General Psychology provides an overview of the methods, fundamental principles, and major perspectives which define the discipline of psychology. Intrapersonal and/or interpersonal psychological processes involved in the biological basis of behavior, sleeping and dreaming, conditioning and learning, cognition, lifespan human development, abnormal psychology, and psychological treatment. Classical and contemporary research and perspectives including the biological, cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, humanistic, sociocultural and evolutionary perspectives are explored. Students are actively involved through application, interactive exercises, simulations, and projects.

This course explores the study of growth and development across the life span. Students are introduced to the reciprocal nature of biological, cognitive, social and cultural factors on the developing person. This is a research-based introduction to understanding the expression of development in everyday life as it extends to family, friendship, youth ministry, school, neighborhood, sports, health care, and social services.

Prerequisite: PY111.

This course investigates the dynamics of abnormal behavior. Disorders manifested in childhood and adolescence, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, dissociative disorders, somatoform disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia, substance abuse, sexual disorder, and dependence, violence and abuse, and personality disorders are studied. Etiology, diagnosis, prognosis, research, prevention and therapy are considered. The interactions among biological, psychological, social and cultural factors are emphasized.

Prerequisite: PY111.

This course is designed to give students an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills associated with research, including: reading research, collecting data, interpreting data analysis, and reporting results. Emphasis is placed on experimental design (e.g., comparisons among experimental and non-experimental approaches, threats to internal and external validity), interpretation of statistics (e.g., descriptive statistics, correlation, one and two-way ANOVA), reporting results, and research ethics.

Prerequisites: PY111 and either ST132 or ST232.

Learning and cognition engages students in learning principles and cognitive psychology. Using a historical perspective in psychology, students first examine classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning, including the ideas of Pavlov, Watson, Skinner, and Bandura. In the second half, the course focuses on the roles of perception, attention, and memory in the process of cognition. Students participate in computer-based laboratory simulations and experiments outside of class. Emphasis is placed on the students’ abilities to critically analyze readings, research methodology, and research data, as well as to effectively communicate their ideas in writing.

Prerequisites: PY111 and either PY211 or PY220.

Social psychology is the scientific study of how we perceive people and social events as well as how we influence and relate to one another. Areas covered include social cognition; prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping; the self; interpersonal attraction and close relationships; helping; aggression; attitudes and persuasion; conformity, compliance and obedience. Applications of social psychology to academics, the workplace, the media, and social relations are examined.

Prerequisites: PY111, PY290, and either PY211 or PY220.

Biopsychology provides an overview of physiological, genetic and evolutionary explanations of behavior. Areas covered include neurophysiology, psychopharmacology, brain imaging techniques, addiction, learning and memory, body weight regulation, circadian rhythms, stress and health, psychological disorders and biological therapies. The interrelationships among social, genetic and neurologic processes are examined.

Recommend PY211 and PY220. Prerequisites: PY111.

Personality psychology examines the question, "What does it mean to be a person?" This course includes historical ways in which we have tried to understand human persons. Classical personality theories including psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, trait and humanistic/existential are studied and evaluated. Contemporary research in personality areas such as attachment, temperament, the big five traits, and psychological well-being is studied and integrated with historical and classical approaches.

Prerequisites: PY111, PY220, PY305, and PY310.

Prerequisites:

PY111 General Psychology

PY220 Abnormal Psychology

PY305 Learning and Cognition

PY310 Social Psychology

This course is designed to develop student facility in the use of statistical methods and the understanding of statistical concepts. The course takes a practical approach based on statistical examples taken from everyday life. Topics include: descriptive and inferential statistics, an intuitive introduction to probability, estimation, hypothesis testing, chi-square tests, regression and correlation. Appropriate technology is used to perform the calculations for many applications, and correspondingly an emphasis is placed on interpreting the results of statistical procedures.

Credit is not granted for this course and any of the following: BU215, B392 or ST232. Prerequisite: mathematics competency.

This course is designed to provide the basic ideas and techniques of statistics. Topics include: descriptive and inferential statistics, an intuitive introduction to probability, estimation, hypothesis testing, chi-square tests, regression and correlation. This course makes significant use of appropriate technology. Topics in this course is treated at a higher mathematical level than they are treated in ST132.

Credit is not granted for this course and any of the following: BU215, B392 or ST132. Offered fall semester. Prerequisite: departmental placement or minimum C grade in M148.

