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Bulletin Archive

This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Graduate courses in Psychology

Primarily for graduate students; undergraduates may enroll with consent of instructor.

PSYCH 192. Career and Personal Counseling

(Same as EDUC 134, EDUC 234.) Methods of integrating career and personal counseling with clients and counselors from differing backgrounds. Practice with assessment instruments. Case studies of bicultural role conflict. Informal experience in counseling. (PSE)

3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 201. Social Psychology Lecture Series

Required of social psychology graduate students. Guest lecturers from Stanford and other institutions. May be repeated for credit.

3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 202. Cognitive Neuroscience

Graduate core course. The anatomy and physiology of the brain. Methods: electrical stimulation of the brain, neuroimaging, neuropsychology, psychophysics, single-cell neurophysiology, theory and computation. Neuronal pathways and mechanisms of attention, consciousness, emotion, language, memory, motor control, and vision. Prerequisite: 207 or consent of instructor.

3 units, Spr (McClure, S)

PSYCH 204A. Computational Neuroimaging

Advanced seminar. For students working with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The physiological basis of the signal measured using fMRI. Possibilities for experiment design and interpretation of the signal with respect to other physiological and behavioral measurements. Emphasis is on experimental design, software tools, and pulse sequences for fMRI experiments.

1-3 units, Spr (Wandell, B)

PSYCH 204B. Computational Neuroimaging: Analysis Methods

Neuroimaging methods with focus on data analysis techniques. Basic MR physics and BOLD signals. Methods for neuroimaging data using real and simulated data sets. Topics include: linearity of the fmri signal; time versus space resolution tradeoffs; noise in neuroimaging; correlation analysis; visualization methods; cortical reconstruction, inflation, and flattening; reverse engineering; can cognitive states be predicted from brain activation? Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

1-3 units, alternate years, not given this year

PSYCH 205. Foundations of Cognition

Topics: attention, memory, language, similarity and analogy, categories and concepts, learning, reasoning, and decision making. Emphasis is on processes that underlie the capacity to think and how these are implemented in the brain and modeled computationally. The nature of mental representations, language and thought, modular versus general purpose design, learning versus nativism. Prerequisite: 207 or consent of instructor.

1-3 units, Win (Ramscar, M)

PSYCH 206. Cortical Plasticity: Perception and Memory

Seminar. Topics related to cortical plasticity in perceptual and memory systems including neural bases of implicit memory, recognition memory, visual priming, and perceptual learning. Emphasis is on recent research with an interdisciplinary scope, including theory, behavioral findings, neural mechanisms, and computational models. May be repeated for credit. Recommended: 30, 45.

1-3 units, Win (Grill-Spector, K; Wagner, A)

PSYCH 207. Professional Seminar for First-Year Ph.D. Graduate Students

Required of and limited to first-year Ph.D. students in Psychology. Major issues in contemporary psychology with historical backgrounds.

2-3 units, Aut (Wandell, B)

PSYCH 208. Advanced Topics in Self-Defense

Seminar. Threat to the self and how people deal with them. Readings from social psychological areas including social comparison, self-affirmation, self-completion, self-discrepancy, shame and guilt, terror management, dimensions of self-worth, self-regulation, self-presentation, psychophysiology, and moral identity. Enrollment limited to 15.

1-3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 209. The Neural Basis of Cognition: A Parallel Distributed Processing Approach

The neural basis of perception and attention; memory, learning, and semantic knowledge; language and reading; and action selection, planning, and problem solving. Findings from human behavioral experiments, neurophysiology, functional brain imaging, and the effects of brain disorders on performance; computational models that address these findings from the parallel distributed processing point of view which holds that brain representations are patterns of activity over widely dispersed populations of neurons, that mental processing involves coherent distributed engagement of neurons in these populations, and that learning occurs primarily through the adjustment of the strengths of the connections between the neurons. Corequisite: 209B.

