PSY393 Personality (Fall, Spring)

The study of personality occupies a rather special place in psychology. Personality theories try to propose general perspectives to explain what we are as human beings. We will examine the development of personality theories during this century, starting with Freud, whose psychoanalytic theory forms a reference point for most later theories. We will study the development of the American perspectives of behaviorism, humanism, and psychological testing, with particular emphasis on their origins in European philosophy and psychology. In an effort to sensitize ourselves to human variation, we will attempt to observe and explain differences and commonalities between people within and between cultures.

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 an equivalent foundational Psychology course

PSY375 Cross-Cultural Psychology (Fall, Spring)

The interaction between brain, mind, and society is key to the study of cross-cultural psychology. Cross-cultural psychology is a scientific discipline that tries to explain the similarities and differences between human minds in different places throughout the world. In this class we will discuss such basic questions about universal and culture-specific psychological states and dispositions as ‘Does a New Guinea stone-age warrior feel the same emotions as, say, a New York college student? Does your mother tongue make you “see” the world in different ways from speakers of other languages? Why do we encounter people who consider good what we consider evil?’

Scientific answers to such basic questions pave the way for solving practical problems in a globalized society. Throughout the semester, we will draw on relevant examples you encounter while living abroad.

Counts as an IDEA course requirement for Syracuse students.

Pre-req: PSY 205 or PSY 209, or equivalent foundational Psychology course

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.

PSY480.6 Trauma Psychology

The objective of this course is to introduce both the theory and practice of the field of trauma psychology, which has recently begun to be one of the main focus areas of contemporary psychology. After taking this course, you will be able to define psychological trauma, differentiate between types of trauma and responses elicited by them, define the roles of psychologists within the field of trauma psychology, and apply some basic skills in terms of psychosocial first aid and psychosocial interventions. Pre-req: introductory psychology course (PSY 4070)

PSY480.5 Psychology of Gender

Overview of theories and research on gender in psychology. Learn about topics such as gender stereotypes, theories of gender differences, and the development of gender identity across the lifespan. You will also focus on research on gender differences in different domains of life such as cognitive abilities, emotions, relationships, school, career and work, health, stress, and psychopathology. (PSY 4058)

PSY480.4 Clinical Psychology

This course aims to teach historical roots of clinical psychology and overview of theoretical models. The roles and activities of a clinical psychologist will be the main focus. Students will be provided information on the following topics: Biopsychosocial perspective; major theoretical models of psychotherapy, psychological assessment; areas of specialty in clinical psychology. SU students may not earn credit for both this course and PSY 415. Pre-Req: introductory psychology course. (PSY 3002)

PSY480.3 Developmental Psychology: Adolescence

This course will focus on adolescence. We will examine the definition, theory and scientific study of adolescence, as well as the developmental changes that adolescents undergo in different domains such as cognition and social life including relationships with peers, family, siblings, friends, romantic relationships and the school. We will also briefly cover psychosocial problems that can be experienced during adolescence. (PSY 4014/PSY 2001)

PSY480.2 Readings in Cognitive Psychology

This course aims to deepen students’ knowledge of cognitive psychology through examination of specific topics/issues. Each week’s reading consists of research/theoretical papers. Pre-req: introductory psychology course and cognitive psychology course. (PSY 3012/PSY 3052)

PSY480.1 Readings in Organizational Psychology

This course is an advanced course including topics from organizational psychology. It covers the organizational side of the I/O psychology, including the impact of the organization on the individual and on groups of individuals. (PSY 4060)

PSY380.9 Theories of Personality

The course covers an overview of the major theories of personality with regard to their basic concepts and principles, perspectives on personality development and assessment techniques. Each theory is appraised in terms of its strengths and weaknesses based on the criteria for evaluating scientific theories. Through the use of case discussions, students are provided with the opportunity to apply personality theories to real-life examples of typical ?rather than abnormal? behavior and put theories into practice. SU students may not earn credit for both this course and PSY 393. (PSY 3007)

PSY380.8 Psychological Measurement

This course is an undergraduate-level introduction to the theory, research, and practice of psychological measurement. Topics include psychometric properties of a test; test development, construction, data collection, and item analysis; different statistical techniques (e.g. item analysis, correlation, reliability, factor analysis), using software to analyze psychometric properties of the test. SU students may not earn credit for both this course and PSY 353. (PSY 3094)