Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

An exploration of the psychological processes involved in religion. Discusses seminal psychological theories of religion, such as the work of James, Freud, Jung, and Maslow. Discussion of empirical work includes topics such as the development of religion across the life span, religious experience, conversion, and the effects of religion on mental and physical health.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

HONORS SOCIAL SCIENCE: PSYCHOLOGY

NOTE: Students who have already taken an introductory PSY 301 course either at UT or another institution will not be permitted to enroll in this section of SS 302; students who have credit by exam for PSY 301 will be allowed to enroll.

Description: Psychology is a discipline that is broadly concerned with the ways in which people perceive, understand and interact with the world. As such, it addresses questions that range from the micro level of perception within the eye to the macro level of social interactions among people. The SS 301 in psychology is designed to introduce students to a representative range of the topics subsumed within this discipline. We will be taking a levels-of-explanation approach, in which we will simultaneously explore the biological, environmental, and cultural aspects of each of the selected problems. We will also specifically consider the ways in which psychology investigates these problems, in terms of both methodology and epistemology. The hope is that students will leave the SS 301 with an understanding not only of what psychology studies, but also of how and why.

Readings:

Schacter, Gilbert & Weber.Psychology

Ganntt: Taking Sides: Clashing views on psychological issues

Requirements: This class contains a substantial amount of writing and will involve both papers and exams. Students will write a series of four short (3-5 pages) reaction papers. For each paper, students will choose one of about five alternative questions, related to what is currently happening in class, to address. These papers are intended to involve analysis and opinion, not factual recitation. There will also be a midterm and a final exam. Both of these exams will have a short answer/short essay format, and will be take-home exams.

Final grades will be computed on the following basis:

Exams:                 50% (25% each)

Papers:                 40% (10% each)

Participation:         10%

Example paper topics:

• An inevitable trade-off exists in research between control and ecological validity. This trade-off can be seen in a wide variety of ways in psychology: a lab versus a natural location for research, a randomly chosen versus a naturally occurring group of subjects, focusing on a limited set of factors at the expense of the diversity of influences on any behavior. In your view, how should psychology deal with this issue? For example, is psychology a science? Should it be? Should it adopt the same constraints (control) as natural sciences? You can make a strong argument for one approach or the other, or present a balanced middle ground.
• The argument has been made that, in principle, it would be impossible for human beings to fully understand the nature of their own brain. What is your view of this argument, and why?
• The current zeitgeist in psychology is to find the neurological mechanism associated with a given cognition, emotion or behavior. Does finding such a mechanism constitute an explanation for the given cognition/emotion/behavior? Why or why not?
• A major issue in psychology, practically since its inception, has concerned the relative influence of genetics and environment. Originally, this was seen as an either-or question, later as a matter of degrees of influence, and most recently in terms of the components of an interaction. Though it is rarely asked, it is worth considering whether this is really an important question, and why? What is your position on this issue?
• The research on hemisphere specialization led to the popular conception of people who are right-brained or left-brained. In light of what you have learned about hemisphere specialization, do you find this to be a useful concept? Why or why not?

About the Professor: Wendy Domjan has a Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Wisconsin, with specialties in perception and cognition, and currently has a major focus on psychology of religion and positive psychology.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

HONORS SOCIAL SCIENCE: PSYCHOLOGY

NOTE: Students who have already taken an introductory PSY 301 course either at UT or another institution will not be permitted to enroll in this section of SS 302; students who have credit by exam for PSY 301 will be allowed to enroll.

Description: Psychology is a discipline that is broadly concerned with the ways in which people perceive, understand and interact with the world. As such, it addresses questions that range from the micro level of perception within the eye to the macro level of social interactions among people. The SS 301 in psychology is designed to introduce students to a representative range of the topics subsumed within this discipline. We will be taking a levels-of-explanation approach, in which we will simultaneously explore the biological, environmental, and cultural aspects of each of the selected problems. We will also specifically consider the ways in which psychology investigates these problems, in terms of both methodology and epistemology. The hope is that students will leave the SS 301 with an understanding not only of what psychology studies, but also of how and why.

Readings:

Schacter, Gilbert & Weber.Psychology

Ganntt: Taking Sides: Clashing views on psychological issues

Requirements: This class contains a substantial amount of writing and will involve both papers and exams. Students will write a series of four short (3-5 pages) reaction papers. For each paper, students will choose one of about five alternative questions, related to what is currently happening in class, to address. These papers are intended to involve analysis and opinion, not factual recitation. There will also be a midterm and a final exam. Both of these exams will have a short answer/short essay format, and will be take-home exams.

Final grades will be computed on the following basis:

Exams:                 50% (25% each)

Papers:                 40% (10% each)

Participation:         10%

Example paper topics:

• An inevitable trade-off exists in research between control and ecological validity. This trade-off can be seen in a wide variety of ways in psychology: a lab versus a natural location for research, a randomly chosen versus a naturally occurring group of subjects, focusing on a limited set of factors at the expense of the diversity of influences on any behavior. In your view, how should psychology deal with this issue? For example, is psychology a science? Should it be? Should it adopt the same constraints (control) as natural sciences? You can make a strong argument for one approach or the other, or present a balanced middle ground.
• The argument has been made that, in principle, it would be impossible for human beings to fully understand the nature of their own brain. What is your view of this argument, and why?
• The current zeitgeist in psychology is to find the neurological mechanism associated with a given cognition, emotion or behavior. Does finding such a mechanism constitute an explanation for the given cognition/emotion/behavior? Why or why not?
• A major issue in psychology, practically since its inception, has concerned the relative influence of genetics and environment. Originally, this was seen as an either-or question, later as a matter of degrees of influence, and most recently in terms of the components of an interaction. Though it is rarely asked, it is worth considering whether this is really an important question, and why? What is your position on this issue?
• The research on hemisphere specialization led to the popular conception of people who are right-brained or left-brained. In light of what you have learned about hemisphere specialization, do you find this to be a useful concept? Why or why not?

About the Professor: Wendy Domjan has a Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Wisconsin, with specialties in perception and cognition, and currently has a major focus on psychology of religion and positive psychology.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

HONORS SOCIAL SCIENCE: PSYCHOLOGY

NOTE: Students who have already taken an introductory PSY 301 course either at UT or another institution will not be permitted to enroll in this section of SS 301; students who have credit by exam for PSY 301 will be allowed to enroll.

Description: Psychology is a discipline that is broadly concerned with the ways in which people perceive, understand and interact with the world. As such, it addresses questions that range from the micro level of perception within the eye to the macro level of social interactions among people. The SS 301 in psychology is designed to introduce students to a representative range of the topics subsumed within this discipline. We will be taking a levels-of-explanation approach, in which we will simultaneously explore the biological, environmental, and cultural aspects of each of the selected problems. We will also specifically consider the ways in which psychology investigates these problems, in terms of both methodology and epistemology. The hope is that students will leave the SS 301 with an understanding not only of what psychology studies, but also of how and why.

Readings:

Schacter, Gilbert & Weber.Psychology

Marcus. The Norton Psychology Reader

Keith. Cross Cultural Psychology

Requirements: This class contains a substantial amount of writing and will involve both papers and exams. Students will write a series of four short (3-5 pages) reaction papers. For each paper, students will choose one of about five alternative questions, related to what is currently happening in class, to address. These papers are intended to involve analysis and opinion, not factual recitation. There will also be a midterm and a final exam. Both of these exams will have a short answer/short essay format, and will be take-home exams.

