Psychology

2 Hillhouse, 432.4518
M.S., M.Phil., Ph.D.

Chair
Peter Salovey

Director of Graduate Studies
Kelly Brownell (432.4518, kelly.brownell@yale.edu)

Professors
J. Truett Allison (Veterans Administration Medical Center), Mahzarin Banaji, Linda Bartoshuk (Surgery, Otolaryngology), Sidney Blatt (Psychiatry), Paul Bloom, Thomas Brown, Kelly Brownell, Donald Cohen (Child Study Center; Psychiatry; Pediatrics), James Dittes (Religious Studies), Carol Fowler (Haskins Laboratories), Patricia Goldman-Rakic (Neurobiology), Louis Goldstein (Linguistics), Donald Green (Political Science, ISPS), Marcia Johnson, Alan Kazdin, Frank Keil, Marianne LaFrance (Women's & Gender Studies), Lawrence Marks (Epidemiology & Public Health), Donald Quinlan (Psychiatry), Peter Salovey, Jerome Singer, Sara Sparrow (Child Study Center), Robert Sternberg, Fred Volkmar (Child Study Center), Victor Vroom (School of Management), Allan Wagner, Karen Wynn, Edward Zigler

Associate Professors
Jeannette Ickovics (Epidemiology & Public Health), Robert Kerns (Veterans Administration Medical Center), Linda Mayes (Child Study Center), Mark Packard

Assistant Professors
David Armor, Geoffrey Cohen, Karyn Frick, Andrew Hollingworth, Jeansok Kim, Todd Little, Joseph Mahoney, Christy Marshuetz, Mitchell Prinstein, Mark Schaefer (Child Study Center), Brian Scholl, Teresa Treat

Lecturers
Sandra Bishop, Nicholas Carnevale, James Charney, Nancy Close, Thierry Devos, Loraine Devos-Comby, Nelson Donegan, Peter Hegarty, Carla Horwitz, Sharon Kagan, Stanislav Kasl, Janet Kremenitzer, Valerie Kuhlmeier, Kristi Lockhart, Todd O'Hearn, Carol Ripple, Joseph Stevens

Fields of Study
Fields include behavioral neuroscience; clinical psychology; cognitive psychology; developmental psychology; social/personality psychology; and abilities and expertise.

Special Admissions Requirement
The department requires that scores from the GRE General Test accompany an application.

Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
In order to allow each student to be trained in accordance with his or her own interests and career goals, the general requirements of the department are kept to a minimum. The formal requirements are: (1) Course work selected to meet the individual's objectives with a minimum of three basic-level courses and one course in data analysis. Two of the three required basic-level courses must be in two different areas of psychology outside the student's main area of concentration. The basic-level course requirement must be completed by the end of the second year. Students must attain an Honors grade in at least two term courses by the end of the second year of study. (2) Nine units of teaching are required in years two through four. (3) Completion of a predissertation research project, to be initiated not later than the second term and completed not later than March 15 of the second year. Certification of this research project as well as performance in course work and other evidence of scholarly work at a level commensurate with doctoral study, as judged by the faculty, is necessary for continuation beyond the second year. (4) Submission of a dissertation prospectus, a dissertation area review of the literature, and a theme essay that demonstrates the candidate's comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the area of concentration. Certification of the theme essay completes the qualifying examination. (5) Approval of the dissertation by an advisory committee and the passing of an oral examination on the dissertation and its general scientific implications. The theme essay and the dissertation prospectus are completed during the third year. Students are then formally admitted to Ph.D. candidacy. The dissertation area review of the literature must be approved prior to receipt by the readers of a preliminary draft of the dissertation. There are no language requirements.

The faculty considers teaching to be an essential element of the professional preparation of graduate students in Psychology. For this reason participation in the Teaching Fellow Program is a degree requirement for all doctoral students. They are expected to serve as teaching fellows for a total of nine teaching fellow units over the course of the second through fourth years in the program. Opportunities for teaching are matched as closely as possible with students' academic interests.

Combined Ph.D. Program
A combined Ph.D. degree with African American Studies is available. Consult departments for details.

