Psychology

Psychology - Undergraduate Courses

P 111 Introduction to Psychology (back to previous page)
Understanding human behavior. Motivation, emotion, learning, personality development, and intelligence as they relate to normal and deviant behavior. Applying psychological knowledge to everyday personal and societal problems. 3 credit hours.

P 205 Introduction to Forensic Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: CJ 100, P 111. This course is intended to provide an overview of the various applications of psychology to forensic settings. Topics include criminal investigation and profiling, personnel selection, dynamics of violence and victimology, eyewitness testimony, trial processes, and a variety of other areas within the criminal and civil justice systems. 3 credit hours. (See also CJ 205).

P 212 Business and Industrial Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 111. Psychological principles and research as they apply to the problems of working with people in organizations. Analysis of problems and decisions in this use of human resources, including selection and placement, criterion measurement, job design, motivation. 3 credit hours.

P 216 Psychology of Human Development (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 111. Human development over the life cycle conception through death: The changing societal and institutional framework, key concepts and theoretical approaches, understanding development through biography, child rearing and socialization here and abroad. 3 credit hours.

P 218 Sensation and Perception (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 111. This course will examine how humans process the stimuli that surround them (sensation) and how the brain interprets these stimuli (perception). Furthermore, it will explore how our interpretations and our responses to environmental stimuli are influenced by our experiences, culture, physiology, emotional state, and the social situation. 3 credit hours.

P 220 Psychology of Language and Reading (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 111. This course introduces students to the principles of how humans acquire and understand language. It examines the mental processes involved in different forms of language use (e.g. speech, conversation, writing, and thought) with a special focus on the processes involved in reading comprehension. Furthermore, the course includes an examination of some of the difficulties often encountered when processing language, including aphasia and dyslexia. 3 credit hours.

P 261 Drugs and Behavior (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: P 111, BI 121, BI 122. This course introduces the student to the relationship between drugs (legal and illegal) and human behavior. The main topics will include the role of drugs in today's society, drug abuse and addiction, the treatment of addiction, and the use of psychoactive drugs in treating psychological disorders. 3 credit hours.

P 301 Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: M 127. Concepts and assumptions underlying statistical methods essential to design and interpretation of research on human subjects. Fundamental descriptive and inferential methods. This course includes training in the use of a computer statistics program. 4 credit hours. (This course is cross-listed with M 228 Elementary Statistics).

P 305 Experimental Methods in Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 301. Methods of designing and analyzing psychological experiments. The scientific method as applied to psychology. Consideration of research techniques, experimental variables, design problems, data analysis. This course includes training in the use of a computer statistics program. 3 credit hours.

P 306 Psychology Laboratory (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 305. Group and individual experiments to be carried out by students. Research techniques for studying learning, motivation, concept formation. Data analysis and report writing. Offered only in spring semester of odd-numbered years. 3 credit hours.

P 312 Cognitive Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 111. This course introduces students to the important psychological theories concerning the way in which the human mind perceives, interprets, processes, stores, and retrieves information about the world. Furthermore, the course will illustrate how the mind's mental representations of objects and events serve as the basis for learning and memory, pattern recognition, the use of language, and our ability to reason and solve problems. 3 credit hours.

P 315 Human and Animal Learning (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 111. Different types of human and animal learning. Learning as an adaptive mechanism. Psychological principles underlying learning. Practical applications of learning principles. 3 credit hours.

P 316 The Psychology of Health and Sport (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 111. The role of psychological factors in the cause and prevention of physical illness. The modification of unhealthful behaviors. The study of stress and the management of stress, particularly during athletic competition. The nature of pain and pain management. The role of emotion in athletic performance. The use of psychology in athletic performance enhancement. Threats to the health of athletes. 3 credit hours.

P 321 Social Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: P 111, SO 113. The interdependence of social organizations and behavior. The interrelationships between role systems and personality; attitude analysis, development, and modification; group interaction analysis; social conformity; social class and human behavior. Offered only in the spring semester of odd-numbered years. 3 credit hours. (Same course as SO 320)

P 330 Introduction to Community Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 111. Key concepts of community psychology/community mental health. Community problems, needs, and resources. The helping relationship. Intervention techniques. Programming services. Understanding behavioral differences. Careers in community psychology. 3 credit hours.

