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Lasell University
Lasell University

2014 - 2015 Academic Catalog

Psychology

The psychology major emphasizes how individuals think, feel, and behave within personal, social, cultural and societal contexts. The psychology curriculum is anchored in a liberal arts approach to education with the goal of helping students apply critical thinking skills to social and psychological questions. Students learn intervention techniques and counseling skills appropriate for helping individuals and changing social conditions. They learn how functional and dysfunctional behavior patterns develop, and about the interplay between an individuals' neurobiological, interpersonal, cultural, community, and societal processes. Research and statistics courses familiarize students with basic concepts in experimental design and analysis. Equally important, courses in the major emphasize humane and ethical practice through a curriculum designed to increase appreciation of diversity and sensitivity to the dynamics of social oppression and the consequences of social change.

Through application of Lasell's Connected Learning philosophy, psychology majors have ongoing opportunities to connect theoretical concepts discussed in the classroom with practical application gained by working directly in the field through service learning. In their first year, all students take an introductory course in human service theory and participate in at least one service-learning or social justice project. During their first one-semester internship, students work in a community agency that provides services or a therapeutic environment for its clients. A concurrent seminar provides the academic groundwork for this internship, and a required course in basic counseling skills gives students an introduction to valuable interviewing and intervention techniques. Finally, as the culminating capstone experience in their senior year, students are engaged in a two-semester, intensive internship placement, also accompanied by concurrent seminars each semester. Through their internship experiences and their academic course work, students develop and practice professional skills and master the writing styles for the discipline and the profession.

The skills taught in the major prepare students to seek employment in a wide variety of social service or therapeutic settings in administration, education, child welfare settings, therapeutic environments, research and human service agencies in positions such as a counselor, personnel interviewer, case manager, market researcher, test administrator, research assistant, or rehabilitation worker. The undergraduate psychology major prepares the capable student for graduate programs in areas such as clinical or counseling psychology, school psychology, organizational psychology, social work, hospital administration, public health and the criminal justice system.

Academic Standards for Psychology Majors

  1. Students must earn a grade of C or above in each of the following courses:
    PSYC 101 Psychological Perspectives
    SOC101 Sociological Imagination
    HS101 Human Services: Systems & Skills
    HS210 Case Management and Counseling
    SOC331 Research methods in the Social Sciences OR
    PSYC331 Experimental Design in Psychology
  2. Students must receive a grade of C-minus or above in any required Psychology, Sociology, or Human Services course (course with one of these three prefixes) or any course which serves as a substitute or alternative for such a requirement).
  3. The foundation seminar and internship courses (HS215 and HS217) are taken as a unit, and failure to receive at least a C in either of these courses will require the student to repeat both.
  4. The senior level internship courses (HS415 and HS417) and seminar courses (HS425 and 427) form yearlong courses. Failure to receive a minimum grade of C in any one of these courses will result in the student having to repeat the entire sequence, unless there are extenuating circumstances.

The following goals and associated learning outcomes delineate what we strive for students to achieve when they complete the major program of study in Psychology.

Goal 1: Knowledge in the Discipline
Upon completion of the major program of study in Psychology, students will be able to:

  1. Describe key concepts and theories within the field of Psychology
  2. Use Psychological theories to explain human behavior on individual, small group, and societal levels
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of professional codes of ethics

Goal 2: Professional social service experience
Upon completion of the major program of study in Psychology, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate effective skills for interacting with clients
  2. Reflect on the development and practice of their professional roles
Goal 3: Service learning and social justice

Upon completion of the major program of study in Psychology, students will be able to:

  1. Engage in action to address the issues of justice by raising awareness or advocating for change
  2. Reflect on the results of service
  3. Recognize and describe social injustice
  4. Analyze issues that cause social and economic disparities

Goal 4: Scientific reasoning
Upon completion of the major program of study in Psychology, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate facility with research methodology
  2. Demonstrate ability to apply statistics
  3. Develop a substantiated argument

Goal 5: Communication within the discipline
Upon completion of the major program of study in Psychology, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate proficiency in professional Psychological writing style
  2. Write a preliminary grant
  3. Deliver a professional presentation

