Psychology
The Department of Psychology offers courses in the science of psychology, experimental psychology, the brain and behavior, cognition, decision making, drugs and behavior, personality development, social cognition, evolution and behavior, psychopathology, consciousness, cognitive neuroscience, relationships, statistics for behavioral scientists, perception, animal behavior, abnormal behavior, child development. The department also offers seminars and individualized research.
For questions about specific courses, contact the department.
Psychology Certificate
Students interested in preparing for graduate school in psychology should consider the certificate program.
Departmental Advisor for Students in the Postbaccalaureate Studies
Certificate Program:
Prof. Patricia Lindemann, 354A Schermerhorn Extension
212-854-8285
pgl2 [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Guide to Course Numbers
Course numbers reflect the structure of the psychology curriculum. The 1000 level contains introductions to psychology, introductory laboratory courses, and statistics. The 2000 level contains lecture courses that are introductions to areas within psychology; most require PSYC W1001 or W1010 as a prerequisite. The 3000 level contains more advanced and specialized undergraduate courses, most of which are given in a seminar format and require instructor permission. The 3900s are the courses providing research opportunities for undergraduates. The 4000 level contains advanced seminars suitable for both advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Subcategories within the 2000, 3000, and 4000 levels correspond to the three groups in our distribution requirement for undergraduate psychology majors and students completing the Certification of Professional Achievement in Psychology: (1) perception and cognition (2200s, 3200s, and 4200s), (2) psychobiology and neuroscience (2400s, 3400s, and 4400s), and (3) social, personality, and abnormal (2600s, 3600s, and 4600s).
Current psychology department course listings
Requirements for Admission to Graduate Programs in Psychology
Students interested in applying for graduate programs in psychology, including those in clinical psychology, should complete a variety of undergraduate courses, including the Science of Psychology (Psychology W1001), a laboratory course in experimental psychology (Psychology W1420, W1440, W1460, W1480, or W1490), and a course in statistics (Psychology W1610 or Statistics W1001, W1111, or W1211).
Students should also take a variety of more advanced undergraduate courses and seminars, and participate in supervised research (Psychology W3950). Students interested in clinical psychology should obtain experience working in a community service program, in addition to supervised research experience.
For questions about specific courses, contact the department.
Courses
Laboratory course to accompany BC1107. Students conduct experiments analyzing learning and memory in rats and humans.
Course Number
PSYC 1106Points
1.5Prerequisite
BC1001 Introduction to Psychology and departmental permission via Barnard Department of Psychology Lab and Statistics Lottery (students enter lottery via eBear the previous semester). Enrollment limited to 24 students per section.Lecture course covering the basic methods, results, and theory in the study of how experience affects behavior. The roles of early exposure, habitation, sensitization, conditioning, imitation, and memory in the acquisition and performance of behavior are studied.
Course Number
PSYC 1107Points
3Prerequisite
BC1001 Introduction of Psychology or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 72 students.Laboratory course to accompany BC1110. Students conduct experiments of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling, and learn to report their findings.
Course Number
PSYC 1109Points
1.5Prerequisite
BC1001 Introduction to Psychology and departmental permission via Barnard Department of Psychology Lab and Statistics Lottery (students enter lottery via eBear the previous semester). Enrollment limited to 22 students per section.Lecture course covering an introduction to problems, methods, and research in perception. Discussion of psychological studies of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling.
Course Number
PSYC 1110Points
3Prerequisite
BC1001 or permission of the instructor.Selected topics illustrating the methods, findings, and theories of contemporary cognitive psychology. Topics include attention, memory, categorization, perception, and decision making. Special topics include neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience. The laboratory consists of experiments related to these topics.
Course Number
PSYC 1113Points
4.5Prerequisite
BC1001 and departmental permission. Enrollment limited to 48 students. Laboratory fee: $30.Laboratory course to accompany BC1115. Students conduct experiments related to selected topics illustrating the methods, findings, and theories of contemporary cognitive psychology. Topics include attention, memory, categorization, perception, and decision making. Special topics include neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience.
