Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Undergraduate-Newark
 
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Undergraduate Education in Newark
Liberal Arts Colleges
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Newark College of Arts and Sciences
University College–Newark
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Academic Foundations 003
African American and African Studies 014
American Studies 050
Ancient and Medieval Civilizations 060
Anthropology 070
Arabic 074
Art, Design, and Art History (080, 081, 082, 083, 085)
Asian Studies 098
Biological Sciences 120
Chemistry 160
Chinese 165
Clinical Laboratory Sciences 191
Computer Science 198
Earth and Environmental Sciences (Geology 460)
Economics 220
English (350 and 352)
English: Composition and Writing 355
Environmental Sciences 375
Film Studies 380
French 420
Geoscience Engineering 465
Global Politics 487
Health Information Management 504
Health Sciences: Aging 499J
Health Sciences: Health Advocacy 499K
History (History 510, American 512)
Honors 525
Honors Living-Learning Community 526
Information Systems 548
International Affairs 551
Italian 560
Japanese 565
Journalism and Media Studies 086
Latin 580
Latin American Studies 590
Legal Studies 603
Linguistics 615
Mathematics 640
Medical Imaging Sciences 658
Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies 686
Music 087
Neuroscience 112
Peace and Conflict Studies 735
Philosophy 730
Physics 750
Political Science 790
Portuguese and Lusophone World Studies 812
Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Psychology 819
Psychology 830
Learning Goals
Major Requirements
Minor Requirements
Minor in Cognitive Neuroscience
Courses
Religious Studies 840
Russian 860
Social Work 910
Sociology 920
Spanish 940
Theater 088
Urban Education 300
Video Production 089
Women's and Gender Studies 988
Writing 989
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Consortium with New Jersey Institute of Technology
Rutgers Business School: Undergraduate-Newark
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Camden Newark New Brunswick/Piscataway
Catalogs
  Newark Undergraduate Catalog 2016–2018 Liberal Arts Colleges Academic Programs and Courses Psychology 830 Courses  

Courses

21:830:101 Principles of Psychology (3) Scientific study of human behavior, including historical foundations, methodology, physiological basis of behavior, sensation and perception, and cognition.   Note: 21:830:101 and 102 may be taken in either order.    
21:830:102 Principles of Psychology (3) Scientific study of human behavior, including development, personality, social influences, abnormal behavior, and therapy.   Note: 21:830:101 and 102 may be taken in either order.  
21:830:301 Statistical Methods for the Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences (4) Basic statistical methods in the psychological sciences, starting with basic probability, descriptive statistics, and inferential statistics. Methods are put in the context of basic experimental research in the cognitive and behavioral sciences. Includes such methods as z-tests, t-tests, ANOVA, regression, and correlation. Prerequisites: Fulfillment of math proficiency general education requirement and 21:830:101,102.
21:830:302 Experimental Methods for the Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences (4) Basic methods and paradigms in the cognitive and behavioral sciences. Research from areas of psychology in psychophysics, learning, memory, and perception are used to illustrate basic paradigms used in the cognitive and behavioral sciences. Students conduct experiments, analyze data, and write reports in standard psychology formats. Prerequisite: 21:830:301.
21:830:304 Cognitive Processes (3) Introduces the study of human cognition. Topics include perception, attention, memory, knowledge representation, language, problem solving, thinking, and reasoning. How is the world represented, and what are the processes underlying those representations? Considers the real-world implications of laboratory findings. Prerequisite: 21:830:101.
21:830:308 Critical Thinking in Psychology (3) Scientific method in the context of popular ideas about psychology. Examination of the best scientific evidence concerning ESP, astrology, hypnosis, and other claims of paranormal powers. Analysis of controversial topics at the intersection of psychology and public policy, such as child rearing and the nature/nurture debate.  
21:830:311,312 Health and Social Justice I, II (3,3) Explores health issues in the light of disparities due to socioeconomics, education, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, culture, ability, and other factors. Topics covered include: alcohol and drugs, AIDS, abortion, contraception, public health, sexual assault, depression, stress, environmental justice, healthy relationships, education, women's and men's health, leadership, and many more issues. Students practically apply what they learn to real-life situations. (Different aspects of each topic will be emphasized during parts I and II, which may be taken independently of each other.) Corequisite: 21:830:400.
21:830:322 Cross-Cultural Psychology (3) Examines the role of one's culture in various aspects of identity and development. Students examine the role of culture in psychology, look at the way in which psychologists have traditionally examined culture, and explore practices in various cultures throughout the world. This course will emphasize many real-world applications of cross-cultural psychology and will explore topics such as interpersonal relationships, social behaviors, and ethnocentrism. Prerequisites: 21:830:101,102.
21:830:323 Developmental Psychology (3) This course explores the development of physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional capacities in children from birth to adolescence. Topics include language, intelligence, social behaviors and attitudes, moral development, emotional development, attachment formation, parenting, and atypical development. Major theoretical perspectives and current empirical work on development are critically evaluated. Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:324 Psychology of Adolescence (3) Explores all aspects of human development throughout the stage of adolescence. Covers adolescent behavior; physical, psychological, cognitive, and social development; family, peer, and environmental influences; and special issues that may be faced by adolescents. The course will include a brief overview of the developmental stages of childhood and emerging adulthood, as well as current research related to adolescent development. Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:327 Cognitive Development (3) Explores patterns of thought characteristic of infants and children, and investigates how those patterns change with age. Covers traditional and current theoretical explanations for pattern of stability and change in children's thinking. Prerequisites: 21:830:101,102, and 304 or 323.
21:830:330 Psychology of Learning (3) Explores the key principles and research involved in learning. Learning can be seen as an adaptive strategy to deal with variations in the environment. Learning processes are thus ubiquitous in the human and animal worlds, influencing a host of behavioral and cognitive skills. The course examines behaviorist, cognitive, and neuroscientific approaches to the problem of learning and seeks to integrate these perspectives into a coherent, unified theoretical framework. Prerequisite: 21:830:101.
21:830:335 Social Psychology (3) Psychological study of the individual's social interaction; theories of interaction and the empirical research employed in the investigation of topics such as attitude formation and change; group structure and process; and motivation, learning, and perception in a social context. Prerequisites: 21:830:101,102.
21:830:337 Group Processes (3) Almost universally, humans are born into groups. Class explores issues of individuality and conformity and evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of each. Factors to be considered will be age, gender, ethnicity, culture, and religion.
21:830:341 Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination (3) What is the nature of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination (SPD)?  Who expresses SPD?  What are the social cognitive processes underlying SPD? How early in development does one express SPD?  What are the detrimental effects of SPD on health and education?  Finally, can SPD and its detrimental effects be attenuated?  These are a few of the fascinating questions that social psychologists ask in their quest to understand SPD.  To address these questions, this course will examine SPD-related theories and evidence.  Because social psychologists use the scientific method, students will also critically evaluate the merit of social psychological research on SPD.  In other words, what differentiates psychological science from "pop psychology" when studying SPD?  Finally, throughout the semester, we will link the social psychology of SPD with the real-life experiences of individuals. Prerequisites: 21:830:101,102.
21:830:342 Approaches to Psychotherapy (3) Focuses on the tools needed to be an effective counselor along with the various perspectives utilized to identify and understand individual behavior. Strategies and techniques of psychotherapy, models of human behavior, and perspectives of personality that can influence the psychotherapeutic process will also be examined. The theoretical orientations discussed will include psychoanalytic, trait and factor, humanistic, and behavioral approaches. These perspectives will be examined within the context of contemporary psychology, and the application for the multicultural and diverse populations of the 21st century. Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:346 Psychology of Language (3) Research investigations of language behavior as an aspect of intellectual functioning; comparative study of human and animal communication; biological and neurological determinants of language; innate versus acquired mechanisms; information theory; encoding and decoding phonological skills; and language models and theories evaluated, including mathematical models, learning theorists (e.g., Skinner, Osgood), and the transformational linguistics of Chomsky. Prerequisites: 21:830:101,102, and either 304 or 372.
21:830:353 Positive Psychology (3) The growing field of positive psychology is having a robust impact on the traditional practice of Western psychotherapy. The positive psychology movement began as an attempt to reduce the focus on deficiencies and dominance of the "clinical approach" of "negating the negative" while ignoring human strengths in psychological research and theory. In this class we will review the rapidly growing research on flourishing, a major tenet of positive psychology, which includes the factors contributing to: psychological well-being, life satisfaction, positive emotions, everyday happiness, virtues and strengths, optimism, resilience, wisdom and excellence, and vital engagement in everyday life. The primary emphasis will be on practical, applied, positive psychotherapeutic interventions. Prerequisites: 21:830:101,102.
21:830:354 The Psychology of Adulthood and Aging (3) Psychological, biological, and cultural aspects of the life cycle from young adulthood to the later years; becoming a person and becoming partners; experimenting with lifestyles; deciding about children and how to relate to them; middle years--changes, crises, new opportunities; retirement and leisure compared with the work ethic; facts and fallacies about old age; and death and how we deal with it. Prerequisite: 21:830:102. Recommended: 21:830:323.
