PSYC 20000. Fundamentals of Psychology. 100 Units.

This course introduces basic concepts and research in the study of behavior. Principal topics are sensation, perception, cognition, learning, motivation, and personality theories.

Instructor(s): J. Cacioppo     Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 20100. Psychological Statistics. 100 Units.

Psychological research typically involves the use of quantitative (statistical) methods. This course introduces the methods of quantitative inquiry that are most commonly used in psychology and related social sciences. PSYC 20100 and 20200 form a two-quarter sequence that is intended to be an integrated introduction to psychological research methods. PSYC 20100 introduces explanatory data analysis, models in quantitative psychology, concept of probability, elementary statistical methods for estimation and hypothesis testing, and sampling theory. PSYC 20200 builds on the foundation of PSYC 20100 and considers the logic of psychological inquiry and the analysis and criticism of psychological research.

Instructor(s): W. Goldstein     Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 20200. Psychological Research Methods. 100 Units.

This course introduces concepts and methods used in behavioral research. Topics include the nature of behavioral research, testing of research ideas, quantitative and qualitative techniques of data collection, artifacts in behavioral research, analyzing and interpreting research data, and ethical considerations in research.

Instructor(s): A. Henly     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 20100 or STAT 22000, or consent of instructor.

PSYC 20300. Biological Psychology. 100 Units.

What are the relations between mind and brain? How do brains regulate mental, behavioral, and hormonal processes; and how do these influence brain organization and activity? This course introduces the anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of the brain; their changes in response to the experiential and sociocultural environment; and their relation to perception, attention, behavioral action, motivation, and emotion.

Instructor(s): L. Kay, B. Prendergast     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): Some background in biology and psychology.
Note(s): This course does not meet requirements for the biological sciences major.
Equivalent Course(s): BIOS 29300

PSYC 20400. Cognitive Psychology. 100 Units.

Viewing the brain globally as an information processing or computational system has revolutionized the study and understanding of intelligence. This course introduces the theory, methods, and empirical results that underlie this approach to psychology. Topics include categorization, attention, memory, knowledge, language, and thought.

Instructor(s): D. Gallo     Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 20500. Developmental Psychology. 100 Units.

This is an introductory course in developmental psychology, with a focus on cognitive and social development in infancy through early childhood. Example topics include children's early thinking about number, morality, and social relationships, as well as how early environments inform children's social and cognitive development. Where appropriate, we make links to both philosophical inquiries into the nature of the human mind, and to practical inquiries concerning education and public policy.

Instructor(s): K. Kinzler, L. Richland     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 25900

PSYC 20600. Social Psychology. 100 Units.

This course examines social psychological theory and research that is based on both classic and contemporary contributions. Topics include conformity and deviance, the attitude-change process, social role and personality, social cognition, and political psychology.

Instructor(s): W. Goldstein     Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 20000 recommended.
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 26000

PSYC 20700. Sensation and Perception. 100 Units.

What we see and hear depends on energy that enters the eyes and ears, but what we actually experience – perception – follows from human neural responses. This course focuses on visual and auditory phenomena, including basic percepts (for example, acuity, brightness, color, loudness, pitch) and also more complex percepts such as movement and object recognition. Biological underpinnings of perception are an integral part of the course.

Instructor(s): S. Shevell     Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 20850. Introduction to Human Development. 100 Units.

This course introduces the study of lives in context. The nature of human development from infancy through old age is explored through theory and empirical findings from various disciplines. Readings and discussions emphasize the interrelations of biological, psychological, and sociocultural forces at different points of the life cycle. (R)

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 20000

PSYC 21510. Neuroscience of Communication. 100 Units.

We will read and discuss communication and how various kinds of communication are mediated by neural systems. The course will cover theories, methods, and empirical findings in communication neuroscience. Topics will include speech and language, emotional information, face perception, gesture, and music.

Instructor(s): H. Nusbaum     Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 21810. Hormones and Behavior. 100 Units.

This provides an overview of behavioral endocrinology. It begins with hormone production and mechanisms of hormone action on targets in the body and brain. Throughout the course we explore diverse behaviors and their bi-directional relations with the endocrine system. The course emphasizes a comparative approach to the neuroendocrine system and behavior, and considers the effects of hormones throughout development-- from the prenatal environment through puberty, and into adulthood. Much of the course focuses on non-human vertebrate species, but the relevance of the material to human physiology, society, and culture will be explored where appropriate. Topics include: mechanisms of sexual differentiation, sex differences in behavior, reproductive, parental, and aggressive behaviors, biological rhythms, hormone effects on psychopathology, hormonal and behavioral homeostatic regulation.

