Courses

20200. Psychological Research Methods. This course introduces concepts and methods used in behavioral research. Topics include the nature of behavioral research, testing of research ideas, quantitative and qualitative techniques of data collection, artifacts in behavioral research, analyzing and interpreting research data, and ethical considerations in research. A. Light. Autumn.

20400. Cognitive Psychology. Viewing the brain globally as an information processing or computational system has revolutionized the study and understanding of intelligence. This course introduces the theory, methods, and empirical results that underlie this approach to psychology. Topics include categorization, attention, memory, knowledge, language, and thought. S. Heald, Autumn.

20600. Social Psychology. This course introduces students to the field of social psychology - the scientific study of how people think about, feel about, interact with, influence, and relate to one another. Topics covered include self and social perception, social influence, beliefs and attitudes, altruism, and intergroup processes. Where relevant, we will discuss if and how findings in social psychology can be applied in real-world contexts such as health, work, and relationships. Y.C. Leong, Autumn.

20850. Introduction to Human Development (CHDV 20000). This course introduces the study of lives in context. The nature of human development from infancy through old age is explored through theory and empirical findings from various disciplines. Readings and discussions emphasize the interrelations of biological, psychological, and sociocultural forces at different points of the life cycle. Required course for Comparative Human Development majors. S. Numanbayraktaroglu, Autumn.

22220. Understanding Inequality as a Psychologist. Inequality within and across social groups has risen sharply in the past few decades. What are the early traces and psychological mechanisms of this pervasive phenomenon? In this seminar, we will discuss these questions from multiple angles, integrating developmental, social and cognitive psychology. Specifically, this course will cover topics in early social cognition, including social categorization, essentialism, structural reasoning, normative reasoning, stereotypes and prejudice, etc. Students will evaluate past studies throughout the course and propose original research at the end. Undergraduates must have completed PSYC 20500 Developmental Psychology or gain the consent of the instructor. L. Bian, Autumn.

22350. Social Neuroscience. Human beings are intensely social creatures. Our health and well-being depend on others.  Social neuroscience provides an overarching paradigm to investigate social cognition and behavior, and to determine where we as a species fit within a broader biological context. The course examines how the brain mediates social cognition and behavior. It spans diverse species and disciplines (evolution, neuroscience, psychology, behavioral economics, political science).  A wide range of topics is examined, including behavioral synchrony, friendship, cooperation, social decision-making, social status and hierarchies, empathy, group affiliation and identity, social influence, etc. Interdisciplinary analyses, by integrating approaches from social sciences and biological sciences, significantly expand our knowledge, and have the potential to improve our social and living conditions. J. Decety. Autumn.

22580. Child Development in the Classroom. This discussion-based, advanced seminar is designed to investigate how preschool and elementary students think, act, and learn, as well as examine developmentally appropriate practices and culturally responsive teaching in the classroom. This course emphasizes the application of theory and research from the field of psychology to the realm of teaching and learning in contemporary classrooms. Course concepts will be grounded in empirical research and activities geared towards understanding the nuances and complexities of topics such as cognitive development (memory, attention, language), early assessment systems, standardized testing, “mindset”, “grit”, exercise/nutrition, emotion regulation, and more. K. O'Doherty. Autumn.

22950. Emergence and Development of Mathematics and Language. We will discuss the emergence and development of mathematics and language in humans. Among the topics we will discuss are the universality and variation of the development of these systems as well as their resilience in the face of biological and input variations. Undergraduates must have completed PSYC 20500 or gain the consent of instructor. S. Goldin-Meadow, S. Levine, Autumn.

23000. Cultural Psychology. There is a substantial portion of the psychological nature of human beings that is neither homogeneous nor fixed across time and space. At the heart of the discipline of cultural psychology is the tenet of psychological pluralism, which states that the study of "normal" psychology is the study of multiple psychologies and not just the study of a single or uniform fundamental psychology for all peoples of the world. Research findings in cultural psychology thus raise provocative questions about the integrity and value of alternative forms of subjectivity across cultural groups. In this course we analyze the concept of "culture" and examine ethnic and cross-cultural variations in mental functioning with special attention to the cultural psychology of emotions, self, moral judgment, categorization, and reasoning. Undergraduates must be in their third or fourth year. R. Schweder. Autumn.

