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Psychology

Overview

Students of psychology think critically and creatively as they examine the ways in which we adapt to our environment through biological, social, emotional, perceptual, behavioral, linguistic, and cognitive processes. Psychology students at St. Olaf benefit from hands-on experience in the laboratory as well as from working with people. Students learn both interpersonal and investigative skills by activities such as deciphering visual illusions, learning about effective leadership, examining brain tissue, constructing tests, doing research on gender differences, encountering new perspectives on children, and developing listening and conflict resolution skills.

The major's dual emphasis on the natural and social science foundations of the field, along with various opportunities for laboratory work, inspires each student to formulate his or her own way of framing and examining the influences that make us human. The skills and insights psychology majors gain in the course of their studies provide a strong foundation for a range of life experiences and professions. Many go on to graduate or professional school or use psychology to enhance their study and work in other areas, including teaching, business, medicine, law, physical therapy, seminary, social work, and nursing.

General Education Credits

Psychology courses that fulfill General Education Requirements are listed in the Class and Lab Schedule.

Distribution Credit

Psychology 121, 122, 123, and 125 are the only psychology courses that count towards the Area C requirement. Students may take only one of these courses.

Prerequisites

One of the following courses is prerequisite for all Level II and III departmental courses: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125. Statistics 110 or Math 112 is a prerequisite for Psychology 231 (r esearch methods). It is recommended that students complete Statistics in their first year or the first semester of the sophomore year, and Research Methods by the first semester of the junior year or earlier. Level III courses require junior or senior standing or permission of the instructor.

Requirements for the Major

Psychology majors are required to take nine courses, including one Level I principles course (Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125), Statistics 110 or equivalent, Psychology 231, at least two Level III courses (excluding placement [393] and internship [394]), and at least one course from each of the following areas:

Natural Science area:
Social Science area:
Students entering prior to 1995-96 may select the previous major, which included the following: 8 courses, including one Level I principles course (Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125), 3 Level III courses, and one course from each of the following areas (Area A: 231, 235, 23 6, 237, 238, 382, 385; Area B: 241, 242, 249, 259, 264, 271, 365, 376; and Area C: 250, 373, 388, 389, 393/394). Additional area courses are announced when offered. Statistics 110 or Math 112 is highly recommended.

A Social Studies Education major with a concentration in Psychology is available (see the Index), as are special internships (Psychology 393/394), primarily during Interims and for seniors.

Courses

121 Principles of Psychology
This course investigates such topics as biology's role in personality, why we dream, and how culture influences us (specifically, gender and ethnicity). Students will use critical thinking skills to examine popular psychological questions and act as social scientists by applying basic research methods to student-generated hypotheses. This course applies to almost any career choice in today's world and helps students understand what all those talk shows are talking about!

122 Principles of Psychology: Experimental Foundations with Lab
This course explains how scientific psychological principles proceed from basic evolutionary theory by examining similarities among species as well as cross-species contrasts. Students examine the relationship between findings, practical applications, and public policy decisions. They also actively engage in collaborative experimental exploration in a variety of laboratories to understand the empirical basis of psychological theories and to develop skills in using equipment, collecting data, and analyzing results. The course provides a balance between the experimental/biopsychological aspects of the field and the social science areas. Three hours of class and three hours of laboratory per week.

123 Principles of Psychology: Experimental Foundations
This non-laboratory course explains how scientific psychological principles proceed from basic evolutionary theory by examining similarities among species as well as cross-species contrasts. Students examine the relationship between findings, practical applications, and public policy decisions and see demonstrations of experimental explorations that illuminate the empirical basis of psychological theories. The course provides a balance between the experimental/biopsychological aspects of the field and the social science areas.

125 Introductory Psychology
This self-paced course, in which there are no lectures, covers the most significant facts, methods, and principles of contemporary psychology. It serves as a background for further coursework in the field.

231 Research Methods in Psychology
Pop psychology often oversimplifies and romanticizes the findings from scientific studies. A better tool for understanding the implications of these studies is research methods, which transforms data and statistics into an understandable framework that can be used by practicing psychologists. Students will investigate the building blocks of this new framework, which range from clinical case histories, library research, surveys, analysis of experimental results and scientific writing to ethical guidelines. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125, Statistics 110 or Mathematics 112 or permission of instructor.

235 Sensation and Perception
This course offers the opportunity to study our senses and sensibilities -- our sensations of cold, tenderness, and pain, our perceptions of movement, pitch, symmetry, and color. Students participate actively in psychophysical, physiological, and perceptual laboratories and in readings and classes on vision, audition, somesthesis, and the chemical senses. Laboratory and other independent work is required. Three hours lecture and three hours laboratory per week. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125.

236 Conditioning and Learning
Students will examine the principles of learning, including behavior theory, learning theory, and behavior analysis, and consider how they apply to enhancing learning as well as to the study and training of animals. Topics include habituation and Pavlovian conditioning, operant conditioning, complex learning processes (stimulus control, concept learning and memory), Pavlovian-operant interactions, and applications of behavior theory, concluding with a consideration of "causality detection" as the single underlying learning process. Three hours lecture and three hours laboratory per week. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125, Statistics 110 or Mathematics 112 recommended.

237 Cognition, Learning and Memory
How does your mind work when you think, learn and remember well? How does your mind's activity become translated into speech, artistic, musical and athletic performance, invention, and other forms of creativity? In an active-learning, hands-on seminar format, students unlock mysteries of the mind using state-of-the-art scientific instrumentation, and develop cognitive science knowledge and research skills. Three hours lecture and three hours laboratory per week. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125, Statistics 110 or Mathematics 112.

238 Biopsychology
What are the biological determinants of behavior and mental processes? Taking an evolutionary perspective, we focus upon adaptive behaviors of humans and other mammals, including sensory perception, motor movement, states of consciousness, sexual behavior, learning and memory. To provide the necessary biological background, preparatory lectures are given on the structure, physiology and chemistry of the nervous system. Special emphasis is placed on learning how to discover the biological mechanisms of behavior and why those discoveries are important to society (e.g., in developing treatments for neurological and mental disorders). Three hours lecture and three hours laboratory per week. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125. Biology 121, 123, or 125 recommended.

241 Developmental Psychology
Have you ever wondered why you acted the way you did as an adolescent or what you will be like when you are older? This course will help you better understand the development of yourself and others from the moment of conception until death. The course focuses on the biological and environmental factors that shape human development. Major changes in biological, cognitive, personality, and social development are discussed. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125.

242 Psychology of Sex Differences
Past and present myths about the "nature" of men and women are contrasted with evidence of differences -- from the brain to the work sphere, from relationships to psychopathology. Students will explore theoretical explanations from a variety of fields, including biology, anthropology, economics and sociology, critically examine research, and find answers through their own research projects and discussion. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123 or 125.

249 Social Psychology
How do we influence and persuade each other? Why are people prejudiced and how can we reduce prejudice? Why do people help others? What is self-esteem and how do we defend it? How does romantic attraction develop? What are emotions and how do they influence us? In this introduction to the ways people interact and think about each other, you will design and carry out your own research on a social psychological topic. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125.

250 Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Students will apply psychological facts and principles to the problems that permeate business and industry. Topics include organizational structure, personnel management, employee-supervisor relationships, job satisfaction and motivation, communication and leadership. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123 or 125, Statistics 110 or Mathematics 112.

259 Cross-Cultural Psychology
Students in this course work in teams to explore and understand cultural differences in human behavior, emotion, and thought processes through weekly e-mail conversations (with university student-partners in such countries as Japan, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Mexico, and France), textbooks which challenge assumptions of "normal" human behavior, and highly interactive classroom discussions. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125.