Course Code Course Title Credits
Core Courses
HS101 Human Services: Systems & Skills 3
HS210 Case Management & Counseling 3
HS215 Foundation Internship 3
HS217 Foundations of Ethical Fieldwork 3
HS415 Advanced Internship I 3
HS417 Field Intervention Strategies 3
HS425 Advanced Internship II 3
HS427 Systems & Organizational Change 3
MATH208 Statistics 3
PSYC101 Psychological Perspectives 3
PSYC318 Abnormal Psychology 3
PSYC328 Cognitive Processes 3
SOC101 Sociological Imagination 3
Choose 1 from the following:
PSYC302 Biological Basis of Behavior 3
PSYC323 Brain Function & Dysfunction 3
Choose 1 from the following:
PSYC202 Psychology of Personality 3
PSYC345 Assessment of Individual Differences 3
Choose 1 from the following:
PSYC331 Experimental Design in Psychology 4
SOC331 Research Methods in the Social Sciences 4
Choose 2 from the following:
PSYC111 Generations in America 3
PSYC221 Child Development 3
PSYC223 Adolescent Psychology 3
Choose 1 from the following:
CJ323 Justice, Class, Race & Gender 3
PSYC316 Psychology of Diversity 3
SOC301 Race & Ethnic Relations 3
Choose 1 from the following:
PSYC220 Social Psychology 3
PSYC222 Social Psychology in Film 3

Additional Departmental Requirements: 3-15 credits
Math 208: Introduction to Statistics: 3 credits

Foreign Language: 0-12 credits*
*The Foreign Language Proficiency requirement is detailed in the Academic Information section.

Courses may require prior coursework depending upon Math placement:
Math 208: Introduction to Statistics

Core Curriculum Requirements and remaining Unrestricted Electives: 43-55 credits

Minimum credits required for graduation: 120

Courses listed below fulfill Knowledge Perspective requirements:

Individuals & Society
PSYC 101 Psychological Perspectives




 

PSYC101 - Psychological Perspectives

In this course, students learn to think like psychologists as they study classic and contemporary topics in human behavior, feeling, and thought. Students learn to apply psychological perspectives of thought, including biological, cognitive, sociocultural, humanistic, psychodynamic, and behaviorist, to better understand the human experience. Students will learn to use these perspectives to explore how individual behavior is influenced by and influences one’s biology, family, community and society. Topics may include human development, personality, psychopathology, human relationships, language, memory, perceptual processes, and intelligence, among others.

PSYC104 - Positive Psychology

Historically, much of Psychology has focused on decreasing maladaptive emotions and behaviors (neurosis, disorders, stress, aggression, etc.). This focus has largely ignored more optimal functioning like happiness, optimism, and life satisfaction. In recent decades more scientific research has aimed at promoting and sustaining psychological health. The emerging field of Positive Psychology is the study of how human beings prosper and overcome adversity. Its goal is to identify and enhance human strengths and virtues and allow individuals and communities to thrive. This introductory-level course will detail the history of this emerging field and focus on current research in social and positive psychology on happiness, virtue, and personal development. The course will explore research that has helped highlight factors that promote and sustain psychological health. Additionally, we will look at tools and techniques that have been shown to help cultivate thoughts and behaviors that effectively contribute to well being. This course would substitute for PSYC101 (Psychological Perspectives) whenever that class is needed as a pre-requisite for an upper-level class but can be taken in addition to PSYC101.

PSYC111 - Generations in America

This course offers a social-developmental, multidisciplinary overview of issues related to the expanding age population in the United States. Students examine aging stereotypes, characteristics of aging populations, and the impact of age-related forces on individuals in American society. The course is geared toward students in a variety of disciplines and provides a knowledge base that can be applied to other areas of study.

PSYC201 - Psychology of Drugs & Behavior

The course examines the relationship between drugs and behavior, including evidence about the effects of drugs on the brain. Several classes of drugs, including chemically or psychologically addictive substances, psychoactive and therapeutic agents, as well as recreational drugs, are examined. Drug use is related to psychological variables such as personality structure and interpersonal relationships, and theories of addictive processes and factors influencing drug use are examined, as are treatment strategies. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PSYC202 - Psychology of Personality

This course introduces students to a variety of the most important theories of personality: i.e., Freud, Jung, Adler, Rogers, and others. Case studies are examined with the intent of making theories more practical and useful. Prerequisite: Any 200 level psychology course.

