Psychology
Courses
Lower-Division
Experimental Requirements
Psychology at UCSD is a laboratory science. We are concerned with
the scientific development of knowledge about human and animal behavior
and thought. Accordingly, experience with experimental procedures plays
an important role in the undergraduate and graduate training of students.
All psychology majors must learn experimental methods, including basic
statistical techniques. Students in the Honors Program must take laboratory
courses and also do a year-long undergraduate thesis.
ATTENTION lower-division students: Students enrolled in the
lower-division psychology courses must serve as experimental subjects
for three hours per course. The requirement is intended to be a positive
educational supplement to the course work. Part of each experimental
session will be devoted to explanation and discussion of the purpose
and nature of the experiment. This usually will be done at the end of
the experimental session. Students always have the right to discontinue
participation at any point in any study. Students who are unable to
participate or who choose not to participate will be provided alternate
service assignments which are designed to serve similar educational
goals.
1. Psychology (4) A comprehensive series
of lectures covering the basic concepts of modern psychology in the
areas of human information processing, learning and memory, motivation,
developmental processes, language acquisition, social psychology, and
personality.
2. General Psychology: Biological Foundations (4) A
survey of physiological and psychological mechanisms underlying selected
areas of human behavior. Emphasis will be upon sensory processes, especially
vision, with emphasis also given to the neuropsychology of motivation,
memory, and attention.
3. General Psychology: Cognitive Foundations (4) This
course is an introduction to the basic concepts of cognitive psychology.
The course surveys areas such as perception, attention, memory, language,
and thought. The relation of cognitive psychology to cognitive science
and to neuropsychology is also covered.
4. General Psychology: Behavioral Foundations (4) This
course will provide a basic introduction to behavioral psychology, covering
such topics as classical conditioning, operant conditioning, animal
learning and motivation, and behavior modification.
6. General Psychology: Social Foundations (4) This
course will provide a basic introduction to social psychology, covering
such topics as emotion, aesthetics, behavioral medicine, person perception,
attitudes and attitude change, and behavior in social organizations.
10. Cognition and Perception: Applied Aspects (4) An
introduction to cognitive and perceptual psychology as applied to real-world
concerns, and the research issues that are important for the ultimate
applicability of psychological findings. Topics covered will include
gender differences in cognitive processing, sensory processing, memory
and its distortions, pragmatic use of language and information processing,
and cross-cultural universals.
60. Introduction to Statistics (4) Introduction
to the experimental method in psychology and to mathematical techniques
necessary for experimental research. Prerequisite: one year mathematics
or consent of instructor.
87. Freshmen Seminar (1) The Freshman
Seminar Program is designed to provide new students with the opportunity
to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small seminar
setting. Freshman seminars are offered in all campus departments and
undergraduate colleges, and topics vary from quarter to quarter. Enrollment
is limited to fifteen to twenty students, with preference given to entering
freshmen. Prerequisites: none.
90. Undergraduate Seminar (1) This seminar
introduces the various subdisciplines in psychology and their research
methods, and also explores career and graduate school opportunities.
This includes informal presentations by faculty, graduate students,
and other professionals.
Upper-Division
101. Introduction to Developmental Psychology (4) A
lecture course on a variety of topics in the development of the child,
including the development of perception, cognition, language, and sex
differences. Prerequisite: Psychology 60
102. Introduction to Sensation and Perception (4) An
introduction to problems and methods in the study of perception and
cognitive processes. Prerequisite: Psychology 60
103. Introduction to Principles of Behavior (4) An
example of the principles of conditioning and their application to the
control and modification of human behavior.
104. Introduction to Social Psychology (4) An
intensive introduction and survey of current knowledge in social psychology.
Prerequisite: Psychology 60
105. Introduction to Cognitive Psychology (4) Introduction
to experimental study of higher mental processes. Topics to be covered
include pattern recognition, perception, and comprehension of language,
memory, and problem solving. Prerequisites: junior standing.
106. Introduction to Physiological Psychology (4) Intensive
introduction to current knowledge of physiological factors in learning,
motivation, perception, and memory.
107. Lab/Substance Abuse Research (4) This
lab course examines theory and research design and methods for substance
abuse is adolescent adult populations. This course serves as preparation
for individual research topics culminating in a paper.
109. Lab/Applied Behavior Analysis (4) This
course will provide students with hands-on training in the application
of behavioral research technology to a clinical population. Students
will meet weekly for lecture, discussion, research article reviews,
and specific technique training. In addition, students will work on
a research project. Prerequisite: Psychology 199 in the Schreibman
autism laboratory recommended.
