Psychology Course Descriptions
2011-12 and 2012-13

With Links to Faculty and Course Pages

Includes Summer Term 2012 Course Information

3000- and 4000- Level Courses:
Advanced Undergraduate Courses
Graduate/Advanced Undergraduate Seminars

S3225Q. Wandering Mind: Psych and Neuroscientific Approaches to Attention
Offered Summer Term 2012

W3250y. Seminar in Space Perception
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. L. Matin.
Spr 2013: 3 pts. L. Matin. T 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: Instructor's permission. Some background in psychology and/or neurophysiology is desirable (e.g., PSYC W1001, W1010, W1480, W2230, BIOL W3004, BIOL W3005). Other backgrounds may also be appropriate.
Description: 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)
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. L. Matin.
Spr 2013: 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.
Description: 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]

W3265. Auditory Perception (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 4pts. S. Woolley.
2012-13: Not offered. 4pts. S. Woolley.

Prerequisites: At least two other psychology courses and instructor’s permission.
Description: 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 2009 syllabus]

W3270x. Computational Approaches to Human Vision (seminar)
Fall 2011: 3 pts. N. Graham. Day/time/room: TBA
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. N. Graham.

Prerequisites: Some background in psychology and/or neurophysiology is desirable (e.g., PSYC W1001, W1010, W2230, W2450, BIOL 3004, BIOL 3005) is desirable. Some background in mathematics and computer science (e.g., calculus or linear algebra, a programming language) is highly recommended.
Description: The study of human vision--both behavioral and physiological data--within a framework of computational and mathematical descriptions.
Note: Please download the course announcement and then contact Prof. Norma Graham via email (nvg1@columbia.edu) if you are interested in this course.

S3280. Seminar in Infant Development
Not offered Summer Term 2012

S3285D. The Psychology of Disaster Preparedness
Offered Summer Term 2012

W3290x. The Self: A Cognitive Exploration (seminar)
Fall 2012: 4 pts. K. Kelly. R 4:10-6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or W1010 (or the equivalent), plus the instructor's permission.
Description: What does it mean to have a sense of self? Is it uniquely human? Taking a cognitive perspective, we will discuss these questions as well as self-reflective and self-monitoring abilities, brain structures relevant to self-processing, and disorders of self. We will also consider the self from evolutionary, developmental, neuroscience, and psychopathological perspectives.
[Download syllabus]  

W3410. Seminar in Emotion
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. L. Putnam.
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. L. Putnam.

Prerequisite: Instructor's permission. (Please see course web site and apply for permission to register.)
Description: 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]

S3410Q. Seminar in Emotion
Offered Summer Term 2012

S3425. Animals in Our Own Backyard: The Science of Observing Behavior
Not offered Summer Term 2012

W3435y. Neurobiology of Reproductive Behavior (seminar)
Spr 2012: 4pts. A. Vyas. T 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2013: 4pts. F. Champagne. F 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisites: At least two other psychology courses and instructor's permission.
Description: 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 Vyas syllabus] [Download Champagne syllabus]

W3440y. Issues in Brain and Behavior (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 4pts. D. Hood
Spr 2013: 4pts. D. Hood. W 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

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

W3450x. Evolution of Intelligence and Consciousness (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. H. Terrace
Fall 2012: 3 pts. H. Terrace. T 2:10-4 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or W1010, and instructor's permission.
Description: 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 2011: 3 pts. M. Wan. T 4:10-6 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. M. Wan.

Prerequisites: At least two psychology courses and instructor's permission.
Description: 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.
[Download syllabus]

W3470x or y. Brain Evolution: Becoming Human (seminar)
Fall 2011: 4 pts. J. Curley. R 10:10-12 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2012: 4 pts. J. Curley. W 12:10-2 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.
2012-13: Not offered. 4 pts. J. Curley.

Prerequisite: At least two other psychology courses and instructor’s permission.
Description: An investigation of the uniquemess of the human brain and human behavior from an evolutionary perspective.
[View preliminary course information]

S3610. The Psychology of Stereotyping and Prejudice
Not offered Summer Term 2012

W3615. Children At Risk (lecture)
2011-12: Not offered. 4 pts. G. Downey.
2012-13: Not offered. 4 pts. G. Downey.

