Course Listings

Use the pull-down menus to find classes based on day of the week, department, campus, course number or term. View courses at a glance for a quick view of all courses by day, campus and term.

A survey course reviewing primary psychological research and theories of human behavior. Laboratory experience exposes students to psychology as a research science. Carries social science credit.

Measurement; descriptive statistics; probability and sampling; T-test, ANOVA, correlation, and regression. May not be audited. Carries social science or science credit. Prerequisites: PSYCH 110 and high school algebra.

Psychological processes in social behavior, including thinking about and interacting with other people and groups. The effects of social and cognitive processes on the ways individuals perceive, influence, and relate to others. Topics include person perception, the self, prejudice and stereotyping, social identity, attitudes and attitude change, conformity, interpersonal attraction, altruism, aggression, group processes. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110.

Methods of psychological research; experimental design; reliability and validity; review and application of statistics; execution and reporting of psychological research. May not be audited. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 201.

Nature of personality and its development. Modern theoretical interpretations. Biological and social bases of individual differences. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110.

This course introduces the cognitive, physical, biological, emotional, moral, and social development of individuals from conception through old age and death. Developmental process, issues, and stages are explored. Through lectures, audio-visual examples, discussion, and hands-on activities, students learn about a variety of topics in developmental psychology. Carries social science credit.

This course focuses on cognitive and social development from infancy through adolescence. Topics are addressed include cognition, emotion, moral reasoning, language, social interaction, personality, and parenting issues. Theories and methods in developmental research are considered, and specific issues are explored. How do young infants perceive the world? How do infants and toddlers develop an attachment to their parents or caretakers? Why are some children good at making friends, and why do others feel lonely or isolated? How do parents' discipline styles influence children's social and personality development? Students are encouraged to think critically about the assumptions and methods that underlie research on particular issues. A central goal is to help students develop an appreciation of different criteria for evaluating research and other forms of evidence. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110 or equivalent.

How do we take in and process information and use it to make decisions and solve problems? In other words, how do we perceive and think? This course is an introduction to cognitive psychology, covering topics such as perception, attention, memory, knowledge representation, language, reasoning, problem solving, judgment, and decision-making. Classes consist of lectures, some in-class demonstrations, and discussion. Students learn to think critically about the assumptions and methods underlying research on class topics. Students achieve an overview of cognition, read original empirical research papers, and participate in demonstrations of experiments. Carries science or social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110.

Students are introduced to the various psychological disorders manifested by individuals across the lifespan. The major disorders covered include mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, substance-use disorders, schizophrenia, and sexual disorders. In addition to focusing on the cause and course of these disorders, students are exposed to the major treatment approaches currently available. Students also review research on the effectiveness of these treatments. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to think critically about the definition of mental illness, its relation to normality, and the social, ethical, and legal implications of the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110.

Definition and history of clinical psychology, personality theory in clinical psychology, diagnosis and classification of disorders, assessment, psychotherapy, and ethical issues. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 303.

This course focuses on the relationship between psychology and spirituality, with special attention to the perceived and imagined threats of living in the world today. A differentiation is made between religion and spirituality and how these areas are experienced in the daily lives of persons. The course investigates the connection between spirituality and personality configuration, the place of spirituality in psychotherapy, the scientific study of spirituality and psychology as exemplified in the relationship between spirituality and health, male and female views of psychology and spirituality, and conflicts between psychology and spirituality. Throughout the course, a multicultural perspective emphasizes diversity areas and issues such as gender, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and environmental concerns in the exploration of psychology and spirituality. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110 or equivalent.

This course offers an in-depth psychological analysis of terrorism. Beginning with a definitional and historical understanding of terrorism, students explore the nature of terrorism and develop a psychological profile of terrorism and terrorists. Particular attention is given to the psychodynamics of terrorists. The course also outlines the psychological effects and patterns seen in terrorism and presents an in-depth assessment of destructiveness and self-destructiveness. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110 or equivalent. This course is presented in a five-week format (along with others during each academic term), to provide more flexible course schedule options. Each quarter, students can take one or two intensive Saturday courses that meet for six hours, in addition to the regularly scheduled weeknight courses. This course, PSYCH 314-CN, meets for five Saturdays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm: 2/20, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, and 3/20. Its companion course, PSYCH 314-CN sec. 27, meets the preceding five Saturdays, between January 9 and February 6. In this format, there is no class meeting for either course on Saturday, February 13. Enrollment in both courses is not required. Registration for PSYCH 314-CN is open through February 5; late registration for this course begins February 6.

This course examines the fundamentals of psychological measurement and assessment; its importance, the type and construction of measures, and how to evaluate the quality of measures. We then use this knowledge to examine the assessment of children and adults in a variety of settings. Carries science or social science credit. May not be audited. Prerequisites: PSYCH 110 or equivalent; Introductory Statistics recommended.

This course is an overview of the study of placebo, a sham intervention that is intended to lead to expectancies of improvement. The "placebo effect" has been widely implicated in such areas as psychotherapy, medicine, and even surgery, with provocative findings suggesting that expectancies can be just as powerful as "real" treatments. The course covers the historical interest in placebo as well as current theory and current research on placebo and the "placebo effect." Surveying a broad specturm of areas in which placebo has been implicated, the course examines the potential social and ethical implications of placebo. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110 or equivalent.

Many psychological factors have profound effects on our health and well-being. This course applies findings from all areas of psychology to the maintenance of physical health and the prevention and treatment of illness. Class discussion focuses on how biological, psychological, and social factors interact with and affect health, the treatment people receive for medical problems, how people cope with stress and pain, and the recovery, rehabilitation, and psychosocial adjustment of patients with serious health problems. Students also examine the role of stress in illness, certain lifestyle factors such as smoking or weight control, and chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110 or equivalent.

This course focuses on a new branch of psychology focusing on promoting optimal human functioning and fulfillment through the empirical study of topics such as positive experiences, character traits, and institutions. A key aspect of positive psychology is its emphasis on promoting happiness, health, and well-being (as opposed to merely reducing unhappiness and psychopathology). Topics covered include happiness, positive experiences, attributional style, optimism, resilience, courage, and altruism. The course emphasizes research and applications of positive psychology, and includes socio-cultural, cognitive, neurobiological, and historical perspectives. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110 or equivalent.

The focus of this course is the cultural, psychological and religious perspectives on death and dying. Included in this focus are explorations of current views on selected areas of this subject, e.g., grief, violence, murder, separation and loss. Attention is also be given to death in contemporary literature, as well as to responses to death in history and in the world today. An openness to the exploration of the personal meaning of death and dying in the life of each student enrolled in the course is the primary objective of this course. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110 or equivalent. This course is presented in a five-week format (along with others during each academic term), to provide more flexible course schedule options. Each quarter, students can take one or two intensive Saturday courses that meet for six hours, in addition to the regularly scheduled weeknight courses. This course, PSYCH 314-CN sec. 27 meets for five Saturdays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm: January 9, 16, 23, 30 and February 6. Its companion course, PSYCH 314-CN sec. 17, meets the preceding five Saturdays, between February 20 and March 20. In this format, there is no class meeting for either course on Saturday, February 13. Enrollment in both courses is not required.

Issues related to human sexuality, including discussion of healthy sexuality as well as sexual dysfunction. Theoretical and historical perspectives on sexuality, biological aspects of sexuality, sexuality and the life cycle, attraction and love, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual coercion. Current topics in media are also covered. Discussion and critique of research methods. Carries science or social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110 or equivalent.

Examination of sex differences and similarities. Review of how gender affects achievement, relationships, and mental health. Evaluation of explanations for these similarities/differences. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110.