PURCHASE COLLEGE PSYCHOLOGY COURSES

PSY 1530-Introduction to Psychology. (fulfills Social Science Gen. Ed.) Empirical and theoretical approaches to the basic physiological, cognitive, and social mechanisms underlying behavior. Topics include learning and conditioning, sensation and perception, memory, thinking and language; psychological development; social processes; personality and psychopathology. PSY 1530 is a prerequisite for all upper-level psychology courses.

PSY2140 (ANT2140) Social Issues Seminar: Violence & Terror This seminar takes an interdisciplinary approach to a topic of broad interest or concern.  Topic examples include (but are not limited to) violence and terror, the global AIDS crisis, poverty, or racism. It is team taught by faculty members in at least two distinct disciplines. Lectures are supplemented by visual presentations and guest lectures.

PSY 2160-Psychology of Emotion. (fulfills Social Science Gen. Ed.) The writings of classic and contemporary investigators provide the basis for examining theoretical and empirical issues within the area of human emotions. Topics discussed include: the expression of emotions; individual differences in emotional experience; the structure of emotion, and the interplay between emotions, cognition and behavior.

PSY 2250-Sensation and Perception. Studies the biological processes by which the sensory systems pick up information from the environment, and the psychological processes by which that information is coded, transformed and integrated to form perceptions. Emphasis is on the visual systems and visual perception. Aspects of perception in the visual arts and music are discussed.

PSY 2320-Behavioral Statistics. (fulfills Mathematics Gen. Ed.) An introduction to data analysis, including descriptive and inferential statistics such as measures of central tendency, variability and association; an introduction to probability and hypothesis testing; and discussion of sample, sampling and population distributions, and their use in conducting t-tests and ANOVAs. This course cannot be used to satisfy the basic proficiency requirement in mathematics. It is intended to fulfill the statistics requirement for psychology majors. Visit the Fall 2003 Course Website.

PSY 2350-Drugs and Behavior. This course examines the effects of a wide range of psychotropic drugs on behavior. This includes drugs used clinically to treat mental disorders and drugs of abuse (including alcohol). The biological basis of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms, and other issues related to drug addiction, are also covered. Some knowledge of basic biology or psychology is helpful but not required.

PSY 2360-Psychology of Communication. (fulfills Social Science Gen. Ed.) An introduction to the behavior of communicating, and the implicit rules and conventions guiding verbal and nonverbal communication. Topics include: the difference between language and communication; animal communication; the roots of human communication in infant-caretaker interaction; conversational analysis and persuasion.

PSY 2450-Learning and Memory. Behavioral and cognitive approaches to the study of human and animal learning are discussed. Topics include classical conditioning, operant conditioning, motivation, cognitive models of memory, and applications outside the laboratory.

PSY 2500-Adolescent Psychology (fulfills Social Science Gen. Ed.) Normal and pathological resolutions of developmental phenomena from latency through late adolescence. Topics include: physiological, social, and cognitive development; peers, the family, and the school, issues of autonomy, identity, and sexual relations; depression; substance abuse; suicide.

PSY 2520-Personal/Social Relationships. (fulfills Social Science Gen. Ed.) An examination of both interpersonal relationships and the relationship between the individual and society. Topics include: social development, situational and cultural influences on individual functioning; social support networks; coping with crises.

PSY 2540-Psychological Issues in Education 3 Credits, Spring 2006, special topic (offered irregularly) The development of educational policies is often controversial.  These policies are frequently influenced by political forces with little regard for research findings.  This course relates research in developmental psychology to educational practice.  Students read and discuss opposing views on different controversial issues, including reading instruction, bilingual instruction, the use of standardized tests, ability tracking, and inclusion.

PSY 2650-Child Development. A broad survey of human development from conception through childhood. Topics include: Prenatal development and birth; representational activity, cognition, language, parent-child interaction, peer relations, moral development, sex-role development, and atypical development. PSY 2650 is a prerequisite for all upper-level developmental psychology courses. Credit will not be given for both PSY 2650 and BPS 3350/Developmental Psychology (offered through Continuing Education).

PSY 2745-Psychology of Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination. Students examine the psychological research and theory relevant to the understanding of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Topics include: the cognitive bases of stereotypes and prejudice; the role of socialization and the media; the nature of in-group-out-group biases; the changing face of prejudice and discrimination; ways to reduce prejudice; and the consequences of prejudice for members of stigmatized groups.

PSY 2755-Stress and Coping. In this course, the intra- and extrapersonal causes of stress are identified, and a variety of assessment instruments are demonstrated and used. The consequences of stress are examined from several physiological and cognitive perspectives. A catalog of effective, direct, and palliative coping strategies is offered so that students can develop personalized stress-management programs.

