PROFESSORS

Mark V. Smith. 2001. Distinguished Service Professor. Director of the Education Program. B.S., University of Tennessee at Martin; M.Ed. and Ed.D., University of Memphis. (Teacher education, education program evaluation)
Marsha D. Walton. 1979. B.A., M.A., and Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. (Developmental; narrative and social interaction; psychology of women)

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS

Bette J. Ackerman. 1987. B.A., Eckerd College; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Florida. (Program evaluation; health psychology; social theories of self)
Anita A. Davis. 1996. B.A., Rhodes College; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (Clinical; community; interventions with minority populations; adolescent motherhood)
Natalie K. Person. 1994. Chair. B.A., University of Mississippi; M.S. and Ph.D., University of Memphis. (Cognitive; language and learning technologies; educational psychology)
Robert J. Strandburg. 1988. Dean of Academic Affairs for Curriculum. B.A., Amherst College; M.A. and Ph.D., University of California at Los Angeles. (Physiological; cognition and perception; psychopathology)
Christopher G. Wetzel. 1982. B.A., M.A., and Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. (Social; social cognition; prejudice)

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS

Kimberly M. Gerecke. 2006. B.S., Muskingum College; M.S., University of Richmond. Ph.D. University of Alabama at Birmingham. (Neuroscience; exercise and neurodegeneration)
Janet Panter. 2005. B.A., College of William and Mary; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Memphis. (School psychology)
L. Charles Lemond. 1974. Director of Information Technology Services. B.A., Rhodes College; M.A. and Ph.D., Vanderbilt University.
Julie Steel. 2004. B.S., Hendrix College; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Arkansas. (Retributive justice seeking, social dilemmas, small group decision making, counterfactual thinking)

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR IN PSYCHOLOGY

A total of 11 courses or forty-four (44) credits in the major as follows:

1. Psychology 150 to be taken as early as possible in the student’s course of study.
2. Psychology 200 to be taken as early as possible in the student’s course of study.
3. Psychology 211.
4. One advanced method course from among Psychology 350 - 353.
5. Three content areas courses from: Psychology 216, 220, 225, 229, 311, 318, 323, 326, and 327.
6. One course designated as writing intensive in psychology
7. One course applying psychology which may be an internship(460), a service-learning course, 229, 326, 338, 351 or a course in education that is not cross-listed in psychology.
8. Psychology 485 to be taken during the senior year.

One course beyond the introductory level outside the department in a field  that can be connected to Psychology.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MINOR IN PSYCHOLOGY

A total of 6 courses or twenty-four (24) credits as follows:

1. Psychology 150.
2. Psychology 200.
3. Four additional psychology courses to be chosen in consultation with a departmental advisor and to be approved by the department chair.  These will be selected to coordinate with the student’s major and career aspirations, and will normally include at least one 300- or 400-level course.
   

HONORS IN PSYCHOLOGY

Members of the faculty of the Department of Psychology encourage students of exceptional academic accomplishment to pursue research with a departmental faculty sponsor that is of an in-depth, rigorous nature; this work will introduce the student to the quality of research one would normally experience in a graduate program. Because the level of involvement of the student and his or her faculty sponsor will be greater in Honors research than that in either a Tutorial or Directed Inquiry, the faculty of the Department of Psychology have established rules for student admission to and conduct in the Departmental Honors Program. The policies are described on the department website and in the Major’s Handbook.

COURSE OFFERINGS

105. Special Topics in Psychology.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science, F2 (some sections).
This course is designed for the non-psychology major and will examine a different general-interest topic each time it is taught. Students will be exposed to the five major theoretical perspectives and to research methods as they pertain to a thematic topic such as ‘close relationships’, ‘psychology of the self’, ‘drugs, brain, and behavior’, etc.

150. Foundational Issues in Psychology.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science, F8.
Students will focus on major themes that underlie and define the discipline of psychology. The aim of this course is to foster an appreciation of the role of scientific reasoning in refining our common sense notions about human behavior and experience. Students will be introduced to the major theoretical perspectives and to the basic principles of psychological methods.

200. Research Methods and Statistics.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Students will be taught critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills. Topics include: philosophy of science and the scientific method, measurement theory (reliability and validity), the basics of research design (control variables, rival hypotheses, and confoundings), and elementary statistical analysis.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 or permission of instructor.

211. Statistical Methods.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F6.
 Statistical methods are an integral part of social sciences, particularly psychology, as they provide the tools that are needed to reveal patterns in complex behavior. Students will develop an appreciation of the role of statistics and knowledge of the major tests that demonstrate differences and relationships.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 and Psychology 200 or permission of the instructor.

216. Perception.
Spring. Credits: 4.
A survey of theories and research concerning sensation and perception focusing on how we construct an internal representation of the external world from the evidence of our senses.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 or permission of the instructor.

220. Psychology of Health.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
The knowledge base and methodology of psychology will be applied to an understanding of health and illness. Topics to be covered will include risk factors, behaviors impacting specific illnesses, health delivery systems, and health maintenance.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 or permission of the instructor.

222. Educational Psychology.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
A study of thoughts and actions as they relate to how we teach and learn, particularly in school settings. Emphasis will be placed on the use of theory to guide practical instruction and the use of assessment to determine instructional effectiveness. Cognitive processes, individual differences, strategies for instruction, motivation, critical thinking, and self-regulation of learning will be stressed.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 or Education 201 or permission of instructor.