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

W3620. Seminar in Developmental Psychopathology
2011-12: Not offered. 4 pts.
2012-13: Not offered. 4 pts.

Prerequisites: At least two of the following courses: PSYC W1001, W1010, W2280, W2620, W2680, W3280; and instructor’s permission.
Description: 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 related syllabus]  

W3625x or y. Clinical Neuropsychology Seminar
Fall 2011: 3 pts. E. McCaskill. T 6:10-8 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2013: 3 pts. E. McCaskill. T 8:10-10 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: An introductory course in Neuroscience, like PSYC W1010 or W2450, and the instructor's permission.
Description: Analysis of the assessment of physical and psychiatric diseases impacting the central nervous system, with emphasis on the relationship between neuropathology and cognitive and behavioral deficits. [Download related syllabus]

S3625D. Clinical Neuropsychology Seminar
Offered Summer Term 2012

W3630x. Seminar in Social Cognition
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. B. Sparrow.
Fall 2012: 3 pts. B. Sparrow. T 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: Instructor's permission.
Description: 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]

S3635Q. Motivated cognition: Perceiving our social world
Offered Summer Term 2012

S3660. The Psychology of Happiness
Not offered Summer Term 2012. [Download syllabus]

W3680x. Social Cognitive Neuroscience (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 3pts. K. Ochsner.
Fall 2012: 3pts. K. Ochsner. W 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisites: At least two of the following courses: PSYC W1001, W1010, W2630, W3410, W3480, W3485; and instructor’s permission.
Description: 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 and y. Honors Seminar
Fall 2011: 1 pt. (x) S. Woolley. W 4:10-6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2012: 1 pt. (y) K. Ochsner. W 4:10-6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2012: 1 pt. (x) S. Woolley. W 4:10-6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2013: 1 pt. (y) K. Ochsner. W 4:10-6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Description: Discussion of a variety of topics in psychology, with particular emphasis on recent developments and methodological problems. Students propose and discuss special research topics.
Note: This course is open only to students in the honors program. This course is a year-long course. Students receive credit only after both terms have been completed. May be repeated for additional credit.
[Information on the honors program]

W3920x and y. Honors Research
Fall 2011: 1-4 pts. (x) S. Woolley.
Spr 2012: 1-4 pts. (y) K. Ochsner.
Fall 2012: 1-4 pts. (x) S. Woolley.
Spr 2013: 1-4 pts. (y) K. Ochsner.

Description: Special research topics arranged with instructors of the department leading toward a senior honors paper.
Note: This course is 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.
[Information on faculty research]

W3950x or y. Supervised Individual Research
2011-12: 1-4 pts. Individual Faculty.
2012-13: 1-4 pts. Individual Faculty.

Prerequisite: Instructor's permission.
Description: Readings, special laboratory projects, reports, and special seminars on contemporary issues in psychological research and theory.
Note: 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. Sign up for a section of W3950 with an individual faculty member.
[View information on faculty research]

G4215. Memory Representations (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. E. Smith.
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. E. Smith.

Prerequisite: At least two psychology courses and instructor's permission.
Description: 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 2011: 4 pts. E. Smith. M 4:10-6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
2012-13: Not offered: 4 pts. E. Smith.

Prerequisite: At least two other psychology courses and instructor's permission.
Description: 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]

G4222x. The Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging (seminar)
Fall 2011: 4 pts. A. Brickman and C. Habeck. M 4:10-6 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2012: 4 pts. C. Habeck and J. Steffener. M 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: Courses in introductory psychology and cognitive psychology, and instructor's permission.
Description: 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]

G4225x or y. Consciousness and Attention (seminar)
Fall 2011: 4 pts. H. Lau. W 2:10-4 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2012: 4 pts. H. Lau. M 4:10-6 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: Instructor's permission. Some basic knowledge of cognitive science and neuroanatomy is desirable, but not necessary.
Description: 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.
Note: Specific topics may vary from year to year. May be repeated for credit.
[Download syllabus]

G4227. Philosophical and Empirical Issues in Consciousness (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 4 pts. H. Lau.
2012-13: Not offered. 4 pts. H. Lau.

