Psychology (PSY)

Psychology (PSY) Courses

PSY 1013. Introduction to Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours. (TCCN = PSYC 2301)

Introduction to the study of the mind and behavior in humans and other species with attention to awareness, sensation, perception, emotion, motivation, learning, memory, problem solving, personality, mental and behavioral development, abnormal behavior, and social behavior in group settings. Psychological, social, cultural, institutional, and biological determinants of behavior are considered, together with applications of basic principles based on individuals within a variety of cultural, civic, and public policy contexts. Scientific approaches to the explanation of psychological phenomena are examined critically, with emphasis on empirical research involving the application of the scientific method and quantitative research skills and results to everyday life situations and areas of social responsibility. Communication of empirical results to an appropriate audience is required, as is participation in illustrative research. May be applied toward the Core Curriculum requirement in Social and Behavioral Sciences. (Formerly PSY 2013. Credit cannot be earned for both PSY 1013 and PSY 2013.) Generally offered: Fall, Spring, Summer. Course Fees: DL01 $75; LRC1 $12; LRHC $10.

PSY 2073. Statistics for Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: MAT 1023, MAT 1073, or STA 1053; and one psychology course. The use of statistics in psychological research includes: elementary probability theory; descriptive statistics, including histograms, graphing, and measures of central tendency and dispersion; correlational techniques; binomial and normal distributions; and inferential statistics, including hypothesis testing, effect size estimates, and analysis of variance. (Formerly STA 2073. Credit cannot be earned for both PSY 2073 and STA 2073.) Generally offered: Fall, Spring, Summer. Course Fees: DL01 $75; LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 2503. Developmental Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours. (TCCN = PSYC 2314)

Prerequisite: PSY 1013. Problems, methods, major theories, and results in the study of the psychological development of the individual from the prenatal period to old age. Generally offered: Fall, Spring, Summer. Course Fees: DL01 $75; LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 2513. Abnormal Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours. (TCCN = PSYC 2320)

Prerequisite: PSY 1013. Topics may include the dynamics of abnormal behavior with attention to description, causes, and treatment of major psychological disorders, including neuroses, psychoses, personality disorders, and psychosomatic disorders. Generally offered: Fall, Spring. Course Fees: DL01 $75; LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 2533. Social Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours. (TCCN = PSYC 2319)

