Psychology Course Descriptions

PSY 103: Personality and Adjustment, 4 credits

Dynamics of adjustment and personality, motivation, and emotion; significance of clinical and organizational psychology.

Goals and Objectives
By the end of this course, Northwood wants students to:

1. Be able to analyze ways people deal with anxiety, stress, and crisis successfully or unsuccessfully.
2. Understand what our emotions mean, in terms of how we experience them and how we react to them.
3. Understand the inter- of the marital relationship.
4. Understand the purpose of family, effective parenting, and challenges to the modern family.
5. Understand the role our own sexuality plays in our lives.
6. Be able to explain abnormal behavior and its general categories.
7. Possess a healthy self-esteem.
8. Be aware of each person's responsibility for his or her choices, attitudes and feelings.
9. Understand the stages of grief and forgiveness.
10. Understand living a healthy and productive life having meaning and purpose.

PSY 106: Human Relations, 4 credits

The purpose of this course is to explore the evolution of human, ethnic, and racial relations in this country and to study how this has affected contemporary society. The course is designed to help students acquire an understanding of tolerance, human interaction, and the phenomenon of prejudice. This course will have a special focus on prejudice (of all kinds) and discrimination, as well as the powerful grip both have had on world culture for centuries. The course will explore the struggles and conflicts of daily life and the interpersonal relationships that impact people both socially and professionally.

PSY 109: Leadership Development, 1 credit

This course introduces students to concepts and skills related to leadership and targets incoming freshman students and undergraduate students who hold leadership positions across campus.  Theory-related content combined with the Northwood Idea and experiential teaching methods provide students with an opportunity to increase their understanding of leadership theory, examine how attitude about themselves and other influence leadership behavior, and stimulate the development of new skills through demonstration and practice. The focus of the course is on "leadership" the verb rather that "leadership" the noun.

Goals and Objectives
By the end of this course, Northwood wants students to:

1. To develop responsibility, self-esteem, initiative, creativity, leadership and school pride.
2. To increase knowledge of leadership techniques and theories.
3. To increase awareness of personal/professional effectiveness relative to working in groups.
4. To all students who participate in, or manage, co-curricular affairs.
5. To increase ability to see collaborative nature of leadership.
6. To encourage productive student-faculty relationships.
7. To apply new knowledge and skills to better the Northwood University campus and surrounding community.
8. To develop a four year plan containing both personal and professional improvement plans relative to Northwood University.
    

PSY 110: Introduction to College Studies, 1 credit

Analysis of good study and listening habits, the library, counseling services, and the objectives and philosophy of Northwood University. Students plan their college and occupational goals in writing in order to improve their chances of success based on their growth and maturity.

Goals and Objectives
By the end of this course, Northwood wants students to:

1. Understand the need for good study and listening habits.
2. Be aware of special services offered by Northwood University.
3. Be aware of social outlets available through Northwood University clubs, sports, and recreational groups.
4. Be familiar with the repercussions of substance abuse.
5. Have learned time management skills.
6. Have learned stress-reduction skills. 
7. Be familiar with diet and nutritional recommendations for healthy living.
8. Be comfortable with Northwood's administrative procedures including faculty advising, registration, and business office operations.
9. Fully understand how term grade average and cumulative grade point average are determined.

PSY 111: Strategies for Success, 2 credits

Explores study and learning strategies critical to success in college-level course work. Required of selected students but open to all. Class attendance is critical and mandatory.

Goals and Objectives
By the end of this course, Northwood wants students to:

1. Understand their responsibility for their own educational experiences in college.
2. Have improved ability to recall information.
3. Be able to manage time more efficiently.
4. Be able to read a textbook with improved retention.
5. Be able to prepare for and take tests.
6. Be able to take effective notes.
7. Be able to present clear reports, both written and verbal.
8. Be able to listen, for comprehension, to a lecture.

PSY 250: Principles of Psychology, 4 credits

This course explores how Psychology answers the questions of what is a human being's nature? and how do people impact others and the development of civilization? Using the scientific method as a basis for evaluation, students are introduced to important historical and contemporary theories of Psychology. No prerequisite.

