Course Catalog

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Course Catalog

COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY (PY2075)

This course introduces students to the basic aspects of human cognition. How do humans think? How do we come to know the world? The course will concentrate on the classic topics in adult cognition: pattern recognition, memory, attention, categorization, problem-solving, reasoning, and decision-making. Special emphasis will be placed on cross-cultural aspects of cognition.

TOPICS IN PSYCHOLOGY (PY2091)

Treats a series of topics that change every year and deal with various aspects of psychology. Courses are taught by permanent or visiting faculty and are generally related to their fields of specialization.

WRITING THE SOCIAL WORLD (PY2120)

This class is uniquely tailored to the interdisciplinary focus of students majoring in Psychology and/or Gender, Sexuality, and Society. Juxtaposing different forms of writing, evidence, and rhetorical practices in psychology, the social sciences, and the humanities, students will reflect on methods and writing practices in order to develop an authentic disciplinary voice. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing, EN 1010, and PY 1000 or GS 2006

TOPICS IN PSYCHOLOGY (PY2910)

Topics vary by semester

TOPICS IN PSYCHOLOGY (PY2910)

TOPICS VARY BY SEMESTER

PSYCHOLOGY OF SENSATION (PY3025)

Provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental operations by which every human being acquires knowledge about the external world. This course provides a scientific understanding of how and why the human senses affect the way people perceive the world around them, including how perceptions can be distorted by both physical and experiential factors.

PSYCHOLINGUISTICS (PY3035)

Studies the psychological processes involved in the acquisition, understanding and use of language. Provides an overview of the following research areas: speech perception, word recognition, sentence and discourse processing, speech production, first-, second-, and third-language acquisition, bilingual and multilingual acquisition, and language processing in the brain. PY 1000 is recommended as a prerequisite.

PSYCHOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY (PY3040)

Psychology and philosophy have a long history in common. The course addresses philosophical dimensions and implications of psychology – concerning our understanding of cognition, action, emotion, imagination, mind, body, and brain. It also deals with central issues in philosophy that reflect and elaborate our understanding of human psychology and the way it is scientifically investigated: consciousness, thought and language, identity, and other forms of human subjectivity and its social, cultural, and historical fabric.

PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING & MEMORY (PY3065)

Students discover the classic and modern theories on classical and operant conditioning and the application of these in such phenomena as drug addiction, marketing and the formation and treatment of phobias. The second part of the course explores the concept of memory and the application of theory and research in understanding everyday memory phenomena, such as autobiographical memory, childhood amnesia, flashbulb memory, false memories and eyewitness testimony. The course also focuses on memory loss and memory training.

LIFE STORIES (PY3066)

This course will introduce students to the basic tenets, methods of study and controversies of narrative psychology. Particular attention will be paid to narrative analysis, identity and the influence of social interactions and culture on how we talk about the past. Students will apply narrative research and theory to the interpretation of life stories.