Final grades will be computed on the following basis:

Exams:                 50% (25% each)

Papers:                 40% (10% each)

Participation:         10%

Example paper topics:

• An inevitable trade-off exists in research between control and ecological validity. This trade-off can be seen in a wide variety of ways in psychology: a lab versus a natural location for research, a randomly chosen versus a naturally occurring group of subjects, focusing on a limited set of factors at the expense of the diversity of influences on any behavior. In your view, how should psychology deal with this issue? For example, is psychology a science? Should it be? Should it adopt the same constraints (control) as natural sciences? You can make a strong argument for one approach or the other, or present a balanced middle ground.
• The argument has been made that, in principle, it would be impossible for human beings to fully understand the nature of their own brain. What is your view of this argument, and why?
• The current zeitgeist in psychology is to find the neurological mechanism associated with a given cognition, emotion or behavior. Does finding such a mechanism constitute an explanation for the given cognition/emotion/behavior? Why or why not?
• A major issue in psychology, practically since its inception, has concerned the relative influence of genetics and environment. Originally, this was seen as an either-or question, later as a matter of degrees of influence, and most recently in terms of the components of an interaction. Though it is rarely asked, it is worth considering whether this is really an important question, and why? What is your position on this issue?
• The research on hemisphere specialization led to the popular conception of people who are right-brained or left-brained. In light of what you have learned about hemisphere specialization, do you find this to be a useful concept? Why or why not?

About the Professor: Wendy Domjan has a Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Wisconsin, with specialties in perception and cognition, and currently has a major focus on psychology of religion and positive psychology.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

Designed to accommodate 100 or more students. Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

Description:

Psychology is a discipline that is broadly concerned with the ways in which people perceive, understand and interact with the world. As such, it addresses questions that range from the micro level of perception within the eye to the macro level of social interactions among people. The SS 301 in psychology is designed to introduce students to a representative range of the topics subsumed within this discipline. We will be taking a levels-of-explanation approach, in which we will simultaneously explore the biological, environmental, and cultural aspects of each of the selected problems. We will also specifically consider the ways in which psychology investigates these problems, in terms of both methodology and epistemology. The hope is that students will leave the SS 301 with an understanding not only of what psychology studies, but also of how and why.

Readings:

Schacter, Gilbert & Weber.Psychology

Marcus. The Norton Psychology Reader

Keith. Cross Cultural Psychology

Requirements:

This class contains a substantial amount of writing and will involve both papers and exams. Students will write a series of four short (3-5 pages) reaction papers. For each paper, students will choose one of about five alternative questions, related to what is currently happening in class, to address. These papers are intended to involve analysis and opinion, not factual recitation. There will also be a midterm and a final exam. Both of these exams will have a short answer/short essay format, and will be take-home exams.

Final grades will be computed on the following basis:

Exams:                 50% (25% each)

Papers:                 40% (10% each)

Participation:         10%

Example paper topics:

• An inevitable trade-off exists in research between control and ecological validity. This trade-off can be seen in a wide variety of ways in psychology: a lab versus a natural location for research, a randomly chosen versus a naturally occurring group of subjects, focusing on a limited set of factors at the expense of the diversity of influences on any behavior. In your view, how should psychology deal with this issue? For example, is psychology a science? Should it be? Should it adopt the same constraints (control) as natural sciences? You can make a strong argument for one approach or the other, or present a balanced middle ground.
• The argument has been made that, in principle, it would be impossible for human beings to fully understand the nature of their own brain. What is your view of this argument, and why?
• The current zeitgeist in psychology is to find the neurological mechanism associated with a given cognition, emotion or behavior. Does finding such a mechanism constitute an explanation for the given cognition/emotion/behavior? Why or why not?
• A major issue in psychology, practically since its inception, has concerned the relative influence of genetics and environment. Originally, this was seen as an either-or question, later as a matter of degrees of influence, and most recently in terms of the components of an interaction. Though it is rarely asked, it is worth considering whether this is really an important question, and why? What is your position on this issue?
• The research on hemisphere specialization led to the popular conception of people who are right-brained or left-brained. In light of what you have learned about hemisphere specialization, do you find this to be a useful concept? Why or why not?

About the Professor:

Wendy Domjan has a Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Wisconsin, with specialties in perception and cognition, and currently has a major focus on psychology of religion and positive psychology.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Description:

Psychology is a discipline that is broadly concerned with the ways in which people perceive, understand and interact with the world. As such, it addresses questions that range from the micro level of perception within the eye to the macro level of social interactions among people. The SS 301 in psychology is designed to introduce students to a representative range of the topics subsumed within this discipline. We will be taking a levels-of-explanation approach, in which we will simultaneously explore the biological, environmental, and cultural aspects of each of the selected problems. We will also specifically consider the ways in which psychology investigates these problems, in terms of both methodology and epistemology. The hope is that students will leave the SS 301 with an understanding not only of what psychology studies, but also of how and why.

Readings:

Schacter, Gilbert & Weber.Psychology

Marcus. The Norton Psychology Reader

Keith. Cross Cultural Psychology

Requirements:

This class contains a substantial amount of writing and will involve both papers and exams. Students will write a series of four short (3-5 pages) reaction papers. For each paper, students will choose one of about five alternative questions, related to what is currently happening in class, to address. These papers are intended to involve analysis and opinion, not factual recitation. There will also be a midterm and a final exam. Both of these exams will have a short answer/short essay format, and will be take-home exams.

Final grades will be computed on the following basis:

Exams:                 50% (25% each)

Papers:                 40% (10% each)

Participation:         10%

Example paper topics:

• An inevitable trade-off exists in research between control and ecological validity. This trade-off can be seen in a wide variety of ways in psychology: a lab versus a natural location for research, a randomly chosen versus a naturally occurring group of subjects, focusing on a limited set of factors at the expense of the diversity of influences on any behavior. In your view, how should psychology deal with this issue? For example, is psychology a science? Should it be? Should it adopt the same constraints (control) as natural sciences? You can make a strong argument for one approach or the other, or present a balanced middle ground.
• The argument has been made that, in principle, it would be impossible for human beings to fully understand the nature of their own brain. What is your view of this argument, and why?
• The current zeitgeist in psychology is to find the neurological mechanism associated with a given cognition, emotion or behavior. Does finding such a mechanism constitute an explanation for the given cognition/emotion/behavior? Why or why not?
• A major issue in psychology, practically since its inception, has concerned the relative influence of genetics and environment. Originally, this was seen as an either-or question, later as a matter of degrees of influence, and most recently in terms of the components of an interaction. Though it is rarely asked, it is worth considering whether this is really an important question, and why? What is your position on this issue?
• The research on hemisphere specialization led to the popular conception of people who are right-brained or left-brained. In light of what you have learned about hemisphere specialization, do you find this to be a useful concept? Why or why not?

About the Professor:

Wendy Domjan has a Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Wisconsin, with specialties in perception and cognition, and currently has a major focus on psychology of religion and positive psychology.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

Description:

Psychology is a discipline that is broadly concerned with the ways in which people perceive, understand and interact with the world. As such, it addresses questions that range from the micro level of perception within the eye to the macro level of social interactions among people. The SS 301 in psychology is designed to introduce students to a representative range of the topics subsumed within this discipline. We will be taking a levels-of-explanation approach, in which we will simultaneously explore the biological, environmental, and cultural aspects of each of the selected problems. We will also specifically consider the ways in which psychology investigates these problems, in terms of both methodology and epistemology. The hope is that students will leave the SS 301 with an understanding not only of what psychology studies, but also of how and why.

Readings:

Schacter, Gilbert & Weber.Psychology

Marcus. The Norton Psychology Reader

Keith. Cross Cultural Psychology

Requirements:

This class contains a substantial amount of writing and will involve both papers and exams. Students will write a series of four short (3-5 pages) reaction papers. For each paper, students will choose one of about five alternative questions, related to what is currently happening in class, to address. These papers are intended to involve analysis and opinion, not factual recitation. There will also be a midterm and a final exam. Both of these exams will have a short answer/short essay format, and will be take-home exams.