Prerequisite: PSY 1013. Problems, methods, major theories, and results in the study of social interaction and interpersonal influence; self-identity, attitudes, role behavior, social perception, social influence, and behavior within groups. Generally offered: Fall, Spring. Course Fees: DL01 $75; LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 2543. Theories of Learning. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: PSY 1013 or equivalent, and MAT 1023 or equivalent. An examination of major theories about the nature of the learning process. Discussion will focus on the construction and evaluation of models of learning. The practical and theoretical implications of research results for the acquisition, maintenance, modification, and elimination of behavior will be considered. Related memory phenomena and theories may be discussed. Generally offered: Fall, Spring. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 2563. Cognitive Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: PSY 1013. A survey of scientific theories and research in cognitive psychology. Topics include attention, memory, and problem-solving. Course Fees: DL01 $75; LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 3023. Social Psychology of Small Groups. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: PSY 2533 and PSY 3413, or consent of instructor. Theory and modern research in the social psychology of small groups. Particular attention will be given to group formation, the nature of small group processes, and the influence of groups on behavior. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 3053. Multicultural Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: ANT 1013, ANT 2053, or PSY 1013; and PSY 3413 or the equivalent; or consent of instructor. An examination of the role of culture in the development and validation of psychological theories. Critical discussion of the application of theories of human behavior developed in the United States and Western Europe to other cultural groups, including ethnic minority subgroups. Topics may include identity formation, cognitive and personality development, social and organizational behavior, intergroup relations, psychological assessment, and mental health. (Formerly titled "Cross-Cultural Psychology." Credit cannot be earned for both PSY 3053 Cross-Cultural Psychology and PSY 3053 Multicultural Psychology.) Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 3073. Personality and Behavior. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-". Examination of the relationship of personality to behavior, behavioral tendencies, including thoughts and feelings. Topics include the theoretical foundation of personality psychology, an examination of research regarding personality’s influence on behavior, and the application of what psychologists know about personality. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 3113. Motivation and Emotion. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-", or the equivalent. Topics may include examination of biological, physiological, learning, psychodynamic, cognitive, and purposive factors in the motivation of human behavior. Includes an examination of the nature and roles of emotion in explaining motivational processes. Generally offered: Fall. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 3153. Sensation and Perception. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-". Survey of the processes by which the information available in the physical world is encoded and transformed to produce our perception of the world. Emphasis on the interaction between data-driven and conceptually-driven processes. Topics may include elementary sensory physiology, pattern recognition, illusions, physiological bases of perceptual dysfunction, and perceptual development. (Formerly PSY 2553. Credit cannot be earned for both PSY 3153 and PSY 2553.) Generally offered: Fall, Spring. Course Fees: DL01 $75; LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 3203. Industrial and Organizational Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: PSY 3413 or the equivalent, or consent of instructor. The role of psychology in industry. Applications of psychological knowledge to industrial problems such as personnel selection, employee motivation and satisfaction, and the influence of organizations on behavior. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 3303. Psychological Perspectives on Gender. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: PSY 1013. Consideration of physiological and social-learning origins of sex differences and psychological theories of sex-stereotyped and sexual behavior. Topics may include gender differences and similarities in aggression, sexual behavior, personality, intellectual activity, psychopathology, the development of gender and gender roles, sexism and discrimination, gender stereotypes, sexual orientation and sexuality, and intersex conditions. Generally offered: Fall, Spring. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 3403. Experimental Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: Two courses from PSY 2503, PSY 2513, PSY 2533, or PSY 2563; and PSY 2073 completed with a minimum grade of "C-" or consent of instructor. This course is designed to offer students the opportunity to familiarize themselves with representative experimental designs employed in psychological research, to provide instruction in the choice of appropriate designs, to provide the opportunity to develop skills in the analysis of published research, and to offer an introduction to techniques for collecting and analyzing data. Generally offered: Fall, Spring, Summer. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 3413. Experimental Projects and Laboratory. (2-2) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Completion of or concurrent enrollment in PSY 3403 (completed with a minimum grade of "C-"). Application of observational and experimental procedures to selected problems in the collection of psychological data and the evaluation of psychological theories. (Formerly titled "Experimental Psychology Laboratory.") Generally offered: Fall, Spring, Summer. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 3523. Psychology of Adulthood and Aging. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: PSY 2503 or consent of instructor. Descriptive and theoretical accounts of psychological developments from emerging adulthood through old age. Relevant research is reviewed in the areas of memory, intellect, mental and physical health, social development, personality, meaning, stress and coping, bereavement, and dying. Course Fees: DL01 $75; LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 3543. Introduction to Clinical Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: PSY 2513 and PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-"; or consent of instructor. An introduction to the scientist-practitioner viewpoint of clinical psychology, which balances research and practice. The basic tools of psychological assessment, psycho-diagnosis, and psychotherapy will be addressed. Generally offered: Fall, Spring, Summer. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 3553. Behavior Analysis and Learning. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: PSY 1013 or equivalent; and PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-" or equivalent. An introduction to and survey of the principles, methods, theories and applications of the experimental analysis of behavior. Emphasis on the implications of behavior theory and the experimental analysis of behavior in contemporary society. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 3563. Couple and Family Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: PSY 1013, and PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-". This course will focus on psychological research on relationships, processes and factors within couples and families. Demographic status and changes in American couples and families and how these changes relate to changes in racial/ethnic changes and diversity are considered. Psychological models of couples and families will be discussed. Understanding family structure, relationship processes and factors that are related to health and well-being of individual couple and family members that are related to successful and healthy couples and family relationships are discussed. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 4003. History of Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-" or consent of instructor. The development of major theoretical positions and research strategies in psychology from the ancient Greeks to the present, with emphasis on the development of scientific psychology since the late 19th century. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 4013. Social Psychology of the Self. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: PSY 2533 and PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-"; and completion of or concurrent enrollment in PSY 3413; or consent of instructor. A social psychological examination of current research on the self in social interaction. Topics may include the structure of the self-concept and strategies for the preservation of self-esteem; the evaluation of the self through social comparison; the search for meaning and processes involved in understanding the self; and individual differences in self-knowledge and self-presentational styles. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 4103. Social Psychology of Prejudice. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: PSY 2533 and PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-". Consideration of social, psychological, and personality factors in prejudice and stereotyping, and their interaction with cultural factors in producing racism and other prejudices. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 4133. Social and Personality Development. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: PSY 2503 or PSY 2533; and PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-", or the equivalent; or consent of instructor. Social and personality development across the life span. Topics may include sex-role development, child rearing, achievement, and the influence of peers. Socialization into different social roles may also be considered. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 4143. Memory. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-", and PSY 3413 or the equivalent; or consent of instructor. Models for the coding, storage, and retrieval of information in memory. Organization and structure of short-term, long-term, and semantic memory, and the role of verbalization and images in memory. Generally offered: Fall, Spring. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 4183. Physiological Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: BIO 1203 (Formerly BIO 1404) or PSY 1013; and PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-". Topics may include the biological and particularly neurophysiological bases of human behavior and cognition, the structure and organization of the nervous system, and the effect of the latter on perception, memory, learning, motivation, and emotion. (Same as BIO 4183. Credit cannot be earned for both BIO 4183 and PSY 4183.) Generally offered: Fall, Spring, Summer. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 4193. Relationships. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: PSY 2533 and PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-". A consideration of the psychological processes that underlie the development and maintenance of social relationships. Emphasis on motivational and cognitive factors that mediate social interaction and communication. Special attention may be given to friendships, romantic relationships, successful marriages, and distressed relationships. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 4213. Social Cognition. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: PSY 2533 or PSY 2563; and PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-", or the equivalent; or consent of instructor. The study of how people perceive and construe social events, social situations, and the behavior of other people. Some emphasis is also placed on how social and cultural forces affect personal perception processes. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 4253. Psychology of Health. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: PSY 3403 completed with a minimum grade of "C-" or consent of instructor. An examination of the interaction of psychological, social, and biological factors in physical illness. The symptoms/conditions covered may include stress, pain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, and obesity. The course is research-based but also likely to include prevention and/or treatment strategies for health promotion. Generally offered: Fall, Spring, Summer. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 4343. Cognitive Neuroscience. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: PSY 3403 and PSY 3413. Examines issues in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and the relations between cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Topics include the neural basis of perception, attention, memory, language, and executive function skills. Students will also study how these processes change during normal development and in various neurological disorders. Critical thinking, problem solving skills, and use of the scientific method will be emphasized. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 4911. Independent Study. (0-0) 1 Credit Hour.

