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New Specialized Courses and Senior Experiences in Psychology
See TESS for other course listings
Fall 2008
PSY 311: Sensation and Perception
Dr. Roger Cholewiak T 5:30-8:20pm
The basic structure and function of all of the sensory systems are examined and related to our experience of the world. Topics include in-depth discussions of the anatomy and physiology of each of the systems, the stimuli that activate them, as well as how each modality enables the perception of space, time, form, and movement, how they change over the life span, and how illusions reflect their normal operation. Prerequisites: PSY 121
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PSY331: Clinical Psychology
Dr. David Krauss W 9-11:50am
This course, an introduction to the profession of clinical psychology, builds upon students’ prior knowledge of psychology, especially personality and abnormal psychology and research methods. Students will learn about the primary interrelated activities of non-academic clinical psychologists - assessment and intervention - and some of the various theoretical perspectives from which these activities are approached. A main objective of the course is to give students a sense of how clinical psychologists, guided by contemporary theoretical models of assessment and treatment, practice their craft in a variety of roles and settings. We will also consider important current issues in the profession, such as ethics in clinical practice, working with people from diverse backgrounds, the structure of the mental health care system, and graduate training.
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PSY 342: Clinical Psychopharmacology
Dr. Margaret Ruddy MR 08:30-09:50AM
Pre-requisite: PSY 212 or permission of instructor
This seminar will explore how psychological disorders are influenced by neurotransmitters, hormones, and neurotrophic factors, and by interventions that increase or decrease these chemicals. Clinical disorders will include: depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders,
sleeping disorders, attention deficits, dementia, and schizophrenia. Both intended effects and side effects of drugs will be studied, as well as individual differences in effects (due to genes/environments).
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PSY 343: Behavioral Pharmacology of Drugs of Abuse
Dr. Margaret Martinetti T 5:30pm-9:20pm
This course explores the pharmacological and behavioral events associated with several drugs of abuse including cocaine, nicotine, alcohol, opiates, hallucinogens, and caffeine, as well as other drugs such as nitrous oxide, DXM, and anabolic steroids. We will also review the neurobiology of drug-taking behavior and explore how behavioral principles have been used to study drug abuse and develop treatments. We will include an examination of historical, economic, and cultural variables in our approach. Learning activities include small and large group discussion, student-led discussion of current drug abuse topics, and preparation of a literature review paper on a topic of your choosing.
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PSY 348: Emotion
Dr. Chu Kim-Prieto W 9-11:50am
This course will introduce students to the major theories of emotions and explore physiological, social, cultural, and developmental aspects of emotion. We will also explore individual differences in emotions, and the role of emotions in health and well-being.
Students are expected to read and critique primary research articles and understand commonly used statistical concepts and methods.
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PSY 364: Industrial Psychology
Professor Smiles M 5:30-8:20pm
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Psychology 370: Developmental Seminar: Children and the Media
Dr. James Graham TF 10-11:30pm
This course is designed to introduce students to theory and research on children's media use. The primary focus of the course will be on the psychological impact of the media on children and adolescents, but other areas such as communication, education, political science, and law and justice will be explored. The course is organized in a topical format, exploring the basic theories of the media and tracing development for children and adolescents within each topic. We will examine topics such as advertising, violence, health, sexuality, drugs, music, electronic games, the internet, and media literacy. The course is designed so that both the professor and students lead class discussions. Students will generate thought questions, provide additional readings for the class, and develop a collaborative media project. Prerequisites: PSY 220
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Psychology 370: Developmental Seminar: Child Therapy
Professor Cara Natale W 5:30 - 8:20pm
This course will introduce basic counseling methods and apply them to a
number of child therapies. We will explore various modes of play
therapy, such as child-centered play therapy and psychodynamic play
therapy, and look at their use in treating different disorders and life
challenges experienced in childhood. Students will build off of basic
knowledge of child development and psychological theories.
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PSY 371: Cognitive Seminar: Human Factors
Professor Raegan Hoeft M 5:30pm-8:20pm
Did you ever wonder why you sometimes try to push a
door that is supposed to be pulled? Have you had problems trying to learn how to use a new cell phone? Do you refuse to visit some websites because they don't work the way you want them to? Human Factors is a field that blends principles from both psychology and engineering. In this course, we will focus on understanding the human characteristics (sensory, cognitive, and physical) that affect performance when interacting with technology, complex systems, consumer products, etc. This course will focus on real world problems, including discussions of famous catastrophic technological mishaps and minor everyday annoyances. Some of the topic areas that will be addressed are: design and evaluation methods, the sensory systems, cognition, decision making, design of displays, stress and workload, human-computer interaction, and human error.