Final grades will be computed on the following basis:

Exams:                 50% (25% each)

Papers:                 40% (10% each)

Participation:         10%

Example paper topics:

• An inevitable trade-off exists in research between control and ecological validity. This trade-off can be seen in a wide variety of ways in psychology: a lab versus a natural location for research, a randomly chosen versus a naturally occurring group of subjects, focusing on a limited set of factors at the expense of the diversity of influences on any behavior. In your view, how should psychology deal with this issue? For example, is psychology a science? Should it be? Should it adopt the same constraints (control) as natural sciences? You can make a strong argument for one approach or the other, or present a balanced middle ground.
• The argument has been made that, in principle, it would be impossible for human beings to fully understand the nature of their own brain. What is your view of this argument, and why?
• The current zeitgeist in psychology is to find the neurological mechanism associated with a given cognition, emotion or behavior. Does finding such a mechanism constitute an explanation for the given cognition/emotion/behavior? Why or why not?
• A major issue in psychology, practically since its inception, has concerned the relative influence of genetics and environment. Originally, this was seen as an either-or question, later as a matter of degrees of influence, and most recently in terms of the components of an interaction. Though it is rarely asked, it is worth considering whether this is really an important question, and why? What is your position on this issue?
• The research on hemisphere specialization led to the popular conception of people who are right-brained or left-brained. In light of what you have learned about hemisphere specialization, do you find this to be a useful concept? Why or why not?

About the Professor:

Wendy Domjan has a Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Wisconsin, with specialties in perception and cognition, and currently has a major focus on psychology of religion and positive psychology.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

Description:

Psychology is a discipline that is broadly concerned with the ways in which people perceive, understand and interact with the world. As such, it addresses questions that range from the micro level of perception within the eye to the macro level of social interactions among people. The SS 301 in psychology is designed to introduce students to a representative range of the topics subsumed within this discipline. We will be taking a levels-of-explanation approach, in which we will simultaneously explore the biological, environmental, and cultural aspects of each of the selected problems. We will also specifically consider the ways in which psychology investigates these problems, in terms of both methodology and epistemology. The hope is that students will leave the SS 301 with an understanding not only of what psychology studies, but also of how and why.

Readings:

Schacter, Gilbert & Weber. Psychology

Marcus. The Norton Psychology Reader

Keith. Cross Cultural Psychology

Requirements:

This class contains a substantial amount of writing and will involve both papers and exams. Students will write a series of four short (3-5 pages) reaction papers. For each paper, students will choose one of about five alternative questions, related to what is currently happening in class, to address. These papers are intended to involve analysis and opinion, not factual recitation. There will also be a midterm and a final exam. Both of these exams will have a short answer/short essay format, and will be take-home exams. Final grades will be computed on the following basis:

Exams:                 50% (25% each)

Papers:                 40% (10% each)

Participation:         10% 

Example paper topics:

An inevitable trade-off exists in research between control and ecological validity. This trade-off can be seen in a wide variety of ways in psychology: a lab versus a natural location for research, a randomly chosen versus a naturally occurring group of subjects, focusing on a limited set of factors at the expense of the diversity of influences on any behavior. In your view, how should psychology deal with this issue? For example, is psychology a science? Should it be? Should it adopt the same constraints (control) as natural sciences? You can make a strong argument for one approach or the other, or present a balanced middle ground.

The argument has been made that, in principle, it would be impossible for human beings to fully understand the nature of their own brain. What is your view of this argument, and why?

The current zeitgeist in psychology is to find the neurological mechanism associated with a given cognition, emotion or behavior. Does finding such a mechanism constitute an explanation for the given cognition/emotion/behavior? Why or why not?

A major issue in psychology, practically since its inception, has concerned the relative influence of genetics and environment. Originally, this was seen as an either-or question, later as a matter of degrees of influence, and most recently in terms of the components of an interaction. Though it is rarely asked, it is worth considering whether this is really an important question, and why? What is your position on this issue?

The research on hemisphere specialization led to the popular conception of people who are right-brained or left-brained. In light of what you have learned about hemisphere specialization, do you find this to be a useful concept? Why or why not? 

About the Professor:

Wendy Domjan has a Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Wisconsin, with specialties in perception and cognition, and currently has a major focus on psychology of religion and positive psychology.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

Description:

Psychology is a discipline that is broadly concerned with the ways in which people perceive, understand and interact with the world. As such, it addresses questions that range from the micro level of perception within the eye to the macro level of social interactions among people. The SS 301 in psychology is designed to introduce students to a representative range of the topics subsumed within this discipline. We will be taking a levels-of-explanation approach, in which we will simultaneously explore the biological, environmental, and cultural aspects of each of the selected problems. We will also specifically consider the ways in which psychology investigates these problems, in terms of both methodology and epistemology. The hope is that students will leave the SS 301 with an understanding not only of what psychology studies, but also of how and why.

Readings:

Schacter, Gilbert & Weber.Psychology

Marcus. The Norton Psychology Reader

Keith. Cross Cultural Psychology

Requirements:

This class contains a substantial amount of writing and will involve both papers and exams. Students will write a series of four short (3-5 pages) reaction papers. For each paper, students will choose one of about five alternative questions, related to what is currently happening in class, to address. These papers are intended to involve analysis and opinion, not factual recitation. There will also be a midterm and a final exam. Both of these exams will have a short answer/short essay format, and will be take-home exams.

Final grades will be computed on the following basis:

Exams:                 50% (25% each)

Papers:                 40% (10% each)

Participation:         10%

Example paper topics:

• An inevitable trade-off exists in research between control and ecological validity. This trade-off can be seen in a wide variety of ways in psychology: a lab versus a natural location for research, a randomly chosen versus a naturally occurring group of subjects, focusing on a limited set of factors at the expense of the diversity of influences on any behavior. In your view, how should psychology deal with this issue? For example, is psychology a science? Should it be? Should it adopt the same constraints (control) as natural sciences? You can make a strong argument for one approach or the other, or present a balanced middle ground.

• The argument has been made that, in principle, it would be impossible for human beings to fully understand the nature of their own brain. What is your view of this argument, and why?

• The current zeitgeist in psychology is to find the neurological mechanism associated with a given cognition, emotion or behavior. Does finding such a mechanism constitute an explanation for the given cognition/emotion/behavior? Why or why not?

• A major issue in psychology, practically since its inception, has concerned the relative influence of genetics and environment. Originally, this was seen as an either-or question, later as a matter of degrees of influence, and most recently in terms of the components of an interaction. Though it is rarely asked, it is worth considering whether this is really an important question, and why? What is your position on this issue?

• The research on hemisphere specialization led to the popular conception of people who are right-brained or left-brained. In light of what you have learned about hemisphere specialization, do you find this to be a useful concept? Why or why not?

About the Professor:

Wendy Domjan has a Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Wisconsin, with specialties in perception and cognition, and currently has a major focus on psychology of religion and positive psychology.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

A survey of the emerging field of positive psychology, including assessment and determinants of well-being; human strengths and virtues; the good life considered from evolutionary, economic, sociological, and cross-cultural perspectives; and applications to issues such as social change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Positive Psychology and the Good Life) and 364P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for others, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

Description:

Psychology is a discipline that is broadly concerned with the ways in which people perceive, understand and interact with the world. As such, it addresses questions that range from the micro level of perception within the eye to the macro level of social interactions among people. The SS 301 in psychology is designed to introduce students to a representative range of the topics subsumed within this discipline. We will be taking a levels-of-explanation approach, in which we will simultaneously explore the biological, environmental, and cultural aspects of each of the selected problems. We will also specifically consider the ways in which psychology investigates these problems, in terms of both methodology and epistemology. The hope is that students will leave the SS 301 with an understanding not only of what psychology studies, but also of how and why.

