PSYC W1001 serves as a prerequisite for further psychology courses and should be completed by the sophomore year.

PSYC W1001x or y The Science of Psychology 3 pts. Enrollment may be limited. Attendance at the first two class periods is mandatory. Broad survey of psychological science including: sensation and perception; learning, memory, intelligence, language, and cognition; emotions and motivation; development, personality, health and illness, and social behavior. Discusses relations between the brain, behavior, and experience. Emphasizes science as a process of discovering both new ideas and new empirical results. Science Requirement: Partial Fulfillment.

PSYC W1010x or y Mind, Brain and Behavior 3 pts. Introduction to the biological approach to the experimental study of behavior. Includes consideration of the types of biological data relevant to psychology, as well as the assumptions and logic permitting the interpretation of biological data in psychological terms. Science Requirement: Partial Fulfillment.

PSYC W1420x Experimental Psychology: Human Behavior 4 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 or the instructor's permission. A prior or concurrent statistics course (PSYC W1610 or the equivalent) is highly recommended. Corequisites: PSYC W1421 Attendance at the first class is mandatory. Fee: $70. Introduction to the techniques of research employed in the study of human behavior. Students gain experience in the conduct of research, including design of simple experiments, observation and measurement techniques, and the analysis of behavioral data. Lab Required.

PSYC W1421x Experimental Psychology: Human Behavior (Lab) Corequisites: PSYC W1420 Required lab section for PSYC W1420. Enrollment limited in each section.

PSYC W1450y Experimental Psychology: Social Cognition and Emotion 4 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 or the instructor's permission. Fee: $70. A prior or concurrent statistics course (PSYC W1610 or the equivalent) is highly recommended. Corequisites: PSYC W1451. Attendance at the first class is essential. Majors have priority. An introduction to research methods employed in the study of human social cognition and emotion. Students gain experience in the design and conduct of research, including ethical issues, observation and measurement techniques, interpretation of data, and preparation of written and oral reports. Lab Required.

PSYC W1451y Experimental Psychology:Social Cognition and Emotion (Lab) Required Lab for PSYCW1450. Limited enrollment in each section.

PSYC W1610x Introductory Statistics for Behavioral Scientists 4 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 Corequisites: PSYC W1611 Lecture and lab. Fee $70. Recommended preparation: one course in behavioral science and knowledge of high school algebra. Majors have priority. Introduction to statistics that concentrates on problems from the behavioral sciences. Lab Required.

PSYC W1611x Introductory Statistics for Behavioral Scientists (Lab) Enrollment limited in each session. Required lab section for PSYC W1610.

PSYC W2215y Cognition: Mind & Brain 3 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010
(recommended) or the instructor's permission. How mental activities -- particularly human cognitive processes -- are implemented in the brain, with some emphasis on methods and findings of neuroscience. Topics include long term and working memory, attention and executive processes, concepts and categorization, decision making, and language. Science Requirement: Partial Fulfillment.

PSYC W2220 Cognition: Memory and Stress 3 pts.Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010, or the instructor's permission. Attendance at the first class is mandatory. Memory, attention, and stress in human cognition. Science Requirement: Partial Fulfillment.

PSYC W2225x Attention and Perception 3 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or W1010 or instructor's permission Introduction to the theories and mechanisms of attentional selection in perceptual processes. Topics include classical theories of selective attention, modern neurocognitive models, clinical impairments of attention, and the relationship between attention and time. Science Requirement: Partial Fulfillment.

PSYC W2235x Thinking and Decision Making 3 pts. Prerequisites: an introductory course in psychology. Models of judgment and decision making in both certain and uncertain or risky situations, illustrating the interplay of top-down (theory-driven) and bottom-up (data-driven) processes in creating knowledge. Focuses on how individuals do and should make decisions, with some extensions to group decision making and social dilemmas. Science Requirement: Partial Fulfillment.

PSYC W2250y Evolution of Cognition 3 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 A systematic review of different forms of cognition as viewed in the context of the theory of evolution. Specific topics include the application of the theory of evolution to behavior, associative learning, biological constraints on learning, methods for studying the cognitive abilities of animals, levels of representation, ecological influences on cognition, and evidence of consciousness in animals. Science Requirement: Partial Fulfillment.

