Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Degrees and Certificates

Courses

BIO 220: Neuroscience

An introduction to the basic and fundamental concepts in the field of neuroscience. The course introduces and provides an overview of several core neuroscience areas, including the anatomy and physiology of neurons, synaptic transmission, cellular signaling, nervous system development, plasticity, and cellular and molecular mechanisms of several nervous system functions - MB. It also involves discussions on neuropathology and research models and methods. Lecture periods may occasionally be used to complete basic hands-on/lab-like experiences or to discuss literature to promote student exploration and appreciation of neuroscience. Topics are discussed primarily in the context of vertebrates with emphasis on the human nervous system.

Prerequisites

BIO 191 or Professor Approval

Notes

Elective

PSY 125: FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR

First-Year Seminars (FYS) constitute a common and academically significant experience in a student’s first year at Converse. All incoming first-year students are required to take a 3- or 4-credit hour FYS course in the fall semester, choosing from a variety of discipline specific topics. Each FYS carries the corresponding departmental prefix, but with a common course number.  Each FYS carries the corresponding departmental prefix but with a common course number. Special emphasis is given to cultivating critical thinking, effective speaking, and writing skills. 

Notes

GEP.

PSY 149: PSYCHOLOGY IN THE MOVIES: ROOTING FOR THE BAD GUY

The purpose of this course is to explore potential psychological phenomena that may underlie people’s willingness to root for the bad guy (or bad behaviors) in popular culture (e.g., movies, TV, books, etc.) Students will learn about the theoretical and empirical basis of these phenomena and then determine how these may be in effect in movies and television shows.
Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit

Converse Core: Community & Global Responsibility

PSY 199H: FRESHMAN HONORS SEMINAR

First-Year Seminars (FYS) constitute a common and academically significant experience in a student’s first year at Converse. All incoming first-year students are required to take a 3- or 4-credit hour FYS course in the fall semester, choosing from a variety of discipline specific topics. Each FYS carries the corresponding departmental prefix, but with a common course number.  Each FYS carries the corresponding departmental prefix but with a common course number. Special emphasis is given to cultivating critical thinking, effective speaking, and writing skills. 

Notes

GEP credit.

PSY 231: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

A course designed to investigate the manner in which the behavior, feelings, and thoughts of one individual are influenced and determined by the behavior and/or characteristics of others. Selected topics include attraction, social influence, attitudes, aggression and violence, altruism, sexual behavior, group influences, and person perception. Offered in alternate years. Spring Term.
Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit.

PSY 280: HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

The aims of this course are to understand the psychological factors involved in health and in illness, to study interventions to help people get over illness and stay well, and to consider the health care system and its policies. Finally, a sample of the popular literature on the mind-body issue as it relates to health will be considered relative to the existing scientific literature. GEP for Health and Wellness requirement. Offered in Fall or Jan Term.
Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit.

PSY 281: YOGA AND STRESS MANAGEMENT

This course will study stress management from the perspectives of western science and the eastern practice of yoga. A portion of the class will include study of scientific findings concerning stress and its management, some study of yoga philosophy, and a consideration of the existing scientific studies of yoga. Another portion of the class will involve practice of yoga postures and methods of breathing. 

Notes

Interfaith Studies Minor, Elective credit

GEP before 2025: GEP for Health and Wellness requirement, Activity, and Non-European/non-Anglophone

Converse Core: Culture & Diversity

PSY 302: PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN

A study of gender comparisons in behavior. Selected topics include theories of female development, femininity, masculinity, and androgyny, gender comparisons in personality, adjustment, abilities, achievement, motivation, language, biological influences, sexuality, violence against women, and cross- cultural perspectives. Offered alternate years. Spring Term.

Notes

Major, Minor, Elective, CCW credit.

PSY 303: WOMEN’S WELL-BEING AND YOGA

This class is designed to investigate various physical and psychological issues in women’s lives, and sequences of yoga poses that are designed to help women cope with these issues. The course will include a review of scientific research on the effectiveness of yoga with various women’s issues, and also it will include the philosophy of yoga and how it underpins the yoga postures that we do to help women cope with these issues. 

Notes

Major, Minor, Elective, CCW credit

GEP before 2025:  Health and Wellness, Non-European/non-Anglophone/Women’s Studies

Converse Core: Culture & Diversity

 

PSY 304: ADULT ANXIETY, TRAUMA, AND MOOD DISORDER SEMINAR

A detailed review of the most commonly occurring anxiety, mood, and trauma and stress disorders. Topics include the assessment and diagnosis of each disorder, understanding functional outcomes for patients experiencing various symptoms, and the application of current empirically supported treatments.

Prerequisite Courses
Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit.

PSY 310: STATISTICS AND EXPERIMENT DESIGN I

Enrollment in this course is limited to Psychology majors and minors. This course sets the foundation for how statistics and experimental design are used in psychology. Statistical topics of central tendency, variability, distribution, hypothesis testing, and correlation will be covered. In addition, the methodological topics of the philosophy of science, the ethics of experimentation, and controlling variables will be addressed. Students will learn to analyze data using SPSS and to write research papers in APA format. A grade of C- or better is required in order to advance to PSY 311. Offered Fall and Spring Terms. 