PSY 2860-Psychology of Women. (fulfills Race and Gender Gen. Ed.) A critical examination of social, psychological, and biological factors governing female behavior and experience. Within the context of a life-space model (infancy to old age), topics include: gender development, puberty, social performance, sexuality, eating disorders, depression, relationships, and menopause.

PSY 3085-Social Psychology of Prison. Issues of incarceration are examined from a social-psychological perspective. Topics include: how the correctional system operates; media images of crime and punishment; victims’ rights; and attitudes toward rehabilitation. The ways that race, gender, and economic factors interface with these issues and with social psychological theory and research are analyzed. Requirements include an independent project related to the course material.

PSY 3090-The Psychology of Stigma. A critical examination of classic and contemporary theories and research on stigma. Emphasis is on the psychological experiences of members of stigmatized groups; why individuals stigmatize others; sensitivity to discrimination; collective identity; methods of coping, and implications for the self, social interaction, and intergroup relations. Topics include race, ethnicity, gender, mental illness, sexuality, HIV/AIDS, and health/physical disabilities.

PSY 3100-Abnormal Psychology. Assessment, diagnosis, symptomatology, and phenomenology of a wide range of mental disorders. Diagnosis is approached from the perspective of the DSM IV. Current research is reviewed, and psychodynamic, behaviorist, humanist, and neuroscientific viewpoints of psychopathology are represented.

PSY 3120-Psychological Perspectives on the Self. An examination of the processes by which people develop and maintain a self-concept; how the self-concept; how the self-concept influences emotion, motivation, and behavior; and whether or not the beliefs people hold about themselves are accurate or useful. The readings consist of recent theoretical and empirical writings from psychology journals and edited texts.

PSY 3130-Sports Psychology. A critical examination of the psychological variables that affect athletes and their performance, with particular emphasis on the social-emotional, cognitive, and developmental aspects of sports participation. The impact of various social-psychological conditions upon athletes are examined from historical, conceptual, and practical perspectives. Topics include: understanding the nature f competition; women in sports; team vs. individual participation; coping with anxiety and maintaining self-esteem; imagery and intervention strategies; children's participation in sports.

PSY 3170-Theories of Development. An examination of the concepts of human development proposed by major developmental theorists. Students read works by noted theorists and analyze research conducted within each of the frameworks. The theories of Freud, Piaget, Werner, and Vygotsky are highlighted. Prerequisites: PSY 1530 and PSY 2650 or permission of instructor.

PSY 3185-History of Psychology. Students study the historical roots of developmental, cognitive, or social psychology through the writings of major European and American psychologists, primarily from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The aim of the course is to expose students to the history of major ideas in psychology through an examination of primary sources. Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or one philosophy course, or permission of instructor

PSY 3190-Feminism and Science. (fulfills Race and Gender Gen. Ed.) What does gender have to do with science? By addressing this question in a variety of ways, feminists have developed a thoroughgoing critique which challenges traditional views of science while respecting its achievements. This course does not count as one of the required psychology electives for Psychology majors, but it does count for the philosophy course requirement for Psychology majors. Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or one women's studies or philosophy course.

PSY 3210-Psychology of Creativity. A critical examination of research and theory, addressing such issues as: how creativity is defined; what factors encourage or inhibit creativity; what criteria are used to decide that a person, or a person's work, is creative. Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or permission of instructor.

PSY 3300-Cross Cultural Psychology. A consideration of human behavior within an eco-cultural perspective, beginning with historical and methodological issues. Perceptual, cognitive, and developmental processes, personality and psychopathology are also studied. Distinctive cultures serve as case studies. Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or permission of instructor.

PSY 3301-Health Psychology. The interventions suggested by the biopsychological model and the mind-body paradigm are examined. Topics include health behavior, social learning theory, attribution theory and attitude formation as they apply to problems such as health promotion, disease prevention, reactions to illness, management of chronic and terminal illnesses and adherence to treatment regimens. Methods of evaluation of clinical services are addressed.

PSY 3330-Social Development An in-depth exploration of social and personality development from infancy through adolescence. Topics include: Predispositions for sociability; formation of affectional ties with family members and peers; the development of knowledge of self and others; the acquisition of interactional knowledge and skills. Prerequisites: PSY 1530 and PSY 2650 or permission of instructor.

PSY 3345-Cognitive Development. An in-depth exploration of cognitive development from infancy through adolescence. Students study major theories and research findings on the development of problem solving, reasoning, memory, perception, and academic skills, among other topics. Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or permission of instructor.