Course Number
PSYC 1114Points
1.5Prerequisite
BC1001 Introduction to Psychology and departmental permission via Barnard Department of Psychology Lab and Statistics Lottery (students enter lottery via eBear the previous semester). Enrollment limited to 24 students per section.Lecture covering selected topics illustrating the methods, findings, and theories of contemporary cognitive psychology. Topics include attention, memory, categorization, perception, and decision making. Special topics include neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience.
Course Number
PSYC 1115Points
3Prerequisite
BC1001 or permission of the instructor.Laboratory course to accompany BC1119. Students conduct experiments related to the physiological bases of behavior: development, organization and function of the nervous system; neurochemistry, neurophysiology and synaptic transmission. Topics include: the neural bases of sensory systems; homeostasis; sexual behavior; biological rhythms; emotionality and stress; learning and memory; and psychopathology. A portion of this course uses rats as experimental subjects and involves brain dissections.
Course Number
PSYC 1118Points
1.5Prerequisite
BC1001 Introduction to Psychology and departmental permission via Barnard Department of Psychology Lab and Statistics Lottery (students enter lottery via eBear the previous semester). Enrollment limited to 20 students per section.Lecture course covering an introduction to the physiological bases of behavior: development, organization and function of the nervous system; neurochemistry, neurophysiology and synaptic transmission. Topics include: the neural bases of sensory systems; homeostasis; sexual behavior; biological rhythms; emotionality and stress; learning and memory; and psychopathology.
Course Number
PSYC 1119Points
3Prerequisite
BC1001 or permission of the instructor.Laboratory consists of experiments related to the principal approaches to personality and their implications for personality development, psychological adjustment, and everyday behavior. Students will participate in all stages of personality research: conceptualizing a personality construct, designing and administering tests, identifying individual differences, and carrying out a study.
Course Number
PSYC 1124Points
1.5Prerequisite
BC1001 and departmental permission. Enrollment limited to 25 students per section.Lecture course covering the principal approaches to personality and their implications for personality development, psychological adjustment, and everyday behavior.
Course Number
PSYC 1125Points
3Prerequisite
BC1001 or permission of the instructor.Laboratory course involving experiments related to cognitive, linguistic, perceptual, motor, social, affective, and personality development from infancy to adolescence. The course offers an opportunity for direct observation of children; major areas of research at each level of development are covered.
Course Number
PSYC 1128Points
1.5Prerequisite
BC1001 Introduction to Psychology and departmental permission via Barnard Department of Psychology Lab and Statistics Lottery (students enter lottery via eBear the previous semester). Enrollment limited to 22 students per section.Lecture course covering cognitive, linguistic, perceptual, motor, social, affective, and personality development from infancy to adolescence.
Course Number
PSYC 1129Points
3Prerequisite
BC1001 or permission of the instructor.Laboratory course covering contemporary theory and research on social thought and behavior. Issues such as person perception, attitudes, attraction, aggression, stereotyping, group dynamics, and social exchange will be explored. The application of theory and research to addressing social problems will be discussed.
Course Number
PSYC 1137Points
1.5Prerequisite
BC1001 Introduction to Psychology and departmental permission via Barnard Department of Psychology Lab and Statistics Lottery (students enter lottery via eBear the previous semester). Enrollment limited to 25 students per section.Lecture course covering contemporary theory and research on social thought and behavior. Issues such as person perception, attitudes, attraction, aggression, stereotyping, group dynamics, and social exchange will be explored. The application of theory and research to addressing social problems will be discussed.
Course Number
PSYC 1138Points
3Prerequisite
BC1001 or permission of the instructor.Through a participative classroom model, the major theories of child and adolescent development and learning fundamental to the educative process are examined. Analysis of applications and implications of psychological knowledge for classroom teaching through observations and research in elementary and secondary school classes. Examines models of instruction and assessment; motivation, teaching, and learning strategies; and gender, economic, and racial issues.
Course Number
PSYC 2134Points
3Prerequisite
BC1001 or permission of the instructor.Introduction to behavior of individuals and small groups in work organizations. Recent theory and research emphasizing both content and research methodology. Motivation and performance, attitudes and job satisfaction, power, influence, authority, leadership, cooperation and conflict, decision making, and communications. Enrollment limited to 45; and only seniors.
Course Number
PSYC 2151Points
3Prerequisite
BC1001 or permission of the instructor. Enrollment strictly limited to 45 students; decided upon and finalized first week of classes.Spring 2021
Times/Location
Tu Th 6:10p - 7:25pONLINE ONLY
Section/Call Number
001/00413Enrollment
32 of 36Instructor
Elisabeth MahThis class explores the complex interactions among genetics, hormones, environment, experience, and behavior. Topics covered include the endocrine system, sexual development, reproductive behavior, and social interactions such as affiliation, aggression, parenting, as well as homeostasis, biological rhythms, stress, memory, and mood.
Course Number
PSYC 2154Points
3Prerequisite
BC1001 or BIOL BC1101, BC1102, or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 45 students.Examines the biological, psychological, and social factors that lead to drug use and abuse. A biopsychosocial model will be used to examine the behavioral effects of prescription, over the counter, and street drugs. Treatments, therapies, and theories of addictive behaviors will be explored.
Course Number
PSYC 2177Points
3Prerequisite
BC1001 or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 75 students.Fall 2021
Times/Location
Tu Th 1:10p - 2:25pRoom TBA Building TBA
Section/Call Number
001/00167Enrollment
72 of 65Instructor
E'mett McCaskillExplores the evolution of disorders affecting children due to some impairment in the brain or nervous system. Constitutional vulnerabilities demonstrate that nervous system injury varies as a function of neurodevelopmental stage. Disorders to be studied include those impacting language, hearing, vision, movement, mood and emotion, and learning.
Course Number
PSYC 2180Points
3Prerequisite
BC1118/1119, BC3177, BC3380, or BIOL BC3362. Enrollment limited to 30 students.Outlines major theoretical questions and research approaches in human motivation. In particular, it focuses on empirical investigations of motivation in social contexts, emphasizing goal formation, goal conflict, the self, and the influence of nonconscious processes. Motivation for competence, control autonomy, achievement, altruism, and intimacy will also be covered.
Course Number
PSYC 3158Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 20 students.Review of the classic and contemporary empirical research pertaining to the self, with an emphasis on the self as a socially-based construct. Focus on the social basis of identity, self-concept, and self-regulation.
Course Number
PSYC 3165Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and one other Psychology course. Or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 20 students.An examination of the major concepts, debates, and research of evolutionary psychology. Will explore the extent to which the human mind and behavior are shaped by natural selection to solve specific, long-standing problems faced by our species over evolutionary time, such as finding a romantic partner, child-rearing, and gathering food.
Course Number
PSYC 3367Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 15 students.Consideration of classic Psychodynamic (the unconscious/incubation), Psychometric (testing/training), and Personaility (train/motivation) models of creativity. Application of contemporary Process (cognitive/problem-solving) models to art, literature, and independently selected areas of expertise. Process models are involving constraint selection within well-established domains are emphasized.
Course Number
PSYC 3368Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and permission of the instructor.Spring 2021
Times/Location
W 1:10p - 3:00pONLINE ONLY
Section/Call Number
001/00408Enrollment
16 of 20Instructor
Patricia StokesReview and critical evaluation of current empirical research investigating cognitive processes in both human and non-human species. Topics include comparisons in episodic memory, metacognition, theory of mind, self-awareness, and language abilities.
Course Number
PSYC 3372Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and one additional course in psychology. Or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 20 students.Consideration of research on the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors related to physical health and illness. Topics include the relationship of stress to illness, primary prevention, mind-body methods of coping with stress and chronic illness (such as meditation), and the relationship between psychological factors and recovery from illness. Enrollment limited to 15.
