Undergraduate Catalog
Psychology
Chair: Brian Detweiler-Bedell
Administrative Coordinator: Joi Taylor
Psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes. The department's goals are to give students both a strong, scientifically rigorous base in the major subdisciplines of psychology and an exposure to applications of psychology. The curriculum and related activities acquaint students with the conceptual issues, theoretical models, empirical observations, and ethical decisions that form the basis of psychological knowledge. The department strives to develop students competencies in conducting and evaluating psychological research, and many students have had the opportunity to publish papers and give presentations in conjunction with faculty. In addition, students can gain experience in applied psychology through the internship program.
Internship Program
The department's active internship program offers supervised opportunities for gaining experience and training in psychological activities at a variety of social service agencies in Portland and abroad. This field experience provides an important supplement to the student's academic program.
Resources for Nonmajors
Introduction to Psychology (PSY 100) is a useful course for most Lewis & Clark majors, since very few disciplines can be divorced from an understanding of human behavior. Statistics courses provide useful tools that are recommended by several majors and satisfy the General Education requirement in quantitative reasoning for nonmajors and majors alike. In addition, 200-level courses are open to nonmajors who wish to pursue an interest in psychology beyond the introductory level of PSY 100. These courses are appropriate for students interested in pursuing careers in education, business, and social services who also wish to have a foundation in the understanding of human learning, thinking, development, social interaction, and psychopathology.
The Major Program
The major begins with the foundation courses: PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology, PSY 200 Statistics I, and PSY 300 Psychology Methodology. Seven other courses, chosen in conference with the major advisor, fulfill the major requirements. Of these seven courses, two are at the intermediate (200) level, one must be an advanced (300-level) psychology lab, and one must be a capstone (400-level) course. The remaining three courses are electives, two of which must be at the advanced or capstone level. Students may arrange to take independent study courses in consultation with the supervising faculty member.
Capstone courses are challenging seminars that offer majors an integrative experience toward the end of their college careers. A capstone course may involve any of the following: integration of various subareas within psychology, integration of psychology and other disciplines, or application of psychological principles and methods to real-world problems and/or basic scientific questions. Capstone courses typically include a major project and in-class presentation.
Transfer students must consult the department chair to determine what courses they need to take to fulfill the major requirements.
Major Requirements
A minimum of 40 semester credits (10 courses) in psychology, distributed as follows:
PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology
PSY 200 Statistics I
PSY 300 Psychology Methodology
One course in development, abnormal psychology, or social psychology, chosen from the following:
PSY 230 Infant and Child Development PSY 240 Abnormal Psychology PSY 260 Social Psychology One course in cognition or the brain and behavior, chosen from the following:
PSY 220 Thinking, Memory, and Problem Solving PSY 280 Brain and Behavior One advanced lab, chosen from the following:
PSY 310 Cognition PSY 350 Behavioral Neuroscience PSY 355 Cognitive Neuroscience One capstone course, chosen from the following:
PSY 400 Advanced Topics in Psychology PSY 410 Advanced Topics in Neuroscience PSY 425 Human-Computer Interaction PSY 440 Social Construction of Madness PSY 445 Psychology Internship PSY 460 Community Psychology PSY 465 Advanced Topics in Social Psychology PSY 490 Senior Thesis Three elective courses, two of which must be at the 300 level or higher, including a maximum of 4 semester credits for PSY 299 Independent Study and PSY 499 Independent Study.
Honors
At the end of the second semester of the junior year, students may apply to participate in the psychology senior thesis program. Selection is based on an evaluation of academic performance (a GPA of 3.500 in the major and overall) and the quality of a research proposal prepared in cooperation with a faculty member. Students work closely with a thesis committee. If the resulting thesis and its defense are deemed worthy of distinction by the psychology faculty, the student is awarded honors on graduation. Interested students should consult the department chair, a potential faculty sponsor, or both during the junior year. A full description of the application process is available from the department.
