Psychology Course Descriptions
2012-13 and 2013-14

W1001x or y. The Science of Psychology
Fall 2012. Sec. 1: 3 pts. P. Lindemann. TR 1:10-2:25 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2012. Sec. 2: 3 pts. K. Taylor. MW 8:40-9:55 AM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2013. Sec. 1: 3 pts. P. Lindemann. MW 11:40-12:55 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2013. Sec. 2: 3 pts. B. Rakitin. TR 6:10-7:25 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.

Fall 2013. Sec. 1: 3 pts. P. Lindemann. TR 1:10-2:25 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2013. Sec. 2: 3 pts. K. Taylor. MW 8:40-9:55 AM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2014. Sec. 1: 3 pts. P. Lindemann. TR 4:10-5:25 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2014. Sec. 2: 3 pts. B. Rakitin. TR 6:10-7:25 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.

Description: Broad survey of psychological science including: sensation and perception; learning, memory, intelligence, language, and cognition; emotions and motivation; development, personality, health and illness, and social behavior. Discusses relations between the brain, behavior, and experience. Emphasizes science as a process of discovering both new ideas and new empirical results.
Note: Enrollment may be limited. Attendance at the first two class periods is mandatory.
[Download Lindemann's syllabus] [Download Taylor's preliminary syllabus] [Download Rakitin's syllabus]

S1001Q. The Science of Psychology
Offered Summer Term 2013

W1010x or y. Mind, Brain, & Behavior
Fall 2012: 3 pts. D. Mobbs. TR 11:40-12:55 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2013: 3 pts. D. Shohamy. MW 10:10-11:25 AM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.

Fall 2013: 3 pts. D. Mobbs. TR 11:40-12:55 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2014: 3 pts. D. Shohamy. MW 2:40-3:55 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.

Description: An introduction to the biological approach to the experimental study of behavior. Includes consideration of the types of biological data relevant to psychology, as well as the assumptions and logic permitting the interpretation of biological data in psychological terms.
[Download Mobb's syllabus] [Download Shohamy's syllabus]

W1420x or y. Experimental Psychology: Human Behavior
Fall 2012: 4 pts. P. Lindemann. M 4:10-6 PM. Room 501 or 614 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spring 2014: 4 pts. P. Lindemann. M 4:10-6 PM. Room 501 or 614 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, and a statistics course (PSYC W1610 or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission.
Corequisite: PSYC W1421. Attendance at the first class is essential.
Description: An introduction to the techniques of research employed in the study of human behavior. Students gain experience in the conduct of research, including design of simple experiments, observation and measurement techniques, and the analysis of behavioral data.
Note: Fee: $70.
[Download syllabus]

W1421x or y. Experimental Psychology: Human Behavior (lab)
Fall 2012: 0 pts. Room 200B or 200C Schermerhorn Hall.

Description: Required lab section for W1420x.
Note: Limited enrollment in each section. Priorty is given to majors.
Register for one of the following:
Sec. 1 M 6:10-8 PM 200B
Sec. 2 M 6:10-8 PM 200C
Sec. 3 W 6:10-8 PM 200B
Sec. 4 M 8:10-10 PM 200B
Sec. 5 T 4:10-6 PM 200B

Spring 2014: 0 pts. Room 200B or 200C Schermerhorn Hall.

Description: Required lab section for W1420y.
Note: Limited enrollment in each section. Priorty is given to majors.
Register for one of the following:
Sec. 1 M 6:10-8 PM 200B
Sec. 2 M 6:10-8 PM 200C
Sec. 3 M 8:10-10 PM 200B
Sec. 4 W 6:10-8 PM 200B
Sec. 5 T 6:10-8 PM 200B

S1420D. Experimental Psychology: Human Behavior
Offered Summer Term 2013

W1450x or y. Experimental Psychology: Social Cognition and Emotion
Spr 2013: 4 pts. K. Ochsner. M 4:10-6 PM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2013: 4 pts. K. Ochsner. M 4:10-6 PM. Room 501 or 614 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, and a statistics course (PSYC W1610 or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission.
Corequisite: PSYC W1451. Attendance at the first class is essential.
Description: An introduction to research methods employed in the study of human social cognition and emotion. Students gain experience in the design and conduct of research, including ethical issues, observation and measurement techniques, interpretation of data, and preparation of written and oral reports.
Note: Priorty is given to majors. Fee: $70.
[Download syllabus]

W1451x or y. Experimental Psychology: Social Cognition and Emotion (lab)
Spr 2013: 0 pts. Room 200B or 200C Schermerhorn Hall.

