PSYCHOLOGY
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
(See Psychology in the Academic Programs section for information on degrees)
Undergraduate Courses
101 Psychology of Personal Development (3)
Basic concepts in psychology are used to foster the student's understanding of his/her own personal development and life endeavor.
111 The Logic and Psychology of Critical Thinking (3) [GE]
Designed to improve students' skills in understanding/criticizing arguments, theories, and their own reasoning process. The aim is to apply an analytic approach to the evaluation of oral-written communication, and to their own problem-solving activities.
171 Quantitative Reasoning in Psychology (3) [GE]
Prerequisites: a score of 550 or above on the Entry Level Mathematics (ELM) examination, or an approved exemption, and passing grade on mathematics placement test in class. Fulfills G.E. quantitative reasoning requirement. Introduction to psychological statistics and measurement essential to understanding statistical and quantitative arguments presented in news accounts, advertising, political campaigns, and popular treatment of psychological research. Classwork, two units; laboratory, one unit.
200 General Psychology (3) [GE]
Basic methods and concepts of psychology which have broad academic relevance and which can be applied to the study of psychology as well as other academic disciplines.
300 Current Issues in Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: PSY 200 or equivalent. Priority given to upper division psychology majors. Selected issues and controversies of current scientific and professional importance. Advanced study of behavior as a personal, social, and biological phenomenon, and treatment of psychology as a science and as a healing art.
301 Psychological Foundations I: Cognition, Motivation, Physiology (3)
Prerequisite: PSY 200. Overview of theory and research from core topic areas in experimental psychology. Cognitive, motivational, and physiological processes are described and applied to specific problems, situations, and behaviors.
302 Psychological Foundations II: Social, Personality, and Developmental (3)
Prerequisite: PSY 200. Perspectives on human behavior from social psychology, personality theory and developmental psychology. The application of psychological knowledge to human and social problems is emphasized.
304 Somato-Psychic Optimization (3) [GE]
Ancient and modern methods exist to develop one's whole mind-body for optimal healthful, more stress resistant functioning. Techniques of meditation; relaxation; imagery; parapsychology; communication; martial arts; biofeedback, etc., are explored as tools for consciousness exploration, stress management, and optimizing functioning.
320 Sex and Relationships (3) [GE]
Explores the role of sexuality in traditional and emerging forms of intimate relationships. (Also offered as HMSX 320.)
330 Child Development (3)
Prerequisite: a general introductory course in psychology. The development of the child from conception to adolescence. (Credit not given for both PSY 330 and 431.)
350 Mental Health (3)
Psychological factors of human adjustment and personal growth; typical patterns of relationships between individuals. Coping strategies for minimizing anxiety and stress and for maximizing health functioning.
371 Introductory Psychological Statistics (3)
Prerequisite: quantitative reasoning course. Basic statistical theory and techniques appropriate to psychology and related fields; introduction to statistical inference and the testing of hypotheses. Classwork, two units; laboratory, one unit. Note: some sections are self-paced with no penalty for retest to mastery. See Class Schedule for sections specially designated as self-paced.
400 Introduction to Research in Psychology (4)
Prerequisites: PSY 200 or consent of instructor. Should be taken with PSY 300 but may be taken separately. Priority given to upper division psychology majors. Introduction to psychological research that integrates methods with statistical techniques. Theoretical, empirical and interpretive issues are examined within four fundamental methods of inquiry-observational, measurement of individual characteristics, surveys, and experimentation. Classwork, two units; laboratory, two units.
430 Adolescent Psychology (3) [GE]
Prerequisites: PSY 330 or 431 or consent of instructor. The physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development during adolescence.
431 Developmental Psychology (3) [GE]
Prerequisite: an introductory course in general psychology or consent of instructor. Fundamental principles of developmental psychology; origin and development of behavior. (Credit not given for both PSY 431 and 330.)