P 331-332 Undergraduate Practicum I and II in Community/Clinical Psychology (back to previous page)
Corequisite: P 330 or permission of instructor. Supervised field experience in community psychology/mental health settings. Exploration of service delivery. Development of basic repertoire of helping skills. Behavioral log. Project reporting. Understanding helping roles at individual, small-group and institutional levels. 1-6 credit hours, with a maximum of 3 credit hours per semester.

P 336 Abnormal Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 111. Psychological and organic factors in personality disorganization and deviant behavior. Psychodynamics and classifications of abnormal behavior. Disorders of childhood, adolescence, and old age. Evaluation of therapeutic methods. 3 credit hours.

P 341 Psychological Theory (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 111. Contemporary theory in psychology. Emphasis on those theories which have most influenced thinking and research in sensation, perception, learning, motivation, personality. Offered only in fall semester of odd-numbered years. 3 credit hours.

P 345 Police and Investigative Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 205. This course focuses on the functions of the police psychologist such as candidate screening, stress management and counseling, hostage negotiations, critical incident debriefing, and fitness for duty evaluations. Application of psychological principles to investigation strategies such as profiling and hypnosis will also be explored. 3 credit hours. (See also CJ 345)

P 350 Human Assessment (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 301. Basic principles of measurement, applied to problems of the construction, administration, and interpretation of standardized tests in psychological, educational, and industrial settings. Offered only in fall semester of odd-numbered years. 3 credit hours.

P 351 Behavior Therapies (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 111. Principles of therapeutic behavior management. Alteration of maladaptive behavior patterns in institutional, neighborhood, home, educational, and social settings by operant and respondent reinforcement techniques. Habit management in oneself and in one's children. Offered only in the spring semester of even-numbered years. 3 credit hours.

P 357 Legal Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 205. This course will focus on the study of human behavior and cognitions within the legal and criminal justice system. Special emphasis will be given to the contributions of legal and cognitive psychology in understanding the criminal and civil legal system. Topics will include eyewitness testimony, jury decision-making, confession evidence, and punishment and sentencing. 3 credit hours (See also CJ 357).

P 360 Cognitive Neuroscience (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: P 111, BI 121, BI 122. This course explores the neurological underpinnings related to cognitive processes and their associated behaviors. Specifically, the course will focus on the brain's role in complex human behaviors such as attention, body movement, consciousness, emotions, decision making, formation and retrieval of memories, and the production and understanding of language. 3 credit hours.

P 361 Behavioral Neuroscience (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: P 111, BI 121 and BI 122. Endocrinological, neural, sensory, and response mechanisms involved in learning, motivation, adjustment, emotion, and sensation. Offered only in spring semester of even-numbered years. 3 credit hours.

P 365 Law, Psychology and the Mental Health System (back to previous page)
This class will review the civil and criminal law as it relates to mental health issues. Particular emphasis will be given to the justification of mental health law concepts, such as civil commitment and parens patriae power. Topics will include competence to stand trial, insanity, civil commitment, sexual predator commitment statutes, confidentiality, duty to warn, informed consent, malpractice, and issues of expert testimony. Legal cases will be examined to give the students a foundation in actual legal case law. Ethical issues and issues of professional responsibility will be covered. 3 credit hours. (See also CJ 365)

P 370 Psychology of Personality (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: P 111, junior class status. Theory and method in the understanding of normal and deviant aspects of personality; theories of Freud, Jung, Rogers, neo-Freudians, and others. 3 credit hours.

P 375 Foundations of Clinical/Counseling Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 336. Foundations of clinical/counseling psychology will review the humanistic, psychoanalytic, and behaviorist views on the emergence and treatment of psychopathology. The fit between theory and technique will be explored. 3 credit hours.

P 475 Senior Seminar in Forensic Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: P 205, P 357, P 365, and senior status. This course will explore a series of contemporary rotating research topics in law and psychology that will allow students to take an in-depth examination of a single area of study. Areas explored may include jury decision-making models, forensic assessment, wrongful conviction, death penalty, and trial consulting. 3 credit hours (See also CJ 475).

