studied. Cross-cultural psychology and cultural psychology provide two general frameworks for addressing the complex question of how culture informs human action and experience. We will examine these approaches and explore the role of culture across a range of areas, including perceptual and cognitive processes, human development, identity and emotion. Issues concerning cultural contact and intercultural relations will be considered, and we will explore cultural phenomena such as the cultural organization of the environment, tourism and pilgrimage, burial processes, and music.
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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PSYC 1580 - Cultural Perspectives in Child Learning and Development
This course provides a study of child learning and development from a cultural and contextual perspective - childrearing, social relations, interdependence and autonomy, developmental transitions across the lifespan, gender roles, attachment, and learning and cognitive development. It also focuses on how culture interacts with human development and identifies patterns in the differences and similarities among cultural communities. Course readings will include researches and theories from cultural and developmental psychology, anthropology, education and history.”
Anticipated Terms Offered: NA
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PSYC 1590 - Cultural Diversity in Psychology
This course will provide students with an introductory overview of cultural diversity in psychology. Throughout the course, students will learn theories, research, and practical implications when dealing with cultural diversity in psychology. Therefore, students will be exposed to a range of constructs and be able to apply them in research and clinical practice.
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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PSYC 1650 - Introduction to Clinical Psychology
How do different different psychotherapies work to improve psychological distress? Are some therapies more effective than others? This course will provide and overview of the field of clinical psychology, with a more critical eye toward the theory and empirical evidence the field has accumulated thus far. Clinical Psychologists are involved in the research, assessment, and treatment of psychological disorders This course will cover each of these areas. We will learn about historical roots and conceptual models in clinical psychology, become familiar with professional issues in the field, and compare assessment techniques and therapeutic approaches for their efficacy, research base, and cultural/historical context.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Varies
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PSYC 1690 - Psychology of Buddhism
This course will provide and overview of Buddhist thought and its significance for psychology. The three main branches of Buddhism will be represented: the essential teachings of Theravada as its base, the rich philosophical understanding of the nature of reality (Mahayana) and the esoteric tantric vehicle ( Vajrayana) made accessible to Westerners today by virtue of the Tibetan diaspora. We will study this encompassing and comprehensive system for what it tells about the nature of the person, mind, and reality in relation to our understanding of human psychology. In addition, we will explicitly consider the relationship to Western psychology in praxis and theory.
Course Designation/Attribute: VP (summer only)
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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PSYC 1700 - Social Psychology
Provides a systematic introduction to the field of social psychology, which studies how the thoughts, feelings and actions of a person are influenced by other people and social situations. We will explore the power of situations, culture and context, as well as how people individually react and think about certain social situations.
Anticipated Terms Offered: various
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PSYC 1701 - Social Psychology and Intergroup Violence, Oppression and Liberation
Why do people kill and oppress each other? How is social inequality sustained? How can we explain racism, terrorism, and genocide? What enables people to work together to fight injustice and violence? This course is an introduction to social psychological theories and research that address these and many other related questions. The course is a survey lecture course that will provide a broad overview of the basic social psychological processes underlying violence and oppression (e.g., prejudice, group identities, threat, inequality dehumanization), the psychology of different forms of intergroup violence (racism, intractable conflict, genocide, terrorism), and psychological factors that promote or create an obstacle to liberation and social justice between groups (e.g., through collective action, solidarity, redress, and reconciliation). We will study these questions through the lens of many different conflicts and contexts around the world, including current social movements such as Black Lives Matter and recent events such as the war in Syria or genocide against the Rohingya. Activities in class, media depictions of current events, and blogging will be used to further deepen the knowledge we acquire on these topics through readings and class discussions. This course is designed not only for (future) Psychology majors but also for students working towards a concentration in Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies, Peace Studies, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, or anyone else who is interested in understanding why violence and injustice between different ethnic, racial, religious, and national groups occurs and what we can do about it.
