Courses

Introductory Course

PSY 10000/20000 Introductory Psychology

A broad coverage of the methods and findings that characterize scientific psychology, including a description of historical and recent developments in the areas of learning and motivation; perceptual, cognitive, and physiological processes; social, personality, and child development; and abnormal behavior and clinical treatment. Open to first-year students only.
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

Required Courses

PSY 20010 Science, Practice & Policy

This one-credit seminar introduces the department's programs and faculty research interests as well as the profession of psychology. The goal is to encourage more active reflection on how psychology can be useful, both personally and professionally; also to present the major tensions within contemporary psychology as well as its potential impact on public policies in the decade ahead.
1 Credit hours
1 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

PSY 30100 Statistics for Behavioral Sciences

An introduction to the analysis and evaluation of experimental data, with particular emphasis on measures of central tendency, variability, and co-variability and their relationship to psychological theory and explanation.

PSY 30160 Methods for Behavioral Sciences

A continuation of Psychology 30100, with emphasis on the design and methods of execution of psychological research. Training in writing reports in professional format is also provided.

Elective Content Area Courses

Developmental

PSY 30200 Developmental Psychology

Major theories and research findings on social, emotional, and cognitive development are covered. Although emphasis is on the time from birth to early adulthood, some research on adulthood and the elderly is included. Attention is given to how different environments enhance or hinder healthy development.
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

PSY 30220 Adolescent Development 

The second decade of life is a crucial developmental transition that poses significant physical, psychological, and social challenges to young people; and which have implications for later psychosocial outcomes. This course explores the portrait of adolescence that is revealed by contemporary developmental science. We will examine adolescence in cultural and historical context and survey recent empirical literatures on some core topics, including pubertal maturation, the cognitive and social-personality development of teenagers, the struggle for self and identity, the influence of family, peers, and schools on development, adolescent risk behavior and positive youth development, among other topics
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

PSY 30312 Child & Adolescent Psychopathology

This course is an introduction to the field of child and adolescent psychopathology. We will review the clinical features, diagnosis, and developmental course of the major disorders of childhood and adolescence. The integration of case studies into each unit of the course will allow students the opportunity to apply their knowledge of concepts to think critically about how various cultural and contextual factors influence symptom presentation, diagnosis, and treatment.

Clinical

PSY 30300 Personality Psychology

This course is a survey of the contemporary study of personality in the context of its growth as a field of psychology. The focus is on personality as an empirical science. The course introduces perspectives or approaches to studying personality as well as theories, historical background, and modern research. Additionally, key issues such as the conceptualization and measurement of personality variables, the stability and consistency of personality, and real-world applications are addressed. The course provides the opportunity to broaden students' understanding of the science of personality and to think critically about the application of personality theory in everyday life. Readings are primarily taken from a text, but additional readings and class materials may be assigned.
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

PSY 30310 Abnormal Psychology

Defines the concept of abnormal or maladaptive behavior; reviews the principles involved in human development and adjustment and describes the common clinical syndromes, their causes, and treatments.
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

PSY 30312 Child & Adolescent Psychopathology

This course is an introduction to the field of child and adolescent psychopathology. We will review the clinical features, diagnosis, and developmental course of the major disorders of childhood and adolescence. The integration of case studies into each unit of the course will allow students the opportunity to apply their knowledge of concepts to think critically about how various cultural and contextual factors influence symptom presentation, diagnosis, and treatment.

PSY 30314 Introduction to Clinical Psychology

This course provides an introduction to clinical psychology. The emphasis will be on clinical research and empirically-based practices. It will cover (a) research methods for studying clinical phenomena (b) key issues and controversies in the field, and (c) specific topics such as classification and diagnosis, assessment, prevention, and intervention.
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

Cognition, Brain and Behavior

PSY 33528 Cognitive Aging

The global population is aging, and there is increasing importance to understand how cognition is affected as we age. In this course, you will learn about the current theories and controversies about how cognition changes during healthy aging and in aging associated with cognitive impairment and dementia. The key areas of cognition you will explore include attention, executive function, processing speed, and learning and memory. You will also explore the relationship between brain and cognitive aging, and factors that potentially mediate the risk of age-related cognitive impairment and dementia.