PSYC203X - Persuading People, Preserving Planet

This Connected Learning Experience is designed to continue students’ development along the Core Curriculum by demonstrating in an inquiry-based way the nature of integrative learning. As such, this team-taught, multidisciplinary course will develop the ability to foster behavior change within the places they live and work as they study how to create a more sustainable planet. Students will explore the environmental challenges created by our use of energy, consumption of water, use of transportation, production of waste, and practices in agriculture. These challenges include climate change, air pollution, water quality, and biodiversity loss. Students will also investigate the behaviors that drive these environmental challenges. Students will select behaviors to study on campus and use the tools of science to collect informing data. They will then study strategies to change behavior from the field of psychology. Applying these strategies, students will develop programs to foster sustainable behaviors on campus. Although this course is a pilot for the proposed Core Curriculum, it will satisfy the following Areas of Inquiry in our current general education curriculum: Psychological/Societal and Scientific.

PSYC204X - Gender Identity & Sexual Orientation

This course explores gender identity and sexual orientation across the life span using a psychosocial and cultural lens. Topics may include personal identity development; gender and sexuality continuums; experiences with family, school, peers, communities, and intimate relationships; eldercare; mental health and resilience; homophobia, transphobia, and heterosexism; allies; and the effects of multiple cultural identities.Prerequisite: Psyc 101, Soc 101, HS101, or Psyc 111 or permission by instructor.Note: This course counts for the Multicultural Area of Inquiry

PSYC205 - Human Sexuality

This course is designed to introduce factual information about gender identity and gender role theories, sexual preference and sexual orientation, and psychosexual development. The course examines issues related to research on human sexuality and behavior, as well as sexual education, sexual disorders, and societal impacts on sexuality. Students are challenged to think critically about many issues surrounding human sexuality and all of its manifestations. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PSYC206 - Special Topics in Psychology

This course provides for specialized offerings in psychology in order to allow faculty and students to explore issues that meet special interests.

PSYC208X - Communities by Design

Decisions about how and where we live can have significant impacts on the environment and human health across the life span. This course will integrate the physical and social sciences as we work together to design contemporary communities. Topics will include environmental health, industrial ecology, and sustainable energy along with social-psychological well-being.

PSYC209X - Psyc of the Black American Experience

This course is an introduction to the psychological experience of Blacks in the United States, including the historical, sociopolitical, and cultural influences that shape personality and mental health in community, family, and individual contexts. Connections between Africa, the Caribbean, and Black America will be examined with respect to culture, belief systems, and values. At the same time, we will also explore the many differences in history, culture, and experience within numerous groups and individuals of African-descent in the U. S. Prerequisite: PSYC101

PSYC213 - Ethics Across Generations

A growing interest in ethics across different generations has emerged with dramatic changes in the age demographics of our society. This course examines a range of ethical dilemmas both unique to and common across different generations. Intervening factors such as generational identity, personal attitudes, and social forces are explored to understanding how individuals approach and behave in these situations.

PSYC218 - Dynamics of Small Groups

This class examines the basic theory and application necessary to understand and facilitate small groups. Topics may include group types, formation, roles and stages; group process; cultural awareness; group interventions and ethics within the field of psychology and human service; therapeutic value of groups; and the family, classroom, and peers as small groups. Prerequisite: PSYC 101 or SOC 101.

PSYC220 - Social Psychology

This is an introduction to the study of social interactions from a psychological perspective. Research reviewed focuses on topics such as: social perception, group interaction, attitude formation, attitudinal change, aggression, conflict, and pro-social behavior. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PSYC221 - Child Development

This course examines the physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional development of the child from birth to adolescence. The contributions of social and cultural experiences as well as the role of biological factors in development are examined as are major theories of development. Students are introduced to the research approaches used to study human development and may be required to carry out observations in various settings. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PSYC222 - Social Psychology in Film

This course uses film to examine social psychological concepts and research and provides an opportunity for students to explore how people influence and are influenced by their social relationships, communities, and larger society. Films illustrate a range of social encounters that are examined from a social psychological perspective. Topics include conflict, love, personal and group behavior, prejudice, roles, privilege, and oppression. NOTE: This course meets the social psychology requirement for Social Sciences majors. Prerequisite: PSYC 101 or SOC 101.

PSYC223 - Adolescent Psychology

This course provides a survey of contemporary knowledge of the human brain, examining normal developmental brain processes and common brain functions. The course also covers common disorders and emphasizes understanding the impact of atypical brain development and the consequences of brain trauma. Intervention strategies and treatment are included. Prerequisite: PSYC101

PSYC227X - Drugs & the Human Body

This course will cover a wide range of psychological/neurological disorders (e.g., drug abuse, depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders etc) and discuss the drug-induced changes in functioning of the nervous system with respect to behavior. Specifically, the focus of this course will be to provide 1) a brief overview of the causes, symptoms, progression and treatment options of some of most prevalent psychological/neurological disorders among college students and older adults, 2) a description of the effects of various disorders on the brain and how pharmacological intervention and therapeutic strategies may (or may not) address these effects.

PSYC237X - Becoming Ourselves in Society

How are we influenced by our group and our society? What attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs do we develop in our social contexts? These questions have been addressed through the lens of social psychology; in addition, creative writers have been moved to explore them. In this course, we consider the individual’s interface with social groups from psychological and literary perspectives. This is a four-credit interdisciplinary course. Prerequisites: ENG102, PSYC101 or SOC101.

PSYC240 - Sport Psychology

This course examines settings such as school, recreational, and professional where sport activities occur. It covers topics such as motivation, anxiety, competition, cooperation, gender issues, and age and developmental level in relation to sport activities. Behavioral problems such as substance abuse and eating disorders, along with psychological factors in prevention and treatment of injuries are included. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PSYC241 - The Psychological Life of Girls & Women

This course utilizes intrapersonal, psychosocial, and sociocultural perspectives to explore the psychological strengths and problems experienced by girls and women. Topics may include the mental health system, eating disorders, depression, women in families, violence against women, friendship, identity and diversity, immigrant experiences, biological influences, sexuality, issues at school and in the workplace, leadership, and research bias. Literature is examined critically for gender, racial, ethnic, and sexual preference biases, power dynamics, and limitations imposed on both females and males by gender imperatives. Prerequisite: PSYC 221 or PSYC 223, or permission of the instructor.

PSYC302 - Biological Basis of Behavior

This course examines current research in the fields of biology, neuroscience, and psychology that explain the role of neural mechanisms in evoking and controlling human behavior. Topics include: thirst and hunger, sleep and arousal, sexual behavior, emotion, aggression, learning, memory, and mental disorders. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PSYC304X - Sensation & Perception

if you are talking to your friends, you might not realize that someone just walked in the room, even though you probably did hear the door creak and their footsteps. Clearly you 'sensed' all the information, but because your brain didn’t interpret it, you didn’t 'perceive' the person walking in. This scenario highlights the central question that we will discuss in this course: how and why are we so wonderfully inefficient and delusional sometimes? It is estimated that our five senses take in 11,000,000 bits of information per second, yet we weed out all but 40 bits. This ability to sense but selectively perceive allows us to survive and live our life without being bombarded. Throughout this course, I hope to convince you that we don't perceive things as they are, we perceive things as we are - so don't be surprised if next time you are watching a RedSox game, a gorilla could run off the field without you noticing it at all. This course will substitute for Cognitive Processes for Psychology majors. Pre-reqs: Psyc 101.

PSYC306 - Special Topics in Psychology

This course provides for specialized offerings in psychology in order to allow faculty and students to explore issues that meet special interests.

PSYC307 - Forensic Psychology

This course deals with the application of psychological knowledge to the judicial process and the criminal justice system. Topics covered include effects of defendant, juror and case characteristics on verdicts, variables affecting eyewitness accuracy, identification and testimony, and the role of forensic psychologists in competency and criminal responsibility assessments as well as criminal profiling. Prerequisite: CJ 201 or PSYC 101.

PSYC316 - Psychology of Diversity

This course explores diversity and its relation to identity, relationship, and power. Areas of diversity that may be a focus of the course include race, class, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, disabilities, aging and/or health status. Students study diversity on micro, meso and macro levels including perspectives on individual and group identity, prejudice and discrimination, and psychological well-being. Students are challenged to explore their own identities and the assumptions they make about various forms of diversity. Prerequisites: Any 200 level Social Science course.

PSYC318 - Abnormal Psychology

This course examines the wide range of personality and behavioral disorders. Both traditional and contemporary theories of psychopathology are reviewed. Emphasis is also placed on the tools, techniques, and process of both the diagnosis and the treatment of various disorders. Prerequisite: PSYC 202 or PSYC 220.

