Undergraduate Courses

Psychology at UCSD is a laboratory science. We are concerned with the scientific development of knowledge about human and animal behavior and thought. Accordingly, experience with experimental procedures plays an important role in the undergraduate and graduate training of students. All Psychology majors must learn experimental methods, including basic statistical techniques. Students in the honors program must take laboratory courses and also do a year-long undergraduate thesis.

Experimental Subject Requirement

Students enrolled in lower division psychology courses must serve as experimental subjects for three hours per course. The requirement is intended to be a positive educational supplement to the course work. Part of each experimental session will be devoted to an explanation and discussion of the purpose and nature of the experiment. This usually will be done at the end of the experimental session. Students always have the right to discontinue participation at any point in any study. Students who are unable to participate or who choose not to participate will be provided alternate service assignments which are designed to serve similar educational goals. For more information contact the Psychology Student Affairs Office.

Course Descriptions

Lower Division Classes

1. Psychology (4)
Lectures on the basic concepts of modern psychology in areas of human information processing, learning and memory, motivation, developmental processes, language acquisition, social psychology, and personality.

2. General Psychology: Biological Foundations (4)
Physiological and psychological mechanisms underlying selected areas of human behavior. Emphasis on sensory processes, vision, and the neuropsychology of motivation, memory, and attention.

3. General Psychology: Cognitive Foundations (4)
An introduction to basic concepts of cognitive psychology, areas of memory, perception and thinking, and issues of cognitive development.

4. General Psychology: Behavioral Foundations (4)
A basic introduction to behavioral psychology covering such topics as classical and operant conditioning, animal learning and motivation, and behavior modification.

6. General Psychology: Social Foundations (4)
An introduction to social psychology covering such topics as emotion, aesthetics, behavioral medicine, person perception, attitudes and attitude change, and behavior in social organizations.

7. General Psychology: Developmental Foundations (4)
This course is an introduction to cognitive and social changes that take place over the course of a lifetime. This course introduces influential theories of child development, such as those of Freud an Piaget, together with recent criticisms of these theories.

10. Cognition and Perception: Applied Aspects (4)
An introduction to cognitive and perceptual psychology as applied to real-world concerns and the research issues that are important for the ultimate applicability of psychological findings. Topics covered will include gender differences in cognitive processing, sensory processing, memory and its distortions, pragmatic use of language and information processing, and cross-cultural universals.

60. Introduction to Statistics (4)
Introduction to experimental methods in psychology and mathematical techniques necessary for experimental research. Prerequisite: One year of mathematics or consent of instructor. This course has to be taken for a letter grade.

87. Freshmen Seminar (1)
The Freshman Seminar Program is designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small seminar setting. Freshman seminars are offered in all campus departments and undergraduate colleges, and topics vary from quarter to quarter. Enrollment is limited to fifteen to twenty students, with preference given to entering freshmen. Prerequisites: Freshman standing or consent of department.

90. Undergraduate Seminar (1)
This seminar introduces the various subdisciplines in psychology and their research methods, and also explores career and graduate school opportunities. This includes informal presentations by faculty, graduate students, and other professionals.

99. Independent Study (2,4)
Independent study or research under direction of a member of the faculty. Students may enroll in PSYC 99 up to three times for a total of four units maximum. Prerequisites: lower-division standing, completion of at least 30 units of UCSD undergraduate study, a minimum UCSD GPA of 3.0; completed and approved Special Studies form.

Upper Division Classes

101. Developmental Psychology (4)
Lectures cover a variety of topics in the development of the child, the development of perception, cognition, language, and sex differences. Prerequisite: Psychology 60. Restriction: upper-division standing.

102. Sensation & Perception (4)
Introduction to problems and methods in the study of perceptual and cognitive processes. Prerequisite: Psychology 60. Restriction: upper-division standing.

103. Principles of Behavior (4)
An introduction to principles of conditioning and their application to the control and modification of human behavior. Prerequisite: Psychology 60. Restriction: upper-division standing.

