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PROGRAMS OF STUDY & COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Psychology (PSY)

Major: Yeshiva College
The following requirements are in effect for students beginning with the entering class of fall 1998. Thirty-four credits: PSY 1010, 1110, 2100C, 2150, 3800, 3804, STA 1021, and 12 additional credits in PSY courses.

A maximum of six independent study credits may count toward the major. Either PSY 3410 or 3430 may count toward the major or minor, but not both. Certain courses in other clusters may, with permission, count toward elective credits in the major.

Minor: Yeshiva College
Eighteen credits in PSY, including PSY 1010. STA 1021 may count.
Qualified upperclassmen may receive permission to take courses at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology.

1010 Introductory Psychology. 3 credits.
Basic facts and theories of the science of behavior: biological foundation, history, sensation and perception, conditioning and learning, personality, social behavior, intelligence, cognition, language, testing, deviant behavior; applications in the field of psychology.

1110 Developmental I: Child. 3 credits.
Biological, psychological, and social factors that enter into the development of children from birth to pre-adolescence; correlations between childhood development and formation of adult personality.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

1113 Development of Language. 3 credits.
The nature of language and its development; phonology, syntax and morphology, reading; focus on processes and course of normal development; pathological groups such as the deaf; language as a cognitive and communicative system.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

1120 Psychology of Exceptional Children.

(1124 Learning Disabilities).

1130 Developmental II. 3 credits.
Processes and problems of adolescence, adulthood, and old age; personality development in its relationship to cultural patterns.
Prerequisites: PSY 1010, PSY 1110.

1150 Psychology of Language. 3 credits.
Language comprehension and production; speech perception. Critical examination of linguistic theory, theories of language learning, language as a perceptual and cognitive process, brain mechanisms, reading, and language disorders.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

1301 Psychological Tests and Measurements. 3 credits.
Theory and method of measuring human behavior; construction and evaluation of tests of abilities, aptitudes, achievement, attitudes, and adjustment; ethical issues in testing.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.
Pre- or corequisite: STA 1021.

1601 Theories and Systems. 3 credits.
Theory and theory construction in psychology; constructs and models; major theories and present state of theory and systematic orientations.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

1602 Historical Perspectives. 3 credits.
Theoretical and methodological problems of contemporary psychology; case histories tracing the development of research from origins to contemporary status in such fields as psychophysics, biological foundations, perception, learning, personality, and social psychology.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

2100C or 2100H Experimental Psychology. Two hours of lecture. Three hours of lab. 4 credits.
Training in the problems, methods, and evaluation of experimental research in psychology. Students perform individual experiments, prepare reports of results, and are introduced to the literature of experimental psychology.
Laboratory fee: $20 per semester.
Prerequisites: PSY 1010, STA 1021.

(2101C, 2102C Experimental Psychology I and II).

2103C Advanced Experimental Psychology. Two hours of lecture. Three hours of lab. 4 credits.
Chief problems, methods, and results of experimental psychology. Representative experiments on animals and humans are carried out and evaluated in light of modern theory.
Laboratory fee: $20 per semester.
Prerequisite: PSY 2100C.

(2110 Sensory Psychology). 3 credits.
The senses and their fundamental role in the regulation of behavior; systematic treatment of vision, audition, and the other senses, with some application to human engineering.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010. Recommended: PSY 3804.

2111 Psychology of Perception. 3 credits.
The study of perception is the oldest part of modern psychology. Since much of what we know about the world comes from our senses, the study of these processes assumes vital importance. Through lectures, homework assignments, discussions and demonstrations, students study all five senses, with emphasis on vision and hearing, and explore topics such as psychophysics, color vision, tone perception, and object recognition.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

2140 Learning. 3 credits.
Introduction to general concepts and philosophical roots as well as classical and contemporary issues of learning theory. Examination of behavioral as well as cognitive models; life span developmental issues; the neural basis of learning and memory; and clinical applications of learning theory.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

2150 Cognitive Psychology. 3 credits.
Examines the theoretical perspectives and empirically documented phenomena of cognitive psychology. Lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and experiments contribute to students’ understanding. Topics to be considered include reasoning, language, problem solving, creativity, and decision making.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

(2153 Mind, Language, and Consciousness).

2154 Motivation. 3 credits.
Physiological, behavioral, psychodynamic, and humanistic approaches to motivated behavior. Focus on hunger, thirst, reproduction, play, aggression, addiction, and achievement.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010. Recommended: PSY 3800, PSY 3804.