P 480-484 Special Topics in Psychology (back to previous page)
Selected topics of special or current interest. 3 credit hours.

P 599 Independent Study (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: Consent of faculty member and department chair. Opportunity for the student under the direction of a faculty member to explore an area of personal interest. This course must be initiated by the student after conferring with the faculty member who has agreed to supervise the project. 1-3 credit hours.

Psychology - Graduate Courses

P 605 Survey of Community Psychology (back to previous page)
An examination of historical roots and current concepts. A social-problems approach to psychological dysfunction. Changing professional roles. Community organization and human service delivery; strategies of intervention and community change.

P 607 Special Problems in Community Psychology (back to previous page)
Theory and practice of community psychology with selected problems, populations and settings. Emphasis on community psychology service issues and problems in the Connecticut area.

P 608 Psychometrics and Statistics (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: Intermediate undergraduate course in statistics. Comprehensive introduction to fundamental conceptual and technical aspects of measurement and psychological description of individuals. In-depth treatment of statistical issues such as advanced correlation and regression techniques using SPSSx statistical software to enhance understanding of key concepts. Emphasis on application of measurement and statistics to psychological assessment in field settings.

P 609 Research Methods (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 608. Introduction to analytic concepts pertinent to sampling techniques, research design, variable control and criterion definition. Basic problems of measurement, research paradigms, sources of error in research interpretation, problems of variable identification and control, and consideration of the logic of inference.

P 610 Program Evaluation (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 609. A systematic study of the processes involved in planning, implementing and evaluating organizational programs. Focus on action research strategies which integrate the entire process from planning to evaluation of the program.

Practicum Seminars and Fieldwork (P 611 - P 616):
An apprenticeship or on-the-job role in an ongoing program or center. Emphasis on developing conceptualizations and insights as a result of involvement in the apprenticeship. Placement at a field site for 8 to 10 hours per week. Weekly class meetings serve two purposes: to present specific theoretical material and research findings appropriate to each seminar and to allow students to discuss their field training experiences. A comprehensive project report is required in which each student will analyze and integrate fieldwork experience with relevant research and coursework.

P 611 Individual Intervention Seminar (back to previous page)
An examination of strategies for providing direct helping services to individuals in the context of formal and informal networks of social and community support. Includes the nature of the dyadic relationship, development of therapeutic and case management skills, professional ethics and supervision. Applications to a wide range of problems, populations and settings.

P 612 Consultation Seminar (back to previous page)
An examination of the consultation process. Includes the role of the consultant, stages of consultation, the development of consulting skills and political/ethical issues. Different approaches to consultation practice are analyzed, along with their associated interventions.

P 613 Systems Intervention Seminar (back to previous page)
An examination of the dynamics of planned, system-level change in the field of human services. The distinctive characteristics of human service organizations are analyzed; and an overall intervention model is developed, applied and discussed. Of special interest to those with responsibilities in program planning and implementation.

P 614 Individual Intervention Fieldwork (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor is required. Supervised field training in the provision of direct services to individual clients. Supervision is jointly provided by the field setting and the psychology department. Students must be available for at least one day per week. Permission of instructor is required.

P 615 Consultation Fieldwork (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor is required. Supervised field training in the development of consultation skills. Supervision is jointly provided by the field setting and the psychology department. Students must be available for at least one day per week. Permission of instructor is required.

P 616 Systems Intervention Fieldwork (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor is required. Supervised field training in program planning and development. Supervision is jointly provided by the field setting and the psychology department. Students must be available for at least one day per week. Permission of instructor is required.

P 619 Organizational Behavior (back to previous page)
Analysis of various theories of business and managerial behavior emphasizing the business organization and its internal processes. Psychological factors in business and industry, including motivation, incentives and conflict. A study of research findings relevant to an understanding and prediction of human behavior in organizations.

P 620 Industrial Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 608 or QA 604, or permission of instructor. Psychological theories and research applied to typical human resource functions in organizations. Topics include selection and placement, job analysis and competency modeling, training and development, performance appraisal, compensation, and human resource planning.

P 621 Behavior Modification I: Principles, Theories and Applications (back to previous page)
Theory and research in behavior modification. Aversive learning, desensitization, operant conditioning. Applications in clinical and nonclinical settings.

P 623 Psychology of the Small Group (back to previous page)
Analyses of the behavior and interaction of people in mutual gratification groups, committees, work groups and clubs.

P 624 Experiential Self-Analytic Group (back to previous page)
This experiential group develops understanding of group and interpersonal dynamics through analysis of ongoing interaction and improves participants' interpersonal abilities relevant to organizational consulting and diagnosis.

P 625 Life Span Developmental Psychology (back to previous page)
In-depth exploration of normal and abnormal development through the life cycle. Emphasis on childhood, adolescence, adulthood and later years. Developmental impact of family, neighborhood, schooling, work, culture. Issues of class, ethnicity, gender, age, etc. Applications of theory and research to community treatment and prevention.

P626 Worker Well Being (back to previous page)
This course provides an overview of the frameworks, theories, critical issues, and practices associated with the psychological well being of people in the workplace. The study of worker well-being, a sub-area of occupational health psychology, includes topics such as work-life integration, alternative employment schedules and employment relationships, antecedents, moderators and consequences of work stress, and organizational interventions to facilitate the health and well-being of workers in organizations.

 P 628 The Interview (back to previous page)
The interview as a tool for information gathering, diagnoses, mutual decision making and behavior change. Use of role playing provides the student with insights into nuances of interpersonal relationships. Applications to selection, counseling and other situations.

P 629 Introduction to Psychotherapy and Counseling (back to previous page)
Theory, research and practice of psychotherapy and counseling. Examination of the assumptions, roles and processes of the therapeutic relationship.

P 632 Group Treatment and Family Therapy (back to previous page)
Introduction to group and family approaches to psychotherapy. Factors important to the successful therapeutic group are discussed.

P 634 Personality Assessment (back to previous page)
A critical survey of the theories and issues of personality assessment. Includes intelligence, achievement and ability assessment. Personality tests and ethical questions associated with psychological testing. Laboratory fee required.

P 635 Psychological Tests and Measurements in Industry (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 608 or permission of instructor. Theories, assumptions and constraints underlying construction and application of psychological tests and measures in industry. Emphasis on selection, validation and interpretation of appropriate standardized tests and surveys for specific applications in organizations such as employment testing and employee attitude assessment.

P 636 Abnormal Psychology (back to previous page)
Etiological factors in psychopathology dynamics and classification of neuroses, psychophysiologic conditions, psychoses, personality disorders, organic illness, retardation and childhood diseases.

P 638 Psychology of Communication and Opinion Change (back to previous page)
Characteristics of the source, the situation and the content of messages, along with other variables influencing attitudinal modification. Cognitive factors and social settings in attitude change.

P 640 Industrial Motivation and Morale (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 619. The meaning of work, theories of motivation, values and expectations, performance and reinforcement, job satisfaction and motivation, pay as an incentive, interventions to increase work motivation.

P 641 Personnel Development and Training (back to previous page)
Identification of skills and developmental needs, both from an organizational and individual perspective. Techniques for assessment and development of skills, especially at the managerial level. Training approaches. Evaluation of training efforts.

P 642 Organizational Change and Development (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 619 or MG 637. The nature of organizational development, intervention by third-party consultation, change in organizational structure and role relationships, evaluation of change efforts, participation, conformity and deviation.

P 643 The Psychology of Conflict Management I (back to previous page)
The constructive management of conflict at the individual, corporate and multicultural levels. Theories on the etiology of conflict as well as various conflict resolution models. The role of communication and perspective-taking in the constructive resolution of conflict. Students will learn how to manage more constructively their own personal conflicts as well as conflicts occurring at the corporate and multicultural levels.

P 644 Performance Appraisal Systems (back to previous page)
Theory and applications associated with performance appraisal systems in organizations. Topics include setting relevant performance goals, the performance review session, coaching and counseling, multisource feedback, and rewards and recognition. Emphasis is on the development and implementation of valid and effective appraisal systems.

P 645 Seminar in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: P 609 and P 619. An examination of the professional psychologist at work in organizations. Regular subjects include measurement methods, prediction, validation, selection, training and employee assistance programs, group dynamics, organizational change, stress, performance appraisal. Practitioners in business, industry, research organizations and government will provide insights into the application of psychological principles and methods.

P 646 The Psychology of Negotiation and Mediation(back to previous page)
Students will be trained in basic negotiation and mediation skills with supervised practice of these skills. Skill development will enable students to resolve conflicts more effectively as well as help build the tools necessary for those interested in becoming mediators or organizational consultants specializing in conflict management.

P 647 Industrial and Organizational Psychology in Global Settings (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: P 619, P 620 or permission of instructor. Surveys the science and practice of international industrial and organizational psychology. Introduces current perspectives and applications on topics including multi-national work teams, selection and training of expatriates, leadership behavior, performance improvement and rewards across cultures, and individual cross-cultural similarities and differences. Focuses on comparisons with corresponding U.S. systems.

P 656 Abnormal Psychology in Forensic Populations(back to previous page)
Prerequisites: Undergraduate or graduate course in Abnormal Psychology, CJ 601, and CJ 605. This is an advanced course in mental disorders associated with prisons and other forensic practice. Emphasis is on disorders involving violent and predatory behavior including personality disorders,psychoses, pedophilia and other sexual paraphilias. Special emphasis on psychopathy, psychopathology, criminal behavior and Hans Toch’s work on psychopathology created in prison settings. Well-known forensic cases will be examined. This course is a prerequisite for all other courses in the Forensic Psychology sequence. (See also CJ646).

P 657 Forensic Assessment & Outcome Evaluation(back to previous page)
Prerequisites: CJ 601, CJ 605, and CJ 646. This course will review the spectrum of assessment instruments used in evaluation and treatment in inmate and patient settings. Pros and cons of forensic interviewing will be examined. Emphasis on ability to assess violence and risk will be included. Students will come to understand the strengths and limitations of a wide variety of clinical assessment tools. Special concentration on techniques to assess malingering will be examined (See also CJ 647).

P 658 Forensic Treatment Models(back to previous page)
Prerequisites: CJ 601, CJ 605, CJ 646, and CJ 647. This course will examine various mental health treatment modalities, with particular emphasis on treatment for patients/inmates in the forensic system. Psychopharmacology, group therapy, cognitive techniques, community-based management, faith-based approaches, and social skills training will be covered. Treatment of insanity acquittees, incompetent to stand trial patients, inmates, juvenile offenders, psychopaths, and sex offenders will be examined. Management of high-risk forensic populations will be covered. Particular emphasis will be placed on current research findings regarding the effectiveness of these approaches with forensic populations (See also CJ648).

P 660 Contemporary Issues in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: 12 hours in psychology or consent of the instructor. In-depth investigation of topical areas of concern in industrial/organizational psychology. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the impact of EEOC regulations on selection and promotion; assessment centers; the role of the consultant in organizations; flextime, day care and other strategies to accommodate family needs of employees; stress in work settings; women in management. Content will be stated at the time the course is scheduled. Students may petition for a particular topic they feel would fit their academic goals. May be taken twice.

P 670 Selected Topics (back to previous page)
A study of selected issues of particular interest to the students and instructor. May be taken more than once.

P 678 Practicum I (back to previous page)
For students already employed full time. A job-related research project is carried out under faculty supervision.

P 679 Practicum II (back to previous page)
A continuation of Practicum I.

P 693 Organizational Internship I (back to previous page)
For students without experience at the managerial or supervisory level. Under faculty supervision, the student engages in field experience in an industrial setting and produces a comprehensive project report analyzing the internship experience.

P 694 Organizational Internship II (back to previous page)
A continuation of Organizational Internship I.

P 695 Individual Intensive Study I (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: Completion of required courses or 24 graduate hours and written approval of department chair. Provides the graduate student with the opportunity to delve more deeply into a particular area of study under faculty supervision.

P 696 Individual Intensive Study II (back to previous page)
A continuation of Individual Intensive Study I.

P 698 Thesis I (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: Completion of all required courses or 24 graduate hours and written approval of department chair. Periodic meetings and discussions of the individual student's progress in the preparation of a thesis.

P 699 Thesis II (back to previous page)
A continuation of Thesis I.