Sketches on Courses
The courses listed below are a snapshot of some of the different classes offered in the department. A syllabus, or schedule of topics and description of assignments, is given for each.
An introduction to the study of mind and behavior.
Psychology 100 - Foundations of Psychology
Professor Jennifer Pals Lilgendahl
This course is designed as an overview of the discipline of psychology. Topics including biological psychology, evolutionary approaches, cognition, social psychology, personality and individual differences, and psychopathology and health will be covered. In addition to these specific topic areas, overarching themes and theoretical issues within the field of psychology will be emphasized throughout the course, with particular attention given to empirical approaches.
An examination of how time is experienced & influences psychological behavior.
Psychology 220 - The Psychology of Time
Time is often referred to as "the tacit dimension" within psychology because unlike other types of perception, it is not directly available to any sensory organ but can only be apprehended through change and the dynamic flow of environmental events. And yet despite its ephemeral nature, time is a dimension that has a significant impact upon a wide variety of psychological behavior. Topics include: the perception of rhythm, tempo, and duration; temporal perspective; societal concepts of time; neural substrates of temporal behavior.
An in-depth exploration into the field of social psychology.
Psychology 224 - Social Psychology
Topics including impression formation, inter- and intra-group processes, social identity, attitudes/persuasion, social influence, and interpersonal attraction will be discussed. In addition to these topic areas, overarching themes and theoretical issues within the field of social psychology will be emphasized throughout the course. Students will become familiar with the research that has contributed to the current social psychological knowledge base.
An examination of the fundamental issues and questions addressed by personality psychology.
Psychology 225 - Self and Identity
Professor Jennifer Pals Lilgendahl
Who am I? How do I feel about myself? What is the story of my life? How peosple answer such questions and the implications of their answers are the issues that are at the heart of this course. Through a combination of lecture and discussion, we will examine the literature on self and identity from multiple disciplinary perspectives (biological, developmental, personality, social, and clinical) and apply scientific concepts to the analysis of socially important issues, current events, popular culture, and our own life experiences
An overview of the psychological study of pain perception and its inhibition.
Psychology 240 - Psychology of Pain and Pain Inhibition
This course is an introduction to the biological and psychological aspects of pain, as a multidimensional bodily sensation, an adaptive solution to threatening stimuli in the environment, and, at times, a clinical problem affecting quality and enjoyment of life. We will take both an historic perspective and modern perspective, whereby we discuss the topic as both a scientific discipline and a phenomenon to be understood and explained by its underlying nervous system substrates and psychological sequelae.