Students who major in psychology examine the influences on behavior that derive from biology (especially the brain), from individual psychological processes such as cognitions and emotions, and from our sociocultural surroundings. Students also learn and utilize the various methodologies that psychologists use to uncover these influences. Requiring application of content, theory, and methodology, senior majors must complete a thesis or service-learning project. For a thesis, a student conducts original research on an issue of theoretical or practical concern. For a service-learning project, a student works in a local school or agency, using his or her training in psychology to address social issues in an applied setting.

Major Requirements. The major consists of at least eleven courses. Psychology 360 may count as only one of these courses. All majors are required to complete successfully:

Psychology 101, 218, and either 261 or 262. Psychology 101 may be waived for students who achieve a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement examination in psychology or who pass a departmental examination.

Four courses from one of the three areas listed below (A, B, or C); only one of these four courses may be a 200-level course. With permission of his or her major advisor, a student may substitute a relevant 300- or 400-level course or Short Term unit from psychology or another department or program for a course in this category, so long as the substitution is not used to fulfill other departmental requirements.

Two courses from each of the two remaining areas listed below; only one in each area may be a 200-level course.

Areas:

A. Biological Psychology.

Psychology/Neuroscience 200. Introduction to Neuroscience.
Psychology 250. Motivation and Emotion.
Psychology 303. Health Psychology.
Psychology/Neuroscience 330. Cognitive Neuroscience.
Psychology 355. Behavioral Endocrinology.
Psychology/Neuroscience 363. Physiological Psychology.
Psychology 401. Junior–Senior Seminar in Biological Psychology.

B. Individual Psychology.

Psychology 202. Human Sexuality.
Psychology 211. Psychology of Abnormal Personality.
Psychology 220. Human Memory.
Psychology 301. Visual Perception.
Psychology 305. Animal Learning.
Psychology 313. Advanced Personality Theory.
Psychology 333. Advanced Topics in Abnormal Psychology.
Psychology 380. Social Cognition.

C. Sociocultural Psychology.

Psychology 210. Social Psychology.
Psychology 240. Developmental Psychology.
Psychology 310. Advanced Topics in Social Psychology.
Psychology 341. Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology.
Psychology 370. Psychology of Women and Gender.
Psychology 376. Psychology of Social Conflict.
Psychology 403. Junior–Senior Seminar in Sociocultural Psychology.

In addition to taking these eleven courses, all majors must a) write a senior thesis or b) complete a service-learning project, while enrolled in Psychology 365A.

A thesis may be written during the fall and/or winter semester of the senior year. Topics for theses must be approved by the department. For fall semester and two-semester theses: 1) students register for Psychology 457; 2) proposals must be submitted by Friday of the second full week of classes (September 22, 2000). For winter semester theses: 1) students register for Psychology 458; 2) proposals must be submitted by the first Monday in November (November 6, 2000).

Guidelines for proposals are on the department's Web site (http://www.bates.edu/acad/depts/psychology). Candidates for the honors program are invited by the department from among those seniors conducting two-semester thesis projects who have shown a high degree of initiative and progress by the end of the fall semester. The faculty thesis advisor must assure the department that the student's work is of honors caliber and is progressing satisfactorily before the department will invite the student.

A service-learning project may be undertaken during the fall or winter semester as well. Students who decide to complete a service-learning project for their senior requirement are expected to complete between 50 and 60 hours of service in the field and enroll in the seminar course, Psychology 365A, in the semester they complete their project. Please note that in the fall semester, students in Psychology 365A complete projects in the different programs at St. Mary's Regional Medical Center; in the winter semester, a greater variety of sites is available. Students contemplating this option should talk to staff members at the Center for Service-Learning and to the instructor of Psychology 365A before contacting a placement site. Once a site is selected, students must submit a contract, signed by a representative of the organization and by the student, and a proposal, which describes the service activity, to the instructor of Psychology 365A for the semester in which they do the work. The deadline for submission of these materials is the same as those established for thesis proposals (see above). Guidelines for proposals are on the department's Web site (http://www.bates.edu/acad/depts/psychology).

All seniors must also make a presentation of their thesis or service-learning project at a general meeting of the department at the end of the semester. Presentations take the form of a 10–15-minute talk or a poster that describes the thesis or service-learning project.

