This course addresses the study of psychology as a behavioral science; basic research methods and design, learning, motivation, emotion, perception, development, personality, abnormal behavior, and the social and biological bases of psychology.

This course will address a specific area of study in psychology not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course is designed to provide an introduction to the field of behavior analysis. Everyday behavior will be examined as a part of the natural world, with primary focus on how basic principles of behavior influence everyday behavior of both animals and humans.

This course is designed to help students decide whether a degree in psychology will prepare them for the career they wish to pursue or identify the kinds of careers they could pursue once they obtain a degree in psychology. Topics and issues to be explored include: life as a psychology major; what can you do with a BA in psychology; psychology majors in the workplace; presenting yourself to employers; preparing and applying to graduate school; credentialing and licensure; psychology as a profession; and issues of special interest groups.

This course is an introduction to the topics of learning and memory, with an emphasis on experimental studies that have applications to human behavior. The topics of learning theories will include classical and instrumental learning, reinforcement, generalization, forgetting, and the limits of learning. Additionally, this course will cover factors that motivate humans in terms of their behaviors, desires and aspirations. To fully appreciate human motivation, this course will explore conditions in the person, environment and culture that explain human behavior, goals and thoughts. Applied areas such as addictions, phobias, depression, and eating disorders will also be explored.

A study of the major historical and contemporary theoretical viewpoints advanced to explain human behavior and personality development.

This course will address a specific area of study in psychology not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course is an introduction to applied behavior analysis (ABA), which is a field dedicated to the application of behavioral principles and procedures. We will cover basic principles such as reinforcement, punishment, stimulus control, extinction, etc. and we will address how these principles relate to common behavioral procedures. In addition, we will cover particular topics such as behavioral medicine, behavioral gerontology, drug and alcohol abuse, classroom management, developmental disabilities, and applications in business and industry.

This course explores the cognitive, physical, biological, emotional, moral, and social development of the normal individual from conception through old age and death. Developmental process, issues, and stages will be examined.

This course introduces the cognitive, physical, emotional, social and sex/gender role development of the normal individual from conception through adolescence. Racial/ethnic variation and vocational development of the adolescent are also explored.

This course explores the cognitive, physical, biological, emotional, moral and social development of the normal individual from emerging adulthood through old age and death.

This course provides a study of the anatomical, biochemical and neurological bases of behavior with particular attention to such phenomena as cognition, emotion, perception, sensation, and behavioral pathologies.

This course is an introduction to the concepts in cognitive psychology, including theories and applications of memory systems, pattern recognition, attention, decision-making, problem solving, language and text comprehension, reasoning and neurocognition.

This course is designed to help students identify and prepare for careers once they obtain a degree in psychology. Topics and issues to be explored include: what it means to be a psychology major; what one can do with a BA in psychology; psychology majors in the workplace; preparing and applying to graduate school; credentialing and licensure; and psychology as a profession. The course requires an experiential learning component in the form of an internship, relevant service project, or research with a faculty member.

In this course students are introduced to various theoretical and empirical approaches to the understanding of the diversity of sexual and gender expression, including the politics of sexual orientation and gender identity. They explore the biological, psychological, and social aspects of human sexuality and gender and the processes that lead from difference to discrimination and inequality. They learn about the continuously changing relationship between gender/sexuality and various social institutions (e.g., government, family) and elements of culture (e.g., religion, language). Issues of structural, symbolic, and intimate violence related to gender and sexuality, and of its impact on physical and mental health are also discussed. Multicultural and global perspectives constitute the framework for the discussion.

This course is only available on the George Williams College campus. This course is a general survey of the field of social psychology. Social psychology focuses on how one's social environment affects his or her thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. A broad range of subjects is sampled, organized into units on social cognition, social influence, attitudes and persuasion, social influence, and social relations.

This course is a general survey of the field of social and applied psychology. Although a broad range of subjects is sampled, the primary focus of this course is on individuals and their social environment. Social psychology focuses on how one's social environment affects his or her thoughts, attitudes and behaviors.

This course focuses on causes and characteristics of persons evidencing exceptionality. It also includes the psychology of prevention, identification, rehabilitation, and methods of teaching the exceptional individual. Covers major areas of exceptionality, including learning disabilities.

