Psychology

This Senior Seminar will focus on Contemporary Health Psychology. Health Psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on physical health, illness, and disease—and seeks to explore psychosocial factors associated with health. In this seminar, we will focus on contemporary health psychology—that is, current trends, issues, and controversies in the field. We will read popular press and academic articles—and scrutinize them using a scientific lens. Topics may include, but are not limited to, alcohol use and cancer risk, infection-associated chronic illness (such as Long COVID, ME/CFS), health disparities, reproductive healthcare, masculinity and health, vaping, the gut-brain axis, vaccine hesitancy, and body image. Students will have the opportunity to share their own health psychology interests—and potentially integrate them into the course. The seminar is discussion-based and hybrid in format and will involve weekly in-class discussions and online activities. PSY400 Senior Seminar is a speaking emphasis course so various speaking activities and assignments will be integrated into the course (e.g., leading a discussion). Students will engage in reflections on the application of the readings/discussions in their personal and  professional lives.

This course serves as an introduction to the theory, politics, ethics, and practice of qualitative research in psychology and the social sciences. Qualitative styles of research are largely overshadowed in psychology by the field’s overwhelming preference for quantitative research design. Yet many academics embrace qualitative methods and have developed some useful systems of analysis that compliment more quantitative methodologies. As interest in qualitative research has slowly grown, psychologists have borrowed and adapted some of these qualitative techniques. We will begin by examining some of the philosophical and political issues surrounding qualitative methods. Next we will examine qualitative research design. We will explore several qualitative research techniques, with attention to both conceptual and practical considerations. Students will read qualitative research related to their interests.

This course covers the Social Psychology of the contemporary Climate Crisis. As an in-depth study of advanced topics in psychology, students will prepare and present written and oral presentations describing and analyzing current research on Climate Change in psychology.  Humans have made and continue to make their indelible mark on the planet: rapid exponential growth of the human population, environmental pollution, deforestation, natural wild habitat loss, mass extinctions of non-human animals, abuse of captive animals for food, fashion, and pets, destruction caused by human overconsumption, war, and depletion of natural resources. We will explore the psychological implications of these human actions and the application of psychology to sustainability and conservation.  

"Protecting health, saving lives - millions at a time." This is the mission statement of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.  It is also an apt description of our subject matter for this senior seminar - patterns and course of psychological disorders (also known as psychiatric epidemiology).  Specifically, we will examin the methodologies used to understand the causes, prevalence, course, and consequences of various mental disorders.  In so doing, we will consider the risk and protective factors at the individual, environmental, and global levels and over time.  This knowledge can then serve to develop effective intervention strategies including prevention programs.

How do we distringuish between the ongoing rates of PTSD in Army soldiers versus the rate of the onset of new cases?  What is the typical course of schizophrenia amongst those with early onset?  Is diabetes risk factor for the development of major depressive disorder?  Can Prevention programs be designed and implemented that will reduce the current rates of suicide among adolescents with suicidal ideation?  These are the sorts of questions we will learn how to tackle as we explore the ever-changing landscape of psychiatric epidemiology.

Through this course, you will gain an understanding of the examination of mental disorders from a more global perspective.  This understanding will be assessed through multiple assessment techniques including written and oral presentations.

The human cognitive system processes information that comes in from the outside world (perceiving) and it also generates information (thinking). In addition, both perceiving and thinking are constructive, that is, influenced by prior knowledge, beliefs, and expectations. In this seminar, we will consider the quandary presented by such a system: How do we discriminate between sources of mental experiences so that we do not find ourselves in a mental quagmire, unable to distinguish fact from fantasy? For example: How do you know whether you actually went on a hot air balloon ride yesterday or merely dreamt about it? How do you determine whether someone is currently speaking to you or you are only thinking (or hallucinating)? Did you pay your tuition bill, or just think about doing so? Did you actually see Lineup Person #3 shoot the clerk or do you only seem to "remember" that she did because the police showed you her mugshot later? How do authors, or directors, use the normal functions of our cognitive system to encourage us (their audience) to suspend reality and become immersed in the story? Where do false memories come from? How do clinicians, lawyers, judges, juries, or any of us for that matter, determine the truth of others’ memory reports? And, if we scale this up, what institutional mechanisms are in place to help us to monitor the "reality" of what is presented to us by the media, politicians, scientists, etc.? We will read and discuss primary scientific articles that inform such questions, considering what both behavioral and neuroscience data can tell us. In short, we will consider scientific evidence of how the cognitive system gives rise to our sense of reality in various contexts. We will consider this evidence primarily from the theoretical perspective of the Source Monitoring Framework of Marcia Johnson and colleagues. Consistent with the style of a seminar, the format primarily involves discussion of articles from scientific journals, though we will also watch videos and read papers from other types of sources. Consistent with the requirements of all PSY400 seminars, students will prepare both written and oral presentations. Although this seminar focuses primarily on cognitive theories and methods, you should be able to do well in the course without having had PSY475 (Cognitive Psychology) or a neuroscience/brain course.

