This guide is designed to help Penn State DuBois students to decide which psychology courses they would like to take. Although the University provides a set of official course descriptions on its web site, these descriptions lack detail about how these courses are taught at Penn State DuBois. Hopefully, the more detailed descriptions in this guide will help Penn State DuBois students to select the most suitable courses for their educational and career goals.
Below are general descriptions of the courses offered regularly at Penn State DuBois, taught by Dr. Pamela P. Hufnagel and Dr. John A. Johnson. On occasion these instructors or other instructors may offer courses on special topics in psychology; students would have to contact the instructor for information in those cases. More detailed information on the courses listed below can be found by following the web link listed with each course. Further information about the instructors can be found at Dr. Hufnagel’s web site and Dr. Johnson’s web site. While we strive to keep the course descriptions below as accurate as possible, students and advisors can contact Dr. Hufnagel or Dr. Johnson to verify any of the information on this page.
Description: Despite its number, Psychology 002 is the basic,
introductory course in psychology. The first quarter of the course introduces
the history of basic and applied fields of psychology, scientific reasoning,
and psychological methods and statistics. The second quarter covers the way in
which evolution has shaped human motivation, development, and social
relationships. The third quarter presents research on the brain, perception,
learning, and memory. The final quarter deals with both normal and abnormal
individual differences. Each quarter of the course is followed by a 40-question
multiple-choice test. The last test includes an additional 20 questions
covering material from the beginning to end of the course. Grades are based on
test performance plus extra credit earned by participating in on-line
discussions and involvement in research. The class is held in the 210-seat
Hiller auditorium; class size is usually about 120. The format is primarily
lecture with PowerPoint slides, mixed with films and in-class experiments and
demonstrations.
Prerequisites: None.
Who Should Take the Course: Psychology 002 is required for students majoring in psychology (both the PSYBA and PSYBS options) and students minoring in Psychology. It is also a requirement for a number of majors, including Advertising and Public Relations, Biobehavioral Health, Education, Kinesiology (Athletic Training Option), Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapist Assistant, and Rehabilitation Services. Psychology 002 satisfies a General Education requirement in the social sciences (GS) for students in any major. This course is for anyone seeking a broad overview of the field of psychology. The course is taught every fall semester.
Web Link: http://www.personal.psu.edu/~j5j/psy002/web002.html
Description: This course introduces students to the study of behavior
and the mind. The course is divided into five units. The first unit introduces
the scope of the field of psychology, psychological research methods, learning,
and memory. Students use material covered in the first unit throughout the
course as they design and carry out a plan to change one aspect of their own
behavior. The second unit delves into the biological basis for behavior,
covering topics such as the brain and the effects of drugs and alcohol on the
brain and behavior. The third unit presents research on thinking, language, and
intelligence, and how they change as people develop. The fourth unit covers
motivation, emotions, personality, and the effects of the social situation on
behavior. The final unit deals with abnormal behavior and therapy. Each unit of
the course is followed by a 50-question multiple-choice test. The last test
includes an additional 50 questions integrating material from the first four
units. About 92% of the course grade is based on exam performance, with the
remaining 8% based on the behavior change project. Extra credit may be earned
by submitting answers to review questions.
The class meets in a regular classroom and usually has about 15 to 20
students. The format is a mix of
lectures with transparencies, videos, demonstrations, in-class experiments, and
discussions.
Prerequisites: None.
Who Should Take the Course: Psychology 002 is required for students majoring in psychology (both the PSYBA and PSYBS options) and students minoring in Psychology. It is also a requirement for a number of majors, including Advertising and Public Relations, Biobehavioral Health, Education, Kinesiology (Athletic Training Option), Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapist Assistant, and Rehabilitation Services. Psychology 002 satisfies a General Education requirement in the social sciences (GS) for students in any major. This course is for anyone seeking a broad overview of the field of psychology. The course is taught every summer.
Web Link: http://www.personal.psu.edu/pph1/PSY2.htm
Description: This course is designed to impart, through lectures and laboratory exercises, a basic knowledge of psychological research methods. Lectures, reviews, and exams are scheduled for Monday and Wednesday classes, and laboratory exercises and special activities are scheduled for Friday classes. Some of the laboratory exercises can be completed within class, while others will require additional work outside of class. Students who successfully complete this course should be able to locate, read, and understand psychological journal articles. They also should understand the logic of research designs and statistical analyses used by psychologists. Finally, they should be able to generate scientific hypotheses, to design studies to test the hypotheses, and to write research reports following APA style guidelines. Grades are based on the total number of points earned on three 50-point multiple-choice exams, three papers, and ten laboratory exercises. The class is held in a computer studio (normally 149 or 151 Smeal); class size is usually between 6-12 students. Lectures are presented with PowerPoint, but much of the class is hands-on practice working with data in Excel. Students are required to read from a standard textbook on behavioral research methods and from the APA publication manual.