General Education. The following sets are available: Psychology 101–200, 101–202, 101–210, 101–211, 101–220, 101–240, 101–250. If Psychology 101 has been waived, any pair of the aforementioned 200-level courses may constitute a set. A student may request that the department approve a two-course set not currently designated. The quantitative requirement may be satisfied through Psychology 218.

Courses

200. Introduction to Neuroscience. In this course, students study the structure and function of the nervous system, and how they are related to mind and behavior. Topics introduced include neuroanatomy, developmental neurobiology, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, and neuropsychiatry. The course is aimed at prospective majors and nonmajors interested in exploring a field in which biology and psychology merge, and to which many other disciplines (e.g., chemistry, philosophy, anthropology, computer science) have contributed. Required of neuroscience majors. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 101 or any 100-level biology course. This course is the same as Neuroscience 200. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 50. C. McCormick.

202. Human Sexuality. The course is an introduction to topics of human sexuality, including sexual anatomy and physiology, sexual behaviors and lifestyles, and sexual health. Human sexuality is discussed from psychological, biological, and cross-cultural perspectives. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 101. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 50. C. McCormick.

207. Psychology of Creativity. A critical examination of conceptual, theoretical, and methodological problems related to the systematic study of creativity. Special attention is given to background factors related to creative behavior. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 101. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 50. G. Rich.

210. Social Psychology. A study of people in social settings. Topics covered include group composition and structure, conformity, self-identity, interpersonal attraction, and attitude formation and change. Theoretical principles are applied to such social phenomena as social conflict, sex-role behavior, competition, and leadership. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 101. This course is the same as Sociology 210. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 50. M. Sargent.

211. Psychology of Abnormal Personality. The course introduces the fundamentals of personality and abnormal psychology. Topics include a variety of personality theories, the trait debate, physiological factors that may shape personality, assessment of personality and psychopathology, approaches to personality research, and application of theory to psychopathology. Readings include Freud, Erikson, Rogers, research articles, and topics in abnormal psychology. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 101. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 50. K. Low.

218. Statistics and Experimental Design. A laboratory course in the use of statistical methods for describing and drawing inferences from data. Experimental and correlational research designs are studied by analyzing computer-simulated data for numerous problems. Topics covered include sampling theory, correlation and regression, t-tests, chi-square tests, and analysis of variance. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 101. Enrollment limited to 30. D. Bradley.

220. Human Memory. A study of the most prominent features of human knowledge acquisition. Topics include transient and permanent memories, propositional and analogical knowledge representations, retention and interference, and explicit and implicit memories. The relevance of human memory to contemporary social issues (e.g., child sexual abuse and the recovered memory/false memory controversy) is also discussed. Extensive laboratory work. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 101. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 50. R. Moyer.

240. Developmental Psychology. A comprehensive introduction to current thinking and research in developmental psychology. Topics include attachment, gender, language acquisition, play, and adolescent suicide. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 101. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 50. G. Nigro.

250. Motivation and Emotion. The course examines the mechanisms involved in activating and directing behavior and in forming emotions. Analysis includes evaluation of the role of physiological, environmental, and cognitive variables in mediating the following behavioral processes: thirst, hunger, sex, arousal, reward, stress, choice, consistency, and achievement. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 101. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 50. J. Kelsey.

261. Research Methodology. This course provides comprehensive coverage of the major methods used in psychological research, with special emphasis on experimental design. Students receive extensive practice in designing, conducting, analyzing, and interpreting the results of research studies, and writing reports in APA style. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 218. Enrollment limited to 15 per section. M. Sargent, G. Rich.

262. Action Research. Action research often begins with a general idea that some kind of improvement or change is desirable. For example, a teacher who is experiencing discipline problems in a classroom may seek an understanding of this issue with the help of trusted observers. In this course, students collaborate with local teachers or service providers on research projects that originate in their work sites. Class meetings introduce design issues, methods of data collection and analysis, and ways of reporting research. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 218 or Education 231. This course is the same as Education 262. Enrollment limited to 15 per section. G. Nigro.

301. Visual Perception. The course examines perceptual phenomena at several levels of analysis, ranging from the physiology of vision to the cultural determinants of perception. Topics covered include color vision, the perceptual constancies, depth perception, perceptual adaptation, visual illusions, perceptual organization, and form perception. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 218. D. Bradley.