23370. Bright and Dark Sides of Empathy. The experience of empathy is a powerful phenomenon. It motivates prosocial behavior, especially parental care, and facilitates cooperation and group living. As an important aspect of the patient-doctor relationship, empathy is associated with better health outcomes. Yet, empathy is limited and fragile. It is susceptible to many biases and can lead to poor moral decisions. This course invites students to critically explore the science of empathy by examining its scope and its limits. It delves into cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research from the social sciences and the biological sciences to understand the mechanisms and functions of empathy. The topics examined in this course include: The evolution of empathy; The neural and neuro-endocrinological mechanisms; How empathy develops in young children; The impact of biases and implicit attitudes on empathy; The social situations and group dynamics that influence empathy; The lack of empathy in psychopathy and narcissistic personalities; Why and how empathy improves health outcomes in medicine. J. Decety. Autumn.

23660. The Disordered Mind. What are disorders of the mind? What are some of the theoretical and practical issues surrounding the identification, classification, and treatment of such disorders? What do mental disorders have to teach us about the typically-functioning mind? This seminar course will address these and other questions within biological, psychological, and sociocultural perspectives to attempt to understand the current and historical paradigms that have influenced our perception of what it means for the mind to be “disordered.” Included will be discussion of behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and developmental disorders. K. Ledoux, Autumn.

23720. Crosslinguistic Perspectives on Language Devleopment (CHDV 23700). This discussion-based course covers cross-linguistic evidence concerning similarities and dissimilarities in how children learn language across diverse language communities. Each year will revolve around a central topic. This year we will focus on the acquisition of phonology. M. Tice, Autumn.

24450. Foundations of Neuroscience (NSCI 20101). This course is an introduction to the broad field of neuroscience. This is a lecture-based course that aims to introduce undergraduate students to concepts and principles that explain how the nervous system is built and how it functions. Examples of thematic areas covered in lectures include: (a) cellular anatomy of the nervous system, (b) development and evolution of the nervous system, (c) sensory systems, (d) motor systems, (e) cognition and behavior.  D. Freedman, P. Kratsios, M. Sheffield, Autumn.

25101. The Psychology of Decision Making. We constantly make decisions, determine our preferences, and choose among alternatives. The importance of our decisions range from ordering a meal at a restaurant to choosing what college to attend. How do we make such decisions? What are the rules that guide us and the biases that shape our decisions? What determines our preferences? What impacts our willingness to take risks? In this course we consider how the way we go about gathering information affects our judgment, and how the way we frame problems affects our perceptions and shapes the solutions to problems. We learn what governs choice and the systematic way it deviates from normative rules. We consider how we think about the future and how we learn from the past. The course focuses on the psychology behind making decisions with implications for a wide range of areas such as public policy, law, and medicine. B. Keysar, Autumn. Third and fourth-year students only.

26520. Mind, Brain, and Meaning (PHIL 26520, LING 26520). What is the relationship between physical processes in the brain and body and the processes of thought and consciousness that constitute our mental life? Philosophers and others have puzzled over this question for millenia. Many have concluded it to be intractable. In recent decades, the field of cognitive science--encompassing philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, computer science, linguistics and other disciplines--has proposed a new form of answer. The driving idea is that the interaction of the mental and the physical may be understood via a third level of analysis: that of the computational. This course offers a critical introduction to the elements of this approach, and surveys some of the alternatives models and theories that fall within it. Readings are drawn from a range of historical and contemporary sources in philosophy, psychology, linguistics and computer science. C. Kennedy, L. Kay, C. Bridges, Autumn.

26750. Socio-ecological Psychology. This is an advanced seminar in social psychology and explores the ways in which socio-ecological factors such as residential mobility, income inequality, and geography affect individuals' thoughts, feelings, and actions, and the way in which individuals' thoughts, feelings, and actions help create particular socio-ecological conditions. Undergraduates should have completed PSYC 20600 Social Psychology or gain the consent of instructor to register. S. Oishi, Autumn.

