Psychological & Brain Sciences Major
As a psychological and brain sciences major, you will study a large and diverse field that is empirical, theoretical, and practical. As the science concerned with the understanding of behavior and the mind, you’ll consider such areas as the biological bases of behavior; brain-behavior interactions; cognitive neuroscience; learning, memory, cognition, motivation, emotion, sensation and perception; the study of social interactions, persuasion, and attitudes; aging and development; personality; clinical, abnormal, and health psychology; and leisure and work experiences.
sample courses:
Reviews the relatively recent development in the field known as "Positive Psychology" through an examination of empirical research centered on the nature of happiness and psychological well-being. Topics include the nature and measurement of happiness, the biological basis of positive emotions, an overview of positive trait theories, self-esteem, mindset, the mind-body connection, physical activity, emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior, decision-making, willpower, mindfulness meditation, and the characteristics of successful relationships.
This course provides training in the logic and techniques of psychological research so as to provide students with experience in the design of psychology experiments and interpretation of results. Topics include experimental design and control, library research, quantitative treatment of data, graphical presentation of results, and clarity of scientific writing. Lectures focus on general principles of experimentation, whereas the laboratory sections provide an introduction to a range of psychological phenomena through hands-on experience in experimentation. Each student also completes an independent research project.
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