Department of Psychology

Overview
Courses

Professors

Edward S. Awh
Marc G. Berman, Chair
Jean Decety
David A. Gallo
Susan Goldin-Meadow
Leslie M. Kay
Boaz Keysar
Katherine D. Kinzler
Susan Cohen Levine
Daniel Margoliash, Organismal Biology and Anatomy
Howard C. Nusbaum
Shigehiro Oishi
Brian Prendergast
Steven K. Shevell
Richard Shweder, Comparative Human Development
Edward K. Vogel
Amanda Woodward

Associate Professors

Wilma A. Bainbridge
Sarah London
Greg J. Norman, Associate Chair
Monica D. Rosenberg
Alex Shaw

Assistant Professors

Xuechunzi Bai
Lin Bian
Akram Bakkour
Lydia Emery
Kyshia Henderson
Yuan Chang Leong
Jai Yu

Emeritus Faculty

Abraham Bookstein, Humanities Division
Norman M. Bradburn
William Goldstein
Jerre Levy
Frederick F. Lighthall, Education
John A. Lucy, Comparative Human Development
Martha McClintock
David McNeill
Joel M. Pokorny, Ophthalmology and Visual Science
Vivianne Smith, Ophthalmology and Visual Science
Nancy Lou Stein

Department website: http://psychology.uchicago.edu

Since its founding over a century ago, the Department of Psychology has been renowned for scientific research and scholarship that cuts across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Today, this broad and integrative vision of psychological science is reflected in the diversity of laboratories and collaborations within the Department, as well as research initiatives that connect psychology to other areas of the University and beyond. This vision also is reflected in the Department's teaching. The PhD program encourages students to take advantage of the many research opportunities at the University, emphasizing intellectual breadth as well as training in specific areas.

The Department of Psychology is organized into specialized programs that reflect the contemporary state of the discipline and the wide-ranging interests of its own faculty. The areas of concentration are cognition, computational cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, integrative neuroscience, and social psychology. Consistent with the multidisciplinary traditions of the University of Chicago, many faculty members serve on more than one of the department’s programs. Faculty and students participate in courses, colloquia, workshops and joint research ventures with scholars in other departments. These include biology, computer science, education, human development, linguistics, neuroscience, philosophy, and others, as well as the University’s professional schools of business, public policy, law, medicine, and social service administration.

The Department of Psychology offers a course of study leading to a PhD in Psychology. Doctoral study typically spans five years and includes a common curriculum of eight courses with other requirements set by the student's area of specialization. In addition, each student will complete a trial research project under the guidance of a faculty advisor or advisors and complete a dissertation. Advisors are a critical component of students' experience in the doctoral program, providing guidance and collaboration in conducting research and academic advising. Students receive practical pedagogical experience, usually through completing five teaching assistantships.

Degrees

Programs of graduate study offered by the department lead to the PhD degree at the University of Chicago. The Department of Psychology does not offer courses of study leading to the degree of Master of Arts (MA). However, students admitted to doctoral study may take the MA degree as an optional step in the doctoral program. Similarly, a student admitted who must leave the program, for whatever reason, may apply for a terminal MA degree, providing the student has met the program requirements of the particular program of the Department of Psychology.

Joint Degrees

Students admitted to any doctoral program in Social Sciences may subsequently petition the University to create a joint program with another department. Such individually-created joint degree programs begin in the second year of graduate studies or later. In all cases, students complete the separate program requirements for each degree, with no additional residence requirement, and write one Ph.D. dissertation that separately meets the dissertation requirements of each department. One such established program in Psychology is the J oint PhD in Business and Psychology. Other programs that have had joint students in Psychology include the Department of Comparative Human Development and the Department of Linguistics.

Admission

Students apply to the Department of Psychology through the Dean of Students Office in the Division of the Social Sciences. Applicants will be considered for admission only if they are currently enrolled in or have completed a bachelor's degree program or its equivalent from an accredited institution. Please read the list of application materials required and the FAQ on the application process for the Psychology doctoral program. For more information about the submitting an application and to access the online application, please visit Social Sciences Admissions. The deadline to apply is December 5 to be considered for enrollment in the following autumn.

General Requirements for Doctoral Students

The doctoral curriculum includes courses taken to fulfill the common graduate curriculum, research requirements, pedagogical training, and other requirements set by the student's area of specialization. In exceptional cases, a student may design an individual sequence of courses. This sequence must be approved by the curriculum and student affairs committee before the student undertakes it. Completion of these course requirements is a prerequisite for Ph.D. candidacy.

Common Graduate Curriculum

The common curriculum consists of eight courses. Other requirements for doctoral students will be set by the student's area of specialization.

Proseminar

PSYC 48000 Proseminar in Psychology is a one-quarter course in which faculty members in the Department of Psychology give a summary of their ongoing research and students write a research proposal, to be submitted for an NSF graduate fellowship if the student is eligible for this funding. Professional development topics are also covered.

Statistics Requirement: Three courses passed with a grade of B or better

STAT 22000	Statistical Methods and Applications (or BUSN 41000 or equivalent approved by the Graduate Curriculum Committee. More advanced courses, for which these courses are prerequisites, also fulfill this requirement.)	100
PSYC 37300	Experimental Design and Statistical Modeling I	100
PSYC 37900	Experimental Design and Statistical Modeling II	100

Trial Research Seminar

All doctoral students are required to take PSYC 42100 Trial Research Seminar in the spring quarter of their first year. The primary aim of this seminar is to guide students in formulating and completing their trial research projects.

Breadth Requirement

Students are required to take a minimum of three doctoral level courses in Psychology, extending across different areas of psychological science. Statistics courses and laboratory meetings may not be used to fulfill this requirement. These courses should be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor and program area. These courses must be passed with a grade of B or better.

Department of Psychology Research Requirements

Trial Research Project

Each student will complete a trial research project under the guidance of a faculty advisor or advisors by the end of Spring quarter of the second year. Successful completion of the trial research project is a prerequisite for PhD candidacy.

Formation of the Advisory Committee: At the end of the first year, students are required to form an advisory committee consisting of three faculty members. Typically, the chair of the committee is the student's primary research advisor and must be a faculty or emeritus faculty member in the Psychology Department. At least one other member of the committee must be a faculty, emeritus faculty or affiliated faculty member in the Psychology Department. The third member of the committee may be from outside of the Psychology Department, provided that the chair of the trial research committee gives his or her approval. The advisory committee will serve as a resource to aid each student with their trial research project, provide advice, and evaluate the trial research defense.
Initiating the Trial Research Project: The student should initiate discussion of their trial research project with their advisory committee members as soon as possible, but ideally by the start of Autumn quarter of their second year. By the end of the Autumn quarter in their second year, students are expected to meet with members of their advisory committee to update them on their trial research project proposal. At a minimum, this meeting consists of a student presentation of the proposed work and discussion of the plan with the members of the committee. Each student should discuss the expectations for the trial research project and defense with their advisor before beginning the process.
Trial Research Paper Submission and Defense. Students must submit their trial research paper and defend their project at a hearing with their committee before the end of the Spring quarter of their second year. At this hearing, the committee will also assess the student’s breadth and depth of knowledge regarding their research problem.