27010. Psycholinguistics (LING 27010). Language is a product of the human mind. In this course, we will ask a range of fundamental questions at the intersection of language and cognition: How do we manage to produce language on the fly, and how do we understand language in the moment? Do different languages lead to different information processing strategies in production and comprehension, and if so, why? How does our mental machinery shape natural language? How is language organized and implemented in the brain? These questions, and related questions, form the bedrock of the field of psycholinguistics. This course is a one-quarter introduction to this broad, interdisciplinary field of study. Over the course of this quarter, we will discuss some foundational issues on language production and comprehension. However, psycholinguistics is a young science, and we will come against the limits of our current knowledge very quickly. Thus, an important part of this class will be developing your scientific reasoning skills and toolkit, so you can critically evaluate the current state of the art for yourself. M. Xiang (Autumn).

27950. Evolution and Economics of Human Behavior (CHDV 27950). This course explores how evolutionary biology and behavioral economics explain many different aspects of human behavior. Specific topics include evolutionary theory, natural and sexual selection, game theory, cost-benefit analyses of behavior from an evolutionary and a behavioral economics perspective, aggression, power and dominance, cooperation and competition, biological markets, parental investment, life history and risk-taking, love and mating, physical attractiveness and the market, emotion and motivation, sex and consumer behavior, cognitive biases in decision-making, and personality and psychopathology. D. Maestripieri, Autumn.

28990. Constructing consciousness. How do we go from matter to mind? How does consciousness happen? How can we scientifically study the links between the external world, the activity of our nervous systems, and our experiences? How do our percepts correlate with their physical causes? This reading- and discussion-focused course will engage with these and other big questions by examining the neural substrates and historical studies of perception. You must have taken at least one of the following four classes to register for this course: PSYC 20300 Biological Psychology; PSYC 20700 Sensation & Perception; NSCI 20111 Cellular Neurophysiology; or NSCI 20130 Systems Neuroscience. Requirements for a passing grade will include reading and posting written responses to several papers each week, participating in in-class discussions and peer-led discussions (one of which you will help lead), and writing a roughly three- to seven-page final paper. R. Lange, Autumn.

20250. Introduction to Statistical Concepts and Methods. Statistical techniques offer psychologists a way to build scientific theories from observations we make in the laboratory or in the world at large. As such, the ability to apply and interpret statistics in psychological research represents a foundational and necessary skill. This course will survey statistical techniques commonly used in psychological research. Attention will be given to both descriptive and inferential statistical methodology. It is recommended that students complete MATH 13100 and MATH 13200 (or higher) before taking this course. S. Heald, Winter.

20300. Biological Psychology. What are the relations between mind and brain? How do brains regulate mental, behavioral, and hormonal processes; and how do these influence brain organization and activity? This course introduces the anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of the brain; their changes in response to the experiential and sociocultural environment; and their relation to perception, attention, behavioral action, motivation, and emotion. This course does not meet requirements for the biological sciences major. PQ: Some background in biology and psychology. S. London, Winter.

20500. Developmental Psychology. This is an introductory course in developmental psychology, with a focus on cognitive and social development in infancy through early childhood. Example topics include children's early thinking about number, morality, and social relationships, as well as how early environments inform children's social and cognitive development. Where appropriate, we make links to both philosophical inquiries into the nature of the human mind, and to practical inquiries concerning education and public policy. K. O'Doherty, M. Fulcher, Winter.

20550. From Data to Manuscript in R (CHDV 20550). This course tackles the basic skills needed to build an integrated research report with the R programming language. We will cover every step from data to manuscript including: Using R's libraries to clean up and re-format messy datasets, preparing data sets for analysis, running statistical tools, generating clear and attractive figures and tables, and knitting those bits of code together with your manuscript writing. The result will be a reproducible, open-science friendly report that you can easily update after finishing data collection or receiving comments from readers. Never copy-paste your way through a table again! The R universe is large, so this course will focus specifically on: The core R libraries, the tidyverse library, and R Markdown. Students will also learn about the use of GitHub for version control. Prerequisite(s): This is a project-based course. Students must already be in possession of a (partial or whole) dataset for which they would like to create a preliminary research report (e.g., for thesis submission, publication, or similar). No prior programing experience necessary. N. Dowling, Winter.

20700. Sensation and Perception. What we see and hear depends on energy that enters the eyes and ears, but what we actually experience – perception – follows from human neural responses. This course focuses on visual and auditory phenomena, including basic percepts (for example, acuity, brightness, color, loudness, pitch) and also more complex percepts such as movement and object recognition. Biological underpinnings of perception are an integral part of the course. R. Lange, Winter.