264 Abnormal Psychology
When and why should certain experiences or patterns of behavior be considered psychologically "abnormal"? Students will investigate a wide array of psychological disorders, including anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, and schizophrenia. What causes these difficulties? What can be done to help someone who is suffering psychologically? We will examine models used to conceptualize abnormal behavior, as well as current evidence and theories regarding the etiology and treatment of these important and sometimes devastating disorders. Instructor's approval required for sophomores. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125.

271 Psychology of Personality
Students will examine theories of normal personality development in an effort to understand the factors that shape personality. Is personality biologically determined? Is it a result of interpersonal experiences, learning and reinforcement? Are other factors involved as well? We will investigate prominent personality theories of this century and their conceptualizations of this fundamental aspect of human experience. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123
or 125.

298 Independent Study
An opportunity to investigate in depth a topic of interest, typically culminating in a library research-based paper. Strongly recommended as preparation for Psychology 398. Prerequisite: at least three courses in the department and permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123 or 125. Psychology 231 is strongly recommended.

365 Psychology of Religion
Scholars find evidence of religion in every period of human history. While some foretold the end of religion in the 20th century, at this century's end we see religious movements gaining social and political influence in every quarter of the world. Why are human beings religious? How do psychologists account for the varieties and persistence of religious experience? How do psychologists study religion, and what problems and limitations does such study pose for a social scientist? You will explore these and other questions as you read and discuss the psychological study of religion during the past 100 years. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125.

373 Psychology of Testing
Learn to understand yourself and others in-depth by exploring the concepts underlying the development of psychological tests. Through didactic and "hands-on" methods, students will learn to develop and interpret tests and to evaluate their power in prediction. The benefits as well as limitations of tests of intelligence, aptitudes, personality, creativity, neuropsychological disorders, and others will be explored. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125, Statistics 110 or Mathematics 112.

375 Psychology of Counseling
Ever wonder what happens in counseling and why clients may feel better? In this course, we study theories of counseling -- from Freud to current perspectives -- because theories provide a basis for the work of counseling. We explore ethical and multicultural issues as well as how to work with different populations. And because effective helping professionals are excellent communicators, we study and practice active listening techniques and basic helping skills which are immediately applicable to everyday life. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125.

376 Group Process and Social Conflict
In this practical introduction to the subject, we will experience and analyze group process and social conflict. We will read some of the latest research on negotiation, conflict, social perception, and group processes. We will participate in several long, intensive role plays of negotiation on a real world issue (e.g., abortion, civil rights, international conflicts). You will gain both practical experience in negotiating and an academic analysis of its difficulties. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125 and 249.

382 Comparative Psychology
In this course, students will develop an understanding of the behavior and cognitive abilities of different species (including humans) as they relate to evolution, ecology, adaptation, and development. In the long run, we seek to achieve a better understanding of our place in nature and of the behavioral characteristics which we share with other animals as well as those which we possess alone or which are developed in us to a unique degree. Students will participate in naturalistic observation and experimental research with a variety of species, both on-campus and off-campus at the Minnesota Zoo. Three hours of class and three hours of laboratory per week. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125.

385 Human Neuropsychology
Complex cognitive processes such as memory, language, and spatial perception have a neurological basis. This course provides students the opportunity to examine the relationship between the basic principles of human brain structure and function and their expression in cognition. We will examine cerebral asymmetry, recovery from head trauma and traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities and motor disorders. Three hours lecture and three hours laboratory per week. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125.

388 History and Systems of Psychology
Historical revolutions in thinking (or paradigm shifts) in systems of psychological thought have given rise to major questions ranging from "How do heredity and learning interact to produce our identities?" to "How does mind influence our physical body, and vice versa?" Students learn how to understand systems of psychological thought, and together discover how those systems have provided the roots from which contemporary psychological understanding has grown. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125.

389 Contemporary Systems of Psychology
This course emphasizes broad perspectives and themes of contemporary psychological thought. Students use a variety of material, including books and journal articles, to form the basis for discussions and analyses of current developments in major areas of psychology. Students will gain a heightened sense of issues confronting the field of psychology today and into the near future as they synthesize these broad questions and discussions. Prerequisite: Psychology 121, 122, 123, or 125.