303. Health Psychology. This course introduces health psychology from a biopsychosocial perspective. The course first describes the theoretical underpinnings of the biopsychosocial model, and the fundamentals of anatomy and physiology. The course then reviews the current research on stress, coping and illness, and stress-management techniques. Research on psychosocial contributors to heart disease, cancer, chronic pain syndromes, and other illnesses is reviewed, along with implications for prevention and treatment. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: Neuroscience/Psychology 200, Psychology 211 or 250. Enrollment limited to 50. G Rich.

305. Animal Learning. The course examines historical and recent trends in animal learning. Lecture and laboratory topics include classical and operant conditioning, cognitive processes, and biological constraints on learning. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: Neuroscience/Psychology 200, Psychology 220 or 250. J. Kelsey.

310. Advanced Topics in Social Psychology. This seminar allows students to explore particular areas of social psychology in depth. The primary goal is to help students deepen their understanding of human social behavior, through extensive study of social psychological theory and research, class discussion, and student projects. Topics vary with each offering of the course, but may include the following: the self, stigma, stereotypes, and persuasion. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 210 and either Psychology 261 or 262. Enrollment limited to 20. M. Sargent.

313. Advanced Personality Theory. An in-depth analysis of four or five different theorists, including Freud, Jung, and Rogers. This course proceeds through discussion of primary sources and includes a comparison and critique of the theories based on their personal and social relevance. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 211. R. Wagner.

317. Psychology of Law. In the American criminal justice system, the administration of justice is influenced by a broad range of variables. Some of these variables have been the subject of empirical research in social and cognitive psychology. For example, some research concerns variables that facilitate mistaken eyewitness identifications. This course examines how psychological research informs the dialogue surrounding controversial issues in the criminal justice system. Topics covered include eyewitness testimony, confession evidence, detection of deception, child witnesses, expert testimony, and reconstructed/repressed memories. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 261 or 262. Enrollment is limited to 25. A Bradfield. New course for 2001-2002.

318. Advanced Topics in Statistics. A laboratory course in the use of advanced statistical methods for analyzing data. Multiple regression and correlation, curvilinear regression, complex analysis of variance, and post hoc statistical methods are covered. Students learn to use statistical packages and specialized computer programs for analyzing data. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 218. D. Bradley.

330. Cognitive Neuroscience. The human brain is a fascinating system in terms of its structure and function. The main questions addressed in this course are: How are brain structure and organization related to how people think, feel, and behave? Conversely, how are thoughts and ideas represented in the brain? Although these questions are examined from a variety of research approaches, the main one is the study of brain-damaged individuals. Prerequisite(s): Neuroscience/Psychology 200 or 363. This course is the same as Neuroscience 330. Staff.

333. Advanced Topics in Abnormal Psychology. A consideration of contemporary categories of abnormality from several points of view: psychoanalytic, biological, cognitive-behavioral, and existential. Additional topics include differential diagnosis, treatment methods, DSM-IV, and legal issues related to mental illness. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 211 and 218. K. Low.

341. Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology. A seminar that examines the concepts and methods of developmental psychology. Topics vary from year to year and may include racial and ethnic identity, physical and sexual abuse, and resiliency in development. Students conduct observational projects in local field settings. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 240 and either 261, 262, or other methodology course. Enrollment limited to 20. G. Nigro.

343. Women, Culture, and Health. This course examines a variety of perspectives on women's health issues. Issues include reproductive health, body image, sexuality, substance use and abuse, mental health, cancer, AIDS, heart disease, poverty, work, violence, access to health care, and aging. Each topic is examined in sociocultural context, and the complex relationship between individual health and cultural demands or standards is explored. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 211 or 303. This course is the same as Women's Studies 343. Open to first-year students. K. Low.

355. Behavioral Endocrinology. Behavioral endocrinology is the study of the relationship between hormones and behavior. This course explores topics such as the involvement of hormones in sexual behavior, in the regulation of feeding, in mechanisms of stress, and in cognition. Laboratories involve research projects in the field and focus on the development of a variety of research skills. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: Biology/Neuroscience 308, Neuroscience/Psychology 330 or 363. C. McCormick.

360. Independent Study. Study by an individual student guided by a single faculty member. Proposals for independent study must be approved by the faculty advisor and the department before the beginning of the semester in which the study is undertaken. Students are limited to one independent study per semester. Staff.

362. Psychopharmacology: How Drugs Affect Behavior. This course examines the powerful effects that drugs have on behavior, including the ability to cause addiction and to reduce neurologic and behavioral disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. By examining the effects of these drugs on neurotransmitters in the brain, students better understand not only how these drugs affect behavior, but the behavioral processes themselves. Attention is paid to methodology, drug development, regulatory policy, and the role of pharmaceutical companies. Prerequisite(s): Psychology/Neuroscience 200 or Psychology 250. J. Kelsey. New course for 2001-2002.