Industrial/Organizational (I/O) psychology applies the science of behavior and social psychology to the work environment. I/O Psychology is a growing area and is one of the most lucrative in the field of psychology. I/O psychology influences every stage of the employment process from recruitment and hiring procedures to performance evaluations and employee satisfaction. A goal of this class is to develop the informed employee by making one aware of strategies and techniques that future employers might use. Other topics include training, leadership, harassment, motivation, and group dynamics in the business setting.

Sport psychology is a field of study in which the principles of psychology are applied in a sports setting. These principles are often applied to enhance the athletic performance of teams and individuals. It also focuses on the study of personal and social factors responsible for the development of citizenship, sport behavior and personality.

This course addresses scientific method of inquiry for research in the behavioral sciences. Concepts, methods and designs involved in the statistical evaluation of research data will be discussed. The course will include instruction in SPSS statistical software.

This course addresses methods for conducting psychological research. In addition to learning about methodological concepts, students will complete a literature review, design a study, recruit participants, collect data, conduct statistical analyses, and complete an APA style research report. Includes advanced training in SPSS statistical software.

This course addresses the causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention of mental disorders in adults (such as depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and personality disorders); may include discussion of such topics as stigma, diagnostic interviewing, alternatives to traditional classification schemes, and ethical/legal issues in mental health.

Students learn about the research and theory behind the major schools (e.g., psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral and humanistic) and modalities (e.g., individual, group and family) of psychotherapy, and begin to develop basic counseling skills through observation, role play, and other exercises. Cultural, ethical, and legal issues in the counseling profession are also emphasized.

This course will address a specific area of study in psychology not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

An internship is an opportunity for students to apply the theories and knowledge that they learn in the classroom to a real-world setting while learning skills that can help them post-graduation. Internships offer students an opportunity to determine the type of career they want to pursue in the field of psychology. Internships are also great additions to a resume and/or graduate school application. Opportunities include working in a mental health center, a crisis hotline, a community agency, a human resources department of an organization, and a variety of other psychology-related contexts. Students interested in an internship will need to complete an agreement with the participating organization and a member of the psychology faculty who will serve as their faculty advisor. Students are expected to contract 48 hours of work at the organization per one semester hour of psychology credit earned at Aurora University. Students may arrange an internship ranging from one to four semester hours in any given semester, with a maximum of 14 semester hours counting towards graduation. Permission of the instructor required.

Grading Type: Credit/No Credit

This advanced laboratory course examines the mechanisms of our primary senses as well as how our brain interprets stimuli in order to allow us to respond with thoughts, emotions and behaviors. The influence of experience, cultural background, mood, social situations, and physiological factors on our interpretation of sensory stimuli will also be explored. There is a laboratory component with this class.

This is an advanced undergraduate-level course in applied behavior analysis (ABA). Specifically, this course will address the application of the principles of behavior to common behavioral deficits and excesses of social significance related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The primary goal of this course is to prepare students to serve as behavior technicians in clinics that provide early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) services to children diagnosed with autism. Behavior technicians are responsible for teaching language, social skills, self-help skills, and academic skills to young children with autism.

This course addresses major concepts of testing: sample populations; random samples; reliability; validity. It includes the nature, administration, scoring, interpretation, and use of representative tests of ability, aptitude, interest, intelligence, and personality.

Students select topics from the major areas of contemporary psychology for in-depth study. May cover such areas as mental health, industrial psychology, developmental psychology, personality theory, social psychology, physiological psychology, behavior disorders, learning, motivation, perception, or group dynamics.

This course will address a specific area of study in psychology not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

An internship is an opportunity for students to apply the theories and knowledge that they learn in the classroom to a real-world setting while learning skills that can help them post-graduation. Internships offer students an opportunity to determine the type of career they want to pursue in the field of psychology. Internships are also great additions to a resume and/or graduate school application. Opportunities include working in a mental health center, a crisis hotline, a community agency, a human resources department of an organization, and a variety of other psychology-related contexts. Students interested in an internship will need to complete an agreement with the participating organization and a member of the psychology faculty who will serve as their faculty advisor. Students are expected to contract 48 hours of work at the organization per one semester hour of psychology credit earned at Aurora University. Students may arrange an internship ranging from one to four semester hours in any given semester, with a maximum of 14 semester hours counting towards graduation. Permission of the instructor required.

Grading Type: Credit/No Credit