Psychology

Faculty Advisors: Dr. Stephen Buggie, Gurley Hall B230 and Dr. Ralph L. Casebolt, Gurley Hall 2210G

Course Descriptions

Schedule of Classes

PSY 105: GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (3 cr hrs):

This course is a one-semester introduction to psychology. Topics include how the brain/nervous system functions, and affects, behavior, how we receive and process information from the environment, how we learn, think, solve problems, use language, motivation and emotions. New developments in Health Psychology will be covered along with altered states of consciousness-sleep, dreams, hypnosis, and drugs. Development is surveyed along with personality development and theories. Abnormal behavior and methods of treatment along with social psychology are additional topics covered.

PSY 200: STATISTICAL PRINCIPLES (3 cr hrs)

Presentation of the basic principles of the description and interpretation of data. Provides an acquaintance with statistical appropriate to a liberal education, as well as a basis for further work in data analysis.

PSY 211: APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY (3 cr hrs)

An exploration of ideas, concerns, behavior, questions based on student interest and choices of topics. An opportunity to discuss current issues from the perspective of psychology's research, theories, and conclusions. Psychology will be applied to your issues and concerns in a seminar/discussion opportunity.

PSY 220: DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY (3 cr hrs)

This course will review human development through the life span.  We shall consider the whole person from conception through adulthood in physical, cognitive, and psychosocial domains of life.  Theories of development, recent research findings, cultural differences, and shared personal observations and experiences will join together in our discussion.  The text and class will deal with typical development.  Discussions will help us relate this to individual humans and local cultures.

PSY 230: ADJUSTMENT & iNTERPERSONAL RELATIONS (3 cr hrs)

This course provides an introduction to the following areas: Perspective on Self; What is a Healthy Personality?; Anxiety, Stress, and Depression; Coping and Defense; Psychological Disorders; Challenges in infancy, Childhood, Adolescence, Friendship; Loneliness and Love; Sexuality; Marriage, Family, and Alternative Life-Styles; work career Development; Challenges and Rewards of Adulthood; Death, Dying and Bereavement. This is a seminar-discussion course. (Main Campus Course)

PSY 231: PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN SEXUALITY (3 cr hrs)

A discussion centered course focusing on issues of sexuality and human behavior. Topics will deal with student interest and concerns, and may include: Sexuality and Society; The Origins and Biology of Sexual Behaviors; Gender issues including Sexual Orientations, Love and Relationships; Abuse and Violence, and others suggested by students.

PSY 240: BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR (3 cr hrs)

A general survey of the biological foundations of behavior. Emphasis is on the central nervous system.

PSY 260: PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MEMORY (3 cr hrs)

Survey of the variety of laboratory learning situations, with an emphasis on the application of principles to practical situations. Topics range from simple processes such as conditioning to complex processes such as transfer, memory and concept formation. (Main Campus Course)

PSY 265: COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY (3 cr hrs)

This course involves the study of human cognition - the study of knowledge: how we acquire it and how we use it. Cognition includes many mental processes and abilities: perceiving, remembering, reasoning, decision-making, problem solving, concept formation creativity, language/linguistics, mental representation and imagery (how we represent things. people, experiences, ideas, in the mind), spatial cognition, and other. Any use of the mind in a deliberate, conscious way is the subject of cognitive science. We shall be looking at all of those processes as well as experiencing them during this course. We all begin with a review of the historical development of cognitive psychology, then move into various mental processes, exploring what they are and what psychologists have learned about them. Experiences with cognitive processes will involve students learning and discussion throughout the course.

PSY 271: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (3 cr hrs)

Social psychology is the scientific study of human behavior with other people in social settings.  Human social behavior is sometimes different from individual behavior in isolation.  We shall look at these differences as well as studies of social behavior and theories that suggest reasons for how people behave in social situations.  Some of the general questions to be considered in this course:

Why do people do what they do with others?

How can you influence other people effectively or resist people's attempts to influence you?

What factors cause people to be more helpful, more loving, more violent, or more aggressive?

How can prejudice and discrimination be combated?

Why do some relationships last while other fail?

How do social power and situational influences affect our everyday behaviors?

What makes people behave differently in groups than they do as individuals?

We shall look at proposed answers to these as well as other questions, using contemporary examples as well as studies and research from the field of social psychology.

This is a seminar-discussion course.