(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students

NPSY 11b Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a or permission of the instructor.

Data and theories regarding current conceptions of brain-behavior relationships. Begins with an introduction to neural systems as classically defined (sensory, association, motor, autonomic), and moves on to examination of the biological underpinnings of various behaviors, from those relating to basic drives (reproduction, feeding) to those with a cognitive flavor. Throughout, the accent is on interactions between organisms and environment (learning). Usually offered every year.

NPSY 12a Perception: Human, Animal, and Machine
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a or permission of the instructor.

Examines the human senses, emphasizing sight and hearing, studied from standpoints of anatomy, physiology, and psychophysics. Insights from the study of special observers, including developmentally immature humans, members of nonhuman species, and people with abnormal sensory systems. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 16a Motor Control
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a or equivalents, and at least sophomore standing, or permission of the instructor.

Surveys control of vertebrate posture and movement from various perspectives including muscle properties, reflex organization, central pattern generation, spatial representations, learning, and development. Emphasizes research in physiology, psychology, biomechanics, and computational theory. Usually offered every second year.

NPSY 17a Hand and Brain
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

The specialized developments of the human hand and the parallel developments of the brain, tool use, sign language, and language acquisition are discussed. The control of voluntary movements is a key focus. Includes laboratory demonstrations. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 22b Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a or permission of the instructor.

This course explores how the human brain makes the human mind. It covers neural and behavioral dimensions of attention, memory and learning, perception, motor control, plasticity and planning. Experimental approaches and neuroimaging are emphasized. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 28a Learning and Memory
[ oc sn ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a or permission of the instructor.

Introduces the study of learning and memory. The course will survey various types of memory (e.g., explicit memory, implicit memory, conditioning, short-term/working memory), including strategies, mechanisms, and brain systems. It will encompass disorders and applied aspects of memory. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 10a Introduction to Psychology
[ ss ]

PSYC 10a is the introductory course for Psychology majors and is a prerequisite for most other courses in the major.

A survey of contemporary psychology. Topics include brain and behavior, perception, memory, learning, cognitive processes, plasticity, intelligence, child and adult development, personality, social behavior, and the relationship between normal and abnormal behavior. Usually offered every semester.

PSYC 15a Biological Bases of Motivation
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a. Note that for HSSP candidates, this course fulfills the Focal Area A requirement for the BA degree, but not for the BS degree.

Topics include hunger, thirst, migration, and sexual behavior. Evidence from biology, neurophysiology, and endocrinology is evaluated. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 31a Personality
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.

Covers major personality theories and related research. Emphasis will be on application of theory, issues in personality assessment, and personality development across the life span. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 32a Abnormal Psychology
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.

A general introduction to psychopathology. Various theoretical models will be discussed. The techniques and findings of research, clinical, and experimental will be emphasized. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 33a Developmental Psychology
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.

An examination of normal child development from conception through adolescence. Course will focus on theoretical issues and processes of development with an emphasis on how biological and environmental influences interact. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 34b Social Psychology
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.

An introduction to theory and research on the psychological processes that relate the individual to the larger social world in terms of behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. Topics include attitudes, social perception, prejudice and discrimination, attraction, behavior in groups, and the role of culture. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 36b Adolescence and the Transition to Maturity
[ oc ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.

Examines the core issues (identity, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality, etc.) that define development during adolescence and the transition to young adulthood. Heavy emphasis is placed on integrating research and theory in understanding adolescence and young adulthood. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 37a The Psychology of Adult Development and Aging
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.

Describes the sensory, cognitive, personality, health, and social changes that occur during early, middle, and later adulthood. Emphasis is on pathways to successful development and healthy aging in the context of a shifting balance of gains and losses in psychological and physical functioning. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 38a Health Psychology
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.

An examination of the social and psychological factors important for well-being, physical health, and effective medical care. Psychological perspectives are applied to such topics as health promotion and compromise, the stress-illness relationship, social relations, chronic illness, death and dying, and health care provider and patient interactions. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 51a Statistics
[ dl qr ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or the permission of the instructor. This course normally should be completed by the end of the sophomore year.

Covers the fundamentals of descriptive and inferential statistics. Techniques useful in the behavioral sciences will be emphasized. Students learn the theory of statistical decisions, practical application of statistical software, and how to analyze journal articles. Usually offered every semester.

PSYC 52a Research Methods and Laboratory in Psychology
[ qr ss wi ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and 51a.

