Major

Human Services Major

Minor

Minor for teaching

Courses

Academic Standards

Psychology
(College of Letters and Science)
Padmanabhan Sudevan, Chair
Room D-240, Science Building
Phone: 715-346-2883
E-mail: Psychology@uwsp.edu
Web:  www.uwsp.edu/psych/psycdept.htm

Faculty: P Conley, D Elsenrath, A Gervasio, H Hekmat, J Lewis, J Magyar-Moe, R Nemeth, D Palmer, M Plonsky, T Rowe, J Rueb, P Sudevan, E Weisgram, C Wendorf.

Definition: Psychology is the study of structures and processes involved in neural and mental activity, behavior, emotion, and consciousness. It also includes the study of biological and environmental influences on intellectual, personality, and social development; healthy and unhealthy mental states; and bio-psychosocial influences on health.

Psychology Major
Consists of 37 credits:

1. Psych 110, 300, 389. (Take 300 before 389).
2. At least three courses from each group:

1. Psych 260, 301, 320, 351.
2. Psych 325, 330, 331, 375.

3. Nine additional elective psychology credits which may include courses from a and b above, not already used.

Psychology Major with Concentration in Human Services
Consists of at least 43 credits, including:

1. The requirements for the major as defined above.
2. Psychology 350, 351, 401, 402, 480, and 482. You may use these courses to fulfill the required 9 elective credits in the psychology major (3 above).

Psychology Minor
Consists of 18 credits in psychology, including Psychology 110.

Psychology Minor for Secondary Teacher Certification
Consists of 25 credits:

1. Psychology 110, 300, 351, 389.
2. Choose one from each of the four groups:

1. Psychology 260 or 320.
2. Psychology 301 or 452.
3. Psychology 331 or 375.
4. Psychology 325 or 330.

Academic Standards
To be approved for graduation with a major in psychology, you need a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.25 in all courses taken in psychology, regardless of a declaration of academic bankruptcy. Transfer students meet this requirement by having at least a 2.25 cumulative GPA in the total major and at least a 2.25 cumulative GPA in psychology courses taken at UWSP.

The School of Education requires a grade point average of at least 2.75 in the major and minor fields for admission to student teaching and 3.00 for teaching internship.  Enrollment caps are in effect for those seeking teacher certification. Please contact the Psychology Department early for entrance requirements and application procedures. Also see information about the Professional Education Program and the secondary education curriculum for teacher certification in the Education section of this catalog.

Credit-by-exam is available for Psych 110 and 260 if you receive a score that is equal to or greater than the 50th percentile on the General Psychology and Developmental Psychology CLEP examinations. CLEP testing is done in the Testing Center in Delzell Hall.

Credit-by-exam is available for Psych 240, 255, 260, 290, 320, and 330 if you receive a score that is equal to or greater than 70 percent of items on the departmental test-out exam.

You are not eligible for test-out if you are currently enrolled in the course. You may take a test-out exam only once.

Courses in Psychology

PSYC 312. Research Practicum. 1-3 cr. Student involvement in professional research under direction of psychology faculty. Topics vary by faculty interest. May repeat for 9 cr max of 312 and 399 combined. Prereq: 110; 311 or con reg in 311; cons instr; psych major; PSYC 300 or MATH 355 recommended.

PSYC 315. The Psychology of Adolescence. 3 cr. Behavior of adolescents; how physiology and culture determine personality; adjustment problems youth encounter in society. Prereq: 110.

PSYC 320. Social Psychology. 3 cr. Individual behavior as a function of social environment; how learning, cognition, motivation, perception affect interpersonal behavior development. Prereq: 110. GDR:SS1

PSYC 322(MNS). Psychology and Culture. 3 cr. Examine relationship between psychology and culture/ethnicity. Examine psychological processes that contribute to origin and persistence of culture; ways culture/ethnicity affect psychological processes/behavior. Prereq: 110.

PSYC 323. Applied Social Psychology. 3 cr. Theory and application of social psychological principles. Overview research methods in applied settings, esp. survey techniques. Explore creation of and evaluate programs designed to address consumer behaviors and mass media influence, forensic interviews and courtroom applications, political and business leadership, and environmental/conservation problems. Prereq: 110 and 320.

PSYC 324. Violence Against Women. 3 cr. Survey of research and theory on violence against women. Examine causes, consequences, prevention. Write effectively on violence against women. Prereq: 110.

PSYC 325. Physiological Psychology. 3 cr. Introduction to biological bases of behavior. Nervous system function and its relation to behavior, perception, motivation and thinking. May include behavioral endocrinology, behavioral genetics, evolutionary psychology, and psycho-pharmacology. Prereq: 110.

PSYC 330. Perception. 3 cr.  Fundamental concepts of perception involving all the senses, with emphasis on hearing and vision; experimental findings, theoretical interpretations, and demonstrations relating to perception. Prereq: 110. GDR:SS1

PSYC 331. Cognitive Psychology. 3 cr. Topics in human cognition including sensory memory, pattern recognition, selective attention, working memory, semantic memory and connectionist models, speech production and comprehension, semantic and syntactic theories, language acquisition, concept attainment, problem solving and artificial intelligence. Prereq: 110.

PSYC 332. Topics in Cognition. 3 cr. Discuss theoretical and experimental research in cognition such as attention, memory, psycholinguistics or thinking. Subtitle will designate area. May apply
3 cr max to major. Prereq: 110; 331 recommended.

PSYC 335. Motivation. 3 cr, Theoretical determinants of motivation related to learning, memory, homeostasis (ability to maintain equilibrium), instinct, emotion, and other behaviors. Prereq: 110.

