Psychology

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 offers a comprehensive survey of psychological research and methodologies, helping students to possess a profound and objective understanding of human behavior.

The course covers the main topics of social psychology and of the psychology of communication, modernized by reference to social relations mediated by new technology. The course addresses the classic, most influential concepts and models in social psychology and communication; the pioneer, landmark studies that made the history of these disciplines; and recent approaches to mediated communication. The course discusses topics including the main theoretical and methodological frameworks; social perception and reasoning; self-schemas, self-esteem and self-presentation; models and measures of attitudes; persuasion and social influence; group processes; prosocial behavior; and mediated interaction. The course requires students to have basic knowledge of research methodology in psychology as a prerequisite.

This course discusses the role of power and power relations in psychology and mental health. Course topics include: health, mental health, status, and inequality; embodiment of inequality, power, and status; the experience of injustice and powerlessness; power and manipulation in interpersonal relationships; the power of passion and purpose; the power of compassion and empathy; psychopathologies of omnipotence and impotence; psychopathologies and the global financial crisis; media manipulation, propaganda, and mind control; the psychology of neoliberal ideology; perceptions of inequality and redistribution preferences; and empowerment and liberation psychology. The course recommends students have completed a course in global health psychology and have good knowledge of statistics, epidemiology, and econometrics, as prerequisites.

The course explores different models for explaining and predicting how individuals behave. The course considers social influence, including notions of conformity and obedience; the role of individual differences including models of personality, how personality develops and what behavior we can predict from personality. The course introduces students to learning theory and ideas of behavioral psychology, understanding how experience of environment and rewards shapes how people choose to behave.

This course is concerned with specific questions about consciousness, perception, emotion, artificial intelligence, animal minds, as well as questions about the underlying mechanisms of the mind more broadly.