Contact Persons: Joseph Hayden, Ph.D., S.J.
Debra Hull, Ph.D., (Chair)
Robin Muir, Ph.D., (visiting)
Bryan Raudenbush, Ph.D.
Cynthia Smith, Ph.D.
The psychology curriculum is designed to discover knowledge of the fundamental principles of behavior. For the psychology major, it offers a thorough preparation for graduate study, as well as human service experience in various community agencies through internships and volunteer work.
Upon completion of the psychology program, students will be able to:
1. Comprehend, evaluate and apply information relevant to understanding the basic principles of human behavior and mental processes.
2. Conduct independent empirical research in psychology, evaluate research outcomes using proper statistical procedures and produce a research report that conforms to guidelines published by the American Psychological Association.
3. Deliver a competent oral presentation on some topic in psychology, using presentation software.
Requirements for Psychology Major
Bachelor of Arts Degree
In addition to completing the core curriculum requirements, outlined on pp. 14-15 of this catalog, psychology majors must complete the following courses:
*PSY 110 General Psychology (3 crs)
*PSY 115 Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (3 crs)
*PSY 211 Experimental Psychology (4 crs)
*PSY 420 History & Systems of Psychology (3 crs)
*PSY 488 Senior Seminar (3 crs)
*PSY Research Electives (2) (8 crs)
*PSY Psychology Electives (6) (18 crs)
*BIO 105, Processes of Biology (3 crs)
115, or General Biology I
120 General Biology II
(45 crs)
* Core fulfilling
Special Notes on Major Requirements:
1. Psychology research electives are designated in course descriptions as such. Remaining non-required psychology courses are psychology electives.
2. Senior psychology majors must take the ETS Area Exam in psychology, and must pass a comprehensive oral examination.
3. To major in psychology, a grade of C+ or higher must be earned in PSY 110 and a grade of C or higher must be earned in PSY 115.
4. Students may take a maximum of 6 credits of Directed Research (PSY 300); the course may be taken for 1, 2 or 3 credits per semester. A maximum of 3 credits may be used as the equivalent of a Psychology Elective (additional credits will count toward the total needed for graduation). For those students wishing to complete a Thesis (PSY 486), a minimum of 1 credit of PSY 300 is a prerequisite. PSY 486 may be counted as a Psychology Elective.
5. Students may take a maximum of 6 credits of Internship (PSY 374 and 474). A maximum of 3 credits may be used as the equivalent of a Psychology Elective (additional credits will count toward the total needed for graduation).
6. PSY 212 (Developmental Psychology) is designed for non-psychology majors, especially nursing majors. Psychology majors interested in developmental psychology should take courses within the developmental sequence (PSY 214, 216, 218). Students taking PSY 212 should not take PSY 214 (Child Psychology) and vice-versa.
Requirements for Minor
Psychology minors must complete PSY 110 General Psychology (3 credits), with a minimum grade of C+, plus six psychology electives (18 credits) approved by the department.
Core Fulfilling Courses
PSY 110 General Psychology
(Serves as a social science core.)
Course Descriptions
PSY 110 General Psychology (3 crs)
A survey of contemporary psychology, including the topics of conditioning and learning, sensation and perception, psychophysiology, motivation and emotion, memory and cognition, development, social behavior, psychological testing, personality, psychopathology and psychotherapy.
PSY 115 Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (3 crs)
Students will learn to analyze and interpret data using descriptive and inferential statistics. Measures of central tendency, variability and hypothesis testing using parametric and non-parametric tests will be discussed. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 211 Experimental Psychology (4 crs)
An introduction to the principles and methods of experimental
psychology, with laboratory investigation. Prerequisite: PSY 115.
PSY 212 Developmental Psychology (3 crs)
An analysis of development throughout the life-span, with a special emphasis on various theoretical approaches to development. Designed for non-psychology majors in the Pre-Physical Therapy concentration. Students taking this course should not take PSY 214, 216, or 218. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 214 Child Psychology (3 crs)
A study of the physiological, intellectual, social and emotional factors in child development. Students taking this course should not take PSY 212. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 216 Adolescent Psychology (3 crs)
A study of basic research and theories concerning development in the adolescent years. Students taking this course should not take PSY 212. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 218 Adulthood and Aging (3 crs)
A study of adulthood and aging from an interactionist
perspective with an emphasis on the psychological development of the individual during the latter part of the life span. Students taking this course should not take PSY 212. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 220 Educational Psychology (3 crs)
A study of the cognitive and affective dimensions of student behavior, with emphasis on the theoretical conceptions of learning which underlie educational methods. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 226 (MGT 226) Organizational Behavior (3crs)
A survey course that examines individual and group behavior in an organizational context. The underlying thesis of this course is that an increased understanding of the human system can result in an organization that is more effective at meeting both the organization’s objectives and the goals and needs of the individual employees. Major topics include: motivation, leadership, decision-making and organizational change. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 235 (WST 235) (INS 235) Human Sexuality in a
Diverse World (3 crs)
A databased study of biological, religious/historical, cultural and individual determinants of intimate human behavior. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 238 Psychopharmacology (3 crs)
Examination of how drugs affect our behaviors, thoughts and emotions. The course will address the impact of psychopharmacological use and abuse in society, how drugs can alter neuronal information processing, pharmacodynamics, analysis of pharmacological agents with particular attention given to the psychological effects of these drugs and the applicability of pharmacological agents to the treatment of psychopathologies. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 240 Social Psychology (3 crs)
A study of the effects of the group on individual behavior, including the topics of aggression, persuasion, attitudes, compliance, obedience, attraction, person perception and proxemics. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 245 Psychology of Religion (3 crs)
A study of the relationships and tensions between psychology and religion, focusing on faith, doubt, values, conversion and moral development. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 250 Sport Psychology (3 crs)
An examination of sports from an empirical point of view with emphasis on behavioral/learning principles as they apply to the influence of sports on athletes and spectators. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 130 States of Consciousness
A seminar examining theoretical and emperical bases of human consciousness, noting physiological correlates. Topics include sleep, dreaming, hypnosis, meditation, biofeedback, sensory deprivation, drug-induced states and death, as well as the cultural shaping of ordinary consiousness. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 300 Directed Research (1, 2, or 3 crs)
Under the direction of a faculty member, students design and carry out empirical research in psychology.
