Courses by semester
Courses for Fall 2023
Complete Cornell University course descriptions are in the Courses of Study .
Course ID | Title | Offered |
---|---|---|
PSYCH1101 |
Introduction to Psychology
Why are people superstitious? Why do people blush when they are embarrassed? What is intelligence (and are IQ tests a good way to measure it)? Why don't psychopaths feel guilty when they harm others? How reliable are childhood memories? Why do we laugh? Do violent video games make people act violently? Why do some people seem instantly trustworthy and others seem "creepy"? How do we choose whom to sleep with, date, or marry? How does stress affect our body? While questions like these have been asked for centuries, psychology has begun to provide answers to these--and other questions about the human mind--by applying the tools of scientific investigation. In this course you will receive a broad introduction to the science of psychology: from the history of the field and its major advances, to the latest research on topics such as perception, memory, intelligence, morality, sexuality, mental illness, religion, language, and creativity. You will also learn about the tools and methods psychologists use to investigate the mind, such as observing how the mind of a child changes and develops over time, looking at people across cultures, measuring brain activity, and experimentally manipulating everything from the shape of a figure presented on a computer screen, to the smell of a room, or the attractiveness of the experimenter.
|
Fall, Summer. |
PSYCH1102 |
Introduction to Cognitive Science
This course provides an introduction to the science of the mind. Everyone knows what it's like to think and perceive, but this subjective experience provides little insight into how minds emerge from physical entities like brains. To address this issue, cognitive science integrates work from at least five disciplines: Psychology, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Linguistics, and Philosophy. This course introduces students to the insights these disciplines offer into the workings of the mind by exploring visual perception, attention, memory, learning, problem solving, language, and consciousness.
Full details for PSYCH 1102 - Introduction to Cognitive Science |
Fall, Summer. |
PSYCH1104 |
WIM: Introduction to Cognitive Science
This section is highly recommended for students who are interested in learning about the topics covered in the main course through writing and discussion.
Full details for PSYCH 1104 - WIM: Introduction to Cognitive Science |
Fall. |
PSYCH1120 | FWS:Personality & Social Psychology | |
PSYCH1131 |
Introduction to Human Development
Introduction to Human Development provides a broad and foundational overview of field of human development, starting from conception and ending through process of death and dying. The course will start with an outline and explanation of the lifespan perspective in human development. The biological beginnings of life and prenatal development will serve as the start of the discussion of human development, followed by an exploration of physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development at each subsequent stage within the lifespan (e.g., infancy, early childhood, middle & late childhood, etc.). Discussion of each developmental stage will highlight major research findings and their real-world application.
Full details for PSYCH 1131 - Introduction to Human Development |
Fall, Spring, Summer. |
PSYCH1140 | FWS: Perception, Cognition & Development | |
PSYCH1500 |
Introduction to Environmental Psychology
Environmental Psychology is an interdisciplinary field concerned with how the physical environment and human behavior interrelate. Most of the course focuses on how residential environments and urban and natural settings affect human health and well-being. Students also examine how human attitudes and behaviors affect environmental quality. Issues of environmental justice and culture are included throughout. Hands-on projects plus exams.
Full details for PSYCH 1500 - Introduction to Environmental Psychology |
Fall, Summer. |
PSYCH1501 |
Introduction to Environmental Psychology - Writing in the Major
Human-Environment Relations is an interdisciplinary field concerned with how the physical environment and human behavior interrelate. Most of the course focuses on how residential environments and urban and natural settings affect human health and well-being. Students also examine how human attitudes and behaviors affect environmental quality. Issues of environmental justice and culture are included throughout. Hands-on projects plus exams. Lecture and discussion sections. WIM section attend a regular lecture but also meets weekly with a graduate writing tutor. The two principal objectives of WIM section:
Full details for PSYCH 1501 - Introduction to Environmental Psychology - Writing in the Major |
Fall. |
PSYCH2230 |
Intro to Behavioral Neuroscience
Introduction to psychology from a biological perspective, which focuses on brain mechanisms of behavior. Topics include the structure and function of the nervous system, physiological approaches to understanding behavior, hormones and behavior, biological bases of sensation and perception, learning and memory, cognition, emotion, and communication.
