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    Psychology
     

    112 Psychology Building
    Phone: (915) 747-5551
    E-mail: psychology@utep.edu

    CHAIRPERSON: Judith P. Goggin
    PROFESSORS EMERITI: Guido A. Barrientos, Edmund B. Coleman, James V. Devine, Philip Himelstein, Randolph H. Whitworth
    PROFESSORS: Goggin, Hosch, Malpass, Moss
    ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS: Cohn, Lucker, Wood, Zarate
    ASSISTANT PROFESSORS: Coleman, Crites, Francis, Morera, Radhakrishnan, Schneider, Tomaka, Wiebe

    The Psychology Department offers two programs leading to the Bachelor's Degree.

    BS Degree
    The BS degree is recommended for students who intend to pursue graduate work in psychology because the BS requires a more extensive mastery of mathematics and laboratory science than the BA. Training in science and mathematics is advantageous for students who elect to continue in psychology beyond the baccalaureate. Required courses are:

    Major- 36 hours (21 advanced) including PSYC 1301, PSYC 1303, PSYC 3201-PSYC 3101, PSYC 3320, PSYC 3330, PSYC 4317, and at least one of the following: PSYC 3348, PSYC 4309, or PSYC 4324.

    Minor- 18 hours (6 advanced) selected from Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics, or Physics.

    Foreign language, while not required, is strongly recommended.

    For additional requirements, see the Bachelor of Science degree plan in the College of Science section.

    BA Degree
    Specific requirements are as follows:

    Major- 30 hours (15 advanced) including PSYC 1301, PSYC 1303, PSYC 3201-PSYC 3101, and PSYC 3320 or PSYC 3330.

    Minor- 18 hours (9 advanced) Minors may be chosen from any of the areas listed under the Bachelor of Arts degree plan.

    Minor in Psychology
    Specific requirements are as follows:

    18 hours (12 advanced) including PSYC 1301, PSYC 1303, PSYC 3201-PSYC 3101, and PSYC 3320 or PSYC 3330.

    For additional requirements, see the Bachelor of Arts degree plan.

    Departmental Honors in Psychology
    A candidate for departmental honors in psychology will have demonstrated ability in psychology, will have maintained a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 overall and in psychology by the end of the junior year, and will maintain these averages until graduation. The candidate may be enrolled in either the BS or BA degree plan in psychology. The main requirement for Departmental Honors will be the satisfactory completion of the honors thesis that will be judged by the thesis-research director in conjunction with the Honors Committee.

    The candidate for departmental honors must request approval of candidacy during the second semester of the junior year. The Department of Psychology reserves the right to accept or not accept a qualified student, taking into consideration the number of applications, the number of available faculty, and the competence of an individual student. The accepted honors candidate will enroll in PSYC 4352 during both semesters of the senior year and will have accumulated a total of 6 hours of PSYC 4352 credit on completion of the honors program. Other regulations, procedures, and dates of use by honors candidates are available from the Chairperson, Department of Psychology.

    Teacher Certification
    Students seeking secondary certification in Psychology must complete the BA requirements as described above. Courses must include PSYC 2310, PSYC 2312, PSYC 3347, and one of the following: PSYC 2305 or PSYC 2306. Certification requires 36 semester hours of courses in the major as described in the Liberal Arts section of this Catalog. Students using Psychology as a supporting field for another major will take 12 hours of courses including PSYC 1301, PSYC 1303, PSYC 2310, and one upper-division course. For further information on certification requirements, see the Catalog sections for the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Education.

    Psychology (PSYC)

    General Prerequisites: PSYC 1301 is prerequisite for all psychology courses, with the exceptions of PSYC 1303 and PSYC 2305. Junior standing for all 3300 and 4300-level courses is recommended.

    1301 Introduction to Psychology (3-0)
    (Common Course Number PSYC 2301)

    A survey of basic principles in general psychology.

    1303 Statistical Methods (3-0)
    (Common Course Number PSYC 2317)

    A study of the basic concepts of descriptive and inferential statistics as applied to research in the behavioral sciences. Topics may include descriptive statistics, experimental design, correlation, analysis of variance, and non-parametric tests. Required of all psychology majors and minors. Prerequisite: MATH 1320 or MATH 1409 or MATH 1508.

    2302 Social Psychology (3-0)
    (Common Course Number PSYC 2319)

    The study of the individual in the social context. Consideration of topics such as social cognition, person perception, nonverbal communication, social influence, attitudes, prosocial behavior, aggression, and applied social psychology. Prerequisite: PSYC 1301.

    2305 Psychology of Human Sexuality (3-0)
    (Common Course Number PSYC 2306)

    A study of human sexuality on a broad range of levels. Topics will include the biological and hormonal factors that affect sexual behavior, developmental aspects, sexual differentiation, various types of sexual behavior, sexual dysfunction, cultural differences, and a comparison of sex-related differences in abilities.

    2306 Psychology of Personality (3-0)
    (Common Course Number PSYC 2316)

    A study of the normal personality. Includes such topics as biological and social determinants of personality; appraisal of personality; and reactions to anxiety, frustration, and conflict. Prerequisite: PSYC 1301.

    2310 Life Cycle Development (3-0)
    (Common Course Number PSYC 2312)

    The study of the psychological development and adjustment of the individual through the life span. Prerequisite: PSYC 1301.

    2312 Introduction to Abnormal Psychology (3-0)
    A review of historical approaches to the problems of abnormal behavior. Topics will include the dynamics of abnormal behavior, its classification, symptomatology, and treatment. Prerequisite: PSYC 1301.