Fake news, the term is used to refer to everything from satirical sources like the Onion to objectively factual news reports in legitimate sources that people don't care for and want to delegitimize. In this course we will discuss how individuals assess the legitimacy (validity) and veracity (truth or accuracy) of news reports, why they make mistakes, and what can be done to improve our ability to accurately assess the news. We will extend our consideration to other areas, such as "fake science." We will also consider the news media as an important institution for monitoring the activities of other institutions that act in the public interest, such as the government, the courts, and science, which in turn monitor the veracity of what is reported in the news and the appropriateness of how reporting gets done. We will discuss how such institutional monitoring provides checks and balances designed to maintain the integrity of, and public trust in, institutions, as well as examples of how these checks and balances break down. We will consider these topics primarily from a cognitive psychology viewpoint, especially the theoretical perspective of the Source Monitoring Framework, but we will consider other views (e.g., legal, ethical), as well.

Consistent with the style of a seminar, the format primarily involves discussion of articles from scientific journals and other sources, though we will also watch videos and do exercises and demonstrations. Consistent with the requirements of all PSY400 seminars, students will prepare both written and oral presentations. Although this seminar focuses primarily on cognitive theories and methods, you should be able to do well in the course without having had PSY475 (Cognitive Psychology).

Imagine what life would be like if you did not have the ability to see, smell, taste, touch, or hear. How would you survive without the ability to sense the world around you? It quickly becomes obvious that the processes of sensation and perception are vitally important with regard to our ability to function in the world around us. In this course we take an in-depth look at some of the sensory and perceptual processes found within the animal kingdom. This course will emphasize a comparative approach by highlighting, when possible, the similarities and differences in sensory and perceptual processes in humans and non-human animals. Furthermore, in this course we will focus on two major categories of empirical questions 1) ‘How’ questions dealing with the mechanisms through which organisms obtain and process information about the world around them and 2) ‘Why’ questions using an evolutionary approach to understand the function of these two processes in the behavior and survival of organisms. This course is organized in a seminar format, affording us the opportunity to survey current research in the field of sensation and perception through the discussion of peer-reviewed literature.

Due to a combination of factors, such as the increasing complexity and volume of work, organizations are increasingly relying on teams rather than work systems based around individuals. At times, a high-quality team can produce outcomes far beyond what even several individuals can do. But what does it mean to function as a team rather than a group of individuals? How does a team think? In this class we explore team interdependence and team cognition to provide a foundation for discussing the focal concept of the class – Transactive Memory Systems (TMS). TMS is a system in which knowledge or skills are distributed between team members but still used by the team as a whole. These systems hold a unique place in team science and are critical for teams ranging from sports to surgical. At the core of this class is reading about and discussing the aforementioned concepts, both through full-class and break-out group activities. The class also includes a TMS project in which students translate a technical research article into an easy-to-understand single-page document, as well as work with their group to present a conference-style symposium with a clear narrative based on their related articles.

We will explore how various neuroimaging methods and the study of patients with brain injury have informed our understanding of psychology from consciousness and cognition to social and emotional behavior and clinical disorders. We will learn about these different methodologies and the kind of data they produce, as well as discussing the promise and limitations of interpreting this data. You will be reading and discussing primary literature in the field, and will develop your own ideas about how cognitive and affective neuroscience methods can be applied to your individual topic of interest. Understanding how to read and think about research using these neuroscience methods should give you the ability to continue to follow developments in this quickly moving field as they apply to your chosen career, your personal development, and public policy.

Who we are and how we understand the world is shaped by the culture in which we live. This senior seminar addresses the intersecting influences of culture, society, and community on well-being across adulthood. The seminar focuses on an exploration of contemporary and socio-historical factors that have influenced our understanding of ourselves, our relationships, our sources of meaning, and our health and happiness. We will explore theoretical developments and methodological strengths and limitations in the field of cultural psychology. We discuss fundamental similarities and differences in models of the self, the structure of relationships and support, sources of meaning, emotional management, and well-being. We examine a series of topics on how culture and psychology interrelate in our increasingly globalized world. By taking this course students will be able to: 1. Become more informed about current theories and methods in cultural psychology. 2. Able to critically assess psychological theories with respect to their appropriateness and relevance across particular cultural groupings. 3. Prepared for further advanced study in cultural psychology, adult developed, and/or social-personality psychology. 4. Increase their sense of cultural competence by understanding how cultural patterns influence their own daily lives in a globalizing world. 6. Gain experience preparing a written and oral presentation on a chosen topic relating to the goals of the class.

