Course Descriptions: Psychology

PSY 102 Social Psychology (bi-annual E)
Values, attitudes, and behavior as influenced by family, school, community, and culture. Bases for friendship, love, prejudice, and anti-social behavior. Group dynamics involved in conformity, conflict and cooperation.
Prerequisite or corequisite: PSY 101.
3 credits.

PSY 201 Developmental Psychology (bi-annual O)
Stages of life: infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age. Mental, emotional, and personality changes during development, and the psychological hurdles to overcome.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 205 Psychology of Motivation (upon request)
Motivation for human behavior from the basic drives for food and water to higher drives for achievement and self-fulfillment. Views of Freud, Maslow, Murray, McClelland, and others.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 206 Comparative Psychology (upon request)
Complexity of behavior in the animal kingdom ranging from amoeba to man. Similarities and differences between behavior of animals, especially primates and humans. Role of instinct and environment in determining behavior.
Prerequisite: PSY 101 or BIO 101.
3 credits.

PSY 210 Theories of Learning (upon request)
Models of animal and human learning including classical and operant conditioning, as well as information processing. Applications to technology of instruction and psychotherapy.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 221 Industrial Psychology (annual)
Psychological methods for selecting and training employees, enhancing morale of workers and improving their relationship with management. Psychology of marketing and advertising.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 231 Psychological Testing (bi-annual O)
Measurement of intelligence, aptitudes, interests, and personality. Tests that tap the unconscious such as the Rorschach and TAT.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 301/302 Experimental Psychology (annual)
Experimental approach to behavior in humans and animals; PSY 301: sensation, perception, and memory. PSY 302: animal and human learning, thinking and
problem- solving.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits each.

PSY 310 Theories of Personality (bi-annual E)
Description and assessment of personality. Theories by Freud, Jung, Fromm, Maslow, Rogers and Skinner, etc. Practical applications to psychotherapy.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 311 Psycholinguistics (bi-annual O)
Psychology of language and the higher mental processes. Modern conceptions of syntactic, semantic, and lexical structure of language.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 312 Thinking (upon request)
Components of the human thinking process and its unique characteristics. Role of trial and error, experience, insight and language. Computer and information processing theories.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 313 Language and Speech Development (annual)
The study of normal language acquisition and development. Prerequisites: PSY 101 and COC 208. 3 credits.

PSY 321 Perception (upon request)
Detection and interpretation of stimuli. Relations between perception, reality, and illusion. Function of the sense organs and brain. Demonstrations provided.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 325 Psychoactive Drugs (upon request)
Behavioral effects of psychoactive drugs including prescription, recreational, and illegal drugs. Topics include: addiction and tolerance, influence of society on drug use, and restriction and legalization of drugs.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 332 History of Psychology (upon request)
The origin of modern psychology within philosophy during the 19th century. Founding and growth of experimental psychology in Germany and its spread to the United States. Developments in psychoanalysis, Gestalt psychology, humanistic psychology, and behaviorism.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 335 Abnormal Psychology (annual)
Description of abnormal behavior. Causes and symptoms of mental illness such as depression and schizophrenia. Basic principles of psychotherapy.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 340 Introduction to Counseling and Therapy (upon request)
Theories and practical applications of counseling. Techniques of therapy such as behavior modification, Rogerian, and psychoanalytic.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 345 Psychology of Health and Illness (upon request)
Psychological aspects of physical health and illness such as heart disease, cancer, and obesity. Role of health providers and institutions in improving the prognoses of patients. Treatments such as biofeedback, relaxation training, and hypnosis.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 351 Biological Psychology (annual)
The biological basis of behavior. Topics include: anatomy and physiology of the nervous system and sense organs, drugs and behavior, sleep and dreaming, eating, brain disorders and abnormal behavior.
Prerequisite: PSY 101 or BIO 101.
3 credits.

PSY 401 Psychology of the Exceptional Child (bi-annual O)
Special problems of children who differ markedly from the normal: mentally retarded, brain damaged, psychologically disturbed, physically handicapped, culturally deprived, and gifted.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.
 

PSY 402 Clinical Psychology (upon request)
Diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental illness. Verbal psychotherapy such as psychoanalysis, client-centered, and Gestalt therapy, drug and electroshock treatment.
Prerequisite: PSY 401. 3 credits.

PSY 420 Eating Disorders (annual)
The causes, description, and treatment of obesity, bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Relation between eating disorders and other psychopathology.
Prerequisite: PSY 101. 3 credits.

PSY 481-482 Independent Study (upon request)
Credits by arrangement.

PSY 493 Advanced Topics in Psychology (annual)
Prerequisite: Senior status or departmental permission. 3 credits.

PSY 494 Senior Honors Project in Psychology (upon request)
Prerequisites: PSY 493 and departmental permission. 3 credits.