21100. Human Development Research Design. (CHDV 20100). The purpose of this course is to expose CHD majors in college to a broad range of methods in social sciences with a focus on human development research. The faculty in Comparative Human Development is engaged in interdisciplinary research encompassing anthropology, biology, psychology, sociology, and applied statistics. The types of data and methods used by faculty span the gamut of possible methodologies for addressing novel and important research questions. In this course, students will study how appropriate research methods are chosen and employed in influential research and will gain hands-on experience with data collection and data analysis. In general, the class will meet as a whole on Mondays and will have lab/discussion sections on Wednesdays. The lab/discussion sections are designed to review the key concepts, practice through applying some of the methods, and prepare students for the assignments. Students in each section will be assigned to small groups. Some of the assignments are group-based while others are individual-based.  Required course for Human Development Majors. C. Galli, Winter.

21260. Psychology Research Incubator. Answering questions about how minds work, how choices are made, or about the forces that shape behavior depends on understanding how to carry out research. This course guides you through the process of developing an original research project of your own design. Whether your questions come from research you are already working on in a lab or reflect independent interests of your own, this course will lead you through the process of designing an empirical study to address an issue that interests you. From the first stages of turning an idea into a study, you will work either individually or with a group to develop your research questions scientifically to address issues that can add new knowledge to psychological science. In this course you will learn to: (1) generate testable hypotheses that are informed by prior research, (2) design and implement methods for testing these hypotheses, and (3) write an IRB protocol in order to collect data. The course culminates with drafting a research grant proposal so you will be well positioned to take advantage of the increased funding opportunities available for undergraduate research. Prerequisites: PSYC 20200. Open to second and third year students only. K. Ledoux, Winter.

21755. Longitudinal Research. This course will introduce students to longitudinal research methods used in psychological research. This includes both the design of longitudinal studies and the use of statistical techniques to analyze longitudinal data. Students will gain experience with reading longitudinal research reports using longitudinal data and develop the skills necessary to conduct and report on their own longitudinal research. H. Hamilton, Winter.

23200. Introduction to Language Acquisition. This course addresses the major issues involved in first-language acquisition. We deal with the child's production and perception of speech sounds (phonology), the acquisition of the lexicon (semantics), the comprehension and production of structured word combinations (syntax), and the ability to use language to communicate (pragmatics). S. Goldin-Meadow, Winter.

23820. Attention and Working Memory in the Mind and Brain. This course will provide a broad overview of current work in psychology and neuroscience related to attention and working memory. We will discuss evidence for sharp capacity limits in an individual's ability to actively monitor and maintain information in an "online" mental state. Readings will be primarily based on original source articles from peer-reviewed journals, with a focus on behavioral and neural approaches for measuring and understanding these basic cognitive processes. PQ: NSCI 20110 (Fundamental Neuroscience) is required for Neuroscience majors only. E. Awh, E. Vogel. Winter.

24470. Cellular Neurophysiology (NSCI 20111). This course describes the cellular and subcellular properties of neurons, including passive and active electrophysiological properties, and their synaptic interactions. Readings are assigned from a general neuroscience textbook. M. Sheffield, W. Wei, Winter. 

25280. The Psychology of Close Relationships. Humans are an innately social species, and our romantic partners, close friends, and family members are arguably the most central features of our social experience. In this seminar, we dive into the psychology of relationships. We will cover topics related to attraction, love, commitment, relationship satisfaction, and relationship dissolution. We will explore not only the factors that predict the success of a relationship, but will also delve into the ways that relationship partners can affect the individual's sense of self, success, and general well-being. We will focus primarily on romantic relationships, but will also discuss other influential relationships, including friends, family members, and social networks. A. Light, Winter.

25500. Cognitive and Social Neuroscience of Aging. As the baby boom generation ages, the rising prevalence of aging-related cognitive decline has become a major challenge for individuals, families and society. However, not all cognitive systems are negatively impacted by aging, and aging also causes complex social and emotional changes. How does aging affect our brains and our minds, and are these changes inevitable? This seminar provides an introduction to the scientific literature of the aging mind, focusing on both normal and pathological (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) changes in late adulthood. We will cover contemporary research from cognitive and social neuroscience perspectives. Topics include different psychological domains (e.g., attention, memory, metacognition, affective control) and applied issues (e.g., physical exercise, mental training, stereotype threat). D. Gallo, Winter.

