An introduction to psychology. Topics covered vary with instructor but may include physiological bases of behavior, sensation, perception, learning, memory, child and adult development, motivation, personality, psychological disorders, social behavior. Introduction to basic methods of psychological research is a course requirement that can be met in several ways (described during the first class meeting). There is a significant experiential component that varies with the instructor but will include interactive computer stimulations, class demonstrations, group projects. Fall, spring, and summer terms annually.

This course provides tools for the identification, analysis, and evaluation of the various patterns of reasoning as they occur in the real world. Patterns of reasoning include deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, scientific reasoning, statistical reasoning, and causal reasoning. The course also covers some basic psychology and sociology of reasoning and belief, and concludes with a critical discussion of science and the scientific method. No prerequisites. (Cross listed as PHIL-2100. Students can- not obtain credit for both this course and PHIL-2100.) Spring term annually. 4 credit hours

This course is an introduction to the new and quickly growing field of Cognitive Science which studies the various aspects of cognition, including reasoning, learning, memory, and perception and action. Cognitive Science is a highly interdisciplinary field of study at the intersection of philosophy, psychology, computer science, linguistics, neuroscience, and anthropology, and the course hosts a number of guest lectures given by experts in these respective fields. No prerequisites. (Cross listed as PHIL- 2120. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PHIL-2120.) Spring term annually. 4 credit hours

This course provides a broad introduction to the theories and principles of human performance, man-machine interfaces, and systems designs. It also emphasizes the applications of these theories and principles to the design of controls, work space, data entry devices, training systems, and the human-computer interface. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200 or permission of instructor. Annually. 4 credit hours

This course provides an introduction to basic methods of psychological research and the use of statistics to interpret psychological data. Students participate in several experiments and prepare written reports. Topics include experimental design, data collection and analysis, and communication of results. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours

Covers cognitive theory from an applied perspective to understand and predict the interactions among human cognition, artifact (i.e., tools), and task. Cognitive task analysis techniques will be taught and used throughout the course, as will techniques for collecting and analyzing fine-grained behavioral data. Topics covered may include visual search and visual attention, cognitive skill and its acquisition, hard and soft constraints on interactive behavior, human error, soft constraints on judgment and decision-making, and experts and expertise. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours

This course looks at the mathematics of game theory from a psychological perspective, and serves as a primer in video game design. The psychology of players and designers are discussed, as well as the cognitive processes that people use when solving game-related puzzles. Additional topics include logic, human frailty, role playing, artificial intelligence, kinesics, theater, and human-computer interaction. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours

An analysis of psychological research on how our commonsense moral beliefs develop from early childhood through old age, and their application to daily problems. A major focus is on the conflict between themes of justice or individual rights and caring compassion and its relation to gender differences (the Kohlberg/Gilligan debate). (Cross listed as PHIL-2600. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PHIL-2600.) Annually. 4 credit hours

This is a survey course covering theories, methods, and empirical research on personal and situational factors influencing social behavior. Topics covered include social perception, the construction of social reality, decision making, group influences on behavior, and attitudes. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Annually. 4 credit hours

An introduction to psychology as applied to sport, the topics covered include history of sport behavior, principles of learning and their application, anxiety and arousal, motivation, leadership, cohesion, audience effects, aggression, personality assessment, female athletes, youth in sport, coach behavior, and physical activity for all. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours

This course encompasses a broad spectrum of theories concerned with the biological, psychological, and social components of motivation. Throughout the course, students relate theoretical issues to both recent research evidence and potential practical applications to enhance performance. Group projects, focus group discussions, and interactive guest speakers are used to establish links between theory and performance. Prerequisite: PSYC- 1200. Annually. 4 credit hours

A comprehensive, project-oriented survey of special topics in human factors. Applied, experimental, and/or field research will be required. Prerequisite: PSYC-2220 or permission of instructor. Offered on sufficient demand. 4 credit hours

Leadership Theories This course examines the major theories of leadership, as well as provides the opportunity to apply these theories to actual or symbolic leaders. Students wishing to become an effective manager or leader will benefit from this course, since the focus is on providing students with information about the traits, behaviors, power and influence, and charisma of effective leaders. Prerequisite: ENGR-2050. Restricted to junior and senior engineering majors only. Fall and spring terms annually. 2 credit hours

Psychology A broad introduction to the field of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Topics covered include personnel selection, job analysis, training, performance appraisal, work-related attitudes, employee motivation, leadership, decision making, and organizational theory. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Annually. 4 credit hours

Methods, techniques, and instruments for measuring individual differences are surveyed. Topics include representative methods of test construction, a critical analysis of representative tests, criteria for evaluating and selecting tests, and the value and limitations of tests. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Annually. 4 credit hours