Description: Required Lab for W1450y.
Note: Limited enrollment in each section.
Register for one of the following:
Sec. 1 M 6:10-8 PM 200B
Sec. 2 T 6:10-8 PM 200B
Sec. 3 T 4:10-6 PM 200B
Sec. 4 M 6:10-8 PM 200C
Sec. 5 M 8:10-10 PM 200B

Fall 2013: 0 pts. Room 200B or 200C Schermerhorn Hall.

Description: Required Lab for W1450y.
Note: Limited enrollment in each section.
Register for one of the following:
Sec. 1 M 6:10-8 PM 200B
Sec. 2 W 6:10-8 PM 200B
Sec. 3 M 8:10-10 PM 200B
Sec. 4 M 6:10-8 PM 200C
Sec. 5 T 4:10-6 PM 200B

W1455/1456. Experimental Psychology: Social and Personality
2012-13: Not offered. 4 pts. N. Bolger.
2013-14: Not offered. 4 pts. N. Bolger.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, and a statistics course (PSYC W1610 or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission.
Corequisite: PSYC W1456.
Description: Methodology and procedures of personality and social psychological research and exercises in data analysis and research design. Statistical concepts such as reliability and validity, methods of constructing personality measures, merits and limitations of correlational and experimental research designs, and empirical evaluation of theories. Student teams conduct research projects.
Note: Fee: $70.
[Download syllabus]

S1480. Experimental Psychology: Perception & Attention (lecture and lab)
Not offered Summer Term 2013

W1490/1491. Experimental Psychology: Thinking & Decision Making
2012-13: Not offered. 4 pts. P. Lindemann.
2013-14: Not offered. 4 pts. P. Lindemann.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, and a statistics course (PSYC W1610 or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission.
Corequisite: PSYC W1491.
Description: Complement to, rather than substitute for, PSYC W2235. Introduces research methods employed in the study of the cognitive and social determinants of thinking and decision making. Students gain experience in the conduct of research, including design of simple experiments, individual and group preference elicitation techniques, and the analysis of behavioral data.
Note: Fee: $70. Attendance at the first class is essential.
[Download syllabus]

W1610x or y. Introductory Statistics for Behavioral Scientists
Fall 2012: 4 pts. B. Rakitin. MW 10:10-11:25 AM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2013: 4 pts. N. Graham. TR 2:40-3:55 PM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.

Fall 2013: 4 pts. B. Rakitin. MW 10:10-11:25 AM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2014: 4 pts. N. Graham. TR 2:40-3:55 PM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall or 313 Fayweather.

Prerequisite or Corequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010.
Corequisite: PSYC W1611.
Recommended Preparation: One course in behavioral science and knowledge of high school algebra.
Description: An introduction to statistics that concentrates on problems from the behavioral sciences.
Note: Priorty is given to majors. Fee: $70.
[Download Rakitin's syllabus] [Download Graham's syllabus]

W1611x or y. Introductory Statistics for Behavioral Scientists (Lab)
Fall 2012: 0 pts. Room 200B Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2013: 0 pts. Room 200B or 200C Schermerhorn Hall.

Description: Required lab section for PSYC W1610.
Register for one of the following:
Sec. 1 R 4:10-6 PM 200B
Sec. 2 R 6:10-8 PM 200B
Sec. 3 R 4:10-6 PM 200C
Sec. 4 F 12:10-2 PM 200B

Fall 2013: 0 pts. Room 200B Schermerhorn Hall.

Description: Required lab section for PSYC W1610.
Register for one of the following:
Sec. 1 R 4:10-6 PM
Sec. 2 R 6:10-8 PM
Sec. 3 F 10:10-12 PM
Sec. 4 F 12:10-2 PM

Spr 2014: 0 pts. Room 200B or 200C Schermerhorn Hall.

Description: Required lab section for PSYC W1610.
Register for one of the following:
Sec. 1 R 4:10-6 PM 200B
Sec. 2 R 4:10-6 PM 200C
Sec. 3 R 6:10-8 PM 200B
Sec. 4 F 12:10-2 PM 200B

S1610Q. Introductory Statistics for Behavioral Scientists
Offered Summer Term 2013

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W2210. Cognition: Basic Processes
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts.
2013-14: Not offered. 3 pts.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, or the instructor's permission.
Description: An introduction to basic concepts in cognitive psychology. Topics include theories and phenomena in areas such as attention, memory, concepts and categories, language, reasoning, decision making, and consciousness.
[Download Finn's syllabus]

W2215. Cognition and the Brain
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts.
2013-14: Not offered. 3 pts.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010 (recommended), or the instructor's permission.
Description: How mental activities--particularly human cognitive processes--are implemented in the brain, with some emphasis on methods and findings of neuroscience. Topics include long term and working memory, attention and executive processes, concepts and categorization, decision making, and language.
[Download Eich syllabus] [Download Smith syllabus] [Download Smith course evaluation comments]

W2220x. Cognition: Memory & Stress
Fall 2012: 3 pts. J. Metcalfe. MW 2:40-3:55 PM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2013: 3 pts. J. Metcalfe. TR 10:10-11:25 AM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, or the instructor's permission.
Description: Memory, attention, and stress in human cognition.
Note: Attendance at the first class period is mandatory.
[Download syllabus]

W2225x. Attention and Perception
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. H. Lau.
Fall 2013: 3 pts. H. Lau. MW 2:40-3:55 PM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, or the instructor's permission.
Description: Introduction to the theories and mechanisms of attentional selection in perceptual processes. Topics include classical theories of selective attention, modern neurocognitive models, clinical impairments of attention, and the relationship between attention and time.
[View syllabus]

W2230x. Perception and Sensory Processes
Fall 2012: 3 pts. S. Shuwairi. TR 8:40 - 9:55 AM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.
2013-14: Not offered. 3 pts. S. Shuwairi.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, or the instructor's permission.
Description: Fundamental phenomena and mechanisms of visual and auditory perception are described and related to underlying neural processes, to developmental processes, and to sensorimotor function.
[Download syllabus]

W2235. Thinking and Decision Making
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. J. Westfall.
2013-14: Not offered. 3 pts. J. Westfall.

Prerequisite: An introductory course in psychology.
Description: Models of judgment and decision making in both certain and uncertain or risky situations, illustrating the interplay of top-down (theory-driven) and bottom-up (data-driven) processes in creating knowledge. Focus is on how individuals do and should makedecisions, with some extensions to group decision making and social dilemmas.
[Download Westfall's syllabus]

S2235Q. Thinking and Decision Making
Offered Summer Term 2013

W2250y. Evolution of Cognition
Spr 2013: 3 pts. H. Terrace. TR 11:40 - 12:55 PM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2014: 3 pts. H. Terrace. TR 11:40 - 12:55 PM. Room 200B or 200C Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, or the instructor's permission.
Description: A systematic review of different forms of cognition as viewed in the context of the theory of evolution. Specific topics include the application of the theory of evolution to behavior, associative learning, biological constraints on learning, methods for studying the cognitive abilities of animals, levels of representation, ecological influences on cognition, and evidence of consciousness in animals.
[Download syllabus]

W2280y. Introduction to Developmental Psychology
Spr 2013: 3 pts. L. Putnam. TR 1:10-2:25 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2014: 3 pts. L. Putnam. TR 1:10-2:25 PM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, or the equivalent.
Description: Introduction to the scientific study of human development, with an emphasis on psychobiological processes underlying perceptual, cognitive, and emotional development.
Note: Enrollment may be limited. Attendance at the first two class periods is mandatory.
[View syllabus]

S2280D. Introduction to Developmental Psychology
Offered Summer Term 2013

W2420y. Animal Behavior
Spr 2013: 3 pts. S. Woolley. MW 2:40-3:55 PM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2014: 3 pts. M. Ter-Mikaelian. MW 11:40-12:55 PM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, or a college-level biology course or instructor permission.
Description: Introduction to behavioral systems, evolution of behavioral traits, and analysis of behavior. Topics include reproductive and social behavior, mating systems, competition, cooperation, communication, learning, development and the interplay of genes and environment.
[Download syllabus]

