Irene Lopez

Abnormal Psychology

PSYC 221

This course provides students with an overview of the classification, causes, pathways, and treatment of adult mental disorders, including anxiety, mood disorders and personality disorders. Included will be discussion of critical issues and controversies in this field, such as the definition of abnormality, as well as an extended emphasis on cross-cultural issues in psychopathology. This counts toward the clinical issues and health requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 110 or AP score of 5. Generally offered every year.

Cross-Cultural Psychology

PSYC 227

There are approximately 7 billion people in the world. And yet most of the theories we use to explain psychological functioning have been based on limited samples drawn from the West. In this course, we will examine in greater detail the impact of culture on human behavior and review issues such as the role of culture in the concept of the self, the cultural influences on social behavior, the association of culture and cognition, and the measurement and experience of cross-cultural psychopathology. By integrating research from various social science disciplines (such as anthropology and sociology), students should gain a wider appreciation of the influence on culture on everyday experiences, while simultaneously understanding that culture is not a static or homogeneous entity. This counts toward the person and society requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 110 or AP score of 5. Generally offered every other year.

Latino Psychology

PSYC 228

Latino psychology is a vibrant and emerging field geared toward understanding the experiences of the largest minority group in the United States &emdash; either U.S.-born or U.S.-residing Latinos. Unlike cross cultural psychology, its focus is less on the intercultural group differences and more on intracultural differences and similarities across Latino subgroups. More specifically, this course will focus on understanding the core experiences of Latinos in the U.S. while also revealing the heterogeneity of this group. Students will begin this course by reviewing the history of Latino psychology. Following this, topics to be explored include a review of demographic variables (such as immigration/migration, socioeconomic status, language, gender, race and sexuality), and interpersonal variables (such as psychological acculturation, ethnic identity, cultural values and perceived discrimination), and how these variables often operate in conjunction when trying to understand Latino mental health. A special focus of the class will also be on the assessment of Latino psychopathology, such as the Latino cultural idioms of distress "ataques de nervios," "nervios" and "susto." This counts toward the person and society requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 110 or AP score of 5. Generally offered every other year.

Abnormal Psychology

PSYC 321

This course provides students with an overview of the classification, causes, pathways, and treatment of adult mental disorders, including anxiety, mood disorders and personality disorders. Included will be discussion of critical issues and controversies in this field, such as the definition of abnormality, as well as an extended emphasis on cross-cultural issues in psychopathology. This counts toward the clinical issues and health requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 110 or AP score of 5. Generally offered every year.

Cross-Cultural Psychology

PSYC 327

There are approximately 7 billion people in the world. And yet most of the theories we use to explain psychological functioning have been based on limited samples drawn from the West. We will examine in greater detail the impact of culture on human behavior and review issues such as the role of culture in the concept of the self, the cultural influences on social behavior, the association of culture and cognition and the measurement and experience of cross-cultural psychopathology. By integrating research from various social science disciplines (such as anthropology and sociology), students should gain a wider appreciation of the influence on culture on everyday experiences, while simultaneously understanding that culture is not a static or homogeneous entity. This counts toward the sociocultural perspectives requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 110 or AP score of 5. Generally offered every other year.

Latino Psychology

PSYC 328

Latino psychology is a vibrant and emerging field geared toward understanding the experiences of the largest minority group in the United States, either U.S.-born or U.S.-residing Latinos. Unlike cross cultural psychology, its focus is less on the intercultural group differences and more on intracultural differences and similarities across Latino subgroups. More specifically, this course will focus on understanding the core experiences of Latinos in the U.S. while also revealing the heterogeneity of this group. Students will begin by reviewing the history of Latino psychology. Following this, topics to be explored include a review of demographic variables (such as immigration/migration, socioeconomic status, language, gender, race and sexuality), and interpersonal variables (such as psychological acculturation, ethnic identity, cultural values and perceived discrimination), and how these variables often operate in conjunction when trying to understand Latino mental health. A special focus of the class will also be on the assessment of Latino psychopathology, such as the Latino cultural idioms of distress "ataques de nervios," "nervios" and "susto." This counts toward the sociocultural perspectives requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 110 or AP score of 5. Generally offered every other year.

Clinical Psychology

PSYC 342

This course introduces students to the field of clinical psychology. Through readings, videos, discussion and in-class role-plays you will be exposed to the major therapeutic orientations in psychology (including psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral and person-centered therapy) as well as newer schools of interventions (including feminist therapy, multicultural counseling and community psychology). In addition, we will cover other areas in clinical psychology, such as testing and assessment, and the difficulties involved in the assessment of others. A special area of focus in this course will be forensic psychology. Case studies from the instructor's experience as a therapist will be used throughout the course to further highlight the material. This course is best suited for students who are considering applying to graduate school in clinical psychology. PSYC 321 is strongly recommended. This counts toward the clinical issues and health requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 250. Typically offered every year.

ST: Disaster Psychology

PSYC 391

Psychology Senior Seminar

PSYC 475

This is a required course for senior psychology majors. Each section will have a different topic, but in every seminar students will read and discuss psychological literature, write and discuss critiques of research articles, develop a review paper on a topic in psychology develop a research proposal on a topic in psychology and make a formal oral presentation to the class. This counts toward the senior capstone requirement for the major. Prerequisite: senior standing and psychology major. Offered every fall.

Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies

WGS 111

This course provide students with critical frameworks for thinking about the social construction of gender at the personal and institutional levels. Emphasis will be placed on diverse women’s significant contributions to knowledge and culture; to other areas of gender studies, including men’s studies, family studies and the study of sexuality; and to the intersections of various forms of oppression both within and outside of the U.S. The course will include both scholarly as well as personal texts, visual as well as written text. This counts toward the introductory requirement for the major .This course paired with any other .50 unit WGS course counts toward the social science diversification requirement. Offered every semester.

IS: Adv Res: Psyc of Paraphila

WGS 493

Individual study enables students to examine an area not typically covered by courses regularly offered in the program. The course can be arranged with a faculty member in any department but must conform to the usual requirements for credit in the program: gender is a central focus of the individual study, and the course draws on feminist theory and/or feminist methodologies. The amount of work should be similar to that in any other 400-level course. Individual Study courses may be used toward the major or concentration. To enroll, a student should first contact a faculty member and, in consultation with that professor, develop a proposal. The proposal, which must be approved by the program director, should provide: a brief description of the course/project (including any previous classes that qualify the student), a preliminary bibliography or reading list, an assessment component (what will be graded and when) and major topical areas to be covered during the semester. The student and faculty member should plan to meet approximately one hour per week or the equivalent, at the discretion of the instructor. Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar’s deadline. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement.