Psychology Course Descriptions
PSY-150 Introduction to Psychology
Psychology is the science of human and animal behavior and mental processes. As a survey course, Introduction to Psychology provides an overview of the methods, terms, theories, and research findings in the field. By understanding principles of psychology, students learn more about themselves, other human and non-human animals, historic and contemporary issues within the discipline and how to think about those issues critically. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-155 Special Topics - Psychology
See department for course description.
Credits: 1.00
PSY-160 Culture & Behavior
The goal of this course is to provide a cross-cultural review of general principles of human psychology. Emphasis is on the organizing syndromes of particular cultures and how these world-views affect an individual's emotions, cognitions and behaviors. Meets comparative cultural core requirement. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-180 Lifespan Human Development
This course offers a survey of human development and developmental theories from conception until death focusing on physical, cognitive, and social changes that occur across the lifespan. Recommended for non-majors. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-195 Independent Study
See department for details.
Credits: 1.00
PSY-208 Addictions and Society
Addictions and Society takes a historical and interdisciplinary approach to the question of alcohol, substance abuse and the social costs of addiction and use. The course investigates human motives to alter consciousness using classic and modern research in the physiology of addiction, sociocultural risk factors and changing cultural representations of drug use. Prerequisite: PSY-150 with C or better. 4 hours. Cross-listed as PACS-208.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-210 Current Issues in Psychology
This is a seminar-style course that varies from one semester to the next. Course themes are selected based on the contemporary issues in the field and the faculty member's area of expertise, interest, and background. Examples of "Current Issues" include: Peoples and Cultures of Hawai'i; The Nature of Self-Concept; Aging; Life-Story Models of Identity; Evolutionary Psychology; and Psychology of Mindfulness. This course may be repeated for credit as topics vary. Prerequisite: PSY-150 with C or better. Other prerequisites may vary by topic. 4 credits (2 credits when offered during Winter III).
Credits: 2.00
PSY-211 Abnormal Psychology
Students critically explore major categories of disorders, with special emphasis on dissociative identity disorder, depression, schizophrenia, and borderline personality. Questions are raised about the use of psychiatric drugs, and attention is paid to the history of insanity. This course includes both textbook and original readings. Prerequisites: PSY-150 with a C or better. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-225 Learning
The discipline of "learning" stemmed from the Behaviorist and Gestalt Psychological camps during the early development of Psychology. Today, learning includes a broader swath of specialties including: Cognitive, Biological, Educational, Social, and Abnormal Psychology. The systematic study of learning is a comparative branch of Psychology, wherein human and nonhuman animal behavior is investigated. Students complete this courses with a more expansive understanding of semi-permanent changes in human and nonhuman animal behavior and the wide applicability and limited generalizability of those behaviors across species and contexts. Prerequisite: PSY-150 with a C or better. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-226 History and Systems of Psychology
Psychology is often discussed as having a long past but a short history. This course investigates the past (early philosophy relevant to the "psych") and the history (the formal establishment and research within the discipline) through the social, political, and historic influences on the science of behavior. The goals of this course are to provide students with a more holistic appreciation and understanding of contemporary psychological theories, and the early foundations of modern psychology. Students consider major theories, emerging research directions and controversies within the specialty disciplines of psychology. Prerequisite: PSY-150 with C or better. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-240 Child Development
This course is an introduction to human development with an emphasis on early and middle childhood. Initial discussion focuses on how to best characterize behavioral change over time and the interactive roles of nature and nurture as facilitators of change. Through detailed discussion of theory and research outcomes, students attain a comprehensive understanding of normative trends in physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and personality development coupled with an understanding of the cause of such change. Prerequisite: PSY-150 with a C or better. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-252 BIOPSY I: Introduction to Neuroscience
This lab-based course seeks to explain and identify the biological structures of behavior, relating to actions, experience, genetics and phylogeny of the organism. Students learn physiological function and injury through case studies, discussion, video, dissection and lecture. The goals of this course are to provide students with a strong background in neuroscience, neuroanatomy, assessment, and the ability to apply their knowledge to individual trauma case examples. Prerequisite: PSY-150 with a C or better. BIOL-110, BIOL-224, or BIOL-240 strongly recommended. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-255 Special Topics
See department for course description.