432 Cognitive Development: Language, Thinking, and Perception (3) [GE]
Prerequisite: PSY 431 or consent of instructor. Cognitive development is studied from two dominant approaches-Piagetian and information processing. The textbooks used are collections of articles by leading theoreticians and researchers in the areas of perception, attention, mental representation (episodic and semantic), and problem solving.
433 Social, Emotional, and Personality Development (3) [GE]
Prerequisite: PSY 431 or consent of instructor. (May be taken before, after, or concurrently with PSY 432.) Advanced course in developmental psychology covering theory and data in the areas of emotional, social, and personality development over the life span.
435 Behavior Problems of Children (3) [GE]
Prerequisite: PSY 330 or 431 or consent of instructor. Children's behavior disorders, child guidance facilities and clinical methods used in the study and treatment of children with problems.
436 The Development of Femaleness and Maleness (4) [GE]
Integration of biological, psychological, social, and cultural knowledge toward an understanding of the development of maleness and femaleness. A critical look at theories of sex-typing and sex differences in behavior, with attention to sex-role stereotypes and social issues. (Also offered as HMSX 436.)
440 Social Psychology (3) [GE]
Prerequisites: six units of upper division psychology or consent of instructor. Survey of theories, research, and applications in major areas of social psychology, including communication and social influence processes in interaction, group dynamics, attitudes, stereotyping and prejudice, altruism and aggression, person perception and social cognition, sex roles and sex differences, crowds and social movements.
441 The Psychology of the Family (3)
The family as a psychological group; the husband-wife relationship with special attention to the dynamics of pairs; the impact of the family on personality and mental health.
450 Variations in Human Sexuality (3) [GE]
For course description, see HMSX 400.
451 Theories of Personality (3)
Survey of the major contemporary theories of personality. Theoretical positions are compared and critically examined along various significant dimensions, including their relationships to the total field of psychology. Methods of personality assessment as related in theory construction.
452 Abnormal Psychology: Minor Variants of Personality (3)
Prerequisite: introductory course in general psychology or consent of instructor, and PSY 451. The nature and development of emotional disturbances which result in a person's failure to adapt adequately in this society; contemporary theories of personality development as well as a clinical description of the neuroses.
453 Abnormal Psychology: Major Variants of Personality (3)
Prerequisite: introductory course in general psychology or consent of instructor, and PSY 451. The nature and development of the more serious emotional disturbances which result in a person's failure to adapt adequately in this society; contemporary theories of personality development as well as a clinical description of the neuroses.
454 Discussion of Sexual Variations (1)
Prerequisite: concurrent or prior enrollment in HMSX 400/PSY 450. Expanded discussion of issues raised in lectures, speaker presentations, and films in HMSX 400/PSY 450. May include new materials and issues appropriate to small group discussions and the exploration of personal, social, and political issues.
455 Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Psychology (3) [GE]
Cross-cultural behavioral, developmental, cognitive and social data and research of psychological phenomena as they are differentially affected by culture and subculture. Emphasis on the diversity of parent-child relationships, role of women and men, adult personality, and beliefs, attitudes and values.
456 Psychology of Human Sexual Behavior (3) [GE]
Prerequisite: six units of psychology or consent of instructor. Psychological aspects of human sexual functioning particularly pertaining to gender identity, pairing, sexual orientation, sexual intercourse, self-stimulation, reproduction, contraception and abortion. Related social issues such as alternative life styles, changing sex roles and recreational sex. (Also offered as HMSX 456.)
461 Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: PSY 200 or equivalent. Application of psychological principles and methods in understanding human behavior at work, and to approach and solve problems in business and industry. Addresses such issues as: employee selection, training, and evaluation; working conditions; motivation, leadership, and organizational theory.
462 Aptitude Testing and Vocational Diagnosis (3)
Prerequisite: PSY 371 or equivalent. The application of psychological principles to personnel practice, counseling, industrial, professional and allied fields. Designed for the psychology major interested in developing proficiency in personnel techniques.