Instructor(s): B. Prendergast     Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 20300/Bios 29300

PSYC 21840. Advanced Seminar in Person Perception. 100 Units.

This course will survey research relevant to the study of person perception. The readings and discussions will cover topics in person perception from different research perspectives. As such, some of the empirical and theoretical advances focusing on the perceptual determinants (i.e., face processing), social-cognitive processes and neural substrates of person perception will be introduced. Discussions and response papers will emphasize potential integration and extension of the contributions from these different perspectives.

Instructor(s): J. Cloutier     Terms Offered: Winter

PSYC 22500. Cognitive Development. 100 Units.

In the first years of life, children’s thinking undergoes dramatic change. For nearly a century, researchers have sought to understand the causes of these developmental changes. We will survey classic and contemporary approaches to these issues. We will consider the contributions of nature and nurture, the extent to which cognition differs across cultures, and the insights that can be gleaned from comparisons across species and from atypical developmental in people.

Instructor(s): A. Woodward     Terms Offered: Winter

PSYC 22550. Topics in Cognitive Development: Nature, Nurture, and When That’s the Wrong Question. 100 Units.

The question of nature vs. nurture is everywhere in developmental psychology. Do children come into the world with certain knowledge and expectations? Or does the world around them shape what they know and how they learn? While some of the things children need to learn are relevant to many species, others are actually cultural products created by humans. Does the nature vs. nurture question make sense for both of these sets of problems? In this advanced seminar we will focus on four topics in cognitive development and consider each with respect to the nature vs. nurture debate. First, we will consider topics for which the question does seem quite sensible, such as how children understand objects and perceive faces. Next we will move onto children's development in several areas for which this question may not be so sensible: language acquisition and theory of mind development. This course will seek to move beyond the traditional solution of accepting that every developmental process is about nature and nurture working in concert. Instead we will think more deeply about when the question is a helpful framework and when it is not.

Instructor(s): M. Flaherty     Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 22750. Developmental Psychopathology. 100 Units.

This advanced course focuses on the development of mental disorders that have their onset in infancy, childhood, or adolescence from the perspective of developmental psychopathology. Developmental psychopathology is a field that lies at the interface of clinical and developmental psychology within which the aim is to identify the earliest deviations from normative developmental processes that likely lead to the development of psychopathology. By incorporating the study of basic biological and psychological processes into the study of psychopathology, the identification of earliest markers, and ultimately causal factors, may be achieved.

Instructor(s): K. Keenan     Terms Offered: Spring
Note(s): This course does not meet requirements for the biological sciences major.

PSYC 23000. Cultural Psychology. 100 Units.

There is a substantial portion of the psychological nature of human beings that is neither homogeneous nor fixed across time and space. At the heart of the discipline of cultural psychology is the tenet of psychological pluralism. Research findings in cultural psychology raise provocative questions about the integrity and value of alternative forms of subjectivity across cultural groups. This course analyzes the concept of "culture" and examines ethnic and cross-cultural variations in mental functioning, with special attention to the cultural psychology of emotions, self, moral judgment, categorization, and reasoning. (C)

Instructor(s): R. Shweder     Terms Offered: Autumn 2013
Prerequisite(s): Third- or fourth-year standing.
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 21000,ANTH 21510,CHDV 41050,GNDR 21001

PSYC 23150. Undergraduate Seminar on Developmental Neuroscience. 100 Units.

In this course we explore the contribution of neuroscience to the development of social cognition. We aim to discuss how neuroscience can inform existing developmental theories and how developmental science can benefit neuroscience research by providing theoretical grounding.

Instructor(s): J. Decety     Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 23200. Introduction to Language Development. 100 Units.

This course addresses the major issues involved in first-language acquisition. We deal with the child’s production and perception of speech sounds (phonology), the acquisition of the lexicon (semantics), the comprehension and production of structured word combinations (syntax), and the ability to use language to communicate (pragmatics).

Instructor(s): S. Goldin-Meadow     Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 23900,LING 21600

PSYC 23249. Animal Behavior. 100 Units.

This course introduces the mechanism, ecology, and evolution of behavior, primarily in nonhuman species, at the individual and group level. Topics include the genetic basis of behavior, developmental pathways, communication, physiology and behavior, foraging behavior, kin selection, mating systems and sexual selection, and the ecological and social context of behavior. A major emphasis is placed on understanding and evaluating scientific studies and their field and lab techniques.

