PSY300.3 Psychology of Art and Creativity: From Renaissance Bodies to AI Minds (Fall, Spring) NEW FOR FALL 2026

What drives the human impulse to create? Why do certain artworks move us deeply while others leave us untouched? How does the body shape our experience of art and creative practices? How does artificial intelligence relate to the spark of human creativity? And how can creative practices enhance psychological well-being and foster deeper human connection?

This interdisciplinary course offers a transformative exploration of the psychological foundations of artistic expression, creative processes, and aesthetic experience through an embodied, experiential learning approach. Drawing on classical theories and contemporary research in cognitive science, neuroscience, psychoanalysis, and positive psychology, students will investigate—through lectures, creative hands-on activities, museum visits, and a tailored city walk—how they create, perceive, and respond to art within Florence’s rich cultural context and in light of the evolving relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence. The course deepens students’ understanding of the psychological relationship between mind, body, art, and creativity across history and cultures, while strengthening their capacity to think creatively, communicate effectively across multiple forms of expression, self-regulate through art and creative practices, and engage meaningfully with the world—skills that are essential in an era of rapid technological changes, increasing automation, shifting global relationships, and evolving forms of communication.

Pre-req: PSY 205 or 209 or equivalent introductory psychology course.

Limited enrollment: Psychology majors may take more than one Psychology (PSY) course, all others limited to one PSY course during the semester.

This course has an associated course fee. See the Course Fees webpage for more information.

PSY474 Forensic Psychology (Fall, Spring)

Through case studies and project work, students will gain practical and theoretical insights into the field of forensic psychology, focusing on the intersection of psychology and the different legal systems in the US and Italy. Students will begin with foundational concepts and progress through specialized topics including juvenile delinquency, eyewitness testimony, deception detection, and criminal profiling. The course examines psychological theories such as Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy and Steinberg’s dual-systems model to understand adolescent offending. The course also delves into psychopathy, its psychological and neurological underpinnings, and approaches to treatment and rehabilitation.

Pre-req: PSY 205 or 209 or equivalent introductory psychology course.

Limited enrollment: Psychology majors may take more than one Psychology (PSY) course, all others limited to one PSY course during the semester.

PSY300.2 MindCraft: Exploring Psychology, Soft Skills & AI (Fall, Spring) NOT OFFERED FALL 2026

Learning to write from a psychological approach aims to promote lifelong learning. Writing activities are embedded in the academic context and many communicative interactions in our daily lives. However, higher education offers few opportunities to exercise this competence. Through this practical course, we will explore the role of writing as a tool for thinking and learn how to use it to enhance essential skills related to social, personal, and learning areas. Additionally, this course helps students understand how artificial intelligence (AI) systems work, critically evaluate their effects, and improve collaboration with AI in strategic writing.

Pre-req: PSY 205 or 209 or equivalent introductory psychology course.

Limited enrollment: Psychology majors may take more than one Psychology (PSY) course, all others limited to one PSY course during the semester.

PSY252 Statistical Methods II (Fall)

In this fall-only course, you will learn how to conduct and interpret statistics that are commonly used by psychologists. Because the focus is on applied statistics, no advanced mathematical techniques will be taught.

Upon successfully completing the course, you’ll be able to:

Identify quantitative data for statistical analyses.
Choose appropriate statistical analyses to test research hypotheses.
Apply statistical tests to answer basic research questions.
Use JASP software to conduct basic statistical tests.
Interpret and write common statistical reports.

Registration restriction: Enrollment is limited, with priority given to Psychology majors and students accepted to the Health and Science special program. Enrollment during online registration may be limited to only one Psychology course for non-majors.

Prerequisite: Either STT 101 or MAT 121 or MAT 221, or completion of a two-semester calculus sequence (e.g., MAT 285 and 296 or MAT 295 and 296)

PSY335 Psychology of Childhood (Fall, Spring)

In this course, we’ll focus on principles of psychological development and problems of adjustment during childhood, along with intellectual, social, and emotional development.

This course addresses what most psychology students (really, most people) are interested in: Why did I turn out the way that I did? Somehow, you all went from being embryos the size of a jellybean to intelligent, mature adults sitting in a college class. In this class, we’ll see what psychological science can tell us about how you’ve changed, including your physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. We’ll also discuss factors that might have influenced this development, such as your genes, caretakers, siblings, peers, schooling, media, and culture. Our learning process will be multimodal.