Course Designation/Attribute: D&I
Anticipated Terms Offered: 201905
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PSYC 1730 - Abnormal Psychology
This course begins with a discussion of the manner in which abnormal behavior has been traditionally defined and the implications of these definitions. A comprehensive overview of the major categories of abnormal behavioral disorders is then provided 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, and prevention.
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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PSYC 2100 - Diagnosis and Treatment of Persons With Co-occurring Disorders
Explores the diagnostic and treatment challenges posed by co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders. There will be strong emphasis on increasing awareness of self and others, as well as development of clinical applications. Concepts and theories behind addictive and psychiatric disorders and their treatment process will be covered.
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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PSYC 2200 - Recovery and Relapse Prevention in Mental Illness and Addiction
Mental Health and Addiction Services are increasingly organized according to principles of recovery outlined in the President’s New Freedom Commission Report. The course provides an overview of recovery-oriented approaches to care, psychosocial rehabilitation and relapse prevention. Students will be introduced to stages-of-change theory, motivational interviewing, Cognitive Behavior Therapy based skills and cognitive-behavioral analysis as applied to relapse cycles. The second half of the course will explore problem-specific evidence-based interventions that are consistent with recovery principles.
Anticipated Terms Offered: various
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PSYC 2300 - Psychology of Human Learning
Emphasizes both theoretical understanding and practical application of theories and research findigs. Topics include how people process information in daily living, the use of learning style in educational methods and career choice, and the effect of emotions on perception and memory.
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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PSYC 2390 - Psychology of Human Motivation
Students evaluate the different psychological theories of motivation from a phenomenological perspective. Each theory is evaluated in terms of an experiential matrix. Assists the student in his/her attempt to make sense of what comes under the rubric of motivation. Behavior modification and management strategies commonly used in clinics and the workplace are critically examined.
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PSYC 2420 - Psychology of Religion
An investigation of religion and religious traditions through the lens of psychology. We will be investigating religious beliefs, experiences, and behavior through an examination of psychological research and theory, both historical and contemporary. We will be drawing on a diversity of psychological approaches, such as biological, developmental, social, cognitive, cultural, and humanistic.
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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PSYC 2580 - Emerging Adulthood:Development from Late Teens thorough the Twenties
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.”
Anticipated Terms Offered: NA
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PSYC 2910 - Psychology of Mindfulness and Meditation
We 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)?
Course Designation/Attribute: VP (summer only)
Anticipated Terms Offered: Varies
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SCRN 101 - Foundations of Screen Studies
Introduction to film and related screen media, with emphasis on critical thought and analysis. The course begins with attention to aspects of filmmaking activities - such as cinematography, editing and sound - then explores more contextual screen areas such as art film traditions, screen genres, auteur theory, gender and representation, etc. Students actively analyze films in detail to foster an understanding of screen styles and meanings. Fulfills prerequisites for advanced screen-studies courses.
Course Designation/Attribute: AP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
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SCRN 108 - Intro to Screenwriting
This course is centered on the art and craft of screenwriting–both the theory behind the work, and the application of that theory. Students will be expected to write consistently throughout the term, a minimum of 10 hours a week, and complete a revised, polished feature-length screenplay by the end of term. Students will also be expected to expand their film vocabulary through viewing selected films and reading the course texts. The goal of this course is to provide a full understanding of the theories and principles behind writing for the screen–and to provide a structure in which those principles and theories can be applied.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other spring
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SCRN 114 - Writing About Film: Methods of Film Analysis
Considers a variety of critical methods for the analysis and interpretation of film. The course considers several important kinds of writing about film, including journalistic film criticism and analysis based in film theory. Students actively practice all of these modes of writing to acquire the analytic skills used in upper-level courses. The major critical approaches or methodologies of film studies such as formalist criticism, genre criticism, auteur criticism and forms of ideological criticism are explored in coordination with weekly films.