363. Physiological Psychology. The course emphasizes the concepts and methods used in the study of the physiological mechanisms underlying behavior. Topics include an introduction to neurophysiology and neuroanatomy; an examination of sensory and motor mechanisms; and the physiological bases of ingestion, sexual behavior, reinforcement, learning, memory, and abnormal behavior. Laboratory work includes examination of neuroanatomy and development of surgical and histological skills. Prerequisite(s): Neuroscience/Psychology 200 or Biology/Neuroscience 308. This course is the same as Neuroscience 363. J. Kelsey.

365. Special Topics. Offered from time to time for small groups of students working with a faculty member on specialized projects or experiments. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 261 or 262. Written permission of the instructor is required.

365A. Service-Learning in Psychology. This seminar combines community service and academic study. Students complete 50 to 60 hours of service in a community placement. Seminar meetings provide opportunities for structured reflection about ethics; the cultural contexts of students' service work; individual, educational, and social change; and other topics specific to students' service work. Enrollment is limited to senior majors completing the senior requirement through the service-learning option. Written permission of the instructor is required. K. Low, G. Nigro.

370. Psychology of Women and Gender. This course takes a critical look at psychology's theories and findings about women and gender. Students examine topics such as menarche, mothering, and menopause from a variety of perspectives; the ways that race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, and age modify women's experiences are considered. The utility of psychological knowledge for effecting social change is explored. Prerequisite(s) or Corequisite(s): one of the following: Psychology 261, 262, African American Studies/American Cultural Studies/ Women's Studies 250, or other research methodology course. G. Nigro.

371. Prejudice and Stereotyping. Two issues that have long held the interest of social psychologists and that are of great social importance are prejudice and stereotyping. This course explores traditional and contemporary social psychological research on unconscious and covert forms of prejudice, as well as the relationship between stereotyping and self-esteem. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 261 or 262. Enrollment is limited to 50. This course is the same as Sociology 371. M. Sargent.

376. Psychology of Social Conflict. This course considers the bases and consequences of social conflict and its resolution, from interpersonal to cultural and political conflict. Topics include escalation of conflict, ethnic and international conflict, negotiation, third-party intervention, and building community and peace. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 210. Enrollment limited to 25. R. Wagner.

380. Social Cognition. Every day we characterize and evaluate other people, endeavor to understand the causes of their behavior, and try to predict their future actions. This course examines these social judgments and the cognitive processes upon which they depend. Topics include attribution theory, biases in social-information processing, impression formation, and prejudice. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 210 or 220 and either 261 or 262. Enrollment limited to 18. R. Moyer.

401. Junior–Senior Seminar in Biological Psychology. A course designed to give junior and senior majors an opportunity to explore a significant new area in biological psychology. The topic changes from year to year and with the expertise of the faculty member. Possible topics include neural bases of addiction, memory, sexual behavior, and stress. Prerequisite(s): Neuroscience/Psychology 200 and Neuroscience/Biology 308, Neuroscience/Psychology 330 or 363. Enrollment limited to 15. J. Kelsey.

403. Junior–Senior Seminar in Sociocultural Psychology. A course designed to give junior and senior majors an opportunity to explore a significant new area in sociocultural psychology. The topic changes from year to year and with the expertise of the faculty member. Possible topics include conflict resolution, cultural psychology, and social policies toward children.

403B. Rape and Domestic Abuse. This seminar draws on the results of empirical research to explore the psychological dimensions of two pervasive forms of interpersonal violence. Topics include cultural and situational factors, profiles of perpetrators, consequences of victimization, and the prospects for prevention. Contemporary incidents of rape and domestic abuse are also discussed in light of students' emerging understanding. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 261 or 262 and four additional psychology courses. Enrollment limited to 15. R. Moyer.

457A-458A. Senior Thesis/Empirical Research. This type of thesis involves empirical research and report writing, supplemented by individual conferences with adviser. Students register for Psychology 457A in the fall semester or for Psychology 458A in the winter semester. Majors writing a two-semester or honors thesis register for both Psychology 457A and 458A. Staff. Revised description for 2001-2002.

