Psychology

Catalog Home › The College › Programs of Study › Psychology

This is an archived copy of the 2013-2014 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.uchicago.edu.

Contacts

Undergraduate Primary Contact

Chair of the Undergraduate Program
Brian Prendergast
G 304
702.1759
Email

Secondary Contact

Director of the Undergraduate Research Initiative in Psychology
Anne Henly
Kelly 302
834.2712
Email

Administrative Contact

Student Affairs Administrator
Mimi Maduff
Br 109
702.8861
Email

Website

http://psychology.uchicago.edu

Program of Study

Psychology is the study of the mental states and processes that give rise to behavior. It seeks to understand the basic mechanisms and functions of perception, cognition, emotion, and attitudes in guiding behavior. Although it focuses on the level of the individual, individual behavior depends on the social relationships and structures in which people are embedded and the biological systems of which we are comprised. Thus, psychological study encompasses a broad set of topics that overlap with a number of disciplines across the social and biological sciences. The requirements of the major are designed to acquaint students with the research methods psychologists use and to provide a foundation of core knowledge covering the major areas of psychology. This broad foundation allows students to pursue a more advanced understanding of subfields related to their own particular interests and goals for the major. The program may serve as preparation for graduate work in psychology or related fields (e.g., neuroscience, education), as well as for students interested in careers in social work, public policy, business, or medicine. Students are encouraged to become actively engaged in research in the department and should consult with the director of undergraduate research about their interests as early as possible.

Program Requirements

NOTE: The following revised requirements are in effect for students who matriculated September 2008 and after.

NOTE: When planning your course schedule, please consult the Time Schedules and the Courses section of the Psychology Department Undergraduate Program website for any changes in the course offerings.

Listhost

Majors are expected to sign up for the listhost. The listhost is the primary means of communication between the program and its majors or students interested in being majors. We use it to notify students of events relevant to psychology majors, such as research opportunities, job postings, fellowship announcements, and any changes in the course schedule, or curriculum updates. To join the listhost, please visit https://lists.uchicago.edu/web/info/psychology-majors .

Statistics/Methodology Sequence

It is strongly recommended that these courses be completed as early as possible as they provide foundational concepts that facilitate understanding of subject area courses.

A coordinated two-quarter sequence covering statistical methods (PSYC 20100 Psychological Statistics) and methodological issues (PSYC 20200 Psychological Research Methods) in psychology is typically taught Autumn and Winter Quarters. Students may take STAT 22000 Statistical Methods and Applications or a more advanced statistics course instead of PSYC 20100. Students should plan to take this sequence as early as possible in their studies.

Breadth Requirement

Students are required to take four of the following five courses, each of which will be offered every year:

PSYC 20300	Biological Psychology	100
PSYC 20400	Cognitive Psychology	100
PSYC 20500	Developmental Psychology	100
PSYC 20600	Social Psychology	100
PSYC 20700	Sensation and Perception	100

Additional Courses

At least six additional courses (for a total of twelve in the major) must be chosen from among the courses offered by the Department of Psychology. Courses without a psychology number must be approved by the Curriculum Committee; petitions must be submitted to the undergraduate program chair. Only one independent study course can count toward the twelve courses required of students who are majoring in psychology (PSYC 29200 Undergraduate Reading in Psychology or PSYC 29700 Undergraduate Research in Psychology). In addition to the six electives, students pursuing honors in psychology must also take the PSYC 29800 Honors Seminar. Independent study courses can be taken for P/F grading, but all other courses must be taken for a quality grade. NOTE: Before registering for an elective, students should confirm that they have met any prerequisites for the course.

Research

Students are required to take PSYC 20200 Psychological Research Methods. Students are encouraged to gain additional experience by working on a research project under the guidance of a faculty member.

Calculus

Students are required to take two quarters of calculus as part of the College general education requirements.

NOTE: For psychology students, a maximum of three courses can be transferred into the major from outside the University of Chicago.