PSYC W2280y Introduction To Developmental Psychology 3 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 or the equivalent. Enrollment may be limited. Attendance at the first two classes is mandatory. Introduction to the scientific study of human development, with an emphasis on psychobiological processes underlying perceptual, cognitive, and emotional development. Science Requirement: Partial Fulfillment.

PSYC W2420 Animal Behavior 3 pts.Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or W1010 or a college-level biology course or instructor permission. Introduction to behavioral systems, evolution of behavioral traits, and analysis of behavior. Topics include reproductive and social behavior, mating systems, competition, cooperation, communication, learning, development and the interplay of genes and environment. Science Requirement: Partial Fulfillment.

PSYC W2450y Behavioral Neuroscience 3 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC 1001 or 1010 or instructor's permission

Examines the principles governing neuronal activity, the role of neurotransmitter systems in memory and motivational processes, the presumed brain dysfunctions that give rise to schizophrenia and depression, and philosophical issues regarding the relationship between brain activity and subjective experience. Science Requirement: Partial Fulfillment.

PSYC W2460x Drugs and Behavior 3 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 or the equivalent. The effects of psychoactive drugs on the brain and behavior. Science Requirement: Partial Fulfillment.

PSYC W2480 The Developing Brain 3 pts.Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: Psychology W1001 or W1010 or the instructor's permission. Brain development across the life span, with emphasis on fetal and postnatal periods. How the environment shapes brain development and hence adult patterns of behavior. Science Requirement: Partial Fulfillment.

PSYC W2610x Introduction To Personality 3 pts. Prerequisites: an introductory psychology course. A survey of the important methods, findings, and theories in the field of personality research.

PSYC W2620y Abnormal Behavior 3 pts. Prerequisites: an introductory psychology course. Examines definitions, theories, and treatments of abnormal behavior.

PSYC W2630x Social Psychology 3 pts. Surveys important methods, findings, and theories in the study of social influences on behavior. Emphasizes different perspectives on the relation between individuals and society.

PSYC W2640y Introduction to Social Cognition 3 pts. Prerequisites: An introductory course in psychology or instructor's permission. An introduction to basic concepts in social cognition. Topics include attribution theory (how we explain our own and other's behavior), social categories and schema (social perception and stereotyping), the social self (the development and maintenance of a self-concept), attention and consciousness, person memory, affect and cognition, and social inference, among others.

PSYC W2650x Intro to Cultural Psychology 3 pts. Prerequisites: None, some basic knowledge of social psychology is desirable. A comprehensive examination of how culture and diversity shape psychological processes. The class will explore psychological and political underpinnings of culture and diversity, emphasizing social psychological approaches. Topics include culture and social cognition, group and identity formation, psychology of multiculturalism, stereotyping, predjudice, and gender. Applications to real-world phenomena discussed.

PSYC W2680x Social and Personality Development 3 pts. Prerequisites: an introductory psychology course. Exploration of social, emotional, and moral development in children and adolescents, and consideration of the interactive influence of biology, culture, and social context on development. Particular attention to cultural context and current research, as well as interdisciplinary insights.

PSYC W3250y Seminar In Space Perception 3 pts. Some background in psychology and/or neurophysiology is desirable (e.g., PSYC W1001, PSYC W1010, PSYC W1480, PSYC W2230; BIOL C3004 or BIOL C3005). Other backgrounds may also be appropriate; contact instructor for permission to register. Space perception and spatial orientation in a three-dimensional physical world will be examined from a viewpoint that integrates neurophysiological and behavioral research. Experiments involve perceptual phenomena and measurement, and electrical and/or mechanical recording in normal and unusual environments (e.g., human centrifuge, zero-g).

PSYC W3255y Modern Classics In Visual Perception, Visual Science and Visual Neuroscience (Seminar) 3 pts. Prerequisites: Some background in perceptual or sensory processes or neurophysiology or physical sciences/math/computer science or instructor's permission. Reading and discussion of classic articles from the past 60 years providing a foundation for the rapidly expanding fields of visual perception, visual science, and visual neuroscience and their connections with computer modeling (with a sprinkling from research on audition); primary source articles will be accompanied by secondary source and brief lecture material to introduce each topic.