    2320 Industrial Psychology (3-0)
    An introduction to the principles, techniques, and theories of psychology applied to the industrial setting. Prerequisite: PSYC 1301.

    3101 General Experimental Psychology Laboratory (0-2)
    Laboratory experience in experimental psychology. Corequisite: PSYC 3201. Laboratory fee required.

    3201 General Experimental Psychology (2-0)
    Introduction to the planning and execution of experiments in psychology and to the analysis and interpretation of data. Corequisite: PSYC 3101. Prerequisites: PSYC 1301 and PSYC 1303.

    3315 Psychology and the Law (3-0)
    A review of the relationship of psychology to the criminal justice system. Topics may include an examination of the premises of criminal responsibility, psychological testimony in court, and psychological evaluation and management of public offenders, including juveniles and prison populations. Prerequisite: PSYC 1301.

    3320 Learning and Memory (3-0)
    An introduction to the basic concepts of learning and memory, with a review of both human and animal experimentation. Prerequisites: PSYC 3201, PSYC 3101, and PSYC 1303.

    3330 Sensation and Perception (3-0)
    Study of the major experimental findings and contemporary theory in sensation and perception. Emphasis on audition and vision. Prerequisites: PSYC 3201, PSYC 3101, and PSYC 1303.

    3331 Cross-Cultural Psychology (3-0)
    This course focuses on how culture affects the thoughts and behavior of individuals and small groups. Specific issues covered vary but may include defining culture, cross-cultural research methods, and identification of cultural differences and cultural universals. Prerequisites: PSYC 1301 and PSYC 2302.

    3347 Behavior Modification (3-0)
    A review of the application of experimental principles of learning for behavior change. Topics include: applications of classical, operant, and cognitive learning in clinical, educational, family, and socio-cultural settings. Prerequisite: PSYC 1301.

    3348 Psychology of Thinking (3-0)
    An analysis of thought that will include principles and research approaches to information processing, concept formation, decision processes (judgment), and creative accomplishment. Prerequisites: PSYC 3201 and PSYC 3101.

    3350 Health Psychology (3-0)
    Introduces students to the concepts, theory, and research that comprise health psychology. Emphasis is placed on understanding the relations among psychological and behavioral factors, and psychological well-being, wellness, and disease. Prerequisites: PSYC 3201 and PSYC 3101.

    General Prerequisite: The following courses require six advanced hours in psychology.

    4301 Psychological Testing (3-0)
    Introduction to and training in the administration, scoring, and interpretation of psychological tests. Recommended Prerequisites: PSYC 1301 and PSYC 1303; PSYC 4317.

    4309 History and Systems of Psychology (3-0)
    A review of the main systems and schools of psychology since 1879. The main assumptions of structuralism, functionalism, psychoanalysis, behaviorism, gestalt psychology, physiological psychology, cognitive psychology, information theory, and current trends are comparatively examined. Prerequisite: PSYC 1301.

    4311 Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology (3-0)
    This course will provide students with the opportunity to review and discuss current research findings in developmental psychology. Prerequisite: PSYC 2310.

    4312 Advanced Abnormal Psychology (3-0)
    A study of the psychological factors contributing to pathological behavior. Emphasis will be placed on current research in genetics, biochemistry, and learning theory in the area of schizophrenia and neurotic processes. Prerequisite: PSYC 2312.

    4316 Language and Cognition (cross-listed with LING 4316)
    An investigation of language as a cognitive capacity. Topics will include perception, processing, acquisition, and mental representation of language. May be taken as LING 4316. Prerequisite: PSYC 1301 or LING 2320.

    4317 Advanced Statistics (3-0)
    Further study of experimental design, analysis of variance, covariance, correlation, orthogonal polynomials, complex experimental designs, and non-parametric statistics. Prerequisites: PSYC 1303; MATH 1410-MATH 1411 or MATH 1508 and some knowledge of computer software recommended.

    4324 Psychobiology (3-0)
    A study of the physiological and biochemical basis of psychopathology in humans and models of psychopathology studied in animals. Background in chemistry and physiology recommended. Prerequisites: PSYC 1301 and Senior standing.

    4341 Motivation and Emotion (3-0)
    Defines motivational states in terms of physiological patterns, brain function, and psychological models from learning and personality theories. Evaluates the usefulness of these states as explanations of human behavior. Prerequisite: PSYC 1301.

    4343 Seminar in Meta-Analysis (3-0)
    This course will provide students with training in interpreting and conducting quantitative reviews of research findings. Basic meta-analytic techniques will be examined, and students will initiate their own meta-analytic review of a research area. Prerequisites: PSYC 1301, PSYC 1303 with a grade of "B" or better, and PSYC 3201.

    4345 Seminar in Psychology (3-0)
    Topic to be selected. May be repeated when topic varies. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

    4352 Independent Research (0-0-3)
    Independent student library or laboratory research under the supervision of a faculty member. Regular meetings and reports are required. May be repeated once when topics vary. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor of student's choice. Psychology Research Course fee required.

    4353 Honors Thesis (0-0-3)
    Advanced laboratory research under the supervision of a faculty member. Research work will be directed towards completion of Departmental Honors Thesis. Regular meetings and progress updates are required. Course may be repeated once. Prerequisites: PSYC 1301, PSYC 1303, PSYC 3201, and instructor approval.

    See the Graduate Studies Catalog for graduate programs and courses.

     

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