Psychology

Departmental Chair: Tory Higgins, 401D Schermerhorn; 854-1297; [email protected]

Departmental Advisers:
Lois Putnam, 315 Schermerhorn; 854-4550; [email protected]
Jennifer Mangels; 316 Schermerhorn; 854-7560; [email protected]

Departmental Adviser for Enrolled Students in the Postbaccalaureate Psychology Program: Jennifer Mangels; 316 Schermerhorn; 854-7560; [email protected]

Departmental Administrator: Annie Alvarez, 406 Schermerhorn; 854-3940; [email protected]

Departmental Office: 406 Schermerhorn; 854-3608

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Web: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/psychology/

Guide to Course Numbers

Course numbers reflect the structure of the curriculum. The 1000 `evel contains introductions to psychology, introductory laboratory courses, and statistics. The 2000 level contains lecture courses that are introductions to areas within psychology and have few, if any, prerequisites. The 3000"level contains more advanced and specialized undergraduate courses, some of which are given in a lecture format and some in a seminar format. The 3900s are the courses providing research opportunities for undergraduates. The 4000 level contains courses suitable both for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Subcategories within the 2000, 3000, and 4000 levels correspond to the three groups in our distribution requirement for undergraduate majors: perception and cognition (2200s, 3200s, and 4200s), psychobiology and neuroscience (2400s, 3400s, and 4400s), and social/personality/abnormal (2600s, 3600s, and 4600s).

Requirements for Admission to Graduate Programs in Psychology

Students interested in applying for graduate programs in psychology, including those in clinical psychology, should complete a variety of undergraduate courses, including introductory psychology (Psychology W1001), a laboratory course in experimental psychology (Psychology W1420, W1440, W1460, W1480, W1490, or W1501), and a course in statistics (Psychology W1501/W1502 or Statistics W1001, W1111, or W1211). See Postbaccalaureate Psychology Program, page 24.

Students should also take a variety of more advanced undergraduate courses and seminars, and participate in supervised research. Students interested in clinical psychology should obtain experience working in a community service program, in addition to supervised research experience. A handout on preparing for a career in clinical psychology is available on the Department of Psychology Web site.

Courses of Instruction

Fall 2000

Introductory Undergraduate Courses

Psychology W1001x. The science of psychology. 3 pts. E. Galanter. TuTh 1:10-2:25.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Attendance at the first class period is mandatory. History-based study of human nature. Topics include association, psychophysics and perception, motivation, personality, and cognition. Go to the Web page and read the introduction before first class.

Psychology W1010x. Mind, brain and behavior. 3 pts. Instructor to be announced. MW 9:10-10:25
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
An introduction to the biological approach to the experimental study of behavior. Includes consideration of the types of biological data relevant to psychology, as well as the assumptions and logic permitting the interpretation of biological data in psychological terms.

Psychology W1440x. Experimental psychology: learning and motivation. 4 pts. J. Horvitz. M 4:10-6.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $3,072
Limited enrollment. Prerequisite: an introductory psychology course. Corequisite: Psychology W1441. Fee: $70. Priority system: seniors, juniors and psychology majors, sophomores, and first-year students. Attendance at the first class meeting is essential. In this laboratory course, students examine fundamental mechanisms of learning by training rats to perform and observing their behavior under various environmental situations.

Psychology W1441x. Experimental psychology: learning and motivation. 0 pts. J. Horvitz Sec. 1: M 6:10-8; sec. 2: Tu 4:10-6; sec. 3: Tu 6:10-8 evening.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: included in tuition for Psychology W1440.
Required lab section for Psychology W1440. Limited enrollment in each section.

Introductions to Areas within Psychology

Psychology W2220x. Cognition: memory and stress. 3 pts. J. Metcalfe. MW 2:40-3:55.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: Psychology W1001 or W1010, or the instructor's permission. Attendance at the first class period is mandatory. Memory, attention, and stress in human cognition.