3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 209A. The Neural Basis of Cognition: A Parallel Distributed Processing Approach

Models and data to support the notion that brain representations are patterns of activity over widely dispersed populations of neurons, that mental processing involves coherent distributed engagement of neurons in these populations, and that learning and development occur primarily through the adjustment of the strengths of the connections between the neurons. How models may be used to explain aspects of human cognition, development, and effects of brain damage on cognition. Prerequisites: linear algebra, differential equations, a programming course, and two courses in psychology or neuroscience.

1-4 units, Win (McClelland, J)

PSYCH 209B. Applications of Parallel Distributed Processing Models to Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience

Research seminar. Builds on project proposal developed in 209A. Hands-on use of computational models to address phenomena in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Classic and modern papers, and student presentations of their own projects. Final paper in the form of a journal article submission. Prerequisite: 209A.

4 units, Spr (McClelland, J)

PSYCH 210. Foundations of Memory

Memory and human cognition. Behavioral and neural data indicate that memory is not a unitary faculty but consists of multiple systems that support learning and remembering, each with its own processing characteristics and neurobiological substrates. What is known about memory emphasizing the cognitive and neural architectures of working, declarative, and nondeclarative memory. Recommended: 45.

3 units, alternate years, not given this year

PSYCH 211. Developmental Psychology

Prerequisite: 207 or consent of instructor.

1-3 units, Win (Markman, E; Dweck, C)

PSYCH 212. Social Psychology

Classic studies in experimental social psychology. Group and group dynamics; compliance and social pressure; conformity, cooperation, conflict, and social dilemmas; attraction and preference; attitudes and attitude change; social comparison, emotion, and affiliation; dissonance, consistency, and self-justification; attribution and self-perception; judgment and decision making, motivation, automaticity, and culture. Prerequisite: 207 or consent of instructor.

1-3 units, Win (Lepper, M)

PSYCH 213. Personality and Psychopathology

Historical trends, theoretical issues, and empirical approaches to the study of individual differences in personality and psychopathology. Topics include: trait approach for describing individual differences; its role in exploring such topics as the importance of the person by situation interaction; and psychometric themes and issues. Individual differences in motivation manifested in attachment styles in childhood and adulthood; stress, coping, health; self and self-regulation; and severe forms of psychopathology. Prerequisite: 207 or consent of instructor.

1-3 units, Spr (Horowitz, L)

PSYCH 215. Mind, Culture, and Society

Social psychology from the context of society and culture. The interdependence of psychological and sociocultural processes: how sociocultural factors shape psychological processes, and how psychological systems shape sociocultural systems. Theoretical developments to understand social issues, problems, and polity. Works of Baldwin, Mead, Asch, Lewin, Burner, and contemporary theory and empirical work on the interdependence of psychology and social context as constituted by gender, ethnicity, race, religion, and region of the country and the world. Prerequisite: 207 or consent of instructor.

3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 216. Public Policy and Social Psychology: Implications and Applications

(Same as IPS 207B, PUBLPOL 205B.) Theories, insights, and concerns of social psychology relevant to how people perceive issues, events, and each other, and links between beliefs and individual and collective behavior. Topics include: situationist and subjectivist traditions of applied and theoretical social psychology; social comparison, dissonance, and attribution theories; social identity, stereotyping, racism, and sources of intergroup conflict and misunderstanding; challenges to universality assumptions regarding human motivation, emotion, and perception of self and others; the problem of producing individual and collective changes in norms and behavior.

4 units, Spr (Ross, L)

PSYCH 217. Topics and Methods Related to Culture and Emotion

Preference to graduate students. How cultural factors shape emotion and other feeling states. Empirical and ethnographic literature, theories, and research on culture and emotion. Applications to clinical, educational, and occupational settings. Research in psychology, anthropology, and sociology. May be repeated for credit.

1-3 units, Win (Tsai, J)

PSYCH 218. Early Social Cognitive Development

Current literature on social and cognitive development in infancy emphasizing the interface between the two domains. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

1-3 units, Spr (Johnson, S)

PSYCH 220. Topics in Cognitive Development

Topics change each year. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: graduate standing in Psychology or consent of instructor.

1-3 units, Spr (Markman, E)

PSYCH 220S. Temptations and Self Control

(Same as PSYCH 120S.) Why do people do things they come to regret, such as lack of exercise, angry words, overeating, unsafe sex, or dangerous driving? How can they minimize such behaviors? Sources include classical and current research from experimental psychology, neuroscience, behavioral economics, and neuroeconomics. Emphasis is on real-world applications.

3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 221. Applied Vision and Image Systems

The design and control of color imaging devices (display, printers, cameras, and scanners). Aspects of human vision relevant to software and hardware design. Topics: digital halftoning, color calibration, color metrics, flicker sensitivity, motion compensation, human spatial resolution, visual masking, JPEG principles, printer design, scanner design, and color software architecture. Lab.

1-3 units, Win (Wandell, B)

PSYCH 223. Social Norms

(Same as OB 630.) Research and theory on the origins and function of social norms. Topics include the estimation of public opinion, the function of norms as ideals and standards of judgment, and the impact of norms on collective and individual behavior. How to identify and formulate tractable research questions.

4 units, Spr (Staff)

PSYCH 226. Models and Mechanisms of Memory

Current topics in memory as explored through computational models addressing experimental findings and physiological and behavioral investigations. Topics include: explicit and inplict learning; role of MTL structures in learning and memory; and single versus dual processes approaches to recognition. May be repeated for credit.

1-3 units, Aut (McClelland, J; Wagner, A)

PSYCH 227. Seminar in Psycholinguistics

(Same as LINGUIST 247.) May be repeated for credit.

2-4 units, not given this year

PSYCH 228. Ion Transport and Intracellular Messengers

(Same as PSYCH 121.) (Graduate students register for 228.) Ion channels, carriers, ion pumps, and their regulation by intracellular messengers in a variety of cell types. Lab demonstrations and hands-on introduction to techniques such as patch clamping. Recommended: 120 or introductory course in biology or human biology.

1-3 units, Spr (Wine, J)

PSYCH 232. Brain and Decision Making

Neuroeconomics combines experimental techniques from neuroscience, psychology, and experimental economics, such as electrophysiology, fMRI, eye tracking, and behavioral studies, and models from computational neuroscience and economics. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

3 units, Spr (Knutson, B)

PSYCH 233. MATLAB and Psychtoolbox for the Behavioral Sciences

Topics such as experiment design, stimulus presentation, counterbalancing, response collection, data analysis, and plotting. Programming experiments. Final project programming a complete behavioral experiment relevant to student's research. Prerequisite: introductory programming such as CS 105 or 106, or consent of instructor.

1-3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 234. Topics in Affective Disorders

Current research topics including epidemiology and phenomenology of affective disorders, psychological theories of depression, gender differences in affective disorders, cognitive and social functioning of depressed persons, psychobiology of affective disorders, depression in children, postpartum depression, suicide issues in the treatment of depression, and cultural aspects of affective disorders. Prerequisite: graduate standing in Psychology or consent of instructor.

1-3 units, given next year

PSYCH 236. The Social Self

The psychological bases of complex social organization such as work teams and national and cultural identities. Topics include: the effect of social influence on perception, beliefs, attitudes, emotions, and behaviors; shared intentionality; and the relational bases of learning, motivation, and performance. Works of classic scholars (Asch, Lewin) and contemporary researchers in social, developmental, and comparative psychology. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.

3 units, Win (Walton, G)

PSYCH 238. Wise Interventions

(Same as PSYCH 138.) Classic and contemporary psychological interventions; the role of psychological factors in social reforms for social problems involving healthcare, the workplace, education, intergroup, relations, and the law. Topics include theories of intervention, the role of laboratory research, evaluation, and social policy.

