Patrick Ewell

Psychology is the study of behavior and mental processes. In this foundation course we will explore a variety of areas in which psychologists conduct research: the biological foundations of behavior, sensory and perceptual processes, cognition, learning and memory, developmental psychology, personality and social psychology, psychological disorders and variability in behavior related to culture. Students who have completed PSYC 100 cannot take this course. This counts toward the foundations requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Generally offered every spring.

In this course students will learn the basics of research in psychology. Students will participate in research projects conducted across different areas of psychology, which might involve observation and interviewing, psychological tests and measures, physiological measures and computerized tasks. Students will learn about issues of reliability and validity in psychological research, as well as ethical issues associated with psychological research. Students will further develop techniques for descriptive statistical analysis of their data, and they will communicate their research findings both orally and in writing, using the writing style of the American Psychological Association. This course is designed for sophomore and junior students planning to major in psychology. This counts toward the foundations requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 110 or AP score of 5 and PSYC 200. Generally offered every semester.

Social psychology is the systematic study of social behavior. In general, it examines how we are affected by our social environment: how we perceive and interpret the behavior of others and the social situation, how we respond to others and they to us, and the nature of social relationships. Application of social psychological theory and methodology is encouraged through participation in small-scale laboratory or field observational studies. This counts toward the sociocultural perspectives requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 110 or AP score of 5. Generally offered every year.

An increasing and significant portion of human behavior and interaction either takes place through a mediated channel (a channel other than face-to-face) or involves an interaction with a mediated technology. Despite this, psychology has been slow to investigate the effects of mediated environments on previously established psychological constructs. This course will attempt to provide a general understanding of the effects of media in two ways. First, we will investigate what it means for an interaction to be mediated, the type of interactions that can be mediated and the nuance of various types of channels. Second, we will attempt to understand the effect of the technology that mediates our interactions on various aspects of human behavior. Topically, we will cover numerous channels (movies, television, video games, virtual reality,the internet, social network sites, smartphones) and psychological concepts (self-presentation, aggression, addiction, belonging, impression formation, child development, social influence, self-disclosure etc.). This counts toward the person and society requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 250. Generally offered every year.

Social psychology attempts to understand the ways in which our thoughts and behavior are affected by others. This course will examine the principles, methods and problems of research in social psychology. Using a variety of formats ranging from lectures to discussion of research to class and field demonstrations, students will explore how research ideas are generated, critical evaluation of relevant research literatures, research design and methodology, data collection procedures using both laboratory and naturalistic settings, statistical analyses and ways of presenting research consistent with journal publication. This counts toward the advanced research requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 250 and completion of or current enrollment in PSYC 325. Offered occasionally.

This is the first semester of the two part sequence required for senior psychology majors. Each section will have a different topic, but in every seminar students will read and discuss psychological literature, write and discuss critiques of research articles, review the literature and develop a research proposal on a topic in psychology and make a formal oral presentation to the class. This theoretical framework will lay the groundwork for the execution of a project in the second half of the practicum. This counts toward the senior capstone requirement for the major. Prerequisite: senior standing and psychology major. Offered every fall.

This is the second semester of the two part sequence required for senior psychology majors. This class features hands on experience in creating and conducting research to allow students to learn by doing. We will investigate the procedure of generating research from start to finish through the lens of theory learned in the first semester Senior Seminar. This course will strongly and equally emphasize strengthening scientific writing skills, generating research designs and quantitative reasoning and application. Along the way we will practice evaluating research designs and perfecting APA style. This course is designed to prepare you for a career in research in psychology. This counts toward the senior capstone requirement for the major. Prerequisite: senior standing, psychology major and PSYC 475. Offered every spring