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University Bulletin: Undergraduate Programs 2003-2004 The George Washington University  

 
   
 

PSYCHOLOGY

Professors E. Abravanel, L.A. Rothblat, R.A. Peterson, P. Wirtz, C.K. Sigelman, L.R. Offermann, P.J. Poppen (Chair), E. Hirshman, M.C. Zea, M. Barratt
Associate Professors L. Brandt, C.A. Rohrbeck, S. Dopkins, S.D. Molock, J.M. Ganiban, D.P. Costanza, E. Davis, P.J. Moore, J.W. Philbeck, N. Vasilopoulos, G. Howe, C. Gee, H.N. Le, A.N. Zucker
Assistant Professors C. Beil (Research), D.E. Schell, T.L. Dodge, S. Lambert, M.H. Sohn, M. Stock, S. Shomstein
Adjunct Assistant Professor K. Ross-Kidder

Clinical Training Staff


Associate Clinical Professors D.M. DePalma, R.L. Jenkins, L.E. Moldauer
Assistant Clinical Professors H.S. Lovett, A.L. Auerbach, E.A. Wiggs, S. Martin, R. Broudy

Doctor of Philosophy in the field of psychology—Prerequisite: the degree of Bachelor of Arts with a major in psychology. Students whose academic preparation is in other disciplines will be expected to complete prerequisite undergraduate courses to prepare for graduate study in psychology before admission to the field.

Required: the general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, including (1) Psyc 202, two graduate psychology courses outside the chosen field and approved by the advisor, and appropriate statistics courses; and (2) the satisfactory completion of a first-year examination and the General Examination in the major area of study. The Department of Psychology offers concentrations in clinical psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and applied social psychology. The concentration in industrial/ organizational psychology is offered by the Department of Organizational Sciences and Communication. For specific requirements, consult the director of the concentration concerned.