The laboratory/lecture offers supervised practice in experimental design, data analysis and interpretation, and formal presentation of experimental results. Usually offered every semester.

PSYC 91g Introduction to Research Practice

Prerequisite: Student must complete online safety training relevant to the research group. Yields quarter-course credit. Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. May be repeated for credit. Does not meet the requirements for the major or minor in Psychology.

Students engage in Psychology research by working in the laboratory of a faculty member for a minimum of 3 hours per week for one semester. Students who have declared a Psychology major must receive permission from the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Head as well as the faculty sponsor to enroll in PSYC 91g. Students who have not yet declared a major must receive permission from their academic advisor as well as the faculty sponsor. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 92a Internship and Analysis in Psychology

Provides an opportunity for the student to supplement an off-campus internship experience with a related academic project. The specific requirements of the research component are negotiated by the student and the sponsoring faculty member. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 93a Independent Research in Psychological Sciences

Supervised research experience in a psychology laboratory environment, culminating in a research proposal or report. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 98a Readings in Psychological Literature

Usually offered every year.

PSYC 98b Readings in Psychological Literature

Yields half-course credit. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 99d Senior Research

Usually offered every year.

(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students

NPSY 120b Human Space Flight: Physics, Physiology, and Behavior
[ sn ss ]

Topics include how orbital flight is achieved, spacecraft life support systems, circulatory dynamics, sensory-motor control and vestibular function in free fall, the physiological and psychological adaptations necessary in space flight, and how astronauts must readapt on return to Earth. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 121b Alzheimer's Disease Resilience and Risk Factors
[ oc sn wi ]

Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. Open to majors in one of the following programs: psychology, neuroscience, or HSSP. Also open to graduate students in psychology and neuroscience.

Provides an overview of Alzheimer’s disease, and the factors that may accelerate disease progression and those factors that may be protective. We will cover a broad array of topics including: neuroimaging and blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease in humans; aging versus preclinical Alzheimer’s disease; modern definitions of Alzheimer’s resilience, reserve and brain maintenance; role of stress and psychopathology as risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease; relationships between Alzheimer’s pathology and cognitive function. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 139a Memory and the Brain
[ oc ss wi ]

Prerequisite: NBIO 140b or NPSY 11b, or permission of the instructor.

Explores the nature and organization of memory in the brain. Readings from primary literature will give a deeper understanding of how the brain orchestrates memory, and the role of memory in learning, behavior and cognition. Usually offered every second year.

NPSY 141a Stress, Physiology, and Health
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisites: one of NPSY 11b, NBIO 146a, PSYC 38a, or NPSY 199a.

About a third of all diseases in western society are related to stress. The study of psychosocial determinants of health is a growing field, in which biological and psychological research is combined to understand pathways between CNS processes and health. We will study these processes in this course. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 154a Human Memory
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 52a or NBIO 140b, or permission of the instructor.

Presents a systematic analysis of memory research and theory. The seminar will emphasize current research employing cognitive neuroscience methods, such as fMRI. Usually offered every second year.

NPSY 170a Decision Neuroscience
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisites: NBIO 140b/NBIO 240a or NPSY 11b and NPSY 22b, or permission of the instructor.

This course will provide an overview of how animal and human nervous systems generate decisions, with a particular focus on decisions for rewards. We will cover a broad array of topics, including: basic methods for measuring decisions and decision-related neural activity; how predictions about rewards are learned through error-driven processes; the dual systems hypothesis of behavioral control; computation of values for simple choices; the effect of emotion on choices; social decision making; temporal discounting; and deficits in decision-making in human clinical populations. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 174b Visual Cognition
[ oc sn ss ]

Explores complex processes of visual perception. Topics include art and visual perception, visual perception by machines, visual imagery in everyday life, visual basis of reading, visual search, perceptual learning, computational models of visual perception, and face recognition. Usually offered every second year.

NPSY 176b Constructing Reality
[ oc ss ]

Prerequisites: NPSY 11b, NPSY 12a, NPSY 16a, NPSY 17a, NPSY 22b, or NPSY 199a and junior or senior standing.

How do our brains and minds construct our reality? For answers, the course will draw on insights from scientific psychology, neuroscience, and medicine, particularly how damage to the nervous system can disorder our sense of reality. Special consideration will be given to the nature of perception, evaluation of evidence, and decision making. Usually offered every second year.

