The potential plasticity of the nervous system has therapeutic implications that have, in recent years, been marketed to help people "train their brains" to improve cognitive function. This class will discuss the biological mechanisms of neural plasticity, as well as the theory and methodology of intervention- or training-based neuroscience research. Most importantly, we will assess the validity of interventions designed to improve brain functioning by critically evaluating the primary research articles that are the basis of this rapidly growing field.

This course will cover experimental results, "real-world" observations, and theoretical frameworks that help us understand the error-prone nature of human memory.

This applied developmental psychology seminar will examine topics at the intersection of child development, trauma, and the justice system. Specifically, this course will discuss child maltreatment and how abuse and neglect can impact development in multiple domains. Societal and legal responses to these crimes will also be examined. Emphasis will be on theory, empirical findings, and practical applications of findings, including challenges involved in the prosecution of cases of abuse and neglect.

Students in this course will explore psychological theory and research pertaining to gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. Topics include sexual orientation, sexual identity development, stigma management, heterosexism & homonegativity, gender roles, same-sex relationships, LGB families, LGB diversity, and LGB mental health

Students in this course will explore psychological theory and research pertaining to gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. Topics include sexual orientation, sexual identity development, stigma management, heterosexism & homonegativity, gender roles, same-sex relationships, LGB families, LGB diversity, and LGB mental health

The main aim of this course is to look at how culture shapes the way humans think, feel, and act. This course is about why people from different parts of the world think and behave differently, why Homo sapiens is a cultural species, how cultural learning shapes the human mind, and why there is substantial diversity in our psychology around the globe. The materials is this course cover topics like how culture affects our emotions, sense of self, morals, and how people behave in social contexts.

This course examines how human socio-cultural worlds matter for mental health. Research in cultural psychology and diversity science has illuminated significant psychological variation in everything from emotion and cognition to social relationships and behavior. As such, clinical psychologists and allied professionals must consider cultural and social influences on the etiology, presentation, and treatment of psychopathology. Material for this course will be drawn from multiple disciplines to incorporate thinking beyond the field of psychology.

The primary goals of this course are to provide a basic introduction to the study of sleep; to provide a basic introduction to sleep disorders including their classification, cause and treatment and; perhaps most importantly, to answer "Why do we sleep?". We will seek scientifically informed answers to questions like: Why do we dream? Do animals sleep? And, what happens when we don't get enough sleep?

This course will provide students with an overview of autism across the lifespan, through exploration of autistic narratives and empirical research. Students will learn about the principles of neurodiversity and disability justice and explore their role in the history of autism. Using an intersectional lens that includes race, gender, sexuality, and social class, students will critically evaluate how autism has been defined, diagnosed, and treated.