Summer 2008 Courses
Please Note: The information given in the Course Atlas is subject to change.
For final schedule information, please refer to OPUS or the professor of the course.
PSYC 110-00A: Introduction to Psychology I: Psychobiology and Cognition
Zeamer, 10:00-11:20. Daily. 1st session. Credits, 4 hrs.
This is the first half of a two-semester sequence introducing the field of contemporary psychology from the perspectives of neuroscience, cognitive psychology, conditioning, and evolution. Some treatment of psychodynamic and philosophical approaches to the human mind will also be presented for an integrated view. Particular areas of focus include learning and memory in both humans and animals, neurological disorders, sensation and perception as they relate to everyday issues, and the biological bases of consciousness, sleep, drug addiction, and emotion. The course will address individual and cultural variations in behavior and breakdown or decline of function as well as “normal” or prototypical thought and action, and practical applications.
PSYC 111-00A: Introduction to Psychology II: Social, Developmental, Personality and Abnormal Psychology
Sylvers, 10:00-11:20. Daily. 2nd session. Credit, 4 hrs.
This course is an introduction to psychology as a social science and, as such, has two main goals. The first one is to provide you with a broad base of introductory knowledge in such areas of psychology as cognitive and emotional development (e.g., moral reasoning), social cognition (e.g., attraction, prejudice, social decision-making), personality (major theories and methods of measurement), and psychopathology (mental disorders and different approaches to their treatment). The course also aims to emphasize the empirical basis of psychology (philosophy of science and experimental design), to enable you to ask scientific questions about psychosocial phenomena, and to foster critical thinking skills in this subject. The format will be lecture with many opportunities for student engagement. Assessment will consist of mixed-format exams and small assignments. The required readings will consist of relevant chapters from an assigned introductory textbook and some supplementary materials. This course is the counterpart to PSYC 110 (Psychobiology and Cognition). There is no pre-requisite to take PSYC 111.
PSYC 205-00A. Child Development
MacGillivray, 1:00-2:20. Daily. 1st session. Credits, 4 hrs.
Prerequisite: Prior completion of Psyc 100, 110 or 111. The ways individuals interact with the world and with each other change dramatically from birth to adolescence. The major objective of Child development is to trace the developmental processes that influence the growth of the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional aspects of the developing child during infancy, the preschool years, middle childhood, and adolescence. Grades will be based on three exams, each covering approximately 1/3 of the course, a short paper, and class participation.
PSYC 320-00A: Animal Behavior (same as BIO 320)
Gouzoules, 2:30-4:45. MWF. 1st Session. Credit, 4 hrs. MAX: 20: BIO 320=10; PSYC 320=10.
This course provides an overview of major research areas in the field of animal behavior. The behavior of animals will be analyzed from an evolutionary and comparative perspective. Specific topics include orientation and migration, genetic and environmental influences on behavior, aggression, courtship and mating strategies, parental behavior foraging, predator-prey relationships, and social organization.
PSYC 323-00A: Drugs and Behavior
Neill, 10:00-11:20. Daily. 1st Session. Credit, 4 hrs., MAX: 30
First year students CANNOT take this course. This course is a survey of the neurobehavioral effects of the various classes of psychoactive drugs, e.g., stimulants, tranquilizers, hallucinogens, etc. Although human experience is taken as the starting point of each drug effect covered, most of the experimental data presented are concerned with attempts to understand behavioral drug effects using nonhuman animal models. A fundamental idea is that by understanding the brain mechanisms through which psychoactive drugs exert their effects, we can understand the brain mechanisms of pain, perception, anxiety, schizophrenia, depression, etc.
PSYC 330-00A: Personality Theories
Carter, 11:30–12:50. Daily. 1st Session. Credit, 4 hrs., MAX: 30
Prerequisite: PSYC 100, 110 or 111. In this course, we will examine important personality theories and research, as well as some persistent methodological issues in the study of personality. The theories and research covered will include biological, psychoanalytic, trait, behavioral and social learning orientations.
PSYC 385R-00A. Psychological Conceptions of Giftedness
Lewis, 10:00–11:40. MTWTh. 1st session. Credits, 4 hrs., MAX: 19
Prerequisite: Psychology 100, or 110, or 111, or Psychology AP credit. This is a 4-credit-hour course examining the diverse conceptions of giftedness. We will study intellectual giftedness, the many different types of creativity, and even critically examine the evidence for ESP. The course will focus on issues of definition, designing effective educational systems, acceptance by society, and the latest research findings. The goal of the course is for you to finish with a greater appreciation of: 1) the complexity of these topics, 2) the difficulties in applying the research findings to the design of effective and practical educational systems, and 3) the degree to which culture shapes our beliefs about and reactions to giftedness, creativity, and ESP. The course will require considerable reading, critical analysis, and the willingness to participate in discussions.
PSYC
415S-00A. Sleep and Dreaming
Rodman,
2:30 – 4:45 p.m. MWF. 1 st session. Credit, 4 hrs
Prerequisite: Psyc 110 or equivalent biopsychology background and at least one additional course in psychology or NBB. The course is intended primarily for Psyc and NBB students, but may also be appropriate for students in other majors.
This course will focus on the neural mechanisms and phenomenology of sleep as a basis for discussing its implications for behavior, cognition, evolution, and related philosophical issues. Specific topics to be addressed include the neurobiology of sleep, the role of sleep in memory and other cognitive phenomena, theories of dreaming, relationships between sleep, mood, and other drives and conditions, individual and species differences in sleep behavior, lucid dreaming and other subjective components of dream experience, and sleep as a model for studying states of consciousness. The course fulfills the advanced seminar requirement.
PSYC 474-SAF: Seminar in Developmental Psychology: Summer Study Abroad Program in Child Development
See Study Abroad section, Psychology.
PSYC 475S-00C: Psychology From a Novel Perspective: What Can Fictional Works Tell Us About Non-Fictional Human Behavior?
Duke,
10:00-11:20. Daily. 2nd session. Credit, 4 hrs
Content: This seminar will begin with a basic grounding in three areas of psychology: 1) psychoanalytic, behavioral, and interactional approaches to personality; 2) family dynamics; and 3) psychological and social development from childhood to old age. Using this information about real people, five current works of fiction will be read and analyzed. Emphasis will be on the manner in which psychological knowledge can be applied not only to the characters and plots in the novels, but to their writers as well. Further focus will be on the ways in which knowledge gained from fictional characters can be applied to the understanding of real-life people and situations. Students will be required to prepare three term papers and to participate actively in class discussions.
PSYC 498R-00A, 00C, 00B: Directed Reading
Faculty, TBA. Variable credits.
Psychology majors only. Credit is variable. Students must have consent of faculty member and agreement on a topic. Students are required to complete a contract with regular faculty member detailing their research. A list of regular faculty members of the Psychology Department who are eligible to supervise may be found on the back of the contract form.
Only faculty members whose names are on this list may supervise 498 works. Contracts are available in the departmental office and must be completed and returned prior to enrollment. PERMISSION IS REQUIRED PRIOR TO ENROLLMENT.
PSYC 499R-00A, 00C, 00B: Directed Research
Faculty, TBA. Variable credits.
Psychology majors only. Credit is variable. Students must have consent of faculty member and agreement on a topic. Students are required to complete a contract with regular faculty member detailing their research. Contracts are available in the departmental office. A list of regular faculty members of the Psychology Department who are eligible to supervise may be found on the back of the contract form. Only faculty members whose names are on this list may supervise 499 works. Contracts are available in the departmental office and must be completed and returned prior to enrollment. PERMISSION IS REQUIRED PRIOR TO ENROLLMENT.
|
