Psychology Syllabi
Syllabi for psychology courses at SUNY Geneseo.
PSYC 202: Educational Psychology
PSYC 202: Educational Psychology Syllabus
Course Description:
As stated in the college catalog, this course, "Considers the principles of learning and teaching, measurement and evaluation, and growth and development of the individual as they relate to the classroom and other situations." General Psychology (PSYC 100) is a prerequisite for this course.
PSYC 215: Child Development
PSYC 215: Child Development Syllabus
Course Description:
This course provides an overview of the nature and course of human development from conception through adolescence. The primary goal is to provide an introduction to the nature of child development and the scientific study of development. We will cover the major domains of development – biological, cognitive, social, and emotional development. This course is designed to provide a foundation for future classes in developmental psychology; thus, no one topic is covered in depth.
PSYC 216: Adolescent Development
PSYC 216: Adolescent Development Syllabus
Course Description:
This course is designed to give you an overview of the major areas of development during adolescence. We will discuss physical and intellectual maturation as well as developmental changes in identity, peer relationships, and family relationships. In addition, we will learn about how the environmental context (including culture, school, and media) can influence adolescents. Although the course focuses primarily on “normal” development, we will also study some of the psychosocial problems common during adolescence.
PSYC 216-04: Adolescent Development
PSYC 216-04: Adolescent Development Syllabus
Course Description:
This course is designed to provide an in-depth, scientifically based understanding of adolescent development. We will examine important changes in adolescents' physical, cognitive, emotional, and social characteristics. This includes understanding the contexts in which adolescents develop, such as family, peer groups, and school. You will also learn about how scientists study adolescent development and the theories they use to guide their research. My final goal is to encourage you to think critically. One way we will do this is by exploring some of the stereotypes and misconceptions associated with this stage of development.
PSYC 217: Adult Development and Aging
PSYC 217: Adult Development and Aging Syllabus
Course Description:
As many of you begin the journey of your adult life, you may wonder what lies ahead for you as you begin careers, marriages and families. Perhaps you have thought about the many choices available to you and wondered which would provide the most satisfaction in life. What will happen to you physically and cognitively as you grow older? Are there any benefits that come with age? What can you do to maximize your life and age “successfully”? We will address these questions and much more in this course.
In addition to learning what to expect in your own adult life, this course may help you understand some of the issues facing your parents, grandparents and other adults in your life. All aspects of development, including physical, social, and cognitive changes, will be covered, starting in early adulthood and going through old age.
PSYC 236-01: Human Sexual Behavior
PSYC 236-01: Human Sexual Behavior Syllabus
Course Description:
This course is intended to provide an overview and critical analysis of theory, research, and data on human sexual behavior. Psychological and behavioral aspects of human sexuality will be considered as will the role of biological influences and social contexts. The format for class sessions will vary and include lecture, large group discussions, small group activities, and peer-facilitated conversations.
PSYC 250: Introduction to Behavioral Statistics
PSYC 250-02: Introduction to Behavioral Statistics Syllabus
PSYC 250-03: Introduction to Behavioral Statistics Syllabus
PSYC 250-04: Introduction to Behavioral Statistics Syllabus
Course Description:
The Department offers a three-course sequence in statistics and research methods. PSYC 250 covers introductory statistics. We will study: The measurement of behavior; frequency distributions; graphing; central tendency; variability; binomial and normal distributions; standard scores; hypothesis testing; one-sample t tests; two-sample t tests; correlation; regression; introductory nonparametric tests; one-way analysis of variance; the logic of two-way analysis of variance and interactions. By the end of the course, my goal is that you will demonstrate an understanding of basic principles of statistics including computation, application, and interpretation.
Prerequisites: PSYC 100 AND 3 years of high school mathematics or MATH 110.
PSYC 251: Introduction to Research Methods
PSYC 251: Introduction to Research Methods Syllabus
Course Description:
A systematic study of the principles of research design and methods. Topics include scientific methods of descriptive, correlational, basic experimental, quasi-experimental, and single-subject approaches, issues of validity and experimental control, ethical considerations, and skills in accessing and using psychological literature, critical reading, and scientific writing using American Psychological Association style.
Psychology is a Science. Long gone are the days of armchair philosophizing about human behavior. Psychological theories are now generated based on empirical data, gathered using controlled methodology. For you to understand psychology, you must understand the methods of collecting, analyzing, interpreting and presenting data. This course will introduce you to the basic concepts of studying behavior as a science. An emphasis is placed on presentation and writing style associated with scientific study. Students are expected to gain a full understanding the American Psychological Association format for published reports in the social sciences.
PSYC 251: Introduction to Behavioral Research Methods
PSYC 251-04: Introduction to Behavioral Research Methods Syllabus
PSYC 251-05: Introduction to Behavioral Research Methods Syllabus
Course Description:
This course is an exploration and comparison of the diverse methods used to conduct research in psychology. We will learn how investigators design and conduct studies, analyze and interpret data, and share their results with other professionals in the field. The purpose of this course is to train you to become a better consumer of research and to introduce you to the presentation and writing style associated with scientific study. Students are expected to gain a full understanding of the writing and publication format of the American Psychological Association (APA).