Course Designation/Attribute: VE
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every spring
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SCRN 115 - Cinephilia
What is cinephilia? Is it merely love for cinema? Does it imply, like Susan Sontag argues, the death of cinema? What is the value of concepts like nostalgia, memory, loss, when applied to films? Does the shift from analog to digital represent a crisis of loss of film? How can we make sense of this love, which in its very admission, indicates a sense of loss of the medium itself? How has this particular engagement with cinema developed historically with different sets of audiences? How does it change our understanding of global and hierarchical categorizations of film industries when cinephilia plots relationships of homage and fetishization across various borders-national, industrial, and between mainstream and avant garde? This course seeks to develop an understanding of film via the concept of cinephilia-the affective engagement with cinematic media. We will study aspects of the film form in mainstream, avant-garde, and indie cinema to understand film as a medium in order to grasp the various considerations of cinephilia along with concepts like auteurism, genre, mode, and camp, amongst others. Ultimately, we will be able to understand cinephilia as a cultural phenomenon and as a spectatorial relationship to film in a global and intertextual context of cinema.
The course fulfils the Aesthetic Perspective designation, which is part of PLS.
The course is a designated FYI experience.
Course Designation/Attribute: AP
Anticipated Terms Offered: biannually
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SCRN 120 - History of U.S. Film Since 1960
The history of post-WWII American cinema is the story of an ongoing series of adjustments to (or developments within the context of) instability in postwar film business: film noir, 3-D, biblical epics, blockbusters, art film influences, “new blood” from TV and film schools, Black filmmaking, revisionist genre films, high-concept filmmaking, etc. Further complicating this process of adjustments, cinema was overlaid onto, and consequently influenced by, the political turmoil within American society in general: the “Red Scare,” the Vietnam War, the emergence of a mass counterculture, the antiwar movement, Watergate, Reaganomics, the end of the Cold War and increasingly vocal demands by women and minorities for social equality (and media representation).
Course Designation/Attribute: HP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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SCRN 121 - History of International Cinema Until 1960
Broad survey designed to acquaint students with major foreign movements in cinema history. Includes readings on and screenings of examples selected from Italian silent epics, French Impressionism, German Expressionist and Weimar cinema, Soviet montage school, Soviet socialist realism, British documentary school, Nazi cinema, Italian neorealism, Japanese classical cinema and French New Wave.
Course Designation/Attribute: AP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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SCRN 122 - History of American Broadcasting and Electronic Media
This course considers how broadcasting and electronic media have been developed over the past century. We will examine the technical achievements of the field as well as its social and aesthetic impacts from early electrical and wireless communication (telephone, radio) to mid-century inventions (television, satellites) and more recent innovations (cable, digital technology). We will sample a wide range of media productions, including early radio and TV shows, documentaries and current media phenomena. Students will do some of their own historical research on broadcasting to supplement the course material.
Course Designation/Attribute: HP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other semester
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SCRN 123 - Factual Film and Television
FALL 2016 - Focusing on the recent found-footage craze in film and television, this seminar theorizes the various tactics through which contemporary media deceive audiences precisely by telling the truth-delivering content that seduces by appearing actual, or “really real.” Beginning with a close reading of four notable found-footage films-The Blair Witch Project (1999), Paranormal Activity (2007), Cloverfield (2008) and Chronicle (2012)-we will go on to establish the historical, aesthetic, and generic contexts that have made such films possible. Special attention will be paid to media texts that are notorious for having taken liberties with the truth, such as Nanook of the North (1922), “The War of the Worlds” radio drama (1938), David Holzman’s Diary (1967), F for Fake (1973), The Thin Blue Line (1988), and Ghostwatch (1992, TV). During the last five weeks of the course, the seminar will shift into a hands-on workshop phase, in which students will conceive, write, shoot, and edit their own short found-footage pseudo-documentary-a film that is wholly fictional yet purports to be real. Students wishing to enroll should note that this is not in any sense a “film appreciation” course, but instead a serious, rigorous course in Film and Media Studies. The major workload of the seminar will comprise a series of written analyses based on weekly screenings, in which students will grapple not only with narrative (i.e. scripted plots), but also with the intricacies of film form (i.e., editing, sound, cinematography, lighting, production design, and so on).
