325: Abnormal Psychology. Goal: To lead students to a fuller understanding of abnormal behavior and the ways that psychologists study and attempt to treat it. Content: Issues and controversies in defining psychological abnormality; classification and description of abnormal behaviors including physical symptoms and stress reactions, anxiety, addictive disorders, sexual dysfunction, personality disorders, schizophrenia and mood disorders; and theory and research on etiology, treatments and prevention of pathology. Taught: Spring. Prerequisite: PSY 101 and PSY 207 or PSY 304. Credit: 3 hours. 330: Forensic Psychology.
Goal: To understand the application of psychological principles to forensic psychology. Content: Forensic Psychology involves the application of psychological knowledge or methods to a task faced by the legal system. Both the production and application of the knowledge and methods of psychology to the civil and criminal justice system are explored (e.g., eyewitness memory and testimony, criminal behavior, jury decision making, or competency evaluations.) Special emphasis will be given to criminal profiling. Taught: Spring. Prerequisite: PSY 101. Credit: 3 hours. 331: Child Psychology.
Goal: To study behavior and development from conception to adolescence with emphasis on infancy and early childhood. To understand theory, research methods, and major findings of developmental psychology.
Content: Genetic influences, prenatal influences, physical development, language, cognitive development, and social-emotional development. Taught: Spring. Alternate years. Prerequisite: PSY 101. Credit: 3 hours. 332: Psychology of Adolescence & Early Adulthood.
Goal: To understand the physical, cognitive, social, and personality development which characterizes adolescence and early adulthood. To understand theory, research methods, and major research findings related to adolescents.
Content: Genetic influences, social and cultural influences, intellectual development, school influences, peer influences, selfconcept, special problems of adolescents, and sexual development. Taught: Spring. Alternate years. Prerequisite: PSY 101. Credit: 3 hours. 396, 397: Special Topics in Psychology.
Goal: To understand psychological topics not covered in-depth in other courses offered in the department. Content: Topics vary. A student may take no more than two such special topics courses. Representative topics include counseling techniques, psychology of sports, applied psychology, forensic psychology, and psychology of health. Taught: Offered occasionally. Prerequisites: PSY 101 and permission of instructor. Credit: 3; 3 hours. 441: Senior Seminar: Research.
Goal: To encourage the senior student to apply accumulated knowledge to critical analysis of a selected issue or problem in psychology. Seniors in psychology should have developed an interest in a given area and mastered the methodological skills central to the science of psychology. This senior seminar provides each student with the opportunity for focused research in her area of interest. As an integrative component within the psychology major, the seminar requires the student to connect her own research to other areas of the liberal arts. Content: Students, either individually or in pairs, complete a research project and submit a written report of the literature, methods, results, and discussion of findings. Taught: Fall. Prerequisites: PSY 101, MAT 220, PSY 230S, PSY 305 and senior standing. Credit: 3 hours.
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