Instructor(s): S. Pruett-Jones (even-numbered years), J. Mateo (odd-numbered years)     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): Completion of the general education requirement in the biological sciences.
Equivalent Course(s): BIOS 23249,CHDV 23249,HDCP 41650

PSYC 23301. The Empathic Brain. 100 Units.

This course is designed to introduce undergraduate students to current research and theories of empathy and associated behavior. The focus of this course will be on interpersonal sensitivity, how people perceive and experience and respond to the internal states (e.g., cognitive, affective, motivational) of another, and predict the subsequent events that will result. The study of empathy serves as the basis for integrating a variety of data and theories from evolutionary biology, social psychology, cognitive and affective neuroscience, developmental psychology, clinical neuropsychology and psychiatry.

Instructor(s): J. Decety     Terms Offered: Winter

PSYC 23330. The Impact of Language on Self and Others. 100 Units.

Language is typically thought of as a channel for transmitting our thoughts, but it can also shape our thoughts and change how we represent and interact with our social world. How we talk not only reflects who we are, what we think, and how we feel, but it also affects our attitudes, emotions, and beliefs. This course will explore the social, emotional, and cognitive effects of language and how we use it. We will review foundational questions regarding the relationship between language and thought and examine empirical research findings from a wide variety of fields. As a research seminar, the course will emphasize understanding how research methods can affect the kinds of questions we ask, the theories we propose, and the conclusions we reach. Please feel free to contact the instructor if you have any questions.

Instructor(s): A. Henly     Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 23760. The Social Brain: Social Isolation and Loneliness. 100 Units.

The past two decades have witnessed a remarkable rise in the number of investigations published on the social brain. The discoveries conveyed by the titles of many of these reports (e.g., the neural basis of love, altruism, morality, generosity, trust) have piqued the interest of young investigators, funding agencies, the media, and laypeople alike. Such attention is a double-edged sword, however, as errors are exaggerated in importance, and oversimplifications create false expectations and, ultimately, disillusionment in what the field can contribute. It is, of course, one thing to assume that neural processes underlie all psychological phenomenon, it is another to claim that a given brain region is the biological instantiation of complex psychological functions like the self, empathy or loneliness. The purpose of this course is to examine opportunities and challenges in this field primarily through research on two of the most important topics in the field: social isolation and empathy.

Instructor(s): J. Cacioppo, L. Hawkley     Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Third- or fourth-year standing
Note(s): This course does not meet the requirements for the biological sciences major.
Equivalent Course(s): BPRO 23760,BIOS 29324

PSYC 24000. Systems Neuroscience. 100 Units.

This course introduces vertebrate and invertebrate systems neuroscience with a focus on the anatomy, physiology, and development of sensory and motor control systems. The neural bases of form and motion perception, locomotion, memory, and other forms of neural plasticity are examined in detail. We also discuss clinical aspects of neurological disorders.

Instructor(s): M. Hale, D. Freedman     Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): BIOS 24204 or consent of instructor.
Note(s): This course meets one of the requirements of the neuroscience specialization.

PSYC 24550. Current Perspectives on the Development of Social Categorization. 100 Units.

Are humans predisposed to categorize other humans into social groups? If so, what is the nature of this predisposition, and how does it develop? Are there individual differences in the way children categorize the social world, or universal norms? Research on the development of social categorization in childhood can inform our understanding of the nature of social bias in adulthood, and how it may be prevented. This course will investigate current perspectives on the perceptual, cognitive, and social processes that underlie infants’ and children’s social categorization. Students develop critical and integrative ways of thinking about the development of social categories through lectures, readings, writing, and discussions. Applications of the course material can extend to educational discourse, parenting, and social policy.

Instructor(s): J. Dautel     Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 25101. The Psychology of Decision Making. 100 Units.

We constantly make decisions, determine our preferences and choose among alternatives. The importance of our decisions range from ordering a meal at a restaurant to choosing what college to attend. How do we make such decisions? What are the rules that guide us and the biases that shape our decisions? What determines our preferences? What impacts our willingness to take risks? In this course we consider how the way we go about gathering information affects our judgment, and how the way we frame problems affects our perceptions and shapes the solutions to problems. We learn what governs choice and the systematic way it deviates from normative rules. We consider how we think about the future and how we learn from the past. The course focuses on the psychology behind making decisions with implications for a wide range of areas such as public policy, law and medicine.

Instructor(s): B. Keysar     Terms Offered: Autumn
Note(s): It is highly recommended to take this course before taking PSYC 25700 The Psychology of Negotiation.

PSYC 25550. Educational Neuroscience. 100 Units.

This course is designed to introduce upper division undergraduate students to research being conducted at the intersection of cognitive science and education. Broadly speaking, this class serves as an advanced introduction to central concepts in psychology and neuroscience such as attention, memory, and emotion, with a focus on how knowledge of these concepts can inform educational practice and policy.

Instructor(s): S. Beilock     Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 25660. The Psychology of Extremism. 100 Units.

This undergraduate seminar will introduce students to theory and research on why people engage in various forms of extremism, including (but not limited to) zealotry, ideological orthodoxy, cults, hate crimes, delinquency, and terrorism. The content of the course will be interdisciplinary, with readings from social psychology as well as political science and sociology. Although there may be a limited amount of lecturing, the vast majority of the course will be discussion-based.

Instructor(s): K. Rios     Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 20600 Social Psychology recommended.

PSYC 25700. The Psychology of Negotiation. 100 Units.

Negotiation is ubiquitous in interpersonal interactions, from making plans for a trip with friends or family, to determining working conditions with an employer, to managing international conflicts. In this course we examine the structure of different negotiations and the psychology that governs the processes and outcomes of a negotiation. For instance, we consider the role of perceptions, expectations, intuitions and biases. We evaluate the role of information processing, modes of communication and power in influencing a negotiated outcome. We see how the psychology of trust, reciprocity, fairness, cooperation and competition can affect our ability to benefit from an exchange or contribute to the escalation of conflict. To better understand the dynamics of the negotiation process, we learn both through engaging in a variety of negotiation role-plays and relating these experiences to research findings.

Instructor(s): B. Keysar     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): It is highly recommended to take PSYC 25101 The Psychology of Decision Making before taking this course, as it provides the conceptual foundations.

PSYC 25750. The Psychology and Neurobiology of Stress. 100 Units.

This course explores the topic of stress and its influence on behavior and neurobiology. Specifically, the course will discuss how factors such as age, gender, and social context interact to influence how we respond to stressors both physiologically and behaviorally. The course will also explore how stress influences mental and physical health.

Instructor(s): G. Norman     Terms Offered: Winter

PSYC 26400. Theories of Emotion and the Psychology of Well Being. 100 Units.

This course will review different approaches to the study of emotion and well being, different ways of measuring well being, the relationship between positive and negative well being, and the degree to which well-being can be changed. We will discuss studies that focus on the mechanisms that control psychological well being, and the thinking, appraisals, and beliefs that lead to positive versus negative well being. We will also investigate those conditions that produce irrevocable changes in psychological well being and those conditions that promote robustness.

Instructor(s): N. Stein     Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 23800,CHDV 36400,PSYC 36400

PSYC 29200. Undergraduate Reading in Psychology. 100 Units.

Terms Offered: Autumn, Winter, Spring
Note(s): Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Available for either quality grades or for P/F grading.

PSYC 29700. Undergraduate Research in Psychology. 100 Units.

Terms Offered: Autumn, Winter, Spring
Note(s): Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Available for either quality grades or for P/F grading.

PSYC 29800. Honors Seminar. 100 Units.

This course is a reading and discussion of general papers on writing and research, and individual students present their own projects to the group. A literature review, data from ongoing or completed empirical projects, or portions of the thesis paper itself can be presented. Students are expected to give thoughtful feedback to others on their presentations and written work.

Instructor(s): B. Prendergast
Note(s): Open to third- or fourth-year students who are majoring in psychology and have begun their thesis project. Available for either quality grades or for P/F grading.

PSYC 30700. Sensation and Perception. 100 Units.

This course centers on visual and auditory phenomena. Aside from the basic sensory discriminations (acuity, brightness, loudness, color, and pitch), more complex perceptual events, such as movement and space, are discussed. The biological underpinnings of these several phenomena are considered, as well as the role of learning in perception.

Instructor(s): S. Shevell     Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 31200. Systems Neuroscience. 100 Units.

This course meets one of the requirements of the neuroscience specialization. This course introduces vertebrate and invertebrate systems neuroscience with a focus on the anatomy, physiology, and development of sensory and motor control systems. The neural bases of form and motion perception, locomotion, memory, and other forms of neural plasticity are examined in detail. We also discuss clinical aspects of neurological disorders.

Instructor(s): M. Hale, D. Freedman     Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): BIOS 24204 or consent of instructor
Equivalent Course(s): BIOS 24205,PSYC 24000

PSYC 31600. Biopsychology of Sex Differences. 100 Units.

This course will explore the biological basis of mammalian sex differences and reproductive behaviors. We will consider a variety of species, including humans.  We will address the physiological, hormonal, ecological and social basis of sex differences. To get the most from this course, students should have some background in biology, preferably from taking an introductory course in biology or biological psychology. (A, 1)

Instructor(s): J. Mateo     Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): EVOL 36900,GNSE 30901,CHDV 30901

PSYC 32600. Speech Perception. 100 Units.

 The primary mode of human interaction is through spoken language and forms the foundation for all of our language use. Understanding speech perception is basic to understanding language and communication and this course introduces the fundamental concepts, theoretical issues, and empirical findings in speech research. Topics will include the acoustic properties of speech, recognition of speech sounds and talkers, and understanding spoken language, including an examination of the cognitive and neural mechanisms of speech perception and their development.

Instructor(s): H. Nusbaum     Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 33000. Cultural Psychology. 100 Units.

There is a substantial portion of the psychological nature of human beings that is neither homogeneous nor fixed across time and space. At the heart of the discipline of cultural psychology is the tenet of psychological pluralism. Research findings in cultural psychology raise provocative questions about the integrity and value of alternative forms of subjectivity across cultural groups. This course analyzes the concept of “culture” and examines ethnic and cross-cultural variations in mental functioning, with special attention to the cultural psychology of emotions, self, moral judgment, categorization, and reasoning.

Instructor(s): R. Shweder     Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): Third- or fourth-year standing
Equivalent Course(s): GNSE 21001,ANTH 21500,ANTH 35110,CHDV 21000,CHDV 31000,PSYC 23000

PSYC 33200. Seminar in Language Development. 100 Units.

Advanced undergraduates and MAPSS students should register for Psyc 33200. Psychology graduate students should register for Psyc 43200. This course addresses the major issues involved in first-language acquisition. We deal with the child's production and perception of speech sounds (phonology), the acquisition of the lexicon (semantics), the comprehension and production of structured word combinations (syntax), and the ability to use language to communicate (pragmatics).

Instructor(s): S. Goldin-Meadow     Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 43200

PSYC 34400. Computational Neuroscience III: Cognitive Neuroscience. 100 Units.

This course is concerned with the relationship of the nervous system to higher order behaviors (e.g., perception, action, attention, learning, memory). Psychophysical, functional imaging, and electrophysiological methods are introduced. Mathematical and statistical methods (e.g., neural networks, information theory, pattern recognition for studying neural encoding in individual neurons and populations of neurons) are discussed. Weekly lab sections allow students to program cognitive neuroscientific experiments and simulations.

Instructor(s): N. Hatsopoulos     Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 34410. Computational Approaches for Cogintive Neuroscience. 100 Units.

This course is concerned with the relationship of the nervous system to higher order behaviors such as perception and encoding, action, attention and learning and memory. Modern methods of imaging neural activity are introduced, and information theoretic methods for studying neural coding in individual neurons and populations of neurons are discussed.

Instructor(s): N. Hatsopoulos     Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): BIOS 24222 or CPNS 33100
Equivalent Course(s): ORGB 34650,CPNS 33200

PSYC 35550. The Psychology of Risk: Practical Wisdon. 100 Units.

Risk is involved in almost every aspect of our lives. Yet, our understanding how risk affects our behavior and decision-making is rudimentary and often wrong. In this seminar, we will consider the literature on the psychology of risk in an attempt to develop a deeper appreciation of the role that risk plays in the lives of individuals as well as public policy. We will consider questions such as: How do people perceive risk? How do they assess it? What is the role of emotion in risk perception? What determines people’s attitude towards taking risks, and what function does it play in everyday behavior? Under what conditions do people choose to either take or avoid risks? What is the role of risk perception and attitudes in important domains such as medical decision-making and legal outcomes? Finally, we will evaluate the possibility of practical wisdom in the face of risk: We will consider how risk could be measured and what implications the psychology of risk has for increasing wisdom in policy-making. The seminar is open to graduate students from all disciplines. Advanced undergraduates are welcome as well. Any student who is not in the psychology Ph.D. program should seek the instructor’s permission prior to registering.

Instructor(s): B. Keysar     Terms Offered: Winter

PSYC 36210. Mathematical Methods for Biological Sciences I. 100 Units.

This course focuses on ordinary differential equations as models for biological processes changing with time. The emphasis is on dynamical systems theory, stability analysis, and different phase portraits, including limit cycles and chaos. Linear algebra concepts are introduced and developed. Numerous biological models are analyzed, and labs introduce numerical methods in MATLAB.

Instructor(s): D. Kondrashov     Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): BIOS 20151 or BIOS 20152
Equivalent Course(s): BIOS 26210,CPNS 31000,ISTP 26210

PSYC 36211. Mathematical Methods for Biological Sciences II. 100 Units.

This course continues the study of time-dependent biological processes and introduces discrete-time systems, studying period-doubling, and onset of chaos. Fourier transform methods are used to analyze temporal and spatial variation, leading to the study of partial differential equations. The diffusion, convection, and reaction-diffusion equations are all used to model biological systems. Finally, common optimization methods are introduced. In labs, computational techniques are used to analyze sample data and study models.

Instructor(s): D. Kondrashov     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): MATH 15300 or equivalent
Equivalent Course(s): BIOS 26211,CPNS 31100,ISTP 26211

PSYC 36212. Mathematical Models for Biological Sciences III. 100 Units.

For course description contact BIOS.

Equivalent Course(s): BIOS 26212,CPNS 31200,ISTP 26212

PSYC 36400. Theories of Emotion and the Psychology of Well Being. 100 Units.

This course will review different approaches to the study of emotion and well being, different ways of measuring well being, the relationship between positive and negative well being, and the degree to which well-being can be changed. We will discuss studies that focus on the mechanisms that control psychological well being, and the thinking, appraisals, and beliefs that lead to positive versus negative well being. We will also investigate those conditions that produce irrevocable changes in psychological well being and those conditions that promote robustness.

Instructor(s): N. Stein     Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 26400,CHDV 23800,CHDV 36400

PSYC 40107. Behavioral Neuroscience. 100 Units.

This course is concerned with the structure and function of systems of neurons, and how these are related to behavior. Common patterns of organization are described from the anatomical, physiological, and behavioral perspectives of analysis. The comparative approach is emphasized throughout. Laboratories include exposure to instrumentation and electronics, and involve work with live animals. A central goal of the laboratory is to expose students to in vivo extracellular electrophysiology in vertebrate preparations. Laboratories will be attended only on one day a week but may run well beyond the canonical period.

Instructor(s): D. Margoliash     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): NURB 30107,CPNS 30107

PSYC 40300. Advanced Topics in Biological Psychology. 100 Units.

What are the relations between mind and brain? How do brains regulate mental, behavioral, and hormonal processes; and how do these influence brain organization and activity? This course provides an introduction to the anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of the brain; their changes in response to the experiential and sociocultural environment; and their relation to perception, attention, behavior, action, motivation, and emotion.

Instructor(s): L. Kay     Terms Offered: Winter

PSYC 40450-40451-40452. Topics in Cognition I-II-III.

Broadly speaking, this workshop will address fundamental topics in cognitive psychology such as attention, memory, learning, problem solving, and language. One unique aspect of this workshop is that we will not only explore topics central to the study of cognition, but we will also explore how the study of cognitive psychology can be used to enhance human potential and performance in a variety of contexts. These contexts range from an exploration of optimal teaching practices to enhance the acquisition of mathematical knowledge in the classroom, to issues regarding how individuals communicate best to foster the optimal exchange of information in, for instance, medical settings, to the optimal strategies older adults can use to help stave off the deleterious effects of aging on cognitive functioning and the performance of everyday activities.

PSYC 40851-40852-40853. Topics in Developmental Psychology I-II-III.

Brown-bag discussion of current research in psychology.

PSYC 40900. HD Concepts. 100 Units.

Our assumptions about the processes underlying development shape how we read the literature, design studies, and interpret results.  The purpose of this course is two-fold in that, first, it makes explicit both our own assumptions as well as commonly held philosophical perspectives that impact the ways in which human development is understood. Second, the course provides an overview of theories and domain-specific perspectives related to individual development across the life-course.  The emphasis is on issues and questions that have dominated the field over time and, which continue to provide impetus for research, its interpretation, and the character of policy decisions and their implementation. Stated differently, theories have utility and are powerful tools. Accordingly, the course provides a broad basis for appreciating theoretical approaches to the study of development and for understanding the use of theory in the design of research and its application. Most significant, theories represent heuristic devices for “real time” interpretations of daily experiences and broad media disseminated messages.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): CHD Grad Students Only
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 40000

PSYC 41000. Advanced Topics in Color Vision. 100 Units.

Instructor(s): S. Shevell
Equivalent Course(s): OPTH 41000

PSYC 41050. Computational Psycholinguistics. 100 Units.