Master's Degrees
M.Phil. The academic requirements for the M.Phil. degree are the same as for the Ph.D. degree except for the submission of a prospectus, a dissertation area review, and the completion and defense of a dissertation, which define the Ph.D.

M.S. (en route to the Ph.D.). The M.S. degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of the second year of the program leading to the Ph.D. degree and also of the departmental predissertation research requirement.

Program materials are available upon request to the Registrar, Department of Psychology, Yale University, PO Box 208205, New Haven CT 06520-8205.

Courses
PSYC 501a, Perception. Andrew Hollingworth. Friday 1.30-4
A review of major findings, theories, and empirical approaches in the study of perception with a focus on vision. Topics include the neural mechanisms of perception; color vision; depth, surface, and shape processing; object and scene recognition; and attention.

PSYC 502a, Learning Theory. Allan Wagner. Tues/Thurs 10.30-12
The development of learning theory from its beginnings in associationism, behaviorism, and the Darwinian revolution to its present "connectionistic," neural-network expressions.

PSYC 505a, Creativity. Robert Sternberg. Tuesday 1.30-4.20
The nature of creativity. Topics include the concept of creativity, theories of creativity, history of theory and research on creativity, methodologies for studying creativity, biological bases of creativity, development of creativity, cognitive processes in creativity, social processes in creativity, personality and creativity, culture and creativity, prodigies, intelligence and creativity, and enhancing creativity.

PSYC 506b, Introduction to Brain and Behavior. Jeansok Kim. Tuesday 4-6
Introduction to basic principles of brain function, including fundamentals of synaptic transmission, organization of the CNS, sensory and motor integration, and higher processes such as the neurobiology of language, learning, and memory. Also NSCI 506b.

[PSYC 507, Health Psychology: Clinical and Social Foundations.]

[PSYC 510a, The Self and Identity.]

[PSYC 511, Cognition and Development.]

[PSYC 512b, The Cognitive Sciences.]

PSYC 513b, Personality Development and Psychopathology. Sidney Blatt.

[PSYC 515a, Structural Equation Modeling.]

PSYC 518a, Data Analysis: Quantitative Variables. Valerie Kuhlmeier. Mon/Wed 9-10.15
Introduction to the analysis of quantitative data from experiments-primarily the analysis of variance and contrast analyses. Some coverage of correlation and regression. Required of first-year students.

PSYC 520bu, Multivariate Data Analysis with Latent Variables. Teresa Treat. Mon/Wed/Fri 9.30-10.20
A survey of multivariate techniques for discovering latent structure in psychological data; unidimensional and multidimensional scaling, clustering, factor analysis.

[PSYC 521bu, Multivariate Data Analysis with Observable Variables.]

[PSYC 525a, The Minds of Infants.]

[PSYC 527, Psychotherapy: Historical and Scientific Foundations.]

PSYC 530b, Advanced Quantitative Methods. Donald Green.
This course considers the use of statistical evidence in the study of politics. Students learn about the techniques of quantitative analysis and research design including descriptive statistics, sample surveys, data graphics, multiple regression, and hypothesis testing. The purpose is to develop good judgment in evaluating statistical studies done in political science. Also PLSC 504b, SOCY 579b.

[PSYC 533, The Nature of Cognition.]

[PSYC 534, Theories of Development.]

[PSYC 535, Foundations of Behavioral Neuroscience.]

[PSYC 539a, Cognitive and Behavioral Approaches to Psychopathology and Treatment.]

PSYC 540b, Changing Behavior in Applied Settings. Alan Kazdin. Thursday 1.30-4.20
An examination of principles, techniques, and methods of operant conditioning that are used to change human behavior in diverse contexts (treatment, prevention, education, and personal and social adjustment) and settings (e.g., home, school, institutions, community at large).

[PSYC 541a, Research Methods in Psychology.]

[PSYC 542, Research Methods in Psychology: Investigating Social Thought and Behavior.]

[PSYC 554b, Human Intelligence and Its Development.]

[PSYC 556, Developmental Psychopathology.]