PSYC W3265x Auditory Perception (Seminar) 4 pts. Prerequisites: At least two other psychology courses and the instructor's permission. The reception, organization and understanding of sounds are crucial functions of the brain. We will study the perceptual rules by which humans and other animals make sense of the acoustic world, what those rules suggest about how the brain forms acoustic percepts, and what is known about the neural basis of auditory perception.

PSYC W3270x Computational Approaches To Human Vision (Seminar) 3 pts. Prerequisites: Some background in psychology and/or neurophysiology (e.g., PSYC W1001, PSYC W1010, PSYC W2230, PSYC W2450; BIOL W3004 or BIOL W3005) is desirable. See instructor if you have questions about your background. Some background in mathematics and computer science (e.g., calculus or linear algebra, a programming language) is highly recommended. Study of human vision--both behavioral and physiological data--within a framework of computational and mathematical descriptions. [Please contact Prof. Graham by e-mail (nvg@psych.columbia.edu) if you are interested in this course].

PSYC W3435x Neurobiology of Reproductive Behavior (Seminar) 4 pts. Prerequisites: At least two other psychology courses and the instructor's permission. Reproduction encompasses a broad range of behaviors in the life cycle of an organism from mate selection and copulation to parental care. This seminar will examine various aspects of reproduction across species and the neural mechanisms that regulate these behaviors and allow an organism to adapt to environmental change.

PSYC W3440y Issues In Brain and Behavior (Seminar) 4 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC W1010 or PSYC W2450 and the instructor's permission. Considers techniques for the noninvasive assessment of human brain activity. Explores the use of these techniques in laboratory and clinical science.

PSYC W3450x Evolution of Intelligence and Consciousness (Seminar) 3 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 and the instructor's permission. A systematic review of the implications of Darwin's theory of evolution and Freud's theory of the unconscious for contemporary studies of animal and human cognition.

PSYC W3460x Evolution of Behavior (Seminar) 3 pts. Prerequisites: at least two psychology courses and the instructor's permission. Evolutionary theory and its application to behaviors such as mating, group formation, and communication in humans and other animals, incorporating concepts and findings from genetics, ethology, neuroscience, and psychology.

PSYC W3615y Children At Risk (seminar) 4 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC W1010, PSYC W2280, PSYC W2620, or PSYC W2680, and the instructor's permission. Considers contemporary risk factors in children's lives. The immediate and enduring biological and behavioral impact of risk factors.

PSYC W3620x Seminar in Developmental Psychopathology 4 pts. Prerequisites: At least two of the following courses: (W1001, W1010, W2280, W2620, W2680, W3280) and the instructor's permission. Developmental psychopathology posits that it is development itself that has gone awry when there is psychopathology. As such, it seeks to understand the early and multiple factors contributing to psychopathology emerging in childhood and later in life. We will use several models (e.g., ones dominated by biological, genetic, and psychological foci) to understand the roots of mental illness.

PSYC W3630x Seminar in Social Cognition 3 pts. Prerequisites: Two psychology courses and the instructor's permission. This course will examine how one person infers the thoughts and feelings of others, predicts what they will do in certain situations, forms impressions of others' personalities, and manages to engage in culturally-appropriate social behavior. In doing so, we will examine a range of topics, including research on stereotypes and prejudice, knowledge about the self, the development of social skills in children, social deficits in autism and related disorders, and the underlying neural basis of these abilities.

PSYC W3680 Social Cognitive Neuroscience (Seminar) 3 pts.Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: at least two of the following courses (PSYC W1001, PSYC W1010, PSYC W2630, PSYC W3410, PSYC W3480, PSYC W3485) and the instructor's permission. An introduction to the emerging interdisciplinary field of social cognitive neuroscience, which examines topics traditionally of interest to social psychologists (including control and automaticity, emotion regulation, person perception, social cooperation) using methods traditionally employed by cognitive neuroscientists (functional neuroimaging, neuropsychological assessment).

PSYC W3910x and y Honors Seminar 1 pt. Prerequisites: Open only to students in the honors program. Yearlong course. Students receive credit only after both terms have been completed. May be repeated for additional credit.
Discussion of a variety of topics in psychology, with particular emphasis on recent developments and methodological problems. Students propose and discuss special research topics.

PSYC W3920x or y Honors Research 1-4 pts. Prerequisites: Open only to students in the honors program. Except by special permission of the director of undergraduate studies, no more than 4 points of individual research may be taken in any one term. This includes both PSYC W3950 and PSYC W3920. No more than 12 points of PSYC W3920 may be applied toward the honors program in psychology. May be repeated for additional credit.
Special research topics arranged with instructors of the department leading toward a senior honors paper.

PSYC W3950x and y Supervised Individual Research 1-4 pts. Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Except by special permission of the director of undergraduate studies, no more than 4 points of individual research may be taken in any one term. This includes both PSYC W3950 and PSYC W3920. No more than 8 points of PSYC W3950 may be applied toward the psychology major, and no more than 4 points toward the concentration. May be repeated for credit.
Readings, special laboratory projects, reports, and special seminars on contemporary issues in psychological research and theory.

PSYC G4220x Cognitive Deficits in Psychopathology 4 pts. Prerequisites: At least two other psychology courses and the instructor's permission. Discussion of issues and research on the breakdown of basic neurocognitive processes in psychopathology. The focus will be on working memory and cognitive control-- the cognitive processes most vulnerable in many psychiatric disorders, including: Schizophrenia, Major Depressive Reaction, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Substance Abuse. Discussions will focus on issues such as: What can we learn about the neural circuitry involved in a particular psychiatric disorder from studying deficits in cognitive tasks? What can we learn about normal cognition from studying cognitive deficits in psychopathology?

PSYC G4222y The Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging 4 pts. Prerequisites: Courses in introductory psychology, cognitive psychology, and the instructor's permission. Comprehensive overview of various conceptual and methodologic approaches to studying the cognitive neuroscience of aging. The course will emphasize the importance of combining information from cognitive experimental designs, epidemiologic studies, neuroimaging, and clinical neuropsychological approaches to understand individual differences in both healthy and pathological aging.

PSYC G4225y Consciousness & Attention (seminar) 4 pts. Prerequisites: The instructor's permission. Some basic knowledge of cognitive science and neuroanatomy is desirable, but not necessary.

Discussion of current issues in the scientific studies of consciousness, including the search for the neural correlates of visual awareness, volition, and the various kinds of impairments of consciousness and attention as described in clinical cases. Specific topics may vary from year to year. May be repeated for credit.

PSYC G4227y Philosophical and Empirical Issues in Consciousness (Seminar) 4 pts. Prerequisites: The instructor's permission. Some basic knowledge of cognitive science and neuroanatomy is desirable.

Discussion of current issues in the empirical and theoretical study of consciousness, including the definitions of consciousness, the relationship between attention and consciousness, and the search for the neural correlates of visual awareness and volition. Specific topics may vary from year to year; may be repeated for credit.

PSYC G4230y Sensation and Perception (Seminar) 3 pts. Prerequisites: The instructor's permission. Some background in perception is required. Topics on the perception of space. Discussions, reviews, and recent literature.

PSYC G4235x Special Topics In Vision (Seminar) 3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for additional credit. [Please contact Prof. Graham by e-mail (nvg@psych.columbia.edu) if you are interested in this course].

PSYC G4240y Theory of Mind & Intentionality 4 pts. Prerequisites: At least two psychology courses and instructor's permission. Survey and critical analysis of the developmental and neurological research on theory of mind--the attribution of mental states like belief, desire, and knowledge to others--in humans and non-human animals. Emphasis will be on the role of intentionality, the stages of acquisition, the neurological and genetic bases, and seen deficits in theory of mind.