104. Social Psychology (4)
An introduction and survey of current knowledge in social psychology. Prerequisite: Psychology 60. Restriction: upper-division standing.

105. Cognitive Psychology (4)
An introduction to experimental study of higher mental procedures including pattern recognition, perception and comprehension of language, memory and problem-solving. Prerequisite: Psychology 60. Restriction: upper-division standing.

106. Physiological Psychology (4)
Introduction to current knowledge of physiological factors in learning, motivation, perception, and memory. Prerequisite: Psychology 60. Restriction: upper-division standing.

107. Lab/Substance Abuse Research (4)
This lab course examines theory and research design and methods for substance abuse in adolescent adult populations. This course serves as preparation for individual research topics culminating in a paper.

108. Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience (4)
This class is highly relevant to students minoring or majoring in psychology; those contemplating careers in psychiatry, neurology or neurosurgery (e.g. pre-med students); and those interested in modeling of brain function or cognition (e.g. students majoring in computer science or cognitive science). It is also a useful course for general science students (e.g. those majoring in biology, chemistry or physics) - providing them with a foundation to interpret the world around them in the everyday news. The class covers basic brain anatomy and modern methods for measuring brain function in humans and non-human animals. It then examines the topics of action, attention, memory, learning, emotion, and language in terms of brain regions and networks. Each class ends with a vignette that helps students to consolidate what they have learned in relation to real-world issues and problems around them: drugs for ADHD; environmental toxins leading to Parkinson's disease; brain-machine prosthetic devices for war veterans, and how to lay down the best memories. Prerequisite: Psychology 60. Restriction: upper-division standing. (Contact the department (ugradpsych@ucsd.edu) to inquire about waiving the prequisites.)

109. Lab/Applied Behavior Analysis (4)
This course will provide students with hands-on training in the application of behavioral research technology to a clinical population. Students will meet weekly for lecture, discussion, research article reviews, and specific technique training. In addition, students will work on a research project. Prerequisite: Psychology 199 in the Schreibman autism laboratory recommended.

110. Junior Honors Seminar (4)
Meetings consist of research seminars by a range of departmental faculty, exposing students to contemporary research problems in all branches of experimental psychology. Class discussions will follow faculty presentations. Evaluation based on assigned papers. Prerequisite: Admission to the Psychology Honors Program by application in the fall of the Junior year* - a minimum overall GPA of 3.3 is required. Offered: winter quarters. * Application forms are available from the Student Services Office and due by the end of October.

111A. Research Methods I (6)*
Designed to provide training in the applications of advanced statistical methods in the context of initial instruction in experimental design. Emphasis will be placed on the development of statistical problem-solving skills, practical computer applications, and scientific report writing. Prerequisite: Minimum grade of B in Psych 60 or equivalent and junior standing. Open to honors students or consent of instructor. Department stamp required.

111B. Research Methods II (6)*
Designed to extend the material of Psychology 111A. Focusing on the techniques developed previously. Participate in data collection, data organization, statistical analysis and graphic displays, emphasis placed on developing scientific report writing, presentations, and critical thinking about experimental methods. Prerequisite: Psychology 111A or consent of instructor. Department stamp required.

114. Lab/Psychophysical Perspectives on the Social Mind (4)
Lab course on the use of psychophysiological methods to investigate "the social mind", or the cognitive and emotional processes involved in understanding people. Overview of major research topics and methods. Application of selected techniques in actual experiments. Students will engage in developing individual research questions and will actively participate in designing and conducting the experiments. Prerequisite: Upper division standing and consent of instructor. Course may be taken 3x for credit.

115. Lab/Cognitive Psychology (4)
Lecture and laboratory work in human information processing. Prerequisite: Psychology 105 and 111 or consent of instructor. Restriction: upper-division standing.

118A. Lab/Real-Time Examination of Language Processing (4)
This lab examines the design and methods for the real-time examination of language processing in normal and disordered (aphasia, dyslexic, child language impaired, etc.) language populations. This course serves a preparation for individual research topics in Psychology 118B. Prerequisite: A course in language or cognition (see instructor for exceptions). Permission of instructor required. Department stamp required.

118B. Lab/Real-time Examination of Language Processing (4)
This lab is a continuation of Psychology 118A. This introduction to laboratory methods is now applied to individual research projects culminating in lab presentations and paper. Prerequisite: Psychology 118A or consent of instructor.

119. Lab/Psycholinguistic and Cognition (4)
Methods and Practicum in experimental study of language, reading, and related cognitive processes (reasoning, problem solving) in young adult populations. Prerequisites: A course in language or cognition, or Psych 118. See instructor for exceptions. Permission of instructor required. Department stamp required.

120. Learning and Motivation (4)
Survey of research and theory in learning and motivation. Includes instinct, reinforcement, stimulus control, choice, aversive control, and human applications. Prerequisite: upper-division standing. MUST be taken concurrently with Psychology 121 or 140.

121. Lab/Operant Psychology (4)
Lecture and laboratory in operant psychology. Prerequisite: MUST be taken concurrently with Psychology 120.

124. Introduction to Clinical Psychology (4)
Introduction to major concepts and models used in psychology assessment and psychotherapeutic intervention. Several modalities of psychotherapy (individual, group, and family) will be reviewed along with research on their efficacy. Prerequisite: Psychology 163.

125. Clinical Neuropsychology and Assessment (4)
A fundamental grounding in basic neuropsychological principles. Major topics include functional neuroanatomy and physiology of the human brain, neurobehavioral presentations of common neurologic and psychiatric conditions, and an introduction to diagnostic neuropsychological assessment and methods. Prerequisite: Psychology 60.

127. Methods in Applied Social Psychology (4)
Emphasizes learning and experimental and quasi-experimental methodology applicable to social problems. Students carry out field research in areas such as the psychology of the law (judicial decision making), traffic behavior (risk taking), environmental psychology and other areas of student interest. Prerequisite: Psychology 60 and Psychology 104.

128. Psychology of Reading(4)
Basic information about the nature of reading will be covered. Topics include: word recognition, eye movements, inner speech, sentence processing, memory for text, learning to read, methods for teaching reading, reading disabilities and dyslexia, and speedreading. Lectures and discussion. Prerequisite: Psychology 105 or Psychology 145.

129. Logic of Perception (4)
Lectures will cover three topics: 1) tradition of experimental work on perception that dates back to Helmholtz; 2) discussion and criticisms of theories of perception; 3) recent physiological work on the visual pathways that may give us insights into neural mechanisms underlying perception. Restriction: upper-division standing.

130. Delay of Gratification (4)
This course will review the research on delay of gratification. It will cover what makes it in general so tough, what situations make it possible, who can do it, and what the implications of this ability are. Restriction: upper-division standing.

132. Hormones and Behavior (4)
A survey off the effects of chemical signals (hormones, neurohormones, and pheromones) on behavior as well as reciprocal effects of behavior on these chemical systems. Specific topics covered include aggression, sex and sexuality, feeding, learning, memory and mood. Animal studies will be emphasized. Prerequisite: Psychology 106.

133. Circadian Rhythms—Biological Clock (4)
Examples and fundamental properties of the daily biological clock in humans, animals and microbes. Experimental approaches employed to understand how organisms keep time and how this applies to human health. Prerequisite: Psychology 106 or BILD 1 or consent of instructor. This course is cross-listed with BIMM 116.

134. Eating Disorders (4)
This course will cover the biology and psychology of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Abnormal, as well as normal eating will be discussed from various perspectives including endocrinological, neurobiological, psychological, sociological, and evolutionary. Restriction: upper-division standing

135. Animal Behavior (4)
This course will examine evolutionary, environmental, and mechanistic forces that shape the behavior of humans and other animals. Topics include the evolution of sec, neural and endocrine bases of social behavior, animal communication, and sociobiology Prerequisite: Psychology 106.

136. Cognitive Development (4)
This course examines the foundations and growth of the mind, discussing the development of perception, imagery, concept formation, memory and thinking. Emphasis is placed on the representation of knowledge in infancy and early childhood. (Credit may not be received for both Psychology 136 and Cognitive Science 113.) Prerequisites: Cognitive Science 101B or Psychology 105 or 101.

137. Social Cognition (4)
Social cognition blends cognitive and social psychology to investigate how people make sense of the social world. After covering basic concepts, including social perception, inference, memory, motivation, and affect, we will focus on understand the self, stereotypes, and cultural cognition. Prerequisite: Psychology 104 and 105. Restriction: upper-division standing.

138. Sound and Music Perception (4)
Topics include the physiology of the auditory system, perception and pitch, loudness and timbre, localization of sound in space, perception of melodic and temporal patterns, handedness correlates, and musical illusions and paradoxes. There will be a substantial number of sound demonstrations. Recommended that students have elementary knowledge of musical notation and structure. Restriction: upper-division standing and consent of instructor.

139. Social Psychology of Sports (4)
This course focuses on the applications of social psychological principles and finding to the understanding of sports, Topics include the role of motivation, level of aspiration, competition, cooperation, social comparison, and optimal arousal, spectators’ perspective, motivation and perceptions of success, streaks, etc. Restriction: Upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

140. Lab/ Human Behavior (4)
Laboratory on the principles of human behavior, including choice behavior, self-control, and reasoning. Restriction: upper-division standing and Psychology 120 (may be taken concurrently).

141. Evolution and Human Nature (4)
This course will examine the question of whether important aspects of human behavior can be explained as a result of natural selection. The focus will be on sex differences, selfishness and altruism, homicide and violence, and context effects on human reasoning. Restriction: upper-division standing and consent of instructor. Course website.

142. Psychology of Consciousness (4)
This course will survey research on consciousness from an experimental psychology perspective. Special emphasis will be placed on cognitive, neuro-imaging, and clinical/psychiatric investigative techniques, and on the scientific assessment of the mind-body problem. Restriction: upper-division standing.

143. Control and Analysis of Human Behavior (4)
An overview of the behavioral approach including basic principles, self-control, clinical applications, and the design of cultures. Restriction: Psychology major or consent of instructor.

144. Memory and Amnesia (4)
This course will review basic research into the nature of memory. It begins with an examination of historical milestones in the study of memory and then considers research concerned with contemporary models of memory and amnesia. Restriction: upper-division standing.

145. Psychology of Language (4)
Introduction to research on language comprehension and production. Focus on brain basis of language, language origin and universal structure, language disorders (aphasia dyslexia), animal language, linguistic community differences, and the mental processes underlying normal language processing. Prerequisite: a course in language, cognition, or philosophy of mind recommended.

146. Language & Conceptual Development (4)
Introduction to research on language acquisition and how it relates to conceptual development. Focus on theoretical foundations (e.g., learning mechanisms, universal grammar, theories of concepts), and empirical case studies including word learning, syntax and semantics, and language and thought. Prerequisite: Recommend a course in language / linguistics, cognition, or cognitive development.

148. Psychology of Judgment and Decision (4)
Broadly defined, the filed of judgment and decision making examines preferences and subjective probability, and how they are combined to arrive at decisions. The course will cover history and current topics. Restriction: upper-division standing.

149. Social Psychology of Theater (4)
Exploration of the relationship between social psychology and drama, focusing on the use of psychological principles in plays (by playwrights) and their performance (by directors, actors, and choreographers). Prerequisite and restriction: upper-division standing, major in psychology or theater, or permission of instructor.

150. Cognitive Neuroscience of Vision(4)
Cognitive neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field of research dedicated to understanding how the brain supports different cognitive abilities. This course will focus on the neural basis of visual experience, or how our brain creates what we see in the world around us. Prerequisite: PSYC 102 or PSYC 108.

151. Tests and Measurement (4)
This course provides an introduction to psychological testing presented in three components: 1) psychometrics and statistical methods of test construction; 2) application of psychological tests in industry, clinical practice, and other applied settings; and 3) controversies in the application of psychological tests. Prerequisite: Psychology 60.

152. Conceptions of Intelligence (4)
This course will examine the concept of intelligence from several perspectives: its historical development its measurement in terms of IQ test, and its role in practical affairs. Also included will be its role in comparative psychology and attempts to analyze intelligence in terms of more fundamental cognitive processes. Prerequisite: Psychology 111 or consent of instructor.

153. Psychology of Emotion (4)
This course will cover past and current findings and theories on emotion. Topics will include facial expressions of emotion, psychophysiology, evolutionary perspectives, and specific emotions such as anger, fear, and jealousy. Restriction: upper-division standing.

154. Behavior Modification (4)
Extension of learning principles to human behavior, methods of applied behavior analysis, and applications of behavioral principles to clinical disorders and to normal behavior in various settings. Restriction: upper-division standing.

155. Social Psychology and Medicine (4)
Explores areas of health, illness, treatment, and delivery of treatment, and social psychological perspectives in the medical area. Prerequisite: Psychology 60 or equivalent and 104.

156. Cognitive Development in Infancy (4)
Examines perception and cognition in the first year of life. The focus is a critical evaluation of different theories of cognitive change in infancy and methodological issues. Prerequisite: Psychology 60 and 101.

157. Happiness (4)
This course will address the psychology of happiness. The discussions and readings, consisting largely of original research articles, will explore such questions as: What is happiness? How do we measure it, and how do we tell who has it? What is the biology of happiness and what is its evolutionary significance? What makes people happy -- youth, fortune, marriage, chocolate? Is the pursuit of happiness pointless? Restriction: upper-division standing.

158. Interpersonal Relationships (4)
An in-depth look at the new field of relationship science, covering topics such as physical attraction, love, friendship, interdependency, relationship problems, jealousy, power, conflict, romantic and arranged marriage, divorce, and repairing relationships. Restriction: upper-division standing.

159. Physiological Basis of Perception (4)
A survey of sensory and perceptual phenomena and the physiological mechanisms underlying them. Prerequisite: Psychology 102 or consent of instructor.

160. Groups (4)
Causes and consequences of gregariousness, stress, validating attitudes, improving efficiency, consolidating power, permitting loafing, rejecting deviates, and insulating group members from unpleasant outside influence. Restriction: upper-division standing.

161. Introduction to Engineering Psychology (4)
Surveys human perceptual and cognitive limitations and abilities important in designing “user-friendly” computers and devices, improving aviation and traffic safety, and other engineering challenges. Topics include: human vision as it bears on display design (including virtual-reality); short-term memory limitations; leaning and practice, effects of noise and stress; causes of human error and their minimization. Acceptable as elective for ECE and ESE students. Restriction: upper-division standing.

162. Psychology and the Law (4)
Studies the psychological factors in the legal system, applying psychological theory and methods to the criminal justice system, identifying crime and criminals, eyewitness reliability, bail setting, plea-bargaining, sentencing, and parole. An original research project will be required as part of the course. Prerequisite: Psychology 60 and 104.

163. Abnormal Psychology (4)
Surveys origins, characteristics and causes of abnormal behavior and the biological and environmental causes of abnormality. Restriction: upper-division standing.

166. History of Psychology (4)
Surveys major trend and personalities in development of psychological thoughts. Emphasis given to such topics as mind-body problem, nativism vs. empiricism, and genesis of behaviorism. Prerequisite: three previous upper-division courses in psychology.

168. Psychological Disorders of Childhood (4)
Explores different forms of psychological deviance in children (psychosis, neurosis, mental retardation, Language disorders and other behavior problems). Emphasis on symptomatology, assessment, etiological factors, and various treatment modalities. (Offered every other year.) Restriction: upper-division standing.

169. Brain Damage and Mental Functions (4)
Studies neural mechanisms underlying perception, memory, language, and other mental capacities. What happens to these capacities when different parts of the brain are damaged? What can we learn about the normal brain by studying patients? Restriction: upper-division standing.

