Psychology Course Descriptions
'09-'10

With links to Faculty and Course Pages

Includes Summer Term 2009 Course Information

3000 & 4000 Level
Advanced Undergraduate Courses &
Graduate/Advanced Undergraduate Seminars

W3250y. Seminar in Space Perception
Spr 2009: 3 pts. L. Matin T 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2010: 3 pts. L. Matin T 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: Some background in psychology and/or neurophysiology is desirable (e.g., PSYC W1001, W1010, W1480, W2230, BIOL 3004, 3005). Other backgrounds may also be appropriate; contact instructor for permission to register. Space perception and spatial orientation in a three-dimensional physical world will be examined from a viewpoint that integrates neurophysiological and behavioral research: Experiments involve perceptual phenomena and measurement, and electrical and/or mechanical recording in normal and unusual environments (e.g., human centrifuge, zero-g).

W3255y. Modern Classics in Visual Perception, Visual Science, and Visual Neuroscience (seminar)
Spr 2009: 3 pts. L. Matin R 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2010: 3 pts. L. Matin R 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: Some background in perceptual or sensory processes or neurophysiology or physical sciences/math/computer science or instructor's permission. Reading and discussion of classic articles from the past 60 years providing a foundation for the rapidly expanding fields of visual perception, visual science, and visual neuroscience and their connections with computer modeling (with a sprinkling from research on audition); primary source articles will be accompanied by secondary source and brief lecture material to introduce each topic. [Download preliminary course information]

W3265x. Auditory Perception (seminar)
Fall 2008: 4pts. S. Woolley M 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Fall 2009: 4pts. S. Woolley M 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisites: At least two other psychology courses and the instructor’s permission.
The reception, organization and understanding of sounds are crucial functions of the brain. We will study the perceptual rules by which humans and other animals make sense of the acoustic world, what those rules suggest about how the brain forms acoustic percepts, and what is known about the neural basis of auditory perception. [Download Fall 2008 syllabus]

W3270x. Computational Approaches to Human Vision (seminar)
Spr 2009: 3 pts. N. Graham hours tba
Fall 2009: 3 pts. N. Graham hours tba

Prerequisites: Some background in psychology and/or neurophysiology (e.g., PSYC W1001, W1010, W2230, W2450, BIOL W3004, or W3005) is desirable. Some background in mathematics and computer science (e.g., calculus or linear algebra, a programming language) is highly recommended.
The study of human vision--both behavioral and physiological data--within a framework of computational and mathematical descriptions.
Please download course announcement and then contact Prof. Graham by email [nvg1@columbia.edu] if you are interested in this course.

S3280. Seminar in Infant Development
Summer 2009: Not offered. 3 pts.

Prerequisite: A course in developmental psychology or the instructor's permission.
Analysis of human development during the first year of life, with an emphasis on infant perceptual and cognitive development. [Download syllabus]

W3410. Seminar in Emotion
2008-09: Not offered. 3 pts. L. Putnam
2009-10: Not offered. 3 pts. L. Putnam

Prerequisite: the instructor's permission (Please see course web site, and apply for permission to register.).
Theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of emotion. Emphasis is on research into physiological, expressive, and subjective emotional responses to salient events. [View syllabus and application for permission to register]

W3435x. Neurobiology of Reproductive Behavior (seminar)
Spr 2009: 4pts. F. Champagne W 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Fall 2009: 4pts. F. Champagne R 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: At least two other psychology courses and the instructor's permission.
Reproduction encompasses a broad range of behaviors in the life cycle ofan organism from mate selection and copulation to parental care. This seminar will examine various aspects of reproduction across species and the neural mechanisms that regulate these behaviors and allow an organism to adapt to environmental change. [Download syllabus]

W3440y. Issues in Brain & Behavior (seminar)
2008-09: Not offered.
Spr 2010: 4pts. D. Hood and J. Hirsch R 4:10-7 PM. Room B45 Neur Institute

Prerequisite: PSYC W1010 or W2450 and the instructor's permission.
Techniques for the noninvasive assessment of human brain activity are considered. The use of these techniques in laboratory and clinical science is explored. [Download previous syllabus]