Psychology W2230x. Perception and sensory processes. 3 pts. L. Matin. TuTh 2:40-3:55.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: Psychology W1001 or W1010, or the instructor's permission. Fundamental phenomena and mechanisms of visual and auditory perception are described and related to underlying neural processes, to developmental processes, and to sensorimotor function.

Psychology W2680x. Social and personality development. 3 pts. C. Dweck. TuTh 1:10-2:25.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
The nature and development of early social behavior and personality patterns. Biological and environmental contributions to development. Traditional personality theories. Emphasis is on current research.

Advanced Lecture Courses and Seminars

Psychology W3270x. Computational approaches to human vision. 3 pts. N. Graham. Hours to be arranged.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Some background in psychology and/or neurophysiology (e.g., Psychology W1001, W1010, W2230, W2450, Biology W3004, or W3005) is desirable. See instructor if you have questions about your background. Some background in mathematics and computer science (e.g., calculus or linear algebra, a programming language) is highly recommended. The study of human vision--both behavioral and physiological data--within a framework of computational and mathematical descriptions.

Psychology W3440x. Issues in brain and behavior. 3 pts. D. Hood. Th 6:10-8 evening.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisites: Psychology W1010 or W2450 and the instructor's permission. Techniques for the noninvasive assessment of human brain activity are considered. The use of these techniques in laboratory and clinical science is explored.

Psychology W3475x. Psychology and neuropsychology of language. 3 pts. M. Miozzo. M 4:10-6.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: instructor's permission (a course in the psychology of language or linguistics highly recommended). Surveys current models of language production. Studies of word and sentence production with monolingual and bilingual speakers and brain-damaged patients will be examined.

Psychology W3480x. Seminar in cognitive neuropsychology. 3 pts. J. Mangels. Tu 6:10-8 evening.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisites: Psychology W1010 or W2450 and the instructor's permission. Research and theory addressing the relationship between brain function and cognition. Topics include neurologically based disorders of perception (agnosia), attention (neglect), memory (amnesia), language (aphasia), motor control (Parkinson's disease), executive function (frontal lobe dysfunction), and consciousness (psychiatric syndromes).

Psychology W3615x. Children at risk. 4 pts. L. Putnam and G. Downey. TuTh 11-12:50.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $3,072
Prerequisites: Psychology W1010, W2280, W2620, or W2680, and the instructor's permission. Considers contemporary risk factors in children's lives. The immediate and enduring biological and behavioral impact of risk factors.

Psychology W3950x. Supervised individual research. 1-4 pts. The staff. Hours to be arranged.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $768-$3,072
Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. Except by special permission of the departmental representative, no more than 4 points of individual research may be taken in any one term. This includes both Psychology W3950 and W3920. No more than 8 points of W3950 may be applied toward the major. May be repeated with the permission of the departmental representative. Readings, special laboratory projects, reports, and special seminars on contemporary issues in psychological research and theory.

Graduate and Advanced Undergraduate Seminars

Psychology G4220x. Fundamentals of Neuropsychology. 3 pts. J. Mangels Tu 6:10-8 evening.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. Exposition of research and theory in cognitive neuroscience through discussion of neuropsychological syndromes.

Psychology G4235x. Special topics in vision. 3 pts. N. Graham. Hours to be arranged.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. May be repeated for additional credit.

Psychology W4415x. Methods and issues in cognitive neuroscience. 3 pts. L. Cooper. M 2:10-4.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: the instructor's permission (W1010, W2450, W3480, or equivalent highly recommended). Examines experimental, theoretical, and methodological literature on the neural substrates of various cognitive functions (e.g., perceiving, acting, remembering, higher-level thinking, and problem solving). Specific topics and foci vary from year to year. Under special circumstances, may be repeated for additional credit.

Psychology G4470x. Psychology and neuropsychology of language. 3 pts. M. Miozzo. M 4:10-6.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: instructor's permission (a course in the psychology of language or linguistics highly recommended). Surveys current models of language production. Studies of word and sentence production with monolingual and bilingual speakers and brain-damaged patients are examined.