Readings:

Schacter, Gilbert & Weber.Psychology

Marcus. The Norton Psychology Reader

Keith. Cross Cultural Psychology

Requirements:

This class contains a substantial amount of writing and will involve both papers and exams. Students will write a series of four short (3-5 pages) reaction papers. For each paper, students will choose one of about five alternative questions, related to what is currently happening in class, to address. These papers are intended to involve analysis and opinion, not factual recitation. There will also be a midterm and a final exam. Both of these exams will have a short answer/short essay format, and will be take-home exams.

Final grades will be computed on the following basis:

Exams:                 50% (25% each)

Papers:                 40% (10% each)

Participation:         10%

Example paper topics:

• An inevitable trade-off exists in research between control and ecological validity. This trade-off can be seen in a wide variety of ways in psychology: a lab versus a natural location for research, a randomly chosen versus a naturally occurring group of subjects, focusing on a limited set of factors at the expense of the diversity of influences on any behavior. In your view, how should psychology deal with this issue? For example, is psychology a science? Should it be? Should it adopt the same constraints (control) as natural sciences? You can make a strong argument for one approach or the other, or present a balanced middle ground.

• The argument has been made that, in principle, it would be impossible for human beings to fully understand the nature of their own brain. What is your view of this argument, and why?

• The current zeitgeist in psychology is to find the neurological mechanism associated with a given cognition, emotion or behavior. Does finding such a mechanism constitute an explanation for the given cognition/emotion/behavior? Why or why not?

• A major issue in psychology, practically since its inception, has concerned the relative influence of genetics and environment. Originally, this was seen as an either-or question, later as a matter of degrees of influence, and most recently in terms of the components of an interaction. Though it is rarely asked, it is worth considering whether this is really an important question, and why? What is your position on this issue?

• The research on hemisphere specialization led to the popular conception of people who are right-brained or left-brained. In light of what you have learned about hemisphere specialization, do you find this to be a useful concept? Why or why not?

About the Professor:

Wendy Domjan has a Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Wisconsin, with specialties in perception and cognition, and currently has a major focus on psychology of religion and positive psychology.

Introduction to Psychology. Basic problems and principles ofhuman experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Date Topic Reading 

August 29 -31 Introduction Prologue & Chapter 1 

September 5-12 Social Chapter 14 

September 14-24 Biopsychology Chapters 2 & 4 

September 28th Exam 1 Chapters 1, 2, 4 & 16 

September 28 - October 8 Development Chapter 5 

October 10 - 22 Personality Chapter 13 

October 24th Exam 2 Chapters 5 & 13 

October 26 – November 5 Disorders Ch 15 (Ch 12 optional) 

November 6 – 12 Treatment Chapter 16 

November 14th Exam 3 Chapters 14 & 15 

November 16 - 21 Learning Ch 7 (Ch 11 optional) 

November 26 - 30 Cognition Ch 8 (Chs 6 & 9 optional) 

December 3-5 Consciousness Chapter 3 

December 7 Exam 4 Chapters 3, 7, & 8 

December 15 (9am) Optional Final Chapters 1-5,7,8,13-16 

This course is designed to examine the interaction between psychology and religion from a dual perspective. One focus will explore how psychology can illuminate our understanding of religion. A second focus will consider the ways in which religion influences psychological functioning, by impacting upon beliefs, behaviors and both mental and physical health. Psychology approaches the study of religion from an empirical, not a philosophical or theological, perspective. Please note that the course will investigate global aspects of religion, such as the development and influence of faith; it is not intended to analyze, contrast, or evaluate specific religious beliefs. The bulk of theory and research in this area concerns the three major monotheistic religions, thus these religions will provide the class context.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Course Requirements

There are two kinds of assignments in this class. The first kind of assignment is to write two short (3-5 pages) essays reflecting upon issues raised in the class. A list of topics will be distributed about two weeks prior to the due date for each essay. Students will choose one of these topics on which to write their essays. The second kind of assignment involves applying concepts from positive psychology to your own lives and then writing a 1-page analysis of your experience.

This class will involve both papers and exams. Students will write a series of three short (3-5 pages) reaction papers. For each paper, students will choose one of about five alternative questions, related to what is currently happening in class, to address. These papers are intended to involve analysis and opinion, not factual recitation. There will also be a midterm and a final exam. Both of these exams will have a short answer/short essay format, and will be take-home exams. All paper topics and take-home exams will be distributed two weeks prior to the due date. They are due by midnight on the due date; please submit them by e-mail, as word files.

Grading:

Final grades will be computed on the following basis: Exams: 50% (25% each) Papers: 36%(12%each) Participation: 14%

Exams: All students will take a midterm and a final exam, each covering half of the course material. Each exam will contribute one-third of your final course grade.

Written Assignment: The last third of your grade will come from an assignment that will allow you to explore the implications of this work in more depth. There are two options to fulfilling this part of the course requirements. Option 1 is to write a 5-page essay responding to a theoretical issue on positive psychology. I will provide a set of approximately half a dozen prompts, and students will choose one to which to respond. If you have another question about which you would rather write, that is fine so long as you get my approval of the question first. These essays are designed to have you think deeply about a question concerning positive psychology. As such, they need to involve your own ideas and arguments. Simply providing information from the class or other sources is not sufficient. No outside research is needed, but the essays must involve you own thinking and argumentation. Because of the size of the class, one-third you will write your essays during each third of the semester. Students with last names beginning with the letters A-K will write Essay 1. Students with last names beginning with the letters L-O will write Essay 2. Students with last names beginning with the letter P-Z will write Essay 3.

Option 2: The second option is to carry out a series of exercises involving positive psychology. You will turn in a journal at the end of the semester, recording your experiences with these exercises. The journal will be graded on the basis of the completion of the exercises, and your analysis of your experiences. Exercise 1: For the month of February, keep a record of your days. Get a notebook or make a spreadsheet in which you keep track of what you did during the day. Try to cover all of the major things you did. At the end of the day, give that day an overall rating from 1 to 10 on how good a day it was for you (bigger numbers reflect increasing goodness of the day). Do this for a month. Do not look back at your record as you go along.

At the end of the month, go back over the record that you have been keeping of the quality of your days. Write a 1-page analysis of your activities to determine the things you were doing (or not doing) that led to better days. What patterns do you see? What does this pattern tell you about the sources for happiness and/or contentment in your own life? How could you change your daily life to increase the number of good days?

Exercise 2: For the month of March, keep a record of your interactions with someone important to you. Choose with whom you are close and who you see on a regular basis. Start keeping a record of how you respond to that person whenever s/he relates good (only good) news to you. Do this for long enough to establish a pattern (depending on how frequently you interact that could be a few days or a week). Are you engaging in active- constructive responding more frequently than any other sort of response? If so, you probably already have a great relationship with this person. Try different people until you find someone with whom you are close but to whom you typically do not respond in an active-constructive way. Try to change your response pattern with them so that active-constructive responses outweigh other 3:1 (use common sense). Write a 1-page analysis considering whether and how changing your responses changed the relationship?

Exercise 3: During the month of April, keep a journal in which at the end of every day you list things that happened that day for which you are grateful. These things will run the gamut from quite small to quite significant. The important thing is that, no matter what your day was like, you identify three good things that happened to you. At the end of the month, think about how you have felt during this period and see if this effort to find something of value in every day influenced your feeling or attitudes. Write a 1-page assessment of your reactions.

Description:

Psychology is a discipline that is broadly concerned with the ways in which people perceive, understand and interact with the world. As such, it addresses questions that range from the micro level of perception within the eye to the macro level of social interactions among people. The SS 301 in psychology is designed to introduce students to a representative range of the topics subsumed within this discipline. We will be taking a levels-of-explanation approach, in which we will simultaneously explore the biological, environmental, and cultural aspects of each of the selected problems. We will also specifically consider the ways in which psychology investigates these problems, in terms of both methodology and epistemology. The hope is that students will leave the SS 301 with an understanding not only of what psychology studies, but also of how and why.