PSY 3440-Social Issues in Developmental Psychology. Controversial social issues and policies are examined and discussed within a context of theory and research in developmental psychology. The goal of this course is to examine how current developmental research has, and has not, been successfully applied to practical social issues regarding children and adolescents. Prerequisites: PSY 1530 and PSY 2650, or permission of instructor.

PSY 3490-Development of Language. Starts with an examination of various criteria for and precursors of language: Students read and analyze studies of children's first words, private speech, early syntactical development, speech play, metaphor and storytelling. Students write several short papers involving observation and analysis of examples of child language. Prerequisites: PSY 1530 and PSY 2650, or permission of instructor.

PSY 3510-Social Cognition. An increasingly important focus in social psychology, social cognition is the study of how people think in social situations. Topics include: social categories, scripts and schemas, attribution, inference, memory, and attitudes. Important applications are also considered, including stereotyping and prejudice.

PSY 3550-Experimental Psychology A combined lecture and laboratory course teaching the application of the scientific method to the study of the behavior of humans and animals. Topics include: experimental design, respondent and operant conditioning, psychophysics, perception, and cognitive processes. Students replicate classic experiments and prepare scientific reports on their results. Student may design and carry out an original research project. There is a materials fee for this course. Requires advanced standing in Psychology and permission of the instructor.

PSY3610  Psychological Testing and Measurement This course covers the basic principles, research, and theories on the testing and measurement of psychological constructs. Topics include test reliability and validity, test development, intelligence and its measurement, personality assessment, and clinical assessment.

PSY 3620-Contemporary Psychoanalytic Theory. After a brief overview of psychoanalysis and its evolution through the development of ego psychology (A. Freud, Hartman), considerable attention is given to object relations theory, both British (Klein, Winnicott, Guntrip) and American (Kohut, Kernberg) schools. The interpersonal psychoanalysis of Harry Stack Sullivan and its influence on modern psychoanalysis is reviewed. A familiarity with the language of psychoanalysis is essential. Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or PSY 2500.

PSY 3660-Physiological Psychology. An examination of the biological basis of behavior. Topics include: neuronal transmission; the coding of sensory stimuli; regulatory processes in feeding and drinking; sexual and emotional behavior; sleep and dreaming; learning and memory; psychopharmacology. The biological bases of depression, schizophrenia and drug addiction are also covered. Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or, for biology majors, permission of instructor.

PSY 3690-Personality Assessment. Focuses on how personality measures are constructed and how scores on these measures are interpreted and used. The strengths and weaknesses of various projective techniques, personality inventories, single-trait measures, IQ tests, behavioral indicators, and physiological measures are reviewed. Topics include: the stability of personality; whether or note IQ tests actually measure intelligence; the accuracy of people's self-descriptions of their personalities. Students construct new personality measures and assess their validity and reliability.

PSY 3705-Special Topics in Neuropsychology. One or two topics in human neuropsychology are examined in depth. Topics may include memory across the lifespan, degenerative disorders, neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia and depression), or communication disorders.

PSY3715  Human Neuropsychology This course reviews brain-behavior interactions obtained from studies of human brain damage and from investigations of the normal brain. Topics include hemispheric specialization, the representation of language, memory, spatial ability, attention, movement disorders, developmental disorders and generalized cognitive disorders.

PSY 3745-Human Memory. Examines the cognitive representations and processes involved in human memory. Topics include: short-term and working memory; encoding and forgetting processes; implicit memory, semantic memory, eyewitness memory; reconstructive processes and alterability of memory; memory for text; neural bases of memory.

PSY 3760-The Psychology of Personality. The study of how diverse psychological systems combine together to form a coherent, unique individual. Three competing traditions: the observationist approach (studying people in-depth through careful observation); the psychometric approach (personality and intelligence testing); and the experimental approach (manipulating one set of psychological systems to see
how others respond) are discussed.

PSY 3770-Cognitive Psychology. The study of human cognition from the perspective of the mind as a processor of information. Topics include: attention, memory, conceptual structure, imagery, reasoning, problem solving, and language use. Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or permission of instructor.

PSY 3790-Phenomenological Psychologies. (fulfills Social Science Gen. Ed.) This advanced seminar explores human experience through phenomenological analysis, an alternative to the experimental method. The phenomenological perspective is applied to social, developmental, perceptual, and clinical phenomena in psychology. Students read historical influences on phenomenological psychology. Such as William James, as well as work by contemporary theorists. Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or one year of philosophy or social theory.

