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Psychology Department

Professor Richard Lewis, Department Chair

Professors Banks, Buriel, Burke, Thompson

Associate Professors Lewis, Smiley, Wierson, Goto

Assistant Professors Holmes, Weekes

Visiting Assistant Professors, Greene, Brown Taylor

Lecturer Meza

The program in Psychology teaches critical thinking, the scientific method, and the process of evaluating evidence, as well as the theories and empirical findings of psychology. A fundamental background in methods of thought is an important part of a liberal education. Skills in evaluating evidence, which are required in medicine, business, law, and other professions in addition to psychology, constitute a valuable personal asset.

Psychology has an obligation to prepare students for life in a diverse and changing society. Scientific understanding of theory and data requires a recognition of multiple levels of diversity, including, but not limited to, ethnic, cultural, social, and gender. Accordingly, psychology courses give voice to the sociocultural context of human behavior.

An important aspect of the program is direct first-hand experience in planning, performing, and interpreting research. Such experience is the best teacher of critical thinking; graduate schools in both the clinical and the experimental areas of psychology, not to mention many other fields, look for a good laboratory background in their applicants. Consequently, many psychology courses have an associated laboratory, and students are encouraged to take the Independent Study courses, Psychology 99 and 199, and to seek out other opportunities for research with faculty members.

The Department offers students excellent facilities for research and field experience. Facilities include a Macintosh computer classroom and research facility, a wide range of research equipment, one-way vision rooms for observational research with small children and families, and equipment for research in cognitive psychology and neuropsychology.

The major prepares students for graduate work in all areas of psychology, social work, education, and other related areas. Psychology majors also frequently go on to medical, law, or business school, or to other sorts of professional training programs. Because of the wide variety of available career choices, students should discuss their plans and curriculum with a department member at the earliest opportunity. Students who intend to pursue a career in clinical psychology or a related area should obtain relevant field and research experience. Such experience is essential for developing an understanding of practice in the field of interest and is likely to be necessary for acceptance into a graduate program in that area. The department also offers a minor.

The Department offers a Psychology/Public Policy Analysis major in conjunction with the Public Policy Analysis Program (see Public Policy Analysis). This joint major is designed to allow students to combine the study of how society formulates and implements policy with the core areas in the Psychology major. It emphasizes applications of psychology and includes an internship in a field setting.

The Department, in conjunction with the Women’s Studies Program, also offers a joint major in Psychology/Women’s Studies. It is designed so that students have a core curriculum in Psychology and Women’s Studies. One goal of the program is to enhance a student’s preparation for graduate school or a career. Women’s Studies sharpens critical analysis skills by developing new perspectives on existing knowledge of women and gender, offering a critique of accepted beliefs, and introducing new theoretical frameworks. Interested students should refer to the Women’s Studies description and consult with a Psychology/Women’s Studies adviser (Ms. Burke or Ms. Wierson).

The Department also participates in the Neuroscience Program, along with the Anthropology, Biology, and Chemistry departments. The Neuroscience major is designed to provide students with an interdisciplinary study of the nervous system and behavior. Additional information about the program can be found in the Neuroscience Program description in this catalog.

Requirements for the Major in Psychology

1. Core Courses. Five courses: Psychology 51; Statistics (Psychology 158); Research Design and Methodology (Psychology 159); two laboratory courses: Perception and Cognition (Psychology 160); Memory (Psychology 162); or Behavioral Neuroscience (Psychology 143). This core is designed to provide a common foundation in basic knowledge, methods, and theory.

2. Culture, Ethnicity, and Psychology. One course from among the following: Psychology of the Chicano (Psychology 84CC); Issues in the Psychology of Multicultural Education (Psychology 151CC); Asian American Psychology (Psychology 153).

3. Electives. Three courses, each from a different one of the following areas: Social Issues (Psychology 76, 78, 89B or 125); Child Psychology (Psychology 108, 110, or 89A); Abnormal Psychology (Psychology 131); Social Psychology (Psychology 154); Personality and Individual Differences (Psychology 155); Industrial/Organizational Psychology (Psychology 156); and Human Neuropsychology (Psychology 171). With the approval of the department chair, appropriate courses from other Psychology departments in Claremont may be used to meet elective requirements. The electives are intended to ensure a breadth of knowledge and prevent premature specialization.