Dissertation

Advisory Committee Role: Similar to the trial research process, each student’s three-member advisory committee will support the dissertation process, offering guidance, advice, and evaluation of both the dissertation proposal and the final dissertation. Typically, the chair of this committee is the student's primary research advisor and must be a faculty or emeritus faculty member in the Psychology Department. At least one other member of the committee must also be a faculty, emeritus faculty, or affiliated faculty member in the Psychology Department. The third member can be a faculty member from any department at the University of Chicago, subject to approval by the committee chair.
Dissertation Proposal Process: Each student must develop independent research projects, primarily under the guidance of their advisor and with support from the other advisory committee members. Students are required to prepare a written dissertation proposal and submit it to their committee. This proposal should clearly define the research question(s), contextualize them within the relevant literature, and outline a detailed plan for conducting the dissertation research. This plan should include the proposed methodology and analyses, anticipated outcomes, and a timeline for completion. The feasibility of the project should also be discussed, potentially including preliminary data. Once the advisor approves, the student may schedule an oral defense of the proposal with their advisory committee. Each student should discuss the expectations for the dissertation proposal process with their advisor before beginning the process.
Admission to PhD Candidacy: To be admitted to PhD candidacy, a student must have successfully completed the following: (a) the Common Graduate Curriculum (completion of the core coursework); (b) Area Course Requirements (fulfillment of course requirements specified by their program or an individual course of study, approved by the GSAC); (c) Trial Research Project (successful completion of a trial research project); (d) Dissertation Proposal (approval of the dissertation proposal by all members of the student's dissertation committee following the oral defense).
Dissertation Submission and Defense: Following approval by the advisor, the completed dissertation must be submitted to the two additional advisory committee members plus an ‘outside reader’ for review. The outside reader may be a faculty member at the University of Chicago, or a scientist at another institution (with a PhD) and must be approved by the student's advisor. Once the advisor consents, the student may schedule an oral defense of the dissertation. This oral exam is conducted by the three advisory committee members and the outside reader. If, after the oral defense, all committee members approve the dissertation document and defense, the student has met the Psychology Department's requirements for the PhD degree.

The completed dissertation must be formatted and submitted to the dissertation office by the quarterly deadline for graduation established by the dissertation office. For information about formatting the dissertation and submission deadlines, please visit the dissertation office's website.

Doctoral Program Teaching Requirements

Students Enrolling Autumn 2025 and Later

All students must meet the divisional teaching requirement as a condition for graduation.

Students Enrolling Autumn 2024 and Earlier

Beginning as early as the second year of graduate school, students may start fulfilling their five required teaching assignments, but the general expectation is that students will start completing these in Year 3, after having completed most of their coursework.

Additional Teaching Assignments: Students interested in accepting teaching assignments beyond the five required by the Psychology Department or those not counting towards the department’s teaching requirements should follow these steps:

Advisor Approval: Discuss the additional teaching opportunity with your advisor(s) and obtain their approval.
Department Notification: Email Kristi Schonwald at kschonwa@uchicago.edu with details of the teaching opportunity. Ensure that the email confirms you have received your advisor's approval.
Department Review: The department will verify that you are in good academic standing and have met all program milestones appropriate for your stage before forwarding your request to the Dean of Students for further review.

Approval Limits and Exceptions: The Department of Psychology and the Dean of Students will approve up to three additional teaching assignments per year that do not fulfill academic and funding requirements. For non-standard teaching opportunities, such as a single-weekend workshop, students may petition the Dean of Students for exceptions to this three-assignment limit.

Mentoring Plan

The department’s mentoring plan outlines the timing of the expected milestones of students in the program, and provides a description of the role of the Faculty Advisor, Advisory Committees, Area Chairs, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Chair of the Department in mentoring graduate students during their PhD program. Students who do not meet the expected milestones by the deadlines listed and fully described in the mentoring plan may petition the appropriate faculty leader (director of graduate studies for general curriculum and research requirements; area chairs for area requirements) for an extension to a deadline. Students who do not complete the requirements by the approved deadlines may be placed on probation. A notice of probation will include the necessary steps and timeline to return to good academic standing. Students who do not complete the steps to return to good academic standing will be withdrawn from the program.

Areas of Specialization

The Department of Psychology is organized into five areas of specialization: Cognition, Computational Cognitive Neuroscience, Developmental Psychology, Integrative Neuroscience, and Social Psychology.

Cognition Program

The goal of the doctoral program in Cognition is to train graduate students to be well-rounded researchers and scholars. Our unique approach fosters integrative thinking that crosses disciplinary boundaries, and focuses on research questions that have both theoretical and practical significance. Faculty, students, and post docs collaborate on projects spanning a variety of cognitive domains, such as human memory, language and communication, perception, attention and action, and conflict resolution and negotiation. Not only do we focus on fundamentally cognitive questions, but we also situate these questions within a broader context, including the biological bases and the social manifestations of cognitive phenomena. Our integrative approach allows graduate students to benefit from the university as a whole, by interacting with faculty from the Biological Sciences, the Humanities and the Social Sciences.

Curriculum

There are three elements in the graduate curriculum of the Cognition Program.

1. Departmental curriculum. Students must complete the departmental common graduate curriculum.

2. Area courses. Three area-specific courses. The following list includes possible courses, including those that are not offered every year. The purpose of this requirement is to develop a deeper understanding of the theories and methods used to scientifically study cognition, and of how these approaches are central to many areas of psychological inquiry. Pre-approved courses include:

Below is a list of the “advanced courses” in computational cognitive neuroscience students can choose from in Psychology (note this is not a complete list). Computational courses offered by other programs (MACS, CPNS, TTIC) may also meet these requirements.

PSYC 31900 The Neuroscience of Narratives
PSYC 34060 Understanding Practical Wisdom
PSYC 34810 Neuroeconomics
PSYC 36520 Mind, Brain and Meaning
PSYC 37400 Long Term Memory
PSYC 41115 Social Cognitive Development
PSYC 41135 Electrophysiological studies of hierarchical memory representations
PSYC 42350 Advanced Topics in Human Neuroimaging
PSYC 42570 Integrating the Real World into Perception and Memory
PSYC 42950 Memory and Decision Making
PSYC 43200 Seminar in Language Development
PSYC 43780 Basics of conducting EEG and ERP research
PSYC 43921 Current Topics in Working Memory
PSYC 45500 Cognitive and Social Neuroscience of Aging
Students may also propose other courses to count as fulfilling area requirements. Requests for a new course to be approved should be submitted to the Cognition area chair before taking the course. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

3. Advanced courses and seminars. Students are strongly encouraged to attend departmental colloquia and weekly workshops in their area of interest. The workshop method is one of the unique aspects of a UChicago education, allowing faculty and students the opportunity to explore and challenge new ideas. The Cognition area workshop is Cognition Workshop. Students are also encouraged to attend seminars and workshops from outside their specific area. Relevant talks may include the Neuroscience Institute Seminar Series, Social Talk Series, Developmental Brown Bag, Institute for Mind and Biology Proseminar, and talks hosted by the Roman Family Center for Decision Research.

The Computational Cognitive Neuroscience Program

The brain, and particularly the human/primate brain, is arguably one of the most complex systems in the known universe. Huge progress has been made in the fields of Psychology and Neuroscience to understand the workings of the brain and its relationship to behavior. With the advent of new imaging technologies to record non-invasively and at much lower cost, datasets at huge scales are available to researchers across the world. At the same time, behavioral data from social media, cellphone, and credit cards are accessible at unprecedented temporal and spatial scales with millions and even billions of datapoints. Coupled with these enormous and complex datasets, the analysis tools to analyze these data have also become more complex, such as deep neural networks, Bayesian networks and Boltzmann machines. The Computational Cognitive Neuroscience program provides the requisite skills to become proficient at handling these large and complex data, along with the complex computational analysis tools needed to make progress in our understanding of brain and behavior. The Computational Cognitive Neuroscience graduate program at the University of Chicago is designed to provide the training and research opportunities for the next generation of computational cognitive neuroscientists. The program will provide students with training in basic neuroscience, cognition and computational techniques to tackle the incredible and daunting challenge in trying to understand such a complex system and complex multidimensional behavior

Curriculum

1. Students must complete the departmental common graduate curriculum.

2. Students must take PSYC 43030 Introduction to Python Programming in the Behavioral Sciences; this requirement will be waived if student has sufficient programming experience.

3. Two Core Neuroscience courses. From the four options below, students should complete two courses.
CPNS 30000 Cellular Neurobiology
CPNS 30107 Behavioral Neuroscience
CPNS 30116 Survey of Systems Neuroscience
CPNS 34231 Methods in Computational Neuroscience

4. Three advanced courses, one of which will be required to be a breadth course outside of the student’s main discipline. These courses will also fulfill the breadth courses required as part of the common graduate curriculum. Eligible courses will include all graduate level seminars taught by faculty in the Psychology Department, as well as a list of courses in other departments that are deemed relevant for the computational cognitive neuroscience curriculum. These outside courses will provide additional opportunities for computational and analytic training.

