Psychology

This course offers a study of the main psychological theories on human development as well as the changes that occur in behaviors and psychological functions from birth to young adulthood. The course focuses on different domains encompassing motor, perceptual, cognitive, social, and emotional development. Furthermore, research methodologies and cultural-contextual influences are presented. The course discusses topics including an introduction to developmental psychology; the importance of culture; brain, motor, and perceptual development; cognitive development; the development of language and communication; emotional development; social development; contexts of development; and development in the context of emergency and trauma. At the end of the course, students are able to express knowledge about major developmental psychology theories, methods, and processes underlying change across the stages of human development. Moreover, students understand and apply key concepts in developmental psychology within the areas of perceptual, motor, cognitive, social, and emotional development in different cultural contexts.

This course examines the theory and practice of forensic psychology, including the potential role of psychology graduates in the criminal justice system. There will be a particular emphasis on the contribution that psychological inquiry and practice can make in efforts to understand the causes of antisocial behavior, including developmental processes; develop and evaluate effective psychological interventions for antisocial behavior; predict who is likely to reoffend; detect and investigate crime; and understand the "process" or "cycle" of offending in the lives of repeat offenders.

In this course, students explore how children acquire language and the factors influencing early language development. While language learning may seem effortless,  students examine various aspects of acquisition to understand this complex process. Topics include gestures and accents, vocabulary growth, the role of sleep, language learning in non-laboratory environments, and the impact of television and electronic devices. Students focus primarily on typical development but also consider insights from children with developmental disorders and learning differences.

This course introduces theoretical concepts of personality, that is, people's behavior under influence of internal and external forces. Topics: significant 19th- and 20th-century theorists who have contributed to the history and development of personality theory, examining how their theories were shaped by the period in which they lived, and assessing the utility of these theories today. The theorists studied include Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Carl Gustav Jung, Eric Erikson, James McKeen Cattell, Hans Jurgen Eysenck, Albert Bandura, George Kelly, Carl Rogers, Abraham Maglow, and Francis Hsu. 

There are more connections in a human brain than there are stars in the universe. This course focuses on the brain as an integrated system and looks at how its many connected networks achieve coordinated effects, linking the mind to the brain and the body. In exploring integration across the nervous system, this course examines topics such as the effects of neurotransmitters on emotions and behavior, the nature of sleep and wakeful states and transitions between them, and mechanisms underlying the control of body movement. The connections between social factors and brain function is also explored, as well as current ethical dilemmas in the field, such as the ethical consequences associated with recent technologies designed to alter our minds, or enhance brain function beyond normal healthy ranges.

This course examines human development from the preschool period through adolescence.