Prerequisite: Instructor's permission. Some basic knowledge of cognitive science and neuroanatomy is desirable.
Description: 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.
Note: Specific topics may vary from year to year. May be repeated for credit.
[View syllabus]

G4230y. Sensation and Perception (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. L. Matin.
Spr 2013: 3 pts. L. Matin. T 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

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

G4232. Production and Perception of Language (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 4 pts. R. Remez.

Prerequisite: Two courses in Psychology and instructor's permission.
Description: Topics include phonetic expression, motoric and perceptual organization, speech codes and memory codes, spoken word recognition, phrase formation, and the effects of context in perception and production.
[Download Syllabus]

MUSI-PSYC G4233. Language and Music (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. A. Lerdhal and R. Remez.
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. A. Lerdhal and R. Remez.

Prerequisite: Open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates with instructor's permission. Description: 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)
Fall 2011: 3 pts. N. Graham. Day/time/room: TBA.
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. N. Graham.

Prerequisite: Instructor's permission.
Note: May be repeated for additional credit. Please download course information and then contact Prof. Norma Graham via email (nvg1@columbia.edu) if you are interested in this course.

G4240. Theory of Mind & Intentionality (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 4 pts. A. Horowitz.
2012-13: Not offered. 4 pts. A. Horowitz.

Prerequisite: At least two psychology courses and instructor's permission.
Description: 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.
[Download Syllabus]

G4255y. Modern Classics in Visual Perception, Visual Science, and Visual Neuroscience (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. L. Matin.
Spr 2013: 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.
Description: 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.

G4270x or y. Cognitive Processes (seminar)
Fall 2011: 3 pts. L. Son. W 12:10-2 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2012: 3 pts. J. Metcalfe. T 12:10-2 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2013: 3 pts. J. Metcalfe. T 12:10-2 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisites for Undergraduates: One course in cognitive psychology or cognitive neuroscience, or the equivalent, and instructor's permission.
Description: 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 Metcalfe's syllabus] [Download Son's syllabus]

G4275. Contemporary Topics in Language and Communication (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 3pts.
2012-13: Not offered. 3pts.

Prerequisite: PSYC W2240 or the equivalent, or instructor's permission.
Description: 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. Note: May be repeated for additional credit.
[Download syllabus]

G4280x. Core Knowledge (seminar)
Fall 2011: 4 pts. K. McCrink. M 10:10-12 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.
2012-13: Not offered. 4 pts. K. McCrink.

Prerequisites for Undergraduates: Courses in introductory psychology, cognitive or developmental psychology, and instructor's permission.
Description: Core Knowledge explores the origins and development of knowledge in infants and children, with an additional emphasis on evolutionary cognition. In this course, we will examine evidence from cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, comparative psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics to look at the child's conception of objects, number, space, language, agency, morality and the social world. We will look at which aspects of knowledge are uniquely human, which are shared with other animals, and how this knowledge changes as children develop. [Download syllabus]

W4285y. Multidisciplinary Approaches to Human Decision Making (seminar)
Spr 2012: 1-3 pts. E. Weber. R 4:10-6:30 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
2012-13: Not offered. 1-3 pts. E. Weber.

Prerequisites: PSYC W1490 or W2235, and the instructor's permission.
Description: Discussion of selected topics and issues in human decision making.
Note: Only the 3 pt. version of this course will fulfill the Group I Requirement of the Psychology Major or Concentration. May be repeated for additional credit.
[Download syllabus]

W4415. Methods and Issues in Cognitive Neuroscience (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. D. Shohamy.
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. D. Shohamy.

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission. This following courses are recommended but not required: PSYC W1010, W2450, W3480 or an equivalent one.
Description: 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.
Note: Under special circumstances, course may be repeated for additional credit.
[Download Shohamy's Fall 2007 syllabus] [View Wager's Spring 2004 course announcement]

G4420x. Animal Cognition Seminar
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. H. Terrace.
Fall 2012: 3 pts. H. Terrace. F 2:10-4 PM. Room 352 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisites for Undergraduates: The instructor's permission.
Description: 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 2008-09 course announcement]

G4430y. Learning and the Brain
Spr 2012: 4 pts. D. Shohamy. R 2:10-4 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
2012-13: Not offered. 4 pts. D. Shohamy.