110. Juniors Honors Research Seminars (4) Meetings
consist of research seminars by a range of departmental faculty, exposing
students to contemporary research problems in all branches of experimental
psychology. Class discussions will follow faculty presentations. Evaluation
is based on assigned papers. Prerequisite: admission by application
in the fall of the Junior year*, with a minimum UCSD GPA of 3.3. Course
is offered winter quarter.
*Application forms are available from the Student Services Office
and due by the end of October of each fall quarter.
111A. Research Methods I (6) Designed
to provide training in the applications of advanced statistical methods
in the context of initial instruction in experimental design. Emphasis
will be placed on the development of statistical problem-solving skills,
practical computer applications, and scientific report writing. Prerequisites:
minimum grade of B in Psychology 60 or equivalent and junior standing.
Open to honors students or consent of instructor. Department stamp required.
111B Research Methods II (6) Designed
to extend the material of Psychology 111A. Focusing on the techniques
developed previously. Participate in data collection, data organization,
statistical analysis, and graphic displays, emphasis placed on developing
scientific report writing, presentations, and critical thinking about
experimental methods. Prerequisite: Psychology 111A or consent of
instructor.
112. Applied Cognitive Research Lab (4) This
laboratory course involves empirical study of basic research issues
in applied cognitive psychology, emphasizing both psychological theory
and research applications, Students will be instructed in experimental
design and method, data handling and analysis, and will actively participate
in the implementation and completion of experimental studies. Prerequisite:
upper-division standing and consent of instructor.
115. Laboratory in Cognitive Psychology (4) Lecture
and laboratory work in human information processing. Prerequisite:
Psychology 105 and 111A-B or consent of instructor.
116. Experimental Analysis of Attention and Cognitive Processes
(4) This lab course examines the design and
methods for the experimental study of attentional mechanisms; topics
will include pre-attentive processes and the role of attentional limitation
in planning of action, short-term memory, and other aspects of cognition.
Prerequisite: departmental stamp required.
118A. Real-Time Examination of Language Processing (4) This
lab course examines the design and methods for the real-time examination
of language processing in normal and disordered (aphasic, dyslexic,
child language impaired, etc.) language populations. This course serves
as preparation for individual research topics in Psychology 118B. Prerequisite:
a course in language or cognition (see professor for exceptions).
118B. Real-Time Examination of Language Processing (4) This
lab is a continuation of Psychology 118A. The instruction to laboratory
methods is now applied to individual research projects culminating in
a lab presentation and paper. Prerequisite: Psychology 118A or consent
of instructor.
119. Psycholinguistics/Cognition Laboratory (4) Methods
and practicum in experimental study of language, reading, and related
cognitive processes (reasoning, problem solving) in young adult populations.
Prerequisites: A course in language or cognition, or Psych 118A-B
(see professor for exceptions). Permission of instructor required. Department
stamp required.
120. Learning and Motivation (4) Survey
of research and theory in learning and motivation. Includes instincts,
reinforcement, stimulus control, choice, aversive control, and human
application. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Must be taken
concurrently with Psychology 121.
121. Laboratory in Operant Psychology (4) Lecture
and laboratory in operant psychology. Prerequisite: must be taken
concurrently with Psychology 120.
123. Cognition: Aspects of Methodology (4) An
introduction to methodological issues and basic research issues important
to the empirical study of cognition. Both psychological theory and research
applications will be covered. Prerequisite: department stamp required.
124. Introduction to Clinical Psychology (4) Introduction
to major concepts and models used in psychological assessment and psychotherapeutic
intervention. Several modalities of psychotherapy (individual, group,
and family) will be reviewed along with research on their efficacy.
Prerequisite: Psychology 163.
127. Methods in Applied Social Psychology (4) Emphasizes
learning of experimental and quasi-experimental methodology applicable
to social problems. Students carry out field research in areas such
as the psychology of law (judicial decision-making), traffic-related
behavior (risk taking), environmental psychology, and other areas of
student interest. Prerequisites: Psychology 104 and 60.
128. Practicum in Child Development (6) [Same
as COHI 116 and HDP 135] A combined lecture/laboratory course for students
in psychology, communication, and human development. Student backgrounds
should include a background in general psychology or communication.
Students will be expected to spend four hours a week in a supervised
practical after school setting at one of the community field sites involving
children. Additional time will be devoted to readings and class prep,
as well as six hours a week transcribing field notes and writing a paper
on some aspect of the field work experience as it relates to class lectures
and readings. Prerequisites: Psychology 101 or COGN 20 or HDP1 or
consent of instructor.
129. Logic of Perception (4) Lectures
will cover three topics: 1) tradition of experimental work on perception
that dates back to Hemholtz; 2) discussion and criticisms of theories
of perception; 3) recent physiological work on the visual pathways that
may give us insights into neural mechanisms underlying perception. Prerequisite:
upper-division standing.