Course Designation/Attribute: AP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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SCRN 124 - History of International Cinema Since 1960
Considers the proliferation and significance since the 1960s of new cinemas outside Europe, as well as major social, industrial, technological, and cultural changes in Western countries supporting alternatives to Hollywood entertainment. Surveys major developments in contemporary international cinema from the mid-1960s to the present, emphasizing both historical study of contexts and critical interpretation of individual films and broader film trends. Begins with politically-critical filmmaking in the Soviet bloc countries and in the developing countries of Latin America and Africa. Subsequently, the course explores aesthetic and industry trends in European and Asian cinemas, selected from the New German cinema movement, pan-European “quality” films, the Dogme 95 movement, Parallel Cinema in India, the Hong Kong New Wave, and China’s Fifth Generation filmmakers. The significant but problematic concept of national cinema is investigated throughout the course.
Prerequisites: SCRN 101 or Permission.
Course Designation/Attribute: GP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year.
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SCRN 131 - Film Noir and its Contexts
An in-depth study of this highly influential yet much debated category of American cinema. This course considers the status of film noir as a genre, European and American influences, visual and narrative techniques, cultural contexts such as existentialism, psychoanalysis, and postmodernism, and articulations of gender and race in studio-era and contemporary noir. Weekly class screenings are accompanied by out-of-class film viewing and by course readings drawn from a broad variety of historical, analytical, and theoretical studies.
Course Designation/Attribute: AP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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SCRN 140 - Film Authors and Authorship
Examines the theory and practice of film authorship through a consideration of works by major American and international film authors. Studies historical development of the idea of film directors as authors in Europe and the United States. Emphasizes the impact of such theories on the study of various American figures, which may include Hawks, Ford, Hitchcock and Coppola, as well as international figures. Also examines the formation of film authorship in emerging cultural contexts, such as women’s cinema and new national cinemas.
Course Designation/Attribute: AP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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SCRN 209 - Genre Production Workshop
This digital filmmaking course is offered as an advanced level production workshop primarily for Visual and Performing Arts students in their junior or senior years. It builds upon the foundations of cinematic analysis and practice established in the first few years of the Screen major sequence, as well as the introductory sequences of the other programs in the department: Music, Theater, Studio Art, Art History, and MCA. Enrolled students from diverse backgrounds in the arts will work collectively on a single original short film project. The project will showcase each student’s disciplinary training in areas such as directing, producing, acting, cinematography, production design, editing, original music, and sound design. With an equal emphasis placed on theory and practice, this film production workshop employs hands-on demonstrations, screenings, readings, lectures, discussions, and peer-based critiques to assist students in the creative process. Classes stress research, form, style, and technique as integral components of creative inter-media practice.
Note: The genre focus each term may vary. The topic for Spring 2020 is Horror Film. Enrollment is subject to professor approval; interested students should email the professor.
Students will be charged a V & PA lab fee upon registering for this course.