NPSY 180a Social Neuroscience and Culture
[ djw oc sn ss ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a, 51a, and 52a, or NBIO 140b/NBIO 240a, or permission of the instructor. May not be taken for credit by students who took PSYC 213a in prior years. Formerly offered as PSYC 180a.

Introduces empirical research on a breadth of social neuroscience topics-- including the self, stereotyping, and moral reasoning--with a more focused coverage of culture. Emphasis will be placed on literature comparing Eastern and Western cultures. Usually offered every second year.

NPSY 182a Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience: Infancy through Adolescence
[ oc ss wi ]

Prerequisites: NPSY 22b or PSYC 33a, or permission of the instructor.

Current research and methods in developmental cognitive neuroscience are surveyed through analysis of journal articles on language, memory, attention, executive functions, and social cognition. Infancy through adolescence are covered in both typically and atypically (Autism, ADHD, etc.) developing populations. Usually offered every second year.

NPSY 196b Advanced Topics in Cognition
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 52a, NBIO 140b, or NPSY 199a.

This seminar covers current issues and research in memory, aging, speech perception, and language comprehension. Emphasis will be placed on the current literature in the field. Usually offered every second year.

NPSY 197a Advanced Topics in Behavioral Neuroscience
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisites: NPSY 11b and NBIO 140b or permission of the instructor.

Covers current research and issues pertaining to the neurobiology of perception (focusing mainly but not exclusively on perception of chemosensory signals) as well as the neurobiology of simple learning. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 199a Human Neuropsychology
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisite: Psych 10a or Math 10a and at least sophomore standing.

Designed as an introduction to human neuropsychology. Topics include cerebral dominance, neuroanatomical mapping, and localization of function, with special reference to language, memory, and related cognitive function. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 123a Applied Bayesian Modeling
[ sn ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 51a or equivalent.

Designed for undergraduate and graduate students in psychology or related field who are interested in learning the method of Bayesian modeling and the ways to implement Bayesian modeling in applied research. In particular, the course is aimed to (1) introduce the basic principle of Bayesian modeling; (2) demonstrate how to do Bayesian analyses using the tools available in R and JAGS; and (3) elaborate how to evaluate and present the results. The ultimate goal of this course is to expand students’ analytic skills. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 128b The Psychology of Deafness and Blindness
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 52a and either NPSY 11b, NPSY 22b, or NPSY 199a. Instructor permission required.

Considers the developmental consequences of congenital deafness and blindness. We will first discuss how the senses interact in typical development, then consider the implications of deafness and blindness for brain and behavioral development. We will cover topics including sensory, motor, spatial, language, and social development. We will discuss cross-modal plasticity and compensatory plasticity as mechanisms of developmental change across the lifespan. Finally, we will discuss how blindness and deafness affect cultural affiliations and how those affiliations impact decisions about education, rehabilitation and equity. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 130b Life Span Development: Early and Middle Adulthood
[ dl oc ss ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a, PSYC 51a, and PSYC 52a, plus one of the following: PSYC 31a, PSYC 33a, PSYC 36b or PSYC 37a, or permission of the instructor.

Seminar on advanced topics in life span developmental theory and methodology. Substantive emphasis will be on cognitive, personality, social, and physical changes that occur in early adulthood and midlife. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 132b How People and Contexts Interact: To Be or Not To Be Yourself
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a, PSYC 31a, PSYC 34b, PSYC 51a, or PSYC 52a.

Why are some people better at lying than others? Why does one person experience sadness, whereas another feels anxious after viewing the same film? Why do certain individuals make better leaders, and in what situations might having “leadership” traits make people worse off? In this course, we will explore the wonders of context effects -- the powers of situations to change how individuals behave -- from the lens of modern personality psychology. Specific situations covered will include deception, emotion regulation, power, deindividuation, and relationships (both romantic and friendship). Through readings, activities, and discussions, we will grapple with conceptual explanations for how and why the situations we find ourselves in can dramatically shape the way we behave and make decisions in the short term, and the longer-term lasting effects that prolonged exposure to these situations can have. Special one-time offering, spring 2025.

PSYC 136b Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology
[ ss ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 33a and 52a and permission of the instructor. Juniors and seniors have priority for enrollment. Although topics vary from year to year, the course may NOT be repeated for credit.

Provides students with detailed information about theories and special topics of research in developmental psychology. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 140a Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) Applications
[ qr ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 51a. Some introductory statistics experience will be helpful but not required. No prior SAS experience is required.

