Language Acquisition

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 358

This course examines the development of language skills in children, asking how children so rapidly learn their first language. Topics include biological bases of language development; development of phonology, syntax, and morphology; language development in atypical populations; childhood bilingualism; and development of written language skills. PREREQ: Psych 100B.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU BA; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Psychopathology and Mental Health

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 354

This is an introductory course on the scientific study of mental health disorders. It will include definitions, classification, and theories of abnormal behavior. Content will focus on symptoms, prevalence, etiology and treatment of mental health disorders, including mood, anxiety, eating, autism spectrum, substance use, schizophrenia spectrum, and personality disorders. PREREQ: Psych 100B.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU BA; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Psychology of Personality

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 353

What is personality, and how can we scientifically study it? How did we become who we are today? Is personality fixed, or can we change? How does personality shape our everyday experiences and consequential life outcomes? Do we know ourselves and others? This course will address such questions by providing a contemporary overview of the field of personality psychology that will help students better understand themselves and others. PREREQ: Psych 100B.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU BA; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Psychotherapy: Introduction to Practice and Research

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 3501

This is an introductory course in psychotherapy: The treatment of psychological problems through the application of interventions grounded in psychological theory and focusing on behavior or mental processes. Students will become familiar with the more popular schools of psychotherapy, including their historical context, characteristic techniques, theoretical underpinnings, and current research support. Students will also gain an appreciation of the problems and solutions in researching psychotherapy, as well as emerging variations on psychotherapy procedures. PREREQ: Psych 100B.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU BA; AS SSC

Genes, Environment, and Human Behavior

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 345

This class will examine how genetic factors impact various dimensions of human behavior, ranging from cognitive abilities to psychiatric disorders. Topics to be covered include methods used to study the genetics of complex traits, how genetic predispositions interact with the environment, and ethical implications of behavioral genetics research. Modern methods for human genetics research, such as genome-wide association studies and polygenic risk scores, will be examined in detail. Emphasis will be placed on understanding core concepts (e.g. concepts of heritability, polygenicity, statistical power in genetic studies) as well as application (e.g. calculating heritability, interpreting results from published articles). Much of the course material will rely on primary research articles, and there will be a focus on biological and statistical concepts in the fields of behavioral and psychiatric genetics. PREREQ: Psych 100B.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU SCI; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Principles of the Nervous System

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 344

This course will provide a broad introduction to neuroscience, starting at the level of cellular and molecular neuroscience, and ultimately ending at systems and theoretical neuroscience, with emphasis on the organization of the mammalian central nervous system. Topics will include neuronal structure, the action potential, information transmission between neurons, sensory/motor systems, emotion, memory, disease, drugs, behavior, and network dynamics. A fundamental goal of this course is to provide students with the ability to approach complex problems using the scientific method and to understand the limits of knowledge. This course will also expose students to some of the neuroscience community at WashU. Pre-requisite: Bio 2960. Recommended: Bio 2970 and Bio 3058, Or Psych 3401 and permission of instructor. (Biology Major Area B)
Course Attributes: FA NSM; BU SCI; AR NSM; AS NSM

Independent Study in Psychological and Brain Sciences

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 333

PREREQ: Psych 100B and permission of a member of the faculty of the department (or other approved supervisor) who agrees to supervise the student's work. Credit to be arranged. A maximum of 6 units may be applied toward the major. The electronic Petition for Supervision of Independent Study form is available at the URL, http://eyes.wustl.edu/psych333. Students will be enrolled only after their form is approved by the faculty supervisor and forwarded to the Undergraduate Coordinator. Credit/ No Credit option only.
Course Attributes:

Sensation and Perception

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 330

What's involved in seeing and hearing? This course will cover perception from the physical stimuli (light and sound) that impinge upon the sensory receptors through the higher-level percepts that the stimuli generate. Demonstrations and illusions will be used as we learn about the anatomy and physiology of the sensory systems and study the brain mechanisms that are involved in vision and audition. Prerequisite: Psych 100B/1000.
Course Attributes: FA NSM; BU SCI; BU BA; AR NSM; AS NSM

Psychology of Adolescence

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 325

This course concentrates on brain, cognitive, and social development during adolescence. This period of development is marked by transition and change. Special topics will include the vulnerability of the adolescent brain and the development of sexual orientation. Prerequisite: Psych 100B.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU BA; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Music Cognition

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 3211

This course will introduce students to modern research on music perception and cognition. By nature, this research is interdisciplinary. Some is conducted by cognitive scientists, some by music scholars. We will study a cross-section of this research and touch on many of the field's principal topics, including: the perception of rhythm, meter, pitch, timbre, melody, harmony, and key; the relationship between music and emotion; the effect of auditory physiology on the musical experience; the role of performers in shaping a listener's perceptions; and the process by which music establishes, fulfills, and denies expectations.
Course Attributes: FA NSM; BU Hum; AR NSM; AS NSM