Psychology G4630x. Advanced seminar in current personality theory and research. 3 pts. W. Mischel. M 10:10-12.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Open to psychology graduate students and advanced undergraduate psychology majors with the instructor's permission. A critical review and analysis of basic and enduring issues in personality theory, assessment, and research.

Psychology G4680x. Issues in research in motivation, personality, and development. 3 pts. C. Dweck. Th 4:10-6.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. Examines methodological issues that arise in research on motivation and personality in a developmental perspective. Focuses on how to operationalize variables and validate measures.

Spring 2001

Introductory Undergraduate Courses

Psychology W1001y. The science of psychology. 3 pts. Sec. 1: H. Terrace. TuTh 10:35-11:50.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Introduction to the science of human behavior. Topics include history of psychology, sleep and dreams, sensation and perception, learning and memory, theories of development, language and cognition, research methods and statistics, intelligence, social behavior, emotion, mental illness, and psychotherapy.

Psychology W1010y. Mind, brain, and behavior. 3 pts. J. Mangels. TuTh 6:10-7:25 evening.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
An introduction to the biological approach to the experimental study of behavior. Includes consideration of the types of biological data relevant to psychology, as well as the assumptions and logic permitting the interpretation of biological data in psychological terms.

Psychology W1420y. Experimental psychology: human behavior. 4 pts. J. Hilton. M 4:10-6.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $3,072
Prerequisite: Psychology W1001 or W1010 or the instructor's permission. Corequisite: Psychology 1421. Fee: $70. Attendance at the first class is essential. An introduction to the techniques of research employed in the study of human behavior. Students gain experience in the conduct of research, including design of simple experiments, observation and measurement techniques, and the analysis of behavioral data.

Psychology W1421y. Experimental psychology: human behavior lab. 0 pts. J. Hilton. Sec. 1: M 6:10-8 evening; sec. 2: Tu 4:10-6.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: included in tuition for Psychology W1420.
Required lab section for Psychology W1420. Limited enrollment in each section.

Psychology W1490y. Experimental psychology: thinking and decision making. 4 pts. D. Krantz. Tu 6:10-8 evening.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $3,072
Prerequisite: Psychology W1001 or W1010 or the instructor's permission. Corequisite: Psychology W1491. Fee: $70. Attendance at the first class is essential. This course is a complement (rather than substitute) to Psychology 2235. It introduces research methods employed in the study of the cognitive and social determinants of thinking and decision making. Students gain experience in the conduct of research, including design of simple experiments, individual and group preference elicitation techniques, and the analysis of behavioral data.

Psychology W1491y. Experimental psychology: thinking and decision making (lab). 0 pts. D. Krantz. Sec. 1: W 2:10-4; sec. 2: W 6:10-8 evening.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: included in tuition for Psychology W1490.
Required laboratory for W1490y.

Introductions to Areas within Psychology

Psychology W2235y. Thinking and decision making. 3 pts. E. Weber. TuTh 1:10-2:25.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: an introductory course in psychology. Detailed coverage of selected topics in problem solving and choice. Theories and experiments concerning comprehension of problems and action alternatives, integration of information, insight, and use of analogies and examples. Optimality and expertise in problem solving and decision making.

Psychology W2440y. Language and the brain. 3 pts. M. Miozzo. TuTh 10:35-11:50.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: an introductory psychology course or the instructor's permission. Examination of the psychological processes that underlie the use of language and the organization of language mechanisms in the brain. Exposition of topics of sentence comprehension and production, reading and writing, and review of experimental investigations, neuroimaging data, and studies of language impairments following brain damage.

Psychology W2620y. Abnormal behavior. 3 pts. G. Downey. MW 6:10-7:25 evening.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: an introductory psychology course. An examination of definitions, theories, and treatments of abnormal behavior.