Full details for PSYCH 2230 - Intro to Behavioral Neuroscience |
Fall, Summer. |
PSYCH2400 |
Introduction to Community Psychology
What counts as a community? How do communities shape who we are? How can we engage in action to transform the communities we are a part of? These questions guide our inquiry in this introductory community psychology course. Community psychology is a field examining the interrelationship between individual wellbeing and the multiple social structures and contexts with which individuals interact. Community psychologists are united by a shared commitment to understanding individuals using a multidisciplinary perspective, including developmental psychology, education, and sociology. Beyond seeking to understand, community psychologists also emphasize values, applied and participatory research, and action to promote the wellbeing of entire communities from a strengths-based perspective. This lecture-based course will provide an overview of theory, research, and action in community psychology. We will focus on: (a) essential theories pertaining to community psychology, (b) methodological strategies for studying alongside communities, and (c) practical applications related to understanding social and environmental contexts as essential components of the human experience. Throughout the course, we will discuss the role of communities in shaping our understandings of diversity, equity, and social justice.
Full details for PSYCH 2400 - Introduction to Community Psychology |
Fall. |
PSYCH2500 |
Statistics and Research Design
In a complex environment with many sources of variability, how can one tell with confidence whether a particular observed effect is real? And how much confidence is appropriate? This course introduces the principles of statistical description and inference as strategies to answer these questions, with emphasis on methods of principal relevance to psychology, neuroscience, and the behavioral sciences.
Full details for PSYCH 2500 - Statistics and Research Design |
Fall. |
PSYCH2580 |
Six Pretty Good Books: Explorations in Social Science
This course is modeled after "Great Books" literature courses in the humanities, but with two important differences: we read non-fiction books in the social sciences rather than the humanities, written by highly prominent contemporary social scientists. The course title refers to the fact that the books are new, hence their potential greatness has yet to be confirmed by the test of time. We choose living authors to give students a unique opportunity: to interact with each of the six authors in Q&A sessions in person or via video conferencing. This fall some of the authors will appear in person for Q&A and the others will Skype with the class.
Full details for PSYCH 2580 - Six Pretty Good Books: Explorations in Social Science |
Fall. |
PSYCH2750 |
Introduction to Personality
What is "personality"? How is it scientifically studied and measured? To what extent, do biological, social, and cultural factors shape personality? Is personality an expression of our genetic make up and biology, the culmination of social influences, the interplay of both, or the result of random events? In this course, we will review the major theoretical paradigms of personality psychology, discuss contemporary research, theory, and methodology, and learn about key historical debates in the study of "personality".
|
Fall, Winter, Summer. |
PSYCH2820 |
Community Outreach
Provides students with information and perspectives essential to volunteer fieldwork with human and social service programs in the community. Readings are drawn from the field of community psychology and include analyses of successful programs, such as Head Start, as well as a review of the methods by which those programs are developed and assessed. Although students are not required to volunteer, the instructor provides students with a list of local agencies open to student placements.
|
Fall. |
PSYCH2830 |
Research Methods in Human Development
This course will introduce students to the basics of research design and will review several methodologies in the study of human development. The focus of the course will be on descriptive and experimental methods. Students will learn the advantages and challenges to different methodological approaches. The course also places an emphasis on developing students' scientific writing and strengthening their understanding of statistics.
Full details for PSYCH 2830 - Research Methods in Human Development |
Fall. |
PSYCH2930 |
Introduction to Data Science for Social Scientists
Intro to Data Science for Social Scientists using R.
Full details for PSYCH 2930 - Introduction to Data Science for Social Scientists |
Fall. |
PSYCH3020 |
Methods in Neuroscience
This course will expose students to a wide range of commonly used methods in neuroscience research (theory behind the method, common applications of the method, how data are collected and analyzed using the method, strengths and weaknesses of the method, etc.). The goal for students is that by the end of the course, they will be able to read and critically evaluate primary literature from many areas of neuroscience and to understand how the methods used in the study helped the researchers come to their conclusions. This course will explore methods including (but not necessarily limited to): microscopy, methods to visualize neuronal structure and function, electrophysiology, methods to measure neural activity, methods to measure and manipulate expression of genes/mRNA/protein, machine learning methods for behavioral analysis, and whole brain imaging methods in humans and non-human animals.
|
Fall. |
PSYCH3040 |
Cognitive Neuroscience of Language
This course explores the cognitive neuroscience of language, with a focus on the neural mechanisms underlying language processing and its relationship with other cognitive processes. We will explore how the brain processes and represents language, how language is acquired, and how language is impaired in various neurological and developmental disorders.