Prerequisites: Psychology 002 and Statistics 200. Dr. Johnson insists that students must have taken Psychology 002 or another basic psychology course before enrolling in Psychology 201W, but he will waive the statistics prerequisite because he teaches all of the necessary statistics in the course presuming no prior knowledge.
Who Should Take the Course: This course is required for students majoring or minoring in psychology. Because it is a writing-intensive (W) course, it satisfies the University-wide, 3-credit intensive writing requirement. The course is rigorous and time-consuming (it is a 4-credit course) and is therefore more appropriate for students who require it rather than students wishing to take a psychology course out of idle curiosity. Despite the demanding nature of the course, its small size allows Dr. Johnson to give students a lot of personal attention to insure their success. Because sections of this course at University Park are very large, students who desire personal help from an instructor might be advised to complete the course at Penn State DuBois. Note that for scheduling purposes, the plan is to offer this course in the spring semester in odd-numbered years.
Web Link: http://www.personal.psu.edu/~j5j/psy201/web201.html
Description: Evolutionary psychology strives to understand how human
thinking, motivation, behavior, and social relationships evolved over
evolutionary time. This course demonstrates how knowledge and principles from
evolutionary biology are used to conduct research on the design of the human mind.
The course explains how evolutionary psychologists identify adaptive problems
faced by our ancestors and test hypotheses about psychological mechanisms
designed by natural selection to solve these adaptive problems. The
psychological mechanisms discussed are involved in phenomena such as perception
and the control of activity, learning and cognition, mate selection and
courting, development and parenting, altruism, aggression, and social
structure. This course was offered for the first time in the
Prerequisites: Psychology 002 and either Anthropology 021 or
Biological Science 002 or Biology 033 or Biology 222. Students absolutely must
have completed Psychology 002 before taking this course. It would be very
helpful to come into the course with some background in genetics from an
anthropology or biology course, but Dr. Johnson does not insist upon this prerequisites, which were included to try to limit
class sizes when the course is taught at
Who Should Take the Course: Psychology majors planning to work on either the PSYBA or PSYBS degrees at University Park must complete courses from at least four of eight different topical areas. Psychology 209 counts in group b. Biological/Comparative/Perception/Physiological/Sensation. Psychology 209 might be a good choice for psychology majors who want credit for a course in group b. without being overwhelmed because the other courses in this group are much more technical. Non-majors who are simply interested in acquiring the deepest possible understanding of human nature the psychology has to offer should take this course. Plans are to offer this course in the spring semester in even-numbered years.
Web Link: http://www.personal.psu.edu/~j5j/psy209/web209.html
Description: This course examines the biological and environmental
forces that shape individual development from conception through adolescence.
Although the emphasis is on normal development, attention is also given to
problems in development. The course is divided into five units. The first unit
reviews psychological research methods and theories, and then covers heredity and
prenatal development. Each of the remaining units focuses on physical,
cognitive, and social development in one of four age groups (infancy,
preschool, elementary school-age, and adolescence). Each unit is followed by a
50-point multiple-choice exam. The exam after the last unit has an additional
50 questions covering material from the first four units. About 83% of the
course grade is based on exam performance, with the remaining 17% based on a
child study project conducted outside class. Extra credit may be earned by
submitting answers to review questions.
The class meets in a regular classroom and usually has about 20 to 40
students. The format is a mix of
lectures with transparencies, videos, demonstrations, in-class experiments, and
discussions.
Prerequisites: PSY 002 (Students who have taken PSY 002 have an advantage over students who have not taken it during the first unit in particular, which reviews information that may have been covered in more detail in PSY 002.)
Who Should Take the Course: Psychology 213 is required for students majoring in Special Education and is on a short list of options for students majoring in Elementary Education, Rehabilitation Services, or Communication Disorders. It can apply towards a major in psychology or minor in Psychology, and is a prerequisite for some higher level Psychology courses. Psychology 213 satisfies a General Education requirement in the social sciences (GS) for students in any major. This course is for anyone who is interested in children and nurturing their development. The course is taught every spring.
Web Link: http://www.personal.psu.edu/pph1/hd229.htm
Description: Personality psychology, or personology, is the scientific study of the whole person. Through lecture and discussion, this course compares and contrasts the major views of personality according the root ideas in the personological tradition: motivation, personality development, self-knowledge, unconscious processes, psychological adjustment, and the relationship between the individual and society. Grades are based on the total number of points earned on four 40-point short-answer exams and can be adjusted upward for students who demonstrate understanding of the course material in class projects and discussions. The class is normally held in a regular classroom in Smeal Building and enrollment is usually about 15-20 students. In most classes, Dr. Johnson lectures, writes notes on the blackboard, and leads discussions. He also provides a number of classroom activities such as analyzing a case study of a pyromaniac and taking and interpreting various personality tests. Students are expected to read a standard personality textbook plus two articles on terrorism.
