Psychology

Courses

The course descriptions in the college catalogue are listed numerically, from introductory 100-level courses to 300-level Upper College courses and seminars.

Areas of Study

The program provides grounding in the areas of abnormal psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, neuroscience, and social psychology. It provides a thorough foundation in empirical methodology and analysis, and offers opportunities to participate in meaningful research and laboratory experiences.

In brief, abnormal psychology is both an applied discipline and a research-oriented science that pertains to the study of psychopathology (psychological disorders, atypical development) and personality. Cognitive psychology seeks to understand how the human brain governs action, imagination, decision making, and communication. Developmental psychology involves the study of change (growth and decline) over the life span, including changes in cognition, social interaction, and brain development. Neuroscience focuses on understanding the structure and function of the central and peripheral nervous systems as it investigates questions of brain and behavioral development, normal brain function, and disease processes. Finally, social psychology is the scientific study of people in their social contexts, emphasizing the empirical study of behavior and social thought, preferences, and feelings about oneself, one’s social groups, and others.

Recent Senior Projects in Psychology

• “The Effects of Reactive Aggression and Proactive Aggression on Heart Rate Reactivity to an Anger Induction”
• “Facial Emotion Recognition Impairments in Subclinical Depression”
• “Media and the Shooter Bias: Investigating the Relationship between Implicit Racial Biases and News Coverage”
• “Proposed Intervention to Improve Recently Immigrated Hispanic Adolescents’ Academic Performance and Psychological Well-Being”