Full details for PSYCH 3040 - Cognitive Neuroscience of Language |
Fall. |
PSYCH3135 |
The Psychology of Good and Evil
Morality seems to be a universal feature of humananity. People across time, place and culture have a strong sense that certain things are right or wrong, that some people are good and some are evil. Where does this moral sense come from? Why do some people disagree so strongly about what is right and wrong? How did evolution shape this moral sense? How does it develop? Are there any universal aspects of moral psycholoogy? The goals of this course are to offer an introduction to the psycholological science behind what humans know as morality.
Full details for PSYCH 3135 - The Psychology of Good and Evil |
Fall. |
PSYCH3190 |
Memory and the Law
Focuses on how the scientific study of human memory interfaces with the theory and practice of law.
|
Fall. |
PSYCH3220 |
Hormones and Behavior
Covers comparative and evolutionary approaches to the study of the relationship between peripheral hormones and neuroendocrine mechanisms in vertebrates, including humans, with sexual behavior, affiliative bonds and social grouping, parental behavior, aggression, mating systems, stress, learning and memory, and biological rhythms.
|
Fall. |
PSYCH3240 |
Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory
This course is designed to provide an introduction to experimental research on the neural basis of behavior and cognition in animals. Topics will include basic neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, neural and hormonal control of behavior, and learning and memory. Students will gain extensive hands on experience with a variety of laboratory techniques, and animal species, and behaviors.
Full details for PSYCH 3240 - Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory |
Fall. |
PSYCH3310 |
Developmental Psychopathology
Why do some children grow up well-adjusted and others do not? This course applies a developmental framework to understanding psychological disorders. We will consider the common disorders of childhood and adolescence; the individual contexts which promote risk versus resiliency; trends and trajectories in disorders over time; and the complex ethical issues associated with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders early in life.
|
Fall. |
PSYCH3350 |
The Psychology of Attention
This course will survey core topics on attention, exploring how it influences what people perceive, what they are aware of, what they remember, and how well they can perform tasks. Original articles presenting behavioral and neuroscientific research on attention will be discussed. In-class demonstrations and presentations will further provide students with a broad understanding of attention and the ability to critically apply attention concepts to their everyday lives.
|
Fall. |
PSYCH4150 |
Culture, Cognition, Humanities
Seminar on the essential features and qualities of culture and how it impacts human endeavors. Because understanding culture necessarily requires interaction across multiple areas of study, this interdisciplinary seminar will be based on discussions of recent research at the interface of cognitive science and the humanities. Topics may include: animal cultures, the evolution of language, the symbolic revolution, knowledge acquisitions, play, rituals and the arts.
Full details for PSYCH 4150 - Culture, Cognition, Humanities |
Fall. |
PSYCH4210 |
Native American Psychology
This course will provide an overview of the psychology of Native Americans; accounting for current theories and research on the experiences, behavior, and identities of Native Americans. The course will offer students an immersive, in-depth experience of the topics and themes that scholars are investigating in Native American Psychology.
|
Spring. |
PSYCH4320 |
Topics in Cognitive Science
A seminar series examining current and classical ideas in human sciences and the humanities. Themes vary from semester to semester.
|
Fall, Spring. |
PSYCH4580 |
The Science of Social Behavior
This is a capstone seminar for seniors who are interested in graduate or professional study in scientific disciplines that focus on human behavior and social interaction. The intent is to provide seniors with an opportunity to summon, integrate, and apply insights that they have acquired over the course of their undergraduate education, and give prospective graduate students the opportunity to lead discussions in a large introductory lecture course, "Six Pretty Good Books". Each seminar member is part of a two or three-person team that leads the discussion together, under the supervision of a graduate teaching assistant. Seminar meetings are devoted to building lesson plans for leading an effective discussion of each of the six books. The authors vary from year to year but include Malcolm Gladwell, Michelle Alexander, Nate Silver, and Nicholas Christakis. All authors have agreed to participate in a "Q&A" session with the students which seminar members are required to attend.
Full details for PSYCH 4580 - The Science of Social Behavior |
Spring. |
PSYCH4700 |
Undergraduate Research in Psychology
Practice in planning, conducting, and reporting independent laboratory, field, and/or library research.
Full details for PSYCH 4700 - Undergraduate Research in Psychology |
Fall or Spring. |
PSYCH4710 |
Advanced Undergraduate Research in Psychology
Advanced experience in planning, conducting, and reporting independent laboratory, field, and/or library research. One, and preferably two, semesters of PSYCH 4700 is required. The research should be more independent and/or involve more demanding technical skills than that carried out in PSYCH 4700.
