Sem-Personality: Self-Control

In this course, we will do all the major components of conducting a research exploration in the field of Personality Psychology.  Our focus for this semester will be the study of self-control. More specifically, we will examine and design research addressing delay of gratification as one adaptive expression of self-control. To do this, we will work with an archival data set that is housed here at Smith, and contains observations of participants who were observed on a delay of gratification task as preschoolers.

Sem: Peer Relationships

Covers theory and research on childhood and adolescent peer relationships. Topics include socialization processes, friendships and peer networks, and the interplay of biological, psychological and contextual factors that shape social interactions in the peer group. Some questions we address are: How do we form friendships? What qualities make us liked by our peers? Is there a difference between being ignored by other kids and being rejected by them? Have text messaging and social media sites changed the way we communicate with each other?

Sem:Adv Dev Psychopathalogy

Examination of the empirical and theoretical research relevant to anxiety disorders and their associated features in youth. Using a developmental perspective, we focus on risk factors, theoretical models, and methods of assessment and intervention. Prerequisite: 111 and 150 or 253 (or their equivalent). Permission of the instructor required.

Sem: T-Child Language

The seminar focuses on the purpose and design of language assessment materials for children, considered in cross-linguistic and cross-cultural perspective. Why is it necessary to test children in language skills?  There is variety in the kinds of language disorders, delay and difference in children. We will read about how linguists and psychologists collaborate to make tests that tap deep knowledge, and how to ensure that tests are fair across cultures, languages, dialects and multilingualism

Colq: Abnormal Psych

In-depth study of anxiety disorders. Course examines research on the phenomenology, etiology and treatment for selected anxiety disorders and clarifies the nature and quantity of evidence supporting the efficacy of current treatments. Attention is devoted to the strengths and weaknesses of different research designs for answering specific questions about psychopathology and psychotherapy. The course highlights landmark studies and documents which treatments have been shown to be most effective for which types of patients. Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 202 and PSY 150.

Colq: Moral Psychology

An exploration of the nature of moral psychology. We discuss how reason, emotion, cultural norms and social pressures shape our moral judgments; how brain activity correlates with moral decision-making; and how we can use psychological research on moral intuition to evaluate cultural and political disagreements. Prerequisites: PSY 202. Enrollment limit of 25. (E)

Colq:Brain, Behavior&Emotion

This course explores emotions and emotional behaviors from their evolution to their neural substrates. Topics include functions of emotions, fear, stress, social bonding, motivation and happiness. Special attention is paid to the ways in which the environment interacts with biology to shape subjective experience and behavior. Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 130, or NSC 210 and research methods. Enrollment limit of 25.

Colq: Cognitive Psychology

Theory and research on human cognition, from the fields of cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Topics include visual perception, attention, knowledge representation, memory, language, problem-solving and consciousness. Enrollment limit of 25. Prerequisite: PSY 100.
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