2155 Memory. 3 credits.
How memories are encoded, stored, and retrieved; long- and short-term memory; forgetting; neurobiological basis of memory; experimental and clinical syndromes of memory loss.
Prerequisites: PSY 1010, PSY 2150.

2164 Sociology of Language. 3 credits.
    (Same as SOC 1931).
Societal factors that influence language use and lead to speaking or writing differently to the same and to different interlocutors, on the basis of demographic, situational, and metaphorical considerations; monolinguist and multilinguist networks in traditional and modern contexts; language relativism.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

(2400 Psychology of Adjustment).

2414 Abnormal Psychology. 3 credits.
Theories and research into causes of neuroses, psychoses, and deviant behavior; diagnosis and treatment.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

2430 Clinical Psychology. 3 credits.
History and background of clinical psychology; current research; functions and responsibilities of the clinical psychologist and related mental health personnel; introduction to diagnosis and psychotherapy; ethics of the profession.
Prerequisites: PSY 1010, PSY 2414.

3100 Comparative Psychology. 3 credits.
Evolution of behavior: a comparative study of growth and development of behavior in animals.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

3105 Social Psychology. 3 credits.
Dynamic study of social behavior; social learning, interpersonal attraction, aggression, attitudes, conformity, and social influence processes.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

(3121C Experimental Social Psychology).

(3174 Psychology of Women).

3400 Educational Psychology. 3 credits.
Application of principles of learning, motivation, and measurement to education.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010. Recommended: PSY 2150.

3410 Applied Psychology. 3 credits.
Various areas in which principles of psychology have practical application: industry, business, education, advertising, communication; mass media and their effect on the individual.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

3430 Industrial and Organizational Psychology. 3 credits.
Theory and practice of behavioral science in industry and business settings: selection techniques, merit rating, employee counseling; attitudes and morale; training, leadership, and job evaluation; time and motion studies; human ecology.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

3440 Drugs and Behavior. 3 credits.
Basic issues relating to drug use and abuse, from biological, psychological, social, historical, and legal perspectives. Physiological and psychological factors in the initiation of drug use, including an overview of the biochemical and neurological mechanisms involved in drug action, the natural history of drug use, factors affecting the cessation of drug use, and the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions in drug abuse.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

3601 Health Psychology. 3 credits.
The contribution of psychological factors to the development, course, and treatment of physical illness and disease. Research methodology, basic theories, empirical studies, and clinical applications. Factors covered include weight control, alcoholism, smoking, heart and respiratory disease, cancer, and chronic illness.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

3800 Personality. 3 credits.
Structure and dynamics of normal and abnormal personality development, including psychoanalytic and social learning approaches. Clinical diagnostic tests and procedures are discussed.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

3804 Psychobiology. 3 credits.
Mind and body. The nervous system and endocrine glands in relation to psychological processes; physiological basis of perception, motivation, emotions, and learning.
Prerequisite: PSY 1010.

3824 Neuropsychology. 3 credits.
The principles and concepts that shape current neuropsychological thinking; experimental and clinical techniques as well as models of brain organization. Neuropsychological signs, symptoms, and syndromes in conjunction with brain structure and function. Specific focus on the neuropsychological implications for attention, motor function, sensory-perceptual integration, memory and learning, language, and thinking, along with developmental, adult, and geriatric implications.
Prerequisites: PSY 1010, PSY 2150, PSY 3804.

(3840 Psychology and the Law).

3850 Developmental Psychobiology. 3 credits.
Human development from a biological perspective. Behavioral genetics, ethology, the relationship between the developing nervous system and sensory, perceptual, and cognitive changes; biological origins of behavioral dysfunction.
Prerequisites: PSY 1010 and either PSY 1110 or 3804.

3860H Psychology and Religion. 3 credits.
Examines the reciprocal relationship between psychology and religion. On one hand, the psychological underpinnings of the religious experience include social determinants, development of religious perspectives and cognitive/value structures, functional effects of religious experience and behavior, and dynamic/personality influences on religious practice. On the other hand, religious experience and practice impact psychological states with consequences for psychosocial aspects of cultural dynamics.

4901 Independent Study.4911 Guided Project
Meet with the Yeshiva College academic dean.

4931; 4932 Problems in Psychology. 3 credits.
Seminars for majors involving extensive reading, discussion of several topics, and preparation of original papers.