W3450x. Evolution of Intelligence and Consciousness (seminar)
Fall 2008: 3 pts. H. Terrace W 10:10-12 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall
Fall 2009: 3 pts. H. Terrace W 10:10-12 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 or W1010 and the instructor's permission.
A systematic review of the implications of Darwin's theory of evolution and Freud's theory of the unconscious for contemporary studies of animal and human cognition. [Download Fall 2006 syllabus]

W3460x. Evolution of Behavior (seminar)
Fall 2008: 3 pts. C. Wiedenmayer T 10:10-12 PM . Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Fall 2009: 3 pts. C. Wiedenmayer T 10:10-12 PM . Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: at least two psychology courses and the instructor's permission.
Evolutionary theory and its application to behaviors such as mating, group formation, and communication in humans and other animals, incorporating concepts and findings from genetics, ethology, neuroscience, and psychology. [View syllabus]

W3480. Seminar in Cognitive Neuropsychology (seminar)
2008-09: Not offered. 3pts
2009-10: Not offered. 3pts.

Prerequisites: PSYC W1010 or W2450 and the instructor's permission.
Research, theory and methods addressing the relationship between brain function and cognition, with a focus on neurologically based disorders affecting perception, attention, and memory, and as well as higher-order processes such as language, decision making and consciousness. [Download syllabus]

W3485y. The Neuroscience of Cognitive and Emotional Control (seminar)
2008-09: Not offered.
Spr 2010: Not offered.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1010, two other psychology courses, and the instructor's permission.
Reward systems in the brain play a crucial role in determining how cognition is regulated in the service of goals. Understanding how reward and emotion guide cognitive control is a new and growing area of research, which we explore from a functional neuroanatomical perspective. [View syllabus]

S3610Q. The Psychology of Stereotyping and Predjudice
3 pts. L. Aguilar TR 1:00-4:10 PM. Room 608 Sch. Summer Term II: July 6 - August 14, 2009

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission.
A review of current research on intergroup perceptions, attitudes, and behavior. Emphasis on cognitive processes underlying stereotyping and prejudice.

W3615y. Children At Risk (seminar)
Spr 2009: 4 pts. J. Curley W 12:10 - 2 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2010: 4 pts. J. Curley W 12:10 - 2 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisites: The instructors' permission and PSYC W1010 or W2280 or W2620 or W2680 or an equivalent course.
Considers contemporary risk factors in children's lives. The immediate and enduring biological and behavioral impact of risk factors. [View syllabus]

W3620x. Seminar in Developmental Psychopathology
Fall 2008: 4 pts. C. Monk W 6:10 - 8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Fall 2009: 4 pts. C. Monk W 12:10 - 2 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisites: At least two of the following courses: (W1001, W1010, W2280, W2620,W2680, W3280) and the instructor’s permission.
Developmental psychopathology posits that it is development itself that has gone awry when there is psychopathology. As such, it seeks to understand the early and multiple factors contributing to psychopathology emerging in childhood and later in life. We will use several models (e.g., ones dominated by biological, genetic, and psychological foci) to understand the roots of mental illness. [Download preliminary course information]  

W3630x. Seminar in Social Cognition
Spr 2009: 3 pts. B. Sparrow T 12:10-2 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Fall 2009: 3 pts. B. Sparrow T 12:10-2 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission. If you are interested in taking this seminar, please contact Betsy Sparrow by email (sparrow@psych.columbia.edu) The scientific study of how people make sense of others and themselves. Topics include social judgment, attitudes (conscious and unconscious), self-concepts, and the multiple and reciprocal relationships among cognition, emotion, and motivation. [Download syllabus]


W3650y. Cultural Psychology in the Public Interest (seminar)
Spr 2010: 3pts. V. Purdie-Vaughns tba

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission.

S3660D. The Psychology of Happiness
3 pts. H. Kober MW 1:00-4:10 PM. Room 405 Sch. Summer Term I: May 26 - July 3, 2009

Prerequisite: Two psychology courses and the instructor's permission.
What is happiness? Can we measure happiness? Should we want to be happy? This course will serve as an introduction to the methods and issues within Postive Psychology, a new scientific subfield that is concerned with well-being and focuses on the use of evidence-based methods to enhance the human qualities and practicies that make life meaningful. Theoretical perspectives as well as practical issues associated with the evaluation of happiness and well-being will be discussed, and supported with critical reading of recent research findings in this field. Students will be expected to question the utility of happiness-related constructs (cognitive-distortions, physical health, meditation, affective forecasting, flow), and will be invited to evaluate empirically validated techniques through their own experience. [Download syllabus]