25700. Psychology of Negotiation. Negotiation is ubiquitous in interpersonal interactions, from making plans for a trip with friends or family, to determining working conditions with an employer, to managing international conflicts. In this course we examine the structure of different negotiations and the psychology that governs the processes and outcomes of a negotiation. For instance, we consider the role of perceptions, expectations, intuitions, and biases. We evaluate the role of information processing, modes of communication, and power in influencing a negotiated outcome. We see how the psychology of trust, reciprocity, fairness, cooperation, and competition can affect our ability to benefit from an exchange or contribute to the escalation of conflict. To better understand the dynamics of the negotiation process, we learn both through engaging in a variety of negotiation role-plays and relating these experiences to research findings. Third- or fourth-year students only. It is recommended that students take PSYC 25101 The Psychology of Decision Making before this course, as it provides the conceptual foundations. B. Keysar, Winter. 

26520. Mind, Brain, and Meaning. What is the relationship between physical processes in the brain and body and the processes of thought and consciousness that constitute our mental life? Philosophers and others have puzzled over this question for millennia. Many have concluded it to be intractable. In recent decades, the field of cognitive science--encompassing philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, computer science, linguistics, and other disciplines--has proposed a new form of answer. The driving idea is that the interaction of the mental and the physical may be understood via a third level of analysis: that of the computational. This course offers a critical introduction to the elements of this approach, and surveys some of the alternative models and theories that fall within it. Readings are drawn from a range of historical and contemporary sources in philosophy, psychology, linguistics, and computer science.  M. Lai, Winter.

27010. Psycholinguistics. This is a survey course in the psychology of language. We will focus on issues related to language comprehension, language production, and language acquisition. The course will also train students on how to read primary literature and conduct original research studies. M. Xiang, Winter.

28810. From Fossils to Fermi's Paradox: Origin and Evolution of Intelligent Life (BPRO 28800). The course approaches Fermi's question, "Are we alone in the universe?," in the light of recent evidence primarily from three fields: the history and evolution of life on Earth (paleontology), the meaning and evolution of complex signaling and intelligence (cognitive science), and the distribution, composition and conditions on planets and exoplanets (astronomy). We also review the history and parameters governing extrasolar detection and signaling. The aim of the course is to assess the interplay between convergence and contingency in evolution, the selective advantage of intelligence, and the existence and nature of life elsewhere in the universe - in order to better understand the meaning of human existence. P. Sereno; L. Rogers; S. London, Winter.

28855. Baby Talk: Communication before Language. What was your first word? Infancy is a period of life defined (functionally and etymologically) by the inability to speak, and the first-word is a significant milestone for caregivers and scientists alike. But how did you get there? Infants typically say their first words around the first birthday; however, infants start communicating long before that through their actions, gestures, and early vocalizations. In this class, we will focus on experimental and quasi-naturalistic research examining infant communicative behavior and expectations-- reaching, pointing, babbling, and more. Running experiments with preverbal infants presents unique methodological challenges, and students in this class will learn about the various methods for doing this research. We might not discover what your first act of communication was, but students in this class will discover the surprising social-communicative competencies of infants. Prerequisites: PSYC 20500 Developmental Psychology, or consent of instructor. B. Morris, Winter.

29120. Human Communication. Whenever humans get together, communication is bound to emerge. However, we don’t call all of these forms of communication (e.g., drawing, pantomime, pointing, etc.) “language”. In this course, we will examine historical, academic, and personal notions of what counts as language, exploring the diverse ways humans communicate, and consider how these different how these different forms of conveying meaning might contribute to language. Throughout this quarter we will draw on research from a wide variety of established spoken and signed languages, gestural systems, artificial languages in the laboratory, and newly emerging languages in the world to build a framework of how humans create and use symbols to make meaning. Later in the course we will consider how these different symbols and forms of conveying meaning interact when getting language off the ground, in three different contexts: (1) at the level of the individual acquiring a language, (2) at the level of an individual or group creating language or language-like systems from scratch, and (3) at the level of a community, using and changing a language over generations. C. Ferrara, Winter.