21:830:356 Family Processes (3) Explores the many day-to-day and larger issues that families experience, such as births, deaths, graduations, unemployment, and divorce. It investigates how families experience these challenges and the strategies they use to cope with them. It also asks how families cope with chronic difficulties such as alcohol or drug addiction and mental health problems. What factors cause some families to recover and grow stronger in the face of challenge while other families flounder and even break apart? Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:358 Introduction to Clinical Psychology (3) Short stories, plays, projective testing, paintings, and material from clinical interviews to introduce normal, creative, and pathological personalities; increases sensitivity to the situational, psychological, and historical determinants of human personality. Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:360 Professional Writing (3) This course will help prepare students planning on pursuing a graduate degree in psychology. Students will be required to read and critique peer-reviewed journal articles and to write about subfields of psychology in a professional, clear manner. Students will learn about plagiarism and how to avoid it, literature reviews, and will be given the opportunity to explore a subfield of psychology in depth that is of most interest to their future professional development. Prerequisites: 21:830:101,102.
21:830:363 Abnormal Psychology (3) Psychopathologies, their probable causes, and usual behavioral manifestations; theories of pathology and research techniques employed in the investigation of abnormality. Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:369,370 Fieldwork in Psychology (3,3) Fieldwork at accredited agencies under the supervision of a departmental faculty member and an agency supervisor. Consult the advisers to determine the number of hours required for participation at an agency; advisers have a current listing of accredited agencies participating in this program. Prerequisites: 21:830:101,102; junior or senior standing; and permission of instructor.
21:830:371 Psychology of Personality (3) Major theoretical and experimental contributions to the understanding of normal personality and its development; relative adequacy of different theories in dealing with specific empirical data. Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:372 Perception (3) Classical problems of perception--the constancies, form perception and the illusions, the perception of movement, neutral color, direction, and orientation; important theoretical issues of perception. Prerequisite: 21:830:101.
21:830:373 Psychology of Women (3) Psychological roles of women in the human situation, traditional and contemporary; functions fulfilled by, and problems inherent in, the subordination of Eve to Adam; wider social-psychological implications of the new feminism. Examines novels, films, and journalistic, social-philosophic, psychoanalytic, and anthropolitical materials. Prerequisites: 21:830:102 and either 323 or 354.
21:830:374 Psychopathology of Childhood (3)
At any moment, about 15 to 20 percent of all children and adolescents are experiencing some form of psychopathological disorder, such as depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity, or autism. Many more experience "sub-clinical" levels of psychopathology, which impact functioning but do not result in a serious degree of impairment. This course will explore three broad issues in understanding psychological disorders in children and adolescents: What are these disorders and how common are they? What are the identified "causes" of these disorders? How can professionals intervene to prevent or treat these disorders?
Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:378 Advanced Abnormal Psychology (3) Current theory and research in abnormal psychology; psychological and biochemical theories of psychopathology; examination of methods and findings of relevant experimental data. Prerequisites: 21:830:363 and permission of instructor.
21:830:383 Psychology of Men (3) Examines men and their masculinities from evolutionary, developmental, psychological, multicultural, and biological perspectives. Topics include parent-child relationships, risk-taking, achieving manhood, romantic and sexual relationships, fatherhood, intermale and dating/spousal violence, help-seeking, aging, and bereavement. Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:405 Psychology of Emotion (3) Examines the nature of emotions, where and how they arise, and the functions that they serve. The class examines how emotions are defined, and their evolutionary, physiological, cultural, and developmental roots. The class also explores how emotions affect memory, thinking, problem solving, coping and communication, and social relations. The nature of specific emotions, including hostility, disgust, fear, and love, is discussed. Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:411 Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience (3) Evidence from cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, behavioral neuroscience, and brain imaging used to investigate brain systems and mental representations underlying sensation and perception, movement, memory, and language. Brain anatomy, neurophysiology, and relation of brain and cognitive states to our experience of the world. Prerequisites: 21:830:304, 484.
21:830:412 Neuroscience of Decision Making (3) Introduction to research on behavioral and neural mechanisms involved in how we make decisions. The class is organized into four basic sections covering the integration of ideas from psychology, neuroscience, and economics that inspire research in the new discipline of neuroeconomics.
Prerequisites: 21:355:102 and 21:830:102 or 21:355:104 and 21:830:102.
21:830:417 Theories of Interpersonal and Social Conflict (3) Major theoretical perspectives of interpersonal and social conflict, and the application of these perspectives to describe and understand personal conflicts and those in the world at large. Design research to explore and evaluate hypotheses derived from one or more of these perspectives. Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:420 Infancy (3) Humans grow and change dramatically between conception and the age of 2 years. This course surveys classic and current research and theory in the study of infant development, including physical, neurological, perceptual, cognitive, communicative, emotional, and social development. It examines how development during the first two years provides the foundation upon which all psychological capacities are built. Also addresses current controversies in infant development and their relation to parenting, public policy, and law.  Prerequisites: 21:830:101,102,323.
21:830:422 Laboratory in Social Psychology (3) An introduction to nonexperimental methods in psychological research including observations, interviews, the use of psychological tests, and available data. Students gain practical experience in designing a survey, administering a questionnaire, entering the data, and analyzing it using SPSS, a computer program widely used in clinical, educational, and social research. Prerequisites: 21:830:301,302, or permission of instructor.
21:830:423 History and Modern Viewpoints in Psychology (3) Critical study, with historical background, of the major schools of psychological thought and theory and their relation to current theoretical approaches in the discipline. Theories covered include existentialism, structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt psychology, behaviorism and learning theory, psychoanalysis, and cognitive psychology. Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing in the major and 21:830:101,102.
21:830:424 Health Psychology (3) Psychological influences on health, illness, and the improvement of the health care system. Impact of judgments, attitudes, and beliefs on health; emotions and emotional control on health and coping; effects of gender, culture, and individual differences; interpersonal and organizational conflict in health care settings; patient-practitioner interaction; and management of chronic illness. Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:431 Media Psychology (3) Introduces students to the emerging field of media psychology. The course is designed to explore media research in each of the major schools of thought in psychology. As an interdisciplinary field of study, it includes cultural media studies and neuroscientific research on the biological systems and media and technology. Covers the history and research methods of media effects, critical theory of the media, and neuroscience. Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:434 Attachment Theory (3) Effects of early childhood rearing on subsequent cognitive abilities, interpersonal and romantic relationships, coping styles, separation, loss, and mourning. Attachment theory examined from psychological, psychoanalytic, evolutionary, and ethological perspectives. Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:469 Psychology of Sexual Orientation (3)

Examines the development and psychological implications of sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexuality. Students will examine psychological research on these topics and compare and contrast scholarly work with popular media depictions of these topics. Also examines how the implications of culture, gender, and race intersect with sexual orientation and sexuality.  

Prerequisites: 21:830:101,102.
21:830:484 Physiological Psychology (3) Physiological basis of behavior; basic structure and function of the nervous system; physiological basis of motivation and emotions; relations between hormones and behavior; physiological aspects of perception and learning; organization of the cerebral cortex; psychosomatics. Prerequisite: 21:830:101.
21:830:487 Pain and Pleasure (3) This course examines the neural basis of pain and pleasure. It focuses on the neural pathways, brain systems, neurotransmitters, and drugs that generate, enhance, and inhibit pain and pleasure.
Prerequisite: 21:830:102.
21:830:489 Special Issues in Psychology (3) This course title is used for psychology electives, and topics and prerequisites will vary each semester.
21:830:491,492 Research in Psychology (BA,BA) Design and execution of an original research project under supervision; project may be a psychological experiment, an attitude survey, or a library study; learning how to do research by means of firsthand experience. Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing and permission of instructor.
21:830:493,494 Individual Study in Psychology (BA,BA) Exploration of contemporary and classical problems in psychology through planned readings and discussions with a faculty member; emphasis on going beyond textbooks and learning to think about psychological issues in depth. Students prepare a written report summarizing their project. Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing and permission of instructor.
21:830:496 The Emotional Brain (3) What are emotions? Neural substrates examined from neurobiological perspectives. Individual and social functions of emotions, emotional intelligence. Prerequisites: 21:830:101,102.
21:830:497,499 Senior Thesis (BA, BA) Required for successful completion of honors in the major in psychology. Students design and execute a two-semester original research project under the supervision of a faculty member. Students may choose to conduct a nonresearch project under the supervision of a faculty member. Students may choose to conduct a nonresearch-oriented project in which the student engages in a creative, original, scholarly endeavor within psychology. Students produce a formal, APA-style document summarizing their project, which is evaluated by two faculty members.
Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing in the major and permission of instructor.
 
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Comments and corrections to: Campus Information Services.

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