224. Psychological Disorders.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
The phenomenology, etiology, and treatment of the major forms of psychological disorders, including schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders. We will evaluate theories and research concerning these disorders from psychobiological, behavioral, cognitive, sociocultural, and psychodynamic perspectives.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 or permission of the instructor.

225. Personality Psychology.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
Major theoretical approaches to understanding personality are presented and evaluated. This course contains both conceptual and experiential components.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 or permission of the instructor.

229. Developmental Psychology: Infancy and Childhood.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
A study of developmental principles, focusing on research relevant to prenatal development, infancy, and childhood. Theories of emotional, cognitive, and personality development will be examined. Students will consider the implications of developmental research for social and educational policy that affects the welfare of children. There is a 10-hour service-learning requirement and counts as an applied psychology course.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150, Psychology 200 or Education 210, or permission of the instructor.

230. Adolescent Development.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
Theories and research on adolescent development will be applied to educational and social policy issues pertaining to adolescents in today’s world.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 or Education 201 or permission of instructor.

232. Psychology of Women.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
This course is designed for students in other disciplines as well as Psychology. It is a survey of theory and research on women’s experience and will address such topics as personality development, female sexuality, psychological aspects of reproductive functions, moral development and gender roles.
Prerequisites: Junior or Senior status and Psychology 150 or Women’s Studies 201.

306. Language and Communication.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
A discussion of recent theory and research on human language. Topics to be covered include language development, the relationship between language and thought, and the relationship between language and culture.  Students will collect observational data and develop discourse analysis skills.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 and junior or senior standing or permission of the instructor. Non-psychology majors with a special interest in language or theatre are welcomed in this course.

309. Judgment and Decision Making.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
An examination of how people make judgments about themselves and others, attribute causation to human behavior, and make judgments or decisions about courses of action. (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2008-2009.)
Prerequisites: Psychology 211 or Math 111 or Economics 290 or permission of instructor.

311. Counseling Psychology.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
A survey of the major theoretical orientations and current practices of counseling and psychotherapy. Elementary helping and listening skills will be practiced.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 and Junior or Senior standing, or permission of the instructor.

318. Physiological Psychology.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
This course illustrates how psychological processes can be understood as an expression of brain activity. Topics include perception, learning, motivation, language, consciousness and psychopathology.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 or permission of the instructor.

323. Social Psychology.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
Study of social behavior, including such topics as interpersonal attraction, altruism, aggression, conformity, group dynamics, leadership, intergroup conflict and negotiation, attitude change, person perception, and the social aspects of environmental and health psychology.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 and either Psychology 200, Math 111, Economics 290, or permission of instructor.

326. Learning and Memory.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
This course will begin with an examination of behavioral theories of learning. Then, after a brief discussion of attention and perception, we will consider the role of mental representation in learning focusing on the formation and retrieval of memories. Counts as an applied psychology course.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 and 211 or permission of instructor.

327. Cognitive Processes.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
This course will provide a comprehensive account of recent cognitive theory and research on thinking and problem solving. Some of the topics that will be covered include language acquisition, inductive and deductive reasoning, problem solving, decision making, and text comprehension.
Prerequisites: Psychology 150 and 211, or permission of the instructor.

338. Psychological Assessment.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Social Science.
Psychometric principles of test construction and issues of reliability and validity of contemporary psychological tests will be covered. Students will learn accepted practices and critical issues in the administration and interpretation of psychological tests. Counts as an applied psychology course.
Prerequisites: Psychology 211 or permission of the instructor.

350. Advanced Topics in Research Methods: Randomized Experiments.
Spring or Fall. Credits: 4.
Students will conduct a laboratory or field research experiment on human participants.
Prerequisites: Psychology 211 and permission of instructor.

351. Advanced Topics in Research Methods: Community/ Program Evaluation.
Spring or Fall. Credits: 4.
Students will gain experience in program evaluation, Community psychology, and with the design and collection of survey data. Counts as an applied psychology course.
Prerequisites: Psychology 211 and permission of instructor.

352. Advanced Topics in Research Methods: Observational/Qualitative.
Spring or Fall. Credits: 4.
Students will collect and/or analyze qualitative and/or observational research data.
Prerequisites: Psychology 211 and permission of instructor.

353. Advanced Topics in Research Methods: Psychophysiology.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Students will gain practical experience recording and analyzing human brain activity and bodily responses.
Prerequisites: Psychology 211, 318 and permission of the instructor.

399. Junior Seminar.
Spring. Credits: 1.
A survey of contemporary research on selected topics, to be taken in preparation for honors research. Open only to junior psychology majors.
Prerequisites: permission of a faculty member who agrees to supervise the project.

408. Advanced Topics in Psychology.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 2-4.
An issue of current interest and importance in psychology will be explored in depth. Topics will be announced each time the course is offered.
Prerequisites: permission of instructor.

460. Internship in Psychology.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4-8.
Supervised experience in applying psychological knowledge and principles in a real-world setting. Students prepare a research paper or a literature review on a topic related to the internship, work on a project with the off-campus supervisor, and keep a daily journal.
Prerequisites: Psychology 211 plus specific courses relevant to the internship project. Permission of the instructor and an off-campus supervisor is required.

485. Senior Seminar.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Psychology majors are required to enroll in Senior Seminar during the senior year. Senior seminar is intended to be a capstone experience in Psychology, requiring both oral and written work.

495-496. Honors Tutorial.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4-8.
Maximum of 12 hours credit. For students accepted into the honors program of the department to do independent research.