Courses

Psychology 375: Prejudice & Stereotyping

Course Description:This course is designed provide an understanding of what experimental social psychology tells us about our affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses to members of other groups.  In keeping with GEC, this course will foster an understanding of the pluralistic nature of institutions, society, and culture in the United States and the world.  The goal of the course is to enrich your knowledge about the psychology behind stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination so that you may better understand and contribute to the continued dialogue in our society. 

Enrollment: 120 maximum

Overall Student Evaluation: 4.1/5.0 (Spring 2008), 4.3/5.0 (Spring 2007)

Psychology 520: Experimental Social Psychology

Course Description: This is an upper-level course that will expose you to real experimental research in social psychology. You will find out how the experiments you read about in textbooks are done – in fact, you’ll do one yourself. You’ll start by doing background reading and engaging in discussion with your classmates. Then, you will formulate a research idea, turn it into a testable hypothesis, design and carry out an experiment, analyze the data, write a full research report, and present your findings in a conference-style poster. Projects will be conducted in small groups of approximately four students. The course format will be a mix of lectures, student presentations, and group workshops. In this course all student projects are developed around a focused area of investigation. The topic for research for this course changes with each instructor. In this section of the course, the topic will be “Subjective Construals & Social Judgment.”

Enrollment: 20 maximum

Overall Student Evaluation: 4.3/5.0 (Autumn 2007)

Psychology 871.02: Social Motivation

Course Description: This seminar provides an overview of classic and contemporary research in the domain of social motivation. We will begin by investigating some basic human motivations—the need to belong within dyadic and collective relationships; the need to maintain consistency of cognitions; and the need to evaluate, understand, and feel good about the social world and ourselves.  Next we will examine the impact various motives have on our cognitions, preferences, and actions.  We will also investigate various manifestations of motives, such as approach-avoidance and intrinsic-extrinsic motivations.  Finally, we will examine the structure and dynamics of motives.

Enrollment: 20 maximum

Overall Student Evaluation: 4.4/5.0 (Winter 2008)

Psychology 873.05: Principles of Self-Regulation

Course Description: This seminar is designed to provide a “tasting” of various theories and approaches that exemplify research in self-regulation and goal pursuit .  Although much of the work discussed in this course will take a social psychological perspective, self-regulation is a multi-disciplinary area.  As such, readings and discussion topics will also draw from other domains including developmental & clinical psychology, neuroscience, judgment & decision-making, and economics.  The goal of the course will be to examine the insights into self-regulation and goal pursuit that one gains by integrating across diverse research areas.

Enrollment: 20 maximum

Overall Student Evaluation: 4.9/5.0 (Winter 2007)

Last updated June 26, 2008