130. Delay of Gratification (4) This
course will review the research on delay of gratification. It will cover
what makes it in general so tough, what situations make it possible,
who can do it, and what the implications of this ability are. Prerequisite:
upper-division standing.
131. Personality: Theory and Research (4) Introduction
to major theoretical approaches to the study of personality constructs
and processes. Disturbances in personality development and functioning
will be discussed and illustrated. The social learning theory perspective
will be emphasized relative to other theoretical frameworks. Prerequisite:
upper-division standing.
132. Hormones and Behavior (4) A survey
of the effects of chmical signals (hormones, neurohormones and pheromones)
on behavior as well as reciprocal effects of behavior on these chemical
systems. Specific topics covered include aggression, sex and sexuality,
feeding, learning, memory and mood. Animal studies will be emphasized.
Prerequisite: Psychology 106 or consent of insturctor.
134. Eating Disorders (4) This course
will cover the biology and psychology of eating disorders such as anorexia
nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Abnormal, as well
as normal eating will be discussed from various perspectives including
endocrinological, neurobiological, psychological, sociological, and
evolutionary. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
135. Evolutionary Principles of Animal Social Behavior (4) This
course will examine evolutionary, environmental, and mechanistic forces
that shape the behavior of humans and other animals. Topics include
the evolution of sex, neural and endocrine bases of social behavior,
animal communication, and sociobiology. Prerequisite: Psychology
106.
136. Cognitive Development (4) Examination
of the foundations and growth of mind, discussing the development of
perception, imagery, concept formation, memory, and thinking, with emphasis
on the presentation of knowledge in infancy and childhood. Prerequisite:
Cognitive Science 110B, Psychology 105 or 101.
138. Sound and Music Perception (4) Topics
include the physiology of the auditory system, perception and pitch,
loudness and timbre, localization of sound in space, perception of melodic
and temporal patterns, handedness correlates, and musical illusions
and paradoxes. There will be a substantial number of sound demonstrations.
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
139. Social Psychology of Sports (4) This
course focuses on the applications of social psychological principles
and finding to the understanding of sports. Topics include the role
of motivation, level of aspiration, competition, cooperation, social
comparison, and optimal arousal, spectators perspective, motivation
and perceptions of success, streaks, etc. Prerequisite: upper-division
standing or consent of instructor.
140. Lab/Human Behavior (4) Laboratory
on the principles of human behavior, including choice behavior, self-control,
and reasoning. Prerequisites: 120 (may be taken concurrently); upper-division
standing.
141. Evolution and Human Nature (4) Can
important aspects of human behavior be explained as a result of natural
selection? Focus on sex differences, selfishness and altruism, homicide
and violence, and context effects in human reasoning. Prerequisite:
upper-division standing and consent of instructor.
142. Psychology of Consciousness (4) This
course will survey research on consciousness from an experimental psychology
perspective. Special emphasis will be placed on cognitive, neuro-imaging,
and clinical/psychiatric investigative techniques, and on the scientific
assessment of the mind-body problem. Prerequisites: Recommended Psychology
1 (or equivalent) and 60. Psychology 105 and/or 106 are useful but not
necessary.
143. Control and Analysis of Human Behavior (4) An
overview of the behavioral approach including basic principles, self-control,
clinical applications, and the design of cultures. Prerequisite:
upper-division standing.
144. Memory and Amnesia (4) This course
will review basic research into the nature of memory. It begins with
an examination of historical milestones in the study of memory and then
considers research concerned with contemporary models of memory and
amnesia. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
145. Psychology of Language (4) Introduction
to research on language comprehension and production. Focus on brain
basis of language, language origin and universal structure, language
disorders (aphasia, dyslexia), animal language, linguistic community
differences, and the mental processes underlying normal language processing.
Prerequisite: a course in language, cognition, or philosophy of mind
recommended.
148. Psychology of Judgment and Decision (4) Broadly
defined, the field of judgment and decision making examines preferences
and subjective probability, and how they are combined to arrive at decisions.
The course will cover history and current topics. Prerequisite: upper-division
standing
149. Social Psychology of Theater (4) Exploration
of the relationship between social psychology and drama, focusing on
the use of psychological principles in plays (by playwrights) and their
performance (by directors, actors, and choreographers). Prerequisite:
upper-division standing, major in psychology or theater, or permission
of instructor.
151. Test and Measurement (4) This course
provides an introduction to psychological testing presented in three
components: 1) psychometrics and statistical methods of test construction;
2) application of psychological tests in industry, clinical practice,
and other applied settings; and 3) controversies in the application
of psychological tests. Prerequisite: Psychology 60.
