Introduces the analysis of cultural diversity, including concepts, methods, and purposes in interpreting social, economic, political, and belief systems found in human societies.

This course examines the emerging field of Positive Psychology which uses science to understand and enhance positive aspects of the human experience (i.e., "the good life"). Positive Psychology stands in contrast to more traditional psychological approaches that focus on pathology. We will critically examine theory and research in Positive Psychology, including strengths and virtues, meaning in life, positive coping, authenticity, happiness, gratitude, flow, religion/spirituality, and optimism.

This course provides a hands-on introduction to psychological research in the domain of personality psychology. We will consider research methods, personality assessments, the intersection of personality and social psychology, and issues broadly relevant to psychological research. Students will work collaboratively in groups through all phases of a research project, including conducting a literature review, designing a study, receiving ethics approval, collecting data, conducting statistical analyses, and reporting the results.

In this course we will apply social psychological research practices to understand a social problem and work toward promoting positive social change. Specifically, we will use community-based participatory action research principles to investigate community concerns related to sexual and mental health, or community-identified pathways to promoting sexual and mental well-being. Students will develop a research project in partnership with community stakeholders, collect and analyze data, and produce a final product that is based on community priorities and is useful for community partners.

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.

Cognition encompasses a range of phenomena that define our mental lives. This course considers empirical investigations and theoretical accounts of cognitive issues, including learning and memory, creativity and problem solving, decision making, attention, consciousness, and language.

What do we learn? How do we learn? Why do we learn? In this course, we will study issues of learning, teaching, and motivation that are central to educational psychology. We will explore the shifting paradigms within educational psychology, multiple subject matter areas, (dis)continuities between classroom and home cultures, students' prior experiences, teachers as learners, ethnic and gender identity in the classroom, and learning in out-of-school settings. Requires a prepracticum in a community-based setting.

Examines changes in cognitive, social, and emotional functioning, including theory and research that illuminate some central issues in characterizing these changes: the relative contributions of nature and nurture, the influence of the context on development, continuity versus discontinuity in development, and the concept of stage. Includes observations at the Gorse Children's Center.

This course surveys the psychological field of abnormal psychology. We will explore historical foundations, theories, research, assessment, and treatment as they relate to diagnoses included in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition . Throughout the course, we will critically examine the concept of abnormality and its intersection with societal and cultural contexts.

How do individuals differ and how are they the same? What factors shape the development of our personalities? This course will introduce students to some of the major psychological theories of and approaches to understanding personality. We will critically examine theory and research on traits, genetics, neuroscience, self and identity, intrapsychic perspectives, regulation and motivation, and cognition, integrating these views into a more complete understanding of personality.