PSYC 31900 The Neuroscience of Narratives
PSYC 33910 Hormones, Brains, and Behavior
PSYC 34810 Neuroeconomics
PSYC 37400 Long Term Memory
PSYC 37250 Foundations of Neuroscience: Historical Perspective
PSYC 41210 Psychophysiology: Methods, Concepts, and Applications
PSYC 42350 Advanced Topics in Human Neuroimaging
PSYC 42570 Integrating the Real World into Perception and Memory
PSYC 42950 Memory and Decision Making
PSYC 43110 Affective Neuroscience
PSYC 43130 Stress and the Social Brain
PSYC 43760 Sensitive Periods: How the Timing of Experience Alters Its Effect
PSYC 43780 Basics of conducting EEG and ERP research
PSYC 43921 Current Topics in Working Memory
PSYC 44550 Cognitive Neuroscience Core Course
PSYC 45500 Cognitive and Social Neuroscience of Aging
PSYC 46050 Principles of Data Science and Engineering for Laboratory Research

The Developmental Psychology Program

The Developmental Program provides a rich environment for scientific inquiry, mentorship, and training. Our faculty pursue a wide range of topics that span cognitive, emotional and social development. In cognitive development, our work focuses on infants’ and children’s mathematical, spatial, and language development along with interventions to improve educational outcomes. In terms of social and emotional development, we examine infants’ and children’s affective, intentional, and moral understanding. Other research examines how interacting with their environment affects children’s cognition and social behavior, and how their bodies can shape learning and thinking. Not only do our faculty, post-docs, and students investigate multiple exciting questions with behavioral methods, but they also supplement this approach with other methods including behavioral economics, gestural analyses, functional MRI, eye tracking, and EEG/ERPs. Moreover, the faculty interact with faculty from other disciplines, bringing rich interdisciplinary expertise to bear on their research questions. The faculty are also involved with the Science of Learning Center, Center for Gesture Sign and Language, Committee on Education, and the Child Neurosuite . These diverse perspectives and methodologies provide a comprehensive picture of how the mind works and is shaped throughout development.

Curriculum

Students must complete the departmental common graduate curriculum.
Students must take an advanced course in the three areas of Developmental Psychology listed below. Certain seminars may also fulfill these requirements. Below are a few examples of courses that will fulfill these requirements. Students may petition the developmental area chair to count courses not included on this list.

a) Cognitive/Intellectual Development:

PSYC 42550 Cognitive Development; PSYC 32450 Seminar on Mathematical Development; PSYC 33600 Cognition in Infancy

b) Language Development:

PSYC 43200 Seminar in Language Development; PSYC 43680 Topics in Language and Gesture

c) Social/Emotional Development:

PSYC 41115 Social Cognitive Development; PSYC 33165 Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Morality; PSYC 32220 Understanding Inequality as a Psychologist

3. Students are expected to attend the weekly developmental brown bag seminar (Topics in Developmental Psychology) each quarter.

4. Students are encouraged to take additional coursework in areas of interest and in statistics or methods as needed.

5. In their third year, students will present their trial research findings in the developmental brown bag seminar.

6. By the spring of the third year students must write and submit a theoretical review paper to their adviser and a reader. Ideally, this review could be a publishable article, suitable for a journal such as Psychological Bulletin or Developmental Review and will help in formulating the dissertation. Students will do a presentation of the theoretical review paper in the developmental brown bag seminar by the end of their fourth year.

Integrative Neuroscience

The notion that 100 billion neurons give rise to human behavior proved daunting up through the 20th Century because neuroscientists were limited by existing technologies to studying the properties of single neurons or small groups of neurons. Characterizing simple neural circuits has led to an understanding of a variety of sensory processes, such as the initial steps in vision, and motor processes, such as the generation of locomotion patterns. However, unraveling the neural substrates of more complex behaviors, such as the ability to pay attention to relevant events in its surroundings or the ability to understand the likely events going through the mind of another, remains one of the major challenges for the neurosciences in the twenty-first century. In contrast to simple behaviors, these complex behaviors depend on interactions within a network of different brain structures. Studying the neural bases of complex behaviors, thus, requires an integrative neuroscience approach.

The Integrative Neuroscience graduate program at the University of Chicago is designed to provide the training and research opportunities for the next generation of behavioral, cognitive, and social neuroscientists. Behavioral, cognitive, and social neuroscience represent three complementary and partially overlapping aspects of this integrative neuroscience of mind and behavior. Behavioral neuroscience places an emphasis on the biological mechanisms underlying basic behavioral processes; cognitive neuroscience places an emphasis on the biological mechanisms underlying cognition, with a specific focus on the neural substrates of mental processes and their behavioral manifestations; and social neuroscience places an emphasis on the biological mechanisms underlying social processes and behavior, including the ability to perceive and communicate mental states including the beliefs and desires of others and to form and maintain interpersonal and group relationships. The University of Chicago is optimally positioned to meet this challenge because its unique academic structure facilitates interactions across disciplinary perspectives.

Curriculum

Students must complete the departmental core graduate curriculum.

As part of this curriculum and with one additional course, IN students complete:

Two Psychology Department Breadth Courses

IN students will take two advanced courses within the Department of Psychology.

Two of three Core Neuroscience Courses

CPNS 30000 Cellular Neurobiology

CPNS 30107 Behavioral Neuroscience

CPNS 30116 Survey of Systems Neuroscience

It is suggested that most students take at least Cellular and Behavioral, but we understand that needs depend on research focus.

IN students are encouraged to take additional advanced courses. The program offers the following advanced courses. All of these courses will not be offered every year.

The Social Psychology Program

Social psychology is the scientific study of how social environments shape our thinking, feeling, and behavior on one hand, and how our thinking, feeling, and behavior shape our social environments on the other hand. It is the scientific study of how the social world and psyche make each other up.

At the University of Chicago, the faculty and students are committed to making scientific and practical contributions to society. The primary goal of the UChicago social psychology program is to address pressing societal issues using social psychological theorizing and methods. This makes the UChicago social psychology program distinct. Our inquiry is inspired by the real world. Our findings will inspire the solutions to real-world problems and enhance the well-being of the individual and society. The faculty and students will investigate a variety of topics including racism, police violence, mass incarceration, income inequality, achievement gaps, interpersonal and intergroup conflicts, self-regulation, social support, happiness, meaning in life, prosocial behavior, politics, morality, religion, globalization, immigration, climate changes, natural disasters, culture, and evolution. We are diverse in terms of personal and cultural backgrounds, theoretical orientations, and preferred methodologies, but united in our commitment to and belief in the benefits of social psychological research for the individual and society. The Chicago School of Social Psychology is the social psychology that matters!

The following requirements are in addition to the common graduate curriculum required of all graduate students.

Social Psychology Area Requirements

Students must take PSYC 40600 Advanced Seminar in Social Psychology or Foundations of Social Psychology (Instructor: Nick Epley) at Booth Graduate School of Business.
Students must attend the weekly social psychology talk series (PSYC 44600) each quarter.
At least three seminars (in addition to PSYC 40600) in social psychology.
Students must present their trial research findings in the social psychology talk series.
A theory paper or a comprehensive exam before the beginning of their third year. If you choose the theory paper option, students must write and submit a theoretical review paper to their adviser and a reader. This review could be a publishable article, suitable for a journal such as Psychological Bulletin or Personality and Social Psychology Review and will help in formulating the dissertation. Students will do a presentation of the theoretical review paper in the social psychology talk series by the end of their third year. If you choose the comprehensive exam, you will be provided a reading list by the end of your second year (please request the reading list from your adviser). You will take the exam in September of the third year (i.e., right before your start of the third year).

Psychology Courses

PSYC 30289. Intermediate Regression and Data Science. 100 Units.

