Psychology

This course discusses the cognitive (e.g., conditioning, skill learning, interference paradigms) and neurobiological (e.g., long-term potentiation and molecular neuroscience, brain anatomy, hippocampus) substrates of memories and how they can be changed, and discusses important research methods and behavioral paradigms to study memory manipulation. Further, it discusses how these principles and methods can be applied in fields of education, cognitive enhancement, and clinical therapy. There are no prerequisites, but a strong interest in research methods, cognitive science and/or neuroscience of memory is highly recommended.

This course examines how to optimize one’s own personal performance. It critically examines psychological, sociological and scientific research related to expertise development and examines a range of embodied, and frequently tacit, everyday practices that enable progress in all aspects of human endeavor. By highlighting both similarities and differences between various performance domains it aims to capture, understand, inspire and disrupt ways of thinking about one’s personal performance that cut across a wide array of domains, including the arts, business, medicine and science. Attention is given to the various sub-skills of performance, especially the conditions that enhance expectations for future performance, influence personal autonomy, and facilitate attention focusing within various contexts.

This course surveys the fundamentals of western personality theories to help students learn ways to understand and think about human behavior, interpersonal relationships, and individual differences. It also explores the relevance and applicability of these theories in 21st Century Japan. The following courses are prerequisites: Introduction to Contemporary Psychology and Psychological Measurement and Evaluation.
 

This course reviews the interdisciplinary view on happiness which includes different theoretical perspectives (e.g., on micro-, meso- or macro-level factors) as well as different methodological approaches to understanding well-being of individuals and societies. Broad views on complex societal issues are adopted and how to evaluate scientific evidence from various domains is learned. This interdisciplinary course, with contributions from psychology, public administration, and interdisciplinary social science, focuses on happiness in its broadest sense. Key questions are: What factors influence individuals' subjective well-being, why are some societies happier than others (and why are some individuals within these societies affected more by these factors than others?) What can we do to foster happiness in our future generations? There are four specific themes of interest: health, education, finance, and sustainability.

This course provides a broad-based introduction to the study of behavior and mental processes. Topics include learning, development, psychotherapy, the brain and states of consciousness, sensation and perception, memory, social behavior, personality, psychological disorders, coping and health, stress, and others. Text: Gazzaniga, Heatherton, and Halpern, PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE. Assessment: midterm (30%), final exam (30%), experiment report (20%), homework (15%), attendance and participation (5%).

This course examines the biological underpinnings of selected mental health conditions. Topics include addictions, anxiety disorders, attentional disorders, dementias, eating disorders, mood disorders, and psychosis. Clinical observations, human experiments, genomic investigations, and studies using animal models may be used to illustrate the relationships between altered cognitive-behavioral states, biochemical processes, and functional neuroanatomy. The biological implications of therapies for mental health conditions are also discussed.

This course provides an introduction to group counseling as well the basic concepts of clinical and ethical issues in group counseling. Students are required to participate in a group presentation outlining a group counseling proposal.