New Courses – Fall 2008 -- Department of Psychology

PSYC-215-003 Mondays & Thursdays 11:20 am-12:35 pm. Abnormal Psychology

Focuses on behavior labeled as abnormal by society. Abnormal behavior as a function of the individual's interaction with social institutions (family, school, legal system, mental-health system, etc.). Introduction to the major concepts, theories, and issues of abnormal psychology. Usually offered every term. Prerequisite for General Education credit: ANTH-150 or PSYC-105 or SOCY-100 or WGST-125.

PSYC 235 002 -- Mondays & Thursdays 2:10-3:25 pm. Theories of Personality

Students explore and critically compare four major approaches to understanding uniqueness in human behavior, emotion, and thought: holistic, dynamic, learning, and trait/biological. Class debates, exercises, and a paper help students use these theories to understand their own and others' personalities. Usually offered every term. Prerequisite for General Education credit: ANTH-150 or PSYC-105 or SOCY-100 or WGST-125.

PSYC 240 003 -- Mondays & Thursdays 8:30-9:45 am Drugs and Behavior

This introduction to psychoactive drugs and their effects includes an overview of general physiology, neurochemistry, and pharmacology as well as a survey of the basic physiological, pharmacological, and behavioral effects of drugs. The course focuses on the etiology and consequences of addiction and dependence. Critical evaluation of research methodology in drug assessment is stressed. Usually offered every term. Prerequisite for General Education credit: BIO-100 or BIO-110 or PSYC-115.

PSYC 497 003 -- Wednesdays 8:30-11:10 am Psychology of the African-American Child

This course surveys the development and socialization of African American children's psychological health. You will be introduced to an African-centered theoretical framework in an attempt to study and explain the psychology of African American children. From this cultural perspective you will examine how social, political, and economic factors influence the processes of psychological development for African American children. The course will be approached from a developmental and ecological perspective. Students will examine unique and specific issues that confront African American children in our society.

PSYC 597 002 – Thursdays 5:30-8:00 pm. Are We Hardwired? - From Genes to Minds to Evolution

Conventional behavioral genetics has focused, largely, on identifying "genes of vulnerability" and environmental risk factors. Similarly, traditional psychology has been inclined to think in terms of 'nature versus nurture,' too often conceptualized as opposing forces differing completely in kind. When the interaction is acknowledged, it is usually presented as either too complicated or mysterious to be understood fully, and questions of mechanism are abandoned in lieu of trying to determine how much of each contributes to the final product. The relationship, however, is more complex and rich than such an approach can support. This course will introduce a new, post-genomic age behavioral genetics, including concepts such as epigenetics, imprinting, and others, to support a comprehensive, integrated way to think about genes, the environment, and the nervous system as they interact in mediating behavior and cognition.

PSYC 597 003 – Wednesdays 11:20 am-2:00 pm.

"The Behavioral Neuroscience of Addiction"

This seminar will explore the science of addiction with an emphasis on current research in the areas of behavior and neuroscience. Students will read and discuss selected texts, original research papers, and reviews concerned with topics including theories of drug abuse and addiction. addiction research methods, models of drug abuse, and addiction treatment. This seminar will provide students with an understanding of the current state of addiction science.