Courses at the 200 level are limited to graduate students in psychology, except by permission of instructor. With permission, a limited number of 100-level courses in the department may be taken for graduate credit; additional course work is required. See the Undergraduate Programs Bulletin for course listings.
202 Psychological Research Methods and Procedures (3) Howe
  Required in all graduate psychology programs. Includes philosophy of science, types of research design, and methods of data collection. Prerequisite: grad- uate standing, a laboratory course in psychology, and a course in statistics.
203 Experimental Foundations of Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition (3) Dopkins
  Current conceptions of learning, memory, and cognition; the research upon which these conceptions are based; applications to practical contexts.
204 Experimental Foundations of Psychology: Biological Basis of Behavior (3) Rothblat
  Introduction to the structure and function of the nervous system. Topics include neural communication, sensory processes, memory, neuroendocrinology of sex differences and stress, psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.
207–8 Psychological Assessment (3–3) Staff
  Open only to clinical graduate students in the Department of Psychology. Theoretical and clinical aspects of assessment; includes interviewing, psychometric tests, and projective techniques. Two-hour laboratory—diagnostic work at clinical facilities. Material fee, $30 per semester. (Academic year)
210 Developmental Theories and Issues (3) Staff
  Orientation to the field of developmental psychology, with emphasis on traditional and contemporary theories, fundamental concepts and issues, and methodological approaches.
211–12 Community Psychology I–II (3–3) Lambert
  For graduate students in the Department of Psychology; open to others with permission of instructor, and only if space permits. Psyc 211: Survey of the history, theories, and values guiding community psychology; models of service delivery. Psyc 212: Applications of the principles and theories of community psychology to interventions and research. Psyc 211 is prerequisite to Psyc 212.
213–14 Seminar: Developmental Psychology (3–3) Abravanel
  Psyc 213: research and theory in developmental psychology, with topics drawn from cognitive, perceptual, and language functioning development. Psyc 214: current research and theoretical issues in social and personality development in childhood and adolescence. (Academic year)
216 Developmental Psychopathology (3) Ganiban
  A comprehensive introduction to the field of developmental psychopathology. Origins, evolution, and long-term consequences of developmental psychopathology. Genetic and biological origins of psychopathology.
218 Evidence-Based Interventions (3) Le
  Introduction to theory and technique of psychotherapeutic approaches of proven effectiveness. (Spring and summer)
223 Seminar: Human Memory (3) Staff
  Selected topics of current research interest in the area of human memory. Emphasis on encoding and retrieval processes, amnesia, and disorders of memory.
225 Behavioral Approaches to Child Assessment and Therapy (3) Rohrbeck
  Child assessment and treatment from a behavioral viewpoint. The application of conditioning, reinforcement, and shaping principles with reference to specific disorders of childhood.
226 Seminar: Clinical Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence (3) Staff
  For graduate students in psychology; open to others with permission of instructor. Exploration of major topics concerning psychopathology in children and adolescents; discussion of nosological issues with emphasis on theoretical and research literature.
227–28 Seminar: Principles of Psychotherapy (3–3) Staff
  For graduate students in clinical psychology; open to others with permission of instructor, if space permits. Patient's needs and demands on the therapist. Case participation heavily relied upon. Prerequisite: Psyc 218. (Alternate academic years)
229 Seminar: Principles of Behavior Change (3) Peterson
  Behavioral learning methods and theory applied to clinical problems. (Fall)
231 Development of Psychometric Instruments (3) Vasilopoulos
  Quantitative techniques and principles used in construction, standardization, and evaluation of personality and ability measures for research and practice; quantification of human judgment for measurement purposes. Prerequisite: course in tests and measurements and an elementary course in statistics. (Fall)
236 Ethnic and Racial Diversity in Psychology (3) Zea
  Basic theoretical models of research in ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity and new directions in the field. The impact of being an ethnic minority in the United States.
237–38 The Practice of General Psychology (3–3) Gee, Rohrbeck
  Application of psychological principles and findings to a wide spectrum of human problems. Professional issues facing the psychologist offering services. Participation in the development, implementation, and evaluation of applied psychological services and projects. (Academic year)
240 Psychopathology (3) Molock
  Research and theory in psychopathology. (Fall)
241–42 Family Systems: Theory, Practice, and Research (3–3) Howe
  Family dynamics and their implications for assessment and treatment. Special emphasis on the role of research in the process of evaluation of family systems and family therapy. Enrollment limited to advanced doctoral students in clinical psychology. (Academic year)
244 Theories and Processes of Organizational Management (3) Staff
  Basic functions and techniques of organizational management—design, control, direction, and decision making—examined from the viewpoint of behavioral science.
245 Seminar: Organizational Behavior (3) Offermann
  Analysis of organizational behavior; emphasis on motivation and productivity. Recent research on employee attitudes, primary group, supervisory leadership, formal and informal organization, job design. (Fall)
246 Seminar: Personnel Evaluation Techniques (3) Staff
  Techniques of personnel selection and performance evaluation. Employment tests, personal data, assessment interviews, performance ratings, and assessment centers. Federal guidelines in employee selection. Includes practicum.
247 Seminar: Psychology of Leadership in Organizations (3) Offermann