W2440x. Language and the Brain
Fall 2012: 3 pts. M. Miozzo. TR 10:10-11:25 AM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2013: 3 pts. M. Miozzo. TR 4:10-5:25 PM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, or instructor permission.
Description: Introduction to psychological research on human language and communication and to brain mechanisms supporting language processing. Topics include comprehension and production of speech sounds, words and sentences; reading and writing; bilingualism; communication behavior.
[Download preliminary syllabus]

W2450y. Behavioral Neuroscience
Spr 2013: 3 pts. K. Taylor. TR 8:40-9:55 AM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2014: 3 pts. K. Taylor. MW 8:40-9:55 AM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010.
Description: Examines the principles governing neuronal activity, the role of neurotransmitter systems in memory and motivational processes, the presumed brain dysfunctions that give rise to schizophrenia and depression, and philosophical issues regarding the relationship between brain activity and subjective experience.
[Download syllabus]

S2450Q. Behavioral Neuroscience
Offered Summer Term 2013

W2460y . Drugs and Behavior
Spr 2013: 3 pts. C. Hart. MW 8:40-9:55 AM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2013: 3 pts. C. Hart. TR 8:40-9:55 AM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, or the equivalent.
Description: The effects of psychoactive drugs on the brain and behavior.
[Download syllabus]

W2480y. The Developing Brain
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. F. Champagne.
Spring 2014. 3 pts. F. Champagne. MW 10:10-11:25 AM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010, or the instructor's permission.
Description: Brain development across the life span, with emphasis on fetal and postnatal periods. How the environment shapes brain development and hence adult patterns of behavior.
[Download syllabus]

W2610. Introduction to Personality
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts.
2013-14: Not offered. 3 pts.

Prerequisite: An introductory psychology course.
Description: A survey of the important methods, findings, and theories in the field of personality research.
[Download syllabus]

W2620x. Abnormal Behavior
Fall 2012: 3 pts. E. McCaskill. TR 7:40-8:55 PM. Room 501 or 614 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2013: 3 pts. E. McCaskill. TR 7:40-8:55 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: An introductory psychology course.
Description: An examination of definitions, theories, and treatments of abnormal behavior.
[Download syllabus]

S2620D. Abnormal Behavior
Offered Summer Term 2013

W2630x. Social Psychology
Fall 2012: 3 pts. T. Higgins. TR 2:40-3:55 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2013: 3 pts. T. Higgins. TR 2:40-3:55 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.

Description: Surveys important methods, findings, and theories in the study of social influences on behavior. Emphasizes different perspectives on the relation between individuals and society.
[Download McClure/Cavallo syllabus] [Download Higgins syllabus]

S2635D. Social and Organizational Psychology
Offered Summer Term 2013

W2640y. Introduction to Social Cognition
Spr 2013: 3 pts. B. Sparrow. TR 10:10-11:25 AM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2014: 3 pts. B. Sparrow. TR 10:10-11:25 AM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: An introductory psychology course or instructor's permission.
Description: An introduction to basic concepts in social cognition. Topics include attribution theory (how we explain our own and other's behavior), social categories and schema (social perception and stereotyping), the social self (the development and maintenance of a self-concept), attention and consciousness, person memory, affect and cognition, and social inference, among others.
[Download syllabus]

W2650y. Introduction to Cultural Psychology
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. V. Purdie-Vaughns.
Spring 2014: 3 pts. V. Purdie-Vaughns. TR 11:40-12:55 PM. Room 501 Schermerhorn Hall.

Recommended Preparation: Although there are no proper prerequisites, some basic knowledge of social psychology is desirable
Description: A comprehensive examination of how culture and diversity shape psychological processes. The class will explore psychological and political underpinnings of culture and diversity, emphasizing social psychological approaches. Topics include culture and social cognition, group and identity formation, psychology of multiculturalism, stereotyping, predjudice, and gender. Applications to real-world phenomena discussed.
[Download syllabus]

W2680x. Social & Personality Development
Fall 2012: 3 pts. S. Lutz. MW 6:10-7:25 PM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2013: 3 pts. S. Lutz. MW 6:10-7:25 PM. Room 614 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: An introductory psychology course.
Description: Exploration of social, emotional, and moral development in children and adolescents, and consideration of the interactive influence of biology, culture, and social context on development. Particular attention to cultural context and current research, as well as interdisciplinary insights.
[Download syllabus]

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