154. Behavior Modification (4) Extension
of learning principles to human behavior, methods of applied behavior
analysis, and applications of behavioral principles to clinical disorders
and to normal behavior in various settings. Prerequisite: upper-division
standing.
155. Social Psychology and Medicine (4) Explores
areas of health, illness, treatment, and delivery of treatment, and
social psychological perspectives in the medical area. Prerequisite:
Psychology 60 or equivalent and 104.
157. Happiness (4) This course will address
the psychology of happiness. The discussions and readings, consisting
largely of original research articles. Will explore such questions as:
what is happiness? How do we measure it, and how do we tell who has
it? What is the biology of happiness and what is its evolutionary significance?
What makes people happyyouth, fortune, marriage, chocolate? Is
the pursuit of happiness pointless? Prerequisite: upper-division
standing.
159. Physiological Basis of Perception (4) A
survey of sensory and perceptual phenomena and the physiological mechanisms
underlying them. Prerequisite: Psychology 102 or consent of instructor.
160. Groups (4) Causes and consequences
of gregariousness, stress, validating attitudes, improving efficiency,
consolidating power, permitting loafing, rejecting deviates, and insulating
group members from unpleasant outside influence. Prerequisite: upper-division
standing.
161. Introduction to Engineering Psychology (4) Surveys
human perceptual and cogntive limitaitons and abilities important in
designing user-friendly computers and devices, improving
aviation and traffic safety, and other engineering challenges. Topics
include human vision as it bears on display design (including virtual-reality),
short-term memory limitations, learning and practice, effects of noise
and stress, causes of human error and their minimization. Acceptable
as elective for ECE and ESE students. Prerequisite: upper-division
standing.
162. Psychology and the Law (4) Studies
the psychological factors in the legal system, applying psychological
theory and methods to the criminal justice system, identifying crime
and criminals, eyewitness reliability, bail setting, plea bargaining,
sentencing, and parole. An original research project will be required
as part of the course. Prerequisite: Psychology 60 and 104.
163. Abnormal Psychology (4) Surveys
origins, characteristics and causes of abnormal behavior and the biological
and environmental causes of abnormality. Prerequisite: upper-division
standing.
164. Mathematical Ideas in Psychology (4) This
course will survey how mathematical ideas have been applied in modeling
psychological processes and in analyzing psychological data. Topics
include signal detection theory, perceptual encoding, scaling techniques,
and neural models of perceptual and cognitive processes. Prerequisite:
Calculus: one quarter, linear algebra desirable.
165. Cultural Perspectives on Cognition and Perception (4) This
course examines issues relevant to everyday psychology and pan-human
universals in cognitive and perceptual processing. Topics will include
the appropriate and non-biased use of cultural considerations in empirical
psychology, influences cultural variation imposes upon theory and methods
of investigation, culture and the development of cognitive abilities,
and responsible use and interpretation of cross- cultural research findings.
166. History of Psychology (4) Surveys
major trend and personalities in development of psychological thoughts.
Emphasis given to such topics as mind-body problem, nativism vs. empiricism,
and genesis of behaviorism. Prerequisite: concurrently enrolled in
Honors Thesis 194A-B-C.
167. Social and Emotional Development (4) Focuses
on topics like attachment, moral development, sex roles, self-definition,
and peer interaction. Prerequisite: Psychology 60 and 101.
168. Psychological Disorders of Childhood (4) Explores
different forms of psychological deviance in children (psychosis, neurosis,
mental retardation, language disorders and other behavior problems).
Emphasis on symptomatology, assessment, etiological factors, and various
treatment modalities. (Offered every other year.) Prerequisite: upper-division
standing.
169. Brain Damage and Mental Functions (4) Studies
neural mechanisms underlying perception, memory, language, and other
mental capacities. What happens to these capacities when different parts
of the brain are damaged? What can we learn about the normal brain by
studying patients? Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
172. The Psychology of Human Sexuality (4) Important
issues in human sexuality including sex and gender, sexual orientation,
reproductive technology, and sexual dysfunction. Prerequisite: upper-division
standing.
175. Psychology and the Arts (4) An interdisciplinary
course focusing on theoretical ideas and empirical research that relate
contemporary psychology (social and cognitive, psychophysiology, motivation
and emotion) to issues in various aesthetic and artistic domains, as
visual arts, music, literature, criticism, and the performance arts.
Prerequisite: upper- division standing; major in Psychology, Music,
Visual Arts, Communications, or Literature, or permission of instructor.
