B.A. in Psychology

An introduction to the scientific study of human behavior, providing an overview of the major issues, methods, and contributions of psychology. Content areas include development, language, learning, cognition, physiological psychology intelligence, and abnormal and social psychology.

This course addresses human biology through the lens of evaluating scientific claims. Students will learn about select organ systems (reproductive, skeletal and muscular, immune and nervous systems) and about human genetics in a way that helps them make decisions relevant to their daily lives. The course focuses on developing skills that scientists use: basic experimental design, research methods, and scientific writing. It also teaches the language of biology and especially how to critique arguments related to human biology that we encounter in the media. Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week.

In this course, students will examine major models of human development across the lifespan. Biological and psychological approaches will be used to examine physical, cognitive, and social development from conception to death. Specific attention will be paid to cultural and ethnic diversity in development.

The course will consider the psychological development and psychosocial issues of Deaf people. Topics covered will include cognitive, linguistic, and personality development, mental health, and interpersonal behavior.

This course serves as an introduction to psychopathology in adults and children. Students will be introduced to the classification used by psychologists, the Diagnostic Statistical Manual. Disorders such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia, cognitive disorders, personality disorders and sexual and gender dysphoria will be covered. Historical background, causes, and some treatment approaches will also be included.

This course will provide an overview of various components of human cognition, including learning, memory, perception, and higher-level functions. In addition, this course will introduce experimental techniques used to advance our understanding of human cognition.

This course examines the influence of groups on the behavior of the individual both within US culture and across other world cultures. Both theoretical and experimental approaches are presented. Topics include altruism, aggression, health, attitudes, personal space, jury behavior, prejudice, conformity, and environmental issues.

This course covers an introduction to research methods and statistical procedures for psychology. Topics include developing research question, ethical issues in research, reliability and validity, describing variables, distributions and graphs, measures of central tendency and variation, z-scores, and probability. Students will read and evaluate psychological research and will collect and analyze psychological data.

This course builds on material introduced in PSY 341 to cover standard research methods and statistical procedures for psychology. Topics include experimental and nonexperimental designs, hypothesis testing, t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, and regression. Students will design and conduct a research project, use statistical procedures and SPSS for analysis and interpretation of their data and will write up the results using APA style.

The course will prepare students for internship experiences related to health and human services. Topics covered include general issues in fieldwork in health and human services, agency systems and policies, general foundations of the helping process, diversity issues, ethical and legal issues, interpersonal and professional relationships, applications of disciplinary content knowledge in applied settings, resume construction for internship applications, interviews with professionals in the field of health and human services and orientation to the internship.

A one semester psychology internship in which the student works 10-15 or more hours per week in an applied psychological setting such as a mental health program or an educational setting under the supervision and guidance of the psychology course instructor and on-site mental health professionals in the field.

This capstone course in Psychology is designed for students in their senior year. The course will help students integrate their knowledge and apply the skills they have acquired in the program to think critically about important issues in psychology and society. It is also designed to help students use their undergraduate training and 13 experiences to understand personal issues and formulate career goals and directions. Content will vary from term to term depending on what topics are of current interest at the time. The capstone will include papers, presentations, and preparation of a research project.

This course examines physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and language development from conception to the end of childhood. We will analyze the complexity of factors that contribute to developmental outcomes, including transactions between genetic and environmental factors. Developmental theory and research evidence will be used to address the well-being of children in the US and around the globe, with specific attention to inequities related to race, class, language, and culture.

A study of developmental processes in adolescence. Included is the study of puberty and the intellectual, social, moral, emotional, religious, sexual, personality, and family transitions occurring during this period. Emphasis is given to the influence of the above changes on personal identity and current problems of the adolescent in American society. Also included is a discussion of levels of aspiration and vocational choice.

A study of the developmental process from adulthood until death. Includes the establishment of identity, vocational choices, marriage and the family, crisis of middle adulthood, problems of the aged, death, and bereavement.

This 3-credit online asynchronous course examines bullying in school and the workplace, which typically is a precursor for more serious incidents of aggression and violence in society. This course will consider the psychological aspect of the bullying phenomenon covering a range of topics such as what is the appropriate definition of bullying, the roles involved, factors that promote bullying, what we can do to reduce bullying in those settings. It is also an introduction to the best research, information, helpful resources and practical strategies about bullying.

This course discusses research into the ways behavior, mental states, culture, and physical health interact. Factors underlying health, disease, prevention and treatment occur within cultural contexts that affect our views, behaviors, lifestyles and approaches will be explored. This course will also examine how socio-cultural settings in America influences development, health beliefs, and health behaviors.

A study of methods of identification, diagnosis, and remediation of physical, psychological, and learning problems of exceptional children. The course will include discussion of the characteristics of exceptionality and indicate how these characteristics affect the total adjustment of the developing individual.

This course is designed to help students learn and apply practical as well as theoretical information as it relates to the psychology of sport. Some of the psychological principles that will be explored this semester include personality types, stress, motivation, goalsetting, leadership, and imagery. Various mental training skills that can enhance one's athletic performance will also be covered.