Faculty
William George Cole. Assistant professor with term of psychology. Ph.D. 1980 University of Washington. B.A. 1970 Emory University.
Janet E. Davidson. Associate professor of psychology. Infant and child development, developmental psychopathology, internships. Ph.D. 1989, M.Phil. 1987, M.S. 1985 Yale University. B.S. 1975 University of Washington.
Brian Detweiler-Bedell. Associate professor of psychology, chair of the Department of Psychology. Social psychology, statistics. Ph.D. 2001, M.Phil. 2000, M.S. 1998 Yale University. M.A. 1995, B.A. 1994 Stanford University.
Jerusha Detweiler-Bedell. Associate professor of psychology. Clinical and community psychology, health psychology, psychology of gender, internships. Ph.D. 2001, M.Phil. 1998, M.S. 1997 Yale University. M.A. 1995, B.A. 1995 Stanford University.
Melissa Fredette. Visiting assistant professor of psychology. Ph.D. 2008, M.A. 2003 University of Virginia. B.A. 2000 Harvard University.
Jennifer LaBounty. Assistant professor of psychology. Child, adolescent, and adult development; methodology; internships. Ph.D. 2008, M.A. 2005 University of Michigan. B.S. 2001 University of Oregon.
Erik L. Nilsen. Associate professor of psychology. Cognition, methodology, human-computer interaction. Ph.D. 1991, M.A. 1986 University of Michigan. B.A. 1984 Graceland College.
Thomas J. Schoeneman. Professor of psychology. Personality, abnormal psychology, internships. Ph.D. 1979, M.S. 1974, B.A. 1973 State University of New York at Buffalo.
Jessica M. Tipsord. Visiting assistant professor of psychology. Ph.D. 2009 University of Oregon. M.A. 2004 Wake Forest University. B.A. 2002 East Carolina University.
Todd Watson. Assistant professor of psychology. Cognitive neuroscience, brain and behavior, statistics. Ph.D. 2005 State University of New York at Stony Brook. M.A. 2000 Radford University. B.S. 1997 Pennsylvania State University.
Yueping Zhang. Associate professor of psychology. Behavioral neuroscience, brain and behavior, drugs and behavior, cross-cultural psychology. Ph.D. 1996, M.A. 1992 University of New Hampshire. M.D. 1985 Shandong Medical University.
PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology
Faculty: Davidson, J. Detweiler-Bedell, LaBounty, Nilsen, Schoeneman, Zhang.
Content: Principles underlying behavioral development and change, physiological processes that mediate psychological functioning, processes of human perception and cognition, approaches to understanding functional and dysfunctional personality characteristics of individuals, counseling and psychotherapy techniques, application of psychological principles to social phenomena.
Prerequisites: None.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 190 Culture, Film, and Psychology
Content: The relationships between culture and human
behavior through the lens of film. How cultural
forces and transitions shape worldview, individual
identity and personality, child development,
family structure and dynamics, personal
relationships, social perception, other aspects of
behavior relevant to psychology. Variety of
cultures and cultural influences, theories and
methods in cultural psychology, ways in which
culture shapes film and film reflects and shapes
culture. Does not count toward major.
Prerequisites: None.
Usually offered: Annually, summer only.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 200 Statistics I
Faculty: B. Detweiler-Bedell, Watson.
Content: The theory of statistics and designing experiments. Use of distributions, measures of central tendency, variability, correlation, t-tests, simple analysis of variance and nonparametric techniques. Computer applications using SPSS statistical analysis programs and other software.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required, unless section number is preceded by an 'F'.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 220 Thinking, Memory, and Problem Solving
Content: Application of cognitive theory to decision making
and problem solving. Selective perception, memory,
contextual effects on decision making, paradoxes
in rationality, biases created from
problem-solving heuristics, probability and risk
assessment, perception of randomness, attribution
of causality, group judgments and decisions.
Prerequisites: PSY 100.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required, unless section number is
preceded by an 'F'.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 230 Infant and Child Development
Content: Psychological development in domains including
perception, cognition, language, personality,
social behavior. How psychological processes
evolve and change. Emphasis on infancy and
childhood.
Prerequisites: PSY 100.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required, unless section number is
preceded by an 'F'.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 240 Abnormal Psychology
Content: Issues in defining abnormality; classification and
description of abnormal behaviors; societal
reactions to abnormal behavior; theory and
research on causes, treatments, and prevention of
pathology; major psychopathologies including
physical symptoms and stress reactions; anxiety,
somatoform, and dissociative disorders; sexual
dysfunctions; addictions; sociopathy and other
personality disorders; schizophrenia; mood
disorders.
Prerequisites: PSY 100.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required, unless section number is
preceded by an 'F'.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 252 Introduction to Neuroscience
Faculty: Reiness, Watson, Zhang.
Content: Study of the biological basis of behavior. Gross anatomy of the brain, structure and function of neurons, synaptic transmission. Exploration of learning and memory, vision, neurological and psychiatric diseases, addiction, and reproductive behavior. Cross-listed with BIO 252. Students may not receive credit for both BIO 252 / PSY 252 and PSY 280.
Prerequisites: BIO 151 and PSY 100, or one of these and permission of instructor.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required, unless section number is preceded by an 'F'.
Usually offered: Annually.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 260 Social Psychology
Content: The effects of social and cognitive processes on
the ways individuals perceive, influence, and
relate to others. Person perception, the self,
prejudice and stereotyping, social identity,
attitudes and attitude change, conformity,
interpersonal attraction, altruism, aggression,
group processes, intergroup conflict.
Prerequisites: PSY 100.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required, unless section number is
preceded by an 'F'.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 280 Brain and Behavior
Faculty: Watson, Zhang.
Content: How the brain controls and regulates behavior. Basic properties of neurons, neurotransmitters, and the basic anatomy of the nervous system. Emphasis on the brain's role in such functions as sensation, emotion, language, learning and memory, sexual behavior, sleep, motivation. The biological bases of abnormal conditions, such as affective disorders, amnesia, learning disorders. Not open to students with previous credit in PSY 350 or PSY 355.
Prerequisites: PSY 100.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required, unless section number is preceded by an 'F'.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 299 Independent Study
Faculty: Psychology Faculty.
Content: Topics not covered in depth in other department courses, or faculty-supervised research projects. Details determined by the student in conference with the supervising faculty member. First-year or sophomore level. Credit-no credit. May be repeated for credit.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Consent required.
Usually offered: Annually.
Semester credits: 1-4.
PSY 300 Psychology Methodology
Faculty: LaBounty, Nilsen.
Content: Research methodologies and experimental design techniques applied to laboratory investigation of psychological phenomena. Data collected from laboratory studies analyzed statistically and reported in technical lab reports.
Prerequisites: PSY 100. PSY 200.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 310 Cognition
Faculty: Nilsen.
Content: Classical and contemporary research topics in cognition. Discussion of scientific methods used to investigate cognition. Emphasis on memory, reasoning, decision making, cognitive science. Laboratory sections supplement lectures and readings with computer-based experiments and demonstrations.
Prerequisites: PSY 100. PSY 200. PSY 220. PSY 300.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Annually.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 311 Statistics II
Faculty: B. Detweiler-Bedell.
Content: Continuation of PSY 200; emphasis on theory and experimental design. Variance, covariance, regression analyses, nonparametrics, and exploratory data analyses using the computer as a tool in psychological research (SPSS statistical analysis programs and PC/Mac packages)
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, and PSY 300, or consent of instructor based on statistical experience.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Alternate Years.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 330 Adolescent and Adult Development
Content: Emerging adulthood and adult development in areas
including physiology, perception, cognition,
personality, social behavior. How psychological
processes evolve and change with age. Emphasis on
late adolescence through late adulthood and death.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, PSY 230, and PSY 300, or consent of
instructor.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Annually.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 340 Personality Theory
Content: Theory and research about human nature,
individuality, and the causes and meaning of
important psychological differences among
individuals. Major theories of personality
including psychoanalytic, humanistic, trait,
social learning, cognitive perspectives; current
topics in personality research.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, and PSY 300, or consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Annually.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 345 Overseas Internship
Faculty: Davidson, J. Detweiler-Bedell, Schneider, Schoeneman.
Content: Applied field learning experience and exposure to psychologically oriented occupations in Brisbane, Australia. Building human relations skills; becoming acquainted with important human service institutions and their social impact in an environment of socialized health and human services. Theoretical, cross-cultural, and practical frameworks for interventions. May be taken twice for credit if participating in two programs. Summers only, or occasionally during semester-long off-campus programs.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, and PSY 300; or PSY 100 and consent of instructor. Concurrent enrollment in IS 240, taught in Australia or England.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing and acceptance on Australia or English overseas program required.
Usually offered: Annually, summer only.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 350 Behavioral Neuroscience
Faculty: Zhang.
Content: The relationship between basic psychological processes and underlying functions of the nervous system. Biological bases of sensation, perception, motivation, emotion, learning, memory, psychopathology. Laboratory sections supplement lectures and readings with practical experience in neural anatomy, animal (rat) behavioral testing, and neuropsycological testing.
Prerequisites: PSY 100. PSY 200. PSY 280. PSY 300.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Annually.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 355 Cognitive Neuroscience
Faculty: Watson.
Content: Foundational and contemporary issues in cognitive neuroscience. Scientific methods used to investigate relationship between brain function and cognition. Emphasis on higher cognitive and emotional function and the neurobehavioral underpinnings of psychopathology. Laboratory sections supplement lecture and reading topics with demonstrations and practice applying cognitive neuroscience research techniques.
Prerequisites: PSY 100. PSY 200. PSY 220 or PSY 280. PSY 300.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Annually.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 360 Psychology of Gender
Content: Theory and data in the psychological development
of females, their attitudes, values, behaviors,
and self-image. Alternative models for increasing
gender role flexibility and allowing all humans to
explore their full potential. Research
methodology, changing roles, androgyny, gender
schema, extent and validity of gender differences.
Influence of culture, socialization, and
individual differences on women and men.
Relationship between the psychology of gender and
principles of feminism.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, and PSY 300, or consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Annually.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 370 Clinical Psychology
Faculty: J. Detweiler-Bedell.
Content: Overview of the science and practice of clinical psychology. Application of psychological science to psychotherapeutic interventions and clinical assessment. Major theories and techniques of therapeutic assessment and behavior change, including psychodynamic, humanistic, behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, family, group, and time-limited approaches, with emphasis on empirically validated treatments. Logic and methodology of psychotherapy process and outcome research. Ethical issues in therapy and assessment.
Prerequisites: PSY 100. PSY 200. PSY 240. PSY 300.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Alternate Years, spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 375 Health Psychology
Content: The interactions of psychology and health,
including how thoughts, emotions, and behavior
influence health and the effects of health on
psychological well-being. Emphasis on how
psychological, social, and biological factors
interact with and determine the success people
have in maintaining their health, getting medical
treatment, coping with stress and pain, recovering
from serious illness.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, and PSY 300, or consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Annually.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 380 Drugs and Behavior
Content: An introduction to the principles of
psychopharmacology and the effects of psychoactive
substances on behavior. The mechanisms of drug
action with an emphasis on how drugs affect the
brain. Discussion of the social and political
aspects of drug abuse.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, and PSY 300, or consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Annually.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 390 Cross-Cultural Psychology
Content: Relations between culture and human behavior.
Examination of topics in psychology from a
multicultural, multiethnic perspective, with
special emphasis on cultural influence on research
methods, self-concept, communication, emotion,
social behavior, development, mental health.
