Academics

Psychology

Tom Toleno

As there are several outcomes when studying psychology, outcomes which require different preparation, the following description of the program of psychology begins, oddly, at the end result.

Psychology is an offering within a traditional liberal arts curriculum; hence it is not necessary to prepare for it as if it were a major. It may be for some, but it is not necessarily for many. Students are encouraged to study broadly, to follow issues, phenomena, problems across disciplines in the social sciences, even across fields as in interdisciplinary projects. For example, students have combined psychology and the arts, especially theater, dance, and the visual arts. Other combinations have included biology and psychology, humanities and psychology – especially literature, history, and philosophy. Students choosing to pursue these kinds of Plans of Concentration may not have the foundation necessary for immediate qualification for a graduate program.

Even those students who choose to prepare for a graduate program find that there are different requirements, depending on the kind of graduate work intended. Those studying to be counselors have a different set of priorities than those studying developmental psychology. Students who want to study education also have different priorities.

  1. If you are just beginning psychology, and you have a liberal arts agenda, sample from the list of introductory and intermediate courses, and sample from history, literature, philosophy, biology, and any of the other social sciences.
  2. If you have some focus, then probably some combinations will make more sense than others. Do not try to do it all; you will miss too many opportunities to broaden out your interest. Your focus may lead to one of four tracks: counseling, developmental, experimental psychology, or education.
  3. If you are thinking of graduate school, you need some basic, intermediate, and advanced courses and tutorials. A graduate school will want to see history and theory of psychology (two classes in: perception, cognition, or linguistics), social psychology, and statistics.
  4. Do not start at "C," but keep it in mind. Talk to me about your interests: I can advise you. Begin with any basic introductory offering in the social sciences (e.g., anthropology, sociology, or psychology). If you want a specific introduction to psychology, consider "Persistent Problems of Psychology," an introductory history and theory course focusing on four major perspectives of the field. Otherwise, jump in to a specific area of interest at the introductory or intermediate level. Study broadly; you will most likely end up using courses you never thought were connected (e.g., Economics, American studies, Religion, Literature, Philosophy, and Color Seminar.)


COURSES OFFERED ON A ROTATING OR PERIODIC BASIS

Persistent Problems in Psychology (SSC34)
An introduction to the history and theory of psychology, offering a survey of psychology's major perspectives. (Introductory)

Educational Psychology (SSC120)
This course examines the application of learning, motivation, and cognitive theories to educational psychology. (Introductory)

Psychology & Literature (SSC60)
An examination of the works of Carl Gustav Jung and the Post-Jungian movement. The course addresses the impact of his thought on psychology and on literature. (Introductory)

Introduction to Linguistics (SSC394)
This course introduces students to the aims and principles of modern linguistics. The major topics are the organization of language sounds (phonology), the internal structure of words (morphology), principles of sentence formation (syntax), and the nature of meaning in language (semantics); there may also be brief forays into language change, sociolinguistics, or psycholinguistics. Students will both learn fundamental principles of language structure and also get practice in analyzing linguistic data from a wide variety of languages. (Introductory)

Adolescence & the Family (SSC196)
An examination of the family and the emerging adolescent in the family. (Intermediate)

Abnormal Psychology (SSC108)
An analysis of the major approaches to abnormal psychology and the resulting theories of personality. (Intermediate)

Cognition: Memory & Attention (SSC112)
A survey of various approaches to cognition, examining human processes; e.g., memory, attention, thinking. (Intermediate)

Perception of the Environment (SSC50)
A study of the physiology and psychology of perception, the means by which we maintain contact with and obtain knowledge about the environment. Participants will be required to conduct a series of empirical projects throughout the semester. (Intermediate)

Educational Psychology (SSC120)
This course examines the application of learning, motivation, and cognitive theories in resolving the angst in educational settings. (Text: The Promise of Educational Psychology by Richard E. Mayer) (Intermediate)

Theories of Personality (SSC147)
Major theories of personality are discussed and compared. The emphasis is on the underlying assumptions regarding persons and the therapies and psychotherapies which have emerged. (Advanced)

Self in Social Interaction (SSC133)
An historical and philosophical investigation of the self which examines how social theories make use of the concept. Various approaches are examined, ranging from psychological theory (Freud, James, Skinner, Maslow, and Rogers) to sociological theory (G.H. Mead, Erickson, Goffman, Parsons) and to philosophy (S.S. Shoemaker and Ned Block).(Advanced)

COURSES OFFERED OCCASIONALLY OR AS NEEDED

Animal Behavior (SSC134)
An introduction to behavior as understood and studied by the ethologist, ecologist, and comparative psychologist. The purpose is to find which principles govern action and whether these principles can be generalized profitably to human acts.

Parapsychology (SSC271)
An examination of phenomena which are often treated under the parapsychology rubric.

Psychology of Religion (SSC225)
An introduction to some of the discussion which psychologists have made to the study of religion. Some emphasis will be placed on the debate around "pure consciousness" (e.g., James, Katz, Forman), and the questions of "evil in the world." Fourth credit requires a major paper.

Freud & the Post-Structuralists (SSC255)
An advanced reading of Freud and some post-structuralists’ writings, e.g., Lacan, Derrida, Husserl.

Statistics (CDS6)
Basic probability theory, sampling, testing hypotheses, regression analysis, collection of data, measurement and experimentation.

Participatory Observation (SSC249)
A course on method, emphasizing participant observation in field situations.

AREAS OF INTEREST FOR PLAN-LEVEL WORK

SAMPLE TUTORIAL TOPICS