Southwestern University
2005-2006 Catalog
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Psychology Department
Division of Social Sciences
Professor Jacqueline E. Muir-Broaddus, PhD, Chair
Professor Traci Giuliano, PhD
Professor Jesse E. Purdy, PhD
Associate Professor Bryan D. Neighbors, PhD
Assistant Professor Fay Guarraci, PhD
Assistant Professor Richard Osbaldiston, PhD
Associate Professor Steven Schapiro, PhD (part-time)
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and the mind. In this view behavior refers to the observable actions of an individual person or animal and mind refers to an individual’s sensations, perceptions, memories, thoughts, motivations, and emotions. The Psychology program emphasizes the position that psychology is first a science and then a profession and provides students with a broad background in Psychology. The Psychology program prepares the student for graduate school in all areas of psychology, including biopsychology, child psychology, clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, comparative psychology, counseling psychology, developmental psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, neuroscience, personality, social psychology, and school psychology. Students not wishing to pursue graduate study in psychology will find the major to be useful preparation for other professional programs, such as law, medicine, and social work, and for careers in human services and related fields. The Psychology program is housed in the F.W. Olin Building, which has excellent facilities for conducting research with humans and animals, including state-of-the-art aquatic animal and neuroscience research laboratories and an excellent classroom laboratory.
Students may choose to complete a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree with a major in Psychology by completing the requirements specified in the Course Catalog under “University Degrees”.
Major in Psychology (BA or BS): 33 semester hours, including Psychology 33-103, 203, 213, 433; four from 33-223, 233, 423, 443, 453, 463; either six semester hours of research from 33-823, 833, 843, 853, 863, 873 or six semester hours of internship from 33-943, 946 (Capstone); three additional semester hours in Psychology.
Required supporting course in the major: Mathematics 52-113.
Minor in Psychology: 18 semester hours, including Psychology 33-103; 15 additional hours in Psychology, at least 12 hours of which must be above the introductory level.
Psychology (PSY)
| †33-103 | PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGY. An introduction to the many and diverse topics that fall within the broad domain of psychology. Students will be exposed to the methods and findings of both classic and current psychological research, as well as to the practical applications of this work. Emphasis is placed on acquiring a foundation of knowledge and critical skills that are necessary to evaluate psychological research. (POK-Social Analysis) (Each semester) |
| 33-203 | RESEARCH METHODS I. This course is the first part of a two-semester sequence designed to teach the basic concepts of research methods used in the study of psychology. Its goals are to help students think critically in approaching problems, to provide hands-on experience with a variety of methodological techniques, to train students to analyze and interpret the results of a research study, and to enable students to communicate research findings to an audience of psychologists. Emphasis is placed on non-experimental research designs and the statistical analyses of those designs. Discussed are the methods of science used in observational and field research, archival research, and survey/correlational research. In addition, students are introduced to writing and presenting results according to the guidelines of the American Psychological Association. Prerequisites: Psychology 33-103 and Mathematics 52-113. (Fall) |
| 33-213 | RESEARCH METHODS II. This course is the second part of a two-semester sequence designed to teach the basic concepts of research methods used in the study of psychology. Its goals are to help students think critically in approaching problems, to provide hands-on experience with a variety of methodological techniques, to train students to analyze and interpret the results of a research study, and to enable students to communicate research findings to an audience of psychologists. Emphasis is placed on experimental research designs and statistical analyses of those designs. Discussed are the procedures used in between, within, and mixed designs with single and multiple factors. Prerequisite: Psychology 33-203. Students will take the same instructor for both Research Methods I and II. (Spring) |
| 33-223 | DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY. Developmental Psychology is a theory and research-based overview of the many ways in which nature and nurture combine to produce developmental outcomes in the biological, cognitive, intellectual, personality and social domains, with a focus on the childhood and adolescent years. Prerequisite: Psychology 33-103. (Each semester) |