W3680. Social Cognitive Neuroscience (seminar)
2009-10: Not offered. 3pts. K. Ochsner

Prerequisite: at least two of the following courses (1001, 1010, 2630, 3410, 3480, 3485) and the instructor's permission.
An introduction to the emerging interdisciplinary field of social cognitive neuroscience, which examines topics traditionally of interest to social psychologists (including control and automaticity, emotion regulation, person perception, social cooperation) using methods traditionally employed by cognitive neuroscientists (functional neuroimaging, neuropsychological assessment). [Download syllabus]

W3910x & y. Honors Seminar
Fall 2008: 1 pt. (x) L. Putnam W 4:10 - 6 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2009: 1 pt. (y) K. Ochsner W 4:10 - 6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Fall 2009: 1 pt. (x) L. Putnam W 4:10 - 6 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2010: 1 pt. (y) K. Ochsner W 4:10 - 6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Open only to students in the honors program. Year-long course. Students receive credit only after both terms have been completed. May be repeated for additional credit.
Discussion of a variety of topics in psychology, with particular emphasis on recent developments and meth odological problems. Students propose and discuss special research topics. [Information on the honors program]

W3920x & y --- Honors Research
2008-09: 1-4 pts. (x) L. Putnam (y) K. Ochsner
2009-10: 1-4 pts. (x) L. Putnam (y) K. Ochsner

Open only to students in the honors program. Except by special permission of the director of undergraduate studies, no more than 4 points of individual research may be taken in any one term. This includes both PSYC W3950 and W3920. May be repeated for additional credit. No more than 12 points of W3920 may be applied toward the honors program in psychology.
Special research topics arranged with instructors of the department leading toward a senior honors paper. [Information on faculty research]

W3950x or y --- Supervised Individual Research
2008-09: 1-4 pts. --- Individual Faculty
2009-10: 1-4 pts. --- Individual Faculty

Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. Except by special permission of the director of undergraduate studies, no more than 4 points of individual research may be taken in any one term. This includes both PSYC W3950 and W3920. No more than 8 points of W3950 may be applied toward the major. May be repeated with the permission of the director of undergraduate studies.
Readings, special laboratory projects, reports, and special seminars on contemporary issues in psychological research and theory. [Sign up for a section of 3950 with an individual faculty member. View information on faculty research]

G4215. Memory Representations (seminar)
2008-09: Not offered.
2009-10: Not offered. 3 pts. E. Smith

Prerequisite: At least two psychology courses and the instructor's permission.
Discussion of issues and research on mental and neural processes involved in the representation of information in memory - both memory for specific episodes (episodic memory), and memory for general knowledge (semantic memory). Issues include differences in representations of, and retrieval of, memories acquired intentionally and those acquired without awareness, as well as the underlying neural mechanisms. [Download Fall 2006 syllabus] [Download Fall 2007 syllabus]

G4220x. Cognition and Psychopathology (seminar)
Fall 2009: 4 pts. E. Smith M 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: At least two other psychology courses and the instructor's permission.
Discussion of issues and research on the breakdown of basic neurocognitive processes in psychopathology. The focus will be on working memory and cognitive control -- the cognitive processes most vulnerable in many psychiatric disorders, including: Schizophrenia, Major Depressive Reaction, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Substance Abuse. Discussions will focus on issues such as: What can we learn about the neural circuitry involved in a particular psychiatric disorder from studying deficits in cognitive tasks? What can we learn about normal cognition from studying cognitive deficits in psychopathology? [Download Preliminary course information]

G4222y. The Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging (seminar)
Spr 2010: 4 pts. Cosentino & Brickman F 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: Courses in introductory psychology, cognitive psychology, and the instructor's permission.
Comprehensive overview of various conceptual and methodologic approaches to studying the cognitive neuroscience of aging. The course will emphasize the importance of combining information from cognitive experimental designs, epidemiologic studies, neuroimaging, and clinical neuropsychological approaches to understand individual differences in both healthy and pathological aging. [Download Preliminary course information]