29800. Honors Seminar. This course is a reading and discussion of general papers on writing and research, and individual students present their own projects to the group. A literature review, data from ongoing or completed empirical projects, or portions of the thesis paper itself can be presented. Students are expected to give thoughtful feedback to others on their presentations and written work.  Open to third- and fourth-year students who are majoring in Psychology and have begun their thesis project. B. Prendergast, Winter.

20400. Cognitive Psychology. Viewing the brain globally as an information processing or computational system has revolutionized the study and understanding of intelligence. This course introduces the theory, methods, and empirical results that underlie this approach to psychology. Topics include categorization, attention, memory, knowledge, language, and thought. M. Rosenberg, Spring.

20500. Developmental Psychology. This is an introductory course in developmental psychology, with a focus on cognitive and social development in infancy through early childhood. Example topics include children's early thinking about number, morality, and social relationships, as well as how early environments inform children's social and cognitive development. Where appropriate, we make links to both philosophical inquiries into the nature of the human mind, and to practical inquiries concerning education and public policy. M. Fulcher, Spring.

20700. Sensation and Perception. What we see and hear depends on energy that enters the eyes and ears, but what we actually experience – perception – follows from human neural responses. This course focuses on visual and auditory phenomena, including basic percepts (for example, acuity, brightness, color, loudness, pitch) and also more complex percepts such as movement and object recognition. Biological underpinnings of perception are an integral part of the course. K. Ledoux, Spring.

21109. Concepts and Categories. Despite how central categories and concepts are in theories of cognition, there is a lack of consensus within the scientific community as to the nature of concepts and categories. This course serves to introduce students to this ever-growing dialogue regarding concepts and categories. During the course we will analyze both classical and current theories of categorization. We will also briefly focus on how the process of categorization may change from infancy to adulthood. From this we will go on to discuss topics regarding the function and use of concepts and categories, as well as how concepts and categories may be acquired and maintained. S. Heald, Spring.

21690. Media and Psychology: Causes and Consequences of Media Use across the Life Span.  This course will examine the influence of media on individuals and groups from both a developmental and socio-cultural perspective. Topics will include young children's academic and social-emotional skill learning from television, video and tablets; adolescents' social media identities and experiences including cyber-bullying; media influences on adults' health behaviors, aggression, prejudice, and more. Students will engage in both qualitative and quantitative research on media and psychology as part of this course. K. O'Doherty. Spring.

21750. Biological Clocks and Behavior. Biological Clocks and Behavior will address physiological and molecular biological aspects of circadian and seasonal rhythms in biology and behavior. The course will primarily emphasize biological and molecular mechanisms of CNS function, and will be taught at a molecular level of analysis from the beginning of the quarter. Those students without a strong biology background are unlikely to resonate with the course material. Therefore, a quality grade in PSYC 20300 (Introduction to Biological Psychology) is a prerequisite for enrollment in this course; additional biology courses are also desirable. Completion of Core Biology will NOT suffice as a prerequisite. For Biology majors: Completion of three quarters of a Biological Sciences Fundamentals Sequence. B. Prendergast, Spring.

23165. Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Morality. Morality is essential for societal functioning and central to human flourishing. People across all cultures seem to have the same sense about morality. They simply know what morality is, often without being able to concretely define what exactly it means to label something as a moral kind. But when one tries to more precisely and scientifically define what morality is, things become less clear and more complex. As we'll see in the class, the field of morality is incredibly dynamic and characterized more by competing theories and perspectives than by scientific consensus. The past decades have seen an explosion of theoretical and empirical research in the study of morality. Amongst the most exciting and novel findings and theories, evolutionary biologists and anthropologists have shown that morality has evolved to facilitate cooperation and social interactions. Developmental psychologists came up with ingenious paradigms, demonstrating that some elements underpinning morality are in place much earlier than we thought in preverbal infants. Social psychologists and behavioral economists examine the relative roles of emotion and reasoning, as well as how social situations affect moral or amoral behavior. Social neuroscientists are mapping neural and hormonal mechanisms implicated in moral decision-making. The lesson from all this new knowledge is clear: moral cognition and behavior cannot be separated from biology, human development, culture, and social context. J. Decety, Spring.

23860. Beyond Good and Evil: The Psychology of Morality. Morality is a mysterious and possibly uniquely human capacity that influences how we make decisions in a number of domains. In this course we will explore how and why human beings have the moral intuitions that they do and also where these intuitions come from--what about our moral intuitions are built in and how are these intuitions shaped by experience? To achieve these goals, we will discuss literature from developmental, social, and evolutionary psychology as well as some literature from behavioral economics and experimental philosophy. We will briefly review the history of moral psychology, but spend the bulk of our time discussing contemporary debates and findings from research on moral psychology. A. Shaw. Spring.

