Current
Academic Calendar
2024/25
Academic Calendar 2024/25
Psychology
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English language proficiency requirements Students registering in post-secondary level courses (numbered 100 to 499) will be required to meet the requirements. Students in ELS or the University Foundations programs can register in those courses identified in the with lower levels of language proficiency. |
Please note that not all courses are offered every semester.
3 credits
Explorations in Psychology
Prerequisite(s): None.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This special topics course allows students to explore specific Psychological topics at an introductory level. Specific topics will vary by semester and by instructor. Check with Psychology department for more information.
Note: Designed for non-Psychology students with an interest in Psychology. PSYC 100 cannot be used to meet the requirements for Psychology major or extended minor.
Note: This course is offered with letter designations. Students can take no more than two different versions of this course for credit.
3 credits
Introduction to Psychology I
Prerequisite(s): Same as for ENGL 105; see ENGL 105 for details.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course introduces students to the field of psychology and its research methods, and surveys the basic perspectives of psychology with respect to learning, memory, thought, child development, sensation and perception, and physiology.
3 credits
Introduction to Psychology II
Prerequisite(s): Same as for ENGL 105; see ENGL 105 for details.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course introduces students to the field of psychology. The content areas covered are behavior, motivation, emotion, evolution, life span, personality, health, and psychological disorders.
3 credits
Applied Statistical Analysis in Psychology
Prerequisite(s): (PSYC 101 or PSYC 102) and one of the following: Essentials of Mathematics 11, Principles of Mathematics 11, Applications of Mathematics 11, Pre-Calculus 11, Foundations of Mathematics 11, Apprenticeship and Workplace Mathematics 11, MATH 084, MATH 085, or MSAT with 15/25 (60%) or better on Part A.
Corequisite(s): None
Pre- or corequisite(s): None
Covers the basic techniques of descriptive and inferential statistics and their applications to psychological research. Methods of graphing, measures of central tendency, dispersion, and various parametric and distribution-free tests are included.
3 credits
Topics and Issues in Psychology
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101 or PSYC 102.
Corequisite(s): None
Pre- or corequisite(s): None
This course is designed for non-Psychology major students who would like to take an elective in Psychology. The topics covered in the course may vary from year to year depending on the instructor. Check with the Psychology Department for more information.
4 credits
Research Methods in Psychology
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101 and PSYC 102
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): One of the following: PSYC 110, STAT 104, or STAT 106.
An introduction to the procedures used in psychological research. Topics include research ethics; scientific writing in APA format; experimental, descriptive, quasi-experimental, and developmental research designs; measurement in psychology; descriptive and inferential statistical analysis; and generalization and interpretation of research results. In the lab section, students will have the opportunity to design, conduct, and write up an original research project.
3 credits
Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101 and PSYC 102
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Surveys a range of topics within cognitive psychology, including pattern recognition, attention, memory, category formation, imagery, language, and decision making. Students explore classic and applied issues and participate in landmark experiments. Students review current literature on specific course-related topics of their choice.
3 credits
Introduction to Psychological Disorders
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101 and PSYC 102
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course surveys basic theory and research in abnormal psychology. Behavioural, cognitive, psychoanalytic, biopsychological, and humanistic perspectives are used to explore various clinical disorders including depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, sociopathy, and others. Assessment and treatment of disorders are also included.
Note: Credit cannot be obtained for both PSYC 241 and PSYC 341 (discontinued).
3 credits
Introduction to Lifespan Development
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101 and PSYC 102.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Introduces students to the study of human development across the lifespan. Students examine the major theories of human development and changes that occur in the areas of cognitive, perceptual, social, and emotional development.
3 credits
Introduction to Biological Psychology
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101 and PSYC 102
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
An introduction to the relationship between brain and behaviour. Students explore an overview of the nervous system, neuroanatomy, neural communication, research methods, neural plasticity, and the neural basis of selected complex behaviours.
3 credits
Intermediate Quantitative Methods and Statistical Inference in Psychology
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 202
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
An extension of the basic theory and methods underlying research design, data analysis, and statistical inference. Students learn the logic of quantitative methods, both descriptive and inferential in nature. They also apply this logic to research scenarios using statistical software and interpret the results of inferential tests.
3 credits
Psychology of Learning
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 202.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
In this course, students will study prominent learning processes including habituation, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and modeling. Learning issues related to discrimination, generalization, biological constraints on learning, and reinforcement will be discussed in the context of human and animal learning.