457B-458B. Senior Thesis/Service-Learning. This type of thesis involves a combination of community service and related academic study. Students complete 50 to 60 hours of service in a community placement and meet in seminar once a week for structured reflection about ethics, the cultural context of students' service work, individual and social change, and other topics specific to students' placements. In the fall semester, students register for Psychology 457B, and community placements involve children. In the winter semester, students register for Psychology 458B, and there are no restrictions on the type of placement. Written permission of the instructor required. K. Low, G. Nigro. New course for 2001-2002.

Short Term Units

s21. Sense and Nonsense. How many people believe "weird" things? Why? How do we go about finding out what's "really real" and what's "too good to be true"? This unit critically examines a number of controversial contemporary topics in alternative health, mental health, and ethnopsychologies. Students not only read academic research on these issues, they read the "pop" sources as well, including supermarket tabloids. The unit offers an introduction to skepticism for the open-minded." Prerequisite(s): Psychology 101. Recommended background: any other course in psychology. Enrollment is limited to 30. G. Rich.

s24. Effect Size, Statistical Power, and Nonparametric Procedures. This unit reviews certain statistical procedures that are necessary for students contemplating senior thesis or independent research, but are not usually covered in introductory courses in statistics. Students learn how to calculate effect size measures for various research designs, how to determine the appropriate sample size to use in conducting a study, and what to do if the assumptions of conventional parametric tests fail to hold. Prerequisite(s): any introductory course in statistics or the equivalent. Enrollment limited to 30. D. Bradley.

s26. Developmental Psychobiology. Seminar and research in developmental psychobiology. Students conduct laboratory and/or library study of current topics in developmental psychobiology. How do signals from the prenatal and postnatal environment interact with genetic signals to shape the development of brain structure and function? Laboratories involve research projects in the field of developmental psychobiology and the use of developmental neuroscience techniques. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: Neuroscience/Psychology 200, 363, Psychology 240, or Biology/Neuroscience 308. Enrollment limited to 12. C. McCormick.

s30. Contemporary Psychotherapies with Practicum. This unit surveys a variety of contemporary psychotherapies, ranging from dynamic approaches to behavior modification. The unit is "hands on," in that students are asked to role-play therapy sessions on videotape as part of the unit requirements, and practice a variety of therapeutic techniques. The unit also includes opportunities to observe treatment on videotape. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 333. Enrollment limited to 12. K. Low.

s31. Animal Models of Behavioral Disorders. The unit examines how we can understand and develop treatments for human behavioral and neurological disorders by developing animal models of these disorders. Emphasis is on laboratory development and examination of environmental and physiological (particularly neurochemical) determinants of these behavioral disorders in animals. Possible topics are schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, addiction, obesity, ADHD, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington's chorea. Prerequisite(s): Neuroscience/Psychology 200. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 10. Written permission of the instructor is required. J. Kelsey.

s32. Group Dynamics. An applied approach to the study of small groups. Topics include group composition, development, performance and leadership, and the use of groups as effective educational mechanisms. Students read theoretical and experimental literature and observe small groups. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 210. Enrollment limited to 15. Written permission of the instructor is required. R. Wagner.

s34. New Directions in Developmental Psychology. This unit provides students with an opportunity to explore a significant new area in developmental psychology. The structure of the unit varies, depending on the topic, but always involves a service-learning and/or research component. Topics may include youth and AIDS, children and the law, and memory development. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 240. Enrollment limited to 15. Written permission of the instructor is required. G. Nigro.

s39. Perspectives in Cognition. A study of issues of contemporary concern in cognitive psychology. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 261 or 262. Enrollment limited to 15. R. Moyer.

s40. Tests: Do They Bias Anything? Standardized tests are frequently among the criteria used by organizations and schools to decide which applicants to admit. This practice raises a number of important questions. What are the causes of racial and gender differences in standardized test performance? Are intelligence tests culturally biased? Do standardized tests predict college performance? What costs and benefits are associated with employing affirmative action as a substitute for, or supplement to, standardized testing? Students engage these and other issues through an intensive combination of readings, discussion, and projects. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 101 and at least one other psychology course. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 15. M. Sargent.

s46. Internship in Psychology. Participation in off-campus research or service-learning opportunities. By specific arrangement and departmental approval only. Staff.

s50. Individual Research. Registration in this unit is granted by the department only after the student has submitted a written proposal for a full-time research project to be completed during the Short Term and has secured the sponsorship of a member of the department to direct the study and evaluate results. Students are limited to one individual research unit. Staff.

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