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PSY 373 – Clinical and Counseling Seminar: Grief & Loss
Professor Elizabeth Collier MR 2:00pm-3:50pm
This course is an introduction to the field of dying, death and bereavement. The field encompasses aspects of psychology, sociology and development. We will consider attitudes about death from a personal and societal perspective, the influence of sociocultural and historical forces on the understanding of death, the changing nature of health care, especially as it pertains to the dying, and how people live with a life-threatening illness.
Also considered will be recent developments in our understanding of bereavement, grief and mourning, exploring the impact of loss on the individual, family, community, workplace and school.
The various theories of grief will be explored pertaining to normal, complicated, anticipated, traumatic and disenfranchised grief.
NB: Students should be aware that some personal issues regarding death and grief may surface during this course.
Prerequisites: Psy 101 or Soc 101 recommended: Psy 220
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PSY 374 I/O Seminar: Training
Professor Smiles T 5:30-8:20pm
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the
fundamentals of organizational training and development. The role of training is broadening due to its strategic nature, the changing nature of the workplace and the availability of technology. Employee training and development is no longer treated by organizations as an obligatory cost, but rather as a critical tool in order to maintain a competitive edge. The ability of the individual worker to learn new skills and adapt to a changing work environment has also become a valued employee attribute for organizations.
This course will cover fundamental topics such as strategic training, the needs assessment process, adult learning principles, curriculum development, trainingtechniques, and training evaluation. In addition, because the importance of organizational learning has escalated and has an impact all levels of the organization, this course will also address topics such as career development, the role of technology and training, older workers and knowledge management. The course will involve several experiential activities that will provide students with real-life experiences in understanding the role of training in organizations and how training programs are developed, delivered and evaluated. Students will also apply the knowledge of basic psychological principles in understanding the various factors impacting organizational and individual learning.
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PSY 374 I/O Seminar: Performance Management
Dr. Jason Dahling MR 02:00-03:20PM
Performance management is the process of planning and improving individual performance. This course focuses on how managers can work with subordinates to set motivating objectives, provide supportive and developmental feedback over time, and accurately appraise performance. Specific topics covered in the course include goal setting theory, multi-source feedback, coaching and mentoring programs, and controversial issues in performance appraisal, such as the use of forced ranking and punishment-free systems. Additionally, students will become familiar with the development and process of conducting performance appraisals, and they will have the opportunity to critique and improve a performance appraisal instrument for a real organization.
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PSY 375 Social & Community Psychology Seminar: Classic and Contemporary
STAFF MR 10:00-11:20AM
This course provides an overview of the classical themes of social psychology, including but not limited to social conformity, group influence, persuasion, stereotyping & prejudice, interpersonal attraction, aggression, and social cognition. We will explore classic studies and theoretical
perspectives, and discover how today's social psychologists approach these issues. Some new branches of social psychology, such as social neuroscience and political psychology will also be examined".
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PSY 383: Counseling Clinical Field Study
Professor Elizabeth Collier W 9-11:50am
This course is designed for students pursuing careers in the Helping Profession – clinical counseling, counseling psychology, marriage and family counseling, addictions counseling, social work and school counseling. The class meets one time per week for a double period. Students are required to volunteer eight (8) hours per week at a community-based mental health agency. Class time will be spent discussing issues and events that arise in the field experience. The purpose of the course is to help develop your helping skills, how to integrate theory, techniques, and interventions; as well as assist you in exploring alternative ways to handle difficult situations that come up while interacting with clients.
Assignments include weekly field reports/journal, reading assignments, a student-led presentation on a topic in the field of counseling and a 12-15 page paper. Students are to inform the professor of their placement site, and the name of their on-site supervisor and a phone number, so that contact can be made. See the psychology web-site for possible placements.
Pre-reqs: 216, 217
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PSY 386: Psychological Testing
Staff R 05:30-08:20PM
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PSY 390/492: ERP Lab
Dr. Andrew Leynes
I am seeking highly motivated, responsible students to work with me on my research. My research lab consists of undergraduate students who conduct experiments that investigate brain function and memory. In essence, we measure brain electrical activity (called ERPs) while people complete various types of memory experiments. Different studies are conducted each semester as part of my ongoing research in this area. In addition to working in the lab, members of my lab team meet each week and discuss our research as well as other interesting research articles. Consider this research opportunity if you are interested in neuroscience (the study of the brain and behavior) and/or graduate school. Lab openings are limited each semester.