Prerequisites

PSY100.

Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit

GEP before 2025: Quantitative

Converse Core: Data Literacy

PSY 311: STATISTICS AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN II

This course builds upon the basics of statistics and experimental design covered in PSY 310. More complex research designs including two or more groups and one or more factors (between, within, and mixed subject designs) will be explored. This course will make use of the descriptive statistics taught in PSY 310 and add inferential statistics. Students will learn to compute statistics by hand and using SPSS. Finally, this course involves writing research papers about complex research designs in APA format. Offered Fall and Spring Terms. Quantitative GEP requirement.
Prerequisites

A grade of C- or better in PSY 310.

Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit.

PSY 320: BODY IMAGE, EATING DISORDERS, AND OBESITY

By the end of this course, students will be able to describe the characteristic symptoms of eating disorders and related issues (e.g., body image, Body Dysmorphic Disorder), including some key psychological theories, treatment options, and prevention strategies, and research findings. Students will also learn about obesity and factors associated with prevention and treatment of obesity, as well as issues faced by individuals in this population (including eating disordered behaviors, stigma, and medical comorbidities). Throughout the course, students will be expected to effectively communicate their ideas and thinking in written form, in formal presentations, and in informal discussions.

Prerequisite Courses
Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit.  Offered every other year, usually in the spring semester.

PSY 332: PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS

A study of the psychological evaluation, the tests used for such an evaluation, and the procedures required for such tests to be valid and reliable. There will be an emphasis on personality tests. Each student will do two evaluations, one on herself and one on another student.
Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit.

PSY 340: COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY

This course provides students with an advanced analysis of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and its variants. CBT is one of the most popular and empirically supported forms of therapy used today. Students will learn about specific intervention techniques within CBT and will gain skills in utilizing those techniques through role plays. Students will additionally learn about Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing- therapies which are based in part on CBT. Students will learn how CBT is utilized for specific populations and disorders. Throughout the course, students will be expected to effectively communicate their understanding of the material in written form, role plays, and class discussions. Offered every other year, usually in the fall semester.

Prerequisite Courses
Notes

Major, Minor, Elective Credit.

PSY 360: INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS AND HUMAN SEXUALITY

Credits 4
January Credits
4

This course explores human sexuality emphasizing the psychological aspects of intimate relationships. We will cover attraction, sexual attitudes and behavior, gender, the development of sexual relationships, love and communication in intimate relationships, sexual orientation, and sexual difficulties and therapy. Attention will also be paid to the methods for gathering data in this field.

Notes

Major, Minor, Elective Credit.

PSY 370: CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

A lecture and seminar course examining the phenomenon of child abuse and neglect. Included in this course will be an overview of attitudes toward and legal definitions of child maltreatment. In addition, legal issues, parental factors, contextual influences, and the developmental consequences of maltreatment will be explored. This course relies heavily on current research in child abuse and neglect. Offered in alternate years. Spring Term.
Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit

Converse Core: Community & Global Responsibility

PSY 390: Psychopharmacology

This course will survey major areas of psychopharmacology, focusing on its applications to the treatment of mental illness. The course will also review treatment of chronic pain, sleep disorders, and will cover drugs of abuse and addiction. This course will provide students with a basic understanding of the functions of the brain and how medications/drugs can influence these functions. Prerequisites: PSY 100 & PSY374, or permission of the instructor.

Jan Term Only - 4 hours

PSY 402: ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

This course is intended to familiarize the student with the field of animal behavior. The course objectives are to instill in the student a knowledge and understanding of: 1) the various subject realms of animal behavior, 2) the methodological approaches used in studying behavior, and 3) the current conceptual perspectives from which various behavioral phenomena are interpreted by ethologists and psychologists. These objectives will be reached through lectures, readings, films, field trips and assigned exercises.
Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit.

PSY 410: COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

This course serves as an introduction to the study of psychotherapeutic interventions in clinical/counseling psychology. The majority of the course is focused on examining the defining characteristics, efficacy, and effectiveness of various psychotherapies. Although specific techniques are reviewed, this course will in no way prepare students to conduct psychotherapy. Rather, the course serves as a good foundation for future study in the field. In addition to learning about psychotherapy approaches, this course also focuses on understanding the ethical practice of psychotherapy, future trends and issues in the field of psychotherapy, options for careers in psychotherapy.

Prerequisites

PSY 374 or permission of the Instructor.

Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit.

PSY 499: INTERNSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

In exceptional cases, consent of the department staff will permit enrolling in the course in the absence of some of the course prerequisites. It is intended for senior psychology majors. The course will offer experience in an applied setting. Students will be placed with local social agencies or other dispensers of psychological services (out-of-town placement is also possible) who have agreed to accept and evaluate them on an internship basis. The course will also involve weekly seminars with the departmental staff and other interns for examination of problems that have arisen in the work situation. In the case of out-of- town placement, a paper will be required instead of the seminars. The course is intended for those psychology majors who wish to seek employment at the Bachelor of Arts level. It is not recommended for those who plan to pursue an advanced degree program. Pass/fail grading.

Prerequisites

A 3.0 average in the major. PSY 374, 231, 310 and 332.

Notes

Major credit.