4 units, Spr (Walton, G)

PSYCH 239A. Birds to Words: Cognition, Communication, and Language

(Same as HUMBIO 145, PSYCH 137.) Although the communicative abilities of animals are determined by their genetic endowment, and human communicative skills dwarf those of other species, the relation between language and genetics remains the subject of debate. Is human language genetically specified? Or are human communicative powers just one facet of human cognitive advantage? Focus is on the nature and origins of language, using evidence from studies of animals, children, and adults.

4 units, Aut (Fernald, A; Ramscar, M)

PSYCH 243. General Development Seminar

May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: consent of instructors.

1-2 units, Win (Markman, E; Fernald, A; Johnson, S)

PSYCH 244. Psychology of Aging

Theory and research in gerontology. Normal and abnormal changes that occur in biological, cognitive, and psychological aging. Emphasis is on the environmental factors that influence the aging process. Prerequisite: graduate standing in Psychology or consent of instructor.

1-3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 245. Social Psychological Perspectives on Stereotyping and Prejudice

(Same as PSYCH 180.) Classic and contemporary social psychological approaches to prejudice and stereotyping. Emphasis is on how stereotypes are employed and maintained, and the influence of stereotyping and prejudice on behavior in domains including education, employment, politics, and law. Limited enrollment.

3 units, Spr (Eberhardt, J)

PSYCH 246. Cognitive and Neuroscience Friday Seminar

Participant presentations. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: graduate standing in psychology or neuroscience program.

1 unit, Aut (Boroditsky, L; Wagner, A), Win (Boroditsky, L; Wagner, A), Spr (Boroditsky, L; Wagner, A)

PSYCH 249. Human Motivation

Current research and theory including questions concerning the nature of human motives, intrinsic motivation, self-regulation, the roles of affect and cognition, and lifespan and cultural influences on motivation. Prerequisite: 207 or consent of instructors.

1-3 units, Spr (Dweck, C; Lepper, M)

PSYCH 250. High-level Vision

Interdisciplinary focus on topics of high level vision from research in psychology, neuroscience and computer science. Theories, ongoing debates in the field, and recent empirical findings. Theories and models of object and face recognition. How is invariant object recognition accomplished? What are the neural mechanisms of object and face recognition? Are faces special? What is the role of experience in shaping object and face representations? Recommended: 30

1-3 units, Spr (Grill-Spector, K)

PSYCH 251. Affective Neuroscience

Theory and research. Comparative and human research approaches map affective function to neuroanatomical and neurochemical substrates. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 252. Statistical Methods for Behavioral and Social Sciences

For students who seek experience and advanced training in empirical research. Analysis of data from experimental through factorial designs, randomized blocks, repeated measures; regression methods through multiple regression, model building, analysis of covariance; categorical data analysis through two-way tables. Integrated with the use of statistical computing packages. Prerequisite: 10 or equivalent.

1-6 units, Aut (Thomas, E; Monin, B)

PSYCH 253. Statistical Theory, Models, and Methodology

Practical and theoretical advanced data analytic techniques such as loglinear models, signal detection, meta-analysis, logistic regression, reliability theory, and factor analysis. Prerequisite: 252 or EDUC 257.

3 units, Spr (Thomas, E)

PSYCH 257. Individually Supervised Practicum

Satisfies INS requirements for curricular practical training. Relevant experience for graduate students as part of their program of study. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: graduate standing in Psychology, consent of adviser.

3-5 units, Aut (Staff), Win (Staff), Spr (Staff), Sum (Staff)

PSYCH 258. Graduate Seminar in Social Psychology Research

For students who are already or are planning to become involved in research on social construal and the role that it plays in a variety of phenomena, notably the origin and escalation of conflict. (Zajonc)

1-3 units, Aut (Zajonc, R), Win (Zajonc, R), Spr (Zajonc, R)

PSYCH 259. Emotions: History, Theories, and Research

(Same as PSYCH 158.) Graduate students register for 259. Theoretical and empirical issues in the domain of emotions. The history of emotion theories, current approaches, and the interaction between emotion and cognition.

