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. Study of seminal works and ideas in the phenomenological tradition. The course usually
centers on a close textual analysis of one of the foundational figures whose work
has influenced the development of the phenomenological alternative to psychology,
such as Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Levinas. Prerequisite: Psychology
1311 and 3332. Spring.
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.
4333. Qualitative Research. Introduction to the theory and practice of phenomenologically based human science
psychology. Lectures and reading assignments expose the student to the fundamental
literature in phenomenological research. Historical, hermeneutic, postmodern, and
other issues of interpretation pertaining to qualitative research are discussed in
relation to newly emerging paradigms. Class sessions following a workshop approach
take students through the steps of empirical-phenomenological research, in anticipation
of the senior research project. Prerequisite: Psychology 3339. Fall.
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.