PSY 311 Physiological Psychology (4 crs)
A study of the physiological correlates of human behavior, especially the relationship between brain and behavior; Research Elective. Prerequisites: BIO 105 or BIO 120, PSY 211.
PSY 312 (MGT 312) Industrial Psychology (3 crs)
A survey of the field of Industrial/Organizational Psychology with particular emphasis on the classical Industrial Psychology domain of selection. The course, as in the case with the field of Industrial/ Organizational Psychology, is somewhat quantitative. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 313 Motivation and Emotion (4 crs)
A study of motivational and emotional processes from physiological, individual and social standpoints; databased theories of motivation and emotion evaluated; Research Elective. Prerequisite: PSY 211.
PSY 315 Tests and Measurements (3 crs)
An analysis of psychological tests and measurements, including tests of intellectual level, specific aptitude and personality; test construction, reliability, validity, norming procedures and ethical issues emphasized. Prerequisite: PSY 110, PSY 115
PSY 317 Cognitive Psychology (4 crs)
An introduction to the higher mental processes from an experimental point of view, including the topics of memory and attention, thinking, creativity, language behavior and cognitive development; Research Elective. Prerequisite: PSY 211.
PSY 319 Sensation and Perception (4 crs)
A study of the reception and interpretation of sensory information, including study of how sensory receptors function and factors which affect perceptual organization; Research Elective. Prerequisite: PSY 211.
PSY 320 Learning (4 crs)
An introduction to the basic theoretical, experimental and applied concepts in learning, with particular emphasis on operant and classical conditioning. Research Elective. Prerequisite: PSY 211.
PSY 325 Environmental Psychology (3 crs)
A study of the relationship between the environment and behavior, including the topics of territoriality, wayfinding, environmental stressors, environmental stewardship and the optimal design of environments. Prerequisite: PSY 110
PSY 330 Personality (3 crs)
A survey of the various theories of personality, including psychoanalytic, behavioral, phenomenological and dispositional, and the study of various methods for assessing personality. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 335 Psychotherapy (3 crs)
A discussion of assessment techniques, empirically-based treatments, strategies for prevention of mental illness and ethical issues in therapy. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 340 Abnormal Psychology (3 crs)
A study of the major predisposing and precipitating factors in the development of abnormal behavior, with emphasis on the biological, social and cultural factors involved. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 350 Health Psychology (3 crs)
An investigation of factors that promote health, as well as those contributing to illness and behaviors related to illness. Research methods of gathering data within this developing field are stressed. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 374 Internship I (3 crs)
Students gain firsthand experience in the practice of psychology by working under supervision in various agencies in the Ohio Valley. Prerequisite: PSY 110, junior level status as a psychology major; permission of instructor.
PSY 420 History and Systems of Psychology (3 crs)
An overview of the roots of scientific psychology in philosophy and experimental physiology, and a detailed examination of the systems of structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, Gestalt psychology and psychoanalysis. Prerequisite: PSY 110, junior level status.
PSY 425 (WST 425) (INS 425) Topics in Gender (3 crs)
An exploration of current research findings on the interaction of gender and society, how men and women behave differently and how gender is represented in culture. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 474 Internship II (3 crs)
A second internship, completed after taking PSY 374. May not be counted as one of the upper division electives required of psychology majors. Prerequisite: PSY 110, PSY 374, senior level status as a psychology major; permission of instructor.
PSY 486 Thesis (3 crs)
Completion of the senior thesis project. May require some work in the summer prior to senior year. Prerequisite: PSY 300, senior level status.
PSY 488 Senior Seminar (3 crs)
A capstone course in which majors review, consolidate and integrate material they have learned in other courses, as well as considering major ethical and social justice issues in the field. Prerequisite: PSY 211, senior level status.