PSYC G4255y Modern Classics In Visual Perception, Visual Science and Visual Neuroscience (Seminar) 3 pts. Prerequisites: Some background in perceptual or sensory processes or neurophysiology or physical sciences/math/computer science or instructor's permission. Reading and discussion of classic articles from the past 60 years providing a foundation for the rapidly expanding fields of visual perception, visual science, and visual neuroscience and their connections with computer modeling (with a sprinkling from research on audition); primary source articles will be accompanied by secondary source and brief lecture material to introduce each topic.

PSYC G4270y Cognitive Processes (Seminar) 3 pts. Prerequisites: for undergraduates: one course in cognitive psychology or cognitive neuroscience, or the equivalent, and the instructor's permission. Metacognition and control processes in human cognition. Basic issues include the cognitive mechanisms that enable people to monitor what they know and predict what they will know, the errors and biases involved in self-monitoring, and the implications of metacognitive ability for people's self-determined learning, behavior, and their understanding of self.

PSYC W4285y Multidisciplinary Approaches To Human Decision Making (Seminar) 1-3 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC W1490 or PSYC W2235 and the instructor's permission. Discussion of selected topics and issues in human decision making. May be repeated for additional credit.

PSYC G4420x or y Animal Cognition Seminar 3 pts. Prerequisites: Prerequisite for undergraduates: instructor's permission. Seminar concerning a nonverbal animal's use of internal representations of past experience as a basis for action. Topics include how representations are formed, what aspects of experience are encoded, how information is stored, and how it is used later to guide behavior.

PSYC G4430y Learning and the Brain 4 pts. Prerequisites: Courses in introductory psychology and/or neuroscience, and the instructor's permission. What are the neural mechanisms that support learning, memory, and choices? We will review current theories in the cognitive neuroscience of human learning, discuss how learning and decision making interact, and consider the strengths and weaknesses of two influential methods in the study of human brain and behavior--functional imaging and patient studies.

PSYC G4440x or y Topics In Neurobiology and Behavior (Seminar) 3 pts. Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Examines current topics in neurobiology and behavior.

PSYC G4450x The Evolution of Intelligence & Consciousness (Seminar) 3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. A systematic review of the implications of Darwin's theory of evolution, Freud's theory of the unconscious, and Skinner & Chomsky's theories of language for contemporary studies of animal and human cognition.

PSYC G4460y Cognitive Neuroscience and the Media 4 pts. Prerequisites: PSYC 1010 or other neuroscience course, and the instructor's permission tba

PSYC G4490x Inheritance (Seminar) 4 pts. Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of biology and neuroscience recommended. Instructor permission required.

Explores the concept of inheritance and the mechanisms through which inheritance is mediated. Will focus on the generational transmission of physiology and behavior, but will also consider the inheritance of culture and language.

PSYC G4615y The Psychology of Culture and Diversity (Seminar) 4 pts. Prerequisites: The instructor's permission, some basic knowledge of social psychology is desirable. A comprehensive examination of how culture and diversity shape psychological processes. The class will explore psychological and political underpinnings of culture and diversity, emphasizing social psychological approaches. Topics include culture and self, cuture and social cognition, group and identity formation, science of diversity, stereotyping, prejudice, and gender. Applications to real-world phenomena discussed.

PSYC G4630x Advanced Seminar In Current Personality Theory and Research 3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. Open to psychology graduate students and advanced undergraduate psychology majors with the instructor's permission. Critical review and analysis of basic and enduring issues in personality theory, assessment, and research.

PSYC G4635 The Unconscious Mind (Seminar) 4 pts.Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: The instructor's permission. Some basic knowledge of social psychology is desirable.

Discussion of the unconscious mind from the perspective of social cognition, with an emphasis on both theoretical and empirical background, as well as current issues in measuring automatic processing. Topics include: implicit memory systems; unconscious attitudes, goals and behavior, emotions, and decision making; the activation and deactivation of knowledge systems; and priming.

PSYC G4670 Theories In Social and Personality Psychology (Seminar) 3 pts.Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Comparison of major theoretical perspectives on social behavior. The nature of theory construction and theory testing in psychology generally. Exercises comparing the predictions of different theories for the same study are designed to acquire an appreciation of how to operationalize theories and an understanding of the various features of a good theory.