24010. Systems Neuroscience (NSCI 20130). This course covers vertebrate and invertebrate systems neuroscience with a focus on the anatomy, physiology, and development of sensory and motor control systems. The neural bases of form and motion perception, locomotion, memory, and other forms of neural plasticity are examined in detail. We also discuss clinical aspects of neurological disorders. PQ: NSCI 20111, NSCI 20121 or consent of instructor. J. Maclean, Spring.

24060. Understanding Practical Wisdom (BPRO 24050). Thinking about the nature of wisdom goes back to the Greek philosophers and the classical religious sages, but the concept of wisdom has changed in many ways over the history of thought. While wisdom has received less scholarly attention in modern times, it has recently re-emerged in popular discourse with a growing recognition of its potential importance for addressing complex issues in many domains. But what is wisdom? It's often used with a meaning more akin to "smart" or "clever." Is it just vast knowledge? This course will examine the nature of wisdom-how it has been defined in philosophy and psychological science, how its meaning has changed, and what its essential components might be. We will discuss how current philosophical and psychological theories conceptualize wisdom and consider whether, and how, wisdom can be studied scientifically; that is, can wisdom be measured and experimentally manipulated to illuminate its underlying mechanisms and understand its functions? Finally, we will explore how concepts of wisdom can be applied in business, education, medicine, the law, and in the course of our everyday lives. Readings will be drawn from a wide array of disciplines including philosophy, classics, history, psychology, behavioral economics, medicine, and public policy. The course will include lectures by philosophers and psychologists. This course is offered in association with the Chicago Moral Philosophy Project and the Good Life program (the Hyde Park Institute). A. Henly, H. Nusbaum, Spring.

24231. Methods in Computational Neuroscience (CPNS 34231). Topics include (but are not limited to): relating neural data to behavior, Signal Detection theory, models of vision and artificial neural networks, Information Theory, Generalized Linear Models, dimensionality reduction, classification, and clustering. PQ: For Neuroscience Majors: NSCI 20130, BIOS 26210 and BIOS 26211 which must be taken concurrently, or consent of instructor. M. Kaufman. Spring.

25620. How Children Think. The goal of this course is to help you understand how children's thinking develops from infancy on. We will discuss the content of children's knowledge across a variety of domains and evaluate the major theories and explanations of intellectual growth. We will review and evaluate both classic findings and state-of-the-art research on cognitive development. We will also apply classroom knowledge to real-world issues that pertain to children's cognitive development. L. Bian, Spring.

25750. The Psychology and Neurobiology of Stress. This course explores the topic of stress and its influence on behavior and neurobiology. Specifically, the course will discuss how factors such as age, gender and social context interact to influence how we respond to stressors both physiologically and behaviorally. The course will also explore how stress influences mental and physical health. Note: This course does not meet the requirements for the Biological Sciences Major. G. Norman. Spring.

25950. The Psychology of Stereotyping and Prejudice. This course introduces concepts and research in the study of stereotyping and prejudice. Topics include the formation of stereotypes and prejudice; the processes that underlie stereotyping and prejudice; stereotyping and prejudice from the target's perspective; and prejudice and stereotype reduction. The course will cover a variety of groups (e.g., race, gender, weight, and sexual orientation) and explore the implications of stereotyping and prejudice across a number of settings (e.g., educational, law, and health). A. Light, Spring.

26010. Big Data in the Psychological Sciences. Innovative research in Psychology has been pushing the bounds of traditional experiments through the usage of "Big Data", where experiments are conducted at humungous scales-at the levels of thousands to millions of participants, images, or neurons. With these developments in the field, fluency in these new technologies, methods, and computational skills are becoming increasingly important. In this course, students will develop an understanding of these new directions, and will learn practical plug-and-play tools that will allow them to easily incorporate Big Data in their lives and research. We will also discuss the looming ethical issues and societal implications that come with Big Data. The class will culminate in a final project in which students will be able to collect and analyze their own Big Data. W. Bainbridge, Spring.