PSY 30400 Cognitive Psychology

A lecture course presenting a cognitive approach to higher processes such as memory, problem-solving, learning, concept formation, and language.
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

PSY 30440 Sensation and Perception

Includes a diverse range of topics, from sensory processes and perceptual development to sensory deprivation and visual illusions. Emphasis is on auditory and visual perception.
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

PSY 30520 Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience

Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience is a survey course that introduces students to the biological substrates underlying various forms of cognition in humans, with a specific focus on mental processes. We will explore how psychological and cognitive functions are produced by the brain. Cognitive neuroscience is a branch of both psychology and neuroscience, drawing from disciplines such as biological psychology (biopsychology), neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and neuropsychology. We will cover a broad range of topics, including learning and memory, perception, development and neural plasticity, cerebral lateralization and language, emotions and social cognition, stress, sleep and dreaming, and consciousness. No previous coursework in neuroscience is required, but at least some experience with biology or biopsychology is preferred.
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

Social

PSY 30600 Social Psychology 

An introduction to the major theoretical orientations within the field of experimental social psychology and a survey of the research findings in selected areas such as attitude formation and change, affiliation, interpersonal attraction, and social cognition.
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

Quantitative

PSY 30100 Statistics for Behavioral Science

An introduction to the analysis and evaluation of experimental data, with particular emphasis on measures of central tendency, variability, and covariability and their relationship to psychological theory and explanation.
4 Credit hours
4 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

PSY 30109 R for Data Science 

This class aims to equip students with basic knowledge of R in data manipulation, data generation, data visualization and data analysis with a focus on data science. The first part of the class will introduce the very basics of R including the types of data such as vectors, matrices, and data frames as well as tibbles for refined data frames and bigmatrix for big data. The second part of the class will introduce data manipulation and preprocessing methods such as data transformation, subsetting, and combination. The third part will deal with specific types of data such as strings, texts, dates and times, images, audios, and videos. The fourth part will teach ggplot2 and related packages for data visualization. The last part of the class will illustrate how to conduct data analysis using the above techniques through case studies such as basket analysis, network analysis, and log analysis. The class does not require previous knowledge of R

Upper Level Seminar Courses

PSY 40120 Advanced Statistics

This course extends PSY 30100 in two respects. First, additional attention is given to the logic of inferential statistics. Special focus is placed on the purpose, strengths, and limitations of hypothesis testing, especially as it is used in psychological research. Second, this course considers statistical analysis of data from more complex data structures than typically covered in PSY 30100. The goal of this part of the course is to heighten students' awareness of the variety of research questions that can be addressed through a wide range of designs and accompanying analyses. The orientation of the entire course focuses much less on the computational aspects of analyzing data than on the conceptual bases of what can be learned from different approaches to data analysis.

PSY 40122 Machine Learning for Behavioral Research

Cluster analysis is a statistical approach for the analysis of multivariate data that aims at discovering groups of subjects in a sample that are similar to each other. Clustering techniques are applied in a wide variety of areas including psychiatry (e.g., finding disease categories), marketing (e.g. different consumer profiles), sociology (e.g., social subgroups), etc. Cluster analysis is an example of unsupervised learning. The latter term is derived from the fact that clusters are discovered in the absence of an outcome variable that guides the clustering. Regression trees and random forests, on the other hand, are supervised learning approaches. An outcome such as "case" and "control" is predicted by a number of predictor variables, and the analysis focuses on finding groups with similar response patterns on the predictor variables. In other words, the outcome variable guides ("supervises") finding groups of similar subjects. Outcomes in regression trees or forests can be categorical or continuous. This graduate-level course consists of two parts. The first part covers the basics of cluster analysis whereas the second part provides an introduction to regression trees and random forests. The course consists of approximately 2/3 lectures providing the theoretical background, and 1/3 lab sessions, which will use the free software program R. The course is suitable for students with a strong interest in methods. Basic knowledge of matrix algebra and thorough knowledge of regression analysis are a prerequisite. Due to the broad variety of applications of cluster analysis and regression trees, students in (Quantitative) Psychology, Sociology, Political Sciences, or Computer Science are equally welcome.

PSY 40282 Immigrant Youth and Families

This seminar provides an overview of scholarship on theories, methods, and research conducted on immigrant youth and their families from developmental perspectives. Topics will include a review of a number of developmental issues including youth’s adjustment to immigration, adolescents’ identity development, school experiences, cultural issues, family dynamics, and well-being. The readings will largely focus on immigrants residing in the U.S.