PSY 3820-Social Psychology of HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS is among the most pressing health and social issues of our time. Topics include in-depth coverage of prevention and intervention, social marketing, HIV testing, disclosure of HIV status and stigma, access to medications, medication adherence, politics and public policy, and the international impact of HIV/AIDS (Africa, Asia, Europe) from an applied social-psychological perspective.

PSY 3830-Social Behavior. In this course, social behavior is studied through "ethnomethodology," a phenomenologically-based discipline. Students will read sociological theory and conduct investigations aimed at examining the methods people use to construct a social world. Topics include: performing gender, defining death, interpreting IQ, understanding contradictory versions of events, and making sense of communications. Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or one philosophy or sociology course.

PSY 3840-Psychology of Gender. (fulfills Race and Gender Gen. Ed.) Examines psychological, biological, and sociocultural factors influencing the development of gender identity and gender roles. Readings focus on the gender categories female and male, and on their relation to such issues as transsexualism, transvestism, intersexuality, and sexual behavior. Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or one women's studies course.

PSY 3845-Gender Development. (fulfills Race and Gender Gen. Ed.) Examines the processes involved in the development of gender, and emphasizes the interaction between biology, socialization, and cognition. Topics include hormonal influences, moral development, play, friendships, and experiences at school.

PSY 3850-Practicum in Child Development. Students work with preschool children for eight hours per week at the Purchase Children's Center, located on campus. The academic component of the practicum is coordinated through weekly class meetings that relate the students' experience with children at the Center to issues in child development. This course does not count as one of the Psychology electives for Psychology majors. In order to register, students must get permission of the Director of the Children's Center and of the instructor.

PSY 3860-Social Psychology. Students read classic experiments and contemporary research in the areas of conformity, obedience, helping behavior, social facilitation, conformity, obedience, attributions, aggression, persuasion, and prejudice. This material is applied to historical events, such as the Nazi movement in Germany and to current issues, such as the AIDS epidemic. Ethical issues in social research are examined. Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or one sociology course.

PSY 3890-Psychology Junior Seminar Under the guidance of a faculty member, each student conducts an in-depth critical review of research in a narrowly defined area. The aim is to develop critical thinking skills and to teach writing in the style of the discipline. Requires advanced standing in psychology and permission of instructor.

PSY 3900/4900-Independent Study and Tutorial. Students with special interests may study independently under the sponsorship of a qualified faculty member. Independent Study in general is permitted if the Board of Study offers no formal course covering the material. Independent Study in advanced or highly focused studies may be undertaken after a student has completed two 3000- or 4000- level courses in Psychology with a grade of B or better. Independent Study may not be substituted for any course specifically required. Workload is assumed to approximate two-and-one-half hours per week per credit.

PSY 3980-Internship in Psychology .

PSY 4100-Seminar in Early Childhood Development. An in-depth exploration of the development and education of young children, ranging in age from two to five years. Topics include: physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development; issues of self, autonomy, and independence; day care vs. preschool; developmentally appropriate practice; the assessment of young children; transitions to kindergarten.

PSY 4600-Seminar in Gender Theory. Students with a background in psychology, women's studies, lesbian and gay studies, or biology read primary material in gender theory. Meanings of gender-based categories (e.g. transvestism, transsexuality, intersexuality, hetero/homosexuality) are explored. The impact of psychological and biological theories on gender identity and on cultural ideas about gender is also considered. Conducted as a seminar, with a heavy emphasis on reading and class participation. Previous coursework in the psychology of gender is not required. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

PSY 4680-Seminar in Psychobiology of Mental Disorders. Neuroscientific perspective of a wide range of mental disorders, including: schizophrenia; affective and anxiety disorders; and personality disorders. Research on the biological bases of these disorders is reviewed, and more general methodological issues are discussed. Emphasis is placed on reading of primary source material and interpreting research findings. Prerequisites: PSY 1530 and PSY 3660 or PSY 3100. (Visit the Schizophrenia web site created by the Spring 2002 PSY 4680 class.)

PSY 4880/4890-Psychology Senior Seminar I & II. Students meet weekly to present and discuss their Senior Project proposals. Grading is on a Pass/No credit basis.

PSY 4990-Psychology Senior Project. Two semester, 8-credit independent study leading to a baccalaureate thesis. The project and thesis may take one of several forms. Students typically join in the faculty sponsor's research pursuing an identifiable problem in that context. Some students do research projects at other institutions, such as psychiatric hospitals or clinics. Such external projects must be approved by a Purchase faculty member, who acts as the internal sponsor and signs all forms. Prerequisites: 90 credits, PSY 3550 and 3890.