3 credits
Perception
Prerequisite(s): (PSYC 202 [formerly PSYC 210]) and (PSYC 221 or PSYC 280)
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course explores the question of how we create an internal representation of the external world from the information provided by our sensory systems. Specific topics covered may include neural organization of sensory systems, psychophysics research techniques, reading, speech, perception, recognition of faces and facial expressions, deficits in perception, and perception of art and music.
3 credits
The Psychology of Gender
Prerequisite(s): (PSYC 101) and (PSYC 102) and (one of the following: PSYC 202 [formerly PSYC 210], CRIM 220, KPE 301, KPE 400, or SOC 255/ANTH 255/MACS 255 [formerly SCMS 255]).
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course will look at the research on gender issues in a variety of subfields of psychology, including developmental, cognitive, abnormal, social, personality, psycholinguistics, and biopsychology. It will focus equally on men and women. Students are encouraged to apply relevant research to understanding the construction of gender in their own and other cultures.
3 credits
Psychological Assessment
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 202.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Examines the purpose, scope, and mechanics of psychological testing and assessment. Topics include theoretical issues in assessment, methodology of administering tests, relevant measurement and statistics, issues related to the application of assessment for specific populations, and an overview of currently used assessment instruments.
3 credits
Introduction to the Psychology of Music
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits including PSYC 101 and 102.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
An interdisciplinary introduction to research in the psychology of music, including the physical, perceptual, cognitive, social, and emotional properties of music; music processing in the brain; the evolution of music, learning, and memory in music; and development of music perception and production. A basic understanding of music may be helpful, but is not required.
Note: Students with credit for PSYC 200R cannot take this course for further credit.
3 credits
Qualitative Methods in Psychology
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101, PSYC 102, and one of the following: ANTH 255/MACS 255/SOC255, CRIM 220, KIN 301, KIN 400, or PSYC 202.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Focuses on the use of qualitative methods to examine research problems in psychology. Topics include the historical and philosophical roots of qualitative methods in psychology and the design and implementation of qualitative research studies, including various forms of qualitative data collection (such as textual, observational, and ethnographic) and analysis (such as narrative, discursive, and phenomenological).
Note: Students with credit for PSYC 491X cannot take this course for further credit.
3 credits
Memory
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 202 and PSYC 221.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Students explore the major areas of memory research. Topics include short-term, working, semantic, and autobiographical memory. Applied issues such as, aging and memory, memory within the context of the law, and the influence of culture on memory are examined.
3 credits
Psychology of Consciousness
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 221
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
A systematic study of consciousness from philosophical, theoretical, and applied points of view. Issues around free will, research on states of consciousness, research and theory on the relationship between brain and consciousness, perspectives on self and consciousness, artificial consciousness, and therapeutic use of cultivated states of consciousness are examined.
3 credits
Psychology of Health
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101, PSYC 102, and one of the following: CRIM 220, KIN 301, POSC 300, PSYC 202, or SOC 255/MACS 255 (formerly offered as ANTH 255).
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Contemporary models of health psychology are used to study psychological dimensions of health, illness, and healthcare. Topics may include psychophysiological mechanisms of stress, personality and health, psychosomatic illness, placebo effects, lifestyle and health behaviors, interventions, and the social determinants of health.
3 credits
Child Psychology
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 250 and one of PSYC 202, CRIM 220, KIN 301, or SOC 255/MACS 255 (formerly offered as ANTH 255).
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Students explore the psychological aspects of human development from conception through to adolescence. Topics include changes in physical, perceptual, language, emotional, social, and cognitive development.
3 credits
Adolescent Psychology
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 250 and one of PSYC 202, CRIM 220, KIN 301, or SOC 255/MACS 255 (formerly offered as ANTH 255).
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Considers the psychological aspects of adolescent development. Students explore changes in the areas of physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development from the end of childhood through young adulthood.
3 credits
Developmental Psychopathology
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 202, PSYC 241 and PSYC 351
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Students integrate developmental theory, theoretical perspectives on the origins and treatments of disordered behaviors in childhood, and relevant research findings in these areas. Behavior disorders of children are examined from social, cultural, and historical contexts. Students explore issues such as conduct disorders, autism, and attention, anxiety, and mood disorders.
3 credits
Adulthood and Aging
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 250 and one of PSYC 202, CRIM 220, KIN 301, or SOC 255/MACS 255 (formerly offered as ANTH 255).