PSYC 570b, Nonverbal Communication. Marianne LaFrance.
Exploration of the psychological and social functions of nonverbal behavior (e.g., facial expression, gesture, posture, paralanguage, proxemics). Several levels of analysis are considered, including individual, interactional, group, intergroup, and cultural.

[PSYC 605bu, The Relation of Speech to Language.]

PSYC 607au, Human Thinking and Reasoning. Karen Wynn. Wednesday 2.30-4.20
Examination of human reasoning and thinking processes, including deductive and inductive inference, heuristics and biases used in reasoning, and factors influencing judgment and decision making.

[PSYC 614a, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.]

PSYC 615au, Psychology and Psychotherapy: History, Systems, and Practice. Jerome Singer. Tuesday 10.30-12.20
The phenomenon of psychotherapy is a process that was essentially instituted and flourished in the twentieth century. An examination of its historical development, the emergence of psychoanalysis and the cognitive-behavioral approaches, process and outcome research, and integration with basic psychological science.

PSYC 616au, Psychopathology and Cognitive Processing. Teresa Treat. Tues/Thurs 9-10.15
This course examines theoretical and measurement approaches to evaluating the role of cognition in psychopathology from a cognitive psychological perspective.

[PSYC 618b, Visual Cognition and Attention.]

[PSYC 620, Topics in Cognitive Development.]

PSYC 622bu, Social Intervention. Joseph Mahoney. Tuesday 1.30-3.20
Theory and research on social intervention from a developmental perspective. Discussion of interventions for school failure, aggression, substance use, disadvantaged children, high-risk infants, and antisocial youth.

[PSYC 626b, Modularity and Cognition.]

[PSYC 627u, Infant Cognition.]

PSYC 628au, Working Memory, Attention, and Executive Processing. Christy Marshuetz. Mon/Wed 1-2.15
Graduate and advanced undergraduate students learn about and discuss recent developments in cognitive neuroscience: (1) What are working memory and attention? (2) How do they relate to one another? (3) Are executive processes distinct from working memory and attention? We consider questions from an interdisciplinary perspective with patient, behavioral, and neuroimaging studies.

PSYC 630bu, Consciousness, Volition, and Responsibility. Mahzarin Banaji. Monday 1.30-3.20
A study of the psychological and social bases of individual responsibility. Topics include: concept of free will, volition, self-control, awareness, and consciousness and their complements. Selections span neurobiological, cognitive, and socio-cultural approaches to examine fundamental questions regarding the manner in which responsibility is assigned and the consequences for both individuals and society.

[PSYC 632b, Comparative Psychology.]

PSYC 636a, Stereotyping and Prejudice. Mahzarin Banaji. Tuesday 1.30-3.20
The literature on the categorization of social groups that leads to stereotyping and consequent prejudice and discrimination. Topics include approaches to stereotyping with an emphasis on modern cognitive approaches.

[PSYC 638, Self-Evaluation.]

[PSYC 642b, Social Psychology and Social Change.]

[PSYC 646b, Advances in Cognitive Neuroscience: Prefrontal Cortex and Memory.]

[PSYC 648, Cellular Analysis of Learning: Vertebrate Model Systems.]

PSYC 654bu, Sensation. Lawrence Marks, Joseph Stevens. Thursday 3.30-5.20
A course on the senses, emphasizing functional properties of human vision, hearing, taste, smell, and skin senses.

[PSYC 656, Teaching Undergraduate Psychology.]

PSYC 657a, Social and Behavioral Influences on Health. Stanislav Kasl. Tuesday 10-11.50
This course provides students with an introduction to social and behavioral issues that influence patterns of health and health care delivery. The focus is on the integration of biomedical, social, psychological, and behavioral factors that must be taken into consideration when public health initiatives are developed and implemented.

PSYC 658a, Behavioral Decision Making. Ravi Dhar.
This seminar examines research on the psychology of judgment and choice. Although the normative issue of how decisions should be made is relevant, the main focus is on the descriptive issue of how decisions are made. Topics of discussion include choice, judgment heuristics and biases, decision framing, prospect theory, mental accounting, context effects, task effects, and regret. The goal of the seminar is threefold: to foster a critical appreciation of existing knowledge in behavioral decision theory, to develop the students' skills in identifying and testing interesting research ideas, and to explore research opportunities for adding to that knowledge. Also MGMT 753a.