390 Issues
Did you ever wish to explore more deeply a particular theme or topic in psychology? An advanced seminar allows you to delve meaningfully into a topic, to "get below the surface" of broad textbook summaries and introductory lectures. Examples of past seminars include: linguistics; personal narrative and lifestory as a special topic in cognitive science; women and madness; and the biopsychology of mental disorders. Prerequisites and specific topics will be announced prior to each offering of the class. Different topics may be repeated for credit.

393 Placement in Applied Settings
This opportunity to work and learn in a variety of psychological settings is open to psychology majors who have completed at least five psychology courses. Placements have included mental health, community action and battered women's shelters, personnel and industrial/organizational settings, research settings and others. Senior status or permission of instructor. A minimum of 160 contact hours in the internship experience is required. Only one Internship credit 393 or 394) can count toward the major. P/N only.

394 Internship

398 Independent Research
An opportunity to work in depth on a research project of interest under the supervision of a member of the psychology department faculty. Prerequisite: Statistics 110 or 112, Psychology 231, four additional courses in the department, and permission of instructor. Psychology 298 is strongly recommended.

Interim

The following Interim courses were given in January 1996:

Paracollege Seminars

The following Paracollege seminar, approved for psychology credit and open to general college students, was given in 1995-96:

Paracollege 266
The Mind-Body Connection

Faculty

Bonnie S. Sherman (Chair)
Associate Professor of Psychology, 1981-
B.S., William and Mary; Ph.D., North Carolina
Experimental, cognitive, and neuropsychology

Deborah J. Anderson
Associate Professor of Psychology, Paracollege Tutor, 1980-
B.A., Minnesota; M.A., Ph.D., Ohio State
Clinical and health psychology

Harry Brull
Instructor in Psychology 1993-
B.A., Cornell; M.S., S.U.N.Y., College at Cortland
Industrial/organizational psychology

James Dickson
Professor of Psychology, 1966-
B.A., Lafayette; M.A., Kent State; Ph.D., Maryland
Experimental, comparative, and biopsychology

Gerald Ericksen
Professor of Psychology, 1963-
B.A., North Dakota; M.A., Ph.D., Minnesota
Statistics, experimental design, and cross-cultural psychology

Dana L. Gross
Associate Professor of Psychology, 1988-
B.A., Smith; Ph.D., Minnesota
Developmental psychology

Charles W. Huff, Jr.
Associate Professor of Psychology, Paracollege Tutor, 1988-
B.S., Georgia Southern; M.A., William and Mary; M.A., Ph.D., Princeton
Social psychology, technology, and social change

Donna McMillan
Assistant Professor of Psychology, 1994-
B.A., Virginia; M.A., Ph.D., Duke
Clinical psychology

Glenn Pickering
Assistant Professor of Psychology, 1994-
B.E.E., Minnesota; M. Div., United Theological Seminary; Ph.D., Minnesota
Personality and counseling psychology, gender issues

Bruce Roberts
Professor of Psychology, 1968-
B.S., M.Ed., Oregon State; Ph.D., Claremont
Community, cross-cultural, and counseling psychology

Mary Ellen Ross
Associate Professor of Psychology, Paracollege Tutor, 1977-
B.S., Fordham; M.A., Ph.D., Syracuse
Developmental and counseling psychology

Richard Senese
Instructor in Psychology, 1993-
B.A., M.A., Minnesota (Duluth)
Counseling psychology

Mark Sundby
Instructor in Psychology, Paracollege Tutor, 1992-
B.A., St. Olaf
Counseling psychology

Konrad Talbot
Assistant Professor of Psychology, 1995-
B.A., M.A., Ph.D., California (Los Angeles)
Biopsychology, comparative and clinical neuroscience

Howaxrd I. Thorsheim
Professor of Psychology, 1968-
B.A., St. Olaf; M.A., Ph.D., Illinois
Human cognition, learning, performance and systems