Course Notes

PSYC 250. Introduction to Abnormal Psychology. This course is not open to Psychology Majors. Psychology majors interested in this content should take PSYC 335, Abnormal Psychology. Credit cannot be earned for PSYC 335 by students who have previously taken PSYC 250. PSYC 250 is a course designed for non-psychology students who need a brief exposure to this content for their non-psychology academic program.

PSYC 400, Section 1. Emerging Adulthood. Students will explore the social, cognitive, and physiological development of adolescents and adults. This course examines the contexts and institutions that influence adolescent and adult development with a cultural and interdisciplinary approach. Using a variety of research method, including ethnographic studies, longitudinal surveys, and cross-cultural comparisons, students will examine both the similarities and differences in pathways to adulthood across the world. Fulfills Sociocultural Awareness requirement for the Psychology Major. This course is offered by Dr. Haeyoon Chung.

PSYC 400, Section 2. Thanatology. This course will survey various topics about the meaning of death and dying as well as the meaning of life and living. The content will include psychological research related to death, the process of dying, and the stages of grief. Additionally, the course will include research related to how one finds meaning in life. Fulfills Sociocultural Awareness requirement for the Psychology Major. This course is offered by Dr. Bill Evans.

PSYC 400, Section 3. Interpersonal Relationships. This course is an introduction to the theory and research on close interpersonal relationships. We will integrate various areas of psychology – but especially social psychology – to come to a deeper understanding of the internal processes that impact interpersonal relationships. We will consider how and why different types of relationships contribute to physical and psychological well-being, and how relationship science can be applied in one’s personal and professional life. Course structure will be a combination of lecture, small group discussion, and oral presentations. This course is offered by Dr. Jaime Kurtz.

Sociocultural Awareness Courses

Psychology Majors are required to complete at least one "Sociocultural Awareness" course as part of their academic program. The following courses being offered during the Spring semester fulfill this requirement:

• PSYC 310. The Psychology of Women and Gender
• PSYC 325. Counseling Psychology (2 sections)
• PSYC 400, Section 1. Emerging Adulthood
• PSYC 400, Section 2. Thanatology
• PSYC 497, Section 1. Political Psychology
• PSYC 497, Section 7. Family Psychology
• PSYC 497, Section 12. Women and Mental Health

Please continue to check MyMadison. Courses to fulfill the Sociocultural Awareness requirement may be added.

Capstone Courses

The prerequisites for all capstone courses are two courses from the Social Science Content core and two courses from the Natural Science Content core. Email ugpsyc@jmu.edu if you are having trouble registering for your final semester coursework.

PSYC 492, Sections 1, 2 & 3. History of Psychology. This course will examine the history of psychology by looking at people, theories, and historical events that have influenced the development of psychology. We will pay special attention to how Psychology’s history is reflected in current topics in the discipline, and will also look at where Psychology as a field is headed in the future. This course will be offered online asynchronous. We will use an online format for group discussion and for student-led activities such as leading discussion and presenting on relevant topics. This course is offered by Dr. Suzanne Baker.

PSYC 497, Section 1. Political Psychology. Political psychology is the study of the psychological processes that underlie political phenomena. This course will focus on psychological research and theories that increase our understanding of political ideology, participation, and decision-making. This material considers how the person, the situation, and society shape our political thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The social justice implications of political psychology topics will be highlighted throughout the course. Fulfills Sociocultural Awareness requirement for the Psychology Major. This course is offered by Dr. Benjamin Blankenship.

PSYC 497, Sections 3 & 4. Leadership and Service.  Leadership and Service will study the experience of leadership and service from a psychological perspective. The course will assist students with identifying their personal leadership skills and styles as well as how to adapt these to various situations related to service in the community. The course will enable students to integrate concepts of service learning into leadership development. Emphasis will be on developing an effective leadership approach to service learning. 20-hours of service-learning will be required. Section 3 of this course is offered by Dr. Bill Evans. Section 4 is offered by Daniel George.