Prerequisites: Courses in introductory psychology and/or neuroscience, and the instructor's permission.
Description: 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 2011. 3 pts. R. Silver. R 4:10-6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2012. 3 pts. C. Hart. M 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2012. Sec. 1. 3 pts. K. Nautiyal. W 6:10-8 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2012. Sec. 2. 3 pts. T. Hudson. T 10:10-12 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2013. 3 pts. C. Hart. M 4:10-6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission.
Description: Examines current topics in neurobiology and behavior.
[Download Silver's syllabus] [Download Hart's syllabus] [Download Nautiyal's syllabus]

G4450x. Evolution of Intelligence and Consciousness (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. H. Terrace.
Fall 2012. 3 pts. H. Terrace. T 2:10-4 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission.
Prerequisites for Undergraduates: See PSYC W3450.
Description: 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 2012: 4 pts. D. Shohamy. R 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schmerhorn Hall.
2012-13: Not offered. 4 pts. D. Shohamy.

Prerequisite: A neuroscience course, such as PSYC W1010, and the instructor’s permission.
Description: 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]

G4470y. Psychology and Neuropsychology of Language (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 4 pts.
Spr 2013. 4 pts. M. Miozzo. T 4:10 - 6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission (a course in the psychology of language or linguistics highly recommended).
Description: This seminar surveys current theories of language production. We will examine psycholinguitsic and neuroimaging studies of word and sentence production conducted with monolingual and bilingual speakers, and individuals with acquired language impairments.
[Download preliminary syllabus]

G4485y. Affective Neuroscience (seminar)
Spr 2013: 3pts. D. Mobbs. T 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1001 plus W1010 or W2450 or equivalent, plus permission of the instructor.
Description: This seminar explores the neural systems and behaviors that underlie human, and sometimes animal, emotions. Question will include: why we have emotions, what is their survival value, why do we find funny jokes rewarding, and why we envy, feel guilt or joyfully embrace love. We will review some of the latest literature on these topics and discuss implications for understanding human behavior. We will finally discuss disorders such as depression, anxiety, aggression, and psychopathy that are associated with disruptions to the neural systems that regulate healthy emotion.
[Download preliminary syllabus]

G4490. Inheritance (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 4pts. F. Champagne.
2012-13: Not offered. 4pts. F. Champagne.

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission. Basic knowledge of biology and neuroscience is recommended.
Description: 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]

G4492x. Psychobiology of Stress (seminar)
Fall 2012: 4pts. R. Romeo. R 2:10-4 PM. Room 200C Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: PSYC W1010 or W2450, or equivalent, and the instructor's permission.
Description: This seminar explores factors that modulate stress reactivity and the impact of stress on the structure and function of the nervous system and behavior. Topics include how developmental stage, sex/gender, time of day, and experience influence how an organism responds to stress at endocrinological, neurobiological, and behavioral levels.
[Download preliminary syllabus]

G4495y. Ethics, Genetics, and the Brain (seminar)
Spr 2013. 4pts. F. Champagne. M 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: Basic background in neurobiology (for instance PSYC 1010, 2450, 2460, or 2480) and the instructor's permission.
Description: Advances in genetics and neuroscience have expanded our understanding of the biological basis of behavior and risk of psychiatric disorder. However, these advances have implications for decision/policy making, legal issues, and society and raise broad ethical concerns. In this seminar course, we will discuss these implications and issues and consider the future challenges that may arise from the evolving study of the genetic and neurobiological determinants of behavior. [Download preliminary syllabus]

