Psychology

This course reviews the interrelationships among hormones, the brain, and behavior. Basic endocrine (hormone) system physiology is introduced and the different approaches that researchers take to address questions of hormone-behavior relationships are discussed. The focus is on three large classes of hormones: stress (cortisol), social (oxytocin, vasopressin), and sex hormones (testosterone, estradiol, progesterone). Those hormones are linked to normal behavioral processes such as memory and social behavior as well as to psychiatric conditions such as depression/anxiety and autism spectrum disorder. At the end of this course, students have developed an understanding of a selection of topics related to behavioral neuroendocrinology.

This course focuses on the neural basis of language. It addresses how the brain works to process speaking, reading, and understanding of language in human beings. It emphasizes how neuro-imaging data are used to form the theories of language. It presents empirical evidence of conventional psycholinguistic studies and recent imaging findings. The aim of this course is to provide an integrative overview of how the components of the language system combine together. Students are required to take part weekly article presentations.

This course explores the discipline of clinical psychology and the ways in which clinical psychologists work to reduce distress and improve psychological well-being of clients. It covers the core principles and features of contemporary theory, and evidence-based approaches and how they are applied to facilitating change in people with a range of physical, intellectual, and mental health problems. Students learn basic therapeutic skills used in everyday clinical practice and discuss the effectiveness of treatments in clinical practice for a range of problems common in people accessing clinical psychology services. The course critically analyzes the strengths and limitations of clinical psychology and equips students with an awareness of the reciprocal links between theory, research, and clinical practice in the development and evaluation of psychological work.

This course offers a study of the psychology of personality. Topics include: personality structures and processes; normal personality models; personality stability and change; biological and psychosocial foundations of personality; the relationship among personality, health, and psychological well-being; personality and culture. 

This course explores many ways in which humans and other species perceive and think about color. Color will serve as a sandbox to study how different psychological domains are inextricably linked and influence each other. Color is perfect for this - on one hand, a uniquely visual phenomenon that arises from computations performed by sensory neurons, while on the other hand, a conceptual and cognitive domain high in social and emotional salience and influenced by language-derived concepts.