170. Introduction to Cognitive Neuropsychology (4)
What are the neural mechanisms underlying mental phenomena such as perception, attention, and memory? The two disciplines, neurophysiology and psychology, both have a long history but until recently there has been very little interaction between them. This course will take students to the interface between these two fields and we will discuss a wide range of topics that are of current interest. Restriction: upper-division standing.

171. Neurobiology of Learning & Memory (4)
This course will cover the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, from cognitive to molecular neuroscience, including human, animal, and cellular, and molecular studies of memory. Topics will include amnesia, mental retardation, exceptional intelligence, aging, and Alzheimer's disease. Prerequisite: Psychology 2 or Psychology 106, or consent of instructor.

172. The Psychology of Human Sexuality (4)
Important issues in human sexuality including sex and gender, sexual orientation, reproductive technology, and sexual dysfunction. Restriction: upper-division standing.

173. Psychology of Food and Behavior (4)
Reviews the psychology of food and behavior. Topics will include biological, psychological, and social influences; taste preferences and aversions and how they are learned; how culture influences food selection; and food-related behaviors across the lifespan. Restriction: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

175. Psychology and the Arts (4)
An interdisciplinary course focusing on theoretical ideas and empirical research that relate contemporary psychology (social and cognitive, psychophysiology, motivation and emotion) to issues in various aesthetic and artistic domains, as visual arts, music, literature, criticism, and the performance arts. Restriction: upper-division standing; major in Psychology, Music, Visual Arts, Communications, or Literature, or permission of instructor.

178. Organizational Psychology (4)
Examines human behavior in industrial and organizational settings. Psychological principles are applied to selection, placement, and training. The effectiveness of individuals and groups within organizations, including leadership and control, conflict and cooperation, motivation, and organizational structure and design, is examined. Restriction: upper-division standing.

179. Drugs, Addiction, and Mental Disorders (4)
Considers the use, abuse, liability, and psychotherapeutic effects of drugs in humans. Lectures are supplemented by guest lecturers from clinical experts in psychology and psychiatry. Prerequisite or restriction: one lower-division psychology course (1, 2, 3, or 4) or upper-division standing.

180. Adolescence (4)
This course will examined evolutionary, environmental, and mechanistic forces that shape the behavior of humans and other animals. Topics include the evolution of sex, neural and endocrine bases of social behavior, animal communication, and sociobiology. Prerequisite: Psychology 106.

181. Drugs and Behavior (4)
Psychological effects, brain mode of action, patterns of use of psychoactive agents, including stimulants, sedative/hypnotic, hallucinogens, marijuana, alcohol, over-the- counter drugs, cognitive enhancers, antianxiety agents, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and basic principles in psychopharmacology. Restriction: upper-division standing.

182. Illusions and the Brain (4)
This course explores the bases of illusions in terms of perceptual and cognitive principles, and the underlying brain mechanisms, extensive demonstrations are included. Restriction: upper-division standing.

184. Choice and Self-control (4)
Experimental analysis of choice behavior, with an emphasis on the types of choice involved in self-control. Focus on conditions under which decision-making is optimal. Restriction: upper-division students in psychology, biology, economics, or consent of instructor.

185. Applied Developmental Psychology (4)
Seminar on how developmental psychologists conduct scientific studies that have direct practical implications for children's well being. Major issues to be discussed are: child witnesses, literacy, school violence, impact of media on child development, and developmental psychopathology. Restriction: upper-division standing.

187. Development of Social Cognition (4)
This course will examine reasoning about people from a developmental perspective. Topics will include emotional understanding, achievement motivation, peer relations, social categories, and culture. Restriction: upper-division standing. Department approval required.

188. Impulse Control Disorders (4)
Problems of impulse control are important features of major psychiatric disorders but also of atypical impulse control disorder such as: pathological gambling, compulsive sex, eating, exercise, shopping. Focus: development, major common features, treatment, and neurobiological basis of impulse control disorders. Restriction: upper-division standing.

189. Brain, Behavior, and Evolution (4)
A survey of natural behaviors, including birdsong, prey capture, localization, electro-reception, and echo-location, and the neural systems that control them, emphasizing broad fundamental relationships between brain and behavior across species. Prerequisites: Psychology 103 and 106, or permission of instructor.