PSYC322 - Abnormal Child Development

This course examines common psychological disorders that affect children and adolescents. Students review factors that contribute to emotional, behavioral, cognitive and social problems in children and adolescents, as well as specific diagnostic criteria of psychological disorders. In addition, treatment of childhood disorders is discussed. Prerequisite: PSYC 221.

PSYC323 - Brain Function & Dysfunction

This course provides a survey of contemporary knowledge of the human brain, examining normal developmental brain processes and common brain functions. The course also covers common disorders and emphasizes understanding the impact of atypical brain development and the consequences of brain trauma. Intervention strategies and treatment are included. Prerequisite: PSYC101

PSYC328 - Cognitive Processes

This course studies the ways that humans learn, remember, communicate, think, and reason. Emphasis is on the role of experimental data in development and evaluation of cognitive theories. Prerequisite: PSYC 101 & MATH 208

PSYC331 - Experimental Design in Psychology

This laboratory course covers concepts of the scientific method in psychology including the logic of experimental and correlational designs, issues of control, sampling, measurement of variables, ethical issues in research, use of online professional search procedures, and writing in APA style. As part of the lab, students carry out an experiment and learn to use SPSS to create a database and perform statistical analyses. Prerequisites: MATH 208 and either PSYC 101 or SOC 101 or permission of the instructor. Co-requisite: PSYC 331L

PSYC333 - Research Assistantship

This course is designed to enable 1-3 students to assist a faculty member who is engaged in research. The faculty member mentors the student(s) through the research process. The process may involve some or all of the following components: Literature review of previous research on the topic, development of the research proposal and project design, development of any materials needed for the research, completion of IRB application, follow-through with the IRB recommendations and approval process, implementation of the research, analysis of the data, and presentation of the work through writing, conference presentation, or Lasell presentation. Prerequisites: SOC 331 or PSYC 331 and Permission of Department Chair. Students may enroll in the course for up to two semesters.

PSYC345 - Assessment of Individual Differences

This course studies a wide variety of tests and measurements used to assess intelligence, aptitude, achievement, and personality in clinical and counseling psychology, in education, and in business. Consideration of the history and theory of these tests is complemented by discussion of practical concerns related to their selection, their administration, and their interpretation in specific settings. Prerequisites: MATH 208 and PSYC 101.

PSYC406 - Special Topics in Psychology

This course provides for specialized offerings in psychology in order to allow faculty and students to explore issues that meet special interests.

HS101 - Human Services: Systems & Skills

This course encourages an examination of one’s own value system, motivations and interests in relation to the wish to pursue a career working with people. Students are introduced to the history and development of the field: the concept of the social welfare system; resources and services offered by a range of community agencies; a model to understand social and psychological problems; and interventions to address social needs interventions range from individual case management and counseling to community organizing and planning. The course highlights a social justice basis for human service work. A service learning requirement enables students to examine their interests and apply the concepts learned in class.

HS210 - Case Management & Counseling

This course introduces students to interviewing skills used by counselors and case managers and to the types of counselor responses that can be effective in human services work. Students learn to assess clients and interventions at the micro, meso and macro levels and explore issues of professional ethics and values. Students also examine cultural contexts as they impact the client, counselor, and client-counselor relationship. Some of the contexts may include race, class, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and immigration status. The course relies heavily on in-class exercises. Prerequisites: PSYC 101, HS 101 with a C or better.

HS215 - Foundation Internship

This internship provides human service students the opportunity to experience field work. Training in the skills by which students can offer direct and indirect assistance to the client population is provided. Prerequisites: HS 210 with a grade of C or better; and permission of Internship Coordinator. Corequisite: HS 217.

HS217 - Foundations of Ethical Fieldwork

This seminar is taken concurrently with the Foundation Internship (HS 215). The seminar provides a forum for discussing common human service experiences, including pathways to professional careers and practice related issues, and includes an introduction to ethical issues such as confidentiality and privacy in the context of an examination of ethical dilemmas. It also gives students an opportunity to build skills necessary to offer direct and indirect assistance to clients at internship sites. Students review professional and research literatures in relation to a topic connected to the internship experience. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisite: HS 210 with a grade of C or better; and permission of the Internship Coordinator required. Co-requisite: HS 215.

HS415 - Advanced Internship I

Seniors who have met program requirements spend 125 hours in an approved supervised internship. Prerequisites: HS 215, HS 217, with a grade of C or better; and permission of the Internship Coordinator; Co-requisite: HS 417.

HS417 - Field Intervention Strategies

This seminar is taken concurrently with Advanced Internship I (HS 415). Students integrate theory learned throughout their college career with their fieldwork experience. The seminar further develops professional behaviors such as record keeping, creating and maintaining supervisory relationships, conflict resolution, and job effectiveness. Students are also offered an opportunity to analyze cases and tasks assigned to them in their field placements, providing a theoretical framework for understanding them. There is an intensive examination of the ethical considerations involved in working with clients. Students identify and develop a research topic and conduct an extensive review of current literature on a topic related to their internship. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisites: HS 215, HS 217 with a grade of C or better, and permission of the Internship Coordinator; Co-requisite: HS 415.

HS425 - Advanced Internship II

This seminar is a continuation of HS 415. Students spend 125 hours working in an approved supervised field site. Prerequisite: HS 415 with a grade of C or better; Co-requisite: HS 427.

HS427 - Systems & Organizational Change

This capstone seminar is a continuation of Field Intervention Strategies (HS417) and is taken concurrently with Advanced Internship II (HS425). Building on knowledge and skills gained throughout the Social Sciences program, students continue to integrate theory with practice through seminar discussion and internship-related experiences. There is an increased focus on the delivery of services, examination of ethical dilemmas, and analysis of the broader systems in which services are delivered and policies are formulated. Students also have an opportunity to explore career development issues through examination of the graduate school and employment processes. This course has been designated as a writing intensive course and also has a strong public speaking component. Prerequisites: HS 415, HS 417 with a grade of C or better; and either PSYC 331 or SOC 331. Corequisite: HS 425.

MATH208 - Statistics

This is an introductory course in descriptive and inferential statistics with an emphasis on applications in business and the social and biological sciences. Topics include: data analysis, and graphical methods of describing data, measures of central tendency and variability, probability, the normal distribution, sampling distributions, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, correlation, and regression analysis. Prerequisites: MATH 106 with a grade of C or better or demonstrated competency through placement testing and ENG 102.

PSYC101 - Psychological Perspectives

In this course, students learn to think like psychologists as they study classic and contemporary topics in human behavior, feeling, and thought. Students learn to apply psychological perspectives of thought, including biological, cognitive, sociocultural, humanistic, psychodynamic, and behaviorist, to better understand the human experience. Students will learn to use these perspectives to explore how individual behavior is influenced by and influences one’s biology, family, community and society. Topics may include human development, personality, psychopathology, human relationships, language, memory, perceptual processes, and intelligence, among others.

PSYC318 - Abnormal Psychology

This course examines the wide range of personality and behavioral disorders. Both traditional and contemporary theories of psychopathology are reviewed. Emphasis is also placed on the tools, techniques, and process of both the diagnosis and the treatment of various disorders. Prerequisite: PSYC 202 or PSYC 220.

PSYC328 - Cognitive Processes

This course studies the ways that humans learn, remember, communicate, think, and reason. Emphasis is on the role of experimental data in development and evaluation of cognitive theories. Prerequisite: PSYC 101 & MATH 208

SOC101 - Sociological Imagination

This course is designed to help students develop their ability to think critically about the world around them using the framework of sociology. Students explore the relationship between individual and society – how personal experience is shaped by social forces, but also how society is created and changed through individual interaction. The focus is on the interrelationships of groups, social organization, and social institutions such as education, religion, family, and the economic and political order.

PSYC302 - Biological Basis of Behavior

This course examines current research in the fields of biology, neuroscience, and psychology that explain the role of neural mechanisms in evoking and controlling human behavior. Topics include: thirst and hunger, sleep and arousal, sexual behavior, emotion, aggression, learning, memory, and mental disorders. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PSYC323 - Brain Function & Dysfunction

This course provides a survey of contemporary knowledge of the human brain, examining normal developmental brain processes and common brain functions. The course also covers common disorders and emphasizes understanding the impact of atypical brain development and the consequences of brain trauma. Intervention strategies and treatment are included. Prerequisite: PSYC101

PSYC202 - Psychology of Personality

This course introduces students to a variety of the most important theories of personality: i.e., Freud, Jung, Adler, Rogers, and others. Case studies are examined with the intent of making theories more practical and useful. Prerequisite: Any 200 level psychology course.