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PSY 390/492: Emotion Lab
Dr. Chu Kim-Prieto
This course investigates the intersection between culture and emotion. Specific topics for investigation include cultural variation in the experiences of happiness and pride, and religion as a source of cultural variation in the experience of joy. Working alongside Dr. Kim-Prieto, students will have opportunities to collaborate on quantitative and qualitative data collection, entering and coding of data, and data analysis. Advanced students will have opportunities for leadership positions and collaboration in writing papers for publication. Students will also take turns choosing articles relevant to the research topic and leading discussions.
Students must have faculty permission. Interested students should complete an application outside Dr. Kim-Prieto's office (SSB121) or contact her (kim@tcnj.edu).
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PSY 390/492: Romantic Relationships Lab
Dr. Candice Feiring
I am seeking highly motivated, responsible students to work with me on my research concerning adolescent and early adulthood relationship development. A primary focus of this research is to measure and understand individuals’ schemas about their relationships and how such schemas are related to healthy and destructive behavior in relationships. This research lab consists of undergraduate students who collaborate with me on the use of narratives and other quantitative methods to assess relationship schemas and behaviors. Following training in interview skills, transcription and structural narrative coding systems, students will be collecting, transcribing, coding, and analyzing data. In addition to working in the lab, members of my research team meet each week and discuss our research as well as other interesting research articles. Consider this research opportunity if you are interested in social development (relevant for the clinical, social and developmental concentration) and/or graduate school. Lab openings are limited each semester.
Do you want more information about Dr. Feiring’s background and research? Visit the website for the Center for Youth Relationship Development webpage http://www.tcnj.edu/~cyrd or speak with me, feiring@tcnj.edu
Applications for the Fall, 2008 semester are now being accepted . Applications can be found at http://www.tcnj.edu/~cyrd navigate to Research, Romantic Relationship Study
Space is limited, so please apply early! Prerequisites: PSY 121 and permission from the instructor required and completion of PSY 299 preferred.
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PSY 390/492: Organizational Misbehavior
Dr. Jason Dahling
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PSY 390/492: Memory & Aging Lab
Dr. Tamra Bireta
The Memory and Aging Lab investigates how memory functions in young adults and how that functioning changes with age. Each semester, we conduct experiments to test the predictions of memory theories to learn more about why memory behaves the way it does and why memory is often worse in older adults. Students have the opportunity to be involved in all levels of the project, including designing the experiment, creating the stimuli, recruiting and running participants, and analyzing data. Advanced students will have the opportunity to assume leadership roles and aid in the preparation of manuscripts for publication. Although prior experience with research is helpful, it is not necessary, and students will be trained on all tasks in which they are involved. We will meet weekly to discuss data from current projects, plan future experiments, and discuss relevant memory literature. We welcome responsible, motivated students from all majors who are excited about getting involved in research!
For an application or for more information, email me, tbireta@tcnj.edu. Space is limited, so please apply early.
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PSY 390/492: Alcohol Lab
Dr. Margaret Martinetti
The Alcohol Lab at TCNJ studies animal models of alcohol abuse in laboratory rats. In these experiments, rats are trained to press a lever to gain access to alcohol. The Alcohol Lab team consists of several students who earn course credit by sharing in the animal care, solution making, data collection, administrative, and data entry responsibilities of the lab. The students in the lab also participate in weekly lab meetings at which we discuss two relevant journal articles, and students take turns leading the discussions at these meetings. Members of the lab team also complete a "lab project" which provides an opportunity to create a lasting contribution to the lab, and write two brief synthesis papers during the semester. We welcome students of any major who are bright, motivated, responsible, enthusiastic, and detail-oriented, and meet some basic course requirements. For more information or to complete an application, please visit our website at http://www.tcnj.edu/~alcolab Applications for the spring, 2008 semester will be accepted through Monday, November 5. Space is limited, so please apply early!
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PSY 390/492: Positive Youth Development
Dr. He Len Chung MR 2:00pm-3:50pm
What does it take to for young people to be successful in today’s society? In this course, students will gain experience working in a community-based research lab that studies the transition from adolescence to adulthood (ages 18 to 25). We will explore how youth learn to take hold of some kind of life and will pay most attention to young people living in high-risk urban settings. Students will become familiar with research on minority youth development and learn about important environmental and personal factors that shape behavior, motivation, and attitudes during the transition to adulthood. Students will be trained to participate in all aspects of the research process and advanced students will have opportunities to assume leadership roles. Interviews with young adults will take place in the Trenton community (e.g., Boys & Girls Clubs, High Schools), and students will have multiple opportunities to engage with local agencies/organizations and participate in community-based data collection.