463 Human Factors (3)
Prerequisite: PSY 200. A survey of methods and research in the study of the interface between human operators and machines. Applications include equipment design for computers, aircraft, automobiles, household appliances, and similar systems.
464 Environmental Psychology (3) [GE]
Prerequisite: PSY 200 or equivalent, or consent of instructor. May be taken concurrently with PSY 540. Study of humans in everyday, intact settings. Influence of perceptual and cognitive processes on the person/environment interaction. Effect of environment on basic psychological needs are covered, as well as social problems caused by degraded environments.
465 The Psychology of Work Life Stress (3) [GE]
Prerequisites: PSY 200 or equivalent; ENG 214. General understanding of basic concepts, mechanisms, and issues related to stress; examines basic factors in context of business organizations. Topics include employees' cognitive appraisal of organizational stressors; physiological, psychological, and behavioral outcomes; and individual differences and long-term consequences.
466 Training and Development in Organizations (3)
Prerequisite: introductory course in general psychology. Application of principles of psychology in the development, delivery, and evaluation of training and development programs in work organizations.
471 Introduction to Psychological Research and Statistics (7)
Prerequisites: quantitative reasoning course and PSY 200. Priority given to upper division psychology majors. Introduction to statistics integrated with psychological research methods; measurement, surveys, quasi-experiments, and experimental designs. Substitutes for PSY 371 and 400. Classwork, four units; laboratory, three units.
477 Psychological Measurement (3)
Prerequisites: PSY 200 and 371 or consent of instructor. Theory and methods of psychological measurement: construction and evaluation of instruments, scaling, correlation. Classwork, two units; laboratory, one unit.
491 Learning (3)
Prerequisites: introductory course in general psychology. Methods, findings, and theory in animal and human learning and memory.
492 Perception (3)
Prerequisite: introductory course in general psychology. Theory and analysis of the perceptual representation of the environment; motivational and social factors in perception.
493 Motivation (3)
Prerequisite: introductory course in general psychology. Theory and experimental evidence on the origins and direction of behavior. Learned and unlearned drives, anxiety, curiosity, and emotions.
494 Cognitive Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: introductory course in general psychology. An introduction to the dominant paradigm in cognitive psychology--the information processing approach to understanding the nature of human intelligence.
495 Artificial Intelligence and Human Thought (4)
Prerequisite: upper division standing or consent of instructor. Definition of artificial intelligence: Do machines think? Human problem solving, algorithms, and heuristics; use of AI software (e.g., ELIZA, PARRY); learning programs and psychological theory; social consequences of AI. Classwork, three units; laboratory, one unit.
497 General Experimental Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: PSY 200, 371, and 400 or consent of instructor. Fundamental methods in psychological research with illustrations drawn from representative areas. Classwork, two units; laboratory, one unit. (Not open to transfer students who have had a lower division laboratory course in general psychology; e.g., PSY 1B. Such students should substitute an advanced experimental psychology course.)
521 Introduction to Clinical Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: a general introductory course in psychology or consent of instructor. The methods of clinical psychology, including case study techniques, psychodiagnostic evaluation, remediation of psychological distress. The current scope of professional practices in clinical psychology.
525 Community Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: upper division standing or consent of instructor. Introduction to methods practiced within the community psychology and community mental health fields. A range of methods is presented along with the range of underlying assumptions and philosophies of psychological fieldwork.
531 Psycholinguistics (3) [GE]
Comprehensive introduction to psycholinguistics. Theory and research are examined in three areas of human functioning--comprehension, production, acquisition. In addition, mental representations of meaning, the relation between language and thought, and bidialectism and bilingualism are studied.
540 Introduction to Psychological Field Research (3)
Prerequisite: PSY 200 and 400 or consent of instructor. Research methods applicable in psychological service agencies are presented in a combined laboratory and service agency setting. Topics include problem definition, methods of gathering evidence, elementary data analysis and report writing.
