Psychology

The course presents the major areas of Clinical Psychology. The course explores the main theoretical perspectives in Clinical Psychology including how to define the field of Clinical Psychology, and being able to identify the differences from neighboring disciplines; evaluating how the concept of mental disorder changed over the course of time; and the main theoretical perspectives in Clinical Psychology, and being able to identify the fundamental features that differentiate perspectives from one another. The course discusses multidimensional assessment including the main instruments and procedures used in clinical assessment, and the reasons for their use; and the reasons for, and the importance of, integrating different dimensions/indices during assessment. The course reviews research methods in clinical psychology including the main research methods used in Clinical Psychology, and their contexts of use; interpreting the results of correlational and experimental research, and of single-subject designs; and the basic characteristics and the usefulness of meta-analytic procedures in Clinical Psychology. Lastly, the course discusses psychopathology including identifying the clinical features of some main mental disorders, and evaluating the etiopathogenetic models of the mental disorders described during the course.

This course provides an introduction to the neuroscience of decision making, in particular the neural principles underlying perceptual as well as reward- and value-based decisions. Perceptual decisions involve choices based on ambiguous sensory evidence whereas reward- and value-based decisions hinge largely on probabilistic evidence and subjective preferences associated with potential choices. In addition, the role of training in perceptual decision making and the influence of reinforcement-learning in reward-based choices are discussed in the context of optimizing decision-related processing. Important methodological considerations on how the relevant neural data are collected and analyzed, including some computational modelling work, are also explored. The course draws mostly on recent research reports from both the human and non-human primate literature to illustrate the brain networks and the fundamental principles underlying decision-related processing and their relevance to interpreting neurophysiological and neuroimaging experiments and to understanding brain function in health and disease.

This course provides an introduction to the concept of abnormal psychology. The course starts with developing an understanding and knowledge about how we define abnormality in psychology and how this has developed and changed throughout history. Different approaches to understanding abnormal psychology are covered, starting with the biomedical model of abnormality. Following this, social, and cultural approaches to abnormality are covered, followed by the philosophy of abnormality. Psychodynamic, behavioral, and cognitive approaches to abnormality are also covered in detail. There is a focus on psychological disorders as they are currently classify them in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The hierarchy of evidence in clinical psychology research is also covered.

This course explores issues with humankind's relationship to food from a psychobiological perspective. The course focuses on appetite control and constructs of hunger and satiety. Students discuss flavor perception and hedonics, concepts of food craving and addiction, and food choice and preference. The course examines non-nutritive effects of foods (including nutriceuticals) and links food to mood and cognition. Finally, students explore the basis of the rise of obesity and disordered eating from a psychobiological perspective.

This course examines the field of human factors. First, the theoretical groundwork (human perception and performance, design principles, and trust in automation) is laid and participants gain first practical insights into complex socio-technical systems. Afterward, students team up to put the theoretical foundation into the real world, examining typical challenges in human-automation interaction. The course consists of a holistic research process from the development of the research question to the presentation of the results. Thereby, the investigated technologies can vary broadly (e.g. humanoid robots, mobile applications, navigation devices, or websites). The course discusses topics including human information processing and action selection as well as accompanying limitations; common methods to analyze and optimize typical human factors problems; evaluation methods for human- machine-interaction in the context of user-centered design; fundamentals of Cognitive Engineering; human information processing and action selection; display design & usability; human-automation interaction; human-robot interaction; joint specification of the research technology and question; consolidation and application; and social and ethical issues in human-machine Interaction.

This course provides an interdisciplinary focus on six issues of current social concern. The topics include the consequences of child abuse, the effect of divorce on children, perceptions of rape and rape victims, eating disorders, stereotyping and prejudice, and abortion. Students have the opportunity to explore these contemporary social issues from a psychological and sociological perspective, using relevant readings as well as intimate lectures and a range of media sources.

This course examines basic concepts, theories and research findings of romantic love and intimate relationship from the perspective of psychology of gender. It covers different stages in the development of love; interpersonal processes within romantic relationships (such as conversation, conflict, etc.); the role of sexuality in love; gender differences in romantic feelings and behaviors; and break-ups and divorce.

This course provides a general overview of psychology. It explores various forms of human behavior, including thinking, using language, solving problems, and making decisions at the individual level, as well as forming social relationships and participating in group actions at the interpersonal level. Students not only learn about psychological theories and research, but also discover ways to apply such knowledge to their own experiences. Topics include personality, social psychology, motivation and emotion, development, perception, cognition and learning, body-mind, and mental disorders. Text: either W. Weiten, PSYCHOLOGY: THEMES AND VARIATIONS; or E.E. Smith et al., ATKINSON AND HILGARD'S INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY. Assessment: tutorial attendance and participation (8%), research and experiment participation (6%), 800- to 1,000-word essay (8%), lab report (8%), test (10%), final exam (60%).