Courses taught
Undergraduate
PSY 424: Abnormal Psychology
The primary objective of this course is to develop an understanding between observed human behavior and theories of personality development and disorder. "Normal" and "Abnormal" behaviors are reviewed through historical and cross-cultural perspectives culminating in the classification system outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-IV), the categorization adopted by most mental health professionals. Psychodiagnostic methods and treatment approaches are considered within the course. These perspectives become the basis for addressing current social issues in mental health, such as involuntary commitment, group home alternatives for care, client-therapist confidentiality, and other pertinent topics. Prerequisite: Psychology 251
PSY 451: Personality Theories
This course is intended to familiarize you with the major personality theories from a social, historical, psychological, and therapeutic framework. The focus will be on the essential concepts of each theory, and wherever practical, applications and techniques of each theory will be discussed. A critical evaluation of each approach will also be offered. Prerequisite: Psychology 251
PSY 380: Clinical Psychology
A review of traditional and contemporary developments in clinical psychology with emphasis on recent developments in community mental health, nonbehavioral psychotherapy, group treatment, and clinical research. Prerequisite: Psy 251 or permission of instructor.
Graduate Courses
PSY 501: Advanced Psychological Statistics
The goal of this course is to allow students to understand foundational principles of quantitative data analysis and to enable students to analyze data with up to moderate complexity. Moderate complexity includes comparisons of means across two groups, measures of independence (chi-square and correlations) and regression analysis including multiple linear regression. Because the goal is to do data analysis, the work must be done in class, in homework, and on tests. The computer is likely to be your best friend or your worst enemy (if you let it!). Prerequisite: PSY 223
PSY 550:Critical Research In Psychological Science (CRIPS)
This course goal is to provide Graduate Students in General Experimental Psychology Master’s program with exposure to current research, theoretical, and methodological issues in six major sub-disciplines of Psychology. This semester the areas that will be covered will be Neurosciences, Personality, and Cognitive Psychology.
PSY 592: Child Neuropsychology
This course will cover a wide range of issues related to biological determinants of human behavior with particular emphasis on development through childhood and the implications for education within the public school system. Hence, course materials and activities will focus on investigation of the implications of theory and research in behavioral sciences related to biological bases of human behavior (including developmental physiology, medically related disabilities, treatment modalities, etc.) as well as the consequences for educational intervention and management. Students will have a greater range of knowledge about the nature and etiology of various biologically based disorders usually first seen in childhood and how such disorders affect the scope and kind of educational services and interventions offered by the public school system.
GERO 501: Programs and Services in the Aging Network
A study of existing human services and programs intended for the elderly population, including a critical analysis of the local, state, and federal programs, policies, agency structures and administrative practices which are essential to the delivery of services.
GERO 550: Seminar in Gerontology -- Mental Health & Aging
This graduate level course is designed to introduce students to issues related to mental health and aging. The purpose of this course is to cover the research literature related to selected clinical disorders of old age. Emphasis will be placed on the incidence, prevalence, and comparative nature of these clinical syndromes in old age. The course will also include a discussion of how changes in both the health care system and the public policy arena have affected the experience of older adults in the mental health network.
GERO 550: Seminar in Gerontology -- Profiles in Caregiving
This a graduate-level introduction to the study of caregiving. The course assumes no prior knowledge or training in caregiving or familiarity with the caregiving literature. We will cove interpersonal issues, research, clinical, and public policy aspects of family caregiving. Some knowledge and understanding of empirical research techniques would be helpful. Students can expect to acquire a basic understanding of the trials and perils of providing care for older adults. While there is some attention paid to both micro and macro features of contemporary aging in the United States, there will be some attention to historical and cross-national issues. We consider four basic themes in the course: (a) “the experience of caregiving” – what it is like to provide care for cognitively, physically, and multiply impaired persons; (b) current demographic trends and population dynamics that will accentuate caregiving issues over the next several decades; (c) current or state of the art interventions; (d) social and policy issues confronting an aging society.