PSYC 660bu, Child Development and Social Policy. Carol Ripple, Edward Zigler. Thursday 1.30-3.20
Theoretical and practical issues underlying the development and implementation of social policies affecting children and their families. Examination of several federal programs including Head Start and Day Care.

PSYC 661a, Clinical Diagnostic Evaluation of Children. Sara Sparrow, Mark Schaefer.
Covers major testing instruments used in the evaluation of children's cognitive, emotional, and academic development as well as adaptive functioning. Limited enrollment.

[PSYC 666, Health Cognition, Health Communication, and Health Behavior.]

PSYC 667bu, Neurobiology of Multiple Memory Systems. Mark Packard. Wednesday 1.30-3.20
Examination of the neurobiological organization of memory in the mammalian brain including both lower animals and humans.

[PSYC 669b, Neurochemical and Hormonal Modulation of Learning and Memory.]

PSYC 670bu, Visual Memory. Andrew Hollingworth. Thursday 2.30-4.20
An examination of memory for visual information, from brief forms of visual persistence to long-term visual memory. Topics include integration across saccadic eye movements, "change blindness," visual short-term/working memory, long-term memory for pictorial stimuli, and the role of attention in memory.

[PSYC 672, Concepts, Categories, and Word Meanings.]

PSYC 676au, Neuroscience Simulation Lab. Nicholas Carnevale. Thursday 1-5
Computer simulations take students through an intensive, interactive exploration of the physical basis of brain function. Emphasis on the origin and interaction of electrical and chemical signals in individual neurons and small circuits.

PSYC 677bu, Introduction to Computational Neuroscience. Nicholas Carnevale. Tues/Thurs 1-2.15
An introduction to the use of empirically based modeling as a means for understanding the functional consequences of the anatomical, biophysical, and pharmacological properties of neurons and neural circuits involved in perception, motor control, and learning. Also NSCI 529b.

[PSYC 678a, Psychology's Contribution to Gender and Vice Versa.]

PSYC 680b: The Concept of Control in Psychology: Consciousness, Volition, and Responsibility. Marcia Johnson, Mahzarin Banaji. Monday 1.30-3.20
A consideration of how "control" has been conceptualized in psychology. Topics include: concepts of conscious and unconscious processes, awareness, free will, volition, intention, and self-control. Readings include neurobiological, cognitive, and sociocultural levels of analysis to examine fundamental questions regarding the manner in which responsibility is assigned to oneself and others.

[PSYC 682a, Child and Adolescent Peer Relations.]

PSYC 684, Case Conference Seminar. Todd O'Hearn.
Interdisciplinary seminar in which students and faculty discuss case conceptualization and treatment planning for clinic patients.

[PSYC 688b, Psychotherapeutic Process: Clinical and Research Perspectives.]

PSYC 689a, Assessment and Clinical Practice. Todd O'Hearn.
Didactic practicum for first-year clinical students. Main emphasis is initial assessment. Treatment planning and evaluation of progress also covered. Students first observe and then perform initial interviews. Applicable ethics and local laws reviewed.

PSYC 690b, Advanced Diagnostic Skills. Todd O'Hearn.
This course provides first-year clinical students with extensive supervision on how to conduct diagnostic evaluations using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV.

PSYC 702, Current Work in Cognition. Christy Marshuetz. Tuesday 12-1.30
A weekly seminar in which students, staff, and guests report on their research in cognition and information processing.

PSYC 704, Current Work in Behavioral Neuroscience. Allan Wanger [F], Karyn Frick [Sp]. Friday 4-5.30
An informal student/faculty seminar in which each participant chooses, lays groundwork for, and presents some current work in behavioral neuroscience. Currently emphasizes the psychobiology of learning, but involves a variety of research approaches, designs, and methods.

