Psychology

This course introduces students to different psychological perspectives for thinking about social justice, inequality, freedom, and collective life. Drawing on social psychology, cognitive psychology, cultural psychology, affective neuroscience, clinical and abnormal psychology, and selected psychodynamic perspectives, the course examines psychological processes involved in social judgment, prejudice, collective action, mental health, and social change. Rather than approaching social justice as a fixed concept or through a single dimension of analysis, the course considers it as a dynamic, socially and culturally situated construction shaped by how people perceive, interpret, feel, contest, and organize around questions of fairness, exclusion, autonomy, and belonging. Anchored in Paris, and in a context where liberté, égalité, fraternité remains both an aspiration and a point of tension, the course also introduces students to French traditions that continue to inform clinical psychology and the human sciences. Through readings, guest lectures, and site visits, students encounter ideas that may offer complementary lenses for contemporary psychology. This comparative approach allows students to place U.S.-style psychological frameworks in dialogue with French ways of thinking about the psyche, society, language, power, and institutions. Field-based learning plays an important role in the course. At La Salpêtrière Hospital, students visit a historically significant site for the development of psychology, psychiatry, neurology, clinical observation, and institutional care in France. The visit to the Paris Commune offers a different kind of historical case study, focused on collective action, social identity, political imagination, and struggles over equality, while also allowing students to discover another facet of historic Montmartre. Guest speakers, including clinical psychologists working in France, help students connect these historical and theoretical questions to contemporary issues in mental health, liberty, autonomy, social inclusion, and public care. Together, these experiences invite students to expand psychological concepts with complementary analytical tools drawn from French theory, cultivating a critical perspective on the psychology of social justice in a French context.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. The course provides students with an understanding of the psychology of psychological development with reference to mental distress and the ability to analyze forms of psychological distress. The course content includes:

• The nature of childhood development
• Biological processes, physical development and perceptual development
• Cognition and Language
• Social-emotional development
• The social contexts of development

Freedom of will is both a philosophical problem and an empirical issue. However, the distinction between the philosophical and empirical aspects of the problem has not always been clear, leading to serious confusion at times. Bringing together philosophical and empirical approaches, the seminar focuses on the distinction between the philosophical and empirical aspects of the problem, which matters for interdisciplinary work in general. The first part presents several more recent theoretical approaches advocating for and against the existence of freedom of will. The second part reviews recent empirical work on the role of consciousness, intention, or a possible veto in decision-making processes, as well as related lay intuitions. Finally, the third part discusses the effects of psychiatric disorders on free will. A number of case studies on disorders like addiction, antisocial personality disorders, or obsessive-compulsive disorders are examined.

This course examines the psychological science and practice of well being. It will draw on psychological theory, research evidence, and practical techniques to help students understand the factors that create flourishing individuals, communities, and societies.

The course covers three sections: "Self", "Relationship" and "Achievement". In "Self" section, students explore the mysteries of psychology, assist with self-relationship improvement, sleep and stress management, happiness and motivation enhancement, as well as life respectable and enjoyment. The "Relationship" section will have students analyze the essence of love and intimacy, and look at the influence and response of original families, as well as the communication of interpersonal relationships. The "Achievement" section will help students clarify your their career development and future choices, own behavior plan and management, and inner motivations, achieving a healthy life.

Several environmental, personal, and biological factors appear to be important for healthy socio-emotional development, but occasionally these influences can lead to problem behavior. The course focuses on the development of problem behavior during childhood and adolescence, how it originates, and how it can be treated as it poses a risk for further healthy development. Topics addressed are the influence of genes/neurobiology, personality, the child’s environment (peer interaction, parent attachment/parenting style) on socio-emotional, and moral development and the development of psychopathology such as anxiety, depression, suicide, and narcissism. The final assessment for this course is a numerical grade between 0,0 and 10,0.

This course will cover the important concepts and theories in mainstream social psychology,including how individuals look at themselves and others,critical thinking about social phenomena, human aggression and helping behavior, attitude formation and change, social influence and its performance, the foundation of interpersonal relationships and intimacy, group psychology and behavior, how culture affects people, the psychosocial factors that affect human health, and the latest positive psychology. This course focuses on the application of social psychology in social life, the formation and maintenance of interpersonal relationships, principles of interpersonal communication and conflict resolution, and a smooth team work. This course will also focus on contemporary scholars' researches on human psychology and behavior under different cultural backgrounds. Through this course, students will master the research contents, research methods and major research results of social psychology and better understand social life and events.

This course examines key psychological factors and explanatory frameworks accounting for the participation and adherence to exercise and physical activity behavior. It focuses on the main themes of behavior change, mental-health and well-being. 

This course examines our understanding of human psychological development, focusing on selected issues and empirical traditions within the discipline of developmental psychology. Topics include sense of identity, conceptual development, children's thinking, social cognition, moral reasoning and behavior, and the role of genetic and environmental influences on development. It will also consider applications of developmental research and theory in developmental psychopathology and in educational contexts, as well as exploring children's experience of art, literature and drama. 

The course explores the psychology and science of creativity, examining creative thinking, cognitive processes, creativity and the brain, individual differences, and psychological barriers to creativity. Students explore how creativity is measured and develop strategies to enhance creative potential through research-based activities and projects.