Full details for PSYCH 4710 - Advanced Undergraduate Research in Psychology |
Fall or Spring. |
PSYCH4810 |
Advanced Social Psychology
The focus of this course is on discussion and critical analysis of selected articles from very recent issues of the most selective social psychological journals. Readings are chosen for their importance and, their coverage of contemporary topics in social psychology. Students write brief "thought papers" before each class in which they offer suggestions for class discussion based on their close reading of the day's assigned articles. They also write a term paper (details at first class meeting).
|
Fall. |
PSYCH5750 |
Quantitative Methods 1
This course is developed as an introduction to graduate statistics for social sciences. It will review descriptive statistics and probability theory. It will cover exploratory data analysis, basic inferential statistics with a focus on analyses for experimental designs, e.g. ANOVA models. No costs other than textbooks are incurred.
|
Fall. |
PSYCH6000 |
General Research Seminar
This course is designed to introduce first-year graduates to the Psychology Department faculty through a weekly series of presentations of current research.
|
Fall, Spring. |
PSYCH6001 |
Graduate Professionalism Seminar
This course enhances the graduate experience and prepares first-year psychology graduate students for success. The student receives a formal introduction to conceptualizing and articulating a research project, science writing, the grant proposal and review processes, and numerous other aspects of professional development. The course serves as an opportunity for preparation for graduate studies and a career in academics or a related profession.
Full details for PSYCH 6001 - Graduate Professionalism Seminar |
Fall. |
PSYCH6020 |
Methods in Neuroscience
This course will expose students to a wide range of commonly used methods in neuroscience research (theory behind the method, common applications of the method, how data are collected and anylyzed using the method, strengths and weaknesses of the method, etc.). The goal for stuents is that by the end of the course, they will be able to read and critically evaluate primary literature from many areas of neuroscience and to understand how the methods used in the study helped the researches come to their conclusions. This course will explore methods including (but not necessarily limited to): microscopy, methods to visualize neuronal structure and function, electrophysiology, methods to neural activity, methods to measure and manipulate expression of genes/mRNA/protein, machine learning methods for behavioral analysis, and whole brain imaging methods in humans and non-human animals.
|
Fall. |
PSYCH6271 |
Topics in Biopsychology
Course explores current issues in Psychology. Topics vary by section.
|
Fall, Spring. |
PSYCH6350 |
The Psychology of Attention
This seminar will survey core topics on attention, exploring how it influences what people perceive, what they are aware of, what they remember, and how well they can perform tasks. Original articles presenting behavioral and neuroscientific research on attention will be discussed. In-class demonstrations and presentations will further provide students with a broad understanding of attention and the ability to critically apply attention concepts to their everyday lives.
|
Fall. |
PSYCH6810 |
Advanced Social Psychology
The focus is on discussion and critical analysis of selected articles from very recent issues of the best social psychological journals. Readings are chosen for their importance, their readability, and the likelihood that they will generate stimulating discussion. Students write brief "thought papers" before each class in which they offer suggestions for class discussion based on their close reading of the day's assigned articles. They also write a term paper on a social psychological topic of their own choosing. No exams.
|
Fall. |
PSYCH7000 |
Research in Biopsychology
A graduate research seminar in biopsychology.
|
Fall, Spring. |
PSYCH7100 |
Research in Human Experimental Psychology
A graduate research seminar in human experimental psychology.
Full details for PSYCH 7100 - Research in Human Experimental Psychology |
Fall, Spring. |
PSYCH7200 |
Research in Social Psychology and Personality
A graduate research seminar in social psychology and personality.
Full details for PSYCH 7200 - Research in Social Psychology and Personality |
Fall, Spring. |
PSYCH7220 |
Hormones and Behavior
Covers comparative and evolutionary approaches to the study of the relationship between reproductive hormones and sexual behavior in vertebrates, including humans. Also hormonal contributions to other social behavior (parental behavior, aggression, mating systems) stress, learning and memory, and biological rhythms.
|
Fall. |
PSYCH7750 |
Proseminar in Social Psychology I
First semester of a year-long discussion-seminar course intended to give graduate students an in-depth understanding of current research and theory in social psychology. Emphasizes social cognition, but other topics, such as group dynamics, social influence, moral psychology, and emotional experience, are covered.
Full details for PSYCH 7750 - Proseminar in Social Psychology I |
Fall. |
PSYCH9000 |
Doctoral Thesis Research in Biopsychology
A graduate seminar on doctoral thesis research in biopsychology.
