aCademiC Catalog 2013-2014 - Lorenzo de Medici

altruism, the development of gender roles, stereotypes, nonverbal
behavior, and social influence. Students will acquire
a new framework for interpreting social behavior. Among
the topics explored in the course are socialization, language
acquisition, interpersonal behavior, and persuasion. Students
will also have the opportunity to develop the ability to analyze
their own and others’ behavior. In addition, since this course
is taught in Florence, Italy, it provides a natural opportunity to
compare and contrast the influence of culture on individuals.
Living even for a short period in another country helps you to
see and understand the relationship between the individual
(self) and society.
Prerequisites: PSY 150 Introduction to Psychology, or equivalent
Child Psychology
PSY 210 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course is about the study of child development, from
the prenatal period through adolescence, examining theories,
findings, approaches and methods of developmental
psychology. We will explore such questions as: What knowledge
do infants have at birth? Is aggressiveness a stable attribute?
Does early exposure to two languages confuse children? What
do children understand about the causes of emotion? How do
infants become attached? Why do school-age children pay more
attention to their peers than their parents? Who raises altruistic
children? We will cover the major domains of development
-biological, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional, putting
emphasis on discovering the many different biological and
experiential factors that influence behavior, as well as the roles
familial and extra familial factors play in the course of early
human development. We will look at the causes and methods
of reducing aggression, as well as exploring altruism, and moral
development. The course will include practical exercises where
students will be expected to conduct observations of children
in real-life and/or on video, and plan appropriate methods to
collect developmental data, with the opportunity to explore the
differences between their own culture and Italian culture.
Prerequisites: PSY 150 Introduction to Psychology, or equivalent
Love, Beauty and Natural Selection: the
Science and the Myths
PSY 280 F; Dual listed: GND 280 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
Evolutionary psychologists claim that men and women differ
substantially in their attitudes and abilities; they theorize that
beauty and attractiveness are signals of good health, good
genes, or other qualities, and that all forms of human love are
unconscious strategies for passing on these qualities to the next
generation. These theories make excellent stories for popular
science writers, which will often present them as proven facts
that are very relevant to everyday life. However, this is far
from true. Even a shallow examination of the theories and the
data supporting them will demonstrate that, although entirely
plausible, many hypotheses made by evolutionary psychologists
are controversial, have very little empirical evidence supporting
them, and will usually have very little practical relevance to
people. Throughout the course we will learn the theoretical
bases of modern evolutionary biology, review the most popular
theories of evolutionary psychology (e.g. psychological gender
differences, sexual love, marriage, parental love, female beauty,
male beauty, sperm competition, female orgasm), observe the
way they are presented in the media, and critically examine the
science that supports them. The case studies we will encounter
will inspire a more general reflection on the potential limitations
of the scientific method, and on the potential flaws of modern
popular science communication.
Conflict Resolution and Mediation Skills
PSY 292 F; Dual listed: COM 292 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This intensive course grounds students in the theory of the
methods of collaborative conflict resolution strategies and trains
them to use those methods for a range of real-world situations.
Central are techniques of proven professional effectiveness,
in particular those of the National Conflict Resolution
Center. The course includes an overview of interest-based
conflict resolution, effective communication skills (to prevent
escalation), negotiation from a problem-solving (rather than
competitive) perspective, approaches for managing conflicts
in personal and professional settings, and a strategy for leaders
on campuses, communities, and workplaces. Students further
learn the art of formal mediation with individuals and large
groups. Further techniques serve to deal with more intractable
disputes in the realm of high-intensity, complex, and large-scale
conflicts. In addition to a highly structured process, students
learn culturally appropriate adaptations, how to manage
impasse, and how to handle highly emotional people. Taught
by NCRC instructors.
Psychology: A Philosophical Investigation
PSY 300 F; Dual listed: PHR 300 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
In today’s world psychology is a major academic and
professional discipline, but what exactly is it? This course is
concerned with understanding psychology, and especially its
relationship to biology and the physical sciences, from the
point of view of philosophy. Central issues include the mindbody
problem, the problem of whether psychological concepts
can be related to neural states, and the associated question of
whether psychology is an autonomous subject or should rather
be seen as a subdiscipline of neuroscience, biology, or physics.
We shall examine four possible responses to these questions,
which represent the standard competing theories of mind:
Dualism, Behaviourism, Identity Theory and Functionalism. We
shall also consider problems of consciousness, subjectivity, and
the qualitative character of sensory experience, and we shall
discuss the ethical implications of the issues involved.
Prerequisites: PSY 150 Introduction to Psychology, or PHR 130
Western Philosophy, or equivalents
Workplace Psychology: Building Effective
Managers
PSY 302 F; Dual listed: BUS 302 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The course examines organizational issues - such as stress,
conflict, discrimination, and others - through the social lenses
of psychology. The course is a journey through the science
of the psyche that will open windows of understanding
beyond managerial perspectives. An organization is strategy,
marketing, planning, budgeting, and at its very core, it is
human. This is the element the course will focus on: the human
psychology of an organization. The course leads students
to consider approaches that develop the individual with the
objective of improving and helping to grow the organization
as a whole. In other words, the course connects individual
strategy and well-being with those of organizations and the
wider society. Through lectures, experiential exercises, readings
and reflections, and teamwork, students will gain a thorough
understanding of individual behavior, group functioning, and
organizational processes and dynamics. The first part of the
course focuses on the individual and teams. Only when one
gains awareness about who one is can one effectively work and
grow with others. The second part of the course will venture
into specific themes: the importance of conflict, the impact
of technology, the unavoidable certainty of uncertainty, and
substance abuse within an organization. Ultimately, the course
enables students to move between themes with critical acumen
and creativity, seeking realistic and implementable solutions to
real problems.
Prerequisites: Junior standing
Psychology of Crime
PSY 305 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course approaches the knowledge and understanding
of criminal behavior and its impact upon individuals and
society from developmental, cognitive-behavioral, and other
psychological perspectives. The basic premise of this course
is that multiple variables affect people’s behavior and for this
reason this study requires attention to personality factors and
how they interact with situational variables. Topics include:
criminological theories, biological and psychological models of
criminal behavior, crime and mental disorders, human aggression
and violence, sexual assault, and criminal homicide. Students
will acquire a new framework for interpreting criminal behavior.
School of Arts & Sciences FLORENCE
LdM Academic Catalog 2013-2014
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