UG Course Descriptions

Examination of child development from the prenatal stage through age 10 in each of the following areas: physical growth, cognitive and language development, and social/emotional changes. The course integrates major theoretical approaches to development and shows how each approach relates to each developmental stage.

Covers many aspects of the intersection between culture and psychological phenomena, including development, cognition, communication, social behavior and psychopathology, with special emphasis placed on non-Western cultures.

Fundamental concepts of statistics for the behavioral sciences: measures of central tendency and variability, transformed scores, the normal distribution, probability, tests of significance, correlation, regression, chi square, and analysis of variance.

The study and application of the necessary skills for comprehensive career planning. These include: self-assessment, career decision-making, resume preparation, interviewing and job search techniques.

Application of psychological principles to professions directly concerned with human behavior. Special emphasis on the various positions psychologists fill in: business and industry, consumer research and advertising, law and government, education, health management, sports and athletic performance, and the social services.

This course explores the foundations of health psychology by examining the relationship between psychological processes and physical health. Students will apply psychological models of health behavior and learn how to apply the biopsychosocial model of health to various health behaviors, such as smoking tobacco, using alcohol, eating and weight management, exercising, stress and pain management. They will analyze the psychological factors influencing health behaviors and outcomes and critically assess current research and ethical issues in health psychology.

This designation is for courses offered as electives in the Undergraduate Honors Program, and may include both Honors-only courses and augmented Honors versions of courses that are offered elsewhere in the catalog. Courses have limited enrollment and content reflects Honors Program course outcomes around rigorous critical engagement, interdisciplinarity, effective communication, and meaningful collaboration.

Study of basic criteria which an authentic psychological test is expected to meet: standardization, reliability, and validity. Description of most prominently known tests of intelligence, achievement, aptitude, and personality.

Examines the scientific study of social behavior. Students will be challenged to investigate and critically think of such interesting human topics as: the intrigue of personal attraction; the accuracy of impressions, the emotional sources of persuasion, conformity, prejudice; and altruism; and finally the influence of personal attitudes and beliefs on social behavior.

Provides a broad overview of the relationship between brain function and behavior. Topics include basic brain anatomy and neural transmission; the neurobiology of sensation and perception, motivated behaviors, learning and memory, reward, pain, attention, sleep, stress and emotions; and what happens when brain function goes wrong (i.e., neurological and psychological disorders). By the end of this course, students should be able to evaluate claims made about brain research and function, and have a richer understanding of how people behave the way they do.