178. Organizational Psychology (4) Examines
human behavior in industrial and organizational settings. Psychological
principles are applied to selection, placement, and training. The effectiveness
of individuals and groups within organizations, including leadership
and control, conflict and cooperation, motivation, and organizational
structure and design, is examined. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
179. Drugs, Addiction, and Mental Disorders (4) Considers
the use, abuse, liability, and psycho-therapeutic effects of drugs in
humans. Lectures are supplemented by guest lecturers from clinical experts
in psychology and psychiatry. Prerequisite: one lower-division psychology
course (1, 2, 3, or 4) or upper-division standing.
180. Adolescence (4) This course will
adopt a multidisciplinary approach toward understanding the period of
human adolescence. A strong focus on the neurobiological aspects of
adolescence will be combined with psychological, anthropological, and
sociological considerations. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
181. Drugs and Behavior (4) Psychological
effects, brain mode of action, patterns of use of psychoactive agents,
including stimulants, sedative/hypnotic, hallucinogens, marijuana, alcohol,
over-the-counter drugs, cognitive enhancers, antianxiety agents, antidepressants,
antipsychotics, and basic principles in psychopharmacology. Prerequisite:
upper-division standing.
182. Illusions and the Brain (4) This
course explores the bases of illusions in terms of perceptual and cognitive
principles, and the underlying brain mechanisms; extensive demonstrations
are included. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
184. Choice and Self-Control (4) Experimental
analysis of choice behavior, with an emphasis on the types of choice
involved in self-control. Focus on conditions under which decision-making
is optimal. Prerequisite: upper-division students in psychology,
biology, economics, or consent of instructor.
186. Psychology and Social Policy (4) This
course will examine social policy issues from the psychological point
of view. Each social policy issue will be discussed in a descriptive
manner and will include (with student input) an array of both pro and
con arguments. The psychological (behavioral) assumptions in the pro
and con arguments will then be identified and the empirical evidence
for these assumptions will be analyzed. Prerequisite: Psychology
60 and 104.
187. Development of Social Cognition (4) This
course will examine reasoning about people from a developmental perspective.
Topics will include emotional understanding, achievement motivation,
peer relations, social categories, and culture. Prerequisite: upper-division
standing. Department stamp required.
188. Impulse Control Disorders (4) Problems
of impulse control are important features of major psychiatric disorders
but also of atypical impulse control disorder such as: pathological
gambling, compulsive sex, eating, exercise, shopping. Focus: development,
major common features, treatment, and neurobiological basis of impulse
control disorders. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
194A-B-C. Honors Thesis (4-4-4) Students
will take part in a weekly research seminar. In addition, they will
plan and carry out a three-quarter research project under the guidance
of a faculty member. The project will form the basis of the senior honors
thesis. Prerequisite: acceptance to the Honors Program in the junior
year (110A-B) (GPA 3.3), in addition one laboratory course (114-127)
or two 199s which culminate in a research paper (by petition only) and
Psychology 110, 111A-B and consent of instructor.
195. Instruction in Psychology (4) Introduction
to teaching a class section in a lower-division psychology course, hold
office hours, assist with examinations and grading (P/NP grades only).
This course counts only once towards the major. Prerequisite: junior
or senior psychology major with GPA of 3.0 or an A in the course and
consent of instructor.
196 A-B-C Research Seminar (4-4-4) Weekly
research seminar, three quarter research project under faculty guidance
which culminates in a thesis. Prerequisite: one laboratory course,
3.3. GPA , and/or consent of instructor.
199. Independent Study (2 or 4) Independent
study or research under direction of a member of the faculty. Prerequisite:
GPA 2.5 and 90 units completed. (P/NP grades only.) Not counted
for credit towards the major. See Section on 199 information.
2XX. Graduate Seminar We encourage Juniors
and Seniors meeting the suggested criteria of an overall 3.0 GPA to
enroll in Graduate Seminars. Check the schedule of classes and contact
the Student Affairs Office on how to enroll.
Graduate
201A-B-C. Quantitative Methods in Psychology (4-4-4) An
intensive course in statistical methods and the mathematical treatment
of data, with special reference to research in psychology. Prerequisite:
restricted to graduate students in psychology.
204. Neurobiology of Social Development (4) The
goal of this class is to acquaint students with research on the neurological
underpinnings of social and social cognitive development. Students will
be expected to become familiar with the existing research in the area,
and to understand the neural structures that comprise the limbic system,
and their developmental timecourse. Students will be expected to form
hypotheses about the neural correlates of aspects of social development
based upon an understanding of the development of structures involved
in social behavior.
206. Mathematical Modeling (4) This course
is designed to teach the basics of mathematical modeling. Topics include
when, why, and how to use signal detection theory (an essential theory
for anyone interested in attention, perception, memory, or decision
making), how to analyze reaction time distributions (instead of simply
measuring mean RT), how to engage in the fine art of model comparison,
and how to avoid creating models that are more complex than the data
they seek to explain.
