Psychology (PSYC)

Scientific method of psychology; psychological phenomena and basic processes necessary to understanding human behavior.

Examines health and medical issues for women, legal and political realities that influence women's lives and important aspects of intimacy and sexuality with a focus on both physiological and psychological development. (Credit can be received in only one of PSYC 2305, EDHL 2305 or WMST 2305.)

Biophysical and psychological aspects of human sexuality. (Credit may not be obtained in both PSYC 2306 and SOCI 2306.)

A scientific study of the child as a sentient organism. The best methods of child study; native and learned behavior patterns and their development; the nature, amount and significance of individual differences; typical and atypical child behavior; emotions; play; language; work in specific capacity and interest; growing personality. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 and sophomore standing.

Human growth and development through the prenatal, child, adolescent, and adult stages of life. Physical, emotional, psychosocial, and cognitive influences from conception to death will be addressed.

Theory and phenomena of social psychology. The nature and type of social variables and the methods used to study them. The effect of social variables upon the behavior of individuals. (Credit may not be obtained in both PSYC 3301 and SOCI 3301.) Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 and 3 additional semester hours of psychology or PSYC 2301 and 9 additional semester hours of social sciences courses.

Adjustment problems of normal people. Principles of healthy psychological functioning in relation to family, peers, career, community and culture. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 and 3 additional semester hours of Psychology.

General principles of learning and memory and an introduction to learning theory. Emphasis on motivation, conditioning and problem-solving. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Psychology.

An overview of the broad range of psychological issues and biological events which are significant relevance to women. Explores the richness of the female experience in terms of changing values, attitudes and expectations. Prerequisite: 6 hours of Psychology. (Credit may not be obtained in both PSYC 3313 and WGST 3313.)

Treats the definition of adolescence, research and theory concerning the biological, moral, sex-role, personality and emotional development. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of social science approved by the instructor.

Examines and defines the nature of illness and healing through the integration of biophysiological, psychoneuroimmunological, psychological and environmental factors. Examines stress and stress management techniques. Prerequisites: 9 hours of social science and PSYC 2301.

Psychological processes related to behaviorism, social learning theory, aggression theory, bio-psychological factors, criminal homicide, sexual offenses, drugs and crime, correctional psychology, the criminal offender and the mentally disordered offender. (Credit may not be obtained in both PSYC 3320 and CRIM 3320.) Prerequisites: PSYC 2301 and SOCI 1301.

Explores the extent to which the explanatory approaches of physical anthropology, based in modern evolutionary and genetic theory, can be usefully applied to the study of psychological traits. Grounding in biological theories, dissection of a wide range of psychological topics, including sensation and perception, consciousness, emotion and motivation, cognition, learning, individual differences, and social behaviors such as mating and parenting. Prerequisites: PSYC 2301 and 6 additional semester hours of Psychology.

Statistics for students in psychology, sociology and education. Emphasis upon descriptive and inferential techniques. Basic concepts in sampling data organization and statistic selection. (Credit may not be obtained in both PSYC 3381 and SOCI 3381.) Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of social science.

Introduction to experimentation in psychology. Basic experiments will be performed on the discriminal process, motivation and learning. Prerequisites: 6 semester hours of Psychology and PSYC 3381 or equivalent.

Statistics for students in Psychology, Sociology, and Criminology programs. Emphasis on descriptive and inferential techniques. Basic concepts in data sampling, data organization, statistic selection, and using statistical software. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of social science. (Credit may not be obtained in more than one of PSYC 3381, SOCI 3381, PSYC 3482, or SOCI 3482.)

Introduction to experimentation in psychology. Basic experiments will be performed on the discriminal process, motivation, and learning. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Psychology and one of the following: PSYC 3381, SOCI 3381, PSYC 3482, or equivalent.

Psychological processes related to perception, cognition, human development, psychopathology, gender influences and social behavior from a cross-cultural perspective. Current theories, methods and research findings. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 and 9 additional semester hours of Psychology. (May be counted as any one of the following: PSYC 4301, ANTH 3301, ANTH 3302, or ANTH 4305.)

Application of psychological principles to the world of work and to organizations. Topics include recruitment and selection of employees, evaluation of job performance, motivation, training, leadership, job satisfaction and work teams. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 and 9 additional semester hours of psychology courses or PSYC 2301 and 9 additional semester hours of social science courses.

Relationships between people and the environments in which they live, work and play, from a broad interdisciplinary perspective encompassing psychology, sociology, urban planning, landscape architecture, public policy and public health. Prerequisites: PSYC 2301 and 9 additional semester hours of Psychology.

An overview of family systems approaches to etiology and treatment. Family dysfunctions that result from drug and alcohol usage and other causes are emphasized. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of psychology.

Psychosocial factors in human sexuality with emphasis on sexual adjustment, sexual dysfunctions, sexual variations and new approaches in sex therapy. Appropriate field trips may be included. Prerequisite: PSYC 2306 or SOCI 2306. (Credit may not be obtained in both PSYC 4305 and SOCI 4305.)