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Students explore human development from young adulthood to old age. Included are theories of adult development and aging; environmental and biological factors in aging; and the physical, social, and psychological changes associated with aging such as changes in sensation, perception, learning, cognition, personality, psychopathology, and social relations.
3 credits
Social Psychology
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits including PSYC 101 and PSYC 102.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Provides broad overview of the field and theories/findings related to how we view and make inferences about our social world and form/modify our attitudes and social relations. Students apply content to local and global social issues/phenomena.
3 credits
Cultural Psychology
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits including PSYC 101 and PSYC 102.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Examines how the cultures in which people are embedded influence their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Weekly readings in the primary and secondary literature examine issues such as methodology, acculturation, and the relationships of culture with thinking, interpersonal relationships, the self, morality, mental health, aggression, and prejudice.
Note: Students with credit for PSYC 491J cannot take this course for further credit.
3 credits
Environmental Psychology
Prerequisite(s): 30 university-level credits including PSYC 101 and PSYC 102.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Tackling environmental crises requires behavioural change. This course considers impacts of environmental variables on human psychology. Students examine the roots of behaviours affecting the environment and assess how to change them. Students apply course concepts to real-world problems.
3 credits
Psychology of Language
Prerequisite(s): (PSYC 101) and (PSYC 102) and (one of the following: PSYC 202 [formerly PSYC 210], CRIM 220, KPE 301, KPE 400, or SOC 255/ANTH 255/MACS 255 [formerly SCMS 255]).
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Language is intrinsically interesting, but also particularly relevant to psychologists. Experiments rely upon language to convey instructions and collect data, while therapeutic interventions rely on communication between psychologist and client. Topics covered in this course will be drawn from many areas of psychology as well as other disciplines in an attempt to understand the complex nature of human language. Specific topics may include linguistics theories, animal language, sign language, neural mechanisms of language, evolution of language, language production and comprehension, multilingualism, and social context of language.
3 credits
Political Psychology
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits including two of the following: PSYC 101, PSYC 102, POSC 100, POSC 110, POSC 120, or POSC 230.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Surveys the interdisciplinary field of political psychology. Students will apply psychological concepts—drawn from personality theory, cognition, and group dynamics—to understand political phenomena. Students reflect on how psychological theory can be used to understand current and historic political events.
3 credits
Introduction to Personality Theory
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101, PSYC 102, and one of the following: CRIM 220, KIN 301, PSYC 202, or SOC 255/MACS 255 (formerly offered as ANTH 255).
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Students are introduced to the central theories of personality and evaluate current developments regarding its conceptualization and measurement. Personality is examined from various theoretical perspectives including psychoanalysis, neo-analysis, psychosocial needs and motives, and cognitive. Biological and behavioural genetics are also explored. Current research on traits and the structure of personality are examined. Students will apply personality theory and research findings to the study of human lives.
3 credits
Current Issues in Personality
Prerequisite(s): (PSYC 101) and (PSYC 102) and (one of PSYC 202 (formerly PSYC 210), CRIM 220, KPE 301, KPE 400, or SOC 255/ANTH 255/MACS 255 (formerly SCMS 255)).
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Conceptions of personality and its key historical developments are considered. The course begins with Freud's theory of personality, its status and influence on psychology in general. Methods of test construction, validation, and assessment are examined. The primary focus is on research, highlighting areas such as behaviour genetics, personality neuroscience, attachment theory, evolutionary personality, the Big Five, and how personality predicts important life outcomes.
3 credits
Fundamentals of Clinical Psychology
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 241 and one of the following: CRIM 220, KIN 301, PSYC 202, or SOC 255/MACS 255 (formerly offered as ANTH 255).
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Professional issues and selected topics in the discipline of clinical psychology are examined. Students explore the history of clinical psychology, educational and training requirements, and career options. Professional ethical guidelines, ethical decision making, and applications are introduced. Students examine assessments, interventions, and current research in clinical psychology. Treatment outcomes and comparative cultural systems of interventions will be explored.
3 credits
Neuropsychology
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 280
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Students explore areas of both clinical and experimental neuropsychology. Topics include the assessment of cognitive and behavioural functions such as memory, language, attention, and spatial skills; the nature of neurodegenerative diseases and other forms of neuropathology such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and traumatic brain injury; the treatment of brain pathology; and the application of information gained through the study of patients to the understanding of the nervous system.
3 credits
Drugs and Behaviour
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 280 and one of the following: CRIM 220, KIN 301, POSC 300, PSYC 202, or SOC 255/MACS 255 (formerly offered as ANTH 255).