Theoretical linguists describe the relation between sentences and their meanings, and psycholinguists the relation between behavior and linguistic stimuli. In order for these two groups to interact, linking theories must be formulated to relate grammars to behavioral data. This course explores linking theories in a rigorous way. We begin with the classic competence/performance distinction, and the relationship between grammar and parser. The classical cognitive science approach to this latter takes them to be descriptions of the same process. Computational linguistics allows us to make this precise, and we explore the relation between grammar and parser in the simple case of context-free grammars. We then formulate explicit linking theories which relate either memory burden (stack size) or non-determinism (surprisal; entropy reduction) to behavioural data. The predictions of these linking theories are extremely dependent on the underlying grammatical assumptions, and we examine how to use them to decide between competing grammatical analyses. The goals of this course are to get you: thinking about the relation between theoretical and psycholinguistics; stating explicit linking hypotheses; able to use behavioral data to decide between grammatical analyses.

Instructor(s): G. Kobele, M. Xiang     Terms Offered: Autumn 2012
Equivalent Course(s): LING 41000

PSYC 41450. Evolutionary Psychology. 100 Units.

This course explores human social behavior from the perspective of a new discipline: evolutionary psychology. In this course we will read and discuss articles in which evolutionary theory has been applied to different aspects of human behavior and social life such as: developmental sex differences, cooperation and altruism, competition and aggression, physical attractiveness and mating strategies, incest avoidance and marriage, sexual coercion, parenting and child abuse, language and cognition, and psychological and personality disorders. (A, 1)

Instructor(s): D. Maestriperi, D. Gallo     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): Undergraduates must have permission of instructor.
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 41451,CHDV 37801

PSYC 41920. The Evolution of Language. 100 Units.

How did language emerge in the phylogeny of mankind? Was its evolution saltatory or gradual? Did it start late or early and then proceed in a protracted way? Was the emergence monogenetic or polygenetic? What were the ecological prerequisites for the evolution, with the direct ecology situated in the hominine species itself, and when did the prerequisites obtain? Did there ever emerge a language organ or is this a post-facto construct that can be interpreted as a consequence of the emergence of language itself? What function did language evolve to serve, to enhance thought processes or to facilitate rich communication? Are there modern “fossils” in the animal kingdom that can inform our scholarship on the subject matter? What does paleontology suggest? We will review some of the recent and older literature on these questions and more.

Instructor(s): S. Mufwene     Terms Offered: Winter 2013
Equivalent Course(s): CHSS 41920,ANTH 47305,CHDV 41920,EVOL 41920,LING 21920,LING 41920

PSYC 42040. Seminar: Mathematical Development. 100 Units.

Instructor(s): S. Levine     Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 42100. Trial Research Seminar. 100 Units.

PSYC 42100 is required of first-year Psychology graduate students The purpose of this seminar is to assist students in formulating their trial research project.

Instructor(s): S. Beilock

PSYC 42400. Teaching Psychology. 100 Units.

Instructor(s): J. Cacioppo     Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 42500. Attention. 100 Units.

This course will cover basic topics in the area of attention including orienting responses, selective and divided attention, resource limitations and cognitive load. We will discuss basic research methods in attention, mathematical and computational models of attention, and neurophysiological research on attention. The course will consider theoretical controversies and recent advances in our understanding of attention and its role in cognitive processing.

Instructor(s): H. Nusbaum     Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 42550. Topics in Cognitive Development. 100 Units.

In the first years of life, children’s cognition undergoes dramatic qualitative and quantitative change. For nearly a century, experimental psychologists have sought to understand the nature and causes of these developmental changes. This course surveys classic and current approaches to the study of cognitive development in infants and children.

Instructor(s): A. Woodward

PSYC 42831. Debates in Cognitive and Social Neuroscience. 100 Units.

During this course students will be asked to review and discuss current key issues in cognitive and social neurosciences. In addition, students will in turn be asked to select a "hot topic" in the field (suggestions related to the previous discussions will be provided) and prepare a debate illustrating different perspectives on the issue.

Instructor(s): J. Cloutier     Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 43200. Seminar in Language Development. 100 Units.

Advanced undergraduates and MAPSS students should register for Psyc 33200. Psychology graduate students should register for Psyc 43200. This course addresses the major issues involved in first-language acquisition. We deal with the child's production and perception of speech sounds (phonology), the acquisition of the lexicon (semantics), the comprehension and production of structured word combinations (syntax), and the ability to use language to communicate (pragmatics).

Instructor(s): S. Goldin-Meadow     Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 33200

PSYC 43350. Gesture, Sign, and Language. 100 Units.

The notion of gesture has been used in many ways and in a variety of disciplines. The study of sign languages has allowed us to raise a new series of questions about the role of gesture in language and communication. It is well established that gestures play an important role in spoken languages. What is the relationship between gestures used as an entire language (i.e., sign languages), and those used as a parallel part of a spoken language (i.e., the gestures of hearing people)? What cognitive mechanisms underlie the use of gesture in its various forms? How does the study of gesture shed light on the emergence of language? Scholars already working on gesture in the Humanities and Social Sciences Divisions may be invited to be guest lecturers in the course as time permits.

