Courses

Introduction to Psychology 

An introduction to psychological science -- the study of behavior and mental processes. This course surveys the major subdisciplines of the field, including such topics as the brain and neuroscience, behavioral genetics, cognitive and social development, perception, learning, memory, decision-making, language, consciousness, emotions, motivation, psychological disorders, social identity, interpersonal interactions and group and cultural processes.

Cognitive Psychology 

This course addresses questions of learning, remembering, and thinking from the perspective of experimental cognitive psychology.  Topics include perception, attention, memory, the organization of knowledge, language, and decision making. 

Intelligence Seminar 

Upper-level elective exploring the meaning of "intelligence", how it is measured, and how the answers to those questions depend on time, place, and culture. Specific topics have included the history of IQ testing, the biology of intelligence, intellectual disability, and "brain training". Special attention is given to cognitive approaches and measurement theory. 

Directed Research

Intensive research seminar for senior psychology majors in which students produce a complete study over the course of the semester. With faculty guidance, students design a research project intended to extend knowledge in a psychological area of their interest, collect and analyze data, write a research report that includes an extensive literature review, and present their project as a poster in a public setting.