Prerequisites: Permission in writing (form available) from the instructor, the Department Chair, and Dean of the College in which the course is offered. Independent reading, research, discussion, and/or writing under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated for credit, but not more than 6 semester credit hours of independent study, regardless of discipline, will apply to a bachelor’s degree. Does not count toward upper-division course requirements for the major but may be taken as an elective. Recommended for students planning to pursue a research focused graduate degree. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $6.

PSY 4913. Independent Study. (0-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: Permission in writing (form available) from the instructor, the Department Chair, and Dean of the College in which the course is offered. Independent reading, research, discussion, and/or writing under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated for credit, but not more than 6 semester credit hours of independent study, regardless of discipline, will apply to a bachelor’s degree. Does not count toward upper-division course requirements for the major but may be taken as an elective. Recommended for students planning to pursue a research focused graduate degree. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 4933. Internship in Psychology. (0-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Consent of internship coordinator before registration. Supervised experience relevant to psychology within selected community organizations. A maximum of 6 semester credit hours may be earned through Internship in Psychology. Does not count toward course requirements for the major but may be taken as an elective. Recommended for students who wish to gain experience in applied settings. Must be taken on a credit/no-credit basis. Generally offered: Fall, Spring. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18.

PSY 4936. Internship in Psychology. (0-0) 6 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Consent of internship coordinator before registration. Supervised experience relevant to psychology within selected community organizations. A maximum of 6 semester credit hours may be earned through Internship in Psychology. Does not count toward course requirements for the major but may be taken as an elective. Recommended for students who wish to gain experience in applied settings. Must be taken on a credit/no-credit basis. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $36.

PSY 4953. Special Studies in Psychology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. An organized course offering the opportunity for specialized study not normally or not often available as part of the regular course offerings. Special Studies may be repeated for credit when the topics vary, but not more than 6 semester credit hours, regardless of discipline, will apply to a bachelor’s degree. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18; DL01 $75.

PSY 4993. Honors Thesis. (0-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Enrollment limited to candidates for Honors in Psychology; requirements for candidacy include the sponsorship of a faculty member and Psychology faculty approval of the student’s project proposal. Supervised research and preparation of an honors thesis. May be repeated once for credit with advisor’s approval. Does not count toward upper-division course requirements for the major but may be taken as an elective. Recommended for students planning to pursue a research focused graduate degree. Generally offered: Fall, Spring. Course Fees: LRHC $10; STHC $18.