Readings:

M. Gazzaniga, & T. Heatherton, The Psychological Science: the Mind, the Brain and Behavior

R. Hock, Forty Studies that Changed Psychology

W. Price & H. Richley, Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Introductory Psychology

Requirements:

This class contains a substantial amount of writing and will involve both papers and exams. Students will write a series of four short (3-5 pages) reaction papers. For each paper, students will choose one of about five alternative questions, related to what is currently happening in class, to address. These papers are intended to involve analysis and opinion, not factual recitation. There will also be a midterm and a final exam. Both of these exams will have a short answer/short essay format, and will be take-home exams.

Final grades will be computed on the following basis:

Exams:                 50% (25% each)

Papers:                40% (10% each)

Participation:         10%

Example paper topics:

• An inevitable trade-off exists in research between control and ecological validity. This trade-off can be seen in a wide variety of ways in psychology: a lab versus a natural location for research, a randomly chosen versus a naturally occurring group of subjects, focusing on a limited set of factors at the expense of the diversity of influences on any behavior. In your view, how should psychology deal with this issue? For example, is psychology a science? Should it be? Should it adopt the same constraints (control) as natural sciences? You can make a strong argument for one approach or the other, or present a balanced middle ground.

• The argument has been made that, in principle, it would be impossible for human beings to fully understand the nature of their own brain. What is your view of this argument, and why?

• The current zeitgeist in psychology is to find the neurological mechanism associated with a given cognition, emotion or behavior. Does finding such a mechanism constitute an explanation for the given cognition/emotion/behavior? Why or why not?

• A major issue in psychology, practically since its inception, has concerned the relative influence of genetics and environment. Originally, this was seen as an either-or question, later as a matter of degrees of influence, and most recently in terms of the components of an interaction. Though it is rarely asked, it is worth considering whether this is really an important question, and why? What is your position on this issue?

• The research on hemisphere specialization led to the popular conception of people who are right-brained or left-brained. In light of what you have learned about hemisphere specialization, do you find this to be a useful concept? Why or why not?

About the Professor

Wendy Domjan has a Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Wisconsin, with specialties in perception and cognition, and currently has a major focus on psychology of religion and psychology of religious fundamentalism.

Exams: There will be four exams for this class, each covering 1/4 of the material. Exams 1, 2 and 3 will be given in class. Exam 4 will be given during the first hour of the final exam slot. Exam grades will be assigned on the following basis: A 92-100, A- 90-91, B+ 88-89, B 82-87, B- 80-81, C+ 78-79, C 72-77, C- 70-71, D+ 68-69, D 62-67, D- 60-61, F 0-59 Final Course Grades: The lowest of the four exam grades will be dropped. Your points on the three highest exams will be summed and then divided by 3. The resulting average score will be assigned a letter grade as follows: A 92-100, A- 90-91, B+ 88-89, B 82-87, B- 80-81, C+ 78-79, C 72-77, C- 70-71, D+ 68- 69, D 62-67, D- 60-61, F 0-59. Please note: (1) No extra credit is available in this course; (2) Only performance, not effort, influences your final grade. (3) Grades are not rounded up. (4) You must complete the Psychology Department research requirement in order to receive credit for this class.

This course is designed to examine the interaction between psychology and religion from a dual perspective. One focus will explore how psychology can illuminate our understanding of religion. A second focus will consider the ways in which religion influences psychological functioning, by impacting upon beliefs, behaviors and both mental and physical health. Psychology approaches the study of religion from an empirical, not a philosophical or theological, perspective. Please note that the course will investigate global aspects of religion, such as the development and influence of faith; it is not intended to analyze, contrast, or evaluate specific religious beliefs. The bulk of theory and research in this area concerns the three major monotheistic religions, thus these religions will provide the class context.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Course Requirements

Students will choose (freedom!) between two options for fulfilling the course requirements.

Option 1: You will take three multiple-choice exams over the material. Each exam will have 50 questions and will

cover 1/3 of the course material (no cumulative final exam).

Option 2: You will write three essays, each 3 to 5 pages in length, responding to issues addressed in the class. For

each essay, you will choose from one of a set of alternative topics. You can also choose a topic of your own, but

you must get the topic cleared with me before using it. The possible essay topics for each of the three papers are

given at the end of this syllabus.

 Text:

Gleitman, Gross, and Reisberg. Psychology

You will need a clicker for this class. If you do not own one, they can be purchased from the Coop.

You do not need to bring the textbook to class, but you do need to bring the clicker to class.

There is a website available with the textbook that contains many features which you will find useful in

learning the material for this class. It has chapter reviews, quizzes and exercises that will enable you to

check your knowledge. No password is required:

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/psych/psychology8/

 Attendance: Attendance is required for this class. Much of the material that is covered in lecture is not in

the textbook, and will be tested on the examinations. If you do miss a class, then you are responsible for

finding out about class announcements. Missing an announcement because you were not in class to hear it

is not an acceptable excuse for failing to fulfill your obligations.

 Experiment Requirement: The Psychology Department has a requirement that students in Psychology

301 either participate in a certain number of psychology experiments or write a paper. No course credit is

given for either the experiments or the paper. However, you must complete this requirement in order to

receive a grade in this class. In order to be eligible for many of the experiments, you must complete on-line

pre-testing. The details about this requirement are contained in your green handout. If you have lost this

handout, or added the class late and did not receive it, you can get another one from the Undergraduate

Psychology Office (Seay 2.216). You can also find out about this requirement by going to the location in

the Psychology Department WebSite that describes this requirement. This link will also allow you to go to

the location for signing up for studies on-line, for doing pre-testing, or for learning about the paper that can

be done instead of doing the experiments:

http://www.psy.utexas.edu/psy/undergrad/courses/info/pretesting.html

 Exams: There will be three kinds of testing used in this class: hour-exams, an optional final exam, and

daily quiz questions.

Three hour-exams will be given, all during regular class times. Each hour-exam will cover only the

material since the previous exam. An optional final exam will be given. This exam will be cumulative. It

will be given on the scheduled date and time for the final examination for this class. The grade on the

optional final can be used to replace the grade for any one of the hour-exams. A student who is satisfied

with his or her grades on the hour-exams does not need to take the final exam. Daily quiz questions will be

asked about the lecture material, and answered using clickers, at some point during each class.

 Course Grades: Each of the hour exams will contribute 30% to your final grade. The average of the daily

quiz questions will contribute 10% to your final course grade. Final course grades will be determined by a

weighted average of the number of points earned on the exams and quizzes.

Final course grades, will be assigned on the following basis: A 92-100, A- 90-91, B+ 88-89, B 82-87, B-

80-81, C+ 78-79, C 72-77, C- 70-71, D+ 68-69, D 62-67, D- 60-61, F 0-59

Please note: (1) Grades will NOT be rounded up. (2) No extra credit is available in this course. (3) Only

performance, not effort, influences your final grade. (4) You must complete the Psychology Department

research requirement in order to receive credit for this class.

Course Orientation: This course is designed to examine the interaction between psychology and religion from a

dual perspective. One focus will explore how psychology can illuminate our understanding of religion. A second

focus will consider the ways in which religion influences psychological functioning, by impacting upon beliefs,

behaviors and both mental and physical health. Psychology approaches the study of religion from an empirical,

not a philosophical or theological, perspective. Please note that the course will investigate global aspects of

religion, such as the development and influence of faith; it is not intended to analyze, contrast, or evaluate specific

religious beliefs. The bulk of theory and research in this area concerns the three major monotheistic religions, thus

these religions will provide the class context.

Course Requirements: A major portion of this class involves discussion; students are expected to actively

participate in class discussions.

There are two options for the written requirements for this class. The basic option is to write a series of four short

(about 4-5 pages) essays on topics relating to the material being covered in class. I will post a set of potential

questions two weeks before each essay is due; each student will respond to one of these questions. It is always

possible, and even preferable, for a student to write on an alternative question of particular interest. These are

thought pieces, not research papers. If you have a special interest in some topic, a second option is to do a long

(about 15-20 pages) research paper.