Course Number
PSYC 3373Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and two more psychology courses, and permission of the instructor required.Analysis of human development during the fetal period and early infancy. Review of effects of environmental factors on perinatal perceptual, cognitive, sensory-motor, and neurobehavioral capacities, with emphasis on critical conditions involved in both normal and abnormal brain development. Other topics include acute and long term effects of toxic exposures (stress, smoking, and alcohol) during pregnancy, and interaction of genes and the environment in shaping the developing brain of "high-risk" infants, including premature infants and those at risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Course Number
PSYC 3376Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and BC1128/1129 Developmental (lab and lecture taken together) or BC1129 (only lecture). Or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 15 students.Exposition of research and theory in neuroscience with an emphasis on the use of neural imaging techniques (EEG, evoked potentials, MEG, PET, fMRI) for exploring sensation, perception, and cognition in the healthy, intact brain.
Course Number
PSYC 3380Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 20 students.Survey and critical analysis of the developmental and neurological research on theory of mind -the attribution of mental states like belief, desire, and knowledge to others- in humans and nonhuman animals. Emphasis on the role of intentionality, stages of acquisition, neurological and genetic bases, and deficits in theory of mind.
Course Number
PSYC 3381Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and one other Psychology course, or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 15 students.Examines adolescent development in theory and reality. Focuses on individual physiological, sexual, cognitive, and affective development and adolescent experiences in their social context of family, peers, school, and community. Critical perspectives of gender, race and ethnicity, sexuality, and "teen culture" explored.
Course Number
PSYC 3382Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and BC1129 Developmental Psychology or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 20 senior majors. Barnard students receive priority.Spring 2021
Times/Location
Tu 2:10p - 4:00pONLINE ONLY
Section/Call Number
001/00407Enrollment
12 of 14Instructor
Susan SacksBasic principles of the study of drugs that influence the neural systems and induce changes in behavior. Molecular, biochemical and behavioral characterization of psychotropic drugs: stimulants, sedative-hypnotics, anxiolytics, alcohol, hallucinogens, and opiates. Etiology and treatment of psychological and neurological disorders.
Course Number
PSYC 3383Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and one of the following: BC1115, BC1119, or BIOL BC3280. Permission of the instructor is required. Enrollment limited to 20 students.Survey of research from the field of social cognition, exploring cognitive processes involved in social functioning. Topics include attention, interpretation, evaluation, judgment, attribution, and memory processes. Both controlled and automatic processes will be considered, and the roles of motives, goals, and affective variables will be discussed.
Course Number
PSYC 3384Points
4Prerequisite
BC 1001 and one of the following: BC1138/1137 Social Psychology, BC1115/1114 Cognitive Psychology, or permission of the instructor.Recent advancements in neuroscience raise profound ethical questions. Neuroethics integrates neuroscience, philosophy, and ethics in an attempt to address these issues. Reviews current debated topics relevant to the brain, cognition, and behavior. Bioethical and philosophical principles will be applied allowing students to develop skill in ethical analysis.
Course Number
PSYC 3387Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and one of the following: Neurobiology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Fundamentals of Neuropsychology, or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 20 students.Examines the concept of imitation in behavior through research on animals, human development, and adult language use. Class meetings focus on discussion of reading material to develop a theory of the cognitive mechanisms of imitation that apply to language change in spoken communication.
Course Number
PSYC 3388Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and one Psychology Lab course, or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 20 students.This course offers an in-depth examination of contemporary topics in personality psychology and their historical antecedents. Topics include developmental foundations, modern theory and research on consciousness, regulation of emotion and cognition, and new approaches to personality assessment. These current issues will be discussed with an emphasis on both theory and research.
Course Number
PSYC 3389Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and BC1124/1125 (Personality lab and lecture taken together) or BC1125 (Personality lecture only), or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 20 students.An examination of the scientific study of the domestic dog. Emphasis will be on the evolutionary history of the species; the dog's social cognitive skills; canid perceptual and sensory capacities; dog-primate comparative studies; and dog-human interaction.
Course Number
PSYC 3390Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and one other Psychology course. Enrollment limited to 15 students. Permission of the instructor is required.Spring 2021
Times/Location
Tu 10:10a - 12:00pONLINE ONLY
Section/Call Number
001/00470Enrollment
12 of 15Instructor
Alexandra HorowitzThe seminar will explore how times are perceived, learned, remembered and used to guide decisions and behavior. The underlying brain mechanisms that create a sense of time and organize action will be discussed. Students will research how temporal information processing is foundational to core areas of psychology.