Advanced Lecture Courses and Seminars

Psychology W3250y. Seminar in space perception. 3 pts. L. Matin. Th 4:10-6.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Some background in psychology and/or neurophysiology is desirable (e.g., Psychology W1001, W1010, W1480, W2230, Biology C3004, or C3005). Other backgrounds may also be appropriate; contact instructor. Space perception and spatial orientation in a three-dimensional physical world are examined from a viewpoint that integrates neurophysiological and behavioral research. Experiments involve perceptual phenomena and measurement, and electrical and/or mechanical recording in normal and unusual environments (e.g., human centrifuge, zero-g).

Psychology W3290y. Human motivation and political structures. 3 pts. E. Galanter. TuTh 2:40-3:55.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisites: One introductory psychology course (lecture or lab). Theories and data about how individual differences in values, desires, aversions, and motives are constrained by various socio-political schemes. Ordinal and cardinal measurement of individual preferences are examined and their connection to conflict and cooperation are examined. Topics vary from year to year.

Psychology W3420y. Animal cognition seminar. 3 pts. J .Gibbon and H. Terrace. W 10:10-12.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisites: Psychology W1440 and the instructor's permission. Seminar concerning a nonverbal animal's use of internal representations of past experience as a basis for action. Topics include how representations are formed, what aspects of experience are encoded, how information is stored, and how it is used later to guide behavior.

Psychology W3950y. Supervised individual research. 1-4 pts. The staff. Hours to be arranged.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $768-$3,072
Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. Except by special permission of the departmental representative, no more than 4 points of individual research may be taken in any one term. This includes both Psychology W3950 and W3920. No more than 8 points of W3950 may be applied toward the major. May be repeated with the permission of the departmental representative. Readings, special laboratory projects, reports, and special seminars on contemporary issues in psychological research and theory.

Introductory Graduate Lecture Courses

Psychology G4230y. Sensation and perception. 3 pts. L. Matin. Hours to be arranged.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. Some background in perception is required. Topics on the perception of space. Discussions, reviews, and recent literature.

Psychology G4270y. Cognitive processes. 3 pts. J. Metcalfe. Tu 4:10-6.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite for undergraduates: the instructor's permission. The systems approach to the study of human memory. Topics include lesion studies, psychological dissociations, the relation of human to animal memory, and current computational models of human memory.

Psychology G4420y. Animal cognition seminar. 3 pts. J. Gibbon and H. Terrace. W 10:10-12.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite for undergraduates: Psychology W1440 and the instructor's permission. Seminar concerning a nonverbal animal's use of internal representations of past experience as a basis for action. Topics include how representations are formed, what aspects of experience are encoded, how information is stored, and how it is used later to guide behavior.

Psychology G4430y. Neural basis of behavior. 3 pts. J. Horvitz. F 12:10-2.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: the instructor's permission prior to registering. Enrollment limited. Seminar examining the neural and neurochemical underpinnings of behavior with focus on brain dopamine systems.

Psychology G4640y. Advanced seminar in motivation. 3 pts. C. Dweck. Th 2:10-4.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: Psychology W2680 or the equivalent. Open to psychology graduate students and advanced undergraduate psychology majors with the instructor's permission. Focus on cognitive aspects of human motivation. The nature of adaptive and maladaptive motivational patterns. The relationship between cognition and emotion in motivation, the development of cognition-based motivation from biology-based drives and the impact of motivational patterns on cognitive and social development. Emphasis on building theory and designing research.

Psychology G4690y. Social factors and psychopathology. 3 pts. G. Downey. Tu 4:10-6.
Available to SSP, SMP, PSY.
Total tuition: credit $2,750*
Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. Reviews and integrates current research on the role of social factors in psychopathology. The immediate and long-term effects of chronic and traumatic stressors originating outside the family (e.g., natural disasters, chronic poverty) and inside the family (e.g., family violence, divorce, parental psychopathology) on psychopathology.