Description:

Psychology is a discipline that is broadly concerned with the ways in which people perceive, understand and interact with the world. As such, it addresses questions that range from the micro level of perception within the eye to the macro level of social interactions among people. The SS 301 in psychology is designed to introduce students to a representative range of the topics subsumed within this discipline. We will be taking a levels-of-explanation approach, in which we will simultaneously explore the biological, environmental, and cultural aspects of each of the selected problems. We will also specifically consider the ways in which psychology investigates these problems, in terms of both methodology and epistemology. The hope is that students will leave the SS 301 with an understanding not only of what psychology studies, but also of how and why.

Readings:

M. Gazzaniga, & T. Heatherton, The Psychological Science: the Mind, the Brain and Behavior

R. Hock, Forty Studies that Changed Psychology

W. Price & H. Richley, Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Introductory Psychology

Requirements:

This class contains a substantial writing component and will involve both papers and exams. Students will write a series of four short (3-5 pages) reaction papers. For each paper, students will choose one of about five alternative questions, related to what is currently happening in class, to address. These papers are intended to involve analysis and opinion, not factual recitation. There will also be a midterm and a final exam. Both of these exams will have a short answer/short essay format, and will be take-home exams.

Final grades will be computed on the following basis:

Exams:                  50% (25% each)

Papers:                  40% (10% each)

Participation:         10%

Example paper topics:

• An inevitable trade-off exists in research between control and ecological validity. This trade-off can be seen in a wide variety of ways in psychology: a lab versus a natural location for research, a randomly chosen versus a naturally occurring group of subjects, focusing on a limited set of factors at the expense of the diversity of influences on any behavior. In your view, how should psychology deal with this issue? For example, is psychology a science? Should it be? Should it adopt the same constraints (control) as natural sciences? You can make a strong argument for one approach or the other, or present a balanced middle ground.

• The argument has been made that, in principle, it would be impossible for human beings to fully understand the nature of their own brain. What is your view of this argument, and why?

• The current zeitgeist in psychology is to find the neurological mechanism associated with a given cognition, emotion or behavior. Does finding such a mechanism constitute an explanation for the given cognition/emotion/behavior? Why or why not?

• A major issue in psychology, practically since its inception, has concerned the relative influence of genetics and environment. Originally, this was seen as an either-or question, later as a matter of degrees of influence, and most recently in terms of the components of an interaction. Though it is rarely asked, it is worth considering whether this is really an important question, and why? What is your position on this issue?

• The research on hemisphere specialization led to the popular conception of people who are right-brained or left-brained. In light of what you have learned about hemisphere specialization, do you find this to be a useful concept? Why or why not?

About the Professor

Wendy Domjan has a Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Wisconsin, with specialties in perception and cognition, and currently has a major focus on psychology of religion and psychology of religious fundamentalism.

Course Description

This course is designed to examine the interaction between psychology and religion from a dual perspective. One focus will explore how psychology can illuminate our understanding of religion. A second focus will consider the ways in which religion influences psychological functioning, by impacting upon beliefs, behaviors and both mental and physical health. Psychology approaches the study of religion from an empirical, not a philosophical or theological, perspective.

Please note that the course will investigate global aspects of religion, such as the development and influence of faith; it is not intended to analyze, contrast, or evaluate specific religious beliefs. The bulk of theory and research in this area concerns the three major monotheistic religions, thus these religions will provide the class context.

Course Requirements

Students in this class will write a series of three short (3-5 pages) essays on topics relating to the ongoing class information. Each Friday we will be discussing a portion of one of the books below (exclusive of the text by Fontana). On Monday of that week, three questions about the material to be discussed will be distributed. Students will be required to write a 1-page response to one of those three questions and submit it by Friday.

Grading Policy

Grades: Each essay will be worth 25% of your grade. The response of Friday questions will count 15% cumulatively to your grade. Class participation will count 10%.

Texts

Atran, S. In Gods We Trust: the evolutionary landscape of religion.

Fontana, D. Psychology, Religion and Spirituality.

Forsyth, J. Psychological Theories of Religion.

Juergensmeyer, M. Terror in the Mind of God.

Newberg, Andrew & Mark Waldman. Why We Believe What We Believe.

Wallis, Jim. God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and The Left Doesn't Get It.

Description:

Psychology is a discipline that is broadly concerned with the ways in which people perceive, understand and interact with the world. As such, it addresses questions that range from the micro level of perception within the eye to the macro level of social interactions among people. The SS 301 in psychology is designed to introduce students to a representative range of the topics subsumed within this discipline. We will be taking a levels-of-explanation approach, in which we will simultaneously explore the biological, environmental, and cultural aspects of each of the selected problems. We will also specifically consider the ways in which psychology investigates these problems, in terms of both methodology and epistemology. The hope is that students will leave the SS 301 with an understanding not only of what psychology studies, but also of how and why.

Readings:

M. Gazzaniga, & T. Heatherton, The Psychological Science: the Mind, the Brain and Behavior

R. Hock, Forty Studies that Changed Psychology

W. Price & H. Richley, Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Introductory Psychology

Requirements:

This class contains a substantial writing component and will involve both papers and exams. Students will write a series of four short (3-5 pages) reaction papers. For each paper, students will choose one of about five alternative questions, related to what is currently happening in class, to address. These papers are intended to involve analysis and opinion, not factual recitation. There will also be a midterm and a final exam. Both of these exams will have a short answer/short essay format, and will be take-home exams.

Final grades will be computed on the following basis:

Exams:                  50% (25% each)

Papers:                  40% (10% each)

Participation:         10%

Example paper topics:

• An inevitable trade-off exists in research between control and ecological validity. This trade-off can be seen in a wide variety of ways in psychology: a lab versus a natural location for research, a randomly chosen versus a naturally occurring group of subjects, focusing on a limited set of factors at the expense of the diversity of influences on any behavior. In your view, how should psychology deal with this issue? For example, is psychology a science? Should it be? Should it adopt the same constraints (control) as natural sciences? You can make a strong argument for one approach or the other, or present a balanced middle ground.

• The argument has been made that, in principle, it would be impossible for human beings to fully understand the nature of their own brain. What is your view of this argument, and why?

• The current zeitgeist in psychology is to find the neurological mechanism associated with a given cognition, emotion or behavior. Does finding such a mechanism constitute an explanation for the given cognition/emotion/behavior? Why or why not?

• A major issue in psychology, practically since its inception, has concerned the relative influence of genetics and environment. Originally, this was seen as an either-or question, later as a matter of degrees of influence, and most recently in terms of the components of an interaction. Though it is rarely asked, it is worth considering whether this is really an important question, and why? What is your position on this issue?

• The research on hemisphere specialization led to the popular conception of people who are right-brained or left-brained. In light of what you have learned about hemisphere specialization, do you find this to be a useful concept? Why or why not?