G4225y. Consciousness and Attention (seminar)
Fall 2008: 4 pts. H. Lau R 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2010: 4 pts. H. Lau W 6:10-8 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission. Some basic knowledge of cognitive science and neuroanatomy is desirable, but not necessary.
Discussion of current issues in the scientific studies of consciousness, including the search for the neural correlates of visual awareness, volition, and the various kinds of impairments of consciousness and attention as described in clinical cases. Specific topics may vary from year to year. May be repeated for credit. [Download syllabus]

G4227y. Philosophical and Empirical Issues in Consciousness (seminar)
Fall 2008: 4 pts. H. Lau and N. Block M 6:10-8 PM.
Spr 2010: 4 pts. H. Lau R 6:10-8 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission. Some basic knowledge of cognitive science and neuroanatomy is desirable.
Discussion of current issues in the empirical and theoretical study of consciousness, including the definitions of consciousness, the relationship between attention and consciousness, and the search for the neural correlates of visual awareness and volition. Specific topics may vary from year to year; may be repeated for credit. [View syllabus]

G4230y. Sensation and Perception (seminar)
Spr 2009: 3 pts. L. Matin T 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2010: 3 pts. L. Matin T 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. Some background in perception is required.
Topics on the perception of space. Discussions, reviews, and recent literature.

MUSI-PSYC G4233y. Language and Music (seminar)
Spr 2009: 3 pts. R. Remez and F. Lerdahl T 6:10-8 PM. Room 620 Dodge Hall
2009-10: Not offered.

Prerequisite: Open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates with instructor's permission. A consideration of language and music with an emphasis on cognitive theory and research, including: commonalities and differences in structural properties; perceptual resolution of linguistic and musical form; neuropsychology; cultural practices and psychological universals. [Download Syllabus]

G4235x. Special Topics in Vision (seminar)
Spr 2009: 3 pts. N. Graham hours tba
Fall 2009: 3 pts. N. Graham hours tba

Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. May be repeated for additional credit.
Please download course information and then contact Prof. Graham by email [nvg1@columbia.edu] if you are interested in this course.

G4240y. Theory of Mind & Intentionality (seminar)
Spring 2010: 4 pts. A. Horowitz W 2:10-4 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: At least two psychology courses and the instructor's permission.
Survey and critical analysis of the developmental and neurological research on theory of mind-- the attribution of mental states like belief, desire, and knowledge to others -- in humans and non-human animals. Emphasis will be on the role of intentionality, the stages of acquisition, the neurological and genetic bases, and seen deficits in theory of mind.

G4255y. Modern Classics in Visual Perception, Visual Science, and Visual Neuroscience (seminar)
Spr 2009: 3 pts. L. Matin R 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2010: 3 pts. L. Matin R 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: Some background in perceptual or sensory processes or neurophysiology or physical sciences/math/computer science or instructor's permission. Reading and discussion of classic articles from the past 60 years providing a foundation for the rapidly expanding fields of visual perception, visual science, and visual neuroscience and their connections with computer modeling (with a sprinkling from research on audition); primary source articles will be accompanied by secondary source and brief lecture material to introduce each topic.

G4270y. Cognitive Processes (seminar)
Spr 2009: 3 pts. J. Metcalfe T 2:10-4 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2010: 3 pts. J. Metcalfe T 2:10-4 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisites for undergraduates: One course in cognitive psychology or cognitive neuroscience, or the equivalent, and the instructor's permission.
Metacognition and control processes in human cognition. Basic issues include the cognitive mechanisms that enable people to monitor what they know and predict what they will know, the errors and biases involved in self-monitoring, and the implications of metacognitive ability for people's self-determined learning, behavior, and their understanding of self.
[Download syllabus]

G4275. Contemporary Topics in Language and Communication (seminar)
Spr 2009: 3 pts. R. Krauss R 12:10-2 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall
2009-10: Not offered.

Prerequisite: PSYC W2240 or the equivalent, or the instructor's permission.
Intensive examination from a social psychological perspective of selected topics relevant to current theory and research on the use of language and other communication behaviors. May be repeated for additional credit. [Download syllabus]

W4285y. Multidisciplinary Approaches to Human Decision Making (seminar)
Spr 2009: 1-3 pts. D. Krantz R 10:10-12:30 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2010: 1-3 pts. E. Weber R 4:10-6:30 PM. Room tba

Prerequisites: PSYC 1490 or 2235 and permission of the instructor.
Discussion of selected topics and issues in human decision making. This course may be repeated for additional credit. [Download Syllabus]

G4410. Human Psychophysiology (seminar)
2008-09: Not offered. 3 pts.
2009-10: Not offered.

Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Limited to 8 students.
Examines how electrophysiological measures of neural, cardiac, somatic, and electrodermal activity can inform our understanding of human psychological states, dispositions, and cognitive processes. [Download syllabus]

W4415y. Methods and Issues in Cognitive Neuroscience (seminar)
Spr 2009: 3 pts. D. Shohamy R 2:10-4 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2010: Not offered.

Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. Recommended but not required: PSYC W1010, W2450, W3480 or equivalent. Examines experimental, theoretical, and methodological literature on the neural substrates of various cognitive functions (e.g., perceiving, acting, remembering, higher-level thinking and problem solving). Specific topics and foci vary from year to year. Under special circumstances, course may be repeated for additional credit. [Download Shohamy's Fall 2007 syllabus] [View Wager's Spring 2004 course announcement]

G4420x or y. Animal Cognition Seminar
Fall 2008 or Spr 2009: 3 pts. H. Terrace F 1:30-3:30 PM. Room 352 Schermerhorn Hall
Fall 2009 or Spr 2010: 3 pts. H. Terrace F 1:30-3:30 PM. Room 352 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisites for undergraduates: instructor's permission.
Seminar concerning a nonverbal animal's use of internal representations of past experience as a basis for action. Topics include how representations are formed, what aspects of experience are encoded, how information is stored, and how it is used later to guide behavior. [Download previous syllabus] [View 2008-9 course announcement]

G4430y. Learning and the Brain
Spr 2010: 4 pts. D. Shohamy. R 2:10 – 4 P.M. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisites: At least two psychology courses and instructor's permission.
What are the neural mechanisms that support learning, memory, and choices? We will review current theories in the cognitive neuroscience of human learning, discuss how learning and decision making interact, and consider the strengths and weaknesses of two influential methods in thestudy of human brain and behavior--functional imaging and patient studies. [Download syllabus]

G4440x or y. Topics in Neurobiology and Behavior (seminar)
Fall 2008: 3 pts. R. Silver R 4:10 - 6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2009: 3 pts. C. Hart M 6:10 - 8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Fall 2009: 3 pts. P. Balsam R 2:10 - 4 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2010: 3 pts. C. Hart M 6:10 - 8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: the instructor's permission.
Examines current topics in neurobiology and behavior. [View Balsam's announcement ]
[View Hart's syllabus]

G4450x. Evolution of Intelligence and Consciousness (seminar)
Fall 2008: 3 pts. H. Terrace W 10:10-12 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall
Fall 2009: 3 pts. H. Terrace W 10:10-12 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. (Undergraduates, see W3450)
A systematic review of the implications of Darwin's theory of evolution, Freud's theory of the unconscious, and Skinner and Chomsky's theories of language for contemporary studies of animal and human cognition. [Download Fall 2006 syllabus]

G4460y. Cognitive Neuroscience and the Media (seminar)
Spr 2010: 4 pts. D. Shohamy R 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schmerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: PSYC 1010 or other neuroscience course, and the instructor’s permission.
This seminar will discuss recent topics in cognitive neuroscience, and how research in this field is impacting public opinion. We will engage in a critical review of how the media represents research on the brain, with a focus on current issues and controversies related to the use of neuroimaging in the study of brain and behavior in humans. [Download preliminary course information]

G4485y. The Neuroscience of Cognitive and Emotional Control (seminar)
2008-09: Not offered.
2009-10: Not offered.

Prerequisite: instructor's permission. (Undergraduates, see W3485)
Reward systems in the brain play a crucial role in determining how cognition is regulated in the service of goals. Understanding how reward and affect guide cognitive control is a new and growing area of research, which we explore from a functional neuroanatomical perspective. [View course information]

G4490x. Inheritance (seminar)
Spr 2009: 4pts. F. Champagne F 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Fall 2009: 4pts. F. Champagne F 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: Instructor's permission.
Explores the concept of inheritance and the mechanisms through which inheritance is mediated. Will focus on the generational transmission of physiology and behavior, but will also consider the inhertiance of culture and language. [Download syllabus]