Goals and Objectives
By the end of this course, Northwood wants students to:

1. Describe the scientific method as contrasted with philosophical inquiry.
2. Compare and contrast the work of B.F. Skinner, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Albert Ellis, and Carl Rogers.
3. Describe the biopsychological bases of behavior.
4. Compare and contrast Erikson's and Kohlberg's stages of psychosocial/moral development.
5. Compare Conscious and Unconscious impact on behavior.
6. Contrast classical and operant conditioning with cognitive learning.
7. Evaluate the effects of nature and nurture on intelligence, social development, and physical heath.
8. Describe emotional health, neurosis, and psychosis (including psychological disorders).
9. Analyze the definition of "normal and adjusted behavior."
10. Describe the differences and similarities between men and women.
11. Describe and contrast at least five different forms of therapy.
12. Evaluate the effectiveness of the above five forms of therapy based on the scientific method.
13. Analyze the effect of psychological well being on physical health.
14. Describe the significance of Freud's two books: Civilization and it's Discontents, and Future of an Illusion.
15. Analyze the work of Leon Festinger, including basic research designs of his experiments concerning cognitive dissonance.
16. Determine the basic nature of man, comparing the dark side with the higher road.

PSY 301: Applied Psychology, 4 credits

Theories, principles, and methods of general and applied psychology and specific procedures and problems in enterprise, education, government, and other institutions. Emphasis is placed on understanding the appropriate use of methods of selection, evaluation, training, supervision, and motivation of individuals in a variety of situations.
Prerequisite: PSY 103

Goals and Objectives
By the end of this course, Northwood wants students to:

1. Understand value systems and their application for selection, placement, supervision and motivation of employees.
2. Understand how the conscious and unconscious mind works and how to use visualization and positive self-talk for raising self-esteem and performance.
3. Understand behavior management skills for enhanced development of young people and subordinates.
4. Understand how to reduce stress and apply creative strategies for coping with change.
5. Be able to demonstrate the seven steps of assertive communication with problem-solving and decision making techniques and active listening for conflict management.
6. Be able to demonstrate understanding of the types of cognitive distortions which can lead to depression and which need to be replaced with rational and responsible thinking.
7. Have the ability to competently identify the characteristics of the hard "personality and show evidence of understanding how to improve one's own psychological resilience."
8. Understand the five-system theory of behavior and ability to analyze the work group from a psychological system approach and intervene with strategies for improving a dysfunctional human relations system.
9. Have the ability to competently explain the dynamic and behavior of the alcoholic, the co- dependent and the adult child of the alcoholic.

PSY 310: Issues for International Students, 1 credit

The purpose of this course is to provide international students with the information and tools necessary to be successful in their academic life at Northwood University and to make their life experience in the United States more fulfilling.

Goals and Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Understand the academic processes, which affect your academic and social life on campus.
2. Discuss Northwood University's expectations for behavior and discipline, and the dynamics of the diversity of the university and surrounding community.
3. Facilitate the transition to the American System of Education.
4. Understand the government regulations pertaining to International Students.
5. Help International Students better cope with "cultural and social adjustment".

PSY 500: Research Design and Methodology, 4 credits

This course provides an introduction to research design and methodology using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Students will learn basic information about reading and using research literature, writing research questions and hypotheses, identifying populations and samples, designing a research study, and writing a scholarly text such as a research proposal, journal article, monograph, or thesis/dissertation. The course will focus more heavily on quantitative methodology.
Prerequisite: MTH 333 or 231 (or equivalent)

Goals and Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Define basic concepts related to research and theory.
2. Understand the differences between basic and applied research and the use of these research results.
3. Understand the basic assumptions of the quantitative and qualitative research paradigms.
4. Understand the differences between inductive and deductive logic.
5. Review and synthesis of research literature within the framework of a research project.
6. Write research questions and formulate hypotheses.
7. Understand basic designs for qualitative and quantitative research.
8. Understand basic techniques for gathering and analyzing data.
9. Use the APA format, especially for source citations and bibliography in research.
10. Prepare a qualitative or quantitative research proposal on a topic of the student’s choice.