Foundations of Counseling Psychology and Behavioral Health, BSIS

CAPS-PSYCH 1000 Introduction to Psychology

This course covers current concepts and theories of learning, motivation, emotion, perception, thought, intelligence, and personality, emphasizing both biological and philosophical aspects. Psychology 1000 is a prerequisite for all 3000--level and above psychology courses.

Credit 3 units. UColl: SSC

Typical periods offered: Summer 4, Summer 3, Summer 2, Summer, Spring Half B, Spring Half A, Spring, Fall Half B, Fall Half A, Fall

CAPS-PSYCH 1050 Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis

In this course, students will learn the foundational principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Through a combination of lectures, demonstration videos, quizzes, and experiential learning activities, students will learn how to implement a variety of behavior analytic techniques with patients who have behavioral health needs. The course sequence follows the second edition of the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) task list published by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), with learning objectives across the following modules: Measurement, Assessment, Skill Acquisition, Behavior Reduction, Documentation and Reporting, and Professional Conduct/Scope of Practice. By completing this course, students will qualify to sit for the national RBT certification administered by the BACB; certificate-holders work in a wide range of behavioral health settings including schools, outpatient clinics, hospitals, and home-based settings.

Credit 3 units. UColl: SSC

Typical periods offered: Summer 4, Summer 3, Spring, Summer 2, Fall, Summer

CAPS-PSYCH 1996 Psychology Elective - 100 Level

To be used for transfer credit, only.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall Intersession, Summer 3, Spring, Summer Intersession, Spring Intersession, Fall

CAPS-PSYCH 2000 Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology

This course explores the application of research findings in psychology and other behavioral sciences to issues and problems in the workplace, including both theory and methodology. Includes motivation, communication, learning, decision making, leadership, power and influence, and personnel selection.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall

CAPS-PSYCH 2005 Human Growth and Development

This course provides an overview of emotional, psychological, physical, and social development through the life span. We will emphasize the developmental tasks, characteristics, and typical behaviors of each developmental era (infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, later life). We will study major developmental theorists including Freud, Erickson, Piaget, Millet, Gilligan, and Kohlberg.

Credit 3 units. UColl: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 2030 Positive Psychology and Happiness

Positive psychology is the study of the positive elements of human nature, behavior, and experiences, as well as the practices that facilitate these positive elements. In the first part of this course, we review the history of positive psychology, examine the meaning and measurement of happiness and well-being, explore the role of genetics and circumstances on happiness, and review the myriad benefits of happiness. In the second part of the course, we review the research detailing who is happy and why, and we explore the research on the practices and habits that facilitate happiness. Specific practice and habit topics include gratitude, mindfulness, optimism, strengths identification, meaning and purpose in life, meaningful social connections, compassion, forgiveness, positive relationships, sleep, and more. Throughout the course, we will participate in experiential learning from assessing our own happiness and strengths to engaging in practices found to facilitate happiness.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall

CAPS-PSYCH 2994 Internship in Psychology

Participation under supervision in an applied, non-academic community agency for course credit. Signed Internship Learning Agreement required prior to enrollment. Open only to CAPS students. Must be taken Pass/Fail.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer

CAPS-PSYCH 2996 Psychology Elective - 2000 Level

This course listing is to be used for transfer credit, only.

Credit 1-6 units.

Typical periods offered: Summer 4, Summer 3, Summer 2, Summer 1, Summer, Spring Half B, Spring Half A, Spring, Spring Intersession, Fall Half B, Fall Half A, Fall

CAPS-PSYCH 3000 Introductory Psychological Statistics

Descriptive statistics including correlation and regression. Inferential statistics including non-parametric and parametric tests of significance through two-way analysis of variance. Course emphasizes underlying logic and is not primarily mathematical, although knowledge of elementary algebra is essential.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Summer 4, Summer 3, Summer 2, Summer 1, Summer, Spring, Fall

CAPS-PSYCH 3005 Experimental Psychology

This course provides training in the logic and techniques of psychological research so as to provide students with experience in the design of psychology experiments and interpretation of results. Topics include experimental design and control, library research, quantitative treatment of data, graphical presentation of results, and clarity of scientific writing. Lectures focus on general principles of experimentation, whereas the laboratory sections provide an introduction to a range of psychological phenomena through hands-on experience in experimentation. Each student also completes an independent research project.