Summary of Requirements

General Education
MATH 13100-13200	Elementary Functions and Calculus I-II (or higher) ^†	200
Total Units		200

Major
One of the following:		200
PSYC 20100 & 20200	Psychological Statistics and Psychological Research Methods ^*
STAT 22000 & PSYC 20200	Statistical Methods and Applications and Psychological Research Methods (or above) ^*
Four of the following:		400
PSYC 20300	Biological Psychology
PSYC 20400	Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 20500	Developmental Psychology
PSYC 20600	Social Psychology
PSYC 20700	Sensation and Perception
Six electives ⁺		600
Total Units		1200

†	Credit may be granted by examination.
*	Credit for PSYC 20100 or STAT 22000 may be granted by examination.
+	Courses without a psychology number must be approved by the Curriculum Committee; petitions must be submitted to the undergraduate program chair.

Grading

All courses in the major must be taken for quality grades except for the independent study course, which is available for either a quality grade or for P/F grading.

Honors

To qualify for honors, students must meet the following requirements:

Students must have a GPA of at least 3.0 overall, and a GPA of at least 3.5 in the major by the beginning of the quarter in which they intend to graduate.
Students should arrange to write an honors paper with a faculty sponsor from the Department of Psychology. Papers must represent a more substantial research project than the average term paper. After the paper has been approved by the faculty sponsor, the paper must then be read and approved by a second faculty member.
Students are required to take an PSYC 29800 Honors Seminar in Winter Quarter of their third or fourth year. This is in addition to the twelve required courses for the major. It is expected that students will be actively working on the thesis project during the quarter they are taking the honors research seminar.
Students are required to present their findings in Spring Quarter of their fourth year at an honors day celebration. For details, visit psychology.uchicago.edu .

Specialized Courses of Study

Faculty members (or the undergraduate program chair) are available to help individual students design a specialized course of study within psychology. For example, particular course sequences within and outside of psychology may be designed for students who wish to pursue specializations in particular areas. These areas include, but are not limited to, cognitive neuroscience, language and communication, computational psychology, behavioral neuroscience and endocrinology, sensation and perception, and cultural psychology.

Double Majors

Students pursuing honors in more than one major should note that:

The student's thesis adviser for psychology cannot be the same person as his or her thesis adviser for the second major.
The student must meet all the requirements listed in the preceding Honors section, including taking the Honors Seminar and presenting at an honors day celebration.

Earl R. Franklin Research Fellowship

The Earl R. Franklin Research Fellowship is awarded to a third-year student who is majoring in psychology. It provides financial support during the summer before his or her fourth year to carry out psychological research that will be continued as a senior honors project. Applications, which are submitted at the beginning of Spring Quarter, include a research proposal, personal statement, transcript, and letter of recommendation.

Psychology Courses

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. It is recommended that students complete MATH 13100 and MATH 13200 (or higher) before taking this course.

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

PSYC 20209. Adolescent Development. 100 Units.

Adolescence represents a period of unusually rapid growth and development. At the same time, under the best of social circumstances and contextual conditions, the teenage years represent a challenging period. The period also affords unparalleled opportunities with appropriate levels of support. Thus, the approach taken acknowledges the challenges and untoward outcomes, while also speculates about the predictors of resiliency and the sources of positive youth development. (B, D)

Instructor(s): M. Spencer Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 20209

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,CHDV 20300

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: Autumn
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: Winter
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): H. Nusbaum Terms Offered: Spring

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
Note(s): For CHD majors or intended majors.
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 20000

PSYC 21350. Germs, Food, and Disgust: Perspectives on Cognitive Development and Health. 100 Units.

This course is designed to be an interdisciplinary seminar that connects research in early cognitive development with research and concerns from the field of public health. We will discuss a variety of topics in cognitive development, as well as important problems concerning food, contamination, and illness. This course will focus on research with infants and young children to document early biases in human reasoning that might persist through the lifespan, and will emphasize how we can use basic science research to inform public policy goals and make positive contributions to addressing public health issues.

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

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: Winter (Paris)

PSYC 21950. Language, Culture, and Thought. 100 Units.

Survey of research on the interrelation of language, culture, and thought from the evolutionary, developmental, historical, and culture-comparative perspectives with special emphasis on the mediating methodological implications for the social sciences.(B*, C*; 2*, 3*, 5*)

Instructor(s): J. Lucy Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 21901,ANTH 27605,ANTH 37605,CHDV 31901,HDCP 41950,PSYC 31900

PSYC 22250. Windows to the Social Brain. 100 Units.

