Psychology

This is a course for students who have already completed undergraduate research and statistics coursework. The overall objective is to provide opportunities to learn the skills necessary to apply statistical techniques to data analysis at an advanced level. This course addresses research designs, including analysis of variance (two-way, repeated measures, mixed designs), as well as covers correlation and partial-correlation. Finally, it addresses and regression analysis, including multiple regression. This course will also discuss sampling and post-hoc testing.

This course covers the perennial themes in social psychology (including attitudes, stereotyping, conformity, power, aggression, prosocial behavior, the social self, emotions, group dynamics, and inter-group relations). The emphasis is on recent empirical and theoretical developments." Special attention will be given to evolutionary treatments of social-psychological phenomena. Research using primary sources will be emphasized and data processes that enable theoretical analysis.

This graduate course reviews issues and theories of personality. Key issues to be addressed include change and stability of Personality; the biological and environmental influences on personality; and, the different approaches to understanding, predicting and appreciating personality development. This will include a review of the current literature of the discipline and engagement in recent and current research.

This course reviews the extant issues and theories that represent individual development from conception through early adulthood. Attention will be given to the most recent research regarding the conceptualization of transformational events in development, individual differences in cognition and personality as well as the relationship between temperament and personality. This course will review the literature on the relationship of adverse childhood experiences on later, adult outcomes; and, finally, attention will be given to the measurement of stability and change for the age span addressed by this course. In addition, this course will include a review of the current literature of the discipline and engagement in recent and current research.

Psychopathology is an advanced level course addressing psychiatric disorders as defined in the most recent DSM (e.g., DSM-5). Psychiatric disorders will be considered from a descriptive and etiological perspective. This course includes a comprehensive review of theoretical and empirical research addressing each of the disorders to be addressed in this course. Special attention will be given to differential diagnosis, the importance of overlapping symptomatology, assessment & deception, and best practices to address the symptomatology. This course will include a review of the current literature of the discipline and engagement in recent and current research.

Applied Psychology includes the areas of clinical psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, occupational health psychology, human factors, forensic psychology, engineering psychology, as well as many other areas such as school psychology, community psychology and criminal justice.

This course will explore the interface of psychology and the law, with an emphasis on forensic psychology. Forensic psychologists help courts make informed decisions about cases when some aspect of psychology is involved. Landmark legal cases that pertain to psychology will be discussed. Students will explore the various options for careers in the field of forensic psychology. Specific topics covered include eyewitness and expert testimony, psychopathy, repressed memories, profiling, victimization and trauma, competence, the insanity defense, lie detection, juvenile justice, civil commitment, and custody evaluations.

Practicum is volunteer work study credit to get experience in your field of study. The course provides students with the opportunity for supervised experiences in a psychologically oriented work environment. It is designed to enhance your learning and to guide you as you decide what to do with your degree once you have graduated. Completion of 18 graduate hours in psychology is required before taking this course. Please see learnig outcomes posted on syllabus.

Selected topics reflecting specialized areas in psychology. Will look at current topics dominating the field, at current theories, and advanced methodologies of treatment. Content varies. May be repeated when topic is different.

The thesis presents an opportunity for the student to define an empirical question regarding the relationship between variables relevant to the field of Psychology. It is an empirical question regarding the relationship between variables that, based on a review of existing related research and/or theory, remains untested; and, when the relationship is tested empirically, stands an opportunity to contribute to an already existing body of findings. For example, the Student may choose to test the generality of an already existing theory or a larger body of extant research. In doing so, the Student may attempt to either broaden the scope of a particular construct or strengthen the empirical validity of an already existing body of knowledge, e.g., demonstrating the salience of a particular personality trait in an unmeasured venue of the social environment.

This course is a comprehensive introduction to legal, ethical and professional issues pertaining to the practice of psychology.  In this regard, there will be a review of the current literature of the discipline and engagement in recent and current research.

Advanced study of the contemporary field of cognitive psychology; survey of topics may include memory, attention, perception, decision-making and judgment, language, and mental representations. Course will focus on established empirical and theoretical findings that exemplify general principles of mental functioning with an emphasis on information processing.  This will include a review of the current literature of the discipline and engagement in recent and current research.

The purpose of this course is to provide an in-depth understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie drug addiction. We will be looking at how the brain changes as a function of drug taking and how learning and genetics contribute to the development of addiction (both substance and behavioral addictions). We will look at both behavioral and substance addictions to understand how processes in the brain change after long term exposure to these types of external influences.