Course Number
PSYC 3391Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and additional psychology course, or permission of the instructor.Metacognition is one of the latest psychological buzzwords, but what exactly is metacognition? Metacognition enables us to be successful learners, problem solvers, and decision makers, and as often been used synonymously with words such as language, awareness, and consciousness. In this seminar, we will examine various components of metacognition, including its role in learning and memory, and its existence in various non-human populations. In addition, we will explore the fragility of metacognition, including illusions of confidence and harmful control strategies that people use. Readings will include classic and important recent papers in the field, looking at metacognition as a higher-level cognitive process, and as knowledge individuals use to guide behavior.
Course Number
PSYC 3394Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001, and one psychology laboratory course; final enrollment determined on the first day of classIn this course, students will examine neuroscientific and psychological research and scholarly work pertaining to the ability to regulate – to control and manage – thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and social interactions. Research suggests what is possible to change, and by what mechanisms. Students will explore how evidence can reasonably be interpreted.
Course Number
PSYC 3395Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 Introduction to psychology and BC1138 Social Psychology, or permission of the instructor. Enrollment is determined at the first class meeting.Excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission is often influenced and altered by neuromodulators such as dopamine, acetylcholine, and serotonin. Imbalances in neuromodulation are implicated in many psychiatric disorders. This course will assess the role of neuromodulation under normal circumstances and how dysfunction in neuromodulation can lead to psychiatric disorders. This course will draw from primary literature and review articles in addition to Introduction to Neuropsychopharmacology.
Course Number
PSYC 3397Points
4Prerequisite
BC1001 and permission of the instructor. Enrollment determined at first class meeting.This seminar will explore sleep and circadian rhythms, emphasizing how these factors and their disruption influence health, function, and well-being. Topics will include the physiological and neurobiological generation of sleep and circadian rhythms, and the interaction between these systems with cognitive, behavioral, endocrine, metabolic, and mood/psychiatric variables in humans.
Course Number
PSYC 3398Points
4Prerequisite
PSYC BC 1001, or equivalent, and permission of instructor. Enrollment limited to 20 students.Discussion of issues and research on the breakdown of basic neurocognitive processes in psychopathology. The focus will be on working memory and cognitive control-- the cognitive processes most vulnerable in many psychiatric disorders, including: Schizophrenia, Major Depressive Reaction, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Substance Abuse. Discussions will focus on issues such as: What can we learn about the neural circuitry involved in a particular psychiatric disorder from studying deficits in cognitive tasks? What can we learn about normal cognition from studying cognitive deficits in psychopathology?
Course Number
PSYC 4220Points
4Prerequisite
at least two other psychology courses and the instructor's permission.Comprehensive overview of various conceptual and methodologic approaches to studying the cognitive neuroscience of aging. The course will emphasize the importance of combining information from cognitive experimental designs, epidemiologic studies, neuroimaging, and clinical neuropsychological approaches to understand individual differences in both healthy and pathological aging.
Course Number
PSYC 4222Points
4Prerequisite
courses in introductory psychology and cognitive psychology; and the instructor's permission.How did language evolve and why are human beings the only species to use language? How did the evolution of social intelligence, in particular, cooperation, set the stage for the origin of language and consciousness? We will explore how psychologists, philosophers, neuroscientists, anthropologists, biologists and computational scientists, among others, have collaborated during recent years to produce important insights in the evolution of intelligence, consciousness and language.
Course Number
PSYC 4250Points
3Prerequisite
<i>PSYC W1001</i> or <i>PSYC W1010</i> or the equivalent, based on instructor assessment, plus one of the instructors' permission.Discussion of selected topics and issues in human decision making.
Course Number
PSYC 4285Points
1Prerequisite
<i>PSYC W1490</i> or <i>PSYC W2235</i>, and the instructor's permission.Seminar concerning a nonverbal animal's use of internal representations of past experience as a basis for action. Topics include how representations are formed, what aspects of experience are encoded, how information is stored, and how it is used later to guide behavior.
