Special topics courses are being offered in Psychology:

Summer 2014

PSYC380-02 Psychology in Film
Instructor: Adam Fominaya
Mondays and Wednesdays, 12:10 – 3:50 pm, Monday, June 2 – Wednesday, July 23
Psychological theories provide a framework for better understanding human behavior, emotion, and cognition. Film provides a unique perspective on these theories, both in terms of how human behavior is depicted in film (sometimes accurately, sometimes not), and how filmmakers use psychology in the creation of their work. The goal of the course is to utilize a framework based on scientifically grounded psychological theories to evaluate the accuracy of psychology as depicted in films. Students should expect to view films and television in class while critically evaluating the nuances of depicted behaviors and emotions. Coursework will center around individual short responses as well as group and class discussion. This course can be used as a Social Science general education elective. Prerequisite: one prior Psychology course, or permission of instructor.

Fall 2014

PSYC 380-01 The Psychology of Prejudice and Stigma
Instructor: Nicole Legate
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:15 – 4:30 pm Tuesday, August 26, 2014-Thursday, December 4
People differ in the identities they hold across dimensions like race, religion, gender, sexuality, age, ability and socioeconomic status. These identities can be stigmatized within the larger group, and have profound effects on people. In this course, we will consider the function and costs of prejudice and stigma for members of both stigmatized and majority (nonstigmatized) groups, as well as review research aimed at reducing prejudice and stigma. This course aims to give students the skills necessary to critically understand contemporary instances of prejudice and stigmatization, and the opportunity to reflect on personally held beliefs about diverse groups. This course can be used as a Social Science general education elective. Prerequisite: PSYC 221 or PSYC 222.