| 33-233 | PERSONALITY THEORY AND RESEARCH. A survey course that provides an overview of the major personality theories and the methods used in personality research. Included are type theories, trait theories, and dynamic theories. The emphasis is on examination and evaluation of the experimental evidence pertinent to each theory. Prerequisite: Psychology 33-103. (Spring) |
| 33-323 | COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY. A survey course that introduces the student to various areas in the study of animal behavior including the ontogeny of behavior, learning and cognition, communication, navigation and migration, habitat selection, foraging, predator/prey interactions, reproductive and mating systems, and social behavior. The course is a core course within the interdisciplinary major in animal behavior and serves as an introduction to that major. Prerequisites: Psychology 33-103 or any introductory biology course. (Fall) |
| 33-333 | EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY. An examination of psychology’s contributions to educational practice. Topics include intellectual and academic assessment principles and instruments, the application of theories of learning and cognitive development to instruction, theories of problem formation and resolution, and the recognition and handling of selected psychological challenges. Prerequisites: Psychology 33-223 and admission to Teacher Certification Program, or permission of instructor. Also Education 40-333. (Fall) |
| 33-343 | ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY. The application of psychological theories to understanding both the causes of and the solutions to environmental problems. The course draws on classic and contemporary theories and it discusses a range of environmental problems from global to regional to local. Prerequisite: Psychology 33-103 (Fall). Also Environmental Studies 49-343. |
| 33-353 | PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING. A study of the statistical principles which underlie test construction and psychological evaluation and the most commonly utilized psychological tests (e.g., intelligence, personality). Each student has an opportunity to work with a group to develop and evaluate a psychological test, and to prepare and present a report on the process. Prerequisites: Psychology 33-103 and Mathematics 52-113. (Spring) |
| 33-363 | SENSATION AND PERCEPTION. This course explores Von Uexkull's concept of the Umwelt, or self-world, a domain defined not only by an animal's perceptual capacities but also by its action systems. We will examine different self-worlds from the perspectives of different species and consider how organism-environment interactions produce their sensory and perceptual worlds. Topics of interest include the biosonar capabilities of bats and dolphins, magnetoreceptors in birds, fish, and reptiles, electroreception in fish, and chemical communication through pheromones. The course is taught from an interdisciplinary perspective and students from diverse majors are encouraged to enroll. Prerequisite: Psychology 33-103. (Spring) |
| 33-423 | ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY. An overview of the field of clinical psychology which involves the scientific study of mental illness (psychopathology). The focus is on an empirically grounded examination of the symptomatic presentation, classification, and cause of a broad range of psychological disorders. Methods used in the field to assess, treat, and conduct research on the disorders will also be studied. Prerequisite: Psychology 33-213. Psychology 33-233 recommended. (Fall) |
| 33-433 | BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE. An introduction to the neurosciences with an emphasis on the techniques used to study the neurobiological basis of behavior. The anatomy and function of the nervous system is a primary focus of the course and specific topics include how the nervous system mediates perception, emotions, thoughts, learning and memory processes. Prerequisite: Psychology 33-203. (Spring) |
| 33-443 | COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY. Cognitive Psychology is the scientific study of the mechanisms and processes involved in the acquisition and use of knowledge. The structure and function of working memory and long term memory are central to cognition, and hence are the primary focuses of the course. Other topics include a brief history of cognitive psychology, major theories of cognition and cognitive development, and the effects of culture on cognition. Prerequisite: Psychology 33-203. (Spring) |
| 33-453 | PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING. Study of the traditional areas of learning psychology, including current theoretical and research considerations of classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning, aversive control of behavior, and discrimination learning. Prerequisite: Psychology 33-213. |
| 33-463 | SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY. An introduction to the field of social psychology, which is the scientific study of how the thoughts, feelings, and actions of a person are influenced by other people and by social situations. Topics include the self, attitudes and attitude change, group behavior, prejudice and discrimination, prosocial behavior, conformity, relationships, and emotion, among others. The focus is on historical development of these topics as well as on current research and theory in these areas. Prerequisite: Psychology 33-203. (Spring) |