One of the defining characteristics of deaf health in the U.S. is a wide gap in deaf health outcomes compared to the general population. This course is designed to help students explore three issues: 1) deaf health inequalities, disparities, and inequities 2) why they exist, and 3) how to intervene against health disparities in the deaf community. Students first explore resources and strategies for documenting deaf health disparities. With this knowledge, students then turns to the question of how deaf health disparities come into being via inaccessibility, communication barriers, and power imbalances, among other things.

A study of human personality from the standpoint of factors and influences that shape its development. Consideration will be given to current explanatory theories, current research approaches, and exemplary personality tests.

The study of neurological and physiological processes that affect behavior, emotions, thinking, perception, and learning. The course will indicate how psychological factors are related to neuroanatomy and neurophysiology.

This course will involve discussions of the various techniques of therapy used with people with emotional problems. Topics will include the case history interview, professional ethics in therapy, behavior modification, eclectic therapy, psychosurgery, encounter groups, the school as a therapeutic community.

The major principles and theories of learning will be introduced and explained from a historical perspective to show how experimental research and theories in this area have evolved to the present time. The course will emphasize the applications of learning research to education and educational technology.

The course addresses the application of psychological principles to the educational setting. Topics include learning theory, cognition and memory, individualized instruction, human development, intelligence, creativity, exceptionality, motivation, discipline, and measurement and evaluation.

A survey of the construction, content, uses, abuses, and problems of psychological tests. Students will be exposed to a wide variety of tests including intelligence, achievement, interest, aptitude, and personality. In addition, students will practice writing essay and objective test questions.

This course covers the scientific study of language and how humans process and use language. This course explores the research on acquisition of language by children, the relationship between language and thought, and the biological basis of language. An introduction to the linguistics of signed and spoken languages is covered in this course in order to distinguish the role of speech, language, and human communication. Some of the topics covered in this course include language acquisition, perception, production, comprehension, and the cognitive impact of language use.

This course is an additional, follow-up psychology internship for students who have successfully completed PSY 451 Internship I. The student works 10-15 or more hours per week in an applied psychological setting such as a mental health program or an educational setting under the supervision and guidance of the psychology course instructor and on-site mental health professionals in the field.

A one semester, advanced psychology internship in which the student works 10-20 or more hours per week ( fall and spring semesters: 10 hours or more; summer session: 20 hours or more) in a variety of human services, research, psycho-educational, or professional association settings under the supervision of on-site professionals and with guidance and supervision from the psychology course instructor. Additionally, students are required to formally tie advanced psychological theories to current internship placement issues in a written format.

This course provides an overview of topics on sex and gender from a psychological perspective. The course provides a review of the empirical research and conceptual discussions surrounding gender and examines the implications of gender on relationships and health. Topics covered in this course include gender research, gender-role attitudes, sex differences, gender theory, and how gender influences and informs a variety of psychological issues. Emphasis is also given to the role of culture on psychology and gender.

A course on the developmental aspects of human sexuality in the context of human relationships. The course will include the social and learned influences on the development of gender identity and sexual orientation, a review of the anatomy and physiology of the reproductive system, human sexual response, modes of sexual expression, values clarification, sexual responsibility, human sexual dysfunction, and sexual adjustment during pregnancy, illness, and aging.

This course explores the concepts of race, ethnicity, and culture as they pertain to the study of psychology. We will make use of social, cognitive, and developmental psychological theories to explore what it means to live in a multicultural society. We will evaluate the construct of race, how children and adults come to make sense of race, and what utility it has for psychologists. We will examine how culture shapes our values, worldviews, and the ways we communicate with one another. We will examine how and why individuals stereotype, how stereotypes affect behavior, and how privilege and discrimination shape the lived experiences of racial and ethnic minorities as well as members of dominant groups. We will also examine the intersection of multiple social identities (e.g. what does it mean to be a Latina, lesbian woman.)

Special topics in the discipline, designed primarily for seniors who are majors or minors. Students may enroll in 495 Special Topics multiple times, as long as the topics differ.

Under supervision of a faculty member, a student will prepare a paper on a special topic or conduct a research project involving the collection of data and preparation of a report.

When taught for 3 credits, this course is designed to introduce undergraduate students to professional counseling work in a variety of settings, including those that serve deaf people. The course will provide students with in-depth knowledge of the counseling field. The work and roles of professional counselors will be examined. When taught for 4 credits and cross-listed with GSR 240, this course becomes an Integrated Learning Course that emphasizes the fifth Undergraduate Learning Outcome: Ethics and Social Responsibility. Thus, in addition to the course description for COU 330 for 3 credits, there is an additional focus on enabling students to make well-reasoned ethical judgments and to apply those judgments to promote social justice. The course will provide students with in-depth knowledge of the counseling field, including its ethics and social responsibilities.

This course is an introduction to the field of medical ethics and the kinds of decisions individuals and families make about health care and treatment options. Students will look at current issues such as kinds of treatment and their effects, allocation of health care resources, ethical issues of health care professionals, managed care decisions, and end of life decisions. Students will apply philosophical theories of ethics to these issues and develop perspectives on health care decision making.

The course will examine each of the different parts of the American criminal justice system (policing, courts, and corrections), the procedural laws governing the system, and the ways the various parts of the system are interrelated and interdependent. The interaction between the Deaf community and the criminal justice system will be used as a special case, and students will learn about their rights as deaf individuals and how to protect those rights.