Psychopharmacology focuses on the impact that drugs (both illicit and prescription) have on the brain, neurocircuitry, and behavior. Students will explore the underlying neurotransmitter systems of the brain and discover how substances influence nervous system function including the experience of pain, sleep, emotional states, motivation, addiction, and mental health. The course will bridge concepts in chemistry, biology, psychology, and neuroscience by highlighting major drug classes and their underlying mechanisms of action.

Qualitative research in psychology includes the process of identifying qualitatively important patterns and units of meaning to provide rich, contextual descriptions of human experience. This lab course is designed to introduce students to a range of qualitative methodologies, including thematic analysis, grounded theory, and interpretive phenomenology, through the design and implementation of collaborative research projects.

As U.S. racial group populations are on the rise, educational institutions need to prepare for racial diversity reflected in classrooms from elementary school to college. In this lab course, students will use qualitative research methods and social justice frameworks to code and analyze three distinct data sets, one collected from Puerto Rican parents in Holyoke; one from a college course on social justice; and one from pre-service teachers in public schools.

Despite racialization as "model minorities," the psychological literature demonstrates that Asian Americans experience racism and are detrimentally affected by it. However, some aspects of anti-Asian American racism are qualitatively different from racism that is typically directed at other groups of color. In this course, we will explore the nature of anti-Asian American racism, how it may be internalized, and effects on mental health. Students will develop research questions and analyze (primarily quantitative) survey data from an ethnically diverse sample of Asian Americans.

This course covers three major theoretical approaches to counseling: short-term psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and solution-focused. Related to each theory we will explore case conceptualization, therapeutic alliance, treatment planning, and mechanisms of change. We will be examining applications to classes of clinical disorders and empirical support for improvement outcomes. Role-playing will be used to illustrate key concepts and approaches to the counseling process.

This course will explore the relationship between personality and the stress response, in particular, the role of neuroticism in this relationship and its association with health. In particular, we will explore the personality dimensions that play a role in the stress response, the types of stressors and its implication on health, and the techniques to reduce both psychological and physiological stress.

This course will explore conceptualizations of childhood and adolescence in the United States today. Using both academic articles and media resources, the course will address topics such as: early education and school readiness; play and extracurricular involvement; college access and attendance; mental health, self-esteem, and social media; and youth activism. We will use developmental psychology as the lens for most of our readings and discussion, although the course will integrate concepts from sociology, history, and education.

Adult illiteracy in the U.S. presents an ever-growing challenge. To understand this problem, we will learn various theories of reading. However, since many models of reading are based on data gathered from children, we will also examine how the cognitive abilities of adults are different from those of children. A large component of this class concerns learning the lab techniques associated with assessing reading abilities. In addition, since this is a community-based learning course, each student will become a tutor for an adult enrolled in an area literacy program.

This course surveys the theory and practice of using recordings of electrical activity of the brain to study aspects of human cognition. Lectures will describe how event-related brain potentials (ERPs) have been used to address issues related to language, memory, attention, and perception, and students will gain experience critically reading and evaluating research reports in this area. Students will also learn how to collect, process, statistically analyze, and interpret ERP data through the completion of group research projects.