The human brain is a composite wonder from which all affects, thoughts, and experiences originate. Tailored by millions of years of evolution, nurtured by culture, and subserved by an intricately multi-faceted neural network, the social brain is both the idea and embodiment of knowledge itself. This ten-week course will introduce various aspects of social cognition from a social neuroscience perspective. Many questions will be addressed, such as: How can we define the components of social cognition accurately and localize them to specific brain mechanisms? How did these components evolve? How does the brain's inborn social potential interact with the environment during development? Specifically, a series of lectures will open the following windows into the social brain: Evolution of the social brain, mating and sex, social hierarchies and dominance, motivation and rewards, aggression and prosocial behavior, empathy and caring, person perception, morality, mental health (psychiatric disorders), and ethical and legal issues. This class will seek to understand social phenomena in terms of interactions between three levels of analysis: (1) the social level, which is concerned with the motivational and social factors that influence behavior and experience; (2) the cognitive level, which is concerned with the information-processing mechanisms that give rise to the social-level phenomena; and; (3) the neurobiological level, which is concerned with the neural, hormonal, and neuroendocrine mechanisms that instantiate cognitive-level processes.

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

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 22831. Debates in Cognitive Neuroscience. 100 Units.

This course will survey some of the current debates in the fields of cognitive and social neurosciences. The readings and discussions will cover a variety of topics ranging from the functional specificity of brain regions supporting face processing to the network of brain regions believed to support mental state inferences about others. Discussions and response papers will emphasize careful consideration of each perspective on these topics.

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

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, which states that the study of "normal" psychology is the study of multiple psychologies and not just the study of a single or uniform fundamental psychology for all peoples of the world. Research findings in cultural psychology thus raise provocative questions about the integrity and value of alternative forms of subjectivity across cultural groups. In this course we analyze the concept of "culture" and examine ethnic and cross-cultural variations in mental functioning with special attention to the cultural psychology of emotions, self, moral judgment, categorization, and reasoning. (B*, C*; 2*, 3*)

Instructor(s): R. Shweder Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): Third- or fourth-year standing. Instructor consent required.
Equivalent Course(s): CHVD 31000,PSYC 33000,ANTH 24320,ANTH 35110,HDCP 41050,GNSE 21001,GNSE 31000,AMER 33000,CHDV 21000

PSYC 23160. The Moral Brain. 100 Units.

The past decade has seen an explosion of empirical research in the study of morality. Amongst the most exciting and novel findings and theories, evolutionary biologists and comparative psychologists have shown that moral cognition has evolved to facilitate cooperation and smooth social interactions, and that certain components of morality are present in non-human animals. Developmental psychologists came up with ingenious paradigms, demonstrating that the elements that underpin morality are in place much earlier than we thought, and clearly in place before children turn two. Social neuroscientists have begun to map brain circuits implicated in moral decision-making and identify the contribution of neuropetides to moral sensitivity. Changes in the balance of brain chemistry, or in connectivity between regions can cause changes in moral behavior. The lesson from all this new knowledge is clear: human moral behavior cannot be separated from human biology, its development, and past evolutionary history. As our understanding of the human brain improves, society at large, and justice and the law in particular, are and will be increasingly challenged. ,,The goal of this seminar is to provide an overview of the current research on the moral brain, and examine this fascinating topic from a range of relevant interdisciplinary perspectives. These perspectives will include anthropology and neuro-philosophy, evolution, development, social neuroscience, psychopathology, and justice and the law.

Instructor(s): J. Decety Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 33160

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: Winter
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 23330. Language, Thought, and Action. 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 23340. The Development of Social Cognition. 100 Units.

Humans are thoroughly social animals: we automatically and effortlessly attend to, reason about, and react to the characteristics, behaviors, and thoughts of others. This course will explore the development of social cognition from infancy through childhood, with discussion of adult research when relevant. We will read and discuss foundational theories and research as well as current perspectives and recent findings. Topics for discussion include interpersonal communication, conventionality, social groups, morality, empathy, and relationships.