Instructor(s): D. Brentari, S. Goldin-Meadow     Terms Offered: Autumn 2012
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor
Equivalent Course(s): CDIN 53350,CHDV 53350,LING 53450

PSYC 43600. Processes of Judgement and Decision Making. 100 Units.

This course offers a survey of research on judgment and decision making, with emphasis placed on uncertainty and (intrapersonal) conflict. An historical approach is taken in which the roots of current research issues and practices are traced. Topics are drawn from the following areas: evaluation and choice when goals are in conflict and must be traded off, decision making when consequences of the decision are uncertain, predictive and evaluative judgments under conditions of uncertain, incomplete, conflicting, or otherwise fallible information.

Instructor(s): W. Goldstein     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 43600

PSYC 43650. The Development of Social Cognition. 100 Units.

This course explores current topics in the development of human social cognition. We will evaluate infants' and children's reasoning about other individuals -- including those individuals minds, their relationships, and their social identities -- with the goal of exploring the developmental origins and foundations of social cognition. Sample topics include theory of mind, morality, social learning, psychological essentialism, and intergroup attitudes. Particular attention will be given to the relationship of early social processes to those observed in adulthood.

Instructor(s): K. Kinzler     Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 44000. Moral Development & Comparative Ethics. 100 Units.

Three types of questions about morality can be distinguished: (1) philosophical, (2) psychological, and (3) epidemiological.  The philosophical question asks, whether and in what sense (if any) "goodness" or "rightness" are real or objective properties that particular actions possess in varying degrees.  The psychological question asks, what are the mental states and processes associated with the human classification of actions are moral or immoral, ethical or unethical.  The epidemiological question asks, what is the actual distribution of moral judgments across time (developmental time and historical time) and across space (for example, across cultures).  In this seminar we will read classic and contemporary philosophical, psychological and anthropological texts that address those questions. (B, C; 3)

Instructor(s): R. Shweder     Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 45601

PSYC 44700. Seminar: Topics in Judgement and Decision Making. 100 Units.

This course offers a survey of research on judgment and decision making, with emphasis placed on uncertainty and (intrapersonal) conflict. An historical approach is taken in which the roots of current research issues and practices are traced. Topics are drawn from the following areas: evaluation and choice when goals are in conflict and must be traded off, decision making when consequences of the decision are uncertain, predictive and evaluative judgments under conditions of uncertain, incomplete, conflicting, or otherwise fallible information.

Instructor(s): W. Goldstein     Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 44700

PSYC 45200. Advanced Methods in Experimental Social Psychology. 100 Units.

The course covers advanced topics in experimental social psychology through the exercise of critiquing and reviewing empirical and conceptual papers in the field.

Instructor(s): J. Cacioppo; J. Cloutier     Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 45350. Current Issues in Behavioral Research. 100 Units.

In this class (geared toward second-year graduate students and beyond), we will debate a different methodological issue or controversy in the field of psychology. Possible issues include but are not limited to: the value of interdisciplinary research, bridging the gap between basic and applied work, testing process/mechanism, and conducting research outside of the laboratory. Throughout the course, you will be asked to think about how these issues relate to your own program of research. You will be expected to participate in interactive discussions during class meetings, complete small-group assignments, and write critical response papers.

Instructor(s): K. Rios     Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 46660. Social Norms. 100 Units.

Instructor(s): K. Rios

PSYC 47001. Language in Culture I. 100 Units.

Among topics discussed in the first half of the sequence are the formal structure of semiotic systems, the ethnographically crucial incorporation of linguistic forms into cultural systems, and the methods for empirical investigation of “functional” semiotic structure and history.

Instructor(s): M. Silverstein     Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor
Equivalent Course(s): ANTH 37201,CHDV 37201,LING 31100

PSYC 47002. Language in Culture II. 100 Units.

The second half of the sequence takes up basic concepts in sociolinguistics and their critique.

Instructor(s): C. Nakassis     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor
Equivalent Course(s): ANTH 37202,LING 31200

PSYC 48000. Proseminar in Psychology. 100 Units.

Required of first-year Department of Psychology graduate students. Department of Psychology faculty members present and discuss their research. This introduces new students to the range of research areas in the department.

Instructor(s): S. London     Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 48001-48002-48003. Mind and Biology Proseminar I-II-III.

Seminar series at the Institute for Mind and Biology meets three – four times per quarter. Sign up for three quarters; receive credit at the end of spring quarter.