Shauna de Long

Psychology is the study of behavior and mental processes. In this introductory course, we explore a variety of areas in which psychologists conduct research: the biological foundations of behavior, sensory and perceptual processes, cognition, learning and memory, developmental psychology, personality and social psychology, psychological disorders, and variability in behavior related to culture. This course is open only to first-year and sophomore students. This counts toward the foundations requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every semester.

Psychology is the study of behavior and mental processes. In this foundation course, we explore a variety of areas in which psychologists conduct research: the biological foundations of behavior, sensory and perceptual processes, cognition, learning and memory, developmental psychology, personality and social psychology, psychological disorders and variability in behavior related to culture. Students who have completed PSYC 100 cannot take this course. This counts toward the foundations requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Generally offered every spring.

This course is for psychology majors (or intended majors). Students learn to conduct a variety of statistical tests that are commonly used in psychological research. The course also builds the skills of choosing the appropriate statistical tests for particular research designs and writing and interpreting the results of statistical analyses. Students also learn to use the statistical software package SPSS. This counts toward the foundations requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 110 or AP score of 5; declared psychology majors only. Permission of instructor by application. Offered every semester.

The goal of this course is to enlighten students about human thinking processes. This course covers research and theories regarding intelligence. Emphasis is on the study of laboratory research, with discussion of how the findings relate to real-world issues. Students should gain an understanding of general cognitive processes that apply to all humans, as well as a perspective on individual differences in cognition and how they may merge with our understanding of clinical disorders. This counts toward the mind and brain requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 110 or AP score of 5. Generally offered every year.

In this course, students learn the basics of research in psychology. Students participate in research projects conducted across different areas of psychology, which might involve observation and interviewing, psychological tests and measures, physiological measures and computerized tasks. Students learn about issues of reliability and validity in psychological research, as well as ethical issues associated with psychological research. Students further develop techniques for descriptive statistical analysis of their data, and they communicate their research findings both orally and in writing, using the writing style of the American Psychological Association. This course is designed for sophomore and junior students planning to major in psychology. This counts toward the foundations requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 110 or AP score of 5 and PSYC 200. Generally offered every semester.

This is the first semester of the two-part sequence required for senior psychology majors. Each section has a different topic, but in every seminar, students read and discuss psychological literature, write and discuss critiques of research articles, review the literature and develop a research proposal on a topic related to the seminar's topic, and make a formal oral presentation to the class. This theoretical framework lays the groundwork for the execution of a project in the second half of the practicum. This counts toward the Senior Capstone requirement for the major. Senior standing and psychology major. Offered every fall.

This is the second semester of the two-part sequence required for senior psychology majors. This class features hands-on experience in creating and conducting research to allow students to learn by doing. We investigate the procedure of generating research from start to finish through the lens of theory learned in the first semester. This course strongly and equally emphasizes strengthening scientific writing skills, generating research designs and quantitative reasoning and application. Along the way we practice evaluating research designs and perfecting APA style. This course is designed to prepare students for a career in research in psychology. This counts toward the Senior Capstone requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 475. Senior standing, psychology major. Offered every spring

Individual study in psychology allows students the opportunity to pursue research on a topic of special interest. The course is designed in consultation with a faculty mentor. The level of credit can range from 0.25 to 0.5 unit, and students may take more than one semester of individual study. Typically, only juniors or seniors may pursue this option. To enroll, a student must first identify a member of the psychology department who is willing to mentor the project. The student must give the department chair a written description of the project, including the nature of the proposed work and a list of references. The project should include reading and reviewing scientific literature and likely entail a research project in which original data are collected. The student and faculty member are expected to meet, on average, once a week. The final project likely a paper written in the style of the American Psychological Association. Additional assignments may be required, including a public presentation. The amount of work required for the individual study should approximate that required of other 400-level psychology courses. It is possible for students to pursue a group project, but more work is expected for the completed project and each student writes her or his own individual paper. Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study by the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval.