Research Methods |
Addictions |
Lab Seminar |
Criminal Mind |
Law and Psychology |
---|
RESEARCH METHODS IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY (Next offering TBD)
The goal of the course is to introduce principles, methods, and practices of science and the way scientific knowledge differs from personal observation and thought. Clinical psychology is an excellent venue for conveying research methods because of the range of topics and questions. Among the foci of clinical psychological science are questions designed to understand psychological adjustment and functioning in its many manifestations (normative functioning, clinical impairment, mental illness and health) over the life-span. The topics include but extend well beyond this brief sample: trauma, suicide, optimism, social support, child rearing, interpersonal violence, relationships, resilience, stress, psychiatric disorders, and the relations of mental and physical health. A scientific research approach to clinical psychology draws on diverse methods (e.g., randomized trials, observational studies), multiple levels of analyses (e.g., genetic, neural, environmental, and social), and includes a wide range of participants (human and nonhuman animals). This course will discuss the range of methods and in the process sample the fascinating topics for which these are used. By the end of this course you should understand the differences between personal (individual) and scientific (research) knowledge development, understand the process (stages) of research inquiry, be able to compare and critique various research and sample designs, be able to apply research and sample designs based on varying research questions, read and critique empirical research, and reflect on the ethical and practical issues of doing research.
** Note: There is no cap on this course. Any student can take it. There is no need to email the Professor for permission.**
ADDICTIONS: ETIOLOGY & TREATMENT (Next offering TBD)
What is considered a drug? Why do some individuals use substances, but others become addicted? Are there effective treatments for addiction? Why and how does society attempt to control substance use and distribution? Exploring questions such as these will be central concerns in this seminar. Broadly speaking, the focus of this course will be on examining social, neurobiological, and genetic explanations for addiction, evaluating addiction treatments, and discussing the social construction of substance policies. Throughout the semester, students will be asked to think critically about material and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. To foster critical thinking skills, students will have ample opportunities to discuss topics in class, analyze arguments in reading assignments, and apply ideas to real world situations through course projects and presentations.
** Note: Undergraduate students should pre-register for this course. If you did not pre-register you are not guaranteed a spot and should email the Professor prior to the first day of class. At the start of the first class the Professor will review the number of slots available and let students know if they have made it into the course. **
SEMINAR IN ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR: LAB MEETING (Tuesdays 11:35, Spring 2021)
THE CRIMINAL MIND (Next offering TBD)
LAW AND PSYCHOLOGY (Next offering Spring 2022)
This is a graduate-level seminar. We discuss topics that reflect the overlap between law and psychology, including: eyewitness identification; interrogation; forensics and neuroscience; culpability/mitigation/excusing conditions; psychopathy; environment and criminal behavior; policing special populations: mental illness/domestic violence; prisons; decision making by judges and juries; risk assessment/clinical prediction; racism/sexism; and, the psychology of violence.
**Note: Permission of the instructor required to take this course. **