| 33-523 | DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR. This course will discuss what we know about drug effects on behavior and the implications of drug use and abuse, based on human and animal research. The goal of the course is to better understand how psychoactive drugs work in the brain and in the periphery to produce physiological and psychological effects. Because people use a wide variety of drugs on a daily basis, lectures will focus on both licit and illicit drugs. Although drug use may be viewed as a personal experience, the impact of drug use and abuse on society reflects an important concern for public policy and political discourse. Cultural issues and the role of society will also be discussed, specifically during debate sessions. Prerequisite: Psychology 33-203. |
| 33-823 | RESEARCH IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY. Laboratory or field-based research course designed to provide hands-on research experience related to questions concerning applied psychology. Students work directly with a given faculty member within the department. Students read and synthesize the literature, design a study, collect and analyze data, and report the results. A written product is required of all students. Prerequisites: Psychology 33-213 and permission of instructor. May be repeated with different experience. Must be taken Pass/D/F. (Fall) |
| 33-833 | RESEARCH IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE. Laboratory or field-based research course designed to provide hands-on research experience related to questions concerning neuroscience. Students work directly with a given faculty member within the department. Students read and synthesize the literature, design a study, collect and analyze data, and report the results. A written product is required of all students. Prerequisites: Psychology 33-433 and permission of instructor. May be repeated with different experience. Must be taken Pass/D/F. (Spring) |
| 33-843 | RESEARCH IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY. Laboratory or field based research course designed to provide hands-on research experience related to questions concerning clinical psychology. Students work directly with a given faculty member within the department. Students read and synthesize the literature, design a study, collect and analyze data, and report the results. A written product is required of all students. Prerequisites: Psychology 33-423 and permission of instructor. May be repeated with different experience. Must be taken Pass/D/F. (Fall) |
| 33-853 | RESEARCH IN COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY. Laboratory or field based research course designed to provide hands-on research experience related to questions concerning animal learning and animal behavior. Students work directly with a given faculty member within the department. Students read and synthesize the literature, design a study, collect and analyze data, and report the results. A written product is required of all students. Prerequisites: Psychology 33-433 or 453, and permission of instructor. May be repeated with different experience. Must be taken Pass/D/F. (Fall, Spring) |
| 33-863 | RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL/COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY. Laboratory or field based research course designed to provide hands-on research experience related to questions concerning developmental and cognitive psychology. Students work directly with a given faculty member within the department. Students read and synthesize the literature, design a study, collect and analyze data, and report the results. A written product is required of all students. Prerequisites: Psychology 33-223 or 443, and permission of instructor. May be repeated with different experience. Must be taken Pass/D/F. (Fall) |
| 33-873 | RESEARCH IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY. Laboratory or field based research course designed to provide hands-on research experience related to questions concerning social psychology. Students work directly with a given faculty member within the department. Students read and synthesize the literature, design a study, collect and analyze data, and report the results. A written product is required of all students. Prerequisites: Psychology 33-463 and permission of instructor. May be repeated with different experience. Must be taken Pass/D/F. (Fall) |
| 33-001, 002, 003, 004 | SELECTED TOPICS. May be repeated with change in topic. |
| 33-301, 302, 303, 304 | SELECTED TOPICS. May be repeated with change in topic. |
| 33-941, 942, 943, 944, 946 | ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP. Field placement in an approved
setting. Students are expected to complete one hundred and twenty hours (33-943) or two hundred and forty hours (33-946) of supervised experience. All internships require certain prerequisites and permission of instructor. May be repeated with different experience. Must be taken Pass/D/F. (Spring or Summer) |
| 33-951, 952, 953, 954 | INDEPENDENT STUDY. May be repeated with change in content.
If capstone experience, must be taken Pass/D/F. |
| 33-983 | HONORS. By invitation only. |