Designed for those who are interested in learning to use SAS. By using actual examples (data), students will have a hands-on experience using SAS for data management, data report, descriptive statistics, graphics, and some inferential statistics. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 142a Sport Psychology: A Health Psychology Perspective
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: NBIO 140b, NPSY 11b, NPSY 199a, or PSYC 38a, and permission of the instructor.

Applies health psychology to topics central to sport psychology and relevant to athletes, athletes' performance, such as optimal arousal levels, team cohesion, injury rehabilitation, imagery, burnout, and goal setting. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 148a Applied Statistical Computing in R
[ qr ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 51a or equivalent.

Designed for graduate students and advanced undergraduates who like to learn the R statistical programming package, further their understanding of statistical modeling and its application in applied and academic research, use R to make the connection between statistical concepts, modeling, and their implementation, and use R to document their research process and enhance its reproducibility. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 153b Psychology of Trauma and Adversity
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and either PSYC 31a or PSYC 32a.

Explores theoretical and empirical foundations for understanding trauma and adversity as a psychologist, as well as current advances in the evidence-based treatment of traumatic stress and trauma-related conditions. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 155a Interpersonal Sensitivity
[ ss ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 51a and PSYC 52a or the equivalent.

Discusses social psychological and neuroscience research on how we understand, share and respond to the inner states of others. Implications for prosocial behavior and morality will be addressed. The focus is on interactive discussions and critical thinking about research findings. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 160b Seminar on Sex Differences
[ oc ss wi ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a, 51a, 52a or permission of the instructor.

Considers research evidence bearing on sex differences in the cognitive domain and in the social domain, evaluating this evidence in light of biological, cultural, and social-cognitive theories as well as methodological issues. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 161a Clinical Psychology Practicum I
[ ss ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and 31a or 32a, and permission of the instructor. Students must enroll in this course in order to enroll in PSYC 161b and should enroll in this course only if they intend to enroll in PSYC 161b in the spring semester. Interested students should contact the instructor to schedule an interview before registering for this class.

In conjunction with PSYC 161b, provides intensive supervised experience in mental health intervention. Students serve in helping roles as volunteers for eight hours a week in social service and mental health programs. They relate their experience to empirical and literary readings within the context of group supervision in weekly seminars. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 161b Clinical Psychology Practicum II
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: Students may enroll in the course only if they have completed PSYC 161a in the previous semester.

In conjunction with PSYC 161a, provides intensive supervised experience in mental health intervention. Students serve in helping roles as volunteers for eight hours a week in social service and mental health programs. They relate their experience to empirical and literary readings within the context of group supervision in weekly seminars. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 169b Disorders of Childhood
[ ss ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and either PSYC 33a or PSYC 36b. Seniors and juniors have priority for admission.

Issues of theory, research, and practice in the areas of child and family psychopathology and treatment are reviewed in the context of normal developmental processes. Usually offered every semester.

PSYC 178b The Psychology of Prejudice
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 52a or permission of the instructor. May not be taken for credit by students who took PSYC 78a in prior years.

Prejudice is everywhere. This class is intended to help you understand why. We will be reading decades of psychological literature illuminating the roots of prejudice, its many forms and how it may be stopped. Moreover, we will learn to use scientific evidence to inform our understanding of human interaction, create experiments of our own, and even study ourselves in a class-wide research project. Usually offered every second year.

(200 and above) Primarily for Graduate Students

PSYC 210a Advanced Psychological Statistics I

In conjunction with PSYC 210b, this course teaches students how to do independent data analysis in psychology at a PhD-level. Topics include methods for describing data, exploratory data analysis, elementary probability theory, null hypothesis significance testing and alternatives, one-way and factorial analysis of variance, and repeated measures analysis. Students receive extensive instruction in the use of R (with options for students to use SPSS, MATLAB, or other computing platforms in the class). Usually offered every year.

PSYC 210b Advanced Psychological Statistics II

Prerequisite: PSYC 210a.

This course is a continuation of PSYC 210a. Topics include statistical power analysis, simple correlation and regression, multiple regression, nonparametric statistics, an introduction of logistic regression, and a brief introduction to multivariate procedures. Students learn to use multiple regression as a general data analytic system. More advanced instruction in SPSS is also provided. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 211a Graduate Research Methods in Psychology

A required course for all master's degree students, first-year doctoral students, and selected undergraduate students by permission of the instructor. Students who are interested in this course must consult with the department one semester before anticipated enrollment.

