The Psychology Program | Academic Requirements and Concentrations
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The Psychology Program: Courses
Lower level: 1000–1999 (freshman)
Lower level: 2000–2999 (sophomore)
Upper level: 3000–3999 (junior)
Upper level: 4000–4999 (senior)
Introduction to Psychology
PSY 1530 / 4 credits / Every semester
Empirical and theoretical approaches to the basic physiological, cognitive, and social mechanisms underlying behavior. Topics include learning and conditioning; sensation and perception; memory, thinking, and language; psychological development; social processes; and personality and psychopathology. PSY 1530 is a prerequisite for all upper-level psychology courses, except when the course description notes otherwise.
Social Issues
PSY 2140 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to a topic of broad interest or concern; examples include violence and terror, the global AIDS crisis, poverty, and racism. It is team taught by faculty members in at least two distinct disciplines. Lectures are supplemented by visual presentations and guest lectures.
Psychology of Emotion
PSY 2160 / 3 credits / Alternate years
The writings of classic and contemporary investigators provide the basis for examining theoretical and empirical issues within the area of human emotions. Topics include the expression of emotions; individual differences in emotional experience; the structure of emotion; and the interplay between emotions, cognition, and behavior.
Sensation and Perception
PSY 2250 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
An examination of the biological processes by which the sensory systems pick up information from the environment and the psychological processes by which that information is coded, transformed, and integrated to form perceptions. Emphasis is on the visual systems and visual perception. Aspects of perception in the visual arts and music are also discussed.
Behavioral Statistics
PSY 2320 / 4 credits / Every semester
An introduction to data analysis, with coverage of both descriptive and inferential statistics, and an introduction to probability. Class discussions focus on the use of sample, sampling, and population distributions as they are employed in hypothesis testing. Inferential tests include t-tests, ANOVAs, chi square, regression, and nonparametric tests. A problems section is required.
Note: This course is intended to fulfill the statistics requirement for psychology majors. It also fulfills (a) the statistics requirement for economics, environmental studies, and sociology majors, and (b) the methodology requirement for students majoring in media, society, and the arts.
Prerequisite: Math proficiency
Drugs and Behavior
PSY 2350 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Examines the effects of a wide range of psychotropic drugs on behavior, including drugs used clinically to treat mental disorders and drugs of abuse (including alcohol). The biological basis of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms, and other issues related to drug addiction, are also covered. Knowledge of basic biology or psychology is helpful, but not required.
Psychology of Communication
PSY 2360 / 3 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
An introduction to the behavior of communicating and to the implicit rules and conventions guiding verbal and nonverbal communication. Topics include the difference between language and communication, the roots of human communication in infant-caretaker interaction, and conversational analysis and persuasion.
Learning and Memory
PSY 2450 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Behavioral and cognitive approaches to the study of human and animal learning are discussed. Topics include classical conditioning, motivation, cognitive models of memory, and applications outside the laboratory.
Adolescent Psychology
PSY 2500 / 3 credits / Spring
A broad survey of human development from late childhood through early adulthood. Topics include physiological, social, and cognitive development; peers, the family, and the school; issues of autonomy, identity, and sexual relations; depression; substance abuse; and suicide.
Personal/Social Relationships
PSY 2520 / 3 credits / Alternate years
An examination of both interpersonal relationships and the relationship between the individual and society. Topics include social development, situational and cultural influences on individual functioning, social support networks, interpersonal attraction, and intergroup relations.
Psychological Issues in Education
PSY 2540 / 3 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
The development of educational policies is often controversial. These policies are frequently influenced by political forces with little regard for research findings. This course relates research in developmental psychology to educational practice. Students read and discuss opposing views on different controversial issues, such as reading instruction, bilingual instruction, the use of standardized tests, ability tracking, and inclusion.