Comprehensive introduction to the relationship between brain and behavior. Topics include the foundations of neuropsychology, the brain's organization and functional systems, and neuropsychological perspectives of memory, attention, language, emotion, and spatial functions, and their related disorders.

Introduction to psychopharmacology, summarizing the basic concepts of the functions of the organs and systems of the human body. Identification and assessment of the actions, effects, uses and abuses of legal and illegal drugs.

An introduction into the rationale of psychological measurement. Test construction, validity, reliability, standardization and statistical treatment of test results. Various accepted tests will be examined as they present measurement of significant individual characteristics. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 and 6 additional semester hours of Psychology, including PSYC 3381 or its equivalent.

Introduction to counseling, counseling theories, and interpersonal communication skills that facilitate counseling relationships. Designed for upper-division undergraduates considering a helping profession or who wish to know more about counseling before entering into graduate study.

Introduction to the physiological substrata of behavior; including basic neuroanatomy, research techniques, basic physiology, sensory processes and central nervous system functions. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301.

Literature and research in areas of psychology not otherwise treated in depth in available courses. May be repeated once as topics change. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 and 9 additional semester hours of Psychology.

Well-being, moral responsibility, ethical naturalism, innateness or morality, moral heuristics and biases, moral intuitions, emotions and sentiments, morality and evolution, egoism and altruism, moral disagreement, character and virtue,psychopathology, and moral development. (Credit may not be obtained in both PHIL 4317 and PSYC 4317.)

in-depth examination of counseling psychology and various theoretical approaches. Includes the implications of these approaches to our understanding of human nature, illness, change, and potential.

A comparison of personality theories and the implications for personality development and change. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 and 3 additional semester hours of Psychology.

Important historical antecedents and contemporary psychological systems. An exit course that integrates diverse material encountered in the discipline. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 and 6 additional semester hours of advanced Psychology; senior standing.

Personality development and adjustment, causes of abnormal behavior, neuroses, psychoses, suicide, personality disorders and crime. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 and 3 additional semester hours of Psychology.

Analysis of basic perceptual phenomena and theories of perception. Emphasis on sensation, attention, meaning and structural concepts. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 and 3 additional semester hours of Psychology.

Examination of current information-processing models of human cognition. Emphasis on the processes by which stimuli are identified, by which past information is retrieved and used, and by which one's knowledge is modified. Prerequisites: PSYC 2301 and 9 additional semester hours of Psychology.

Explores brain-behavior relationships with special emphasis on clinical examples. How the brain and nervous system produce the human range of feelings and behaviors; sensation, emotion, sleep and dreams, reproductive behavior, language, and memory. Examples of dysfunction include depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders, sleep disorders, aggression, dyslexia and amnesias. Prerequisites: PSYC 2301 and 9 additional semester hours of Psychology.

Literature and research pertaining to the social control of drugs. Critical analyses of the normative and legal rules governing distribution, use, and overall consumption patterns in both legal and illegal contexts. Prerequisites: 6 semester hours of social science. (Credit may not be obtained in more than one of CRIM, 4336, PSYC 4336, and SOCI 4336.)

Analyses of relevant theories and concepts such as peace building, social and environment justice, as well as direct, structural, and cultural violence. Causes and consequences of socioeconomic inequality and human suffering including racism, sexism, and various other forms of prejudice and social discrimination. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of social science. (Credit may not be obtained in more than one of CRIM 4337, PSYC 4337, and SOCI 4337.)

On campus or off-campus learning experience involved planned, supervised, verified, and evaluated community service in an organizational setting, completed concurrently with course work related to principles of social and organizational psychology. Prerequisites: PSYC 2301 and 9 additional semester hours of Psychology, junior or senior standing, instructor consent, and a signed placement agreement with a community organization for the required hours of community service to be completed within a semester.

A general survey of current research on psychological, social, legal and situational factors involved in substance usage and its effect on human behavior and criminal activity. Includes a treatment of therapeutic procedures and facilities. (Credit may not be obtained in both PSYC 4342 and CRIM 4342.) Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Criminology or Psychology.

General principles of learning and memory and an introduction to learning theory. Emphasis motivation, conditioning, and problem-solving. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 and 3 additional semester hours of Psychology.

Individual instruction course for advanced and qualified undergraduates to obtain supervised research experience in psychology. Student will assist with a research project by working under the individual guidance of a psychology faculty member. Requirements may entail library research, data collection, data entry, statistical analysis and or assistance in planning and conducting parts of a research project. A paper on the research experience is required. Consent of instructor required. May be repeated for a maximum of 3 semester credit hours. Prerequisites: PSYC 3381, PSYC 3387 or SOCI 4382, PSYC 2301 and 3 other, additional semester hours of Psychology. Credit/Non-credit.