PSY 101: Introduction to Psychology

Students will develop and use the scientific perspective in dealing with the content of psychology. Students will understand and be able to demonstrate the value of psychology as an aid to personal growth. Students will identify the general value of psychology for those wishing to pursue a career in the social sciences. Students will identify the fundamental terms in psychology. Students will be able to define terms and concepts in the different aspects of human behavior on the following levels: biological, emotional, and psychological.

PSY 201: Brain and Behavior

Upon completion of this course students will be able to explain the biological basis for behavior using the scientific process, explain the physiological background of motivation, theories of learning, thinking, behavior genetics, theories of personality and psychopathology. They will also be able to articulate recent psychological research and developments in brain and behavior.

PSY 216: Social Psychology Honors

This introduction to social psychology will provide an overview of many of the fascinating topics that social psychologists study, including attitudes, aggression, altruism, attraction, authority, attachment, advertising, anonymity, and attributions, as well as some topics that start with other letters of the alphabet, such as conformity, persuasion, interdependence, stereotypes, gender roles, prejudice, de-individuation, cognitive biases, and peace.

 PSY 215: Abnormal Psychology Honors

Upon on completion of this course, students will be able to explain the biological basis for behavior using the scientific process. Explain the physiological background of motivation, theories of learning, thinking, behavior genetics, theories of personality and psychopathology. Articulate recent psychological research and developments in brain and behavior.

PSY 358: Hormones and Behavior

Students will gain an understanding of the hormones involved in organizing (differentiating) the brain during development and in activating the mature brain.  Specifically, hormones involved in sexual function, homeostasis (stress, appetite, thirst, and thermoregulation), rhythms, development and aging will be introduced. In the final lectures the role of these hormones in various behaviors and the potential for pharmacological intervention will be discussed.

PSY 359: Drugs and the Brain

Students will gain an understanding of the history and current use of drugs used to treat mental illnesses (antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics) and neurological disorders (epilepsies, Alzheimer’s Disease, etc.) as well as those drugs used recreationally.  An appreciation of risks and benefits of all these drugs will lead to an ability to critique their use and to evaluate new drugs as they are introduced.  The ability to assess the scientific literature and make determinations of personal use will be gained.

PSY 356: Physiological Psychology

An advanced survey of the neurobiological bases of complex behavior. A review of basic neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, and neurochemistry is followed by considerations of the circuitry and neural processing supporting perception, motion, emotion, sleep, attention, learning, language, and higher cognitive mechanisms.

PSY 368: Sensation & Perception

To pursue a greater understanding and appreciation of: (1) the sensory mechanisms that change physical stimuli (e.g., a picture of your friend, her voice, her perfume) into neural information for each of the five senses, (2) the major brain areas involved in processing sensory information for the five senses, and for various perceptual abilities (e.g., motion perception, color perception, object perception, etc.), and (3) the different theoretical approaches and techniques for understanding and analyzing a given perceptual phenomena.

PSY 334: Autism and Intellectual Disability

This course will provide information on history and current research into the causes (etiology), types (nosology), characteristics (symptomatology), prevalence, and treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Topics to be dealt with include: etiology, assessment, family roles, social development, cognitive development, sensory and motor development, comorbidities, long-term outcomes, public policy legal issues, and future directions for research and practice.

PSY 346: Health Psychology

This course focuses on the role of psychological factors in the maintenance of good health and in the prevention of health problems.  Topics include happiness, stress reduction, nutrition, love, and sex; the modification of specific behaviors such as alcoholism, obesity, lack of exercise and smoking; and coping with loss.