Same as PSY 304. What is happiness? What is personal well-being? How are they achieved? This course examines the core ideas of the Buddhist science of mind and how they are being studied and employed by psychologists, neuroscientists, cognitive scientists and psychotherapists. The focus of the course is the notion of "happiness," its cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary definition as well as the techniques advocated for its achievement by both the Buddhist and the psychologist. Prerequisite: PSY 100 or REL 105; or one course in Buddhist traditions; or permission of an instructor.

Enduring patterns of Buddhist thought concerning the interpretations of self, world, nature, good and evil, love, wisdom, time and enlightenment as revealed through major primary texts, contemporary writings and films. Enrollment limited to 35.

An introduction to the history and spirituality of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, with focus on the Byzantine and Russian traditions. Topics include the meanings and markers of tradition; icons and ritual; the spiritual elder and monastic culture; points of difference with Catholicism and Protestantism. Given that Eastern Christianity has made an unexpected comeback in post-Soviet society and culture, this course also examines contemporary Orthodox discourse on such issues as human rights, modernization, globalization and church/state relations.

A survey of the institution of prophecy and the individuals who functioned as prophets in the Hebrew Bible. Emphasis on the following issues: What types of people became prophets? What did prophets speak about? What role did prophets play in society? Did prophets deliver different or even conflicting messages? Can one tell a true from a false prophet?

An exploration of the roles played by religion in women's private and public lives, as shaped by and expressed in sacred texts, symbols, rituals and institutional structures. Experiences of Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Wiccan women facing religious authority and exercising agency. We consider topics such as feminism and gender in the study of religion; God-talk and goddesses; women's bodies and sexuality; family, motherhood and celibacy; leadership and ordination; critiques of traditions, creative adaptations, and new religious movements.

This seminar focuses on people's motivations to participate in political activism, especially activism around social issues. Readings include theoretical and empirical work from psychology, sociology and political science. We consider accounts of some large-scale liberal and conservative social movements in the United States and abroad. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

An introduction to research techniques through the discussion of current research, design and execution of original research in selected areas such as drinking games, pregaming/prepartying (i.e., "drinking before drinking"), acculturation and alcohol use, motivations to drink, expectations about the effects of alcohol use, and athletic involvement and drinking behaviors among adolescents and emerging adults. Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor; PSY 201, PSY 202, with PSY 220 preferred.

Research Seminar. In this advanced methods course, we study feminist empirical approaches to psychological research. The first part considers several key feminist empiricist philosophies of science, including positivist, experiential and discursive approaches. The second part focuses on conceptualizations of gender-beyond difference-based approaches-and their operationalization in recent empirical articles. The capstone is an application of feminist perspectives on psychological science to a group research project in the domain of health and well-being.

This seminar discusses research on the neurocognitive basis of autism spectrum disorders, considering genetic, neuroscientific, psychological and linguistic factors in their etiology and characterization. Topics include the history of the diagnosis, the incidence of the disorders, cross-cultural conceptions of autism, studies of the underlying neural mechanisms, and the cognition and language of children with ASD. Prerequisites: One of PSY 160 or EDC 235, PSY 216, or PSY 253, or permission of the instructor.

This course involves an intensive exploration of Asian American personal and cultural identities through psychological and literary analyses. What roles do factors like generation, migration, racism, gender and ethnicity play in the formation of identity? Psychological readings are paired with literature to examine how insights from psychologists and creative writers contradict, illuminate and otherwise enliven our understanding of Asian American experiences. Prerequisite: PSY 100 or any PSY course in the Person and Society area or permission of instructor.