  Theories and issues related to the emergence and effectiveness of leaders, with focus on leadership behaviors and processes in organizations.
248 Research Applications to Organizational Intervention and Change (3) Staff
  Emphasis on development of models of organizational effectiveness; design of valid diagnostic instruments; implementation of research strategies; establishment of program evaluation criteria. (Fall)
251 Behavioral Neuroscience (3) Rothblat
  The neural basis of behavior, with special focus on the psychobiological determinants of learning, memory, and cognition. Methodologies used for different levels of analysis with normal and brain-impaired subjects.
253 Social Cognition (3) Dodge
  Social psychology theories, conceptual approaches, and their applications. Social cognition, person perception, attribution, information processing, attraction, stereotyping.
254 Social Influence (3) Stock
  Social psychology theories, conceptual approaches, and their applications. Analysis of intentional and unintentional social influence processes and their effects on behavior. Current research on conformity, social power, social exchange, and impression management.
255 Attitudes and Attitude Change (3) Poppen
  Current theory and research on attitudes and attitude change.
256 Introduction to Survey Research (3) Poppen
  Theory and practice of face-to-face telephone and mail surveys. Practical experience with all stages from the formulation of research questions and hypotheses to questionnaire design, sampling, pilot, testing, interviewing, coding, and data cleaning. Prerequisite: Stat 105 or equivalent. (Fall)
257 Current Topics in Social Psychology (3) Poppen, Dodge
  Advanced seminar with focus on major theoretical approaches, research, or problem areas within field of social psychology. Topic changes each semester. (Fall and spring)
259 Psychology of Individual and Group Decision Making (3) Moore
  Examination of processes in organizational decision making and group behavior. Topics include group and individual decision-making approaches, decision aids and support systems, performance and decision effectiveness, and risk analysis.
260 Psychology of Work Group Development (3) Offermann
  Examination of theory and research on groups as task performance systems. Approaches to team development as a means of improving work group effectiveness, including goal setting, role clarification, increasing interpersonal skills, and conflict resolution. (Spring)
263 Evaluation Research (3) Staff
  Research issues and methods in evaluating the impact of organizational and social intervention and service programs. Specification of program goals and effectiveness criteria; measurement problems; experimental and quasi-experimental designs; political problems surrounding evaluation research. (Spring, even years)
268 Seminar: Neuropsychology (3) Rothblat
  Selected problems in research relating the brain and behavior. Independent topics each semester, such as sensory processing, brain development and behavior, clinical aspects of nervous system function.
275 Women and Health (3) Zucker
  same as WStu 275.
277 Health Psychology (3) Moore
  Social psychological theories and research that relate to health and illness. Application of theories of social learning, attribution, attitude change, and social influence to topics such as health promotion and disease prevention, health compliance, and coping with illness and disability.
278 Behavioral Medicine (3) Peterson
  The psychological causes, outcomes, and treatments for a wide variety of medical illnesses. Examination of research on the effectiveness of programs designed to promote health, to encourage compliance, and to foster lifestyle changes.
279 Special Topics in Health Psychology (3) Staff
  May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs. Admission by permission of instructor.
281 Clinical Neuropsychology I (3) Rothblat
  Analysis of experimental and clinical findings from studies attempting to localize and interpret human brain dysfunction, with emphasis on perceptual and cognitive behavior. Topics include overviews of neuroanatomy and neurological techniques, theoretical consideration of major neuropsychological disorders. Admission by permission of the instructor.
282 Clinical Neuropsychology II (3) Staff
  Examination of important psychological procedures for the assessment of human brain dysfunction. Instruments and batteries such as the Bender-Gestalt, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery, and Luria's Neuropsychological Tests. Prerequisite: Psyc 211, 281, and permission of the instructor.
287 Current Topics in Clinical Psychology (3) Staff
  Advanced seminar with focus on major theoretical approaches, research, or problem areas. Topics vary. May be repeated for credit.
288 Current Topics in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3) Staff
  Advanced seminar with focus on major theoretical approaches, research, or problem areas. Topics vary. May be repeated for credit.
289 Seminar: Current Topics in Experimental Psychology (3) Philbeck, Sohn
  Review and discussion of contemporary research and theory in a specialized field of psychological study, by leaders in the field. Independent topics each semester; may be repeated for credit. (Fall and spring)
291 Theories of Organizational Behavior (3) Staff
  Examination of current theoretical models and research. (Spring)
295 Independent Research (3) Staff
  Individual library or experimental research under supervision of staff member. Arrangements must be made with sponsoring faculty member prior to registration. May be repeated for credit.
299–300 Thesis Research (3–3) Staff
398 Advanced Reading and Research (arr.) Staff
  Limited to students preparing for the Doctor of Philosophy major field examination. May be repeated for credit.
399 Dissertation Research (arr.) Staff
  Limited to Doctor of Philosophy candidates. May be repeated for credit.
 

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© 2008 University Bulletin
The George Washington University All rights reserved.

Information in this bulletin is generally accurate as of fall 2007. The University reserves the right to change courses, programs, fees, and the academic calendar, or to make other changes deemed necessary or desirable, giving advance notice of change when possible.