4. Advanced Seminar. One advanced seminar from the 180 series. The advanced seminar is designed to provide depth in theorizing and methodology. Students are encouraged to take a seminar in the junior year.

5. Senior Exercise. Senior Topics (Psychology 195) and Senior Thesis (Psychology 191).

It is further recommended that majors:

a. develop a program of research and conduct independent or collaborative research;

b. seek out field placements and work experience in clinical settings, or take field work in Clinical Psychology (182) if interested in a career in clinical psychology or a related area;

c. take core courses as early as possible;

d. take more than three electives;

e. sample psychology courses elsewhere at The Claremont Colleges;

f. take the advanced seminar in the junior year in the planned area of the senior thesis;

g. take more than one advanced seminar;

h. take additional courses in mathematics, biology, and other scientific fields. Students should consult with their adviser for the most appropriate course selection.

Requirements for a Minor in Psychology

Six courses are required: Psychology 51 and 158, one laboratory course (selected from Psychology 143, 160, and 162), two electives, and a seminar (selected from the Psychology 180 series).

Normally, up to two psychology courses that count toward a student’s major can be used for the Psychology minor. Students who are majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Psychology cannot count Pscyhology 143 for their minor. In order to ensure multiple areas of intellectual inquiry, a minor in Psychology cannot be combined with a major in Psych/Public Policy, Psych/Women’s Studies, or STS with an emphasis in Psychology.

Courses

51. Psychological Approaches to the Study of People. Staff. A scientific approach to the understanding of human development, personality, motivation, and cognition. Laboratory designed to acquaint students with research techniques and basic principles of description and quantification. Each semester. [PAC 7]

75BK. African American Mental Health.Ms. Holmes. Introduces students to selected topics involving the mental health of African Americans. Examines issues in the definition and the assessment of mental health and addresses special topics such as spirituality, stress and hypertension, delivery of mental health services, and controversies in the psychoanalytic literature. Examines empirical, theoretical, and therapeutic approaches to African American mental health. Fall 2004. [PAC 9]

78. Research in Environmental Psychology. Ms. Thompson. Theory and scientific research are used to examine the interaction of individual human behavior and the natural environment, including attitudes toward the environment, environmentally relevant behavior, and the impact of nature on individual well-being. The course involves seminarstyle discussion, the design and implementation of empirical research, and field trips. Spring 2006. [PAC 2]

84CH. Psychology of the Chicano. Mr. Buriel. Selected topics in psychology dealing with various affective and intellectual aspects of Chicano behavior. The psychological development of Chicanos evaluated against traditional psychological theories and variations in Chicanos’ sociocultural environment. Fall 2004. [PAC 9]

89B. Topics in Psychology and Law. Ms. Meza. Ms. Meza. Surveys traditional and emerging areas of psycholegal research through reading of original journal articles and texts. Examines how psychologists use theory and research methods in the legal process through study of jury decision-making, legal theories of prosecution and defense, crime-scene profiling. Focuses on validity of psychological theory and method when applied to behavior in the real world. Prerequisite: Psychology 51. Fall 2004. .

99. Independent Study: Reading and Research. Staff. Open to lower-division students interested in individual research, or tutorial, or collaboration in ongoing faculty research. Also used for reading or independent study in topics of special interest. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Course or half-course. May be repeated for credit. Each semester.

108. Child Psychology. Ms. Greene. Explores the course of social and cognitive development from infancy through adolescence. Focuses on theories of development, as well as age and gender differences. Naturalistic and experimental observations of children’s behavior and environments. Lecture, discussion, projects, and class demonstration. Prerequisite: Psychology 51. Fall 2004.

123. Acquisition of Language. Mr. Thornton. Surveys the normal course of and variation in language development, as well as theoretical accounts of how development occurs. Focuses particularly on communicative, phonological, semantic, and syntactic development in very young children, touching on bilingual acquisition. Social uses of language, including conversation and narrative in older children, are also a focus. Prerequisite: Psychology 51 or Ling/CogSci 10. Identical to Ling/CogSci 123. Fall 2004.

121. Psycholinguistics. Mr. Hackl. How are we seemingly effortlessly able to produce and comprehend language in all of its complexity? Course provides introduction to research and theory on language processing. Focus on empirical studies of word recognition, sentence processing, discourse, and semantic interpretation, as well as language acquisition and breakdown. Prerequisite: Ling/CogSci 11 or Psychology 51. Identical to Ling/CogSci 121. Spring 2005.

