Courses

Undergraduate Courses

1311. Foundations of Psychology as a Human Science. The philosophical and scientific bases for a psychological inquiry into human nature are considered. Psychology as a human (or "moral") science is contrasted with the prevailing model of psychology as a natural science. Lectures and primary sources present developmental, psychoanalytic, existential and clinical perspectives on psychological life. Initial exposure to a psychological way of seeing and speaking is presented with regard to self, others, cultural world, and animal kingdom. Fall and Spring.

2313. General Psychology. An introduction to the various fields of psychology, including developmental, social, abnormal, physiological, and to central topics, such as cognition, emotion, motivation, perception, personality. Fall and Spring.

2323. Behavioral Neuroscience. Introduction to the biological approach to understanding behavior as a function of brain process. The course provides a behavioral perspective from which to understand neurobiological structures as having evolved for the purposes of adaptation. The lab portion of the course is a general introduction to biology. Course with lab satisfies life science requirement.

3327. Child Growth and Development (Education 3327). Explores the physical, mental, social, and moral growth of children from infancy through early adolescents. Students examine theories of development with emphasis on the work of Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, Lawrence Kohlberg, and Lev Vygotsky. Children are the primary texts and interacting with them is an essential component of the semester's work. Discussion of significant topics of development that reflect on the issue of "nature versus nurture." A research project requires students to examine the activity of children in light of developmental theories. Fall and Spring.

3328. Psychology of Adolescence (Education 3328). Consideration of selected themes as they relate to adolescent experiences, including rebellion, caring, infatuation, peer group rejection, loneliness, and sexuality. Emphasis on the methodology of understanding these phenomena on their own terms and on psychological reflection which deepens the significance of these phenomena in relation to questions of culture. Presentation of influential theories of adolescence such as those of Harry Stack Sullivan, Erik Erikson and Carol Gilligan. Fall and Spring.

3330. History of Psychology. Study of the history and genealogy of psychology, as a science in the broad sense, as a set of practices, and as institutions in the modern world. The relationships between these contemporary disciplines and earlier ways of grasping human nature are developed, without assuming that what we call psychology existed in the past. Focus on the pivotal period from the middle of the nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth century. Emphasis on the multiple traditions in psychology.

3334. Psychology of Language and Expression. Nonverbal and verbal forms of expression are explored from a phenomenological perspective that puts the lived body at the center of focus as both the subject and means of investigation. The language of the body is revealed through a hermeneutics of seeing and listening. Everyday as well as artistic modes of human expression are studied and contrasted with animal behavior. The nature of language is considered from phenomenological and semiotic, as well as developmental and evolutionary perspectives.

3335. Memory and Imagination. A study of memory and imagination in the tradition of Western thought, with special emphasis on the recovery of each as a method of knowing and a way of understanding the depths of the world. The course usually focuses on a particular theme. The relevance of memory and imagination to the field may be explored, with consideration of several types: active imagination, fantasy, reverie, daydreams, guided imagery or the relation of memory and imagination to the creative process might be investigated, with special attention given to the role of imagination in art, drama, and literature.

3336. Abnormal Psychology. An historical introduction to the changing perceptions of madness in different cultural-historical periods provides the context for the study of selected types of psychopathology in terms of their origins, dynamics, and major symptoms. Prerequisite: Psychology 1311 and 2313.

3338. Social Psychology. A consideration of the social construction of reality. The cultural context of individual experience is explored along with cultural manifestations of psychological life. Social behaviors are related to their ethological heritage and ideological contexts. Psychological texts, such as body language, gender displays, fashion, advertisements, and media, are viewed as both reflecting social attitudes and revealing social influences upon the individual.

3339. Seminar: The Phenomenological Tradition. Introduction to the theory and practice of phenomenological research.  Theoretically, the course centers on a close reading of foundational figures in phenomenological psychology.  A presentation of qualitative research in the phenomenological tradition develops the student's skill in taking up a phenomenological attitude, and shows how phenomenology is applied in psychological research.  The course culminates in a "Research Proposal" that demonstrates a grasp of phenomenological ideas and their application, and stands as the prerequisite for admission to Senior Thesis the following fall semester.

3341. Psychology of Personality. Comparison of various theories of personality through primary source readings. Modern reductionistic viewpoints are contrasted with neo-Freudian, existential-phenomenological, and/or postmodern conceptions of the self.

3346. Animal Behavior. (See listing under Biology.)

3351. Experimental Psychology. The application of basic research methods employed in the scientific study of behavior. Prerequisite: Psychology 3432.

3354. Health Psychology. A study of the relationships between health and illness, on the one hand, and behavior, attitudes, ways of life, on the other. An exploration of the psychological concomitants of health and disease, as well as conventional and non-conventional forms of treatment for disease. The phenomenology of embodiment and of disease as a mode of existence is integral to the course. Other topics include the examination of the social and political meanings of our views of health and illness. The social construction of health and illness concepts, the limits of medicine and of medicalization, the arts of living, suffering, and dying are discussed.

3425. Statistical Methods in Psychology. Presentation of the basic logic and concepts of statistics as a foundation for quantitative research in psychology. The course includes an exploration of the epistemological premises of scientific investigation and an introduction to descriptive, parametric and non-parametric methods. Major topics considered include sampling, statistical inference, statistical analyses such as correlation, t-tests, simple and multiple regression, ANOVA, factorial ANOVA, and non parametrics such as chi-squared and Mann-Whitney. The laboratory component of the course will provide opportunities for practical exercises in data collection, and analysis. In addition, students will become familiar with data analysis software, data entry, interpreting the output reports generated by the software, and the statistical foundation for hypothesis development and research design. Prerequisite: 2313. Fall and Spring.

