Topics include cognitive biases, the relationship between attitudes and behavior, conformity and persuasion, interpersonal attraction, altruism, prejudice and aggression. Primary emphasis will be on relating brain and nervous system functioning with basic psychological processes, such as motivation, emotion, sleeping, learning, memory, and abnormal behavior. Topics covered will include neurosis, schizophrenia, sexual deviation, affective disorders, personality disorders, psychosomatic disorders, and the process of adjustment to stress. Attention will be given to personality, social and religious factors, and their role in mental health. An introduction to research methods with a review of statistical analytic techniques.
Students complete a research project that culminates in a final paper and conference presentation.
Research methods are evaluated from a Christian perspective. Some of the specific topics will include behavior modification, memory function, problem solving, reasoning, and perception. Several activities and discussions will be directed to the application of these concepts to educational, clinical, and other applied settings. Throughout the course students will be challenged to critique much of the theory and application in the light of biblical models of personhood. The course will also overview various testing principles, objectinve and projective tests, and test interpretation.