Full details for PSYCH 9000 - Doctoral Thesis Research in Biopsychology |
Fall, Spring. |
PSYCH9100 |
Doctoral Thesis Research in Human Experimental Psychology
A graduate seminar on doctoral thesis research in human experimental psychology.
Full details for PSYCH 9100 - Doctoral Thesis Research in Human Experimental Psychology |
Fall, Spring. |
PSYCH9200 |
Doctoral Thesis Research in Social Psychology and Personality
A graduate seminar on doctoral thesis research in social psychology and personality.
Full details for PSYCH 9200 - Doctoral Thesis Research in Social Psychology and Personality |
Fall, Spring. |
HD1102 |
Introduction to Cognitive Science
This course provides an introduction to the science of the mind. Everyone knows what it's like to think and perceive, but this subjective experience provides little insight into how minds emerge from physical entities like brains. To address this issue, cognitive science integrates work from at least five disciplines: Psychology, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Linguistics, and Philosophy. This course introduces students to the insights these disciplines offer into the workings of the mind by exploring visual perception, attention, memory, learning, problem solving, language, and consciousness.
Full details for HD 1102 - Introduction to Cognitive Science |
Fall, Summer. |
HD1111 |
Success in Human Development
This course offers a jump-start on planning your experience in the College of Human Ecology.
|
Fall. |
HD1125 |
FWS: Topics in Human Development
This is a topics course for Human Development First-Year Writing Seminars.
|
Fall, Spring. |
HD1130 |
Introduction to Human Development
Introduction to Human Development provides a broad and foundational overview of field of human development, starting from conception and ending through process of death and dying. The course will start with an outline and explanation of the lifespan perspective in human development. The biological beginnings of life and prenatal development will serve as the start of the discussion of human development, followed by an exploration of physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development at each subsequent stage within the lifespan (e.g., infancy, early childhood, middle & late childhood, etc.). Discussion of each developmental stage will highlight major research findings and their real-world application.
Full details for HD 1130 - Introduction to Human Development |
Fall, Spring, Summer. |
HD2180 |
Human Development: Adulthood and Aging
Introduces students to theories and research in adult development and aging. Describes biological, psychological and social changes from early through late adulthood. Identifies strategies to promote healthy aging at the individual and societal level.
Full details for HD 2180 - Human Development: Adulthood and Aging |
Fall. |
HD2200 |
The Human Brain and Mind: An Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
At the turn of the 21st century the age of Embodied Cognition dawned: a reconsideration of relationships between body, brain, and mind. Researchers in philosophy, psychology, linguistics, and cognitive neuroscience challenged the 20th-century dogma that the mind is like a digital computer, and can be studied independently of the body, brain, and world. Researchers turned their attention to the role that bodily experience plays in thinking and learning, and the roles neural systems for perception and action play in cognition. This course views the field of Cognitive Neuroscience through the lens of Embodied Cognition research, and evaluates the extent to which "embodiment" may be passing fad, a useful shift in perspective, or a revolutionary new way of building theories about brain and mind.
Full details for HD 2200 - The Human Brain and Mind: An Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience |
Fall. |
HD2230 |
Intro to Behavioral Neuroscience
Introduction to psychology from a biological perspective, which focuses on brain mechanisms of behavior. Topics include the structure and function of the nervous system, physiological approaches to understanding behavior, hormones and behavior, biological bases of sensation and perception, learning and memory, cognition, emotion, and communication.
|
Fall. |
HD2300 |
Cognitive Development
This course will provide you with an overview of how children's cognition develops. We will investigate how cognition develops from many different perspectives. The main perspectives will be biological, genetic-epistemological, socio-cultural, and information-processing ones. This course also will help you to understand how cognition influences other areas of development, including intelligence, development of the self, language, and social development. Finally, different populations will be considered to better understand the roles not only of nature and nurture, but also of how the two interact to influence development.
|
Fall. |
HD2400 |
Introduction to Community Psychology
What counts as a community? How do communities shape who we are? How can we engage in action to transform the communities we are a part of? These questions guide our inquiry in this introductory community psychology course. Community psychology is a field examining the interrelationship between individual wellbeing and the multiple social structures and contexts with which individuals interact. Community psychologists are united by a shared commitment to understanding individuals using a multidisciplinary perspective, including developmental psychology, education, and sociology. Beyond seeking to understand, community psychologists also emphasize values, applied and participatory research, and action to promote the wellbeing of entire communities from a strengths-based perspective. This lecture-based course will provide an overview of theory, research, and action in community psychology. We will focus on: (a) essential theories pertaining to community psychology, (b) methodological strategies for studying alongside communities, and (c) practical applications related to understanding social and environmental contexts as essential components of the human experience. Throughout the course, we will discuss the role of communities in shaping our understandings of diversity, equity, and social justice.