About the Professor

Wendy Domjan has a Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Wisconsin, with specialties in perception and cognition, and currently has a major focus on psychology of religion and psychology of religious fundamentalism.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Course Description

This class focuses on the positive aspects of human psychology. We cover the literature and theory in psychology concerning positive emotions (for example, happiness and optimism), the processes involved in good relationships (for example, forms of love and emotional/social intelligence) and aspects of character (for example, wisdom and temperance) and human virtue (for example, forgiveness and gratitude). We will not only focus on the academic material, but also on applications of this material to our lives.  Class discussion will be strongly encouraged.
Requirements:  Students will take 3 exams, each counting one-third of their final grade. For each exam, students will the option of choosing between a multiple-choice exam or an essay exam

Grading

Students will take 3 exams, each counting one-third of their final grade. For each exam, students will the option of choosing between a multiple-choice exam or an essay exam

Text

Petersen, C. A Primer in Positive Psychology

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Psychology 341K: Psychology and Religion (43945)
Spring 2010, MWF 2-3, SEA 2.108

Instructor:  Dr. Wendy Domjan; WCH 4.104 (471-1442) or SEA 5.212 (475-8495), wdomjan@gmail.com.
Office hours: In SEA 5.212 on TTh 2-3:30 and F 1-2
                        In WCH 4.104 on M 11-1:30 and W 9-11
Texts:   
Psychology, Religion and Spirituality by Fontana
How God Changes Your Brain by Newberg & Waldman
Religion, Culture, and Mental Health by Loewenthal
Terror in the Name of God by Stern
Other Resources:
UT students can use the library at the Presbyterian Seminary, 100 East 27th Street (this is on the other side of 27th from the student services building); they have many journals that are useful in this class that the UT library system doesn’t carry.
GREAT WebSite: http://www.psywww.com/psyrelig/index.htm
Course Prerequisites:
The Psychology Department will drop all students who do not meet the following prerequisites:
(a) PSY 301 with a C or better
(b) PSY 418 (or an equivalent listed in the course schedule) with a C or better
(c) Upper-Division standing (60 hours completed)
Special Testing Arrangements: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities.  For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.
Course Orientation: This course is designed to examine the interaction between psychology and religion from a dual perspective.  One focus will explore how psychology can illuminate our understanding of religion.  A second focus will consider the ways in which religion influences psychological functioning, by impacting upon beliefs, behaviors and both mental and physical health.   Psychology approaches the study of religion from an empirical, not a philosophical or theological, perspective.  Please note that the course will investigate global aspects of religion, such as the development and influence of faith; it is not intended to analyze, contrast, or evaluate specific religious beliefs. The bulk of theory and research in this area concerns the three major monotheistic religions, thus these religions will provide the class context.
Course Requirements:  A major portion of this class involves discussion; students are expected to actively participate in class discussions.
There are two options for the written requirements for this class. The basic option is to write a series of four short (about 4-5 pages) essays on topics relating to the material being covered in class. I will post a set of potential questions two weeks before each essay is due; each student will respond to one of these questions. It is always possible, and even preferable, for a student to write on an alternative question of particular interest. These are thought pieces, not research papers.  If you have a special interest in some topic, a second option is to do a long (about 15-20 pages) research paper.
E-mail Submission of Papers:
Papers must be turned in by e-mail as WORD files, by midnight on the due dates. For the long papers, the drafts will be due on April 16th; the final papers will be due on May 9th.
Grades: 
Short Essays: 80% (20% each) or Research paper: 80%
Participation (which requires attendance): 20%
The +/-grading system will be used.

               

Course Outline
Spring Break March 15-19

*This is an approximate schedule, as time (& to some extent topics) will be determined by student interests

Date                Topic                Reading   
January 20-29            Basic Issues            Fontana 1, 2 , 4   
February 1-5            Religious  Experiences    Fontana 7
                                Newberg & Waldman, Part 2   
February 8-12            Mysticism            Fontana 3, 8.10, 11
                                Newberg & Waldman, Parts 1 & 3   
February 15-19        Childhood            Fontana 6
Feb – Mar 1             Adulthood            Fontana 5
March 3-8            Conversion                       
Mar 29-April 2        Coping                Fontana 12
                                Loewenthal , Chapters 1-4       
April 5-16             Mental Health            Fontana 11
                                Loewenthal , Chapters 5-9   
April 19-30            Religious Extremists        Stern
May 3-7            Class Choice            (full disclosure: we often run out of time                                    before we get here)


Assignment            Due Date
Short Paper 1            February 15th
Short Paper 2            March 12th
Short Paper 3            April 12th
Short Paper 4            May 10th
Or

Final Research Paper        May 10th

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Psychology 301 (43930) Introduction to Psychology

Fall 2009: MWF 9-10, NOA 1.126

Instructor: 

Dr. Wendy Domjan, WCH 4.104, 471-1442, wdomjan@gmail.com

Office hours: MWF  10-11; TTh 9:30-10:30

Text:Schacter, Gilbert & Wegner. Psychology

Attendance: Attendance is required for this class. Much of the material that is covered in lecture is not in the textbook, and will be tested on the examinations. If you do miss a class, then you are responsible for finding out about class announcements. Missing an announcement (such as a change in an exam date) because you were not in class to hear it is not an acceptable excuse for failing to fulfill your obligations (like taking the exam at the new time).

Experiment Requirement: The Psychology Department has a requirement that students in Psychology 301 either participate in a certain number of psychology experiments or write a paper.  No course credit is given for either the experiments or the paper.  However, you must complete this requirement in order to receive a grade in this class. In order to be eligible for many of the experiments, you must complete on-line pre-testing. The details about this requirement are contained in your green handout. If you have lost this handout, or added the class late and did not receive it, you can get another one from the Undergraduate Psychology Office (Seay 2.216). You can also find out about this requirement by going to the location in the Psychology Department WebSite that describes this requirement. This link will also allow you to go to the location for signing up for studies on-line, for doing pre-testing, or for learning about the paper that can be done instead of doing experiments: http://www.psy.utexas.edu/psy/undergrad/courses/info/pretesting.html

Exams: There will be four exams for this class, each covering 1/4 of the course material. There will NOT be a cumulative final. However, the fourth exam will be given during the first hour of the final exam time for this class. Students will be able to choose between two formats for each exam, either a 50-question multiple choice exam or a 2-3 question essay exam.
Exam grades will then be assigned as follows: 90-100=A; 80-89=B; 70-79=C; 60-69=D; below 60=F.
Final Course Grades: Your points on all four exams will be summed and then divided by 4. The resulting average score will be assigned a letter grade using a standard distribution: 90-100=A; 80-89=B; 70-79=C; 60-69=D; below 60=F. Grades will NOT be rounded up and no extra credit is available for this class.
Please note: (1) No extra credit is available in this course; (2) Only performance, not effort, influences your final grade. (3) Grades are not rounded up. (4) You must complete the Psychology Department research requirement in order to receive credit for this class.

Special Testing Arrangements: The University of Texas at Austin provides, upon request, appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.

If a student has a documented need for special testing arrangements, it is the responsibility of the student to arrange with the instructor for special testing prior to each exam

Course Schedule

No class on September 7^th for Labor Day and November 27^th for Thanksgiving

Date                                                Topic                                                            Reading

August 26-28                                    Introduction                                    Chapters 1 & 2

September 2-11                                    Biopsychology                                    Chapters 3

September 14-18                        Social                                                Chapter 16

Exam I: September 21^st

September 23-28                         Cognition                                    Chapter 5

September 30-October 9 Development Chapter 11 P&C: Part 10, Part 16

October 12-16                                    Personality                                    Chapter 12

Exam II: October 19th

October 21-26                                    Learning                                    Chapter 6

October 28-30                                    Intelligence                                    Chapter 9

November 2-6                                    Consciousness

Exam III: November 9^th

November 11-13                        Emotion                                    Chapter 10 (only Pp. 366-386)

November 16- 28                        Disorders                                    Chapter 13 & 15                                                                                                                                    P&C: Part 14

November 30-December 4            Treatment                                    Chapter 14

Exam IV: December 10^th, 9am

Psychology 341K: Psychology and Religion (44150)

Fall 2009, MWF 9-10, ECJ 1.204

Instructor:  Dr. Wendy Domjan; WCH 4.104, email: wdomjan@gmail.com.

Office hours: MWF 10-11, TTh 9:30-10:30, or by appointment

Texts:           

Psychology, Religion and Spirituality by Fontana

The God Gene by Hammer

After the Baby Boom by Wurthnow

Terror in the Name of God by Stern

Other Resources: 

UT students can use the library at the Presbyterian Seminary, 100 East 27^th Street (this is on the other side of 27^th from the student services building); they have many journals that are useful in this class that the UT library system doesn’t carry.