PSYC 705, Current Work in Abilities and Expertise. Robert Sternberg. Monday 1.30-2.30
This seminar discusses current work in abilities and expertise viewed from a multidisciplinary approach. It consists of both presentations and discussions of recent readings.

PSYC 708, Current Work in Developmental Psychology. Faculty. Wednesday 12-1.30
A luncheon meeting of the faculty and graduate students in developmental psychology for reports of current research and discussion on topics of general interest.

PSYC 710, Current Work in Social Psychology and Personality. Geoffrey Cohen. Monday 12-1.30
Faculty and students in personality/social psychology meet during lunchtime to hear about and discuss the work of a local or visiting speaker.

PSYC 711, Current Work in Child Development and Social Policy. Edward Zigler. Friday 12-1.30
Guest lectures and discussion on recent topics in child development and social policy, and its influence on public policy in the United States.

[PSYC 715, Current Readings in Social Psychology.]

PSYC 717a, Ethical Issues in Psychology, Current Work and Current Research in Clinical Psychology. Jerome Singer. Thursday 12.30-1.20
Examination of the current status of research and scientific knowledge bearing on ethical issues in psychology as they relate to clinical practice. Weekly speakers present research which is examined methodologically; recent significant journal articles or technical books also reviewed.

[PSYC 719, History and Systems of Psychology: Current Work in Clinical Psychology.]

[PSYC 720, Current Work in Clinical Psychology.]

PSYC 721, Research Topics in Infant Cognition. Karen Wynn. Friday 1-3
Investigation of various topics in infant cognition: early mechanisms for representing and reasoning about number; infants' ability to represent time; early object knowledge; foundations of intentional understanding. Permission of instructor required.

PSYC 722, Research Topics in Eating and Weight Disorders. Kelly Brownell.
In-depth discussion and analysis of current research topics on bulimia, anorexia nervosa, and obesity. Topics include, but are not limited to, physiology, cultural influences, treatment studies, body image, binge eating, and epidemiology.

PSYC 723a, Research Topics in Child and Adolescent Therapy. Alan Kazdin.
This course focuses on the development and execution of research related to child and adolescent treatment, and the factors with which clinical dysfunction and therapeutic change are associated.

PSYC 727, Professional and Conceptual Issues in Psychology. Brian Scholl. Monday 5-7
Discussion of various professional and conceptual issues in psychology, in an informal atmosphere. Sample topics: How to decipher journal reviews and action letters; depth vs. breadth in research; how to sell yourself on the academic job market; academic hiring: from applying to negotiating a contract; what are the best/worst journals in each sub-area of psychology; how to balance control and ecological validity; what is psychology?

PSYC 728, Current Topics in Prevention Research. Joseph Mahoney.
The course discusses current theory and research on social intervention research and social policy. Format involves student presentation and discussion of original research, student- and faculty-led discussions of current topics in prevention research and social policy, and student development and career training in social intervention research and policy.

PSYC 729, Research Topics in Language and Cognition. Paul Bloom. Thursday 10-11.45
Seminar focusing on ongoing research projects in language, cognition, and development. Permission of instructor required.

PSYC 731, Research Topics in Cognition and Development. Frank Keil. Wednesday 2.30-4.20
A weekly seminar discussing research topics concerning cognition and development. Primary focus on high-level cognition, including such issues as: the nature of intuitive or folk theories, conceptual change, relations between word meaning and conceptual structure, understandings of divisions of cognitive labor, and reasoning about causal patterns.

PSYC 732, Research Topics in Visual Cognition. Andrew Hollingworth. Thursday 3.30-5.20
Weekly seminar discussion of current research in visual cognition, focusing on scene perception, eye movement control, attention, object recognition, and visual memory.

PSYC 749b, Research Topics in Memory. Marcia Johnson. Wednesday 10-12
Examines current research on cognition and memory, including discussion of proposed and ongoing research projects. Topics include issues in design, analysis, and interpretation of empirical studies exploring human memory.

PSYC 750, Research Topics in the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. Thomas Brown.
Discussion and analysis of current work on the neurobiological foundations of learning and memory systems in mammals. Informal weekly discussions span several levels of analysis, including molecular and biophysical studies, cellular and systems neurophysiology and neuroanatomy, and contemporary behavioral neuroscience.