Full details for HD 2400 - Introduction to Community Psychology |
Fall. |
HD2580 |
Six Pretty Good Books: Explorations in Social Science
This course is modeled after "Great Books" literature courses in the humanities, but with two important differences: we read non-fiction books in the social sciences rather than the humanities, written by highly prominent contemporary social scientists. The course title refers to the fact that the books are new, hence their potential greatness has yet to be confirmed by the test of time. We choose living authors to give students a unique opportunity: to interact with each of the six authors in Q&A sessions in person or via video conferencing. This fall some of the authors will appear in person for Q&A and the others will Skype with the class.
Full details for HD 2580 - Six Pretty Good Books: Explorations in Social Science |
Fall. |
HD2600 |
Introduction to Personality
What is "personality"? How is it scientifically studied and measured? To what extent, do biological, social, and cultural factors shape personality? Is personality an expression of our genetic make up and biology, the culmination of social influences, the interplay of both, or the result of random events? In this course, we will review the major theoretical paradigms of personality psychology, discuss contemporary research, theory, and methodology, and learn about key historical debates in the study of "personality".
|
Fall, Winter, Summer. |
HD2820 |
Community Outreach
Provides students with information and perspectives essential to volunteer fieldwork with human and social service programs in the community. Readings are drawn from the field of community psychology and include analyses of successful programs, such as Head Start, as well as a review of the methods by which those programs are developed and assessed. Although students are not required to volunteer, the instructor provides students with a list of local agencies open to student placements.
|
Fall. |
HD2830 |
Research Methods in Human Development
This course will introduce students to the basics of research design and will review several methodologies in the study of human development. The focus of the course will be on descriptive and experimental methods. Students will learn the advantages and challenges to different methodological approaches. The course also places an emphasis on developing students' scientific writing and strengthening their understanding of statistics.
Full details for HD 2830 - Research Methods in Human Development |
Fall. |
HD2930 |
Introduction to Data Science for Social Scientists
Intro to Data Science for Social Scientists using R.
Full details for HD 2930 - Introduction to Data Science for Social Scientists |
Fall. |
HD3110 |
Educational Psychology
Educational psychology is the application of psychological principles and concepts to cases of teaching and learning. We study behavioral, cognitive, embodied, and social-cultural perspectives on learning and thinking, and we use them in planning and reflecting on weekly fieldwork outside the classroom. In the process, we become more mindful and skilled learners ourselves and better facilitators of others' learning.
|
Fall, Spring. |
HD3190 |
Memory and the Law
Focuses on how the scientific study of human memory interfaces with the theory and practice of law.
|
Fall. |
HD3210 |
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
As it is with much of scientific discovery, a poet, William Wordsworth, best explained development with a simple phrase: The Child is father of the Man (person). In this course, we explore how our adult selves come to be through the lens of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. You will learn about current perspectives and controversies, the latest understanding of the development of multiple physiological systems (e.g., vision, perception, language, etc.) as interactions between molecular mechanisms, experience, and neural plasticity. Weekly short reaction papers, class exercises, and midterm and final projects, will all be geared towards developing a personal appreciation for the subject as well as an understanding of the issues in developmental cognitive neuroscience as a field.
Full details for HD 3210 - Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience |
Fall. |
HD3220 |
Hormones and Behavior
Covers comparative and evolutionary approaches to the study of the relationship between peripheral hormones and neuroendocrine mechanisms in vertebrates, including humans, with sexual behavior, affiliative bonds and social grouping, parental behavior, aggression, mating systems, stress, learning and memory, and biological rhythms.
|
Fall. |
HD3300 |
Developmental Psychopathology
Why do some children grow up well-adjusted and others do not? This course applies a developmental framework to understanding psychological disorders. We will consider the common disorders of childhood and adolescence; the individual contexts which promote risk versus resiliency; trends and trajectories in disorders over time; and the complex ethical issues associated with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders early in life.
|
Fall. |
HD3310 |
Psychology of Gender
This course explores psychological research on gender, examining the interactions between biology and social learning, gender identity, stereotypes, gender non-conformity, and discrimination. We will critically evaluate sex-related comparisons in cognition, attitudes, leadership, close relationships, psychological development, achievement, communication, and health. We will engage with course material using an intersectional approach that acknowledges that gender development and expression are deeply impacted by race, social class, sexuality, and culture.