Instructor(s): Staff Staff Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): PQ: PSYC 20500 or instructor permission.

PSYC 23880. The Affect System. 100 Units.

The term “affect” typically refers to feelings beyond those of the traditional senses, with an emphasis on the experience of emotions and variations in hedonic tone. The structure and processes underlying mental contents are not readily apparent, however, and most cognitive processes occur unconsciously with only selected outcomes reaching awareness. Over millions of years of evolution, efficient and manifold mechanisms have evolved for differentiating hostile from hospitable stimuli and for organizing adaptive responses to these stimuli. These are critically important functions for the evolution of mammals, and the integrated set of mechanisms that serve these functions can be thought of as an “affect system.” It is this affect system—its architecture and operating characteristics, as viewed from neural, psychological, social, and political perspectives—that is the focus of the course.

Instructor(s): J. Cacioppo, S. Cacioppo, E. Oliver Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Third- or fourth-year standing
Equivalent Course(s): BPRO 23800,PLSC 23810

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 24660. Germs, Food, and Disgust: Perspectives on Cog Dev and Health. 100 Units.

Instructor(s): J. DeJesus Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): PQ: PSYC 20500 or instructor permission.

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 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: Autumn

PSYC 26219. Critical Approaches to Child Mental Health. 100 Units.

This course is designed to examine the field of child mental health from an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating anthropological, sociological and psychological insights to look at some of the significant questions and controversies present in considerations of children’s health today. Students will also spend significant time on developing individual research papers. We will begin in the first two weeks with an overview of the field of child psychopathology and the diagnostic systems most commonly used in the practice of child psychiatry. We will then spend the next three weeks looking at two of the most common and controversial diagnoses applied to children in the United States: Autism-spectrum disorders and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. In examining these categories we will consider the cultural and historical contexts that have lead to the emergence of these diagnoses and the variety of experiences of those identified as being afflicted with these disorders. The highly public controversy over giving children psychiatric medication and the implications of exporting Western psychiatric knowledge about children to other cultural contexts will also be considered. In the second half of the class we will move away from examinations of psychiatric nosology to think more broadly about the ways in which concepts of the normative treatment and behavior of children vary across time and place, looking particularly at the effects of aggression on children.

Instructor(s): C. El Ouardani Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 26233

PSYC 26232. Comparative Cognitive Development. 100 Units.

This course explores the relatively new field of comparative cognitive development, a field which investigates the origin and nature of cognitive skills in humans by comparing these skills across species and across development. We will examine how social and physical cognition develop in relation to species specific social and environmental demands, students will learn behavioral and experimental methods for investigating cognitive development in verbal and non/pre-verbal individuals. Each student will prepare a research proposal to address one of the main questions in the field and present his or her research project and expected findings in a final paper and class presentation. Counts for Comparative Behavioral Biology area. (A)

Instructor(s): T. Mandalaywala Terms Offered: Winter 2014
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 26232

PSYC 26660. Genes and Behavior. 100 Units.

There are complex interactions between the genome and behavior. This course will examine how behavior can be understood by investigating the sequence and structure of genes, especially those expressed in the brain. It will consider behaviors in several species (including human), and present various molecular, genetic, and genomic approaches used to uncover how genes contribute to behavior and how behavior alters the genome. Lectures will provide background for gene-behavior interactions that will be further discussed using primary literature readings.

Instructor(s): S. London Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 26660

PSYC 27010. Psycholinguistics. 100 Units.

This is a survey course in the psychology of language. We will focus on issues related to language comprehension, language production, and language acquisition. The course will also train students on how to read primary literature and conduct original research studies.

Instructor(s): Ming Xiang Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): LING 27010

PSYC 27970. Seminar in Developmental Psychology: Navigating the Social World. 100 Units.

Human children develop in a sea of social activity, and human development thus depends on children's ability to navigate in the social world. Scientific work investigating the mechanisms and systems that allow children to do so has flowered in recent years. In this seminar we will survey cutting edge work on this topic, with a focus on development during infancy and early childhood. The course work will involve written and discussion-based analysis of primary research in developmental science. Students will be expected to have background knowledge in developmental, social, and/or cognitive psychology.

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

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 Terms Offered: Winter
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.