PSYC345 - Assessment of Individual Differences

This course studies a wide variety of tests and measurements used to assess intelligence, aptitude, achievement, and personality in clinical and counseling psychology, in education, and in business. Consideration of the history and theory of these tests is complemented by discussion of practical concerns related to their selection, their administration, and their interpretation in specific settings. Prerequisites: MATH 208 and PSYC 101.

PSYC331 - Experimental Design in Psychology

This laboratory course covers concepts of the scientific method in psychology including the logic of experimental and correlational designs, issues of control, sampling, measurement of variables, ethical issues in research, use of online professional search procedures, and writing in APA style. As part of the lab, students carry out an experiment and learn to use SPSS to create a database and perform statistical analyses. Prerequisites: MATH 208 and either PSYC 101 or SOC 101 or permission of the instructor. Co-requisite: PSYC 331L

SOC331 - Research Methods in the Social Sciences

This laboratory course introduces students to the basic methods used in sociological research. Topics include scientific method, measurement, sampling, experiments, survey research, and qualitative approaches such as content analysis and field studies, and ethical issues in conducting research. As part of the lab, students learn to use SPSS to perform statistical analysis and to access and draw upon large data sets. Students learn to use professional online search procedures and write reports in accepted professional formats. Prerequisites: MATH 208 and either PSYC 101 or SOC 101 or permission of the Dept Chair. Co-requisite: SOC 331L

PSYC111 - Generations in America

This course offers a social-developmental, multidisciplinary overview of issues related to the expanding age population in the United States. Students examine aging stereotypes, characteristics of aging populations, and the impact of age-related forces on individuals in American society. The course is geared toward students in a variety of disciplines and provides a knowledge base that can be applied to other areas of study.

PSYC221 - Child Development

This course examines the physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional development of the child from birth to adolescence. The contributions of social and cultural experiences as well as the role of biological factors in development are examined as are major theories of development. Students are introduced to the research approaches used to study human development and may be required to carry out observations in various settings. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PSYC223 - Adolescent Psychology

This course provides a survey of contemporary knowledge of the human brain, examining normal developmental brain processes and common brain functions. The course also covers common disorders and emphasizes understanding the impact of atypical brain development and the consequences of brain trauma. Intervention strategies and treatment are included. Prerequisite: PSYC101

CJ323 - Justice, Class, Race & Gender

This course explores issues unique to individuals of different classes, gender, and/or races or ethnic groups. The course focuses on these issues specifically in the context of the American criminal justice and legal systems. Issues of diversity relevant to all aspects of the criminal justice system are examined. Prerequisites: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC 101 or SOC 101, Sophomore standing.

PSYC316 - Psychology of Diversity

This course explores diversity and its relation to identity, relationship, and power. Areas of diversity that may be a focus of the course include race, class, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, disabilities, aging and/or health status. Students study diversity on micro, meso and macro levels including perspectives on individual and group identity, prejudice and discrimination, and psychological well-being. Students are challenged to explore their own identities and the assumptions they make about various forms of diversity. Prerequisites: Any 200 level Social Science course.

SOC301 - Race & Ethnic Relations

This course examines the changing nature of race and ethnic relations with primary emphasis on the United States. Topics include: the origins and consequences of racial/ethnic discriminations; immigration policies; movements for integration and separatism; the role of class, religion, and gender on issues of race/ethnicity; the impact of widely differing cultural heritages on our national life: and specific present day problems and trends. Prerequisite: Any 200 level Social Science course.

PSYC220 - Social Psychology

This is an introduction to the study of social interactions from a psychological perspective. Research reviewed focuses on topics such as: social perception, group interaction, attitude formation, attitudinal change, aggression, conflict, and pro-social behavior. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PSYC222 - Social Psychology in Film

This course uses film to examine social psychological concepts and research and provides an opportunity for students to explore how people influence and are influenced by their social relationships, communities, and larger society. Films illustrate a range of social encounters that are examined from a social psychological perspective. Topics include conflict, love, personal and group behavior, prejudice, roles, privilege, and oppression. NOTE: This course meets the social psychology requirement for Social Sciences majors. Prerequisite: PSYC 101 or SOC 101.