Psychology

This course describes and outlines the major theoretical approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders. It considers the historical development of the concept of mental illness/psychological disorder and examines the various lenses through which it is currently viewed. The course identifies contemporary diagnostic criteria for a range of disorders and critically evaluates the role of biological, social, cultural and economic influences in defining and diagnosing mental health. The course examines the application of various research methodologies to studying the causes of mental illness, along with current best-practice psychological and pharmacological interventions. Finally, ethical and legal implications of approaches towards psychological disorders are also considered.

In this course, students approach consumer psychology and behavior from a neuroscientific perspective. Students learn the fundamentals of brain anatomy and their functions in the context of marketing and management. This course also covers cutting-edge marketing research that uses biometric techniques such as eye tracking, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG), and students gain hands-on experience with some of these techniques and analysis of biometric data. Students learn how to apply insights from neuroscience not only in marketing and management, but also in their everyday life. 

This course examines the evolutionary origins and psychological mechanisms underlying human behavior, including social relationships, kinship, mating, parenting, cooperation, aggression, status, and culture.

We re-examine core topics in social psychology through the lens of evolutionary theory to develop a big-picture understanding of the adaptive nature of who we are. The focus is on building a strong foundational knowledge in evolutionary psychology, and continually asking why people think and behave the way they do.

Topics include Principles of Evolutionary Theory, The Science of EP: How to Think about It and How to Do It, Survival, Sex Differences, Mating Psychology, Public Controversies, Parenting, Kinship, Cooperation, Aggression, Status & Hierarchy, Development & Individual Differences, Psychological Extensions, and Evolutionary Medicine. 

Prerequisite: Social Psychology

The course considers the current theoretical conceptualizations of issues such as group decision making, performance, collaborative learning and intergroup conflict. Students look at the ways in which psychological theories relating to groups can be used to better understand and address issues across a range of applied settings, including the workplace and roles criminology graduates may enter. 

Students are shown how to use Electroencephalography (EEG) equipment to record and analyze data from the brain in real experimental situations. Students also investigate the manipulation of brain responses through Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and analyze data from functional magnetic resonance imaging. All teaching takes place in the form of practical sessions, allowing students to learn these approaches through real-life experience. This course is ideal for students seeking to take their first steps into psychological research using state of the art technology.

This course is broken up into five modules. Module one: Environmental Neuroscience; Defining "environment" and "natural environment;" how the brain perceives and responds to different environments, methodological and conceptual limitations of neuroscience in studying the human–environment relationship. Module two: The Impact of Environment on Humans; the concept of the exposome and cumulative environmental exposure, effects of environmental factors on brain function and neural processes, how environmental conditions shape brain structure over time, special populations: environmental effects on infants, older adults, and individuals undergoing neurorehabilitation, the consequences of pollution and climate change on physical and mental health,  psychophysiological responses to ecological crisis: eco-anxiety and related conditions. Module 3: The Human Impact on the Environment; psychosocial factors influencing pro-environmental behavior: social norms, diffusion of responsibility, stress, empathy, and perspective-taking, climate change and the limits of rational behavior: understanding cognitive and emotional barriers to action. Module 4: Environmental Sustainability and the Brain; neural correlates of sustainable behavior and reward processing, decision-making mechanisms in environmentally responsible choices, environmental activism: cognitive and emotional effects of engagement and advocacy. Module 5: Rethinking the Relationship: Environment as Subject, "plant blindness": cultural and perceptual neglect of plant life, plant cognition and behavior: emerging evidence of intelligent systems, bioethical and legal frameworks recognizing nature, ecosystems, and plants as subjects of rights. 

This advanced course addresses the ongoing theoretical and scientific crisis in psychotherapy research. It begins by presenting and critically discussing the evidence-based treatment (EBT) framework, its historical development, recent meta-analytic findings, and its epistemological and methodological limitations. Particular attention is given to the historical, cultural, and methodological challenges of studying psychodynamic psychology within this framework. On these grounds the course  introduces the current effort in literature of pushing the field from its current state of caucus-race, toward individualized treatment and prevention practices. These efforts emphasize repeatable phenomena, causal evidence, and falsifiable theories, while remaining compatible with the unique demands of studying interpersonal relationships between reflective, self-updating individuals. To this end, the course offers a critical reinterpretation of core psychodynamic constructs, such as conflict, resistance, and defense mechanisms, reframing them in light of leading paradigms in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, evolutionary psychology, and infant research. These contemporary perspectives are used to revise and extend Freud’s theory based on decades of experimental evidence. Central attention is given to Karl Friston’s Free Energy Principle and the Bayesian brain model built upon it, as well as computational semiotics, the Dynamic Complex Systems framework, and recent advances in Attachment Theory, particularly regarding epistemic trust and mentalization. The course provides students with foundational knowledge of scientific literature in the field of psychotherapy, as well as the ability to engage with it critically. Furthermore, students are equipped with conceptual tools to develop a critical stance toward clinical models, their effectiveness, integration, and application in clinical practice. Students acquire advanced theoretical tools from an interdisciplinary framework and are trained to apply them to clinical cases, particularly in the context of case formulation. 

How we remember our past and imagine our future has important consequences for our psychological well-being. This course examines how psychological research has informed our understanding of this relationship and how developments in the field of mental health science are translated into clinical practice. Through class discussion of theoretical concepts, practical examples of research methodology and intervention techniques, students gain insight into the psychological processes underlying autobiographical remembering and imagining. The course focuses on how biases in autobiographical processing are altered during times of psychological distress and examines the idea that changing the way individuals think about their own life-story can lead to improvements in psychological well-being.

This course provides the foundational training regarding the main student-related variables that have a clear impact on learning. It presents the explanatory theories of the process of acquiring academic skills and competencies, the outcome of this learning process, and the interaction between different interpersonal and contextual variables. The course lays the groundwork for students to understand the characteristics of their own students and how to optimize their learning.

Developmental psychology is the scientific study of human development, covering periods from infancy through childhood to adolescence. A fundamental assumption in developmental psychology is that human development occurs within a specific environment and sociocultural context, profoundly influencing the individual child's developmental trajectory. The course provides an overview of the biological, cognitive, emotional, and social changes occurring during this period; introduces key theories and methods in developmental psychology; and presents quantitative and qualitative empirical research reflecting current international research within the field. A central theme explored throughout the course concerns how development is shaped by multiple levels of context – including genotype and neurobiology; social interactions with caregivers and peers; family, daycare and school environments, norms and culture, broader ecological conditions; and our species evolutionary history.