Child Development
PSY 2650 / 4 credits / Fall
A broad survey of human development from conception through childhood. Topics include prenatal development and birth, cognition, language, parent-child interaction, peer relations, moral development, and sex role development. PSY 2650 may serve as a prerequisite for upper-level developmental psychology courses. Credit will not be given for both PSY 2650 and BPS 3350/Developmental Psychology (offered through the School of Liberal Studies & Continuing Education).
Psychology of Lesbian and Gay Issues
PSY 2670 / 3 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Aspects of the gay and lesbian experience are explored from a psychological perspective. Topics include biopsychosocial bases of sexual orientation, coming out, relations with family of origin, interaction with ethnic identity, sexuality and physical health, prejudice and discrimination, self-image and self-esteem, internalized homophobia, romantic relationships, friendships, parenting, and aging. Also offered as GND 2670.
Psychology of Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
PSY 2745 / 3 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Students examine the psychological research and theory relevant to the understanding of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Topics include the cognitive bases of stereotypes and prejudice, the role of socialization and the media, the nature of in-group-out-group biases, the changing face of prejudice and discrimination, ways to reduce prejudice, and the consequences of prejudice for members of stigmatized groups.
Stress and Coping
PSY 2755 / 3 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
In this course, the intra- and extra-personal causes of stress are identified, and a variety of assessment instruments are demonstrated and used. The consequences of stress are examined from several physiological and cognitive perspectives. A catalog of effective, direct, and palliative coping strategies is offered so that students can develop personalized stress-management programs.
Psychology of Women
PSY 2860 / 3 credits / Alternate years
A critical examination of social, psychological, and biological factors governing female behavior and experience. Within the context of a life-span model (infancy to old age), topics include gender development, puberty, school performance, sexuality, the body, depression, relationships, and communication styles. Also offered as GND 2860.
Social Psychology of Prison
PSY 3085 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Issues of incarceration are examined from a social-psychological perspective. Topics include how the correctional system operates, media images of crime and punishment, victims’ rights, and attitudes toward rehabilitation. The ways that race, gender, and economic factors interface with these issues and with social psychological theory and research are analyzed. Requirements include an independent project related to the course material.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or SOC 1500
The Psychology of Stigma
PSY 3090 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
A critical examination of classic and contemporary theories and research on stigma. Emphasis is on the psychological experiences of members of stigmatized groups; why individuals stigmatize others; sensitivity to discrimination; collective identity; methods of coping; and implications for the self, social interaction, and intergroup relations. Topics include race, ethnicity, gender, mental illness, sexuality, HIV/AIDS, and health/physical disabilities.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Abnormal Psychology
PSY 3100 / 4 credits / Every year
Explores the diagnosis, phenomenology, and scientific and clinical understandings of a wide range of mental disorders. Current research is reviewed to explore the underlying mechanisms of the disorders under discussion. Diagnosis is approached from the perspective of the most recent DSM. At various points, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and neuroscientific viewpoints of psychopathology are represented.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Psychological Perspectives on the Self
PSY 3120 / 4 credits / Alternate years
An examination of the processes by which people develop and maintain a self-concept; how the self-concept influences emotion, motivation, and behavior; and whether or not the beliefs people hold about themselves are accurate or useful. Readings include recent theoretical and empirical writings from psychology journals and edited texts.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Sports Psychology
PSY 3130 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
A critical examination of the psychological variables that affect athletes and their performance, with emphasis on the social-emotional, cognitive, and developmental aspects of sports participation. The impact of social-psychological conditions on athletes is explored from historical, conceptual, and practical perspectives. Topics include understanding the nature of competition, women in sports, team vs. individual participation, coping with anxiety and maintaining self-esteem, imagery and intervention strategies, and children’s participation in sports.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Theories of Development
PSY 3170 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
An examination of the concepts of human development proposed by major developmental theorists. Students read works by noted theorists and analyze research conducted within each of the frameworks. The theories of Freud, Piaget, Bandura, and Vygotsky are highlighted.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 and 2650, or permission of instructor
History of Psychology
PSY 3185 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Students study the historical roots of developmental, cognitive, and social psychology through the writings of major European and American psychologists, primarily from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The aim of the course is to expose students to the history of major ideas in psychology through an examination of primary sources.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or one philosophy course, or permission of instructor
Psychology of Creativity
PSY 3210 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Research and theories of creativity are examined from the perspectives of cognitive, social, personality, and developmental psychology.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Psychology of Terrorism
PSY 3220 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
This advanced seminar examines terrorism and responses to terrorism from a political/applied social-psychological perspective. Topics include defining terrorism, preconditions of terrorism, recruitment and motivation, domestic and international terrorism, and case studies and analysis of terrorist organizations. Students examine a variety of classic and current sources drawn from multiple disciplines.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Recommended: Previous experience in related upper-level courses and experience with reading primary sources. PSY 1530 or equivalent strongly preferred.