Course Designation/Attribute: POP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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SCRN 210 - Experimental Production Workshop: Glitch Aesthetics
Whether appearing in the realm of still images, sound recordings, video, or other media, Glitch Art seeks to disrupt the data behind a digital representation in such a way that its simulation of analog can no longer remain covert. Sometimes intentional and sometimes accidental, a glitch flamboyantly undoes the communications platforms that we, as subjects of digital culture, both rely on and take for granted. In this course, students will investigate, theorize, and collaboratively work to produce Glitch Art in its various evolving forms. The course will thus offer both a formal survey of the history and theory of Glitch Art (including some proto-glitch forms and movements) and a workshop for providing critique and inspiration to individual artists. Because Glitch Art typically aims to render digital files unstable-triggering a partial failure of the software that “plays back” encoded sounds and images-the nature of our artistic practice will necessarily be unruly, our output unpredictable. Disciplinary boundaries will be crossed with impunity and oftentimes entirely ignored. In this course, a musician may try her hand at glitchy photography, while a graphic designer may collaborate with a sculptor on a glitched music video. Prior experience with digital technology and software may prove useful in some students’ work, but not in others. “Glitch Aesthetics” is the fourth in a series of Creative InterMedia courses developed by faculty in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, and seeks to enroll juniors and seniors from each of the five V&PA majors: Art History, Music, Screen Studies, Studio Art, and Theater Arts. Students will be evaluated on the basis of an online portfolio of works in various media, as well as a substantial term project of the student’s own design, to be presented in a public group exhibition at end of term. Enrollment is by permission only and will be limited to 3-5 students per major; please contact the instructor prior to or during the registration period to discuss your eligibility.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Spring 2014
Placement Guidelines
This course (along with “Genre Production Workshop”) requires V&PA students to apply to the instructor for admission during the previous semester’s registration period, demonstrating through a portfolio, short interview, or transcript that they are serious and adequately prepared. Course is listed “PERM ONLY” and will be restricted to V&PA juniors and seniors.
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SCRN 217 - Cult Logics
Twin Peaks and Mystery Science Theater 3000. Punk Rock and Hello Kitty. Johnny Guitar and Eight Diagram Pole Fighter. To study cult fandom is first of all to confront a shopworn cliché about human subjectivity: there’s no accounting for tastes. The cult devotee’s pursuit is by definition a “minor” taste-at once marginal in subject and style, and hard to find as a material object. Cult objects may be passive “sleepers”-films or TV shows we don’t expect to be any good but which turn around and surprise us. More often, however, we encounter cult objects as transgressive confrontations: divisive, rude, and even boring, but above all oblivious to mainstream desires. Cultism frequently valorizes bad taste, excess, and ugliness (or hyper-cuteness, as in Japanese kawaii culture), forcing the beholder to confront their own perversions and anxieties. At the same time, in order to be a bona fide cultist, one has traditionally taken a vow of non-attainment: to pursue the esoteric beyond all reason. But what happens when the well of esoterica runs dry, as it seems to be doing today, with every outré video freely available on Netflix and Amazon? Does the wholesale commodification of cult products (think Hot Topic) paradoxically annihilate the possibility of cult pleasure? By theorizing the self perpetuating beyond-ness of cult fandom, this course will implicitly call into question why cultists desire their own marginalization, subversively refusing conventional enjoyment. One warning however: despite the garish allure of our readings and screenings, this course should not be mistaken as itself providing a “fun” or “entertaining” fan-oriented indulgence in the pleasures of cult representation. Instead, this course will insist on nothing less than your most serious scholarly engagement as we work to theorize cult pleasure, taste, and aesthetics in relation to questions of gender, race, nation, and class. So prepare to enjoy, but also prepare to work hard to understand the weirdness of your own enjoyment.
Prerequisites: SCRN 101 or COMM 101
Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically
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SCRN 225 - National Cinema
Issues in National and Regional Cinemas. Variable topics.
Spring 2021 Topic: Turkey
This course provides a survey and critical assessment of national cinema in Turkey from the mid 20th century to the contemporary moment. We will analyze representations of race and ethnicity, gender and sex, and religion. A key component of the course will be an examination of whiteness in cinema and how race plays a key role in determining national identity and transnational relations. The course will cover topics such as nationalism, Islamization, queer diasporas, Turkish-Kurdish issue, minority policies, and women’s rights through the films of acclaimed filmmakers such as Yılmaz Guney, Tomris Giritlioglu, Ferzan Ozpetek, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and Yeşim Ustaoglu. Besides fiction and nonfiction films, students will also learn about a nontheatrical film culture in Turkey during the Cold War era and analyze the country’s geopolitical importance in relation to the American politics. Additionally, we will explore the U.S. soft power, taste politics, and copyrights issues in the context of Turkey’s remakes of American films (such as The Wizard of Oz and Star Wars). Furthermore, we will also investigate the representation of Turkey in American cinema to discuss the function of diplomacy, stereotyping, memory, and race in relation to influencing public opinion and legal cases. Lastly, our discussions will incorporate an analysis of film production, exhibition, distribution, and reception in festival circuits, social media, and digital streaming platforms.