208. Seminar on Hormones and Behavior (4) A
survey of the affects of chemical signals (hormones, neurohormones,
and pheromones) on behavior as well as reciprocal effects of behavior
on these chemical systems. Specific topics covered include aggression,
sex and sexuality, feeding, learning, memory and mood. Animal studies
will be emphasized.
209. Topics in Judgment and Decision Making (3) This
seminar examines issues in the psychology of judgment and decision making.
Topics include the heuristics and biases approach, over confidence,
framing effects, intertemporal choice, and rationality.
210. Skill Acquisition and Development of Expertise (4) The
course examines the transition from novice to highly skilled performance
and the transfer of that skill to novel problems and contexts. Emphasis
will be on information processing accounts of learning and performance
for relatively simple cognitive tasks.
211. The Development of Social Cognition (3) This
seminar will cover the development of concepts about people. Topics
include emotional understanding, theory of mind, trait thinking,
social categories, psychological essentialism, achievement motiva- tion,
and social and cultural influences on person perception.
212. Current Topics in Visual Science (3) Each
year a different topic in visual science is selected for in-depth review
and discussion based on current readings. Prerequisite: consent of
instructor.
213. Professional Procedures and Survival in Psychology (3) This
course provides a forum for presentation and discussion of the basic
issues associated with surviving in a professional (particularly, academic)
psychology environment. It covers such issues as: 1) how to get a job;
2) how to keep a job; 3) general issues in professional survival. The
course will include the presence of a number of the psychology faculty
in topic specific areas (e.g., journal editors from our faculty; faculty
sitting on grant review panels, etc.). The issue of ethics will be examined
and discussed relative to each topic raised.
215. Language Acquisition (4) Discussion
of the acquisition of language by young children, including such topics
as its stages, mechanisms, and relation to nonlinguistic development.
217A. Proseminar in Developmental Psychology I (3) The
course examines cognitive development through the school-age period.
It begins with an examination of early neurological, sensory, motor,
and perceptual functions and then focuses on issues in linguistic and
cognitive development.
217B. Proseminar in Developmental Psychology II (3) The
course examines social and personality development from infancy through
early adolescence. The class will first discuss general developmental
theory and methods and then topics such as attachment, temperament,
self-concept, aggression, family relations, play, and peers.
218A-B. Cognitive Psychology (3-3) A
two-quarter survey of basic principles and concepts of cognitive psychology.
This course is intended to serve as the basic introduction for first-year
students. Basic areas include knowledge, memory, thought, perception,
and performance. The areas are taught by faculty members who work within
the specialty. Prerequisite: graduate status in psychology or consent
of instructor.
219. Proseminar in Learning and Motivation (3) An
overview of the experimental and applied analysis of behavior including
topics such as the principles of operant and classical conditioning,
stimulus control, choice, conditioned reinforcement, aversive control,
biological and economic contexts, verbal behavior, and the modification
of human behavior in a variety of applied settings.
220. Proseminar in Social Psychology (3) An
introduction to social psychology. Psychology and the law, health psychology,
attitudes, emotions, person perception and aggression are some of the
topics to be covered.
221. Proseminar in Sensation and Perception (3) Fundamentals
of vision, audition, and other senses. Emphasis will be upon psychophysical
approaches to the study of these sensory modalities, as well as some
essential aspects of their neurophysiological bases.
222. Biological Psychology (3) A survey
of the functional neuroanatomical, neurodevelopmental, neurophysiological,
and pharmacological correlates of psychological phenomena.
223. Advanced Topics in Vision (4) An
in-depth analysis of empirical and theoretical issues in a specialized
area of vision or visual perception. Emphasis most likely will be on
a topic of ongoing vision research at UCSD. Prerequisite: Psychology
212 or special consent of instructor.
224. Parental Behavior: Evolution and Mechanisms (4) This
course will broadly address evolutionary, endo-crine, psychological,
and neurobiological aspects of parental behavior. Topics will include
the social/environmental factors which promote parental care, the role
of steroid and peptide hormones in parental care, and the evolutionary
forces that promote different patterns of paternal and maternal investment
in young. Prerequisite: a basic understanding of brain function.
225. Topics in Neural Timing (4) This
seminar will introduce fundamentals in chronobiology research and then
address specific problems in greater detail. Proposed topics include
oscillator coupling, masking, circannual rhythms, photoperiodism, and
non-photic influences on circadian rhythms. The seminar will read classic
and contemporary literature.