547 Social Conflict and Conflict Resolution (3) [GE]
Prerequisites: six units of upper division psychology or consent of instructor. Review of theory and research concerning conflict between individuals and groups. Principles of perception, expectation, subjective expected utility, payoff matrices, prominence, communication restriction, perception, and expectations of personality.
558 Field Services Seminar (2)
Prerequisites: upper division standing and consent of instructor; priority given to graduating seniors in the concentrations in Clinical Psychology or Psychological Services. Corequisite: PSY 559. Issues in the professional application of psychological principles in community service. Opportunity for students to present observations and discuss perceptions emerging from their participation in agency service activities. May be repeated for credit. No more than four units may be applied to the psychology major or minor.
559 Psychological Field Service (1-3)
Prerequisite: upper division standing and consent of instructor; priority given to graduating seniors in the concentrations in Clinical Psychology or Psychological Services. Corequisite: PSY 558. Supervised field services in cooperating community psychological agencies. One hour credit for approximately four hours per week supervision. May be repeated for credit. No more than six units may be applied to the psychology major or minor.
571 Statistical Analysis of Psychological Research (3)
Prerequisite: PSY 371 or equivalent. Statistical theory and techniques applicable to various experimental designs and other forms of psychological research, including analysis of variance, non-parametric techniques and statistical-decision theory. Classwork, two units; laboratory, one unit.
581 Physiological Psychology I (3)
Prerequisites: a general introductory course in psychology and upper division standing. Background and contemporary research relating behavior to biological processes. Data on neural and hormonal systems are summarized and used in examining such complex behaviors as learning, perception, and motivation.
582 Physiological Psychology II (3)
Prerequisite: PSY 581 or equivalent. Selected issues and research dealing with the biological basis of behavior. Students read intensively on a mutually agreed upon topic and report their findings for discussion and development in class sessions.
586 Physiological Psychology Laboratory I (1)
Prerequisite: PSY 497 or equivalent. Introduction to some basic equipment and procedures used in the field of physiological psychology including electrical stimulation, lesioning, gross brain dissection and simple operative techniques. Designed to accompany PSY 581.
594 Psychology of Biofeedback Process (3) [GE]
Prerequisites: PSY 371 and 400 or consent of instructor. Psychological states and their relationships to human emotion and cognition. Focus on self-control of physiological responses through methods such as biofeedback training and mediation. Applications to homeostatic regulation and stress reactivity. Classwork, two units; laboratory, one unit. Laboratory experiences individually arranged.
601 Theoretical Backgrounds in Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: fifteen units of upper division courses in psychology. Historical backgrounds and development of basic concepts in psychology in a theoretical and systematic context; contemporary schools and systems in psychology outlined.
630 The Psychology of Aging (4)
Prerequisite: PSY 330, 431 or consent of instructor. Biological, cognitive, social and emotional changes during the later adult years. Recent research and theory are studied from the perspective of life-span developmental psychology with a focus on the latter half of the life span.
645 Group Processes (3)
Prerequisites: a general introductory course in psychology and upper division standing. Practicum involving observation of interaction within the class and in outside groups, aimed at the investigation of the psychology of groups.
650 Research on Sexual Identity (3) [GE]
For course description, see HMSX 600.
691 Applied Behavior Analysis: Selected Topics (3)
Topic to be specified in Class Schedule. Principles of human operant and respondent learning and their extension to techniques for modifying significant human behavior at home, school, clinic or work, through applied behavior analysis. May be repeated for a total of nine units as topics vary.
699 Special Problems in Psychology (1-4)
An intensive study of a particular problem in psychology under direction of a member of the faculty. Enrollment by petition (form available in Psychology Office). Intended for students who have completed available course work in the area of a special problem. May be repeated for credit when problems vary. No more than four units may be applied to the psychology major or minor.
Psychology Graduate Courses