PSYC 490 Contemporary Topics Seminar

PSYC 490 seminars taught by Dr. Dess Dr. Chapman or Dr. Schell can be applied to the Neuroscience minor. 

Eating: From Cells to Society: 

Eating is fundamental to life more so than drinking or sex. It infuses the thoughts feelings and behavior of humans and other animals and thus serves as a model system for psychological inquiry. It is also for better and for worse intensely personal and thus serves as a model system for inquiry into the self. This course will explore eating from cellular to cultural levels of analysis. 

Teamwork Within Diverse Environments: 

Examination of how individual and group differences influence the performance of workgroups. The course focuses on theoretical and practical concerns related to the key topics of teamwork and leadership as they are performed within the context of a diverse work environment. Some related issues of fairness in managing diversity will also be introduced. 

Trauma: 

This course focuses on the experience of and responses to trauma in its many forms - natural disaster war and genocide child abuse assault and violence. The impact of trauma for both the individual and society at large are examined in the context of a stress coping resilience framework. Prevention and intervention strategies will be explored. 

Visions of Love and Community: 

This seminar examines love as an interpersonal intergroup and structural experience. We draw from social evolutionary and personality psychology to explore theories of love relationship formation satisfaction and dissolution; the biological bases of attraction; common challenges in relationships (jealousy conflict violence) and critical challenges to "love" within individualistic capitalistic patriarchal and heterosexist societies. Students will better understand how familial interpersonal and institutional relationships shape one's sense of identification with and communal responsibility for others.