226. Color Appearance Models: Cognition and Perception (3) This
course covers color appearance models (e.g., CIE models, OSA, etc.)
and their use in perception and cognition research. Emphasis will be
given to the theories underlying color appearance spaces; the derivation
and interpretation of corresponding metrics; color-difference
tolerances; plausible linking propositions for color models and neurophysiology;
and the ways these models are used in psychological and psychophysical
experimentation.
227. Gender and Development (4) Topics
will include methodology, gender differences, culture, the development
of knowledge of sex roles, stereotype formation, gender as a social
category, and the role of gender in peer relationships, family relationships,
and achievement motivation. Gender development will be approached from
different perspectives within psychology, including developmental, cognitive,
and social. The course will draw from areas outside of psychology, including
anthropology and sociology.
228. Conceptions of Intelligence (3) This
course surveys major issues in the study of intelligence. Issues to
be considered are the structure of intelligence, its heritability, and
significance for real-world behavior. Special emphasis will be given
to accounts of intelligence based on elementary processes.
229. Happiness (4) This course will address
the psychology of happiness. The discussions and readings, consisting
largely of original research articles, will explore such questions as:
What is happiness? How do we measure it, and how do we tell who has
it? What is the biology of happiness and what is its evolutionary significance?
What makes people happyyouth, fortune, marriage, chocolate? Is
the pursuit of happiness pointless?
231. Auditory Perception (3) This course
will give a comprehensive overview of auditory perception. Topics will
include the nature of sound, the ear, auditory pathways in the brain,
perceptual images of sound, grouping mechanisms in sound perception,
perception of music, and developmental studies of sound perception.
232. Human Memory Systems (3) This seminar
will survey the literature on dissociable human memory systems. Evidence
from cognitive, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging approaches will
be considered in evaluating explicit-implicit, declarative-procedural,
and alternative theoretical frameworks.
233A. Topics in Learning and Motivation (3) Advanced
topics in learning and motivation, with special emphasis on current
research. Prerequisite: Psychology 210.
234. Memory and Amnesia (3) This course
traces the history of research into animal and human short-term memory.
Classic models, current viewpoints, and their attendant epistemological
presuppositions will be considered. The relationship between empirical
analyses of memory in animals and humans will also be reviewed.
236. Substance Abuse (3) Theory and research
on the development, progression, and resolution of substance use and
abuse will be reviewed and evaluated. Normal and abnormal patterns of
substance involvement will be contrasted across the life span.
237. Human Rationality (4) The traditional
view of rationality is based upon abstract, content-independent rules
for behavior. People sometimes violate these rules in a laboratory setting,
but the violations are often systematic and appear to reflect adaptation
to the environment outside the laboratory. Such findings raise questions
about what it means to be rational. Readings will be empirically oriented
and cover the areas of deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, and
choice.
239. Psychology of Sport (3) This seminar
will focus on the applications of social psychological principles and
findings to the understanding of sports.
241. Groups (4) This course examines
the role of groups in buffering stress, validating attitudes, improving
efficiency, consolidating power, permitting loafing, rejecting deviates,
and insulating its members from unpleasant outside influence. Prerequisite:
consent of instuctor.
242A-B-C. Research Topics in Developmental Psychology (4-4-4) Advanced
seminar concentrating on methods of research and current experimental
literature. May be taken by undergraduate senior majors concurrently
enrolled in Psychology 194. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
(S/U grades permitted.)
243. Sound and Music Perception (3) This
course will deal with anatomy and physiology of the ear, central auditory
pathways, and neurological disorders of sound and music perception.
244. Special Topics in Psycholinguistics (4) Discussion
of the psychological reality of grammatical models, competence versus
performance, learnability and innateness in theories of language acquisition,
and questions of autonomy of modularity of grammatical versus
semantic processing. Studies of lexical accessing, sentence comprehension,
sentence production, and acquisition will all be considered, as well
as some recent work in aphasia.
245. Aphasia (4) Research and theory
on language breakdown in brain-damaged adults is surveyed. Topics include
an historical overview from linguistics, psycholinguistics, and neuroscience
(especially brain imaging techniques). Credit may not be received for
both Psychology 245 and Cognitive Science 251.
247. Neuroendocrinology of Social Variation (4) Students
will read and discuss primary literature on the general topic of how
steroid and peptide hormones contribute to the production of social
variation and diversity. This diversity includes seasonal variation,
intersexual variation, and divergence between species in patterns of
sociality and space use, pair-bonding and mating tactics, aggression,
and use of communication signals.
248. Psychology and the Law (3) This
seminar surveys topics in psychology and the law. Emphasis will be on
both applied and basic issues.
249A-B-C. Advanced Topics in Applied Behavior Analysis (3-3-3) Research
and discussion on selected topics in applied behavior analysis.
251. Advanced Topics in Learning and Motivation (3) Weekly
meetings for graduate students actively engaged in research on conditioning.
Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
252. Seminar on Cognitive Neuroscience (3) This
is a series of weekly seminars on current trends in neuropsychology.
The seminars will deal with the concept of localization
of function in different parts of the brain and the effects of damage
to these parts on cognitive functions such as perception, memory and
language. Active student participation will be encouraged in preparing
these seminars
253. Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Neuroimaging (4) This
seminar in cognitive neuroscience focuses on modern approaches to cognitive
psychology as revealed through cognitive neuroimaging. A major goal
of the course is to evaluate what (if anything) neuroimaging evidence
has added to classic cognitive models/evidence in major areas of cognition
(working memory, categorization, executive processes, decision-making,
emotion, and memory).
254. Functional Brain Imaging (3) Principles
of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the human brain, focusing on
recently developed techniques for brain activation on mapping. Includes
principles of NMR and imaging, anatomic MRI, and a detailed survey of
functional imaging techniques and data analysis.
255A-B-C. Advanced Topics in Biological Psychology (3-3-3) Research
and discussion on selected topics in biological psychology.
258. Delay of Gratification (3) This
course will review the research on delay of gratification. We will cover
what makes it in general so tough, what situations make it possible,
who can do it, and what the implications of this ability are. We will
draw from research in social, personality, and animal psychology as
well as economics.
259. Social Psychology/Psycho-aesthetics (3) This
course will be an intensive examination of social psychology (legal
decision-making, emotion, aggressive behavior) and the psychology of
visual art and music (psycho-aesthetics).
260. Cognitive Subcultures: Methodologies and Analysis
(3) Several methods of systematic data collection
(e.g., judged similarity, paired comparisons, direct scaling) and analysis
(e.g., consensus modeling, principal components analysis, multidimensional
scaling) are explored in a hands-on computer lab and reading seminar.
The ways in which these methodologies and data handling techniques bear
upon basic research issues in psychology will be illustrated, and differences
in data structures arising from qualitative variation in subjects will
be explored.
261. Proseminar in History of Psychology (3) This
course will consider the intellectual context in the nineteenth century
from which psychology developed as an independent discipline. Emphasis
will be on early German psychology and evolutionary theory. The second
part of the course will consider the histories of different areas of
psychology (e.g., behavioral, cognitive).
263. Psychopharmacology (3) This course
will explore the basic neuropharmacological mechanism of action of the
major classes of drugs, including neuroleptics, stimulants, anti-depressants,
minor and major tranquilizers, and sedative hypnotics. It will focus
on the use of behavioral techniques for evaluating the neural mechanisms
by which these drugs act.
264A-B-C. Advanced Topics in Language Processes (4-4-4) Research
and discussion on selected topics in language processes.
265. Social Psychology and Medicine (3) Concentrates
on what psychology has to contribute to the understanding of illness,
its treatment and the social context in which these processes occur.
Topics: Psychological factors in the etiology and treatment of illness,
doctor-patient roles, and communication. Prerequisite: open to undergraduates
with Psych 127 and instructors permission.
267A-B-C. Advanced Topics in Behavior Medicine (3-3-3) Research
and discussion on selected topics in behavior medicine.
268A-B-C. Advanced Topics in Experimental Psychopathology (3-3-3) Research
and discussion on selected topics in experimental psychopathology.
269A-B-C. Advanced Topics in Sound & Music Perception (3-3-3) Research
and discussion on selected topics in sound and music perception.
270A-B-C. Introduction to Laboratory Experimentatoin (1-4) A
basic laboratory course, designed to introduce first-year graduate students
to experimental methods in psychology. The student will select a research
topic, do a thorough literature review of the area, design and carry
out new, original studies of problems in the selected area, and prepare
a final formal report of the study at the end of the spring quarter.
This course is required of all first-year graduate students in the department.
Prerequisite: first-year psychology graduate students only.
272. Selected Topics in Cognitive Psychology (3) An
in-depth analysis of selected empirical and theoretical topics in cognitive
psychology. The course will focus on areas where notable progress appears
to be taking place in contemporary research.
280. Seminar in Communication and Information Processing (1) (S/U
grades only.)
296. Research Practicum (1-12) Research
in psychology under supervision of individual staff members. (S/U grades
only.) (F,W,S)
298. Library Research (1-12) Reports
and surveys of the literature on selected topics. Prerequisite: graduate
students in psychology. (S/U grades only.) (F,W,S)
299. Independent Research (1-12) Independent
research and thesis research. (S/U grades only.) (F,W,S)
500. Apprentice Teaching (4) Required
teaching practicum for students enrolled in graduate program in psychology.
One four-unit course per year for four years. (S/U grades only.)
Psychology Courses
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