We all strive for happiness and well-being. As psychologists, the study of well-being and happiness in an important area of research. This course will address personal, social, and cultural factors influencing well-being during adulthood, from transitional adulthood to young and middle adulthood, to later adulthood. Well-being will be considered broadly and include happiness, satisfaction with life, subjective and objective physical health, emotional balance, engagement with life, satisfying relationships, meaning and purpose in life, and feelings of self-acceptance. We will explore culturally specific as well as universal factors influencing well-being. Gender, ethnicity, race, age, sexual orientation, social class, religion, and nationality intersect to shape the course of people’s lives and therefore their well-being. This seminar focuses on an exploration of research and theory addressing the intersecting influences of these important factors in adult developmental. Students will conduct research, interview volunteers, develop health promotion programs, read research, and write a critical review of research paper on topics relating to the human condition. By the end of the semester students should understand the ways that global demographic changes (i.e. pandemic reality, fear, and anxiety, increased life expectancy, widespread obesity and chronic illnesses such as Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, technology, climate change, social inequality …) influence well-being.

What is the "Enrollment Appointment" that appears on my MyWCU page? Is that an appointment with my academic advisor?
No, it is not an appointment with your advisor. It is the first day/hour that you are permitted to register for course for the next semester. You should see your advisor before this day/time so that you can plan out a schedule and so that your advisor can “unlock” your account.

How can I find out who my academic advisor is?
Your academic advisor (and his/her phone number) is listed on your MyWCU page (on the right side of the page).

How can I find out when my advisor has office hours?
You may contact them directly (via phone, as listed on your MyWCU page, or via e-mail). A list of all Psychology faculty is also available outside the Psychology Department Office (PB 02). The list includes the names of all department faculty, their office locations, their phone numbers, their e-mail addresses, and a list of their office hours for the current semester.

Why is there an advisor hold on my account? I can't register for courses with this hold.
Because students are required to be in contact with their advisors before they attempt to schedule courses. Your advisor will have to “unlock” your account after you've spoken to them regarding your scheduling plans, etc.

Why is there an advisor hold on my account for the semester I am graduating? 
The advisor hold is an automatic process. It does not distinguish between graduating and non-graduating students. In addition, if you have financial aid, you are required to complete an exit interview.

My advisor unlocked my access to scheduling but I still can't enroll in classes. Why? 
You may have a hold on your account. Holds can be placed on accounts by the Registrar's Office for a number of reasons. For example, if you have an outstanding bill at the Student Health and Wellness Center or you have not returned an overdue library book or you have unpaid parking tickets, your access to scheduling will be blocked. You should contact the Bursar's Office to pay an outstanding obligations.

What's the difference between dropping a course and withdrawing from a course? 
Please read about dropping and withdrawing courses in the Undergraduate Catalog

• How do I calculate my GPA (cumulative or major)?
• How do I appeal a grade?
• My GPA is below 2.0 and I received a letter indicating that I am on academic probation. What should I do now?
• What is the university policy with respect to plagiarism and academic dishonesty? What are the penalties and what should I do if I am accused of cheating by a professor?
• Is there a limit on the number of courses I can repeat?
• If I repeat a course, how are both grades counted?
• Can I repeat a course at another university?
• What courses can I take pass/fail?
• I heard that if I have an A in a course, I don't have to take the final exam. Is this true?
• How do I make the dean's list?

I have completed all of my specific degree requirements. Why can't I graduate?
Because you have not completed 120 credits (the minimum number of credits required for graduation from any PA state university)

I have completed 120 credits. Why can't I graduate?
Because you have not completed all of your specific requirements (see the advising sheet for specific requirements).

Can I take courses at another university and transfer the credit? How many credits can I transfer?
http://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/academic-policies-procedures/transfer-ap-other-credits/

I took a diversity/writing emphasis/interdisciplinary course at my previous university and the course transferred in to WCU. Why do I have to take another? Why are some courses recognized as interdisciplinary courses?
Diverse Community (J) and Writing Emphasis (W) designations do not transfer in to WCU. There is no way for WCU to know if the courses at another university actually meet all of the criteria required for those designations at WCU. The same is sometimes true for Interdisciplinary (I) courses. That is, some transfer courses are given “199” credit instead of the standard course credit because the appropriate standard course is an interdisciplinary course at WCU (and if credit for the standard course is given, the interdisciplinary , “I”, designation would automatically apply). This happens if WCU is unable to determine if the course being transferred in actually meets all of the criteria for an “I” designation. If a course transfers in, however, as a course that is a recognized interdisciplinary (I) course at WCU, the “I” designation does apply.
If you believe that one of your transfer courses should earn the “J”, “W”, or “I” designations, you may petition the university for it. Please see your advisor of the department chairperson or assistant chairperson for assistance with this process.