GREAT WebSite: HREF=

Course Prerequisites:

The Psychology Department will drop all students who do not meet the following prerequisites:

(a) PSY 301 with a C or better

(b) PSY 418 (or an equivalent listed in the course schedule) with a C or better

(c) Upper-Division standing (60 hours completed)

Please note: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.

Course Orientation: This course is designed to examine the interaction between psychology and religion from a dual perspective.  One focus will explore how psychology can illuminate our understanding of religion.  A second focus will consider the ways in which religion influences psychological functioning, by impacting upon beliefs, behaviors and both mental and physical health.   Psychology approaches the study of religion from an empirical, not a philosophical or theological, perspective.  Please note that the course will investigate global aspects of religion, such as the development and influence of faith; it is not intended to analyze, contrast, or evaluate specific religious beliefs. The bulk of theory and research in this area concerns the three major monotheistic religions, thus these religions will provide the class context.

Course Requirements:  A major portion of this class involves discussion; students are expected to actively participate in class discussions.

There are two options for the written requirements for this class. The basic option is to write a series of four short (about 4-5 pages) essays on topics relating to the material being covered in class. I will post a set of potential questions two weeks before each essay is due; each student will respond to one of these questions. It is always possible, and even preferable, for a student to write on an alternative question of particular interest. These are thought pieces, not research papers.  If you have a special interest in some topic, a second option is to do a long (about 15-20 pages) research paper.

E-mail Submission of Papers:

Topics for the short papers will be distributed two weeks before the papers are due. Papers must be turned in by e-mail as WORD files, by midnight on the due dates. For the long papers, the drafts will be due on April 16^th; the final papers will be due on May 9^th.

Grades: 

Short Essays: 72% (18% each) or Research paper: 72% (draft 22%, final version 50%)

Discussion Essays 15% (5% each)

Participation (which requires attendance): 13%

Course Outline

No class on September 7^th for Labor Day and November 27^th for Thanksgiving

Mondays and Wednesdays will be lecture. Fridays will be discussion.

Date                                                Topic                                                Reading           

August 26-September 18            Basic Issues                                    Fontana 1, 2 , 4           

September 21-25                        Biological Influences                        Fontana 7            

September 28-October 12            Development                                    Fontana 6

October 14-30                                    Adult Life                                    Fontana 5                       

November 2-6                                    Religious Experience                        Fontana 3, 8.10, 11

November 9-18                        Conversion                                                               

November 20-25                        Coping                                                Fontana 12                                               

November 30- December 4            Mental Health                                    Fontana 11

On the last Friday of each month, we will be discussing one of three books, each of which presents an interesting and somewhat provocative view of some aspect of religion. Students will be required to turn in 1 page essays on the preceding Wednesdays, responding to one of several proposed discussion questions.

Discussion Date                             Book                                                Essay Due

September 25                                     The God Gene                                      September 23

October 23                                    After the Baby Boom                                    October 21

November 20                                    Terror in the Name of God                        November 18

Assignment                                    Due Date

Short Paper 1                                    September 21

Short Paper 2                                    October 19

Short Paper 3                                    November 9

Short Paper 4                                    December 7

Or

Draft Research Paper                        November 20

Final Research Paper                        December 7

Psychology 341K: Psychology and Religion (44150)
Fall 2009, MWF 9-10, ECJ 1.204

Instructor:  Dr. Wendy Domjan; WCH 4.104, email: wdomjan@gmail.com.
Office hours: MWF 10-11, TTh 9:30-10:30, or by appointment
Texts:   
Psychology, Religion and Spirituality by Fontana
The God Gene by Hammer
After the Baby Boom by Wurthnow
Terror in the Name of God by Stern
Other Resources:
UT students can use the library at the Presbyterian Seminary, 100 East 27th Street (this is on the other side of 27th from the student services building); they have many journals that are useful in this class that the UT library system doesn’t carry.
GREAT WebSite: http://www.psywww.com/psyrelig/index.htm
Course Prerequisites:
The Psychology Department will drop all students who do not meet the following prerequisites:
(a) PSY 301 with a C or better
(b) PSY 418 (or an equivalent listed in the course schedule) with a C or better
(c) Upper-Division standing (60 hours completed)
Please note: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.
Course Orientation: This course is designed to examine the interaction between psychology and religion from a dual perspective.  One focus will explore how psychology can illuminate our understanding of religion.  A second focus will consider the ways in which religion influences psychological functioning, by impacting upon beliefs, behaviors and both mental and physical health.   Psychology approaches the study of religion from an empirical, not a philosophical or theological, perspective.  Please note that the course will investigate global aspects of religion, such as the development and influence of faith; it is not intended to analyze, contrast, or evaluate specific religious beliefs. The bulk of theory and research in this area concerns the three major monotheistic religions, thus these religions will provide the class context.
Course Requirements:  A major portion of this class involves discussion; students are expected to actively participate in class discussions.
There are two options for the written requirements for this class. The basic option is to write a series of four short (about 4-5 pages) essays on topics relating to the material being covered in class. I will post a set of potential questions two weeks before each essay is due; each student will respond to one of these questions. It is always possible, and even preferable, for a student to write on an alternative question of particular interest. These are thought pieces, not research papers.  If you have a special interest in some topic, a second option is to do a long (about 15-20 pages) research paper.
E-mail Submission of Papers:
Topics for the short papers will be distributed two weeks before the papers are due. Papers must be turned in by e-mail as WORD files, by midnight on the due dates. For the long papers, the drafts will be due on April 16th; the final papers will be due on May 9th.
Grades: 
Short Essays: 72% (18% each) or Research paper: 72% (draft 22%, final version 50%)
Discussion Essays 15% (5% each)
Participation (which requires attendance): 13%
               
 
Course Outline
No class on September 7th for Labor Day and November 27th for Thanksgiving

Mondays and Wednesdays will be lecture. Fridays will be discussion.
Date                Topic                Reading   
August 26-September 18    Basic Issues            Fontana 1, 2 , 4   
September 21-25        Biological Influences        Fontana 7    
September 28-October 12    Development            Fontana 6
October 14-30             Adult Life            Fontana 5       
November 2-6            Religious Experience                Fontana 3, 8.10, 11
November 9-18        Conversion                       
November 20-25        Coping                Fontana 12               
November 30- December 4    Mental Health            Fontana 11
                                                               

On the last Friday of each month, we will be discussing one of three books, each of which presents an interesting and somewhat provocative view of some aspect of religion. Students will be required to turn in 1 page essays on the preceding Wednesdays, responding to one of several proposed discussion questions.
Discussion Date             Book                Essay Due
September 25             The God Gene              September 23
October 23            After the Baby Boom            October 21
November 20            Terror in the Name of God        November 18


Assignment            Due Date
Short Paper 1            September 21
Short Paper 2            October 19
Short Paper 3            November 9
Short Paper 4            December 7
Or
Draft Research Paper        November 20
Final Research Paper        December 7

Topics of contemporary interest that may vary from semester to semester. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for nonmajors, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Students may not enroll in Psychology 418 more than twice. Survey of statistics, including central tendency, variability and inference, and scientific methodology used in psychological research. Three lecture hours and two discussion hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, a major in psychology, and credit for one of the following: Mathematics 302, 303D, 305G, 408C, 408D, 408K (or 308K), 408L (or 308L), 408M (or 308M), 316.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Students may not enroll in Psychology 418 more than twice. Survey of statistics, including central tendency, variability and inference, and scientific methodology used in psychological research. Three lecture hours and two discussion hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C and credit for one of the following: Mathematics 302, 303D, 403K, 305G, 408C, 408K, 316; or Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Supervised reading in selected topics of significance; area of intensive study is chosen by the student in consultation with the instructor. Individual instruction. May be repeated for credit. Offered on the pass/fail basis only. May not be counted toward a major in psychology. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and consent of instructor.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.