G4498x. Behavioral Epigenetics (seminar)
Fall 2012: 4pts. M. Kundakovic. M 2:10-4 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: Basic background in neurobiology (for instance PSYC W1010, W2450, W2460, W2480, and G4499) and the instructor's permission.
Description: This course will provide an overview of the field of epigenetics, with an emphasis on epigenetic phenomena related to neurodevelopment, behavior and mental disorders. We will explore how epigenetic mechanisms can be mediators of environmental exposures and, as such, contribute to psychopathology throughout the life course. We will also discuss the implications of behavioral epigenetic research for the development of substantially novel pharmacotherapeutic approaches and preventive measures in psychiatry.
[Download preliminary syllabus]

G4499x or y. Behavioral Psychopharmacology (seminar)
Fall 2011: 4pts. M. Kundakovic. R 2:10-4 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spring 2012: 4pts. M. Kundakovic. T 2:10-4 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spring 2013: 4pts. M. Kundakovic. M 2:10-4 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: Basic background in neurobiology (for instance PSYC W1010, W2450, W2460, or W2480) and the instructor's permission.
Description: Principles and advanced concepts in basic and applied psychopharmacology. An overview of the neurobiological basis of brain dysfunction, with a focus on drugs used in the treatment of psychiatric and behavioral disorders as well as novel pharmacological approaches to treatment. [Download syllabus]

G4610. The Psychology of Stereotyping and Prejudice (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. S. Stroessner.
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. S. Stroessner.

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

G4615x or y. The Psychology of Culture and Diversity (seminar)
Spr 2012. Sec. 1: 4 pts. V. Purdie-Vaughns. M 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2012. Sec. 2: 4 pts. V. Purdie-Vaughns. M 12:10-2 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2012. Sec. 1: 4 pts. V. Purdie-Vaughns. R 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Fall 2012. Sec. 2: 4 pts. V. Purdie-Vaughns. R 2:10-4 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: The instructor's permission. 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 self, cuture and social cognition, group and identity formation, science of diversity, stereotyping, prejudice, and gender. Applications to real-world phenomena discussed.
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G4630x. Advanced Seminar in Current Personality Theory and Research
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. W. Mischel.
Fall 2012: 3 pts. W. Mischel. M 4:10-6 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: Open to psychology graduate students and advanced undergraduate psychology majors with instructor's permission.
Description: Critical review and analysis of basic and enduring issues in personality theory, assessment, and research.
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G4635x. The Unconscious Mind (seminar)
Fall 2011: 4 pts. B. Sparrow T 4:10-6 PM. Room 405 Schmerhorn Hall.
Fall 2012: 4 pts. B. Sparrow T 12:10-2 PM. Room 405 Schmerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: Instructor's permission. Some basic knowledge of social psychology is desirable.
Description: 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.
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G4670. Theories in Social and Personality Psychology (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. T. Higgins
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. T. Higgins

Prerequisite: Instructor's permission.
Description: 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.
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G4675y. Animal Personality (seminar)
Spr 2013: 4 pts. K. Franks. M 12:10-2 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: At least two psychology courses and the instructor's permission.
Description: A comprehensive overview of the study of personality in non-human animals. Discussions and readings will cover theoretical principles, methodological approaches, the range of species in which personality-like phenomena are documented, and the intersection between personality, ecology, and evolution.
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G4680. Developmental and Affective Neuroscience (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 4 pts.
2012-13: Not offered. 4 pts.

Prerequisite: Courses in developmental psychology, and either research methods or affective neuroscience, and instructor's permission.
Description: 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.
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G4685x. Social Cognitive Neuroscience (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 3pts. K. Ochsner.
Fall 2012: 3pts. K. Ochsner. W 10:10-12 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisite: For graduate students, course equivalents of at least two of the following courses: W1001, W1010, W2630, W3410, W3480, W3485; and/or instructor's permission.
Description: 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).
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G4690. Social Factors and Psychopathology (seminar)
2011-12: Not offered. 3 pts. G. Downey.
2012-13: Not offered. 3 pts. G. Downey.

Prerequisite: Instructor's permission.
Description: 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.

G4695y. Psychology of Close Relationships (seminar)
Spr 2012: 3pts. J. McClure. R 12:10-2 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.
Spr 2013: 3pts. J. McClure. R 12:10-2 PM. Room 405 Schermerhorn Hall.

Prerequisites: Research Methods, statistics, social psychology, and instructor's permission.
Description: 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.
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