PSYC 395 - Special Topics in Psychology

Credits: 1, 2, or 3
Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.These seminars are designed to help the advanced student integrate his or her knowledge of specific fields into a comprehensive view of psychology, both as a science and as a profession. Specific topics vary and are determined, in part, by student demand. May be repeated for degree credit with permission and if the topics are different.

Topic for Winter 2011:

NEUR 395 / PSYC 395: Psychophysiology of Stress and Health (3). Prerequisites: PSYC 111 or NEUR 120; and PSYC 250. This course examines the effects stress has on both mental and physical health. Topics include physiology of stress systems, acute vs. chronic stress, cardiovascular disease, psychoneuroimmunology, pain, health behaviors, as well as substance abuse and other psychopathologies. Mechlin

PSYC 395A: Advanced Research Design and Analysis in Cognition and Emotion (3). Prerequsites: Permission of instructor. This is a laboratory-intensive course in cognition and emotion intended for advanced psychology majors. The contemporary research literature is examined and a novel research question identified and explored using advanced experimental designs learned in class. Using current stimulus control and statistical analysis technologies (e.g., Adobe Photoshop, SAS, SPSS, Excel, E-prime), students propose original experiments, develop methods, and collect and analyze data from subjects in the context of ethical research practice. Course requirements include journal reports, literature presentation and discussion, programming work, research progress, and a culminating APA-format research manuscript. Johnson.

PSYC 395B: Applications of Psychological Science-topical description (3). Prerequisites: Major in neuroscience or psychology and permission of the department head. This course considerw both standard applications of psychological science (e.g., clinical/counseling psychology, school psychology) and unusual ones (e.g., risk management and finance). Eight alumni guest instructors discuss how they apply psychological science in their careers. In addition to clinical/counseling, school psychology, and risk management and finance, the course includes an examination of career services, human resources consulting, industrial/organizational psychology, technology, and issues in entrepreneurship. Issues that arise from family/work conflicts are considered, and students work on how to improve decision making regarding school, careers, and relationships. Part of the evaluation of students involves a portfolio concerning the students’ development of career or educational plans. Elmes and alumni guest instructors.