Psychology

Introduction to the science of human behavior. Topics include history of psychology, brain function and development, sleep and dreams, sensation and perception, learning and memory, theories of development, language and cognition, research methods, emotion, mental illness, and therapy.

Introduction to the science of human behavior. Topics include history of psychology, brain function and development, sleep and dreams, sensation and perception, learning and memory, theories of development, language and cognition, research methods, emotion, mental illness, and therapy.

Introduction to the techniques of research employed in the study of human behavior. Students gain experience in the conduct of research, including design of simple experiments, observation and measurement techniques, and the analysis of behavioral data.

Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 or the equivalent. Recommended preparation: one course in behavioral science and knowledge of high school algebra. Recommended preparation: One course in behavioral science and knowledge of high school algebra. An introduction to statistics that concentrates on problems from the behavioral sciences.

An introduction to basic concepts in cognitive psychology. Topics include theories and
phenomena in areas such as attention, memory, concepts and categories, language, reasoning,
decision making, and consciousness.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 An introduction to the analysis of psychological issues by anatomical, physiological, and pharmacological methods. Topics include neurons, neurotransmitters, neural circuits, human neuroanatomy, vision, learning, memory, emotion, and sleep and circadian rhythms.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or equivalent Traditional psychologists have focused primarily on answering “how?” questions regarding the mechanisms that underlie behavior (i.e. How does the system work?). In contrast, evolutionary psychologists focus primarily on answering “why?” questions (i.e. Why does this system exist, and why does it have the form it does?). This course is designed to apply our knowledge of evolutionary theory to psychology in order to answer such questions.

Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 or the instructor's permission. An examination of definitions, theories, and treatments of abnormal behavior.

Surveys important methods, findings, and theories in the study of social influences on behavior. Emphasizes different perspectives on the relation between individuals and society.

What is psychedelic therapy? Does it work and how does it work? This course will explore research on psychedelic therapy as a mental health intervention. We will examine methodological approaches, review outcomes from clinical trials, and explore how psychedelic therapy leads to change.

This course is a combination of a lecture and a seminar course, and will therefore include both lectures on the biopsychosocial
bases of individual differences in behavior as well as discussion of related research.

A seminar for advanced undergraduate students exploring different areas of clinical psychology. The specific focus within clinical psychology may differ each time the course is offered, so it is possible for the course to be retaken for additional credit.

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission required; contact emccaski@barnard.edu. An introductory course in neuroscience like PSYC 1001 or PSYC 2450. Analysis of the assessment of physical and psychiatric diseases impacting the central nervous system, with emphasis on the relationship between neuropathology and cognitive and behavioral deficits.

Social cognitive neuroscience seeks to integrate the theories and methods of its parent disciplines, social psychology and cognitive neuroscience.  As such, it seeks to explain social and emotional behavior at three levels of analysis: The social level, which includes descriptions of experience, behavior, and context; the cognitive level, which specifies information processing (i.e. psychological) mechanisms; and the neural level, which specifies neural systems that instantiate these processes.   The course begins with foundational concepts (multilevel analyses of behavior, converging evidence, the evolution of the human brain), which students use to analyze findings in number of core content domains (including emotional appraisal, emotion regulation, person perception, social affiliation and rejection, individual differences).

Prerequisites: Course equivalents of at least two of the following courses (W1001, W1010, W2630, W3410, W3480, W3485) and/or the instructor's permission

This seminar will survey historical and modern developments in machine intelligence from fields
such as psychology, neuroscience, and computer science, and from approaches such as
cybernetics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, connectionism, neural networks,
and deep learning. The emphasis is on the conceptual understanding of topics. The course does
not include, nor require a background in, computer programming and statistics. The overall goal
is for students to become informed consumers of applications of artificial intelligence.

Prerequisites: (PSYC UN2235) or equivalent course on judgment and decision-making A seminar course exploring strategic decision making (also known as behavioral game theory). This course examines the psychology underlying situations in which outcomes are determined by choices made by multiple decision makers. The prime objective will be to examine the use of experimental games to test psychological theories.