PSYC 497, Section 5. Choice Behavior. Choice Behavior will survey modern ideas in choice behavior, with attention to the historical origins of this work, its development as a specialty within psychology, and its impact on our everyday lives. With a focus on psychology, students will learn to rely on empirical information to understand situations under which choice behavior is often irrational – yet predictable. Students will also learn to apply their understanding of the various factors that influence choice behavior to everyday contexts. This course is offered by Dr. Dan Holt.

PSYC 497, Section 6. Sleep & Circadian Rhythms. For most humans, sleep is an activity that occupies approximately one-third of their lives. Despite this prominent position among human behaviors, most know little about what happens during sleep and the significance of sleep for psychological and physiological functioning. This course will survey the contemporary scientific literature on the science of sleep, emphasizing normal functioning, mechanisms involved in sleep and wake, the methods of investigation using human and animal approaches, and basic understanding of sleep disorders. Additionally, students will gain familiarity with the science of biological rhythms, aka chronobiology, and how these two disciplines overlap. Students will be familiar with sleep assessment to include basic scoring from polysomnographic recordings and will evaluate several sleep and chronobiology articles. This course is offered by Dr. Jeff Dyche.

PSYC 497, Section 7. Family Psychology. This course examines contemporary family life from a psychological perspective, with particular attention to how families are formed and function across a variety of social and cultural contexts. Students will explore research on adoption, foster care, assisted reproduction, surrogacy, single-parent families, and families headed by same-sex and transgender parents. The course considers how family relationships, parenting, child development, public policy, and legal systems interact to shape family experiences. Fulfills Sociocultural Awareness requirement for the Psychology Major. This course is offered by Dr. Yanbin Li.

PSYC 497, Section 8. Passion for Activities. This course examines the psychology of passion and its role in creating meaningful, engaging, and fulfilling lives. Drawing from research in positive psychology, students will explore how passion develops, how it is measured, and the ways in which different types of passion can influence well-being, performance, relationships, education, and work. Through discussion of empirical research, students will critically evaluate both the benefits and potential drawbacks of being passionate about an activity while considering how passion shapes identity, motivation, and life satisfaction. This course is offered by Dr. Bryan Saville.

PSYC 497, Section 9. Evolutionary Psychology. This course will explore the theories and methods used when studying human behavior through the lens of evolution by natural selection. Behaviors studied will include mating, group behavior, parenting, cognition, brain size, and others. This course is offered by Dr. Melanie Shoup-Knox.

PSYC 497, Section 10. Neuroscience of Memory. Our memories shape how we describe and understand ourselves and they can alter our personality, emotions, and cognition. In short, memory is central to our everyday experiences. The purpose of this course is to explore memory, particularly memory dysfunction and Alzheimer’s disease, from the perspective of neuroscience. We will base class discussions around empirical articles and other literature which examine different types of memory, how we quantify memories, and the effect disruptions of memory have on our brain and behavior. In addition, this course will focus on integrating information from other psychology courses with the neuroscience perspective presented in the course. This course is offered by Dr. Janna Taft Young.

PSYC 497, Section 11. Psychology of Language. This capstone seminar explores the psychological science of language, focusing on how people produce, comprehend, and use language to communicate, think, and interact with the world. Students will examine major theories and empirical research in psycholinguistics, drawing connections to topics across the psychology curriculum, including cognition, development, neuroscience, and social behavior. Through critical analysis of primary research literature, class discussions, and written assignments, students will evaluate contemporary perspectives on language and its relationship to thought. This course is taught by Dr. Sri Siddhi N. Upadhyay.

PSYC 497, Section 12. Women and Mental Health. This course examines women’s mental health through psychological and sociocultural perspectives. Students will explore how social roles, identity, and institutions shape women’s psychological well-being and experiences with mental health care. Topics include objectification and body image, reproductive issues, gender influences on diagnosis and treatment, and intimate partner violence. Emphasis is placed on understanding the ways that environmental factors influence mental health outcomes while critically evaluating contemporary research and perspectives on women’s lives and well-being. Fulfills Sociocultural Awareness requirement for the Psychology Major. This course is taught by Cameron Piper.