This course is designed to provide intermediate-level training in research methods that would pick up immediately after traditionally introductory-level classes that end with multiple regression. This course is designed to be a standalone package of training that will provide tools of immediate use in students' own research or to make them more capable RAs in larger projects. I expect the course will provide the most utility to advanced BA and MA students that will not have time to complete many advanced, specialized courses. However, it would also serve as a useful bridge to more advanced statistical coursework. Students will also learn how to present findings in competent and accessible ways suitable for poster or conference presentations.

Instructor(s): M. Jean Terms Offered: Spring Winter
Prerequisite(s): Applied statistics at the level of multiple regression
Note(s): Students are encouraged to bring a laptop to this class to follow along with certain lessons. This class includes a lab on Fridays, to be scheduled based on TA availability.
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20289, EDSO 23089, MAPS 30289, SOCI 30289, EDSO 30289

PSYC 30401. Psycholinguistics: Language Processing. 100 Units.

This is an advanced introduction to the field of psycholinguistics. We will do an in-depth overview of both the empirical findings and the methodologies used on various topics in language comprehension/production, including areas of speech perception, lexical processing, syntactic parsing, and semantic/pragmatic processing. Models at both the computational and the mechanistic levels will also be examined.

Instructor(s): Monica Do Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): LING 30401

PSYC 30510. Computing for the Social Sciences. 100 Units.

This is an applied course for social scientists with little-to-no programming experience who wish to harness growing digital and computational resources. The focus is on learning the basics of programming in R and generating reproducible research. Topics include coding concepts (e.g., data structures, control structures. etc.), data visualization, data wrangling, web-scraping, version control software, exploratory data analysis, and more. Students will leave the course with basic programming skills for the social sciences and the ability to adapt and expand these skills as they encounter new questions, methods, and data beyond the course. Requirements: No prior experience with R is required, though it's helpful to have completed a course involving a programming language (e.g., Python, Stata, SPSS, or others) in some capacity. If you're unsure or have had informal exposure to programming, please email the instructor to see if the course is a good fit.

Instructor(s): Jean Clipperton and Sabrina Nardin Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Winter
Note(s): MACS students have priority.
Equivalent Course(s): MACS 30500, PLSC 30235, SOCI 20278, CHDV 30511, SOSC 26032, MACS 20500, MAPS 30500, SOCI 40176

PSYC 30650. MA Psychological Research. 100 Units.

Student-initiated experimental research done under the supervision of principal investigator in a laboratory or research setting. Includes the practical application of knowledge and skills in research design, statistical and experimental methods, and data analysis.

Instructor(s): M. Berman Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Winter
Equivalent Course(s): MAPS 30650

PSYC 30700. Sensation and Perception. 100 Units.

What we see and hear depends on energy that enters the eyes and ears, but what we actually experience-perception-follows from human neural responses. This course focuses on visual and auditory phenomena, including basic percepts (for example, acuity, brightness, color, loudness, pitch) and also more complex percepts such as movement and object recognition. Biological underpinnings of perception are an integral part of the course.

Instructor(s): K. Ledoux Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 20700, NSCI 20140

PSYC 31116. The Development of Social Cognition. 100 Units.

Our species is notably social, with both positive and negative consequences: we thrive in groups, yet we often discriminate against those who are not like us. This course focuses on social cognitive development in childhood, with the goal of understanding the foundations of human nature in a social context. Topics include theories of mind, social learning, motivation and achievement, moral development, social categorization and the origins and development of our tendency to divide the world into "us" versus "them."

Instructor(s): K. Kinzler Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 21116

PSYC 31150. Psychology of Racism. 100 Units.

This upper-level seminar will focus on the psychology of race and racism. We will discuss both structural and individual level factors that create and maintain racism in the U.S. context. While this course will focus on social psychology, we will also draw from other areas of psychology. We will discuss social structures and institutions that perpetuate racism, policies that shape societal attitudes and behaviors, and psychological frameworks for understanding racism. We will begin the course with a discussion of the origins of race and racism. We will then transition to contemporary expressions of racism. The goals of this course are to analyze structural contexts influencing racist attitudes and behaviors, evaluate the impact of racism on racially minoritized groups, and to examine strategies and interventions to address racism.

Instructor(s): K. Henderson Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): RDIN 21150, PSYC 21150, RDIN 31150

PSYC 31705. Reward and Motivation. 100 Units.

Why do we crave social media likes, persist in pursuing ambitious goals, or struggle with motivation during challenging times? Drawing on findings from psychology and neuroscience, this course will provide a comprehensive overview of the brain's reward system. Students will become familiar with historical and current theoretical constructs of reward, including facets of motivation, anticipation, and pleasure, as well as their underlying neurobiology. We will understand the diverse experimental approaches that can be used to study reward function, including animal models, task-based neuroimaging (fMRI), computerized behavioral tasks, and clinical questionnaires. We will also discuss how the reward system is differentially affected in mental health conditions such as depression and substance use disorders, and the emerging interest in using reward as a biomarker and treatment target. Finally, we will explore the real-world applications of these findings, including on productivity, social media usage, education, and public policy.

Instructor(s): Ceniti, Amanda Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): MAPS 31705, CHDV 31705, EDSO 31705

PSYC 31900. The Neuroscience of Narratives. 100 Units.

Narratives have a powerful hold over the human mind. People are more often convinced by a compelling story than by concrete facts. More broadly, people use narratives to organize their thoughts and communicate their ideas. Recent advances in natural language processing (NLP) tools and neuroscience methods provide exciting new opportunities to study how the brain understands and constructs narratives. The goal for this seminar is to provide an in-depth look into the cutting-edge research on the neuroscience of narratives. We will begin with a review of the burgeoning literature on the use of narratives in cognitive and social neuroscience. We will then introduce NLP approaches that provide a framework to model narratives computationally, and discuss how NLP models can be combined with neuroscience measures in a synergistic manner. Finally, we will discuss how studying the neuroscience of narratives can provide insights into people's mental models of the world. This class is designed as a graduate seminar, however, advanced undergraduate students with backgrounds in either cognitive neuroscience or natural language processing can register with instructor consent.

Instructor(s): Y.C. Leong Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 32680. Computational Approaches to Social and Affective Neuroscience. 100 Units.

This course explores the intersection of computational methods and social and affective neuroscience, offering students a cutting-edge perspective on how the brain processes social and emotional information. Approaches covered include intersubject correlation, intersubject representational similarity analysis, multivariate predictive modeling, graph theoretic analyses, computational cognitive models and neural networks. This class is designed as a graduate seminar, however, advanced undergraduate students with backgrounds in either cognitive neuroscience or machine learning can register with instructor consent.

Instructor(s): YC Leong Terms Offered: Winter

PSYC 33000. Cultural Psychology. 100 Units.

There is a substantial portion of the psychological nature of human beings that is neither homogeneous nor fixed across time and space. At the heart of the discipline of cultural psychology is the tenet of psychological pluralism, which states that the study of "normal" psychology is the study of multiple psychologies and not just the study of a single or uniform fundamental psychology for all peoples of the world. Research findings in cultural psychology thus raise provocative questions about the integrity and value of alternative forms of subjectivity across cultural groups. In this course we analyze the concept of "culture" and examine ethnic and cross-cultural variations in mental functioning with special attention to the cultural psychology of emotions, self, moral judgment, categorization, and reasoning.

Instructor(s): R. Shweder Terms Offered: Autumn
Note(s): CHDV Distribution: B, C
Equivalent Course(s): GNSE 21001, GNSE 31000, CHDV 21000, ANTH 35110, PSYC 23000, KNOW 31000, AMER 33000, CHDV 31000, ANTH 24320

PSYC 33165. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Morality. 100 Units.

Morality is essential for societal functioning and central to human flourishing. It has evolved to facilitate group living, regulate social interactions, minimize aggression, and promote cooperation beyond kinship. We are motivated by morality because it is advantageous at the individual level -a non-zero-sum game. These moral concerns are not located in an abstract world characterized by ivory tower speculations. We are inherently and deeply social animals, and nearly all manifestations of morality involve, build upon, influence, and often govern our relationships with others. The ability to think and act in accordance with moral norms is a hallmark of our species. The course is organized into 9 weeks, covering specific topics in morality from a multidisciplinary perspective, including evolutionary anthropology, psychology (developmental, cognitive & social), cognitive neuroscience, and behavioral economics.

Instructor(s): J. Decety Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 23165, KNOW 33165

PSYC 33360. Methods in Gesture and Sign Language Research. 100 Units.

IIn this course we will explore methods of research used in the disciplines of linguistics and psychology to investigate sign language and gesture. We will choose a set of canonical topics from the gesture and sign literature such as pointing, use of the body in quotation, and the use of non-manuals, in order to understand the value of various effective methods in current use and the types of research questions they are best equipped to handle.

Instructor(s): S. Goldin-Meadow, D. Brentari Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 23360, CHDV 23360, LING 33360, LING 23360, CHDV 33360

PSYC 33580. What is a good life? A psychological perspective. 100 Units.

This course explores various issues in the scientific study of a good life. It is designed to expose you to different research perspectives, methodologies, and recent developments in this area. Topics covered in this course include conceptual issues ("What is a good life?"), measurement ("How to measure it?"), cultural differences ("Are they universal, or culture specific?"), judgmental processes ("How do people make judgments about their lives?"), and predictors of a good life ("What predicts a good life?"), including financial conditions, close relationships, and personality. After taking this course, you should know diverse arrays of research conducted by well-being researchers and should be able to develop research ideas and design experiments to test your ideas.

Instructor(s): S. Oishi Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 23580

PSYC 33662. The Disordered Mind. 100 Units.

What are disorders of the mind? What are some of the theoretical and practical issues surrounding the identification, classification, and treatment of such disorders? What do mental disorders have to teach us about the typically-functioning mind? This seminar course will address these and other questions within biological, psychological, and sociocultural perspectives to attempt to understand the current and historical paradigms that have influenced our perception of what it means for the mind to be "disordered." Included will be discussion of behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and developmental disorders.

Instructor(s): K. Ledoux Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 23660

PSYC 33830. Attention and Working Memory in the Mind and Brain. 100 Units.

This course will provide a broad overview of current work in psychology and neuroscience related to attention and working memory. We will discuss evidence for sharp capacity limits in an individual's ability to actively monitor and maintain information in an "online" mental state. Readings will be primarily based on original source articles from peer-reviewed journals, with a focus on behavioral and neural approaches for measuring and understanding these basic cognitive processes.

Instructor(s): E. Vogel Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): PQ: NSCI 20101 (Foundations of Neuroscience) is required for Neuroscience majors only.
Equivalent Course(s): NSCI 21600, PSYC 23820

PSYC 34060. Understanding Practical Wisdom. 100 Units.

Thinking about the nature of wisdom goes back to the Greek philosophers and the classical religious sages, but the concept of wisdom has changed in many ways over the history of thought. While wisdom has received less scholarly attention in modern times, it has recently re-emerged in popular discourse with a growing recognition of its potential importance for addressing complex issues in many domains. But what is wisdom? It's often used with a meaning more akin to "smart" or "clever." Is it just vast knowledge? This course will examine the nature of wisdom-how it has been defined in philosophy and psychological science, how its meaning has changed, and what its essential components might be. We will discuss how current philosophical and psychological theories conceptualize wisdom and consider whether, and how, wisdom can be studied scientifically; that is, can wisdom be measured and experimentally manipulated to illuminate its underlying mechanisms and understand its functions? Finally, we will explore how concepts of wisdom can be applied in business, education, medicine, the law, and in the course of our everyday lives. Readings will be drawn from a wide array of disciplines. The course will include lectures by philosophers and psychologists. This course is offered in association with the Chicago Moral Philosophy Project and the Good Life program (the Hyde Park Institute). This course is cross-listed with the McKeon Center in the UChicago College.

Instructor(s): A. Henly; H. Nusbaum Terms Offered: May be offered 2025-2026
Prerequisite(s): Third- or fourth-year standing.
Equivalent Course(s): BPRO 24050, RLST 24055, KNOW 24050, CHDV 24050, PSYC 24060

PSYC 35201. Communication in humans and non-humans. 100 Units.

This seminar will compare communication in humans and non-humans. Topics to be covered include the reliance of communication on more general cognitive processes, the learnability of communicative systems, referential intent, honest signaling, and deception. These issues will be explored through readings that cover recent work at the intersection of human and animal communication.

Instructor(s): J. Mateo
Note(s): Not offered in 2023-2024
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 35201

PSYC 36008. Principles and Methods of Measurement. 100 Units.

Accurate measurement of key theoretical constructs with known and consistent psychometric properties is one of the essential steps in quantitative social and behavioral research. However, measurement of phenomena that are not directly observable (such as psychological attributes, perceptions of organizational climate, or quality of services) is difficult. Much of the research in psychometrics has been developed in an attempt to properly define and quantify such phenomena. This course is designed to introduce students to the relevant concepts, principles, and methods underlying the construction and interpretation of tests or measures. It provides in-depth coverage of test reliability and validity, topics in test theory, and statistical procedures applicable to psychometric methods. Such understanding is essential for rigorous practice in measurement as well as for proper interpretation of research. The course is highly recommended for students who plan to pursue careers in academic research or applied practice involving the use or development of tests or measures in the social and behavioral sciences.

Instructor(s): Yanyan Sheng Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Course work or background experience in statistics through inferential statistics and linear regression.
Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 26008, CHDV 26008, SOSC 36008, PSYC 28962, CHDV 36008, MAPS 36008

PSYC 36036. Survey Research Methods in Psychology. 100 Units.

How do we distil complex constructs of human behavior like personality and resilience into brief survey measures? How do the questions we ask shape the responses we receive? Drawing on examples from psychology and health research, this course will examine the nuanced process of developing and validating high-quality survey measures. Specific attention will be paid to validity, question order effects and wording, cross-cultural considerations, sampling methods, and psychological and social phenomena that may influence participant responses. We will discuss common issues in psychology survey design and data collection, as well as strategies to mitigate bias, error, and missing data. Through practical workshops using electronic data capture tools, students will also gain hands-on experience building surveys and collecting, analyzing, and interpreting their own data.

Instructor(s): Ceniti, Amanda Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 36036, MAPS 36036

PSYC 36210-36211. Mathematical Methods for Biological Sciences I-II.

PSYC 36210. Mathematical Methods for Biological Sciences I. 100 Units.

This course builds on the introduction to modeling course biology students take in the first year (BIOS 20151 or 152). It begins with a review of one-variable ordinary differential equations as models for biological processes changing with time, and proceeds to develop basic dynamical systems theory. Analytic skills include stability analysis, phase portraits, limit cycles, and bifurcations. Linear algebra concepts are introduced and developed, and Fourier methods are applied to data analysis. The methods are applied to diverse areas of biology, such as ecology, neuroscience, regulatory networks, and molecular structure.The students learn to implement the models using Python in the Jupyter notebook platform.

Instructor(s): D. Kondrashov Terms Offered: Autumn. L.
Prerequisite(s): BIOS 20151 or BIOS 20152 or equivalent quantitative experience by consent of instructor, and three courses of a Biological Sciences Fundamentals Sequence or consent of the instructor.
Equivalent Course(s): CPNS 31000, BIOS 26210

PSYC 36211. Mathematical Methods for Biological Sciences II. 100 Units.

This course is a continuation of BIOS 26210. The topics start with optimization problems, such as nonlinear least squares fitting, principal component analysis and sequence alignment. Stochastic models are introduced, such as Markov chains, birth-death processes, and diffusion processes, with applications including hidden Markov models, tumor population modeling, and networks of chemical reactions. In computer labs, students learn optimization methods and stochastic algorithms, e.g., Markov Chain, Monte Carlo, and Gillespie algorithm. Students complete an independent project on a topic of their interest.

Instructor(s): D. Kondrashov Terms Offered: Winter. L.
Prerequisite(s): BIOS 26210 or equivalent.
Note(s): CB.
Equivalent Course(s): BIOS 26211, CPNS 31100

PSYC 36405. More than Mood: Biopsychosocial Approaches to Depression. 100 Units.

Depression is a common mental health condition that is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Using a biopsychosocial lens, this course will discuss the etiology, presentation, and treatment of this condition with a focus on clinical research principles and experimental design. Students will become familiar with relevant neurotransmitter systems and brain structure/function; psychological and cognitive correlates; and social and cultural contributors. We will discuss the substantial heterogeneity of depression, as well as recent efforts in precision psychiatry to identify more homogenous subtypes using 'big data'. Finally, students will become familiar with current and emerging treatment strategies, including pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, neurostimulation, and social interventions. By using depression as a case study, students will deepen their ability to critically read and evaluate scientific articles, craft novel research questions, and apply a biopsychosocial lens to other constructs.

Instructor(s): Ceniti, Amanda Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 36405, MAPS 36405

PSYC 36455. Relationships and Health: The Need to Belong. 100 Units.

This seminar will explore the theory that the need to belong is a fundamental human motivation. In our discussions of relevant psychology journal articles, we will examine the connections between relationships and health, how the need to belong is related to empathy, reactions to rejection, and substitutes for belonging.

Instructor(s): Hamilton, Hannah Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Winter
Note(s): Undergraduate Consent Required
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 36455, MAPS 26455, MAPS 36455

PSYC 36520. Mind, Brain and Meaning. 100 Units.

What is the relationship between physical processes in the brain and body and the processes of thought and consciousness that constitute our mental life? Philosophers and others have puzzled over this question for millennia. Many have concluded it to be intractable. In recent decades, the field of cognitive science--encompassing philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, computer science, linguistics, and other disciplines--has proposed a new form of answer. The driving idea is that the interaction of the mental and the physical may be understood via a third level of analysis: that of the computational. This course offers a critical introduction to the elements of this approach, and surveys some of the alternative models and theories that fall within it. Readings are drawn from a range of historical and contemporary sources in philosophy, psychology, linguistics, and computer science. (B) (II)

Instructor(s): Melinh Lai Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SIGN 26520, LING 36520, PHIL 36520, PSYC 26520, LING 26520, COGS 20001, PHIL 26520, EDSO 20001, NSCI 22520

PSYC 37300-37900. Experimental Design I-II.

Experimental Design I-II

PSYC 37300. Experimental Design and Statistical Modeling I. 100 Units.

This course covers topics in research design and analysis. Students will learn the intuitions behind basic statistical models, and learn how to apply them to programming analyses for real psychological data. We will also touch on methods becoming increasingly important in the field, such as machine learning, permutation testing, and data simulation. The class will also discuss the broader landscape of psychology research, including the shift to online experiments, open science, and the replication crisis.

Instructor(s): W. Bainbridge Terms Offered: Winter

PSYC 37900. Experimental Design and Statistical Modeling II. 100 Units.

In this course you will learn concepts of Bayesian Data Analysis that builds off of Experimental Design and Statistical Modeling I. The course will require knowledge of the R statistical programming language. The relationship between frequentist approaches and Bayesian approaches will be discussed. The course will cover topics such as causal modeling, generalized linear models, markov chain monte carlo, multilevel models (i.e., varying/random intercepts and slopes), and multivariate analysis. The course will be taught from a regression framework. The course will examine both experimental and observational designs and how one can potentially glean causal inferences from observational data.

Instructor(s): M. Berman Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 37300.
Note(s): This a required course for Psychology PhD students.

PSYC 37950. Evolution and Economics of Human Behavior. 100 Units.

This course explores how evolutionary biology and behavioral economics explain many different aspects of human behavior. Specific topics include evolutionary theory, natural and sexual selection, game theory, cost-benefit analyses of behavior from an evolutionary and a behavioral economics perspective, aggression, power and dominance, cooperation and competition, biological markets, parental investment, life history and risk-taking, love and mating, physical attractiveness and the market, emotion and motivation, sex and consumer behavior, cognitive biases in decision-making, and personality and psychopathology.

Instructor(s): D. Maestripieri Terms Offered: Autumn
Note(s): CHDV Distribution: Undergraduate subject area: A, Graduate distribution: 1
Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 27950, CHDV 37950, CHDV 27950, ECON 14810

PSYC 38520. Thinking like a Computational Social Scientist. 100 Units.

The movement of much of our social lives online has created exciting new opportunities for social science research. This course provides a broad survey of computational methods used to make sense of this data. Students will learn how to collect online data and analyze this data using contemporary techniques from natural language processing, supervised/unsupervised machine learning, and generative AI. Students will also cultivate analytical skills through formal paper presentations, oral exams, and an original research project. The course will be taught in Python. This is an intuitive introduction without prerequisites, although previous experience with probability, statistics, and/or programming will be helpful.

Instructor(s): B. Koch Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): HIST 49307, DATA 20602, MACS 20267, MACS 30267, PSYC 28520, SOCI 20602, SOCI 40267

PSYC 38780. Adolescent Development in Context. 100 Units.

This course focuses on developmental pathways from middle childhood through adolescence within the context of school, family, community, and culture. Because human development is an applied field, we will be paying special attention to how sociocultural and historical influences affect academic, socioemotional, and identity development in the context of real-world challenges and opportunities faced by adolescents. In addition to learning about developmental and sociocultural theories, students will apply research to policy and practice by creating resources geared toward youth, parents, or those who work with youth. By the end of this course sequence, students should be able to: 1. Describe and apply key theories of middle childhood and adolescent development; 2. Identify developmental opportunities and challenges during middle childhood and adolescence; 3. Discuss the role of identity development in constructing or authoring one's life story; 4. Reframe adolescent risk-taking as a form of creativity and individual expression; 5. Understand how relationships can influence positive youth development; and 6. Translate theory and research into developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive resources for youth, families, and those who work with youth.

Terms Offered: TBD
Equivalent Course(s): EDSO 28700, SSAD 28700, SSAD 68700, EDSO 68700, CHDV 48700

PSYC 38825. Foundations of Statistical Methods for Psychological Science. 100 Units.

This course will introduce students to statistical analyses commonly used in psychology. Students will learn about the logic of hypothesis testing, how to conduct statistical analyses, and how to read and write about statistical results and the conclusions they support. Students will learn when it is appropriate to use each statistical analysis, review the mathematical formulas behind the analyses and how to calculate relevant statistics by hand, how to conduct analyses using R, how to interpret statistical results, and how to report results in APA format.

Instructor(s): Hannah Hamilton Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): MAPS 30125

PSYC 38960. The Development of Communicative Competence. 100 Units.

This course examines the emergence of communicative skills in humans. We will focus on how children glean information about language structure and language use from their home environments. We will also discuss the proposed cognitive and evolutionary roots of communicative behaviors, with a focus on current gaps in our knowledge and possible pathways forward. The course will consider these issues from multiple perspectives including linguistics, psychology, and linguistic anthropology. We will also briefly cover a range of methods associated with these different areas of study. It is expected that, by the end of the course, you should be able to think and write critically about how human communication and human language are intertwined in both adults and children.

Instructor(s): M. Casillas Terms Offered: Spring
Note(s): Subject area: UG: B, C; Grad: 2
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 38950, LING 38951, EDSO 38950

PSYC 40107. Behavioral Neuroscience. 100 Units.

This course provides an introduction to neuroethology, examining brain activity relative to behaviors and organisms evaluated from an adaptive and evolutionary perspective. It starts with a brief introduction to classical ethology, and then develops a series of example animal model systems. Both invertebrate and vertebrate models are considered although there is a bias towards the latter. Many of these are "champion" species. There is a heavier demand for reading original data papers than typical in introductory graduate level courses. An integral part of the course is a series of assignments where you develop grant proposals describing novel science experiments in the animal models, thereby challenging your knowledge of the material and teaching aspects of scientific writing. In recent years there has been more computational material presented. The course is not available to undergraduates without prior approval of the instructor.

Instructor(s): D. Margoliash Terms Offered: Spring
Note(s): The course is not available to undergraduates without prior approval of the instructor.
Equivalent Course(s): CPNS 30107, NURB 30107

PSYC 40301. Topics in Psychology. 100 Units.

Current research in psychology.

Instructor(s): Staff Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Winter

PSYC 40450-40451-40452. Topics in Cognition I-II-III.

Broadly speaking, this workshop will address fundamental topics in cognitive psychology such as attention, memory, learning, problem solving, and language. One unique aspect of this workshop is that we will not only explore topics central to the study of cognition, but we will also explore how the study of cognitive psychology can be used to enhance human potential and performance in a variety of contexts. These contexts range from an exploration of optimal teaching practices to enhance the acquisition of mathematical knowledge in the classroom, to issues regarding how individuals communicate best to foster the optimal exchange of information in, for instance, medical settings, to the optimal strategies older adults can use to help stave off the deleterious effects of aging on cognitive functioning and the performance of everyday activities.

PSYC 40450. Topics in Cognition I. 100 Units.

Discussion of current research in psychology.

Instructor(s): M. Rosenberg Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 40451. Topics in Cognition II. 100 Units.

Discussion of current research in psychology.

Instructor(s): M. Rosenberg Terms Offered: Winter

PSYC 40452. Topics in Cognition III. 100 Units.

Discussion of current research in psychology.

Instructor(s): M. Rosenberg Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 40460. Computation and the Identification of Cultural Patterns. 100 Units.

Culture is increasingly becoming digital, making it more and more necessary for those in both academia and industry to use computational strategies to effectively identify, understand, and (in the case of industry) capitalize on emerging cultural patterns. In this course, students will explore interdisciplinary approaches for defining and mobilizing the concept of "culture" in their computational analyses, drawing on relevant literature from the fields of Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology. Additionally, they will receive hands-on experience applying computational approaches to identify and analyze a wide range of cultural patterns using the Python programming language. For instance, students will learn to identify emerging social movements using social media data, predict the next fashion trends, and even decipher ancient symbols using archaeological databases.

Instructor(s): Clindaniel, Jon Terms Offered: Autumn Winter
Prerequisite(s): No previous coding experience required. A Python boot camp will be held at the beginning of the quarter to teach the coding skills necessary to succeed in the course. Open to Advanced Undergraduates with Instructor Permission.
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 40404, MACS 40400, MACS 20400, MAPS 40401

PSYC 40710. Early Childhood: Human Capital Development and Public Policy. 100 Units.

The goal of this course is to introduce students to the literature on early child development and explore how an understanding of core developmental concepts can inform social policies. Our substantive foci will be on early childhood poverty, the role of parenting and the home environment in shaping children's development, and the evidence base for intervention in early childhood for economically disadvantaged children. The course will cover evidence from neuroscience, psychology, economics, sociology, and public policy as it bears on these questions. In particular, we will explore how the principles of early childhood development can guide the design of policies and practices that enhance the healthy development of young children, particularly for those living in adverse circumstances, and thereby build a strong foundation for promoting equality of opportunity, reducing social class disparities in life outcomes, building human capital, fostering economic prosperity, and generating positive social change. In doing so, we will discuss the evidence on whether the contexts of children's development are amenable to public policy intervention and the costs and benefits of different policy approaches.

Instructor(s): Kalil, A Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): PPHA 40700, CHDV 40770

PSYC 40851-40852-40853. Topics in Developmental Psychology I-II-III.

Brown-bag discussion of current research in psychology.

PSYC 40851. Topics in Developmental Psychology I. 100 Units.

Brown-bag discussion of current research in psychology.

Instructor(s): L. Bian Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 40852. Topics in Developmental Psychology II. 100 Units.

Brown-bag discussion of current research in psychology.

Instructor(s): S. Levine Terms Offered: Winter

PSYC 40853. Topics in Developmental Psychology III. 100 Units.

Brown-bag discussion of current research in psychology.

Instructor(s): A. Shaw Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 41400. Evolutionary Cognitive Psychology. 100 Units.

TBD

PSYC 41901. Advanced Topics in Language, Culture and Thought. 100 Units.

This course examines more deeply topics discussed in CHDV 31901, Language, Culture, and Thought. Topical issues include the phylogenetic and ontogenetic emergence of language, the impact of language variation on thought, the influence of language advances in middle childhood (e.g., reported speech, narrative structure, metapragmatics, etc.) on cognitive growth (e.g., formal reasoning, theory of mind, etc.) especially as mediated through institutional structures and ideologies (e.g., education, standard language, etc.). Readings will include a mix of basic theory, contemporary literature reviews, and case studies.

Instructor(s): J. Lucy Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Permission of Instructor
Note(s): CHDV Grad Distribution: 2, 3
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 41900, ANTH 47605

PSYC 41920. The Evolution of Language. 100 Units.

This course is designed to review critically some of the literature on the phylogenetic emergence of Language, in order to determine which questions have been central to the subject matter, which ones have recurred the most, and to what extent the answers to these are now better informed. The class will also review new questions such as the following: What is the probable time of the emergence of modern language(s)? Should we speak of the emergence of Language or of languages, in the plural?

Instructor(s): Salikoko Mufwene Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): EVOL 41920, LING 21920, LING 41920, ANTH 47305, CHDV 41920, CHSS 41920, COGS 22007, CHDV 21920

PSYC 42100. Trial Research Seminar. 100 Units.

PSYC 42100 is required of first-year Psychology graduate students The purpose of this seminar is to assist students in formulating their trial research project.

Instructor(s): G. Norman Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 42350. Advanced Topics in Human Neuroimaging. 100 Units.

This course will discuss advanced topics in human neuroimaging, reviewing recent papers using state-of-the-art methods, including multi-voxel pattern analysis, Big Data, connectivity analyses, and inter-subject correlations. We will discuss how these new methods fit into the current landscape of human neuroscience and support new theoretical ideas, and also conduct tutorials so students can use these methods in their own analyses.

Instructor(s): W. Bainbridge, M. Rosenberg Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): The course will be geared towards PhD students, but open to MA students and undergraduates who receive instructor permission to enroll.
Equivalent Course(s): NSCI 23815

PSYC 42550. Cognitive Development. 100 Units.

In the first years of life, children's cognition undergoes dramatic qualitative and quantitative change. For nearly a century, experimental psychologists have sought to understand the nature and causes of these developmental changes. This course surveys classic and current approaches to the study of cognitive development in infants and children.

Instructor(s): S. Levine, A. Shaw Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Undergraduates should have taken at least one course in developmental psychology, such as PSYC 20500.
Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 22555

PSYC 43030. Introduction to Python Programming in the Behavioral Sciences. 100 Units.

This course introduces you to basic computer programming principles and their application to common problems in Psychology research such as creating simple experiments, data acquisition, and basic analysis. We will focus on the high-level programming language Python. Over a series of lectures and try-it-yourself sessions, you will learn to use Python to display stimuli and record responses, process, analyze, and plot data. The course is designed for students with little to no background in computer programming but wish to take advantage of the power it affords to ask research questions in the behavioral and biological sciences.

Instructor(s): A. Bakkour, J. Yu Terms Offered: Autumn. In 2025-26, an undergraduate section will not be offered.
Prerequisite(s): Consent required for all but Psychology PhD students.
Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 23030, NSCI 23355

PSYC 43200. Seminar in Language Development. 100 Units.

Undergraduates should register for PSYC 23200. Psychology and Linguistics doctoral students should register for PSYC 43200. This course addresses the major issues involved in first-language acquisition. We deal with the child's production and perception of speech sounds (phonology), the acquisition of the lexicon (semantics), the comprehension and production of structured word combinations (syntax), and the ability to use language to communicate (pragmatics).

Instructor(s): S. Goldin-Meadow Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 41601

PSYC 43760. Sensitive Periods: How the Timing of Experience Alters Its Effect. 100 Units.

