An introduction to the logic of decision making and reasoning under uncertainty. Focus on psychological mechanisms that govern choice and judgment and on characteristic errors found in intuitive judgment and choice. Discussion of divergence from the model of rational agent often assumed in social science theory and economics. Rules governing pleasure, pain, and well-being provide background for analysis of the rationality of some individual choices and for the evaluation of general policies that affect human welfare. Prerequisite: introductory statistics for social science or instructor's permission.
The Psychology of Decision Making and Judgment
Professor/Instructor
Varun GauriHuman-Machine Interaction
Professor/Instructor
Alain Lucien Kornhauser, Philip Nicholas Johnson-Laird, Joel CooperA multidisciplinary study of the fundamentals of human-machine interactions from both the human psychology/philosophy side and the machine engineering and design side. Philosophical, psychological, and engineering models of the human processor. Functional differences between people and machines, the nature of consciousness and intelligence, massively parallel computing and neural networks, and the concept of resonant synergism in human-machine interactions. Two 90-minute lectures; three laboratories during semester.
Experimental Psychopathology
Professor/Instructor
Ronald J. ComerAn examination of the relationship between important topics in abnormal psychology and laboratory research conducted in other areas of psychology. Topics will include the ties between laboratory-learned helplessness and mood disorders, human memory research and dissociative disorders, and coping strategies and anxiety disorders. Two 90-minute classes. Prerequisite: 101 and 207, or instructor's permission.
Social and Personality Development
Professor/Instructor
Major issues in social and personality psychology examined from a developmental perspective with emphasis on developmental processes and change. Data on children, adolescents, and adults will be considered. Topics will include: social attachment, stranger and separation anxiety, self-concept, self-esteem, achievement, sex roles, and antisocial, prosocial, and moral behavior. Prerequisite: 252 or 254 or 257 or instructor's permission. Two 90-minute seminars.
Close Relationships
Professor/Instructor
This course introduces the scientific perspective on close relationships. Students will learn how research psychologists apply the scientific method of data collection and analysis to investigate how people experience and think about relationships in general, and romantic relationships in particular. Two lectures, one preceptorial.
Psychology of Gender
Professor/Instructor
Gender is a topic with which everybody feels intimately familiar. This course holds up to scientific scrutiny the strong beliefs people have about how women and men are similar to and different from each other, examining major theories and empirical findings in psychological research on gender. Topics include the development of gender identity, empirical comparisons of men and women, gender stereotypes and their perpetuation, and the role of gender and gendered beliefs in achievement, interpersonal relationships, and physical and psychological well-being. Prerequisite: any course in psychology. Two 90-minute lectures, one preceptorial.
Computational Modeling of Psychological Function
Professor/Instructor
Kenneth Andrew NormanA fundamental goal of cognitive neuroscience is to understand how psychological functions such as attention, memory, language, and decision making arise from computations performed by assemblies of neurons in the brain. This course will provide an introduction to the use of connectionist models (also known as neural network or parallel distributed processing models) as a tool for exploring how psychological functions are implemented in the brain, and how they go awry in patients with brain damage. Prerequisite: instructor's permission. Two 90-minute lectures, one laboratory.
The Diversity of Brains
Professor/Instructor
A survey of the unique behaviors of different animal species and how they are mediated by specialized brain circuits. Topics include, for example, monogamy in voles, face recognition in primates, sex- and role-change in fish, and predation by bats. The role of evolutionary and developmental constraints on neural circuit construction will be a key underlying theme. Prerequisites: 258 or 259. One three-hour seminar.
Freud on the Psychological Foundations of the Mind
Professor/Instructor
Susan Leah SugarmanFreud is approached as a systematic thinker dedicated to discovering the basic principles of human mental life. For Freud, these basic principles concern what impels human thought and behavior. What moves us to think and act? What is it to think and act? Emphasis is placed on the close study and critical analysis of texts, with particular attention to the underlying structure of the arguments. Two 90-minute classes.
Mind, Body, Culture
Professor/Instructor
Shirley S. WangThis course examines how social, behavioral and cultural factors influence human behavior and the conceptualization of mental health and psychopathology, with a focus on current, controversial topics. Students will examine the ways their understanding of mental and physical health and well-being are shaped by their own values and assumptions, as well as societal constructs and structures such as the health care system. The class is designed to promote cultural competence in diagnosis, treatment and research strategies.
Topics in Social and Personality Psychology
Professor/Instructor
J. Nicole SheltonAn examination of various topics in social and personality psychology not emphasized in other courses. The topic and prerequisites will vary from year to year.
Cellular and Systems Neuroscience
Professor/Instructor
Timothy J. Buschman, Ilana Basya WittenA survey of fundamental principles in neurobiology at the biophysical, cellular, and system levels. Lectures will address the basis of the action potential, synaptic transmission and plasticity, local circuit computation, sensory physiology, and motor control. Prerequisites: MOL 214 or MOL 215, PSY 258, PHY 103-104, and MAT 103-104, or permission of instructor. Two 90-minute lectures, one preceptorial.