1-3 units, Win (Zajonc, R)

PSYCH 260. Reinforcement Learning in the Brain

Recent advances in neural and behavioral models of reinforcement learning. Reinforcement learning models. Key findings in applying models to brain activity and behavior.

2-3 units, Spr (Staff)

PSYCH 261. Emotion

(Same as PSYCH 161.) (Graduate students register for 261.) The scientific study of emotion. Topics: models of emotion, emotion antecedents, emotional responses (facial, subjective, and physiological), functions of emotion, emotion regulation, individual differences, and health implications. Focus is on experimentally tractable ideas.

3 units, Win (Gross, J)

PSYCH 261A. Learning and Cognition in Activity

(Same as EDUC 295.) Methods and results of research on learning, understanding, reasoning, problem solving, and remembering, as aspects of participation in social organized activity. Principles of coordination that support cognitive achievements and learning in activity settings in work and school environments.

3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 262. Language and Thought

(Same as PSYCH 131.) The psychology of language including: production and understanding in utterances; from speech sounds to speaker's meaning; children's acquisition of the first language; and the psychological basis for language systems. Language functions in natural contexts and their relation to the processes by which language is produced, understood, and acquired. Prerequisite: 1 or LINGUIST 1.

4 units, Aut (Clark, H)

PSYCH 266. Current Debates in Learning and Memory

Memory is not a unitary faculty, but consists of multiple forms of learning and remembering. The cognitive and neural architectures of memory, focusing on the application of functional brain imaging (primarily fMRI and ERP). Recommended: 45

1-3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 267. Human Memory: Facts, Fallacies, and Fragile Powers

Seminar. Applications of memory concepts in everyday life and in social and clinical settings. Topics include personal identity, childhood amnesia, autobiographic memory, emotions and memory, memory distortions, illusions, self-serving biases, recovery of repressed memories, false memories, implicit memories, and unconscious influences on social behavior, with applications to psychopathology.

1-3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 268. Emotion Regulation

(Same as PSYCH 168.) (Graduate students register for 268.) The scientific study of emotion regulation. Topics: historical antecedents, conceptual foundations, autonomic and neural bases, individual differences, developmental and cultural aspects, implications for psychological and physical health. Focus is on experimentally tractable ideas.

3 units, Spr (Gross, J)

PSYCH 269. Graduate Seminar in Personality Research

May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: graduate standing in Psychology. (Gotlib)

1 unit, Aut (Gotlib, I), Win (Gotlib, I), Spr (Gotlib, I)

PSYCH 270. The Psychology of Everyday Morality

(Same as PSYCH 179.) (Graduate students register for 270.) For graduate students, coterms, and senior Psychology majors. Traditional approaches focusing on how morality colors mundane human activities such as eating and on morality as defined by actors themselves rather than social scientists. Moral hypocrisy, food and disgust, taboo trade-offs, moral reproach, and prejudice with compunction. Limited enrollment. Prerequisite: 70 and consent of instructor.

4 units, not given this year

PSYCH 272. Special Topics in Psycholinguistics

May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

1-3 units, Spr (Clark, H)

PSYCH 273. Graduate Seminar on Language, Cognition, and Perception

Current topics and debates. Readings from psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, ethology, anthropology, and philosophy. May be repeated for credit.

3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 275. Graduate Research

Intermediate-level research undertaken with members of departmental faculty. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

1-15 units, Aut (Staff), Win (Staff), Spr (Staff), Sum (Staff)

PSYCH 279. Topics in Cognitive Control

The processes that enable flexible behavior by biasing contextually relevant perceptual, mnemonic, and response representations or processing pathways. Cognitive control is central to volitional action, allowing work with memory, task/goal states, and overriding inappropriate responses. Current models of cognitive control, functional neuroimaging, and neuropsychological evidence. Recommended: 45.