PSY 40451 NSBH Research Methods

This course will provide lectures and lab experiences with the tools and techniques that are commonly used in modern cognitive, developmental, and clinical neuroscience research on humans. Students will be introduced to, and obtain hands-on experience with, the acquisition and analysis of neurophysiological recording methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG), and noninvasive neuromodulation methods such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Students will learn how to appropriately pair these different methods using combined multi-modal approaches to address neuroscience and behavior research questions. By the end of the semester, students will be equipped to be able to evaluate and conduct Neuroscience and Behavior research with cutting-edge methods that researchers use to explore the human mind and brain.

PSY 43250 Cognitive Development

Major theories in cognitive development and data relevant to those theories are reviewed. Mechanisms that might account for observed developmental changes across the lifespan (e.g., processing speed) are discussed.
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

PSY 43271 Autism Spectrum Disorder

This seminar discusses topics related to developmental disabilities, with a special emphasis on pervasive developmental disorders and autism. Issues regarding their definition, etiology, and treatment are also discussed. (Must have access to own transportation)
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

PSY 43282 Developmental Psychopathology

This course articulates principles for a lifespan perspective on the origins and development of individual patterns of adaption and maladaption.
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

PSY43288 Practicum: Child Maltreatment

This course is intended to expose students to the child welfare system and the effects of child maltreatment and foster care on child development. The seminar portion of the course will include training on mandated reporting, and the child welfare system, and discussion of current research on child maltreatment, foster care, child development, and developmental psychopathology. The practicum portion of the course is designed to give students hands-on experience with children in custody of the Department of Child Services in South Bend. Each student in the practicum will be paired with a child who is currently placed in foster care because of substantiated child maltreatment. The student will serve as a mentor to this child, and will spend 1–2 hours with the child twice weekly in the child's foster home.
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours

PSY 43313 Science and Pseudoscience

This course emphasizes the use of critical thinking skills for distinguishing science from pseudoscience in psychology. Picking up where Introduction to Clinical Psychology (PSY 30314) left off, this course takes up the torch of Popper, Meehl, and Lakatos to cover topics such as: (a) controversial therapeutic, assessment, and diagnostic techniques, (b) weak theories, and (c) myths from "pop" psychology and everyday life.

PSY 43346 Psychology of Religion

Introduction to the major issues, theories, and research in the psychology of religion through critical analysis of classical and modern literature from Western and Eastern cultures. Topics discussed will help illuminate the role of religion as a powerful meaning system that can affect the lives of individuals in terms of their beliefs, motivations, emotions, and behaviors. A major focus of this course will be in the area of religious identity development where various developmental theories of religion will be utilized to understand how religious identity unfolds across time.

PSY 43357 Food and the Brain

"What happens in your brain when you eat a piece of chocolate? Why do you eat more when you're stressed out? How does your gut communicate with your brain? In this course, students will study the brain's response to food and its relationship to eating behaviors, crossing levels ranging from molecular biology to psychology. It will emphasize critical reading of primary scientific literature. This will serve as a Psychology elective requirement in the new neuroscience major."

PSY 43359 Music in the Brain

In this course, we will discuss the interactions between perceptual and cognitive processes underlying the processing of complex auditory information. How does attention enhance our understanding in noisy environments? What roles do context and prediction play in segregating sound sequences from each other? We will discuss the concept of auditory scene analysis and its neural bases, the contributions of attention and auditory memory, and how these function in our perception of speech and music.

PSY 43363 Body Image

In this seminar, we will explore the biological, psychosocial (including peers and family), and cultural factors influencing body image. We will explore impacts of "fitspo" and body esteem messages, and examine alternative means of reducing risk of body dissatisfaction (e.g., self and identity; self-compassion; gratitude). Potential connections between body image and disordered eating will be examined, including analysis of "classical" and contemporary theoretical models. Both basic and applied (i.e., intervention) research will be incorporated, and a lifespan approach will be utilized, examining body image during childhood, adolescence, and midlife.

PSY 43640 Educational Psychology

Educational Psychology examines questions about development, learning, and achievement in schools. In this course, we will explore fundamental questions such as (a) What is intelligence? Is it fixed or changeable? What are the implications of conceptions of intelligence for achievement? (b) How does learning occur? What are the implications of different theories of learning? Is there a "correct" theory of learning? Does learning differ in different subject areas? (c) What motivates student learning? Can instruction be "motivational"? (d) What is "good" instruction? How do theories of learning relate to instructional practices? (e) How do aspects of school context, such as interaction with peers and teachers, and school culture, influence learning, motivation, and achievement?
3 Credit hours
3 Lecture hours
0 Lab hours