Cultural variation, how culture shapes human
behavior, and psychological theories and practices
in different cultures.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, and PSY 300, or consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Alternate Years.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 400 Advanced Topics in Psychology
Faculty: Psychlogy Faculty.
Content: In-depth study of current issues and topics in psychology. Central theoretical, empirical, practical issues of each topic. May be taken twice for credit with change of topic.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, and PSY 300, or consent of instructor. Psychology courses appropriate for the topic of study.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Annually.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 410 Advanced Topics in Neuroscience
Content: In-depth discussion of current theoretical,
research, and practical issues in neuroscience.
Topics may vary by semester and may include the
biological basis of behavior, the neural
substrates of cognitive processes, and biological
basis of psychological disorders. Behavioral,
electrophysiological, neuropsychological, and
biochemical approaches considered.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, PSY 220 or PSY 280, and PSY 300, or
consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Alternate Years.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 425 Human-Computer Interaction
Content: Broad survey of human-computer interaction (HCI).
Project-based exploration of the processes for
creating technologies that expand human capability
(functionality) while adapting to the abilities of
users (usability). HCI topics including cognition,
perception, personality, learning, motivation, and
social, developmental, abnormal, and educational
psychology studied from a psychological
perspective. Primary source materials from the
fields of psychology, computer science, and allied
disciplines.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, and PSY 300, or consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Annually.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 440 Social Construction of Madness
Content: Scrutiny of historical and contemporary Western
conceptions of madness. Theoretical position of
social constructionism used to understand how
professional taxonomies and public stereotypes of
insanity are reflections of culture. Analysis of
movies, fiction, poetry, drama.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, PSY 240, and PSY 300, or consent of
instructor.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Alternate Years.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 445 Psychology Internship
Faculty: Davidson, J. Detweiler-Bedell, LaBounty, Schoeneman.
Content: Applied field learning experience and exposure to psychologically oriented occupations. Building human relations skills; becoming acquainted with important human service institutions and their social impact. Theoretical and practical frameworks for intervention.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, and PSY 300, or consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Junior standing required.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 460 Community Psychology
Content: Community agencies dealing with mental health,
homelessness, child abuse, substance abuse,
criminal justice, or AIDS. How agencies provide
services to diverse populations, including the
elderly, adolescents, children, gays, mentally
ill, and others. The politics of funding. How
grassroots organizations develop and change.
Students evaluate how effectively a community
agency or organization provides needed services to
specific populations.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, and PSY 300, or consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Alternate Years.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 465 Advanced Topics in Social Psychology
Content: Advanced undergraduate seminar examining current
theoretical and empirical advances in social
psychology. Extensive reading and discussion of
primary sources focusing on three selected topics:
social cognition, social influence, and group
relations. Topics may include emotion, social
judgment, the self, nonverbal communication,
attitude change, advertising and marketing,
stereotyping and prejudice, conflict resolution,
interpersonal relationships, group dynamics.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, PSY 260, and PSY 300, or consent of
instructor.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Alternate Years.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 490 Senior Thesis
Faculty: Psychology Faculty.
Content: Continuation of independent research project begun in PSY 499T. Details determined by the student in conference with supervising faculty member and thesis committee. Details must then be approved by department. If the resulting thesis and its defense are deemed worthy of distinction by the psychology faculty, the student will be awarded honors on graduation.
Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 200, PSY 300, PSY 499T, and department consent.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
PSY 499 Independent Study
Faculty: Psychology Faculty.
Content: Same as PSY 299 but requiring work at the junior or senior level. May be repeated for credit.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing and consent required.
Usually offered: Annually.
Semester credits: 1-4.
PSY 499T Pre-thesis Independent Research
Faculty: Psychology Faculty.
Content: Faculty-supervised research projects as part of the senior thesis. Details determined by the student in conference with a two-member faculty committee.
Prerequisites: PSY 100. PSY 200. PSY 300.
Restrictions: Senior standing and consent of instructor and department required.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
Programs of Study