This course is an introduction to the role of physiological mechanisms in behavioral processes. There will be detailed examination and discussion of the involvement of biolog- ical systems in feeding and drinking, sexual behavior, sleep and arousal, learning and memory, psychopathology and psychopharmacology. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours

This course provides biological, cultural, historical, and psychological perspectives of sexuality. Basic information on human development and reproductive physiology is provided. In addition, current topics such as marriage, alternate lifestyles, contraception, and pornography are discussed. Small group focus discussions, media-based discussions, and interactive guest speakers are used to link course material to responsible sexuality and understanding of diversity. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours

The focus of this course is on the flow of information from sensory input to retrieval from long-term memory. Within this framework, topics such as mnemonics, pattern recognition, attention, computer simulation, reasoning, and the relationship between culture and thought are discussed. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours

Modern theories of personality are presented and compared. Using these theories, students analyze the processes by which people cope with intrapsychic, interpersonal, and institutional demands. Evidence on adaptive processes from clinical, field, and laboratory studies is evaluated. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours

The first half of this course is devoted to presentation of traditional theories of learning. Classical and operant conditioning and single-subject methodology are studied in depth. During the second half of the course, students apply their knowledge of operant conditioning principles in the context of a group-based field study. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Annually. 4 credit hours

This course is an exploration of the social and psychological effects of extensive use of pharmacological agents that are salient to daily behavior. There is an emphasis on the effects of addictive drugs such as alcohol, heroin, and cocaine. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Annually. 4 credit hours

Cognitive modeling investigates human cognition by developing computational systems that simulate cognitive processes. Cognitive modeling grew out of Cognitive Psychology and Artificial Intelligence. Cognitive models are used in a number of basic and applied domains including Human-Computer Interaction, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Computer-Generated Forces, and Synthetic Characters. In this course, students will develop models in ACT-R (a unified theory of cognition) that simulate recent findings in cognitive psychology. Prerequisites: PSYC-1200 and CSCI-2300. Recommended: CSCI-4150 and/or PSYC-4370 or per- mission of instructor. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours

This class is a practical primer for anyone interested in a career in the rapidly evolving industry of video gaming. It is an intense, team-based, project-based course in which we will closely follow the actual game development cycle, with each team producing a complete PC game. Students cannot get credit for both this course and CSCI-4520. Prerequisite: PSYC-2520 or CSCI-2300. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours

Perception and thought are considered in terms of processes represented in the brain. The localization and lateralization of function are examined, drawing upon research on the behavioral effects of brain damage as well as brain-imaging studies and other approaches. Examples of topics include object recognition, memory, language, emotion, spatial ability, and motor processes. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours

The definition, history, major schools of thought, and models of the normal and abnormal personality are presented. Disorders are examined within the framework of D.S.M. and competing schools of thought. The description, etiology, treatment, including pharmacologic, and prevention of each of the disorders are considered. Illustrative cases are presented. Students write a paper on a topic, approved by the instructor, that focuses upon the impact of public policies on psychopathology. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Annually. 4 credit hours

Since the 1950's, social science researchers have turned their attention to the courtroom, in order to test theories of human behavior in a real world application. Are the basic assumptions underlying the practice of law in this country valid, given what psychologists know about the fundamentals of human behavior? This course will provide students with instruction regarding how the study of psychology can contribute to a better understanding of the legal system. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours

A practical introduction to the field of forensic psychology, a domain within psychology concerned with the production and application of psychological knowledge to the civil and criminal justice systems. In this course, we explore the many ways in which psychological principles play an increasingly important role in influencing various processes and outcomes associated with the field of law. Prerequisite: PSYC-4740. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours

Toxicology This course is a detailed examination of the neuroscience and psychology inherent to the development of pharmacological agents for treating psychopathology. There is also an exploration of chemicals that are toxic to the brain as manifest by induction of psychopathology. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200. Annually. 4 credit hours

An individually arranged independent study course under the supervision of a member of the Psychology Department. The topic is selected by consultation between student and faculty member. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200 and/or permission of supervising faculty member. 1 to 4 credit hours

An advanced course concerned with selected topics in psychology. Prerequisite: PSYC-1200 or permission of instructor. 1 to 4 credit hours

Students conduct original scholarly projects: original research, theoretical or analytical reviews of the literature, or computer simulations. Working either alone or in groups, students prepare written reports relating to this project, under the supervision of a faculty member. Prerequisite: permission of a supervising faculty member. Fall, spring, and summer terms annually. 3 to 6 credit hours