SPRING 2018 COURSES

1. PSYCH IN THE SCHOOLSPCO4930 (S 202A) 03; Wed. 9-11, NEB202

Professor:

Dorothy L. Espelage, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of Florida, is the recipient of the APA Lifetime Achievement Award in Prevention Science and the 2016 APA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy, and is a Fellow of APS, APA, and AERA.She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Indiana University in 1997. She has authored over 180 peer- reviewed articles, six edited books, and 70 chapters on bullying, homophobic teasing, sexual harassment, dating violence, and gang violence. Her research focuses on translating empirical findings into prevention and intervention programming and she has secured over nine million dollars of external funding. She authored a 2011 White House Brief on bullying among LGBTQ youth and attended the White House Conference in 2011. She was a consultant to the National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Initiative to address bullying and youth suicide. She has appeared on Oprah (four times), CNN, Anderson Cooper and has been cited in Time, People, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal.

Course Objectives:

  • To review developmental psychological theories that attempt to explain academic progress/engagement and social-emotional developmental issues in children and adolescents using bullying/aggression/sexual harassment as an example outcome.
  • To consider cultural and contextual factors associated with academic progress/engagement and social-emotional development with bullying/aggression/sexual harassment as an example outcome.
  • To review research findings related to bullying perpetration/victimization and other forms of victimization that children/adolescents experience at school, in their homes, and in their communities.
  • To become familiar with promising school-based prevention and intervention programs that target bullying, relational aggression, social skills development etc.

2. Functional NeuroanatomyPSB 4934 (sect#15C2; 3 credits; fully on-line) Neil Rowland, PhD.

An in-depth presentation of the structures of the human brain, their principal functions, and common symptoms associated with damage to these regions. Course is most appropriate for upper level students in Cognitive & Behavioral Neuro track or IDS Neurobiological Sciences.

The course is organized into 13 one week modules, each of which deals with a particular set of structures. Each module has 3-4 component units. Each unit contains a slide and audio presentation by the instructor, other videos (including brain dissection/demos), and a short (typically 4-6 question) multiple choice quiz. Due at the end of each week is a written paper ("Brain Storm", 300 words) related to the general topic of the week but asking a "big picture" perspective.

Quizzes and Brain Storms each are ~50% of the total points; each module counts about equally and there is no final exam.

3. Legal Psychology PSY4930 (section229A; 3credits online), Brian Cahill, PhD

Legal Psychology is the study of the interaction between the individual and the legal system. This course will cover the major topics in the field, including eyewitness identification, investigative interviewing, interrogations, jury selection, the insanity defense, and punishment. Throughout the course, we will examine psychological research that investigates issues related to law and the legal process. At the end of the course, you will have a better understanding of how the legal system can be informed by psychological research, and how psychological research can be reactive to legal issues. Students should be prepared to think critically about each topic and to actively participate in class discussions; I enjoy discussions, so expect them in most of the classes!

4. Language and Cognition DEP4930 (1E17; 3 cr) T4thTh 4-5. Jeff Farrar, PhD

Language is one of the most complex abilities that humans possess. Paradoxically, children seem to acquire language easily while adults often struggle to learn it. The purpose of this seminar is to examine why. Two central perspectives will frame the course are: (1) whether language is a separate, innate, cognitive system, or (2) whether language is a reflection of general cognitive and social processes. To explore this issue, evidence from several different sources of language use and development will be considered. These include: (1) typical & atypical language acquisition, (2) deafness, language, and thought; (3) brain development, brain damage, and language; (4) second language acquisition; and (5) animal "language".

Objectives:

The objectives of the course are to understand:

  • the nature of language and its relation to cognition;
  • the theoretical arguments concerning language and its development;
  • the relationship between these arguments and the empirical evidence;
  • how to critically evaluate these claims; and
  • the role of converging lines of evidence in supporting the theories.