Lab openings are limited and require faculty permission. Interested students should complete an application outside Dr. Chung’s office (SSB 114) or contact Dr. Chung via email (chung@tcnj.edu).
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PSY390/492 - Child Development Lab (Kidsbridge)
Dr. James Graham
My laboratory, in conjunction with Kidsbridge programs, combines experiential learning with research with school-age children. Kidsbridge aims to provide programs that create measurable improvements in character education and life skills. The character education programs generate positive learning in civility, kindness, conflict resolution, mediation and anti-bullying. The life skill programs are designed to prepare children to be successful in a global society, while instilling the values of cooperation, peaceful interaction, teamwork and leadership. Undergraduate students serve as docents in the Kidsbridge mini-museum of tolerance, housed in Forcina Hall, and/or as mentors for Kidsbridge sponsored Life Skills Class in public elementary schools in Trenton.
Students have the opportunity to be involved in all levels of the research process. Weekly meetings will be used to review applicable literature from child development and education, to discuss data from current projects, and to plan future studies. We welcome students who are responsible, mature, motivated, and good at working with school-age children. For more information about the Kidsbridge programs, please visit our website at http://kidsbridgemuseum.org/main/index.cfm. If you would like to join our research team, email Dr. James A. Graham (jgraham@tcnj.edu) at your earliest convenience.
Permission from the instructor is needed.
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PSY 470: Senior Topics Seminar - Consulting
Dr. Jean Kirnan
The course should be of interest to any Psych major, not just I/O. We will draw on our critical thinking, research, statistics, and writing skills. We will be acting in a consulting capacity to some entity either on campus or off. We'll do one of 3 projects:
1) work with the writing center using focus groups to develop a form genie survey and perhaps analyze results on the effectiveness of their program
2) work with Career Services on analyzing archived datasets of recruiting techniques used by TCNJ students to obtain permanent jobs; we'd look for types of recruiting sources by gender, ethnicity, major, etc.
3) work with a local school on developing an educational seminar for their teachers on best practices for classroom assessment.
NOTE for I/O students: This is the only 400 level seminar specifically for I/O students offered this year. There will be other 400 level courses in the spring, but unlike past academic years, the I/O seminar is offered in fall and not spring.
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PSY 470: Senior Topics Seminar - Memory
Dr. Andrew Leynes
This Senior Topics Seminar will examine theoretical and practical issues relating to human memory. Students will be responsible for reading and discussing the experimental and theoretical memory literature. Because it is a Senior-level class there will be extensive writing experiences that might include some of the following: literature reviews on a specific sub-topic relevant to the course (i.e., summarizing empirical findings and critical analysis of existing studies), a research proposal, and writing results and discussion sections in APA style based on analysis and interpretation of existing data. Class discussions and readings will be devoted toward understanding the theory behind topics such as eyewitness memory and false memories. In addition, we will read and discuss memory studies that use brain-damaged patients (amnesics) and brain-imaging technology to understand how memory works.
This Seminar counts as a Senior Experience for the Cognitive and Biopsychology concentrations. Because it is likely to be relevant to other concentrations, please check with your advisor in order to see if it counts for another concentration.
If you are interested or have questions about the course, then please see Dr. Leynes (SB 125; leynes@tcnj.edu). Enrollment is by permission of the instructor only.
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PSY 483: Counseling and Clinical Field Study Seminar
Ms. Stephanie Marcello T 5:30pm - 8:20pm
This section of the Senior Field Capstone course is designed for students seeking careers in the mental health field including clinical psychology, counseling psychology, social work, and school guidance. Students work in a volunteer capacity in a mental health agency for seven (8) hours per week. The class will meet one time per week for a double period (TBD). Class time is spent discussing issues arising in connection with client problems and the development of clinical skills. Students interested in this course should meet with the instructor to identify institutions and agencies in which it is possible to develop fieldwork placements. Assignments in the course include writing reports on interactions with one’s clients and a cost-benefit analysis of the agency in which the student is volunteering. A presentation of the evaluation report is made to the class with faculty from the Department invited to attend. Permission of the Instructor is REQUIRED.
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