|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Course Criteria
Add courses to your favorites to save, share, and find your best transfer school.
-
3.00 Credits
The psychological lives of children are shaped not only by internal changes, but also by the ways in which adults in their community view and treat them, as well as by other situational forces (for instance poverty and social unrest). In this course students will consider how various external forces affect children's daily experience. Students will compare several psychological models of young children--some emanating from folk culture, and some from scientific paradigms. We will look at how parenting and educational practices reflect the implicit models of childhood held by members of a community, and then examine whether those practices have a substantive or lasting effect on children. We will also weigh the impact of certain non-parental features of the environment: poverty, wealth, social unrest, violence, societal well-being, and technological advances. Specific questions we will consider in the course include (but are not limited to): What are the short and long term effects of growing up in a society with a formal model of teaching and learning? In what ways is the psychological experience of poor children different than that of the middle class? Are children who grow up in rural areas different from those who grow up in cities? What is the long term impact of growing up in a culture that does or does not value play? We will draw on observational and experimental data, narrative non-fiction, and film, as well as the work of anthropologists and historians.
Prerequisite:
Psychology 232 or 272
-
3.00 Credits
This course focuses on how people make judgments and decisions in their social lives and why they are sometimes biased and irrational in their choices. We will place a strong emphasis on exploring how ideas from the judgment and decision-making literature can aid in our understanding of social psychological phenomena, including planning for the future, understanding other people, and resolving interpersonal conflicts. We will also place an emphasis on people's judgments and decisions as they pertain to their happiness and well-being, exploring how concepts in the judgment and decision-making literature can help us to understand why certain types of outcomes are more satisfying than others and why people sometimes choose in ways that fail to maximize their well-being. As we explore these questions, we will survey a variety of methods and perspectives, ranging from classic social psychological experiments to techniques imported from behavioral economics and cognitive psychology.
Prerequisite:
PSYC 242 and PSYC 201, or permission of instructor
-
3.00 Credits
This is a course in social psychology as it pertains to the natural environment. We will consider how the environment influences aspects of human psychology (e.g., the psychological implications of humans' disconnect with nature), as well as how human psychology influences the environment (e.g., why some people engage in environmentally destructive behaviors despite holding proenvironmental attitudes). At the core of this course is an attempt to examine various ways in which research and theory in social psychology can contribute insights to understanding (and encouraging) environmentally responsible behavior and sustainable practices, both here at Williams and globally. Because human choice and behavior play such an important role in environmental problems, a consideration of human psychology may therefore be an important part of the solution.
Prerequisite:
Psychology 242 recommended, Psychology 201, or a comparable course in statistics and research methodology, is also recommended.
-
3.00 Credits
This course deals with applications of basic psychology to justice and the legal system. Relevant psychological theory and research address the processes and controversies that surround scientific jury selection, jury decision-making, eyewitness testimony, child witnesses in abuse cases, forensic hypnosis, lie-detector tests, police interrogations, false confessions, the insanity defense, the role of psychologists as trial consultants and expert witnesses, and the role of confirmation biases in all phases. Readings and discussions are animated by observations from real cases, demonstrations, and lab simulations.
Prerequisite:
Psychology 242
-
3.00 Credits
This course will examine literature on intergroup interaction, ranging from classic work on "the contact hypothesis" to recent work that traces the physiological correlates of intergroup interaction. We will discuss the current challenges of intergroup interaction, and the ways in which good intentions can sometimes backfire in these situations. We will focus on interactions across specific group-based differences, such as race/ethnicity, sexuality, social class, and gender, and in specific settings, such as schools and workplaces. All students will design and conduct an empirical research project. The course fulfills the Exploring Diversity Initiative by focusing on how group membership, individual differences, and social power affect the experiences of both majority and minority group members in these interactions.
Prerequisite:
Psychology 201 and 242 or consent of instructor
-
3.00 Credits
This course explores the rapidly evolving field of psychological disorders in childhood and adolescence. We will examine the intertwined effects of individual characteristics (e.g., genetics, neurobiological factors), relationship processes (e.g., parenting, family functioning, peers), community settings (e.g., schools, neighborhoods), and the broader cultural context (e.g., poverty, stigma, media). Using a developmental framework, we will examine the emergence and maintenance of specific psychological disorders, as well as variations in how children cope with cataclysmic stressors (chronic illness, physical and sexual abuse). The goals of this course include (1) appreciation of the dynamic interplay between biology and experience in the unfolding of psychopathology, (2) exploration of diagnostic criteria and phenomenology of specific disorders, and (3) exposure to a wide range of research-based strategies for prevention and intervention.
Prerequisite:
Psychology 232 or 252
-
3.00 Credits
A study of the theory, methods, and professional issues in clinical and community psychology. In addition to academic work (primary source readings and class discussions), the course aims to enable students to apply their experience in academic psychology to field settings and to use their fieldwork experience to critically evaluate theory and research. The course includes a supervised field-work placement arranged by the instructor in a local mental health or social service agency.
Prerequisite:
Psychology 252
-
3.00 Credits
This course will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of depression. Topics will include assessment, models of etiology and course, effective approaches to prevention and intervention, and depression in specific populations. Readings will expose students to seminal works in the field as well as current methods and research findings. All students will design and conduct an empirical research project based on the readings and concepts discussed. Throughout the course, students will evaluate current research based on theory, methodological rigor, and potential impact on prevention and intervention efforts.
Prerequisite:
Psychology 201 and Psychology 252
-
3.00 Credits
This is an advanced course on anxiety disorders that takes an in depth look at the theory and research on the normative psychological processes that influence responses to danger, both real and imagined. Specifically, it examines the empirical research on psychological responses to traumatic experiences, such as combat, rape, and concentration camp survival. Responses to perceived or imagined threats are also discussed as the underpinnings of such anxiety disorders as Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Specific Phobia and OCD. Discussions focus on commonalities and differences in empirically supported treatments for anxiety disorders as well as controversies in the field. This course is part of the "Gaudino Danger Initiative."
Prerequisite:
Psychology 252
-
3.00 Credits
Nonviolence refers to choice behavior in interpersonal interactions in which physical and psychological injury to others is rejected as an option. In this course we will study theories of nonviolence, and evaluate the empirical support for their central empirical claims of psychological benefits to the practitioner, attitude change in the adversary, and positive exemplary effects on social interaction. Topics include anger and self-control, aggression, evil, conflict resolution, empathy, and forgiveness.
Prerequisite:
Any 200-level course in Psychology or permission of instructor
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Privacy Statement
|
Terms of Use
|
Institutional Membership Information
|
About AcademyOne
Copyright 2006 - 2024 AcademyOne, Inc.
|
|
|