Psychology of Sustainability
PSY 3230 Refer to ENV 3230 in Environmental Studies Courses for description.
Cross-Cultural Psychology
PSY 3300 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
A consideration of human behavior within an ecocultural perspective, beginning with historical and methodological issues. Perceptual, cognitive, and developmental processes, personality, and psychopathology are also studied. Distinct cultures serve as case studies.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or permission of instructor
Health Psychology
PSY 3301 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
The interventions suggested by the biopsychosocial model and mind-body paradigm are examined. Topics include health behavior, social learning theory, attribution theory, and attitude formation as they apply to problems like health promotion, disease prevention, reactions to illness, management of chronic and terminal illnesses, and adherence to treatment regimens. Methods of evaluation of clinical services are addressed.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Social Development
PSY 3330 / 4 credits / Alternate years
An in-depth exploration of social and personality development from infancy through adolescence. Topics include predispositions for sociability, formation of affectional ties with family members and peers, the development of knowledge of self and others, and the acquisition of interactional knowledge and skills.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 and 2650, or permission of instructor
Cognitive Development
PSY 3345 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
An in-depth exploration of cognitive development from infancy through adolescence. Students study major theories and research findings on the development of problem solving, reasoning, memory, perception, and academic skills.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Social Issues in Developmental Psychology
PSY 3440 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Controversial social issues and policies are examined and discussed within a context of theory and research in developmental psychology. The goal is to examine how current developmental research has, and has not, been successfully applied to practical social issues regarding children and adolescents. Topics include day care, sex education, adolescent pregnancy and parenting, changing family structure, infants and children with AIDS, television viewing, and child abuse and neglect.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 and 2650, or permission of instructor
Development of Language
PSY 3490 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Starts with an examination of various criteria for and precursors of language. Students read and analyze studies of children’s first words, early syntactical development, speech play, metaphor, storytelling, and bilingualism.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Social Cognition
PSY 3510 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
An increasingly important focus in social psychology, social cognition is the study of how people think in social situations. Topics include social categories, scripts and schemas, attribution, inference, memory, and attitudes. Important applications are also considered, including stereotyping and prejudice.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Experimental Psychology
PSY 3550 / 5 credits / Every semester
A combined lecture and laboratory course teaching the application of the scientific method to the study of human and animal behavior. Topics include experimental design, respondent and operant conditioning, psychophysics, perception, and cognitive processes. Students conduct experiments as a group and prepare scientific reports on their results. Students design and carry out an original research project. A lab section is required.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 and 2320, advanced standing in psychology, and permission of instructor
Psychological Testing and Measurement
PSY 3610 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
This course covers the basic principles, research, and theories on the testing and measurement of psychological constructs. Topics include test reliability and validity, test development, intelligence and its measurement, personality assessment, and clinical assessment.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Contemporary Psychoanalytic Theory
PSY 3620 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
After a brief overview of psychoanalysis and its evolution through the development of ego psychology (A. Freud, Hartmen), considerable attention is given to object relations theory, both British (Klein, Winnicott, Guntrip) and American (Kohut, Kernberg) schools. The interpersonal psychoanalysis of Harry Stack Sullivan is reviewed. A familiarity with the language of psychoanalysis is essential.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Physiological Psychology
PSY 3660 / 4 credits / Spring
An examination of the biological basis of behavior. Topics include neuronal transmission, the coding and higher-order processing of sensory stimuli, movement, regulatory processes in feeding and drinking, sexual and emotional behavior, learning and memory, and psychopharmacology. The biological bases of various psychological disorders are also covered.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or, for biology majors, permission of instructor
Personality Assessment
