375 Adult Development and Aging (4) An overview of environmental, cultural, and biological influences on adult development and aging, focusing on gains and losses and covering current psychological theories and research. Prerequisites: PSY 101 or 102 and junior/senior status. Offered fall of odd-numbered years. 380 Supervised Research in Psychology (1 to 4) Students work closely with faculty to develop, conduct, and/or report on a supervised research project. Semester hours will be determined by time commitment. Prerequisites: Declared Psychology major or minor, and consent of a supervising professor. May be repeated for a maximum of 8 semester hours. Offered on demand. 385 Psychology of Eating Disorders (4) Explores the psychology of eating disorders through readings, discussion, lectures, student research and presentations, and visits by clinicians. Students examine the pathology of eating disorders, as well as risk and protective factors for these disorders. Issues investigated include comorbidity with other disorders, etiology, neurobiology, and treatment and prevention. Prerequisites: PSY 101 or 102 and junior/senior status, or consent. Offered January Terms of even-numbered years. 388 Cognition (4) Examines research findings that help us understand how people perceive, remember, and think. Provides extensive opportunities for students to gain valuable insights regarding their own cognitive skills. Prerequisites: junior/senior status and PSY 101 or 102. Offered spring of even-numbered years. 389 Topics in Psychology (4) An advanced seminar designed to study the primary literature on various announced topics in psychology. Topics vary across semesters and may include community psychology, health psychology, social cognition, and self and identity. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Prerequisite: junior/senior status and PSY 101 or 102. Offered intermittently. 394 Psychology in Film, Memoir, and Science (4) An explanation of psychological topics of interest through the multiple lenses of non-fiction writing, films, and scientific reporting. Topical themes in psychology are emphasized, and particular emphasis is placed on critique of the films from both an artistic and a psychological scientific standpoint. Prerequisite: junior/senior status or consent. Offered January Terms of odd-numbered years. 395 Cross-Cultural Psychology (4) Introduction to cross-cultural psychology. Students will learn about theoretical and practical issues in cross-cultural theory and research, cultural evolution, the tension between cultural universals and culturally specific human characteristics, and the relevance of cultural psychology to multiple subfields of psychology. Prerequisite: PSY 101 or 102. Offered every fall. 450 Evolutionary Psychology (4) Examines how evolution has shaped behavioral, cognitive, and emotional mechanisms to help our hunter/gatherer ancestors cope with recurrent evolutionary problems. Students discuss why evolutionary approaches have met with such controversy, implications for understanding behavior in contemporary environments, and how culture and our evolved minds interact to produce behaviors. Prerequisites: PSY 101 or 102 and junior/senior status. Offered fall of odd-numbered years. 455 Biological Psychology (4) A survey of the basic physiological and psychological mechanisms that underlie selected areas of mental life and human behavior. Attention is given to sensory processes, motivation and regulations, memory, attention, and emotional experience. Prerequisites: PSY 101 or 102 and junior/senior status. Offered fall of even-numbered years. 477 History and Systems of Modern Psychology (4) An examination of psychology’s evolution from its roots in vintage philosophical and biological concerns to its present diversity of research directions and areas of application that reveals the issues of substance and methodology that have systematically developed. Emphasizes analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information. Especially useful to the psychology major seeking to identify a topic for the original research project (see PSY 480) and the non-major interested in an advanced but general coverage of fundamental psychological trends and perspectives. Prerequisite: junior/senior status and PSY 101 or 102. Offered fall of odd-numbered years.
Virginia Wesleyan University 2021 - 2022 Academic Catalog
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