250 Psychology PSY 2400. Social Psychology. An examination of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another in various social contexts. The course emphasis is applying the scientific method to the study of social perception and cognition, attitudes and persuasion, interpersonal attraction, social influence, altruism, aggression, and group decisionmaking. The application of social psychological research and theory to everyday social behavior is emphasized. Prerequisite: PSY 2000. Course is offered in the fall. Service Learning sections are available. Four credits. PSY 2500. Cognitive Psychology. An introduction to the field of cognitive psychology. Students may expect to learn how humans identify, represent, and process information from their environment. Topics covered within the course include, perceptual recognition, attention, memory, language, problem solving, and decision making. Theory and empirical evidence are used to examine the processes underlying these areas. This includes hands-on involvement with different tasks used in these areas of research. Prerequisite: PSY 2000. Course is offered in the spring. Four credits. PSY 2600. Biopsychology. An introduction to the field of biopsychology. Students may expect to learn about current and past methodologies and research on the interplay of the brain and behavior. Topics covered within the course include investigation of behavioral genetics, evolutionary psychology, neuroanatomy, physiological perspectives of sensory perception, learning and memory, sleeping and dreaming, drug addiction, emotion, human sexuality, and biological bases of psychiatric disorders. Prerequisites: PSY 2000 and BIO 1100 or BIO 1399. Course is offered in the fall. Four credits. PSY 2880, 3880, 4880. Special Topics. Variable credit. May be repeated. PSY 3100. Research Methods in Psychology. An introduction to the basic research methods used in psychology. Students are exposed to and receive hands-on experience with each step of the research process; from evaluating published research to the collection and analysis of empirical data. The course covers basic topics relevant to designing, analyzing, and reporting research. Topics include the role of theory, the basics of measurement, measurement techniques, application of descriptive and inferential statistics, experimental and non-experimental research designs, scientific writing, and ethical issues. Prerequisites: PSY 2000 and PSY 2100. Four credits.
PSY 3210. Person Perception. An examination of the models and theories of person perception with a focus on current areas of research. The course discusses the nature of social judgments, how social perceivers combine information about an individual to reach a judgment, and how that judgment subsequently influences social interactions. Topics include the validity of first impressions, the use of nonverbal cues to understand others, the process by which perceivers make personality judgments, the ability of perceivers to accurately detect thoughts and emotions, and our ability to accurately detect attempts at deception. The application of person perception theory and research to intimate relationship processes, everyday social influence attempts, personnel selection and evaluation processes, and interactions between members of different cultures. Prerequisite: PSY 2000. Course is offered in the fall of every other even-numbered year. Four credits. PSY 3310. Child Development. A more focused examination of the period of development that spans from prenatal development up to late childhood. Topics include an examination of traditional and non-traditional birthing methods, the influence of early parent-child relationships on later child development, development of gifted and special needs children, and understanding the development of friendships during childhood. Special emphasis is placed on utilizing classic and contemporary child development research to further students’ understanding of the principles and theories discussed in class. Students are given the opportunity to raise their own “virtual child” to provide a hands-on understanding of the biological, social and environmental processes that affect child development. Prerequisites: PSY 2000 and PSY 2300. Course is offered in the fall of every other odd-numbered year. Four credits. PSY 3410. Social Cognition. An examination of how peoples’ perceptions of their social environment motivate their thoughts, emotions and actions. The primary focus of course discussion ison applying this unique perspective to daily life. Course material draws from sources in a variety of contexts, including research in social and cognitive psychology, marketing, group processes, and consumer behavior. Prerequisites: PSY 2000 and PSY 2400. Course is offered in the spring of every other oddnumbered year. Four credits. PSY 3420. Close Relationships. An introduction to the scientific study of close, intimate relationships. The course considers how attachment processes, social needs, and interpersonal traits might affect the establishment of stable interpersonal ties, examines how relationships form and