Course Number
PSYC 4420Points
3Prerequisite
For undergraduates: the instructor's permission.What are the neural mechanisms that support learning, memory, and choices? We will review current theories in the cognitive neuroscience of human learning, discuss how learning and decision making interact, and consider the strengths and weaknesses of two influential methods in the study of human brain and behavior--functional imaging and patient studies.
Course Number
PSYC 4430Points
4Prerequisite
courses in introductory psychology and/or neuroscience, and the instructor's permission.This seminar will discuss recent topics in cognitive neuroscience, and how research in this field is impacting public opinion. We will engage in a critical review of how the media represents research on the brain, with a focus on current issues and controversies related to the use of neuroimaging in the study of brain and behavior in humans.
Course Number
PSYC 4460Points
4Prerequisite
A neuroscience course, such as <i>PSYC 1010</i>, and the instructor's permissionIntroduction to leading theoretical perspectives employed by developmental psychologists in the study of affective neuroscience. Exploration of the developmental brain and behavior relationships in humans and animal models of typical and atypical emotional behavior, with a critical reading of recent research findings in the field.
Course Number
PSYC 4486Points
4Prerequisite
courses in developmental psychology, and either research methods or affective neuroscience, and the instructor's permission.Explores the concept of inheritance and the mechanisms through which inheritance is mediated. Will focus on the generational transmission of physiology and behavior, but will also consider the inheritance of culture and language.
Course Number
PSYC 4490Points
4Prerequisite
basic knowledge of biology and neuroscience recommended; the instructor's permission required.A comprehensive examination of how culture and diversity shape psychological processes. The class will explore psychological and political underpinnings of culture and diversity, emphasizing social psychological approaches. Topics include culture and self, cuture and social cognition, group and identity formation, science of diversity, stereotyping, prejudice, and gender. Applications to real-world phenomena discussed.
Course Number
PSYC 4615Points
4Prerequisite
the instructor's permission; some basic knowledge of social psychology is desirable.Discussion of the unconscious mind from the perspective of social cognition, with an emphasis on both theoretical and empirical background, as well as current issues in measuring automatic processing. Topics include: implicit memory systems; unconscious attitudes, goals and behavior, emotions, and decision making; the activation and deactivation of knowledge systems; and priming.
Course Number
PSYC 4635Points
4Prerequisite
the instructor's permission; some basic knowledge of social psychology is desirable.Comparison of major theoretical perspectives on social behavior. The nature of theory construction and theory testing in psychology generally. Exercises comparing the predictions of different theories for the same study are designed to acquire an appreciation of how to operationalize theories and an understanding of the various features of a good theory.
Course Number
PSYC 4670Points
3Prerequisite
the instructor's permission.Reviews and integrates current research on the role of social factors in psychopathology. The immediate and long-term effects of chronic and traumatic stressors originating outside the family (e.g., natural disasters, chronic poverty) and inside the family (e.g., family violence, divorce, parental psychopathology) on psychopathology.
Course Number
PSYC 4690Points
3Prerequisite
the instructor's permission.Reviews and integrates current research on three important topics of social psychology: culture, motivation, and prosocial behavior. Discussions and readings will cover theoretical principles, methodological approaches, and the intersection of these three topics. Students will write a personal research proposal based on the theories presented during the seminar.
Course Number
PSYC 4645Points
4Prerequisite
Some knowledge of Research Methods, Statistics, and Social Psychology, plus Instructor's Permission.Fall 2021
Times/Location
M 10:10a - 12:00pRoom TBA Building TBA
Section/Call Number
001/11398Enrollment
8 of 12Instructor
Svetlana KomissaroukExamines definitions, theories, and treatments of abnormal behavior.
Course Number
PSYC 2620Points
3Prerequisite
An introductory psychology course.Fall 2021
Times/Location
Tu Th 4:10p - 5:25pRoom TBA Building TBA
Section/Call Number
001/11406Enrollment
162 of 150Instructor
E'mett McCaskillThis course investigates the ways in which research in human neuroscience both reflects and informs societal issues. Topics include how neuroscience research is interpreted and applied in areas such as healthcare, education, law, consumer behavior, and public policy.