The lecture offers supervised practice in research design, including experimental and correlational designs, data analysis and interpretation, and formal presentation of research results. Usually offered every year in the fall semester.

PSYC 215a Multivariate Statistics I: Applied Structural Equation Modeling

Prerequisites: PSYC 210a and b or equivalents.

Covers theory, methods, and applications of structural equation modeling (SEM) using LISREL. Introduces the conceptual and procedural principles underlying SEM, enables students to analyze data by using SEM methods, and exposes students to SEM techniques used in the literature. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 216a Multivariate Statistics II: Applied Hierarchical Linear Models

Prerequisite: PSYC 210a and b, or equivalent.

Acquaints students with the basic theory, methods, and most importantly, applications of hierarchical linear models (HLM). This course is designed to introduce the conceptual and procedural principles underlying HLM; enable students to analyze data by using the HLM methods; and expose students to the literature in which HLM techniques have been used. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 220a Research in Spatial Orientation

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 221a Research in Cognitive Development and Psychopathology

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 223a Research in Behavioral Neuroscience

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 224a Research in Speech Perception and Cognition

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 225a Research in Reward, Learning, and Decision Making

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 226a Research in Cognitive Processes and Psychopathology

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 228a Research in Adolescent Health Psychology

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 233a Research in Visual Cognition

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 234a Research in Life-Span Development

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 237b Research in Perceptual Development

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 239a Research in Human Motor Control

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 240b Research in Neurochemistry and Cognition

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 241a Research in Aging, Culture, and Cognition

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 242a Research in Forensics

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 245a Research in Social Neuroscience

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 250a Advanced Research Project

Usually offered every year.

PSYC 250b Master's Project Readings

Usually offered every year.

PSYC 280a Advanced Readings

Usually offered every year.

PSYC 298a Independent Study

PSYC 300a Proseminar in Brain, Body, and Behavior I

Open only to Psychology PhD students or with permission of the instructor.

Offers an in-depth review of primary sources in several major topic areas of social and developmental psychology. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 302a Proseminar in Brain, Body, and Behavior II

Open only to Psychology PhD students or with permission of the instructor.

An in-depth review of primary sources in several major topic areas of social and developmental psychology. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 313a Psychology Lab Rotations

Usually offered every year.

PSYC 313b Psychology Lab Rotations

Usually offered every year.

PSYC 316a Psychology Research Seminar

Required of all PhD students. Strongly encouraged for MA students. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 400d Dissertation Research

Specific sections for individual faculty members as requested.

PSYC Cross-Listed Courses

ANTH 111a Aging in Cross-Cultural Perspective
[ djw nw ss wi ]

Examines the meanings and social arrangements given to aging in a diversity of societies, including the U.S., India, Japan and China. Key themes include: the diverse ways people envision and organize the life course, scholarly and popular models of successful aging, the medicalization of aging in the U.S., cultural perspectives on dementia, and the ways national aging policies and laws are profoundly influenced by particular cultural models. Usually offered every second year.

ANTH 154a Culture and Mental Illness
[ ss wi ]

Without underestimating the importance of biological causes and treatments, this course challenges the hegemony of bio-medical models in psychiatry by seeking to conceptualize emotional problems and mental illness as historically situated and culturally constructed. Examines how factors related to political circumstances, social institutions, religious belief systems, socio-economic status, and ethnic background participate in shaping forms of distress and the ways they are dealt with in various socio-cultural settings. The course will also consider alternative therapies such as art therapy, community-based treatments, and culturally specific approaches to emotional healing and accommodation. Usually offered every third year.

ANTH 155b Psychological Anthropology
[ djw ss ]

An examination of the relationship between sociocultural systems and individual psychological processes with a critical evaluation of selected theories and studies bearing on this problem. Usually offered every second year.

ANTH 165b Anthropology of Death and Dying
[ djw nw ss wi ]

Explores how different societies, including our own, conceptualize death and dying. Topics include the cultural construction of death, the effects of death on the social fabric, mourning and bereavement, and medical issues relating to the end of life. Usually offered every second year.

BUS 120a Organizational Behavior in Business
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: BUS 6a and BUS 10a. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have taken PSYC 150b.