190. Parenting (4)
This course adopts an interdisciplinary approach to the complex construct of parenting. Parenting is explored with respect to history, culture, development, psychology, biology, etc. Controversial issues such as the influence of the media, family structure, and discipline strategies are analyzed. Restriction: upper-division standing.

191. Psychology of Sleep(4)
Topics include basic psychology, evolutionary models of the purpose of sleep, the role of sleep in learning/creativity, dreams, and sleep disorders. Restriction: upper-division standing.

193. Topics in Psychology
Selected topics in the field of Psychology. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Restriction: Department approval required.

Fall 2009

193 TOPIC: Criminology. Criminology as a discipline is concerned with the causes of crime as well as with the criminal justice and correctional systems. Our goal in this course is to scientifically study the making of laws, the breaking of laws, and society’s reaction to breaking the laws. Criminologists have adopted methods of study from all the social and behavioral sciences. Criminology involves analyzing crime over time and place, and the characteristics of criminals and their crimes. The course will cover the measurement of crime and the major theories that have been advanced to account for criminal behavior. Questions of interest will include: Is criminal activity a learned behavior? To what extent is criminal behavior genetically determined? Does exposure to media violence increase the probability that a person will become a criminal offender? How do social structure, social processes, and social organization affect criminal propensities? The course will also survey the characteristics of violent offenses, the relationship between drugs and crime, and the effect that different types of penalties have on recidivism. Finally, the course will also cover the psychological effects of incarceration and the death penalty.

193 TOPIC: Cognitive Control and Frontal Lobe Function. This course explores a rapidly evolving topic in cognitive neuroscience; the most "human" and recently evolved region of the brain--the frontal lobes. Crucial for all high-order functioning, it is only in humans that these parts of the brain are so highly developed. They hold the key to our judgment, our social and ethical behavior, our imagination, indeed, to our "soul." The course provides a background to frontal lobe anatomy and neuroscience methods, along with case histories and descriptions of neuropsychiatric disorders. Students will learn how the frontal lobes enable us to engage in complex mental processes, how vulnerable they are to injury, and how devastating the effects of damage often are, leading to chaotic, disorganized, asocial, and even criminal behavior.

193 TOPIC: Evolutionary Psychology of Love and Attraction.This course will explore evolutionary mechanisms, particularly sexual selection, and the way they have shaped human traits, behavior, and culture. Current research on mate selection & attraction will be discussed, and these theories will be applied to understanding the origins & development of human intelligence, language, morality, consumer behavior, and the arts.

Spring 2010

194A-B-C. Honors Thesis (4-4-4)
Students will take part in a weekly research seminar. In addition, they will plan and carry out a three-quarter research project under the guidance of a faculty member. The project will form the basis of the senior honors thesis. Prerequisite and restriction: acceptance to the Honors Program in the junior year (GPA 3.3), in addition one laboratory course (114-127) or two 199s which culminate in a research paper (by petition only) and Psychology 110, 111A&B and consent of instructor.

195. Instruction in Psychology (4)
Introduction to teaching a class section in a lower-division psychology course, hold office hours, assist with examinations and grading (P/NP grades only). This course counts only once towards the major. Prerequisite and restriction: junior or senior psychology major with GPA of 3.0, an A or A- in the course, consent of instructor, department and CEP approval.

196 ABC Research Seminar (4-4-4)
Weekly research seminar, three-quarter research project under faculty guidance, which culminates in a thesis. Prerequisite and restriction: One laboratory, 3.3 GPA, and/or consent of instructor, and Departmental stamp.

199. Independent Study (2 or 4)
Independent study or research under direction of a member of the faculty. Prerequisite: GPA 2.5 and 90 units completed. (P/NP grades only.) Not counted for credit towards the major. See section on 199 information.

2XX. Graduate Seminar
We encourage juniors and seniors meeting the suggested criteria of an overall 3.0 GPA to enroll in Graduate Seminars. Check the schedule of classes and contact the Psychology Student Affairs Office on how to enroll.