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Students explore the basics of psychopharmacology, with an emphasis on understanding the effects of psychoactive drugs on neural communication and behaviour. Topics include neurotransmission, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, the relationship between neurotransmitters and behaviour, experimental analysis of psychoactive drugs in humans and animals, and the social and cognitive context of psychoactive drug effects.
3 credits
Evolutionary Psychology
Prerequisite(s): Prerequisites (or NONE): Â Â Â Â PSYC 101, PSYC 102, and one of the following: CRIM 220, KIN 301, POSC 300, PSYC 202, or SOC 255/MACS 255 (formerly offered as ANTH 255).
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Students explore diverse areas in psychology such as cognitive, social, physiological, and personality from an adaptive evolutionary perspective. Survival and reproductive behaviours are examined through an evolutionary lens, utilizing typical research methods. Topics include gender differences in mate selection/retention, parenting, kinship, cooperative alliances, aggression, status, cross-cultural concerns, and inter-gender conflict.
3 credits
Social Psychology of Groups
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits including PSYC 101 and PSYC 102.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Provides broad overview of social psychology of groups, focusing on theory, methodology, and findings applied to group cohesion, development, power, leadership, and performance. Students integrate and apply course content and emerging research findings to explain group-related phenomena.
3 credits
History and Philosophy of Psychology
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 202 and 15 credits of upper-level psychology.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Concentrates on the history and philosophy of psychology. Critically examines the major schools and systems of thought, their underlying philosophical assumptions, and the links between psychological systems of thought and broader intellectual and social currents.
3 credits
Heuristics, Biases, and Critical Thinking
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits including PSYC 202 and PSYC 221.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Examines the heuristics and biases that people use in their thinking, and how the use of these heuristics and biases may lead to a distorted understanding of the world. Techniques for minimizing such distortions will be taught and applied to real-world issues, so that the students can develop metacognitive strategies for critical thinking.
Note: Students with credit for PSYC 491T cannot take this course for further credit.
3 credits
Social Cognition
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 202 and one of PSYC 325 or PSYC 360.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This seminar course examines issues in social cognition, a field which uses the methods of cognitive psychology to examine social phenomena. Topics include the self, goals, social rejection, stereotypes, and implicit cognition. Students will apply topics to current social issues.
3 credits
Honours Seminar
Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into the Psychology Honours program.
Corequisite(s): PSYC 498.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Honours students will gain knowledge and skill in the practice of research and for careers in academia. Students will develop and defend their thesis proposals, develop writing and editorial skills, and learn about other topics such as ethical research principles, funding, and applying for graduate school.
3 credits
Selected Topics in Psychology
Prerequisite(s): 45 university level credits, including PSYC 101 and 102, and instructor’s permission.
Corequisite(s): None
Pre- or corequisite(s): None
This seminar course critically reviews theory, methods, and research results in a selected sub-area of psychology.
Note: Students should check with the Psychology department to determine the content area and prerequisites for a particular semester.
3 credits
Directed Studies
Prerequisite(s): Department's permission
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This is an independent reading and research in topics course, selected in consultation with a supervising instructor.
Note: Students who have already completed a directed studies course in Psychology should register under PSYC 493B. Students cannot register in either PSYC 493A or PSYC 493B without first filling out a contract with the instructor.
3 credits
Directed Studies
Prerequisite(s): Department's permission, major in Psychology
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This is an independent reading and research in topics course, selected in consultation with a supervising instructor. This course is designed for students who wish to engage in directed studies further to those completed in PSYC 493A.
Note: Students cannot register in either PSYC 493A or PSYC 493B without first filling out a contract with the instructor.
5 credits
Directed Studies
Prerequisite(s): Psychology major, 90 credits, permission of instructor and department
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This is an independent research or field experience course, selected in consultation with a supervising instructor and the Psychology Department.
6 credits
Psychology Honours Project Part I
Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into the Psychology Honours program.
Corequisite(s): PSYC 490.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Under the direction of their faculty advisor, students will critically review the literature, develop a complete research proposal, evaluate ethical aspects of research projects, and begin to prepare the materials for their project. The second half of the honours project is completed in PSYC 499.
6 credits
Psychology Honours Project Part II
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 490 and PSYC 498.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Students collect and analyze data for the honours research project previously developed in PSYC 498. They write their honours thesis following APA format guidelines and/or standards of their research area, and present their work.
Last updated: November 1, 2024