Course Number
PSYC 3496Points
3Prerequisite
Science of Psychology (PSYC 1001) or Mind, Brain, & Behavior (PSYC 1010), or equivalent introductory psychology course. Students who have not taken one of these courses may also be admitted with instructor permission.Fall 2021
Times/Location
W 6:10p - 8:00pRoom TBA Building TBA
Section/Call Number
001/14940Enrollment
0 of 12Instructor
Trenton JerdeIntroduction to the biological approach to the experimental study of behavior. Includes consideration of the types of biological data relevant to psychology, as well as the assumptions and logic permitting the interpretation of biological data in psychological terms.
Course Number
PSYC 1010Points
3An introduction to research methods employed in the study of human social cognition and emotion. Students gain experience in the design and conduct of research, including ethical issues, observation and measurement techniques, interpretation of data, and preparation of written and oral reports.
Course Number
PSYC 1450Points
4Prerequisite
<i>PSYC W1001</i> or <i>PSYC W1010</i>, and a statistics course (<i>PSYC W1610</i> or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission.Required Lab for PSYC W1450.
Course Number
PSYC 1451This course outlines elements of statistical inference. Students will receive training in the use of software to evaluate both experimental data and psychological theory. In doing so, students will construct models that can both describe scientific results and also predict future outcomes.
Course Number
PSYC 1660Points
3Prerequisite
PSYC 1610 (or the equivalent) plus instructor's permissionA systematic review of different forms of cognition as viewed in the context of the theory of evolution. Specific topics include the application of the theory of evolution to behavior, associative learning, biological constraints on learning, methods for studying the cognitive abilities of animals, levels of representation, ecological influences on cognition, and evidence of consciousness in animals.
Course Number
PSYC 2250Points
3Prerequisite
<i>PSYC W1001</i> or <i>PSYC W1010</i>, or the instructor's permission.Brain development across the life span, with emphasis on fetal and postnatal periods. How the environment shapes brain development and hence adult patterns of behavior.
Course Number
PSYC 2480Points
3Prerequisite
<i>PSYC W1001</i> or <i>PSYC W1010</i>, or the instructor's permission.This lecture course introduces students to the study of typical human social development with a particular focus on genetic, familial and peer influences on the development of social behaviors during early childhood.
Course Number
PSYC 2670Points
3Prerequisite
<i>PSYC W1001</i> or <i>PSYC W1010</i>, or the equivalent.Reproduction encompasses a broad range of behaviors in the life cycle of an organism from mate selection and copulation to parental care. This seminar will examine various aspects of reproduction across species and the neural mechanisms that regulate these behaviors and allow an organism to adapt to environmental change.
Course Number
PSYC 3435Points
4Prerequisite
at least two other psychology courses and the instructor's permission.This course will explore the theory and methods underlying lifespan development: the cognitive and neural changes that we undergo from even before birth until the end of life. Each week will focus on a different broad time period in the life of a person, and introduce a major research method used in the study of human development. Topics will range from prenatal development and epigenetics to late-life brain changes and neuroimaging.
Course Number
PSYC 3484Points
4Prerequisite
Science of Psychology (PSYC 1001), Mind, Brain, & Behavior (PSYC 1010), or an equivalent Introductory Psychology course is required, plus permission of the instructor.Considers contemporary risk factors in children's lives. The immediate and enduring biological and behavioral impact of risk factors.
Course Number
PSYC 3615Points
4Prerequisite
<i>PSYC W1010, PSYC W2280, PSYC W2620,</i> or <i>PSYC W2680</i>, and the instructor's permission.This course centers on understanding the self embedded in the social context. We will integrate knowledge from various areas of psychology (developmental, cognitive, social cognition) with a main focus in social psychology. This course will provide the opportunity to gain an understanding of research in the following areas: the development of self in a social context, the relationship between the self and the broader socio-cultural context, the impact of self-involvement on social/cognitive processes, and contemporary research on individual differences.