| source Northwestern (X) |
level |
department PSYCH Psychology (X) |
Does life have any meaning? Are you psychologically healthier if you believe your life has meaning? Humans are the only animals aware of their own inevitable deaths. How does this affect the way we live our lives? How do we cope with knowing that we wonÂt live forever? Why do we feel so lonely, so often? This seminar focusing on existential psychology will give you a forum to explore these types of questions. It will provide an in-depth overview of the relationship between existentialism and psychology, from both philosophical and empirical perspectives. Students will be challenged to wrestle with the intersection of psychological theory and the Âgivens of existence (death, meaninglessness, isolation, freedom/responsibility) proposed by existentialists and to discover how confronting these givens influences individual and group psychology.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
The purpose of this course is to present an overview of the field of psychology. Among the topics we will cover are: perception, memory, thinking and problem solving, motivation, emotion, social influences on behavior, personality, psychological disorders, and the treatment of psychopathology. Class lectures, readings, and laboratory experiences in combination will convey a sense of some of the foundational questions and methods of the science of psychology. Ultimately, the goal of this course is to impart an initial understanding of some fundamentals of human nature and behavior, as well as instill a deeper appreciation for the science of psychology. To this end, 10 hours of laboratory experience are required across the quarter to allow you to have first-hand experience of the way research is conducted in psychology. Alternatively, a paper (requiring roughly the same number of hours outside of class) reviewing primary research articles in psychology may be substituted for the laboratory experience. If you are under the age of 18, you must use the paper requirement to satisfy your laboratory credit.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
We will explore techniques for describing the real world with numbers and for making educated guesses about how the world works by manipulating these numbers. Students will acquire a knowledge of how to execute statistical tests, but more importantly when and why to execute these tests.
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An introduction to brain research in relation to behavior. We shall deal with behavioral processes, including memory, perception and motivation. Emphasis will be placed on (1) strategies for the scientific study of the mind and (2) brain mechanisms which control behavior. The course will be oriented toward biological (anatomical and molecular) models; different from the usual introductory course in Psychology.
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This course is an intensive introduction to the scientific study of human personality and is organized around three broad questions: 1) How do people differ? 2) What are the processes and mechanisms underlying these personality differences? 3) What are the implications of these differences in peopleÂs lives? In addressing these questions, we will consider both classic and contemporary theoretical and empirical approaches to personality and focus on developing a dynamic understanding of human personality within its biological, social, and cultural contexts.
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This seminar will focus on Native-Americans, culture and cultural processes and environmental decision making. Some have argued that Native Americans have a spiritual connection with nature that leads them to respect and protect the environment. Others have suggested that "the ecological Indian" is a myth. We will examine some of these ideas but our primary focus will be on research relevant to these questions. Although we will begin with some historical information we will quickly shift to contemporary contexts. Student will prepare an analysis of contemporary Native-American cultures in relation to the environment and propose further studies.
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An introduction to human perception with a strong emphasis on visual perception. This course evaluates the current understanding of how neural activity in the brain allows people to perceive basic sensory features (e.g., brightness, color, size, position, depth, movement, loudness and pitch) as well as recognize and discriminate complex perceptual patterns (e.g., 2D-shapes, 3D-objects, faces, scenes, and musical sequences). The underlying mechanisms are discussed on the basis of behavioral, neurophysiological, and computational evidence.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
This course examines current theories in cognitive psychology, including theories of concepts, reasoning, decision-making, and problem-solving. It focuses on deriving empirical test of these theories and designing experiments to carry out the tests.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
This course involves an overview and critical analysis of psychological research and theory concerning differences and similarities between women and men. Both social and biological explanations will be explored. Emphasis will be placed on "hot topics" within the field (e.g., gender differences in cognition); however, a variety of topics will be considered (methods of researching gender, hormones, the brain, stereotypes, emotion, aggression, relationships, careers, and health). In addition to reviewing research on the complexities of gender, special attention will be given to how ideas about gender are reflected in and influenced by popular media.
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In the course of using statistics to answer research questions while working on a thesis, many honors students and advanced independent study students need statistics that are at least somewhat more complicated than those covered in Introductory Statistics classes. In addition, it is rare that faculty members perform statistical computations by hand as is done by students in Introductory Statistics classes. Rather, most faculty tend to use  and expect their advanced undergraduate students to use - one of the many computer software packages that are available for this purpose. Thus, this course will have two major foci. First, we will introduce advanced topics not covered in many sections of Introductory Statistics such as Multiple Regression and Factorial Analysis of Variance. Second, we will introduce the student to perhaps the most widely used computer software package in this area, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
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A survey of the study of human cognition from the perspective of Cognitive Neuroscience. Topics covered include: visual perception and blindsight, object recognition and agnosia, attention and neglect, memory and amnesia, hemispheric specialization, executive functions, and consciousness.
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A survey of current research in personality with emphasis on experimental approaches to the study of personality. Specific theories discussed will include (but are not limited to) the biological basis of introversion/extraversion, the theory of achievement motivation, and individual differences in proneness to anxiety and in sensitivity to reward and punishment.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
This course teaches the basic "language" of statistics. Starting with probability theory, students learn mathematical mechanisms underlying common tests of significance including chi squared, t, and F.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
This course is an interdisciplinary investigation into the origin of concepts. Knowledge from the domains of depth perception, objects, number, space, language, and morality are discussed. Students become familiar with primary material from developmental and comparative psychology, philosophy, anthropology, and cognitive neuroscience. This year, the backbone of the course will be to read Susan Carey's new book, "The origin of concepts"
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
This course introduces the cognitive, physical, biological, emotional, moral, and social development of individuals from conception through old age and death. Developmental process, issues, and stages will be explored. Through lectures, audio-visual examples, discussion, and hands-on activities, students will learn about a variety of topics in developmental psychology. Carries social science credit.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
A survey of theories and research in Cognitive Psychology, covering topics such as perception, attention, memory, representation of knowledge, language, reasoning and problem solving, judgment and decision-making , and consciousness. Classes will consist of lectures, demonstrations and discussion. Students will be required to think critically about the assumptions and methods underlying research on class topics. Carries science or social science credit.
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Students are introduced to the various psychological disorders manifested by individuals across the lifespan. The major disorders covered include mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, substance-use disorders, schizophrenia, and sexual disorders. In addition to focusing on the cause and course of these disorders, students are exposed to the major treatment approaches currently available. Students also review research on the effectiveness of these treatments. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to think critically about the definition of mental illness, its relation to normality, and the social, ethical, and legal implications of the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders. Carries social science credit.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
This course examines the relationship between psychology and spirituality, beginning from a definitional understanding. The course especially explores how the areas of psychology and spirituality are understood within the contextual experiences of persons in the world today. Areas covered in the course include gender influences on psychological and spiritual experiences, psychology, spirituality and health, meaning and purpose relative to psychology and spirituality, and psychological as well as spiritual perspectives on evil and suffering. A final aim of the course is the understanding of how psychology and spirituality can be integrated. Carries social science credit.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
Issues related to human sexuality, including discussion of healthy sexuality as well as sexual dysfunction. Theoretical and historical perspectives on sexuality, biological aspects of sexuality, sexuality and the life cycle, attraction and love, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual coercion. Current topics in media are also covered. Discussion and critique of research methods.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
The purpose of this course is to present an overview of the field of psychology. Among the topics we will cover are: perception, memory, thinking and problem solving, motivation, emotion, social influences on behavior, personality, psychological disorders, and the treatment of psychopathology. Class lectures, readings, and laboratory experiences in combination will convey a sense of some of the foundational questions and methods of the science of psychology. Ultimately, the goal of this course is to impart an initial understanding of some fundamentals of human nature and behavior, as well as instill a deeper appreciation for the science of psychology. To this end, 10 hours of laboratory experience are required across the quarter to allow you to have first-hand experience of the way research is conducted in psychology. Alternatively, a paper (requiring roughly the same number of hours outside of class) reviewing primary research articles in psychology may be substituted for the laboratory experience. If you are under the age of 18, you must use the paper requirement to satisfy your laboratory credit.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
An introduction to statistics in psychological research. Part of the course will deal with descriptive statistics, i.e. how to summarize a quantity of data to allow it to be understood. The second part of the course will deal with inferential statistics, or how to infer properties of populations from those observed in samples.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
This course provides a broad overview of social psychology revolving around one general question: In what ways do our social relations affect who we are and how we act? In approaching this questions, we will examine three basic social motives, "Understanding", "Belonging", and "Controlling", and explore how these motives influence things such as how we explain our own and others' behaviors, how we form and change our attitudes and opinions, how we are influenced by the groups we belong to, and what compels us to help or hurt those with whom we interact. At the end of the course, we will then discuss some ways in which the answers to these questions are relevant for addressing a variety of social problems.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
The course will be directed at the clinical and non-clinical actions of pharmaceutical agents, where in brain they act and their pharmacology. Agents that are targeted for neurodegenerative diseases such as AlzheimerÂs and ParkinsonÂs, mood disorders such as depression, cognitive disorders such as schizophrenia, anxiety disorders such as obsession and compulsion, traumatic disorders such as PTSD will be considered. Why recreational drugs, from the legitimate like caffeine and nicotine, to the illegitimate, including methamphetamine to heroin will be discussed in the context of their sites of action.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
The focus of this course is the development of perception, cognition, language, personality and social interaction from infancy through adolescence. We will consider perspectives and methods in developmental research. We will also explore specific issues, including: How do young infants perceive the world? How do infants and toddlers develop an attachment to their parents or caretakers? Why are some children good at making friends, and why do others feel lonely or isolated? How do parents' beliefs and values influence children's development and school achievement? How do parents' discipline style influence children's social and personality development? As each new topic is introduced, students will be encouraged to think critically about the assumptions and methods that underlie research on particular issues. A central goal will be to help students develop an appreciation of different criteria for evaluating research and other forms of evidence.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page
A survey of theories and research in Cognitive Psychology, covering topics such as perception, attention, memory, representation of knowledge, language, reasoning and problem solving, judgment and decision-making , and consciousness. Classes will consist of lectures, demonstrations and discussion. Students will be required to think critically about the assumptions and methods underlying research on class topics.
Score: 11.779476 Details | Listing | Web page