Sensitive periods are defined as phases in life when experience has the most effect on a particular brain system. Typically occurring during development, experience during sensitive periods has long-term implications for sensory processing, affective development, cognitive processes, and production of complex learned behavior such as language. We will combine an investigation of biological underpinnings with behavioral consequences of sensitive periods and ask questions such as: How are sensitive periods defined during development? Are sensitive periods for a variety of behaviors different or the same? How does experience intersect with the brain to encode and modify a sensitive period? Can we re-open sensitive periods after their normal end - and do we want to?

Instructor(s): S. London Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): NURB 33760, CHDV 43760

PSYC 43921. Current Topics in Working Memory. 100 Units.

This seminar will cover a broad range of topics in the literature on working memory.

Instructor(s): E. Awh Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): We strongly advise students without a prior background in these areas to consider auditing our undergraduate course "Attention and working memory in the mind and brain."

PSYC 44000. Moral Psychology and the Anthropology of Morality. 100 Units.

Three types of questions about morality can be distinguished: (1) philosophical, (2) psychological, and (3) epidemiological. The philosophical question asks, whether and in what sense (if any) "goodness" or "rightness" are real or objective properties that particular actions possess in varying degrees. The psychological question asks, what are the mental states and processes associated with the human classification of actions are moral or immoral, ethical or unethical. The epidemiological question asks, what is the actual distribution of moral judgments across time (developmental time and historical time) and across space (for example, across cultures). In this seminar we will read classic and contemporary philosophical, psychological, and anthropological texts that address those questions.

Instructor(s): R. Shweder Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): Advanced undergraduates may enroll with permission of instructor
Note(s): CHDV Distribution: B, C; 3
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 45601

PSYC 44150. Psychology of Socioeconomic Status. 100 Units.

Social class is one of the most consequential divides in modern society. Social class shapes who we are, how we relate to other people, and how we understand the world. In this graduate seminar, we will investigate the social psychological literature on how social class shapes psychology at four levels of analysis: ideas, institutions, interactions, and individuals. We will examine topics such as how social class shapes ideas about the self and morality; experiences in educational contexts and neighborhoods; how people form relationships with close others and think about strangers; and our thoughts and well-being. By the end of the course, students will be knowledgeable about the state of social class research and able to generate original research on the topic.

Instructor(s): L. Emery Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 44600. Topics in Social Psychology. 100 Units.

Discussion of current topics in Social Psychology.

Instructor(s): S. Oishi, Autumn; L. Emery, Winter; X. Bai, Spring Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Winter

PSYC 45300. When Cultures Collide: The Multicultural Challenge in Liberal Democracies. 100 Units.

Coming to terms with diversity in an increasingly multicultural world has become one of the most pressing public policy projects for liberal democracies in the early 21st century. One way to come to terms with diversity is to try to understand the scope and limits of toleration for variety at different national sites where immigration from foreign lands has complicated the cultural landscape. This seminar examines a series of legal and moral questions about the proper response to norm conflict between mainstream populations and cultural minority groups (including old and new immigrants), with special reference to court cases that have arisen in the recent history of the United States.

Instructor(s): R. Shweder Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): Undergraduates students: 4th year standing and instructor consent only
Note(s): Subject area: Grad: 2, 3
Equivalent Course(s): HMRT 35600, KNOW 45699, ANTH 45600, CHDV 45699, GNSE 45600

PSYC 45450. Grappling with Diversity in Psychological Science. 100 Units.

This graduate seminar explores the concept of "diversity science" as a launching point to think deeply about what diversity is, how diversity has been defined and studied in U.S. psychological research, and its implications for doing science that moves us toward a more just and equitable society. Students will grapple with the nuanced language and definitional tools of diversity, the persistence of racism, sexism, and exclusion in diversity-relevant research, and how to take-up critical perspectives and approaches to study human development. The course adopts a historical and interdisciplinary perspective, with the goal of deepening and broadening our understanding of and approach to diversity in human development research.

Instructor(s): Rogers Terms Offered: Winter
Note(s): distribution 2, 3, M
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 47655

PSYC 46060. The neurobiology of learning and memory. 100 Units.

This graduate workshop will review and discuss literature on the neurobiology of learning and memory, with a focus on neural network mechanisms. By the end of the course, students will gain a detailed understanding of seminal theoretical and experimental contributions to the field of learning and memory. Students will read, synthesize, and present weekly literature assignments as well as present their findings at department graduate workshops.

Instructor(s): J. Yu Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 47001-47002. Language in Culture I-II.

This two-quarter course presents the major issues in linguistics of anthropological interest. These courses must be taken in sequence.

PSYC 47001. Language In Culture I. 100 Units.

The first quarter of the two-quarter Language in Culture sequence introduces a number of analytic concepts developed out of the study of "language" and its limits. We begin with the study of "interaction order" in its multifunctional complexity, teasing out its constitution through the real-time unfolding of indexical (pragmatic) and reflexive (metapragmatic) signs/functions as coherent "text." We use this attention to the dialectics of indexicality and its various implications to investigate various problematics in the philosophy of language (reference, performativity), linguistics (poetics, grammatical sense, variation, register), and sociocultural anthropology (racialization, relativity, subjectivity/identity, temporality, institutionality).

Instructor(s): Constantine Nakassis
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor for Undergrads
Note(s): CHDV Distribution: 5*
Equivalent Course(s): ANTH 37201, LING 31100, CHDV 37201

PSYC 47002. Language in Culture II. 100 Units.

This is the second part of a two-quarter sequence on the role of language in social life. This class is intended to explore current and emerging conversations in linguistic anthropology that exemplify, elaborate, extend, and trouble the terms, methods, and frameworks set out in the Language and Culture I. In this way, we will gain a greater facility in not only using these concepts and methods, but in thinking how to extend them into new empirical problem spaces. This quarter, our main themes will be: grammar, reference, and relativity; the acting and affected body; politics beyond identity; and digital life. By considering how linguistic anthropology has and has not been able to expand into these areas, we add to our semiotic toolkit and get a handle on what it means to do semiotic analysis. How are long-persistent problematics (the body) and contemporary transformations (screens, algorithms, and AI) inspiring innovative approaches to anthropologies of language and communicative interaction?

Instructor(s): Kamala Russell
Prerequisite(s): Language in Culture-1
Note(s): CHDV Distribution: 5*
Equivalent Course(s): LING 31200, ANTH 27202, ANTH 37202, CHDV 37202

PSYC 48000. Proseminar in Psychology. 100 Units.

Required of first-year Department of Psychology graduate students. Department of Psychology faculty members present and discuss their research. This introduces new students to the range of research areas in the department.

Instructor(s): L. Emery Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 48001-48002-48003. Mind and Biology Proseminar I-II-III.

Seminar series at the Institute for Mind and Biology meets three to four times per quarter. Sign up for three quarters; receive credit at the end of Spring Quarter.

PSYC 48001. Mind and Biology Proseminar I. 000 Units.

Students receive credit in spring quarter after attending 3 quarters of seminars.

Instructor(s): S. Shevell Terms Offered: Autumn

PSYC 48002. Mind and Biology Proseminar 2. 000 Units.

Seminar series at the Institute for Mind and Biology meets three to four times per quarter. Sign up for three quarters; receive credit at the end of Spring Quarter.

Instructor(s): S. Shevell Terms Offered: Winter

PSYC 48003. Mind and Biology Proseminar 3. 100 Units.

Seminar series at the Institute for Mind and Biology meets three to four times per quarter. Sign up for three quarters; receive credit at the end of Spring Quarter.

Instructor(s): S. Shevell Terms Offered: Spring

PSYC 49700. Readings: Psychology. 100 Units.

PSYC 49800. Research: Psychology. 300.00 Units.

PSYC 70000. Advanced Study: Psychology. 300.00 Units.

Advanced Study: Psychology

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The Computational Cognitive Neuroscience Program

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Integrative Neuroscience

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Two Psychology Department Breadth Courses

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