Prerequisites: Psychology 002. Students who have completed Psychology 002 may have a slight advantage over students who have not, but Dr. Johnson waives the prerequisite for any student who is interested in taking the course. Students who have taken the course without having taken Psychology 002 have done just fine.
Who Should Take the Course: Psychology majors planning to work on either the PSYBA or PSYBS degrees at University Park must complete courses from at least four of eight different topical areas. Psychology 238 counts in group a. Abnormal/Clinical/Personality. Psychology 238 satisfies a General Education requirement in the social sciences (GS) for students in any major except psychology. This course is for anyone interested in learning how and why people differ from one another. It is a prototypical liberal arts course, centered on the discussion of ideas from the classic theories of individuals such as Freud, Jung, Allport, and Erikson and applying the ideas to areas of contemporary concern such as violence and terrorism, women in the workforce, personnel assessment, leadership, teamwork, and career choice. The course is taught every spring semester.
Web Link: http://www.personal.psu.edu/~j5j/psy238/syl238.html
Description: This is Penn State's only psychology course designed specifically to provide practical, personal benefits to students. The goal of the course is to teach students how to apply principles from psychological research that have a demonstrated ability to improve self-understanding and psychological well-being. Methods taught include setting and achieving goals that bring happiness by realistic planning and also developing habits of thought for optimizing well-being in normally unpleasant situations. Grades are based on 14 one-paragraph writing assignments, a short-answer mid-term exam (questions previously provided), a midterm paper based on activities completed in a psychological workbook, a written report, presented to the class, on an activity from the main textbook, attendance on days that activity reports are presented, a final paper describing one's philosophy of life, and the quality of one's contributions to small-group discussions. Students can normally achieve the grade they desire if they choose to complete all of the assignments. Classes are normally held in 149 or 151 Smeal to allow the presentation of PowerPoint slides and small-group discussions. The enrollment limit is 24, and class size is normally between 20-24. Prior to every class, students are expected to complete a reading assignment or other activity in preparation for that class. At the beginning of most classes, students will meet in small groups to discuss their experiences with the reading and activity assignments. Dr. Johnson alternates between facilitating the discussions and presenting additional material to think about and discuss. Required books include a standard textbook on personal growth, a workbook for practicing the self-monitoring of one's thoughts, and a book on increasing freedom by avoiding erroneous thinking.
Prerequisite: Psychology 002. Dr. Johnson believes that this course can be completed successfully regardless of a student's background in psychology and therefore does not require students to have completed Psychology 002.
Who Should Take the Course: This course is required for 2-year
Occupational Therapy and 2-year Physical Therapist Assistant majors. Psychology
majors planning to work on either the PSYBA or PSYBS degrees at
Web Link: http://www.personal.psu.edu/~j5j/psy243/web243.html
Description: Before the lower level version of this course, Psychology 238, was created, Psychology 438 used to survey the major classic theories of Freud, Jung, etc., and examine how well these theories are supported by research. Because the classic theories are now covered in Psychology 238, the emphasis in Psychology 438 has now shifted to more limited, modern theories and research on specific topics such as the hereditary and biological basis of personality, personality development, motivation, the unconscious, self-efficacy and self-control, sex and gender, aggression, stress, relationships, and personality disorders. Classes are held in an ordinary classroom in Smeal, and enrollment is usually in the range of 10-15 students. Students are presented at the beginning of the course with a set of questions and asked to seek answers to the questions in the assigned readings. During the first half of each class, students compare and discuss answers in small groups, and during the second half of class, Dr. Johnson reviews the answers to the questions. Students receive credit toward their course grade for submitting their answers, which are checked but not graded. Grades are based on successfully submitting answers to all questions, on a three-part paper (ungraded) in which students analyze their own personalities, on the quality of contributions to group discussions, and on performance on a midterm and final exam (both contain 40 multiple-choice questions). Each chapter of the main textbook is written by one of today's leading experts on the topic covered in the chapter. In addition to the main textbook, students are required to read several chapters from the Handbook of Personality, kept on reserve in the library.
Prerequisite: Psychology 002 and fifth-semester standing. Dr. Johnson strongly recommends that students take Psychology 002 prior to 438 and that they be at least third-semester standing. Psychology 238 is not a prerequisite for 438, but students who take 238 first may find 438 more meaningful and a little easier. However, one can certainly take 238 after 438 as well.
Who Should Take the Course: Psychology majors planning to work on
either the PSYBA or PSYBS degrees at
Web Link: http://www.personal.psu.edu/~j5j/psy438/web438.html