Psychology

Course 1 and 2: Psychology of Motivation: Why People Do the Things They Do

If you've ever asked the question: "Why does he/she do that?" Or "Why can't I stop doing what I know is bad for me?" then you are in good company.  Many great thinkers have asked these questions.  Fortunately, contemporary social psychology has made great strides in answering these.  This course will survey modern research in the field.  It really isn't all about Freud anymore.  In this course, we will: present modern approaches to motivation, do some basic research using our own population of students, and use the scientific method to understand human nature in everyday life.

Course 3 and 4: Applied Social Psychology

Social psychology is the most dynamic branch of psychology today.  Social psychologists study individual human behavior as it is influenced in social (group) situations.  A great deal of basic social psychology research is applied in very important aspects of everyday life.  This course will survey the major applications of social psychology in our society.  These include: politics, marketing, health and sport psychology, law, and persuasion/communication.  If you want get an idea of how important psychology is in our lives, you will want to take this course.