Covers the fundamentals of organizational behavior, including topics like leadership, work motivation, organizational culture, organizational structure, group dynamics, perception, and decision-making in a global environment. Assignments include individual and group project analyses focused on topical business issues using course concepts. Usually offered every semester.

ED 163b Creativity and Caring
[ ss ]

Explores "creativity" and "caring," significant human capacities, and their relationship. Drawing on developmental and social psychology, we ask: How do they develop? What affects our being creative and caring? How can educators promote these? Usually offered every year.

ED 173b The Psychology of Love: Education for Close Relationships
[ ss ]

Students will be selected after the submission of a sample of writing on adult loving relationships.

What is love? How does it develop? How do psychologists study how people think, feel and behave in close relationships? These questions will guide our inquiry and inform our guiding question: how can we educate young people to better care for their friends, lovers and intimates? Usually offered every year.

HSSP 115b Perspectives on Behavioral Health: Alcohol, Drugs, and Mental Health
[ ss ]

A survey course which focuses on the science and biological basis of substance use and mental disorders, and linkages between behavioral health and general health. Consequences of behavioral health on society are discussed. Policy responses and the treatment system are assessed for their effectiveness. Usually offered every year.

LGLS 142b Law and Psychology
[ ss ]

Examines a psychological perspective on the behavior of key players in the legal system, focusing on the trial process. Explores the tension between human behavior and legal ideals of objectivity, based on current research, emphasizing biases leading to miscarriages of justice. Examines areas for reform, including current debates, review of new and proposed legislation, pending cases, and emerging issues in psychological research. Usually offered every year.

LING 173a Psycholinguistics
[ ss ]

An introduction to modern psycholinguistics, with an emphasis on sentence comprehension and production. Questions concerning species-specificity and the neurological organization of language are included for consideration. Usually offered every second year.

LING 197a Language Acquisition and Development
[ dl oc ss ]

Open to all students.

The central problem of first language acquisition is to explain what makes this formidable task possible. Students will learn about the acquisition and development of phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics in child language. Additional topics to be covered include the brain and language development, experimental methods for evaluating the linguistic knowledge of children, second-language acquisition, bilingualism, and heritage language and heritage speakers.The overall goal is to arrive at a coherent picture of the language learning process. Usually offered every second year. 

NBIO 140b Principles of Neuroscience
[ sn ]

Prerequisites: Sophomore standing, BIOL 15b, one additional BIOL, BCHM, NBIO or NPSY course and one of the following: One year of college-level chemistry with lab, one year of college-level physics with lab, or any math course above 10a,b. AP scores are not accepted to meet the prerequisite. Junior standing recommended.

Examines the fundamental principles of neuroscience. Topics include resting potentials, action potentials, synaptic transmission, sensory systems, motor systems, learning, neural circuits underlying behavior, neurological diseases, and mental illness. Usually offered every year.

NPHY 115a Dynamical Systems
[ sn ]

Prerequisites: MATH 10a, b or equivalent; MATH 15a and/or some coding experience would be helpful.

An introduction to the theory of nonlinear dynamical systems, including bifurcations, limit cycles, chaos, and coupled oscillators. Covers analytical, computational, and graphical methods of solving sets of nonlinear ordinary differential equations, as well as mathematical modeling of natural phenomena. Examples will be drawn from physics, chemistry, population biology, and neuroscience. Usually offered every third year.

PHIL 123b Neuroethics
[ hum ]

Focuses on the philosophical and ethical implications that arise from advances in neuroscience. We will investigate questions like: What are the evolutionary origins of moral judgment? Does evolutionary theory shed light on morality? Do our moral motivations derive from reason or pre-reflective intuition? Do psychopaths have moral responsibility? Do we have free will? Is there an obligation to enhance ourselves? Should drugs be used to enhance mental functioning? Is it moral to grow human organs in animals for purposes of transplantation? Usually offered every third year.

POL 123a Seminar: Political Psychology
[ dl ss wi ]

Open to juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

Explores public opinion, political socialization, and political behavior through the lens of psychology. Applying psychological theory to traditional topics in political science is emphasized. Usually offered every year.

POL 137b Seminar: Psychology of Political Violence
[ dl ss ]

Why do people become terrorists? Social scientists argue that organizations use terrorism because it is a rational means for obtaining their objectives. But why do individuals sacrifice themselves for a cause? Drawing on behavioral economics and criminal psychology in addition to political sociology, the course will review new approaches to the study of extreme political violence. Usually offered every year.

PSYC Oral Communication