Course Designation/Attribute: GP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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SCRN 231 - Film Theory
This seminar examines a wide range of theories regarding motion picture reception, and to a lesser extent, production. Topics will include classic arguments about the aesthetic purpose of film and the place of authorship in screen texts, as well as more contemporary concerns such as queer theory, cognitivism, and post-structuralism. The course will also take up the anti-theory movement that has arisen in recent years.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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SCRN 261 - Critical Perspectives on Television
This course explores fundamental questions about the cultural significance of television by considering a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches to television criticism, including ideological analysis, semiotics, political economy, feminist criticism, narrative, genre and critical race theories. In this course, we use these analytic tools to examine the cultural, political, and economic implications of television as a form of social communication. Our goals are (1) to become familiar with the key aspects of each theoretical perspective and (2) to apply these frameworks in our own analyses of television programs. By requiring students to continuously read, view, discuss, and write about critical perspectives on television, this course cultivates a deep understanding for the ideological and structural dynamics that constitute popular culture.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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SCRN 288 - Gender and Film
This course will explore how cinema has participated in the construction, deconstruction, and reimagining of gender across its history. We will read examples of early feminist film theory, which argued that Classical Hollywood and other narrative cinemas have long constructed women as “Woman” through its myths, signs, and appeal to the male gaze. We will also study what happens when women, including queer women and women of color, return the gaze and look back. Finally, the course will investigate the films of feminist, queer, and transgender filmmakers and analyze how they have repurposed this technology of gender towards transformative ends. Readings will be primarily theoretical, and screenings will include fiction, documentary, and experimental films, such as Rebecca (1940), Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975), Damned If You Don’t (1987), Paris Is Burning (1990), The Matrix (1999), Pariah (2011), and Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017).
Prerequisites: SCRN 101 or MCA 101 or permission
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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SCRN 291 - Capstone Course - Variable topics
The Screen Studies capstone involves a seminar-style, intensive exploration of a single subject area relevant to moving-image media. Historical, theoretical, and practical approaches are all considered. Students engage in intensive weekly readings, discussions, and presentations, with the semester culminating in a well-researched and polished 25-page paper, or a carefully developed and refined video project. The goal is to produce work that could be worthy of submission to a graduate admissions committee, or to a writing contest or film festival. Students should expect this course to require considerably more weekly work than a standard 200-level Screen course and adjust their fall schedule accordingly. Topics vary.
FALL 2020 TOPIC: THE DIGITAL GAZE
To encounter the gaze is to confront one’s own position in a field of vision, a field of oppositional desires. This capstone seminar for Screen Studies and MCA seniors posits the existence of a “digital gaze,” and contrasts it with various past and passing forms of analog gaze. Most especially, the course seeks to understand contemporary black activism as both fighting against, and subversively exploiting, a ubiquitous digital gaze grounded in cellphone videos, surveillance footage, police body cameras, social media streams, and drone technologies. Some or our weekly topics will include the transgressive and mainstream modalities of glitch aesthetics; digital documentaries on influential analog afro-punk subcultures; the exnominated white privilege of contemporary street art; the cinematic trope of the ethnic/racial neighbor as a site of jouissance (or surplus enjoyment); crowdsourced cellphone footage as a counter-hegemonic weapon; the “fake Karen” TikTok phenomenon as a form of overidentification; digital intermediality in the installations and performances of artist Nick Cave; and the mainstream CGI blockbuster’s attempts to stabilize and “tame” the gaze in its potential for traumatic rupture. SCRN 291 may be counted as a capstone in the MCA major.
Prerequisites: SCRN or MCA seniors or Permission.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every fall
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