Depression: From Neuron to Clinic
Professor/Instructor
This course focuses on clinical depression as a model topic for scientific discourse. Depression is a subject of growing individual and societal importance, and it is an ideal topic because it intersects such a broad range of issues. Our work will emphasize a neurobiological approach, with topics ranging from the molecular to the clinical. Prerequisites: 208 or 258, or EEB 211, or MOL 214, and instructor's permission. One three-hour seminar.
Systems Neuroscience: Computing with Populations of Neurons
Professor/Instructor
Carlos D. BrodyIntroduction to the biophysics of nerve cells and synapses, and the mathematics of neural networks. How can networks of neurons compute? How do we model and analyze data from neuroscientific experiments? Data from experiments running at Princeton will be used as examples (e.g., blowfly visual system, hippocampal slice, rodent prefrontal cortex). Each topic will have a lecture and a computer laboratory component. Prerequisite: MOL 410, or elementary knowledge of linear algebra, differential equations, probability, and basic programming ability, or permission of the instructor. Two 90 minute lectures, one laboratory.
Proseminar in Basic Problems in Psychology: Social Psychology
Professor/Instructor
J. Nicole SheltonSocial Proseminar: Introduction to graduate level social psychology for first year graduate students in psychology. This course will serve as the basis for more advanced graduate courses on specific topics in this area.
Proseminar in Basic Problems in Psychology: Cognitive Psychology
Professor/Instructor
Tania LombrozoIntroduction to cognitive psychology for first-year graduate students. This course will serve as the basis for more advanced graduate courses on specific topics in this area.
Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience
Professor/Instructor
Timothy J. BuschmanA survey of modern neuroscience in lecture format combining theoretical and computational/quantitative approaches. Topics include systems and cognitive neuroscience, perception and attention, learning and behavior, memory, executive function/decision-making, motor control and sequential actions. Diseases of the nervous system are considered. This is one-half of a double-credit core course required of all Neuroscience Ph.D. students.
Foundations of Statistical Methods for Psychological Science
Professor/Instructor
An introduction to quantitative methods in psychological research appropriate for first-year graduate students. The topics covered include exploratory data analysis, analysis of variance and covariance, and multiple regression.
Current Issues in Neuroscience and Behavior
Professor/Instructor
Nathaniel Douglass Daw, Catherine Jensen PeñaAn advanced seminar that reflects current research on the brain and behavior. Research by seminar participants and articles from the literature are discussed.
Computational Neuroscience
Professor/Instructor
Carlos D. BrodyAn introduction to the biophysics of nerve cells and synapses, the mathematical description of neural networks, and how neurons represent information. This course surveys computational modeling and data analysis methods for neuroscience and parallels some topics from 549, but from a computational perspective. Topics include representation of visual information, spatial navigation, short-term memory, and decision-making. Two 90 minute lectures, one laboratory. Lectures in common with MOL 437. Graduate students carry out and write up an in-depth semester-long project. Prerequisite: 410, or elementary knowledge of linear algebra.
Negotiation, Persuasion and Social Influence: Theory and Practice
Professor/Instructor
Examines the principles of negotiation in organizational settings and provides firsthand experience in simulated negotiations. Theoretical and empirical research on the variables that affect success in negotiations is discussed. Students engage in a series of bargaining exercises between individuals and teams, and results are analyzed in detail by the class. Course is taught in two versions, 519a for MPA's, 519b for MPP's.
Research Seminar in Cognitive Psychology
Professor/Instructor
Uri HassonCurrent research and issues in sensation, perception, and cognition. Ongoing research by seminar participants, research methodology, and current issues in the literature are discussed.
Design and Interpretation of Social Psychological Research
Professor/Instructor
Emily ProninAn advanced seminar that considers current research in social psychology. Contemporary research conducted by the seminar participants is discussed.
Psychological Studies of Inequality (Half-Term)
Professor/Instructor
Stacey A. SinclairTwo major areas of psychology make important contributions to the study of social policy and inequality . The first is social psychology, which focuses on inter-group relations, interpersonal perception, stereotyping, racism, aggression, justice and fairness. These are the micro-level building blocks of structural inequalities and processes that are shaped by the larger context of race, ethnic and gender relations. The second is the fields of social-cognition, judgment and decision making , areas of research that study human information processing in a way that is not about individual differences, and often not social.
Responsible Conduct of Research
Professor/Instructor
Kristina Reiss OlsonExamination of issues in the responsible conduct of scientific research, including the definition of scientific misconduct, mentoring, authorship, peer review, grant practices, use of humans and of animals as subjects, ownership of data, and conflict of interest. Class will consist primarily of the discussion of cases. Required of all first and second year graduate students in the Department of Psychology. Open to other graduate students.