PSY 3690 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Focuses on how personality measures are constructed and how scores on these measures are interpreted and used. The strengths and weaknesses of various projective tests, personality inventories, single-trait measures, IQ tests, behavioral indicators, and physiological measures are reviewed. Topics include the stability of personality, whether or not IQ tests actually measure intelligence, and the accuracy of people’s self-descriptions of their personalities.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Special Topics in Neuropsychology
PSY 3705 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
One or two topics in neuropsychology are examined in depth. Topics may include memory across the life span, degenerative disorders, neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia and depression), and communication disorders.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Human Neuropsychology
PSY 3715 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
This course reviews brain-behavior interactions obtained from studies of human brain damage and from investigations of the normal brain. Topics include hemispheric specialization, the representation of language, memory, spatial ability, attention, movement disorders, developmental disorders, and generalized cognitive disorders.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Developmental Psychopathology
PSY 3725 / 4 credits / Spring
Focuses on the development of the major emotional and behavioral problems of childhood and adolescence, including autism and Asperger’s disorder, AD/HD, depression, trauma-related problems, eating disorders, and personality problems. Empirical research and clinical material are both integral elements of the course, including in-class presentations of clinical research and case studies, as well as videos on psychopathology.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 and 3100
Human Memory
PSY 3745 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Examines the cognitive representations and processes involved in human memory. Topics include short-term and working memory; encoding and forgetting processes; implicit, semantic, and eyewitness memory; reconstructive processes and alterability of memory; and memory for text.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Psychology of Personality
PSY 3760 / 4 credits / Fall
The study of how diverse psychological systems combine to form a coherent, unique individual. Three competing traditions are discussed: the observationist approach (studying people in depth through careful observation); the psychometric approach (personality and intelligence testing); and the experimental approach (manipulating one set of psychological systems to see how others respond).
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Cognitive Psychology
PSY 3770 / 4 credits / Alternate years
The study of human cognition from the perspective of the mind as a processor of information. Topics include attention, memory, conceptual structure, imagery, reasoning, problem solving, and language use.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or permission of instructor
Social Psychology of HIV/AIDS
PSY 3820 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
HIV/AIDS is among the most pressing health and social issues of our time. Topics include in-depth coverage of prevention and intervention, social marketing, HIV testing, disclosure of HIV status and stigma, access to medications and medication adherence, politics and public policy, and the international impact of HIV/AIDS (Africa, Asia, Europe) from an applied social-psychological perspective.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 and either PSY 3301 or PSY 3860 or permission of instructor
Social Behavior
PSY 3830 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
In this course, social behavior is studied through ethnomethodology, a phenomenologically based form of social analysis. Students read sociological theory and conduct investigations aimed at examining the methods people use to construct a social world. Topics include performing gender, defining death, interpreting IQ, understanding contradictory versions of events, creating credibility, and making sense of communications.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or one philosophy or sociology course
Psychology of Gender
PSY 3840 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Examines psychological, biological, and sociocultural factors influencing the development of gender identity and gender roles. Readings focus on the gender categories female and male, and on their relation to issues like transsexualism, transvestism, intersexuality, and sexual identity. Also offered as GND 3840.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or one women’s studies course
Gender Development
PSY 3845 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Examines the processes involved in the development of gender during childhood, emphasizing the interaction between biology, socialization, and cognition. Students read primary source articles that examine the influence of hormones, parenting, knowledge, friendships, and media on children’s beliefs about their gender and on sex differences.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530
Practicum in Child Development
PSY 3850 / 4 credits / Every semester
Students work with preschool children for eight hours per week at the Purchase College Children’s Center, located on campus. The academic component of the practicum is coordinated through weekly class meetings that relate the students’ experience with children at the Center to issues in child development.
