Courses

Prerequisites: BC1001 or permission of the instructor. 

The aim of this course is to critically examine the complex interaction of biological, psychological and environmental factors which impact the etiology, symptoms, and treatment of substance abuse and dependence. The course focuses on those drugs which have abuse and dependence potential with specific emphasis on Alcohol and the Depressants, the Psychostimulants, and the Opiates.  A primary objective is to provide insight into factors which contribute to challenges with substances for some individuals and to better understand their felt and lived experience with drugs.

The course begins with a review of theoretical perspectives including disease, behavioral, cognitive, social learning, psychodynamic, and neurobiological models.  The physical, psychological, and socio-cultural effects/impact of each major class of drug will then follow. Within each category, we will also discuss controversial issues related to each drug for example: methadone maintenance, needle exchange programs, Ritalin/Adderall abuse, the “opiate epidemic.”  Throughout the course, case histories, film documentaries and memoirs will provide personal accounts of the drug experience.  We conclude the course with an overview of treatment interventions.

Prerequisites: BC1001 or permission of the instructor. 

The aim of this course is to critically examine the complex interaction of biological, psychological and environmental factors which impact the etiology, symptoms, and treatment of substance abuse and dependence. The course focuses on those drugs which have abuse and dependence potential with specific emphasis on Alcohol and the Depressants, the Psychostimulants, and the Opiates.  A primary objective is to provide insight into factors which contribute to challenges with substances for some individuals and to better understand their felt and lived experience with drugs.

The course begins with a review of theoretical perspectives including disease, behavioral, cognitive, social learning, psychodynamic, and neurobiological models.  The physical, psychological, and socio-cultural effects/impact of each major class of drug will then follow. Within each category, we will also discuss controversial issues related to each drug for example: methadone maintenance, needle exchange programs, Ritalin/Adderall abuse, the “opiate epidemic.”  Throughout the course, case histories, film documentaries and memoirs will provide personal accounts of the drug experience.  We conclude the course with an overview of treatment interventions.

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.

 

 

Psychedelics are receiving growing attention in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience for their therapeutic potential. Psychedelic compounds like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT produce a wide range of changes to perception, ranging from visual perception to alterations in one’s sense of self. When combined with psychological support or psychotherapy, psychedelics have been shown to lead to rapid and long-lasting therapeutic benefits for a wide range of mental health disorders, including major depression and alcohol use disorder. The acute alterations in perception and long-lasting clinical effects offer exciting insight into the relationship between the mind and the brain. This course will focus on the current state of research on the psychological and neurobiological effects of psychedelics. We will begin with a crash-course into the basics of neuroscience and research methodology. Next, the course will delve into how psychedelics alter brain functioning, both acutely during the drug effects as well as long after they have worn off. Studies covered will span molecular, cellular, and systems level analysis. A core element of the course will include reviewing methodological approaches and neuroscientific evidence for psychedelics interventions in the treatment of clinical/psychiatric disorders. We will also review the clinical data and link neurobiological findings to their practical application to move the field of psychedelic science forward. Throughout the course, there will be a specific focus on critical appraisal of research, identifying strengths and limitations surrounding current research, and important avenues for future research. Students should leave the class with an enhanced ability to evaluate research findings and a broad understanding of the mechanisms of action of psychedelics.

The format of the course will include lectures, class discussions and presentations, and guest speakers.

Prerequisites: PSYC 1001 and any PSYC 2400-level neuroscience course or permission of the instructor.

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.

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.

 

Why do we feel the way we do, how do we understand ourselves and others, and how does this relate to our social relationships?  Why does all of this sometimes leave us feeling anxious, depressed, lonely and isolated?  And when that happens, what we can do about it?  In this seminar, we will tackle these questions using an integrative approach that blends social psychology, clinical psychology and neuroscience to uncover how our emotions and social interactions sometimes work well and sometimes falter.  To do this, we will examine human behavior at multiple levels, connecting our social and emotional lives (what we experience and how we act) to cognitive processes (how our minds process information) and underlying neural mechanisms (what's happening in the brain).  As the semester unfolds, we start by building an understanding of where our emotions come from, how we can manage them, how we make sense of other people and how we can form positive connections with them.  This knowledge provides a foundation for taking the next step - understanding what happens when things go awry and we end up with momentary - or long-lasting - bouts of anxiety, depression, loneliness and other clinical conditions.  We end by considering what may be everyone’s life goal - the pursuit of happiness - and how everything we have learned can foster that pursuit through personal actions, social connections and psychotherapeutic support.  The overarching goal is to build a nuanced understanding of how and why we think and feel the way we do – about ourselves and others – that can inform both scientific and personal explorations of what “wellbeing” and “mental health” means.

Prerequisites

Equivalents of an introductory Psychology course and one more advanced lecture, lab or seminar course in Psychology or a related discipline (and/or the instructor's permission).


 

 

 

 

This course is meant to provide an introduction to regression and applied statistics for the social sciences, with a strong emphasis on utilizing the Python software language to perform the key tasks in the data analysis workflow. Topics to be covered include various data structures, basic descriptive statistics, regression models, multiple regression analysis, interactions, polynomials, Gauss-Markov assumptions and asymptotics, heteroskedasticity and diagnostics, data visualization, models for binary outcomes, models for ordered data, first difference analysis, factor analysis, and cluster analysis. Through a variety of lab assignments, students will be able to generate and interpret quantitative data in helpful and provocative ways. Only relatively basic mathematics skills are assumed, but some more advanced math will be introduced as needed. A previous introductory statistics course that includes linear regression is helpful, but not required.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI – like ChatGPT, MidJourney, and Gemini – are poised to change the world for everyone. It is critical that students understand (and utilize) this new technology at several levels. In this class – through readings and a dozen hands-on activities – students will come to deeply understand AI. Specifically, students will construct (using Python) some of the basic building-blocks of AI, like machine learning (like recommendation systems), natural language processing (like word embeddings) and chatbots. They will test out AI’s capabilities and refine prompts in real-world settings, whether in art, video, writing or Internet-of-Things. They will learn about how generative AI fits into the history of technology adoption and the diffusion of innovation, answering questions like: Will AI be able to replace whole jobs? And if so, when? They will use the lenses of psychology and economics to explore the impact of AI in people’s lives, including in the context of algorithmic fairness, regulation and intellectual property. They will be pushed to take human creativity in new directions, augmented by AI’s “weirdness.” Lastly, students will be pushed to further develop their own uniquely-human skills – like in critical thinking and empathy – in response to the power of generative AI to mimic humans. As best-selling author Seth Stephen-Davidowitz has recently (Dec. 2023) written, “So far, [my newest book] has higher ratings than either of my previous two books -- even though it was written in 1/36th of the time, thanks to AI. AI is wild!" By the end of this class, students will feel empowered technically and philosophically to handle all new generative AI developments. There are no specific prerequisites for this class.

This course offers students an opportunity to expand their curriculum beyond the established course offerings. Interested parties must consult with the QMSS Program Director before adding the class. This course may be taken for 2-4 points.