26780. Emotion and Motivation. What are emotions and how do they motivate us? In this course we will explore the universally experienced concept of emotion and how it is fundamentally inseparable from that of motivation. From shared neurobiological mechanisms and evolutionary theory to psychological impacts on behavior, this course will trace the commonalities between emotion and motivation. Topics will include autonomic correlates of emotion, the motivational utility of positive and negative emotions, and interactions with development, cognition, social behavior, and mental health. Interdisciplinary research will be emphasized, particularly in the critical evaluation of current theories and empirical findings. Prior coursework in psychology and/or neuroscience is recommended. F. Rockwood, Spring.

27010. Psycholinguistics (LING 27010). This is a survey course in the psychology of language. We will focus on issues related to language comprehension, language production, and language acquisition. The course will also train students on how to read primary literature and conduct original research studies. M. Do (Spring).

28791. Behavioral Science and Public Policy (PBPL 28791). Many policies are aimed at influencing people's behavior. The most well-intentioned policies can fail, however, if they are not designed to be compatible with the way people actually think and make decisions. This course will draw from the fields of cognitive, social, and environmental psychology to (1) examine the ways in which human behavior deviates from the standard rational actor model typically assumed by economics, and (2) provide strategies for improving the design, implementation, and evaluation of public-facing policies. The basic premise of this course is that a foundational understanding of human behavior can lead not only to more effective policies, but enhanced decision-making and well-being. K. Wolske, Spring.

28850. Biological Nature of Psychological Problems (BIOS 16120). This course is based on the strong assumption that psychology is a biological science, albeit with elements of the social sciences. The course uses a combination of lectures and classroom discussion of primary and secondary source readings assigned for each class meeting. It presents a strong biological science perspective on individual differences in emotions, motivations, and cognitions that cause distress or interfere with adaptive life functioning, but does so in a non-stigmatizing manner. The course begins with a description and discussion of the nature of psychological problems. The course will survey what is known about the genetic, environmental, and epigenetic bases of such problems and the methods used to study genetic influences and gene-environment interactions. Next, students will review what is currently known about the neural and other biological mechanisms involved in maladaptive individual difference in emotion, motivation, and cognitive processes, with discussion of the methods of studying such mechanisms in humans and nonhumans. The pros and cons of the medical model of 'mental illness' will be discussed as the major contrast with the natural science view advocated by the instructor. PQ: BIOS 10130. NO BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES MAJORS OR NON-MAJOR PRE-MED STUDENTS, except by petition. B. Lahey, Spring.

28962. Principles and Methods of Measurement. Accurate measurement of key theoretical constructs with known and consistent psychometric properties is one of the essential steps in quantitative social and behavioral research. However, measurement of phenomena that are not directly observable (such as psychological attributes, perceptions of organizational climate, or quality of services) is difficult. Much of the research in psychometrics has been developed in an attempt to properly define and quantify such phenomena. This course is designed to introduce students to the relevant concepts, principles, and methods underlying the construction and interpretation of tests or measures. It provides in-depth coverage of test reliability and validity, topics in test theory, and statistical procedures applicable to psychometric methods. Such understanding is essential for rigorous practice in measurement as well as for proper interpretation of research. The course is highly recommended for students who plan to pursue careers in academic research or applied practice involving the use or development of tests or measures in the social and behavioral sciences. Y. Sheng. Spring.

29420. Mate Choice: From Neurons to Evolution. Mate choice is a complex set of behaviors. It is also a central agent of the evolutionary theory of sexual selection. While natural selection primarily entails adaptations arising from environmental pressures that affect survival, sexual selection occurs through pressures imposed by conspecifics affecting reproductive fitness, such as willingness to socially interact and individual preferences for ornaments and courtship displays. This can give rise to extreme sexual dimorphism and highly sophisticated courtship behaviors, accompanied by complex mechanisms of multivariate preference formation and evaluative neural processes. This course will explore the psychological and neurobiological processes involved in mate choice and sexual selection, including the factors that influence mating preferences and decisions, the role of sensory systems and cognition in mate selection, and the importance of aesthetics and beauty. This course will also examine the dynamic nature of mate choice, including the role of social and environmental factors, genetic and epigenetic influences, and the impact of early learning and development on mate preferences. We will discuss a wide variety of species, including humans, but with a special emphasis on songbirds. A. Savoy, Spring.