|
Fall. |
HD4000 |
Directed Readings
For study that predominantly involves library research and independent study.
|
Fall, Spring. |
HD4010 |
Empirical Research
For study that predominantly involves data collection and analysis or laboratory or studio projects.
|
Fall, Spring. |
HD4020 |
Supervised Fieldwork
For study that involves both responsible participation in a community setting and reflection on that experience through discussion, reading, and writing. Academic credit is awarded for this integration of theory and practice.
|
Fall, Spring. |
HD4030 |
Teaching Assistantship
For study that includes assisting faculty with instruction.
|
Fall, Spring. |
HD4210 |
Native American Psychology
This course will provide an overview of the psychology of Native Americans; accounting for current theories and research on the experiences, behavior, and identities of Native Americans. The course will offer students an immersive, in-depth experience of the topics and themes that scholars are investigating in Native American Psychology.
|
Spring. |
HD4250 |
Translational Research on Decision Making
Introductory laboratory-based course focusing on basic foundations in translational research on decision making across the lifespan. The course introduces students to hands-on applications of research skills in the context of research on decision making, spanning basic and applied research in law, medicine, behavioral economics, and policy. It focuses on such topics as human subjects protection, working with populations across the lifespan (e.g., children, seniors), database development, working with external partners and stakeholders (e.g., schools, hospitals), and basic concepts and techniques in decision research. Students participate in weekly laboratory meetings in small teams focused on specific projects as well as monthly meetings in which all teams participate. During laboratory meetings, students discuss ongoing research, plans for new studies, and interpretations of empirical findings from studies that are in progress or have been recently completed. New students work closely with experienced students and eventually work more independently. In order to fully grasp how the research projects fit into the broader field, students read relevant papers weekly and write reaction responses. Because several projects are ongoing at all times, students have the opportunity to be involved in more than one study and are assigned multiple tasks such as piloting research paradigms, subject recruitment, data collection, data analysis, and data entry. Students attend a weekly lab meeting for 1.5 hours per week, read pertinent papers, write reaction responses, and work 10.5 hours per week in the laboratory completing tasks that contribute to ongoing research studies.
Full details for HD 4250 - Translational Research on Decision Making |
Fall. |
HD4260 |
Translational Research on Memory and Neuroscience
Laboratory-based course focusing on basic foundations in translational research on the neuroscience of human memory and memory development. Students attend a weekly lab meeting for 1.5 hours per week, read pertinent papers, write reaction responses, and work 10.5 hours per week in the laboratory completing tasks that contribute to ongoing research studies.
Full details for HD 4260 - Translational Research on Memory and Neuroscience |
Fall. |
HD4420 |
Intimate Relationships: Liking, Loving, and Interpersonal Attraction
This seminar will cover topics in intimacy relationships, especially liking, loving, and interpersonal attraction. Some topics will be: What is love? What leads people to be attracted to (or repelled by) one another? What makes relationships succeed or fail? How does one even know if a relationship is succeeding or failing? How does one repair damaged relationships? When is it time to leave? How does love vary across cultures?
Full details for HD 4420 - Intimate Relationships: Liking, Loving, and Interpersonal Attraction |
Fall. |
HD4440 |
The Nature of Human Intelligence
The course will survey the nature of human intelligence. Examples of topics include: theories of intelligence, measurement of intelligence, development of intelligence, cultural issues regarding intelligence, heritability of intelligence, group differences in intelligence, extremes of intelligence, and improving intelligence. The course will include an independent project plus a midterm and final exam.
|
Fall. |
HD4580 |
The Science of Social Behavior
This is a capstone seminar for seniors who are interested in graduate or professional study in scientific disciplines that focus on human behavior and social interaction. The intent is to provide seniors with an opportunity to summon, integrate, and apply insights that they have acquired over the course of their undergraduate education, and give prospective graduate students the opportunity to lead discussions in a large introductory lecture course, "Six Pretty Good Books". Each seminar member is part of a two or three-person team that leads the discussion together, under the supervision of a graduate teaching assistant. Seminar meetings are devoted to building lesson plans for leading an effective discussion of each of the six books. The authors vary from year to year but include Malcolm Gladwell, Michelle Alexander, Nate Silver, and Nicholas Christakis. All authors have agreed to participate in a "Q&A" session with the students which seminar members are required to attend.