PSYC 345. Industrial/Organizational Psychology. 3 cr. Job analysis; selecting, training, and evaluating workers; employee motivation and morale; leadership and organizations; fatigue and safety in the working environment; consumer behavior; engineering psychology. Prereq: 110.

PSYC 350. Psychological Assessment. 3 cr. Introduction to psycho-logical assessment and norm-referenced testing. Psychometrics, test construction, and validation. Contemporary intelligence, achievement, interest, and personality tests and behavioral assessment techniques. Prereq: 110, 300, or Math 355, or cons instr.

PSYC 351. Abnormal Psychology. 3 cr. Research-based study of classification, causes, origins (etiology), and treatment of major psychological disorders including anxiety and mood disorders; schizophrenia; personality disorders, childhood problems, sexual dysfunctions, and neurological disorders. Prereq: 6 cr in psych and jr st; or cons instr.

PSYC 360/560. Behavior and Learning Disorders in Children. 3 cr. Introduction to child/adolescent psychopathology. Includes causes, course, and treatment of developmental disorders, learning disorders, internalizing disorders, externalizing behavior problems in childhood. Developmental psychopathology. Prereq: 260 or cons instr.

PSYC 375/575. Learning. 3 cr. Simple and complex learning, including conditioning, sensory-motor learning, language learning, problem solving; emphasis on contemporary theories. Prereq: 110.

PSYC 385/585. Health Psychology. 3 cr. Contribution of environmental and psychological factors to the causes, treatment, and prevention of disease. Prereq: 110.

PSYC 389. Experimental Psychology. 3 cr. Introduction to principles of experimental design with practice in conducting research, analyzing results, writing reports. 2 hrs lec, 2 hrs lab per wk. Prereq: 300.

PSYC 390. Psychology of Religion. 3 cr. Seminar on psychology of western religious experience. Read, discuss, write about classic texts such as Freud’s Future of an Illusion, James’ Varieties of Religious Experience, and Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. Prereq: 389 or cons instr.

PSYC 399/599. Special Work. Upperclass psychology majors and minors and other qualified students may arrange for independent study. Credit based on scope of project. Prereq: Cons instr and chair.

PSYC 400. Advanced Experimental Psychology. 3 cr. Theory and techniques of advanced experimental design and methods of statistical analysis; consolidation through practice/procedures acquired in 389 with independent research. 2 hrs lec/2 hrs lab per wk. Prereq: 389.

PSYC 401/601. Introduction to Counseling and Psychotherapy. 3 cr. Major approaches to counseling and psychotherapy; theory, research, evaluation, and demonstration. Prereq: 110 and cons instr for nonmajors, 301 and 351 recommended.

PSYC 402/602. Practicum in Counseling and Psychotherapy. 3 cr. Clinical application of theory/research in counseling and psychotherapy. Develop professional ethics, attitudes, behaviors, communication, and intervention skills essential to therapeutic interview. Videotape/ critique student counseling interviews. Prereq: 401 and cons instr.

PSYC 452. History, Systems, and Contemporary Issues. 3 cr. History of major systems and areas of psychology; current trends of theory and research; senior paper required. Prereq: Sr st; 389 or cons instr.

PSYC 465/665. Psychology of Late Adulthood. 3 cr. Psychological processes, behavior, and aging; methods of studying the aging process; research paper or experience working with the elderly required. Prereq: 110 and cons instr.

PSYC 480/680. Behavior Modification. 3 cr. Clinical application of behavior theory and research in the treatment of phobias, anxiety, depressions, delinquencies, psychosis, language and other behavior disorders, including such topics as desensitization therapies, assertive training, token economics, biofeedback, and self-control. Prereq: 110; 351 recommended.

PSYC 482/682. Practicum in Behavior Therapy. 3 cr. Clinical application of behavior modification principles in treatment of behavior disorders. Prereq: 480 and cons instr.

PSYC 490. Seminar: Fields of Psychology. 2 or 3 cr. Discuss psychology theory and research. Subtitle will designate area. May repeat for credit with different subtitles. Prereq: 110 and cons instr.

PSYC 491/691. Workshop. 1-5 cr. Subtitle will designate area. May repeat for credit with different subtitles.

PSYC 494. Human Services Internship. 1-6 cr. Field experience in human services agencies or activities under direction of field placement supervisors and psychology faculty. May repeat for 9 cr max. Prereq: 351, 401, psych major, jr st, 2.5 cum & psych GPA, cons instr, and con reg in 495.

PSYC 495. Human Services Internship Seminar. 1 cr. Weekly professional seminar meetings. Review professional practice standards, critique case study presentations, discuss professional ethics. Prereq: Con reg in 494.

PSYC 796. Special Work. Advanced graduate students may arrange for specialized independent study with cons instr, chair, and chair of major department. Credit based on scope of project.

Psychology Latent Courses:  Not offered recently. See full course description in indicated (xx-xx) catalog.

• 280        Consciousness, 3 cr, (03-05)

• 285        Parachology, 3 cr, (03-05)

• 293        Computers in Psychology, 3 cr, (03-05)

• 324        Violence Against Women, 3 cr, (05-07)

• 340        Comparative Psychology, 3 cr, (93-95)

• 361/561  Mental Retardation/Develop Disabilities, 3 cr, (93-95)

• 390        Psychology of Religion, 3 cr, (05-07)

• 460/660  Developmental Psychology Seminar, 3 cr, (93-95)

• 485/685  Behavioral Medicine, 3 cr, (03-05)