Psychology

This course is your entrée into a key feature of the practice of psychology. Psychology is among the most diverse disciplines in terms of what we consider to be “data,” how we generate this data, and how we perform operations on this data to draw inferences and make decisions. The immediate aim of this course is to prepare you for writing and research methods courses, as well as your senior research project. The set of skills we’ll cover in the course is unique to the social sciences (psychology in particular), and its value should not be underestimated. These skills are important to anyone pursuing a career in psychology. They are also valuable in any workplace that collects information on people’s thoughts, attitudes, or behaviors. Furthermore, these skills support the Franciscan values of Justice and Peace, as they are fundamental to the vital work performed by psychologists, interventionists, program evaluators, grant writers, social service staff, and others involved in the operation of human service operations. 

This course focuses on the biological basis of behavior and experience. The course provides an overview of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, the functions of different brain areas, and research methodology. Also studied are the relationships between brain and behavior by examining topics such as sensation and perception, waking and sleeping, hunger, reproduction, emotion, language and psychological disorders. (fall and spring)

* Fulfills course requirements for GECC Global Consciousness

Motivation and Emotion is a distinct subfield of psychology that has an intellectual history dating back to Classical Greek philosophy. Usually we say that it is the study of processes that influence the arousal, instigation, direction, and intensity of action. Stated this way, it is hard to pinpoint what this course is not about. What we will do throughout the course is to examine the individual person from several levels of analysis—biological, genetic, physiological, cognitive, personality, and social—with no prior assumption about which perspective is best. We will explore historical origins and current thinking in an array of topics, with special emphasis on critical thinking and productive dialogue. These skills are central to your university experience and are highly valued in work and other settings. 

In this course, we will explore positive psychology, or the study of practices that promote happiness, improve well-being, enhance subjective meaning in life, and increase other positive experiences and traits. The course will rely heavily on experiential learning, in which students are asked to implement various positive practices and then reflect upon the effects of such practices. Positive characteristics such as happiness, flow, creativity, compassion, grit, resilience, self-efficacy, and spirituality/ self-transcendence will be explored. Practices such as meditation, mindfulness, identification of emotions, empathizing, pursing one’s interests, forming meaningful social relationships, and spending time in beautiful nature will be discussed.