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Fall. |
HD4850 |
Professional Development in Translational Research
As a supplement to their immersive learning experience working on faculty research projects, students in this course will engage with actors and ideas from across the youth development research and practice communities, learn about research methods and dissemination to various audiences, and begin to see the world from a translational research perspective.
Full details for HD 4850 - Professional Development in Translational Research |
Fall, Spring. |
HD4860 |
Nearest Neighbor
As a supplement to their immersive learning experience working on translational research projects led by CHE faculty, and building on their experience in HD4850 (Professional Development in Translational Research), this course will provide opportunities for students to put their learning into practice by proposing and implementing a translational research project in collaboration with community partners.
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Fall, Spring. |
HD4990 |
Senior Honors Thesis
This course is for students doing research as part of the Honors Program in Human Development.
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Fall, Spring. |
HD5750 |
Quantitative Methods 1
This course is developed as an introduction to graduate statistics for social sciences. It will review descriptive statistics and probability theory. It will cover exploratory data analysis, basic inferential statistics with a focus on analyses for experimental designs, e.g. ANOVA models. No costs other than textbooks are incurred.
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Fall. |
HD6020 |
Research in Risk and Rational Decision Making
This hands-on laboratory course will develop research skills in the context of risk and rational decision making in human development from multiple disciplinary perspectives and with respect to different kinds of decision-making under risk and uncertainty. Topics will depend on student interests but may include decisions about war, terrorism, cancer control and prevention (e.g., screening tests), personal behaviors that involve risk (e.g., HIV prevention), and other public health risks (e.g., vaccinations), law enforcement (e.g., use of a weapon), and legal decision making (e.g., jury deliberations). Students will read the research literature, discuss the latest empirical findings and scientific theories of risk and rationality, and engage in group work and peer review to hone their skills. Students will then design research projects and engage in research activities as well as read additional references tailored to their interests.
Full details for HD 6020 - Research in Risk and Rational Decision Making |
Fall. |
HD6190 |
Memory and the Law
Focuses on how the scientific study of human memory interfaces with the theory and practice of law. Students study relevant areas of memory research and memory theory.
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Fall. |
HD6200 |
First-Year Proseminar in Human Development
Designed as an orientation to the department and the university. Activities include attendance at research presentations, visits to departmental research laboratories, relevant informational sessions (e.g., Institutional Review Board for Human Participants, proposal writing), and guidance in preparing a public research presentation to be made at the end of spring semester.
Full details for HD 6200 - First-Year Proseminar in Human Development |
Fall, Spring. |
HD6210 |
Seminar on Autobiographical Memory
This graduate seminar is designed to give an overview as well as in-depth analysis of topics related to autobiographical memory and its development. Readings focus heavily on current theories and empirical research on a wide range of topics including childhood amnesia, reminiscence bump, emotion and memory, memory accuracy, development and disruption, neurological perspectives, memory functions, and memory across cultures.
Full details for HD 6210 - Seminar on Autobiographical Memory |
Spring. |
HD6440 |
The Nature of Human Intelligence
The course will survey the nature of human intelligence. Examples of topics include: theories of intelligence, measurement of intelligence, development of intelligence, cultural issues regarding intelligence, heritability of intelligence, group differences in intelligence, extremes of intelligence, and improving intelligence. The course will include an independent project plus a midterm and final exam.
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Spring. |
HD6610 |
Text and Networks in Social Science Research
This is a course on networks and text in quantitative social science. The course will cover published research using text and social network data, focusing on health, politics, and everyday life, and it will introduce methods and approaches for incorporating high-dimensional data into familiar research designs. Students will evaluate past studies and propose original research.
Full details for HD 6610 - Text and Networks in Social Science Research |
Spring. |
HD7000 |
Directed Readings
For study that predominantly involves library research and independent study.
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Fall, Spring. |
HD7010 |
Empirical Research
For study that predominantly involves collection and analysis of research data.
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Fall, Spring. |
HD7020 |
Practicum
For study that predominantly involves field experience in community settings.
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Fall, Spring. |
HD8060 |
Teaching Practicum
For advanced graduate students who independently develop and teach an undergraduate topics course under the supervision of a faculty member.
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Fall, Spring. |
HD8990 |
Master's Thesis and Research
This course is for Master's students doing research for their Master's thesis.
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Fall, Spring. |
HD9990 |
Doctoral Thesis and Research
This course is for Ph.D. students doing research for their doctoral thesis.
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Fall, Spring. |