Psychology (PSYC-SHU)

This course highlights the fundamental principles and interesting experiments within the field of psychology, aiming to help students understand mind and behavior of themselves and others. It provides a comprehensive overview of scientific study of thought and behavior, covering a wide range of topics such as the biological and evolutionary bases of behavior, sensation and perception, learning, memory, intelligence and thinking, lifespan development, emotion and motivation, human personality, social behavior, behavioral disorders, and psychological treatment of disorders. Opportunities to apply knowledge gained in class are available through various in-class and out-of-class activities. By the end of this course you will have gained a much better understanding and appreciation of who you are and how you work. Prerequisite: None Fulfillment: CORE ED; Social Science Foundational course; Data Science concentration in Social Science/Psychology.

Social psychology is about how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined presence of others. The class introduces social psychological theories and research and covers topics such as perception of others and the self, attraction, altruism and helping, aggression, moral thought and action, stereotypes, attitudes, and social influence. We learn about each topic by linking it to everyday life, as well as by seeing how researchers take a scientific approach to studying it. Prerequisite: PSYC-SHU 101 Intro to Pscyhology or AP Psychology: Score of 5 or IB Psychology HL (Higher Level): Score of 7 or A Level Psychology: Score of A. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Psychology 200 level course.

In this course, you will delve into diverse areas of human cognitive psychology such as perception, attention, memory, thinking (including problem-solving and reasoning), consciousness and language acquisition. We will explore the connections between cognition and brain function, with an emphasis on how researchers develop theories and gather evidence on relevant issues. We will also exercise to articulate both orally and in writing the key components of each of the theories and topics that we will cover throughout the term. Prerequisite: PSYC-SHU 101 Introduction to Psychology.

This course is designed to give students a comprehensive overview of developmental psychology following a chronological approach, covering normative growth and development from conception to adolescence. Specifically, we will examine physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development with an emphasis on psychosocial development in context. This course not only covers major theories and research findings on human development, but also provides students with the opportunity to appreciate the practical significance of sound theory and research. Prerequisite: PSYC-SHU 101 Intro to Pscyhology or AP Psychology: Score of 5 or IB Psychology HL (Higher Level): Score of 7 or A Level Psychology: Score of A. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Psychology 200 level course; DS concentration in Psychology.

This course focuses on the definition, history, and scope of abnormal psychology, with an emphasis on the psychological factors that control the origins, maintenance, and modification of behavioral disorders. The primary goal of this course is for students to become familiar with up-to-date research in the field but also to critically evaluate how we think about mental illness using theory, research findings, logic, and applied knowledge. A secondary goal is for students to become educated consumers of mental health information to be able to predict the factors that increase the risks for a given disorder and discriminate between treatment types based on efficacy demonstrated in the research literature. Prerequisite: PSYC-SHU 101 Introduction to Psychology or AP Psychology: Score of 5 or IB Psychology HL (Higher Level): Score of 7 or A Level Psychology: Score of A. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Psychology 200 level.

In this class, we examine various fields within psychology that study issues around justice and morality and apply it to real-world contexts. Students learn about moral development in children and adults, people’s justice motive, evolutionary and social psychological perspectives on punishment behavior, interpersonal and intergroup processes related to forgiveness as well as alternatives to punishment. Within the area of retributive punishment, we cover specific topics such as the importance of victim empowerment and the theoretical framework of punishment as communication. Students learn how societal and cultural factors shape experienced (in)justice as well as reactions to it, how to apply the theoretical insights to real-world situations of conflicts and perceived injustice, and how an interdisciplinary approach benefits psychological research on this topic. Prerequisites: PSYC-SHU 101 Introduction to Psychology or AP Psychology: Score of 5 or IB Psychology HL (Higher Level): Score of 7 or A Level Psychology: Score of A AND Sophomore Standing. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Psychology 300 level.

Sexual and gender diversity has been considered a politically sensitive issue in some countries including China. Terms like “LGBTQ+” (i.e., “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and more”), “SOGIE” (i.e., “sexual orientation and gender identity and expressions”), “nonbinary,” “queer,” and “rainbow community” are refuted by some people as modern Western creations. However, despite effortful suppressions, the visibility of LGBTQ+ people and related issues in the society and the media has increased drastically over the past decades in China. This seminar course explores the science of sexual orientation and gender diversity, as well as associated public controversies. Prerequiste: PSYC-SHU 101 Introduction to Psychology or AP Psychology: Score of 5 or IB Psychology HL (Higher Level): Score of 7 or A Level Psychology: Score of A. Fulfillment: Social Science focus Psychology/Global Health 300 level.

Examination of parenting views & practice across socio-cultural groups, discussion of similarities & differences in parenting around the globe, how parenting changes over the life course of the child, & how parenting shapes children’s development. Prerequisite: PSYC-SHU 101 Intro to Psychology or AP Psychology: Score of 5 or IB Psychology HL (Higher Level): Score of 7 or A Level Psychology: Score of A. Fulfillment: CORE STS; Social Science Focus Psychology 300 level course.