PSYC 751, Research Topics in Memory, Aging, and Neurobiology. Karyn Frick. Friday 12.30-2.20
Weekly discussion of current work on the neurobiological basis of age-related memory dysfunction, sex differences in cognition, and other memory-related processes. Participants discuss these issues in an informal seminar format.

PSYC 767, Research Topics in Emotion, Health, and Social Behavior. Peter Salovey. Wednesday 3.30-5.20
A forum for graduate students conducting research in the Health, Emotion, and Behavior Laboratory.

PSYC 769, Research Topics in Intelligence and Thinking. Robert Sternberg.
A forum for students to discuss contemporary issues related to intelligence and thinking. Discussion of works of researchers within and outside the Yale community. Primarily consists of informal presentations by seminar members seeking to help them clarify their ideas for theory and research.

[PSYC 774, Research Topics in Personal Agency.]

PSYC 776, Research Topics in Social Cognition. Mahzarin Banaji.
Students plan and conduct research on topics in social cognition.

PSYC 777, Research Topics in Gender and Psychology. Marianne LaFrance.
This "gender lab" meets weekly to consider research being done in the department that bears on some gender-related issue.

PSYC 779, Research Topics and Current Work in Child and Adolescent Peer Relations. Mitchell Prinstein.
Lab meeting for ongoing studies of child and adolescent peer relationships and adjustments.

PSYC 801, Clinical Internship (Child). Faculty.
Advanced training in clinical psychology with children. Adapted to meet individual needs with location at a suitable APA-approved internship setting.

PSYC 802, Clinical Internship (Adult). Faculty.
Advanced training in clinical psychology with adults. Adapted to meet individual needs with location at a suitable APA-approved internship setting.

PSYC 806a, Practicum in Childhood Intervention. Edward Zigler.
Advanced supervised work in settings where child and family policies are developed and/or implemented. Adapted to meet individual needs with location at suitable sites.

PSYC 808, Practicum in Child Psychology. Sara Sparrow.

PSYC 809, Practicum in Assessment of School-Aged Children. Sara Sparrow.
An optional extension of PSYC 661. Students gain practical experience in testing with children.

PSYC 810, Practicum in Developmental Assessment. Linda Mayes.
Practicum in early childhood screening and assessment of infants and toddlers at high risk for social adaptive and emotional developmental problems.

PSYC 811, Anxiety Disorders Practicum. Faculty.
Discussion of current topics in psychopathology and treatment of anxiety disorders. Group supervision of therapy cases involving OCD, panic, social phobia.

PSYC 812a, Conduct Problem Practicum. Alan Kazdin.
Provides training in the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of aggressive and antisocial children and their families. Permission of the instructor required.

PSYC 813a, Eating and Weight Disorders Practicum. Kelly Brownell.
Practical work for graduate students in clinical psychology on therapeutic interventions for eating and weight disorders. Assessment, diagnosis, and treatment are covered.

PSYC 817, Other Clinical Practica. Faculty.
For credit under this course number, clinical students register for practicum experiences other than those listed elsewhere in clinical psychology, so that transcripts reflect accurately the various practicum experiences completed.

PSYC 821, Practicum in Clinical Child and Adolescent Treatment. Mitchell Prinstein.
This practicum includes clinical experiences with children, adolescents, and their families. Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral orientations are emphasized for treatment of childhood internalizing and externalizing disorders. Students gain substantial clinical experience, in-cluding psychotherapy hours using individual and family therapy modalities, didactic group therapy, and school consultation.

PSYC 883b, Practicum in Clinical Assessment. Donald Quinlan.
Supervised psychological assessment using measures of intellectual functioning, projective testing, and neuropsychological testing with patients.

PSYC 920, Individual Study: Dissertation Area Paper.
By arrangement with faculty.

PSYC 923, Individual Study: Theme Essay.
By arrangement with faculty.

PSYC 925, Individual Tutorial.
By arrangement with faculty and approval of director of graduate studies.

PSYC 930, Predissertation Research.
By arrangement with faculty.

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