Note: This course (a) fulfills a requirement for the certificate program in early childhood development, offered by the School of Liberal Studies & Continuing Education; (b) does not count as one of the psychology electives for psychology majors.
Prerequisite: Permission of the Children’s Center director and of instructor
Social Psychology
PSY 3860 / 4 credits / Every year
Students study classic experiments and contemporary research in the areas of conformity, obedience, helping behavior, attributions, aggression, persuasion, close relationships and attraction, attitudes and social influence, ethics, and prejudice. This material is applied to both current and historical examples in social research.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 or one sociology course
Psychology Junior Seminar
PSY 3890 / 4 credits / Every semester
Under the guidance of a faculty member, each student conducts an in-depth critical review of research in a narrowly defined area. The aim is to develop critical-thinking skills and to teach close reading of primary sources and writing in the style of the discipline.
Prerequisite: Advanced standing in psychology and permission of instructor
Independent Study and Tutorial
PSY 3900 and PSY 4900 / 1–4 credits / Every semester
Students with special interests may study independently under the sponsorship of a qualified faculty member. Independent study in general is permitted if the board of study offers no formal course covering the material. Independent study in advanced or highly focused studies may be undertaken after a student has completed two 3000- or 4000-level courses in psychology with a grade of B or higher. Independent study may not be substituted for any specifically required course. The per-credit workload is approximately 2½ hours per week.
Internship in Psychology
PSY 3980 / 1–4 credits / Every semester
The internship in psychology provides students with the opportunity to gain supervised, voluntary work experience for academic credit. Internships are developed by the student, the academic internship advisor, and the sponsoring organization in conjunction with the Career Development Center. Psychology students have interned in clinics, laboratories, and educational settings. Some students elect to do internships at the Purchase College Children’s Center.
Seminar in Early Childhood Development
PSY 4100 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
An in-depth exploration of the development and education of young children, ranging in age from two to five years. Topics include physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development; issues of self, autonomy, and independence; day care vs. preschool; developmentally appropriate practice; the assessment of young children; and transitions to kindergarten.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 and PSY 2650, or permission of instructor
Selected Topics in Cognitive Psychology
PSY 4170 / 2 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
In this advanced seminar, students read and discuss primary literature on a topic selected by the instructor in the area of cognitive psychology. Topics may include (but are not limited to) imagery, memory, problem solving, and reasoning.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Seminar on the Psychobiology of Mental Disorders
PSY 4680 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Intensive study of the neuroscientific literature on a few mental disorders. Topics may include schizophrenia; affective, anxiety, or substance-use disorders; conduct disorder; and antisocial personality disorder. Research on the biological bases of these disorders is explored through close reading of primary source material.
Prerequisite: PSY 1530 and PSY 3660 or 3100
Psychology Senior Seminar I and II
PSY 4880 and 4890 / 1 credit (per semester) / I: Fall; II: Spring
In the first semester, students meet weekly to present and discuss their senior project proposals. In the second semester, students present the findings of their senior project research. Grading is on a pass/no credit basis.
Corequisite: PSY 4990
Independent Study and Tutorial
PSY 4900 Refer to PSY 3900 for description.
Senior Project
PSY 4990 / 4 credits (per semester) / Every semester
Two-semester independent study (8 credits total) leading to a baccalaureate thesis. The project and thesis may take one of several forms. Students typically join in the faculty sponsor’s research, pursuing an identifiable problem in that context. Some students do research projects at other institutions like psychiatric hospitals or clinics. These external projects must be approved by a Purchase faculty member, who acts as the internal sponsor.
Prerequisite: 90 credits, PSY 3550 and 3890
Corequisite: PSY 4880 (fall) and 4890 (spring)
Updated July 25, 2008