125. Psychology of Women. Mr. Burke. Extensive and critical review of research on how gender influences cognitive, social, and emotional behaviors, including academic performance, sexuality, intimacy, parenting and work. Analysis of sociocultural and biological explanations of sex and gender. Prerequisite: Psychology 51 or permission of instructor. Spring 2006; offered alternate years. [PAC 7]

131. Abnormal Psychology. Ms. Brown Taylor. The psychodynamic, humanistic, physiological, cognitive-behavioral, feminist, sociocultural, and biopsychosocial approaches to abnormal behavior. Major mental disorders described and interpreted from alternative viewpoints, using case studies as a supplement. Treatment methods and current mentalhealth issues. Prerequisite: Psychology 51. Fall 2004.

143. Behavioral Neuroscience. Mr. Lewis, Ms. Weekes. Introduction to biological basis of behavior. Topics include neural basis of sleep, reproduction, learning, memory, language, neurological disorders, and mental disorders. Fall 2004. [PAC 7]

151CH. The Psychology of Multicultural Education. Mr. Buriel. Examines educational theory, research, and practice as it relates to the experience of Chicanos and other ethnic and linguistic minorities. Consideration of selected psychological processes that potentially explain the scholastic performance of these groups. Discussion of multicultural education as a movement of school transformation. Spring 2005.

153AA. Asian American Psychology.Ms. Goto. Introduces students to salient psychological issues of Asian Americans. Taking into account the social, cultural, and historical context of the Asian American experience, addresses values and cultural conflict in values, stereotypes and self-perception, family and intergenerational issues, identity development, acculturation, marriage and gender roles, vocational development, psychopathology, and delivery of mental health services. Fall 2005. [PAC 9]

154. Social Psychology. Ms. Thompson. Introduction to the psychology of social behavior: how people think about, influence, and relate to one another. Aggression, altruism, conformity, prejudice, attraction, social perception, errors in social judgment, and attitudes. Fall 2004. [PAC 7]

156. Industrial/Organizational Psychology: The Psychology of Work.Ms. Goto. Introduction to the psychology of work. Topics include leadership, motivation, job satisfaction, performance evaluation, group processes, decision making, and the crosscultural work force. Lecture and discussion. Fall 2005. [PAC 7]

158. Introductory Statistics for Psychology. Ms. Greene. Introduction to probability, hypothesis testing, correlation and regression, analysis of variance, and non-parametric techniques. Emphasis on the logic of statistical methodology as it applies to studies of behavior. Prerequisite: Psychology 51. Each semester. [PAC 4]

159. Research Design and Methodology.Ms. Thompson. Issues in research design and analysis. Experimental and non-experimental designs, internal and external validity. Scale construction and matters relating to test reliability and validity. Computer applications emphasized. Laboratory required. Prerequisite: Psychology 158 or equivalent. Fall 2004.

160. Perception and Cognition. Mr. Banks. Investigates the question of how we use patterns of physical energy to perceive the world. Covers topics from sensation to cognition, including music, language communication, disorders of perception, attention, unconscious perception, and brain mechanisms in cognition. Laboratory arranged. Prerequisite: Psychology 51 or Linguistics/Cognitive Science 11 or equivalent. Offered in 2005-06. [PAC 2]

162. Memory and Language. Ms. Burke. Investigates the nature of human memory and how it interacts with language. Emphasis on architecture of memory systems from working memory to semantic memory, and on memory processes in language comprehension and production. Evaluates research on how we remember, why we forget, memory without awareness, and language and memory disorders. Laboratory. Prerequisite: Psychology 51 or Linguistics/Cognitive Science 11. Identical to Ling/CogSci 162. Spring 2005. [PAC 2]

176. The Psychology of Health and Medicine. Ms. Thompson. Psychological factors involved in health, illness, and medical care. Scientific research on mind-body issues, healthpromoting behaviors, coping with illness, and physician/patient relationship. Topics include HIV disease, stress management, pain, grief, and medical training. Students observe in health care setting to apply concepts covered in course. Spring 2005.

180A. Seminar in Social and Emotional Development. Ms. Greene. Focus on social and emotional development from infancy through adolescence. Specific issues include attachment, temperament, emotion regulation, parenting, aggression, altruism, achievement, gender socialization, and peer relations. Readings include classic and current journal articles, as well as contemporary books on childhood. Prerequisite: Psychology 108 or permission of instructor. Spring 2005; offered alternate years.

