Psychology

This version of the Developmental Neuropsychology course includes an Independent Study Project (ISP) done under the direction of the instructor. The ISP is 10-12 pages and counts for 1/3 of the overall grade for the course. In this course, students are introduced to the innovative field of developmental neuropsychology. The anatomy of the brain and relevant brain functions are introduced at the beginning of the module. Through case studies, students explore the fundamental research and the most recent advances in the field. Students attempt to find solutions to the questions presented by researching various articles and group discussion. Cognitive development is typically measured by changes or improvements in cognitive processes. In this course, processes such as language, reasoning, and memory, etc. are explored in terms of their developmental trajectory and how this trajectory relates to changes in the maturing brain. Students examine how these developmental changes can be measured by various neurological methods (e.g. fMRI and EEG). The field trip included in the course focuses on the importance of neuroscientific research methods and forms a unique and practical insight into the subject matter. Midway through the course the students construct a research proposal regarding developmental neuropsychology in subgroups and present this proposal. Prerequisites for this course include at least one intermediate level psychology course. It is recommended that the students have an interest in the development of the human brain and cognitive development. An interest in scientific research and methods is also recommended.

This course provides students an understanding of the biological bases of behavior and discusses some of our cognitive functions such as memory, learning, decision making, emotion, and the cognitive aspect under social behavior. 

The course explores experiments on language and psychological theories about language processing. At the theoretical level a special emphasis is devoted to differences in the architecture and mechanisms of cognitive models of language processing. At the empirical level a specific attention is devoted to the different experimental methods that are apt to study specific linguistic processes. The course discusses topics including general linguistics, speech production and comprehension, word processing, sentence processing, discourse processing, advantages and difficulties of bilingualism, and models of literary language reception. The course requires students to have knowledge of experimental methods in psychology and of cognitive psychology concepts as a prerequisite. Knowledge of linguistics is welcome but not necessary.

This course provides an overview of the major issues in developmental psychology, with a focus on infancy and childhood. It reviews the development of individual differences; evaluates stage and process theories of cognitive, social, and linguistic development; and considers the extent to which research findings have pan-cultural and local application. The course also stresses the importance of empirical research. This course requires a prerequisite of Introduction to Psychology.

This course examines the psychological theories of human development and applications to real-world problems that provide a context for understanding changes in social, emotional, physical and cognitive aspects of human development throughout the lifespan.