This course covers physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development of adolescents in diverse contexts. Specifically, changes and characteristics of key developmental domains of adolescents, such as family, peer, and romantic relationship, are discussed, with particular attention to contextual factors that influence adolescent development such as culture, gender, and social class. This course is for students who have acquired the basic principles of psychology as well as fundamental knowledge of human development. Prerequisite: PSYC-SHU 101 Intro to Psychology or AP Psychology: Score of 5 or IB Psychology HL (Higher Level): Score of 7 or A Level Psychology: Score of A, AND PSYC-SHU 234 Developmental Psychology as a pre- or co-requisite. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Psychology 300 level course.

From the perspective of psychological science, developments in machine-learning and AI raise many interesting questions. AI technologies are already proving useful in their ability to monitor and assess human behaviors, emotions, and decision patterns. This is becoming possible through the sheer volume of information available online in connection with individuals, groups, and through the sophistication of predictive algorithms that can see patterns that the human mind cannot. As AI systems, machines, and robots are increasingly built to mimic human beings, will we begin to communicate with, react to, or feel the same towards them as we do to other human beings? If an AI system can assist in an online purchase or a psychological intervention (e.g., a chatbot), can they also become our friends? Could we fall in love with an artificial agent or a robot? In this course, we use the lens of psychological science to investigate these and other aspects of human-machine communication and their effects on human-human relationships. Prerequisite: Introduction to psychology (PSYC-SHU 101) or AP Psychology: Score of 5 or IB Psychology HL (Higher Level): Score of 7 or A Level Psychology: Score of A OR Introduction to Neural Science (NEUR-SHU 201) OR Introduction to Computer Science (CSCI-SHU 101) Fulfillment: Core STS; IMA/IMB elective; Neural Science elective; Social Science Focus Psychology 300 level.

The purpose of this course is to critically examine the ways that culture--with regard to race/ethnicity, gender, and social class--has shaped major theoretical perspectives in psychology, and to familiarize students with the impact of cultural factors on the evolution of various psychological constructs. Students will explore the multifaceted nature of their own cultural backgrounds and apply it to the establishment of their worldviews. Critical examination of the process of psychological research and scholarship will be emphasized. Prerequisite: PSYC-SHU 101 Introduction to Psychology or AP Psychology: Score of 5 or IB Psychology HL (Higher Level): Score of 7 or A Level Psychology: Score of A. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Psychology 300 Level.

The course provides an overview of empirical research into the psychology of human sexuality. The course surveys findings from basic research, theories regarding human sexuality, sexual functioning and its psychological correlates, and clinical research into sexual problems and their treatment. Topics covered include psychological aspects related to sexual and gender minorities, including affirmative counseling approaches for LGBTQ individuals; current scientific understanding of sexual variations as well as sexual harassment and coercion; sex as a commodity; and psychological aspects related to HIV/AIDS and its prevention. The study of human sexuality is inherently multidisciplinary as sexuality is a biopsychosocial phenomenon. Even though the course focuses on the psychological level of analysis, cultural, societal and legal aspects related to sexuality in a global context are relevant to many of the topics covered. As an example, we explore the topic of sexual racism/racial fetishism as well as legislation related to sexuality in different societies. Prerequisites: PSYC-SHU 101 Introduction to Psychology or AP Psychology: Score of 5 or IB Psychology HL (Higher Level): Score of 7 or A Level Psychology: Score of A. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Psychology 300 level; Data Science Concentration in Psychology.

Are we Zombies? Just vehicles, that is, for carrying copies of genes? How can that be given that our experience seems to suggest our own selves are important? It is beyond dispute that the human brain is a result of evolution. However, opinions differ regarding the extent to which evolution has created either a general purpose learning machine, the contents of which are driven primarily by culture and socialization, or a mind that consists of more specific mechanisms intended to tackle particular problems of survival and reproduction. We review the central theoretical concepts of evolutionary psychology and the empirical evidence for them. We explore problems of survival, emotions, sex and mating, as well as family and group living. We also examine the major criticisms of the evolutionary psychological framework. Finally, we discuss how the evolutionary view of human psychology affects our understanding of who we are. Prerequisite: PSYC-SHU 101 Introduction to Psychology or AP Psychology: Score of 5 or IB Psychology HL (Higher Level): Score of 7 or A Level Psychology: Score of A. Fulfillment: CORE STS; Social Science Focus Psychology 300 level.

This course is designed to discuss the way that emotion develops over the course of a lifespan in relation to cognition. Topics include the organization model of emotional development; the neural basis of emotion & cognition; the relation of emotional & cognitive development to temperament & personality. Focus will be on emotional development from infancy through adulthood, emotion socialization processes in the family context, the dynamic systems approach in understanding emotional processes, and the biological perspective of emotional development. Prerequisite: PSYC-SHU 101 Introduction to Psychology OR PSYC-SHU 234 Developmental Psychology