G4610. The Psychology of Stereotyping and Prejudice (seminar)
2008-09: Not offered.
2009-10: Not offered. 3 pts. S. Stroessner

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission.
A review of current research on intergroup perceptions, attitudes, and behavior.
Emphasis on cognitive processes underlying stereotyping and prejudice. [View previous syllabus] [Download syllabus]

G4615y. The Psychology of Culture and Diversity (seminar)
Spr 2009: 4 pts. V. Purdie-Vaughns T 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Spr 2010: 4 pts. V. Purdie-Vaughns T 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission, some basic knowledge of social psychology is desirable. 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 self, cuture and social cognition, group and identity formation, science of diversity, stereotyping, prejudice, and gender. Applications to real-world phenomena discussed. [Download syllabus]

G4630x. Advanced Seminar in Current Personality Theory and Research
2008-09: Not offered.
Fall 2009: 3 pts. W. Mischel M 4:10-6 PM. Room 405 Schmerhorn Hall

Open to psychology graduate students and advanced undergraduate psychology majors with the instructor's permission.
Critical review and analysis of basic and enduring issues in personality theory, assessment, and research. [Download syllabus]

G4635x. The Unconscious Mind (seminar)
Spr 2009: 4 pts. B. Sparrow T 4:10-6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Fall 2009: Not offered.

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission, some basic knowledge of social psychology is desirable. Discussion of the unconscious mind from the perspective of social cognition, with an emphasis on both theoretical and empirical background, as well as current issues in measuring automatic processing. Topics include: implicit memory systems; unconscious attitudes, goals and behavior, emotions, and decision making; the activation and deactication of knowledge systems; and priming. [Download syllabus]

G4670y. Theories in Social and Personality Psychology (seminar)
2009-10: Not offered
Spr 2009: 3 pts. T. Higgins F 12:10-2 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. Comparison of major theoretical perspectives on social behavior. The nature of theory-construction and theory-testing in psychology generally. Exercises comparing the predictions of different theories for the same study are designed to acquire an appreciation of how to operationalize theories and an understanding of the various features of a good theory. [View syllabus]

G4680. Developmental and Affective Neuroscience (seminar)
2008-09: Not offered
2009-10: Not offered: 4 pts.

Prerequisite: Courses in developmental psychology, and either research methods or affective neuroscience,and the instructor's permission.
Introduction to leading theoretical perspectives employed by developmental psychologists in the study of affective neuroscience. Exploration of the developmental brain and behavior relationships in humans and animal models of typical and atypical emotional behavior, with a critical reading of recent research findings in the field. [Download syllabus]

G4685. Social Cognitive Neuroscience (seminar)
Fall 2008: 3 pts. K. Ochsner W 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall
2009-10: Not offered: 3 pts. K. Ochsner

Prerequisite: For graduate students course equivalents of at least two of the following courses (W1001, W1010, W2630, W3410, W3480, W3485) and/or the instructor's permission.
An introduction to the emerging interdisciplinary field of social cognitive neuroscience, which examines topics traditionally of interest to social psychologists (including control and automaticity, emotion regulation, person perception, social cooperation) using methods traditionally employed by cognitive neuroscientists (functional neuroimaging, neuropsychological assessment). [Download syllabus]

G4690. Social Factors and Psychopathology (seminar)
2008-09: Not offered. 3 pts. G. Downey
2009-10: Not offered. 3 pts. G. Downey

Prerequisite: the instructor's permission.
Reviews and integrates current research on the role of social factors in psychopathology. The immediate and long-term effects of chronic and traumatic stressors originating outside the family (e.g., natural disasters, chronic poverty) and inside the family (e.g., family violence, divorce, parental psychopathology) on psychopathology.

G4695. Psychology of Close Relationships (seminar)
Fall 2008: 3 pts. E. Rafaeli R 12:10 - 2 PM. 302 Milbank Hall (Barnard)
2009-10: Not offered: 3 pts. E. Rafaeli

Prerequisites: Research Methods, statistics, and social psychology.
Introduction to leading theoretical perspectives employed by social psychologists in the study of close romantic relationships. Exploration of relationship-relevant constructs (e.g., love, commitment, intimacy, breakups) through the lenses offered by these different theories, and with a critical reading of recent research findings in this field. [Download syllabus]

back to top