PSYC 260-03: Abnormal Psychology
PSYC 260-03: Abnormal Psychology Syllabus
Course Description:
Study of a wide variety of behavior disorders, with an emphasis on nosology and etiology. An attempt is made to integrate psychological, biological, sociocultural, and situational interpretations of abnormality. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours in psychology.
PSYC 278: The Psychology of Happiness
PSYC 278: The Psychology of Happiness Syllabus
Course Description:
Historically, academic psychology has focused on maladaptive behaviors such as mental illnesses. This course is unique because it examines the predictors and potential causes of human happiness. The course will emphasize the role of social context and social relationships, personality and personal values, and evolutionary pressures in predicting and potentially affecting happiness. We will also examine methods for potentially increasing human happiness.
PSYC 321-01: Developmental Psychology: Family Psychology
PSYC 321-01: Developmental Psychology: Family Psychology Syllabus
Course Description:
This is an advanced developmental course focusing on the complex theories and contemporary research on the ever-changing institution we call “family.” In particular, students will develop an understanding of the factors that foster meaningful close relationships and how their family of origin influences their current and future relationships.
PSYC 325: Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 325: Cognitive Psychology Syllabus
Course Description:The human organism possesses a complex system of mental abilities- including perceiving, remembering, language, problem-solving, reasoning, and decision making, through which it acquires, organizes, and utilizes knowledge of the environment. Cognitive psychology is the study of this sophisticated processing system.
PSYC 330: Biological Psychology
PSYC 330: Biological Psychology Syllabus
Course Description:
This course will help students understand the relationships between the anatomy of the nervous system, the electrical and chemical communication systems in the brain, and the production of complex human and animal behavior. Major topics include the biological basis of movement, eating, sexual behavior, drug abuse, and emotion. The emphasis on brain-behavior relationships will encompass several special interest issues and recurring themes.
PSYC 335: Behavioral Pharmacology
Course Description:
Abuse of recreational drugs looms as an ever-growing problem in our society. Prescriptions for behavior altering drugs such as Prozac, Clozapine and Ritalin are at an all-time high and increasing. Many baby-boomers are beginning to show the onset of neurodegenerative disorders that will require more geriatric pharmacological treatment than we are prepared to give... It's time to start learning a little about Behavioral Pharmacology. This course is designed to introduce you to the basic pharmacology of drugs that directly affect brain function and behavior. To succeed in this course, you will need a fairly good understanding of biology to follow the descriptions of pharmacological actions of drugs. You will also need to understand the general behavioral phenomena of major psychiatric disorders (i.e. depression, schizophrenia, neurodegenerative disorders, addiction). Finally, you will need to make an intuitive leap to understand how pharmacology can induce and/or alter human behavior.
PSYC 350: Social Psychology
PSYC 350: Social Psychology Syllabus
Course Description:
Social psychology is primarily concerned with how other people affect the behavior of a single individual. Some examples of topics of interest to a social psychologist include the social factors that influence our attitudes, our choices of friends, mates and of consumer products, our tendencies to be aggressive or helpful, and our perceptions about the world around us. This course will focus on several specific behavioral topic areas such as the ones suggested above, and will have the dual goals of both describing the behavior and circumstances in which they occur, and of also critically examining the most relevant theoretical explanations for why these behaviors occur. Thus, a major emphasis of the course will be to seek to understand why our social environment influences us in the way that it does. In order to accomplish this last goal, the research methodology of social psychology will be examined in some detail. Therefore, basic statistics and research design are prerequisites for this course, and students with an insufficient background in these areas suffer a major disadvantage. You need PSYC 250 & 251 to be in this class.
PSYC 352: Advanced Research In Psychology: Environmentalism
PSYC 352: Advanced Research In Psychology: Environmentalism Syllabus
Course Description:
The purpose of this course is to provide direct empirical and statistical experiences to psychology majors. Specifically, this course provides the opportunity to plan an original empirical study (or studies), and to gather and analyze original data. Therefore, this course builds directly upon the methodological and statistical skills students develop in Psyc 250, 251, and in the content courses from the psychology major. Another important purpose of the course is to teach scientific writing style. As noted below, the majority of the final grade will be determined by writing assignments.
PSYC 390: Gender and the Development of Aggression
PSYC 390: Gender and the Development of Aggression Syllabus
PSYC 396: Teaching Internship
PSYC 396: Teaching Internship Syllabus
Seminar/Lab Syllabus
Course Description:
The seminar/lab is one component of a Teaching Internship (TI) in the Department of Psychology. Discussions during the seminar/lab will focus on theoretical conceptualizations of teaching, learning, and student performance relevant to emerging adults whereas seminar activities will involve the practice of effective instructional techniques. TIs are expected to participate and offer significant contributions to the Seminar/Lab.
We should use psychology to teach psychology. We can apply concepts and principles developed and honed in research studies of learning and memory to become more effective instructors and to assist our students to become more effective learners. -Jeffrey S. Nevid (2004) ??