In this seminar, we will explore the development of how children use and engage in stories that help them find meaning in their lives and in the world. Narratives are found throughout our daily lives: in picture books, in videos, and in sharing our personal past. We will examine how they help us find meaning in experiences, the course of their development in different contexts, the role of conversation in learning how to convey narratives, and cultural differences in autobiographical narratives.

Students will work in teams to code videotaped observations of romantic partners discussing relationship conflicts. Students will learn to code emotion expressions and behavior at the dyadic and individual levels. Course topics include methodological issues such as coding bias, construct validity, and intercoder reliability, as well as empirical research on individual differences in conflict behavior and links between conflict behavior and relationship outcomes.

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.

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.

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.

In this course we will discuss the many types of memory we use daily, from remembering the name of a new friend, a favorite birthday party, or even how to ride a bike. We will explore the constructive nature of memories and how they may change over time as well as how memory capabilities develop over the life course. We will also explore the neurological underpinnings of memory and the limits of our brains' memory systems. However, a background in neuroscience is not necessary.

Autobiographical memories of personal past experiences create our life stories. Our memories range from the mundane to the momentous. In this course we will explore the functions of autobiographical memory as well as its development. What are the basic cognitive processes that contribute to our ability to remember and report the past? How do we interpret past events to inform the development of our self-identity? How do social experiences contribute to the development of memory?

This course examines how France and Francophone West Africa have shaped each other throughout the past three centuries. Beginning with the French Atlantic of the eighteenth century, the course traces Franco-African encounters through informal and formal colonial rule, decolonization, and the postcolonial period. It closes by examining current controversies over race, literature and museum rights engendered by this complex history.

The seminar will introduce and discuss various musical works and genres that fall under rock critic Ann Powers' definitions of 'Violator Art,' exploring them within the context of their wanton and disturbing appeal, as well as their often scandalous social impact. Topics will include the Second Viennese School, free jazz, protest music, punk rock, hip-hop, works such as J. S. Bach's 'Cantata No.