Upon successful completion of this course, you’ll be able to:

Demonstrate a basic understanding of the physiology relevant to health behaviors
Describe the ways in which physical, psychological, and behavioral health are interrelated
Apply health psychology theory and interventions to common health behaviors
Describe, analyze, and critically interpret peer-reviewed research publications in the field of health psychology

Registration restriction: Enrollment is limited, with priority given to Psychology majors. Enrollment during online registration may be limited to only one Psychology course for non-majors.

Prerequisite: PSY 205 or PSY 209, or equivalent foundational Psychology course

PSY382 Health Psychology (fall, spring)

In this fall-only course, you’ll focus on psychological, behavioral, and social influences on health and illness — why people stay healthy, why they become ill, and how they respond when they do get ill. The course is designed to give you an introductory overview to the field of Health Psychology. You will learn about how behavior and lifestyle influence the development of chronic disease, and how behavior and lifestyle can help people cope with stress, pain, and disease. Class will consist of lectures, experiential activities, journal clubs, and group discussions. You will leave this class with a basic understanding of the clinical and research applications of health psychology as well as some practical skills for applying health psychology interventions to your own life.

Prerequisite: PSY 205 or PSY 209, or equivalent foundational Psychology course

PSY300.1 Criminal Psychology: An Analysis of Italian Serial Crimes (Fall, Spring)

This course offers an in-depth exploration of criminal psychology, focusing on the psychological, social, and biological factors that contribute to serial crimes, particularly in Italy. Students will study prominent cases such as the Monster of Florence, examining the psychological profiles of the offenders, the investigative processes, and the impact of these crimes on society. The course combines theoretical discussions with practical analysis, offering students the opportunity to delve into the minds of serial killers and understand the complexities of their actions. By studying the psychological, social, and cultural aspects of serial crimes, particularly in the Italian context, students will gain a unique perspective on criminal behavior, essential for careers in psychology, criminology, law, social work, and law enforcement.

Pre-req: PSY 205 or 209 or equivalent introductory psychology course.

Limited enrollment: Psychology majors may take more than one Psychology (PSY) course, all others limited to one PSY course during the semester.

PSY382 Health Psychology (Fall, Spring)

This course is designed to give you an introductory overview to the field of Health Psychology. Study the role of psychological factors in the cause, progression and consequences of health and illness. We investigate why people stay healthy, why they become ill, and how they respond when they do get ill. You will learn about how cognitions, emotions and behavior may protect health or influence the development of illness and how people can cope with stress, pain, and disease. Class will consist of didactic lectures, experiential activities, journal clubs, and group discussions. You will leave this class with a basic understanding of the clinical and research applications of health psychology as well as some practical skills for applying health psychology interventions to your own life.

Prereq: PSY 205 or 209 or an equivalent introduction to psychology course

Limited enrollment: Psychology majors may take more than one Psychology (PSY) course, all others limited to one PSY course during the semester.

PSY376 Why Good People Do Terrible Things (Fall, Spring)

New to Madrid in fall 2024. Students will become familiar with core conceptual approaches to understanding how people who appear to be decent human beings could engage in moral transgressions and play a role in the victimization of others.

Registration restriction: Enrollment is limited, with priority given to Psychology majors. Enrollment during online registration may be limited to only one Psychology course for non-majors.

Prereq: PSY 205 or PSY 209, or equivalent foundational Psychology course

PSY395 Mental Health Disorders (Spring)

Mental Health Disorders is concerned with identifying, understanding, and treating psychological disorders. Why do people have difficulties enjoying life and why do they experience sustained sadness which may even result in attempts to end their own lives? Why do war veterans who return from Iraq experience panic attacks in the middle of a supermarket even though they are out of harm’s way? Why do young girls starve themselves to death pursuing unrealistic ideals of thinness? Why do people hear voices and see things that are not there? When do these problems typically start, how can we understand factors that increase the risk of experiencing psychological problems, and what options exist for treatment? These topics and questions surround us every day and this course will try to answer some of these questions, providing an overview of the scientific study of abnormal thought, emotion, and behavior.

Pre-req: PSY 205 or 209 or equivalent introductory psychology course.

Limited enrollment: Psychology majors may take more than one Psychology (PSY) course, all others limited to one PSY course during the semester.