180B. Seminar in Clinical Psychology. Staff. Focuses on current issues and controversies in the field of clinical psychology, incorporating evaluation of the role of the mental-health professional. Discussion of gender, sexuality, and ethnicity as they relate to therapeutic relationships and settings. Analysis of theories of psychotherapy and treatment of specific mental-health disorders. Emphasizes critical thinking, discussion, and writing about research, theory, and case studies. Prerequisite: Psychology 131 or equivalent. Fall 2004.

180E. Seminar in Social Cognition. Ms. Thompson. The psychology of humans as social beings with a focus on how we perceive, judge, and think about ourselves and others. Indepth discussion of beliefs about justice, how we perceive the causes of behavior, the origins and effects of stereotypes and how to change them, social comparison, social errors, judgment heuristics, and self-serving biases. Prerequisite: Psychology 154 or equivalent. Spring 2006.

180H. Seminar in Consciousness and Cognition. Mr. Banks. What is the role of consciousness in perceiving, willing, thinking? What is the relationship between consciousness and the brain? How can conscious willing be consistent with deterministic neurophysiological processes in the brain? Seminar will cover recent approaches to these and related questions, with an emphasis on relevant scientific findings. Prerequisite: Psychology 160 or permission of instructor. Spring 2006.

180J. Seminar on Language, Memory, and the Brain. Ms. Burke. Current research on the interaction between brain and behavior in language and memory. Includes neuroimaging and cognitive behavioral research on patients and in normal aging and dementia. Emphasis on the neural and cognitive bases of conceptual knowledge, lexical representation, word retrieval, and sentence processing. Prerequisite: Psychology 162, Ling/CogSci 11, or permission of instructor. Spring 2005.

180K. Advanced Topics in Psychology and the Law. Ms. Meza. Exposes students to selected applications of psychology to the law, and provides an indepth approach to empirical questions for which students seek answers. Students are required to evaluate relevant literature., report findings, and generate and design research projects to answer their own empirical psychology/law questions. Prerequisite: 89B. Spring 2005.

180LAA. Seminar on Individualism and Collectivism. Ms. Goto. Emphasis on critical evaluation of recent literature in cross-cultural, ethnic minority, and Asian American psychology. Laboratory includes training in the use of multi-method, cross-cultural techniques to study Asian American populations; original data collected, analyzed, and presented. Spring 2006.

180MCH. Seminar in Cultural Psychology.Mr. Buriel. The theories and methods of psychology and ethnic studies are used to examine the behavior of U.S. ethnic minorities, the unique psychocultural experiences of individual ethnic groups, and the similarities in these experiences. Topics include identity formation, socialization, prejudice, acculturation, and mental health. Common developmental challenges and adaptation strategies of U.S. ethnic groups stressed. Intended for students with previous courses in both psychology and ethnic studies. Fall 2004.

181. Research in Social and Health Psychology. Ms. Thompson. Examines current research in social and health psychology topics. Includes discussion of readings in selected areas, participation in a research group, and experience with all aspects of professional research. Students will be involved in submitting work for presentation at professional conferences. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor. Half-course, P/NC only. May be repeated once for credit. Each semester.

185. Psychology: History, Science and Applications. Mr. Buriel. An overview and integration of psychology that examines its history, the nature of basic and applied research, and theory in the field. Lecture, discussion, and in-class presentations. Senior majors or permission of instructor. Fall 2004.

188BK. Seminar in African American Psychology.Ms. Holmes. Critically examines contemporary literature in African American psychology. Emphasizes the ideas of leading theorists (e.g., Na’im Akbar, Wade Nobles, Linda Myers) and the research literature on contemporary problems (e.g., teen pregnancy, gangs). Prerequisites: Psychology 12 or 75, or permission of instructor. Fall 2005.

191. Senior Thesis. Staff. An original empirical investigation completed under the guidance of a department faculty member and written in a journal-article format. Spring 2005.IS

199. Independent Study: Reading and Research. Staff. Open to upper-division students interested in individual research, or tutorial, or collaboration in ongoing faculty research. Also used for reading or independent study in topics of special interest. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Course or half-course. May be repeated for credit. Each semester.

Students are advised to consult the listings of the psychology departments of the other Claremont Colleges, including Claremont Graduate University, for additional courses that complement the offerings at Pomona.