3432. Quantitative Research Design. An application of statistical methods to quantitative research in psychology. Students complete a review of the literature of a defined area of psychology, learn to critically appraise this literature and to utilize this literature to develop a 'problem' to explore in their own research project. The research project will comprise a review of the literature, development of testable hypotheses, development of a research design to effectively test these hypotheses, the collection and analysis of these data, and the completion of a professional quality written report and oral presentation of the student's study. The laboratory component of the course will provide opportunities for practical exercises in experimental design, data collection and analysis, for individual consultation regarding students' development of their projects, and a forum for presentation of their projects for critical review. Prerequisites: 2313, 3425. Fall.

3V52. Special Topic. Study in an author, question, or topic not treated in any of the regular course offerings but of comparable consequence.

3V56. Primate Studies. Hands-on research conducted at the Dallas Zoo. Students become official zoo volunteers assigned to the Research Department. Faculty conduct seminars on classic texts as well as research articles. Students develop ethograms of selected species, and participate in the collection and recording of data pertaining to the behavior of primate species within their habitats (chimpanzees, gorillas, gibbons, spider monkeys, baboons, lemurs).

3V57. Field Experience. Students are exposed to off-campus settings in which psychology is practiced or applied (such as a hospital or a corporate human resource management office). Students should follow guidelines for Internships. Prerequisite: Senior standing in psychology. Graded Pass/No Pass.

3V71. Film Studies. Exploration of the various aspects of film and the film experience, including the history, aesthetics, psychology, and politics of film, as well as film criticism. Principles of composition, montage, narrativity, representation, and cinematic point-of-view are examined through classroom viewings of genre, art, experimental and documentary films. This course often has a special theme that serves to focus the selection of films shown in class. Students keep a journal which serves as a basis for a term paper.

4161. Zoo Habitat Research. Hands-on experience studying the effects of habitat enrichment programs and related projects at the Dallas Zoo. Students are supervised by zoologists working in the Research Department of the Dallas Zoological Society. Thirty hours of supervised research experience required.

4311. Personnel Psychology. The study of applied psychology relevant to questions of employee selection, development, and performance in industry and other organizational settings. Primary topics include: measurement of knowledge, skills, abilities, personality, attitudes and performance of workers, construct and instrument validation, job analysis, selection systems and related employer and candidate behavior, training systems and techniques, needs assessment, and adult learning principles.

4321. Seminar: Depth Psychology. Study of seminal works and ideas in the depth psychology tradition. The course might focus on one or more of the early formulators of depth psychology, such as Freud, Jung, or Rorschach, or it may explore more recent developments in areas such as object-relations theory or Daseinsanalysis. Repeatable when subject matter changes.

4322. Introduction to Clinical Psychology. Introduction to the history and current scope of professional practice in clinical psychology, with a focus on psychodiagnosis and treatment. Psychodynamic and psychometric traditions of assessment are presented, as well as projective techniques such as the Rorschach Ink Blot Test and the Thematic Apperception Test. The standard psychiatric nomenclature of the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) is presented, along with its implications for the professional treatment of psychological "illness." Consideration given to the clinical interview, psychopharmacology, and an overview of the psychotherapeutic process. Prerequisite: Psychology 3336, or 3341, and consent of instructor.

4323. Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy. A detailed consideration of the treatment aspect of clinical psychology. Major theories of and approaches to psychotherapy are presented: psychoanalytic, Jungian, Rogerian, Gestalt, existential, phenomenological, and behavioral. Emphasis is placed upon the phases of psychotherapy, the role of transference and counter-transference in the therapeutic process, the use of dreams, and the ethical responsibilities of the psychotherapist. Prerequisite: Psychology 1311, 3341 or 3336, and consent of instructor.

4331. Historical Psychology. Studies in the historical constitution of psychological phenomena, such as memory, volition, thought, intelligence, madness, etc. Course includes overview of the different theoretical bases of historical psychology. Course develops the idea that historicity is an essential aspect of all psychological phenomena.

4334. Language Acquisition/Linguistics. (See Education 5354.)

4339. Perception and Cognition. A study of perception and cognition, drawing on psychological theories and considering them in the light of the phenomenological traditions. Consideration of how psychology has understood the relationships between sensation/perception and perception/thought will shed light on the discipline's underlying conceptions of psychological life. Topics may include the study of perceptual and intellectual acts as embodied in works of art and other artifacts. Thematic and historical approaches may be employed.

4347. Advanced Research. A seminar exploring narrative methodologies in qualitative research grounded in phenomenological, depth-psychological, and hermeneutic traditions. Students are given individual supervision as they proceed to investigate topics of their own choosing. Prerequisite: Psychology 4333.

4348. Senior Thesis. Independent research on a psychological phenomenon under the direction of the general thesis supervisor and a faculty member assigned to work with the student. The thesis which results from this research constitutes the written part of the comprehensive examination. T (temporary) grade may be assigned at discretion of the department. Prerequisite: Psychology 4333. Spring.

4V61. Independent Research.

5V52. Special Topic.