220 Socioemotional Development in Cultural Context
This course explores children’s socioemotional and self development in cultural context. Larger theoretical frameworks and developmental patterns concerning socioemotional development are examined with special attention paid to the various familial and cultural contexts that lead to the creation of individual selves and cultural beings. Some of the questions we will explore in this class include: How do children become emotional beings? How do cultural factors shape our sense of self and identity, our motivations, and interactions with others? Prerequisite: Psychology 125
How do we hear? What do we hear? How do we know? This course will examine the perception of the acoustic world through our sense of hearing. Topics will range from the structure of sound itself (acoustics), how sound is encoded and processed by the brain, and how we come to understand sound as something beyond a physical stimulus (representation, meaning, and interpretation). Additional topics will include speech perception, music, hearing loss and cochlear implants.
337 Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
Memory is a fundamental part of human existence, but what do we currently know about the neurobiology that underlies this remarkable ability? In this seminar, students present and discuss recently published research that examines the neurobiology of learning and memory from molecular, cellular, behavioral and cognitive neuroscience perspectives. Prerequisites: Psychology 238 or Neuroscience 234. Offered most years.
This seminar investigates "the good life," exploring what psychology can tell us about human flourishing and psychological well-being. Empirical evidence is examined to understand some of the best aspects of life, such as the function of positive emotions, the role of traits in well-being, sources of meaning and life satisfaction, and character strength and virtue. Personality and sociocultural factors are emphasized in this exploration of the positive potentials of human life. Prerequisites: Psychology 230, and 244 or 249. Offered most years.
350 Development in Diverse Families
How does development unfold within a variety of diverse family structures and contexts? Given demographic changes have made “traditional” middle-class, Euro-American, caregiver-mother-breadwinner-father, married, two-parent families increasingly unrepresentative of the population, we will explore parenting and child development across a variety of alternative family structures and sociocultural contexts, including primary caregiving fathers, divorced and remarried parents, and gay and lesbian parents. We will discuss similarities and variability across families and cultures, and unique challenges that “nontraditional” families may confront. Students will read and discuss scientific journal articles and book chapters, and bridge empirical research with popular culture and media portrayals of families. Prerequisite: Psychology 241. (Psychology 230 is recommended.)
375 Clinical/Counseling Psychology
This course examines several major theoretical perspectives on psychotherapy. Students review empirically supported treatments for specific clinical disorders, as well as "nonspecific" factors that affect the therapeutic process. Students explore ethical and legal challenges related to psychotherapy delivery, as well as multicultural and other diversity issues. Course format is primarily discussion-based. This course is only open to juniors and seniors and is offered most years. Prerequisites: Psychology 230, and 244 or 247.
What is the mind-body connection? We explore the major issues, theories, and interventions in health psychology. Students review evidence for the impact of psychological and behavioral factors on the immune system and health. Psychosocial approaches to the major diseases, their rationale, and the evidence supporting these interventions are examined. Introductory biology and psychopathology strongly recommended. Prerequisite: Psychology 230, 247, and 238 or Biology 123 or 125. Offered most years.
The study of attention is largely concerned with the selective acquisition of information from the world or activation of information in memory, while consciousness refers to the experience and interpretation of that information in relation to the self. We will consider a range of topics, including states of consciousness associated with religious experience, meditation, hypnosis, extended isolation, physical activity, and synesthesia, to gain insight from multiple perspectives into the phenomena of human consciousness. Prerequisites: Psych 125 or permission of Instructor.
How can we come to know in a meaningful way another’s personality, including important themes, traits, needs, desires, aspirations, and life history? This seminar focuses on the study of the individual person and the methods used in personality and clinical psychology to pursue understanding of the individual in all of his or her richness, uniqueness, and complexity. In the course we study individual persons in-depth doing interviews, psychological testing, and analysis of narratives such as stories, personal documents, and biographies. We consider methodological issues with each of these types of data, and we explore ways to systematically interpret what we find using a variety of perspectives from personality theory and research. Prerequisites: Psych 230-Research Methods and Psych 244-Psychology of Personality.
391 The Psychology of Good & Evil
Why do we feel it is important to judge behavior as morally good or bad? How do we make these judgments? How should we make these judgments? What makes it possible for people to commit acts of extraordinary heroism or evil? Good answers to these questionsrequire knowledge of philosophical and theological ethics and of the empirical work on moral action and judgment. We will read both and ask how they do (and should) inform each other. Prerequisite: 249
390 About face: The cognitive neuroscience of face processing.
The topic of face recognition is currently seeing a great deal of activity as experimental methods from the areas of cognitive and perceptual psychology and findings from neuroscience converge to address questions such as “Is face processing special?”, “How does self-recognition differ from the recognition of others”, “How do we process facial gender?”, and “How does cross-race face processing differ from within-race face processing?”. The course will combine seminar style discussions of the biological underpinnings of face perception and the topics mentioned. We will also design and conduct a study or two to bring data to bear on the questions raised in class. Prerequisite: Research Methods (Psych 230, previously called Psych 231).
396 Neuro Topics
The seminar is designed for students who have participated in intensive on- and off-campus neuroscience research programs. Included are students who have been in programs such as NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), professional neuroscience internships, or on-campus research programs. The goal of the seminar is to provide a setting in which students can (a) share their research experience with others, (b) continue developing their research experience, (c) learn from one another by sharing readings and leading discsussion, and (d) developing and co-authoring a presentation with a general working focus of "Benefits to Undergraduate From Participating in Research Programs" to be submitted to a conference.
396B Mind-body Topics
You might well wonder what this 'course' is, since it's new. If you have an interest in clinical, counseling or health psychology, and the effects of psychological states, events, and the like on health and illness, this may give you a chance to look in greater depth at topics such as stress, depression/mood, anxiety, and the like (e.g., whose stress, how to best define and measure it, what types have a greater effect on your health, memory, etc., and psychological methods of reducing ill effects), this may be your chance to conduct research in a small group on these and/or related topics. I am also very interested in imagery, and possibly meditation, in this context. My preference is to put together a small group that would work on different aspects of one topic, or at least related topics. If you are planning on graduate school in these areas, this would be an early way to explore your research interests. Please contact Deborah Anderson <andersod@stolaf.edu>, x3353 if you are considering this course.