1-3 units, not given this year

PSYCH 281. Practicum in Teaching

Enrollment limited to teaching assistants in selected Psychology courses. May be repeated for credit.

1-5 units, Aut (Staff), Win (Staff), Spr (Staff), Sum (Staff)

PSYCH 282. Practicum in Teaching PSYCH 1

Logistical TA training including: preparing for sections; creating, correcting exams; grading an iterative writing assignment; office hours; review sessions; developing audiovisual expertise; communicating via coursework. Review of student evaluations with instructor to set goals and strategies. Second quarter focuses on pedagogical improvement. Limited to current PSYCH 1 TAs. May be repeated for credit.

1-2 units, Aut (Gross, J), Win (Monin, B), Spr (Knutson, B)

PSYCH 283. International Conflict Resolution Colloquium

(Same as POLISCI 403.) (Same as LAW 611.) Sponsored by the Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation (SCICN). Conflict, negotiation, and dispute resolution with emphasis on conflicts and disputes with an international dimension, including conflicts involving states, peoples, and political factions such as the Middle East and Northern Ireland. Guest speakers. Issues including international law, psychology, and political science, economics, anthropology, and criminology.

1 unit, Win (Weiner, A; Holloway, D; Ross, L)

PSYCH 286. The Psychology of Everyday Morality

(Same as PSYCH 186.) Recent literature on morality from a social psychological perspective. Topics include moral judgment, moral intuitions, moral hypocrisy, moral identity, moralization, moral reproach, shame and guilt, temptations, and self-regulation. Contemporary psychological research emphasizing descriptive approaches (what people actually do) rather than normative ones (what one should do).

3 units, Win (Monin, B)

PSYCH 290. Graduate Research Methods

Primary tool use for psychologists: basics of experiment design; computer-based experiments; web-based experiments; data analysis packages and data presentation; exploratory statistics; eye-tracking methods; psychophysiology methods; survey construction; corpus and discourse analysis; and perhaps hypnosis. Prerequisite: Ph.D. student in Psychology.

2 units, not given this year

PSYCH 291. Psychology Teaching Methods

Open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Principles of good teaching. Students practice teaching skills.

1-2 units, not given this year

PSYCH 297. Seminar for Coterminal Master of Arts

Contemporary issues and student research. Student and faculty presentations.

1-2 units, Aut (Clark, H), Win (Clark, H), Spr (Clark, H)

PSYCH 299. Temptations and Self Control

(Same as PSYCH 199.) (Graduate students register for 299.) Why do people do things that that they come to regret? How can people minimize behavior such as exercise avoidance, angry words, overeating, unsafe sex, and dangerous driving? Sources include classical and current research from experimental psychology, neuroscience, behavioral economics, and neuroeconomics. Real-world applications.

2 units, not given this year

PSYCH 459. Frontiers in Interdisciplinary Biosciences

(Same as BIO 459, BIOC 459, BIOE 459, CHEMENG 459, CHEM 459.) Students register through their affiliated department; otherwise register for CHEMENG 459. For specialists and non-specialists. Sponsored by the Stanford BioX Program. Three seminars per quarter address scientific and technical themes related to interdisciplinary approaches in bioengineering, medicine, and the chemical, physical, and biological sciences. Leading investigators from Stanford and the world present breakthroughs and endeavors that cut across core disciplines. Pre-seminars introduce basic concepts and background for non-experts. Registered students attend all pre-seminars; others welcome. See http://biox.stanford.edu/courses/459.html. Recommended: basic mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics.

1 unit, Aut (Robertson, C), Win (Robertson, C), Spr (Robertson, C)

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