Prerequisites:

M115 College Algebra

This course is taken before the student conducts a thesis study. Students are required to identify an area for research, conduct a literature review, select or construct appropriate instrument/apparatus, design, write, and present a research proposal. Pilot work is expected. The course is conducted primarily on an independent basis in consultation with the instructor.

Graded pass/no credit. Prerequisites: PY290 and junior standing. Recommend PY313 and PY314.

Prerequisites:

PY290 Experimental Psychology and Statistics

In this course, students conduct collect data for their experiment or study, enter the data, and start to analyze the data. Independent research is emphasized in consultation with the instructor and an advisor.

Graded pass/no credit. Prerequisites: PY290 and PY489. Recommend: PY313 and PY314.

Prerequisites:

PY290 Experimental Psychology and Statistics

PY489 Thesis Planning

In this course students analyze, interpret, and integrate their findings for their experiment or study; complete a written report following APA guidelines, including an extensive literature review, and make a formal presentation. Independent research is emphasized in consultation with the instructor and an advisor.

Prerequisites: PY290, PY489, and PY490.

This course is taken the semester before a student does an internship. Students are required to acquire relevant information about possible internship sites; contact prospective supervisors; discern whether one has sufficient interest, motivation and training for said internship. Students meet with department faculty for an interview, prepare self goals and objectives and create a resume, and conduct a literature review relevant to the chosen site. Students meet individually and in groups with the instructor.

Graded pass/no credit. Prerequisites: junior standing, PY211, PY220, PY290, PY305, and PY310.

Students participate in supervised field work. Placements include group homes, residential treatment centers, day treatment centers, nursing homes, hospitals, psychological clinics, personnel offices, chemical dependency centers. Three credits may be letter graded and the remaining credits are graded pass/no credit.

Prerequisites: completion of the psychology core, course work appropriate to the internship, PY488, approval from the internship director and chair. PY410 is recommended.

Students research and write an integrative in-depth paper based upon the student's internship experience. The course is taken subsequent to or concurrent with the internship. An extensive literature review is conducted, including theoretical and empirical studies. Students make a formal public presentation based on their paper and internship.

Graded pass/no credit. Prerequisites: PY488 and PY496/497.

This course examines culture’s influence on human behavior with particular emphasis on multiculturism in a global Lasallian context. Primary significance is on bridging core values of Lasallian heritages and mission with traditional and contemporary theories in cross-cultural psychology. Particular attention is devoted to discovering how the contributions of Saint John Baptist de La Salle can be utilized to enhance our understanding of teaching and learning and the ways that culture impacts the dynamic interplay among family, friendship, emotions, language, education, spirituality and personality.

Prerequisites – Psychology majors: PY111; non-declared and/or non-majors: an introductory course in Human Systems.

In this course, students continue with a research team to explore an on-going research question. Each student is involved in literature review, hypothesis generation, research design, data collection, data analysis, and interpretation. Students join the team at whatever stage the project is at. Each student experiences all stages of the research process, but at times these are not in the order described above. Over the course of a project, students gain all of these skills but may not gain all skills in a given semester. Students are expected to demonstrate gains in leadership, skills, synthesis, and writing in each subsequent semester of collaborative research.

Prerequisite: PY299.

These courses are designed to provide an opportunity to survey and discuss current trends and meet special need of students. Often the course includes both a theoretical and experimental emphasis. Topics vary from year to year depending on student and faculty interest.

Perquisites vary; consent of instructor is required.

This course offers an introduction to basic and advanced interviewing skills in counseling psychology. Individual counseling, group counseling, and ethical and professional issues are examined. Students consider research and theory, and apply these to speciality groups. Some hands-on experience with basic skills in individual and group formats are supervised and required.

Prerequisite: PY220. Recommended: PY370.

Prerequisites:

PY220 Abnormal Psychology

PY370 Personality Psychology

This course is designed to cover the issues relevant to clinical psychology with an emphasis on clinical assessment. The course focuses on several primary areas such as diagnosis, conducting intake interviews, conducting mental status exams, and writing intake reports. Ability, personality, and projective tests are investigated. Students learn how to create, critique, and administer a test.

Prerequisites: PY111, PY220, PY311, and PY370. Recommended: PY410.

These are courses of particular areas of psychology determined by faculty and student interest. Seminars offerings are predicated upon faculty availability.

Prerequisites: PY111 and consent of faculty.