Credits: 1.00
PSY-260 Psychology of Women
This course is a survey of the physiological, emotional, and cognitive aspects of the female experience. Students examine both the similarities and differences between women and men, with an emphasis on experiences unique to women. Cultural expectations are examined particularly those which either overemphasis sex differences or underestimate their psychological and sociocultural value. Prerequisite: PSY-150 or GSS-201 with a C or better. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-275 Internship
See department for details.
Credits: 1.00
PSY-308 Social Psychology
This course addresses social behavior from the perspective of humans as social agents, how they affect and are affected by others, topics include: perception of persons, affiliation, communication and attitude change, group processes, leadership, intergroup tension, cultural syndromes, and social roles. Prerequisite: Junior standing or above, and PSY-150, PSY-348, and PSY-349, each with a C or better. PSY-350 or SOC-301 are strongly recommended. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-309 Personality Psychology
Students study the grand theories of personality through detailed examination of original writings by Freud, Skinner, R.D. Laing, and Maslow, among others. Students explore the assumptions, logic, and ramifications of psychological theory, and its place in modern experimental psychology. Some critique of psychology as a discipline is included. Prerequisite: Junior standing or above and PSY-150, PSY-348, and PSY-349, each with a C or better. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-314 Memory and Mind
This course serves to describe and explain Cognition with an emphasis placed on memory processing. Topics covered include the historical precedence of current theory and research, basic versus applied research perspectives, memory processing, mental representation/categorization, the purpose and development of autobiographical memory, interactions between memory and emotion, and memory malleability. Through writing and class discussion, students achieve a deep understanding of the nature of Cognition and key role that memory plays. Prerequisite: Junior standing or above, and PSY-150, PSY-348, and PSY-349, each with a C or better. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-315 Cognitive Science
This class focuses on description and explanation of the nature of mind and mental process in an interdisciplinary manner. Through writing and class discussion, students come to understand the complexity of the human mind and the diverse ways in which the mind is studied. To this end, topics surveyed include Philosophy of Mind, Mental Representation and Categorization, Memory, Cognitive Neuroscience, Linguistics, and Artificial Intelligence. The course culminates with discussion of how these differing perspectives work together to create a complete explanation of human cognition. Prerequisite: PSY-150 with a C or better. ENGW 201 recommended. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-343 Adolescent Development
Adolescent Development examines the primary developmental issues in the period between middle childhood and young adulthood. In addition to traditional areas of brain development, cognition, identity, sexuality and sexual orientation, intimacy, and achievement, there will also be a focus on how adolescence was originally conceptualized in the USA, the continued purposes it serves, and comparisons across ethnic groups and other cultures. Emphasis will be placed on the integration of theory and research in understanding adolescence. Prerequisite: PSY 150, PSY 180, or PSY 240 with minimum grade C. Meets comparative cultural core requirement. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-348 Research Methods in Psychology
This course examines the principles of research design, methodology, and data analysis in psychology. Method and design issues relevant to a wide range of substantive areas in psychology are covered, such as experimental designs, survey research, observational research, and qualitative content analysis. Further, students receive an introduction to data management and analysis, research ethics and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above and PSY-150 with a C or better: Corequisite: PSY-349 must be taken concurrently with this course; both must be passed in same semester with a C or better. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-349 Research Methods in Psychology Lab
This course is graded separately, but is a required component of PSY-348 and must be taken concurrently. In this course students work in groups to design studies, collect data, analyze it and present it. This course also focuses on the writing standards in scientific publication and presentation of results. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above and PSY-150 with a C or better. Corequisite: PSY-348. 2 credits.
Credits: 2.00
PSY-350 Behavioral Statistics
Behavioral statistics provides an introduction to experimental design, descriptive and inferential statistics as well as computer statistical analysis. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. MATH-165 strongly recommended. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-351 Directed Research in Psychology
Directed Research provides students with the opportunity to participate in an ongoing research project with a psychology faculty member. This opportunity provides practical research experience for business, career development, and graduate school. Research experience at the undergraduate level facilitates a more competitive application for graduate programs and jobs. Students must have instructor permission and enrollment is limited. May not be used as elective credit in Psychology; can be taken for up to 6 credits total, up to 2 credits per semester.
Credits: 1.00
PSY-352 BIOPSY II: Sensation & Perception
This lab-based course is the second semester of the neuroscience emphasis within the Department of Psychology. Sensation and Perception is the study of how our sensory experience (e.g. vision, taste, smell, hearing, and touch) is translated into a perceptual representation of the world via the central nervous system. Virtually all knowledge of the sensory system is the result of investigation into our nonhuman relatives physiological function; therefore this course integrates both human and nonhuman animal comparative sensory structure and neuroanatomy. The goals of this course are to provide students with the skills and opportunities to conceptually integrate structure and function of the nervous system in an applied way; to further their empirical writing skills, and to explore neuroscience through both a lecture, lab and discussion format. Prerequisite: PSY-150, PSY-252 each with a C or better. BIOL-110, BIOL-224, or BIOL-240 strongly recommended. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-355 Special Topics
See department for course description.
Credits: 1.00
PSY-395 Independent Study
See department for details.
Credits: 1.00
PSY-420 Special Topics in Psychology
Special Topics is a seminar course focusing on topics of special interest to students and faculty, examples include: Behavioral Endocrinology, Cognition, Evolutional Psychology, Personality, Sociocultural Psychology. Instructor permission required. May be repeated for credit as topic varies. 2 or 4 credits.
Credits: 2.00
PSY-441 Discourse Narrative & Identity
Discursive psychology focuses on re-conceptualizing psychological phenomena as displayed, accountable, situated, and practical. Narrative psychology has been described as a 'second cognitive revolution' that distinguishes narrative thought as an equally important partner to paradigmatic thought in basic human cognitive processes. This course will first introduce students to the main tenets and research domains of discursive and narrative psychology. It will then examine a discursive-narrative approach to identity in social interaction and across the lifespan that proposes that identities are more fruitfully taken as multiple, fluid, discursive co-constructions in social intercourse that are extremely sensitive to contextual determinants. Students will examine empirical research examples based on these paradigms in order to be introduced to its analytical techniques. Specific identity topics will include lifestory approaches, identity construction in different cultures, institutional identities, sexual identities, and illness narratives and their implications for medical practice. Prerequisite: PSY 150, PSY 160, or PSY 180 with minimum grade C. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-444 Psychobiography
Psychobiography attempts to understand the form and content of artistic work from the vantage point of the artist's life history. Previous classes have included analyses of artists Diane Arbus, Kathryn Harrison, Sylvia Plath, Picasso, Oscar Wilde, Jackson Pollack, Vladimir Nabokov, Roald Dahl, Jack Kerouac, James Agee, Kurt Cobain, and Truman Capote, among others. Significant use is made of psychological theory as a means of tracing meaningful connections between the life and creative products. Prerequisite: Junior standing or above and PSY-150 with a C or better. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-448 Mentoring in Psychology
Advanced psychology students will serve as facilitators and laboratory assistants in psychology classes in which they have previously demonstrated excellence. Mentors attend all classes and co-curricular events and complete all of the readings. Mentors will assist in classroom management, study sessions, and laboratory activities. They will work closely with faculty in developing the means to good mentoring during independent meetings with the professor outside of class. Prerequisite: 15 credits in PSY and permission of the instructor. May be repeated for elective credit in the major. 1-4 credits.
Credits: 1.00
PSY-451 Senior Directed Research
This Psychology Capstone course is required of all senior Psychology majors. Students work in research teams on original research, supervised by Psychology Department faculty. As part of the course, students present findings during Pacific's Senior Projects Day, and then, optionally, at the regional conference. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Senior standing and must be Psychology major. Requires instructor consent. 2-4 credits.
Credits: 2.00
PSY-452 BIOPSY III: Behavioral Endocrinology
This course concerns the interrelationships among hormones, the brain and behavior in both human and nonhuman animals. The role of hormones in the development and activation of behavior as well as how behavioral interactions regulate endocrine physiology will be examined. A central topic of this course concerns the effects of sex steroid hormones on various reproductive behaviors (e.g. sexual and parental behaviors). Other topics covered include: the endocrine regulation of aggressive behavior, biological rhythms, energy balance, stress, learning, memory, and contemporary topics within endocrinology like hormone replacement therapy and the behavioral effects of endocrine disorders. Prerequisite: PSY 252. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
PSY-455 Special Topics
See department for course description.
Credits: 2.00
PSY-475 Internship
See department for details.
Credits: 1.00
PSY-495 Research
Students enrolled in this course will have successfully completed the Senior Research Preparation and Seminar courses. Students will execute a research project, analyze data and do a public presentation of their data. This course includes both independent research and class discussion components. Knowledge of research design and method, data analysis, and APA writing style are presumed for this course. Prerequisite: PSY 490 and instructor's permission. 2 hours.
Credits: 1.00