Credit 4 units. Art: NSM BU: SCI

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3020 Evolutionary Psychology

This course will explore the extent to which an understanding of biological evolution is relevant to an understanding of human psychology. Fundamental evolutionary principles will be introduced and their application to psychological theory and research carefully evaluated. Individual topics include romantic relationships, family dynamics, cooperation, clinical pathology, judgment and decision-making, religious belief, and more.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall

CAPS-PSYCH 3025 History and Modern Systems of Psychology

An introduction to the history of psychology. This course begins with a brief consideration of forces leading to development of psychology in the mid-1800s. It then examines the birth of modern psychology in Germany, and the schools of psychology that emerged early in the 20th century. Newer orientations and ideas are considered in the final segment of the course. We also consider the impact of psychology on American public life during the 20th century.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3035 Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Interactions of individuals and organizations in measures of human performance, motivation, leadership, job satisfaction, training, ability testing, and stress. Skill-building in the techniques of psychology that are applied to the solution of business and industrial problems.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3040 Introduction to Social Psychology

Interaction of biological, cultural, situational, and technological factors on who we are and how we interact with others: person perception, motivation, attitudes, and communication.

Credit 3 units. UColl: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3055 Abnormal Child Psychology

This course will familiarize students with current perspectives on the nature, causes, assessment, treatment, and prevention of child psychiatric disorders and related family dysfunction. Theoretical perspectives and research findings will be discussed pertaining to anxiety, depression, conduct disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, learning impairments, and parent-child conflict.

Credit 3 units. Art: SSC BU: BA

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3070 Developmental Psychology

In this course we will study behavior in children including developmental methodology, prenatal development, memory, cognition, attention, perception, language, sex roles, morality, emotions, aggression, and intelligence testing.

Credit 3 units. UColl: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3075 Psychology of Adolescence

Psychology of the period from puberty to adulthood; the major developmental tasks such as identity formation and the influence of differential parental style upon the development of adolescents.

Credit 3 units. UColl: SSC

Typical periods offered: Summer 4, Summer 3, Spring, Summer 2, Fall

CAPS-PSYCH 3080 Juvenile Delinquency

This course explores the nature of juvenile delinquency, including its root causes and influences, as well as the various strategies currently being employed to reduce and prevent delinquent behavior. The course discusses how delinquency begins, persists, and is overcome. Delinquency will be looked at from both a sociological and developmental-psychological perspective. We will discuss the criminal justice response to delinquency and evaluate programs and models that have met with varying degrees of success, as well as those that have had the opposite effect on reducing delinquent behavior.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3081 Social Gerontology

This course provides an introduction to aging and growing old from an interdisciplinary perspective. Specific attention is paid to demographics, physical health and illness, mental health, interpersonal relations, work issues, living arrangements, ethics, and death and dying.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3090 Psychology of Aging

Study of the processes of aging in the individual in terms of their behavioral effects. Age changes in biological functions, sensation, perception, intelligence, learning, memory, and creativity studied to understand the capacities and potential of the mature and older person.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3100 Perspectives on Counseling

This is an experiential course teaching skills in the counseling process. We will examine awareness and listening, attending and reflecting, questioning and summarizing, empathy, concreteness, problem definition, probing, and detailing. Role-playing and group work supplement didactic material.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall

CAPS-PSYCH 3110 Internship in Psychology

Requires signed Learning Agreement and approval from site supervisor, CAPS.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Summer

CAPS-PSYCH 3115 Biological Psychology

This course presents an introduction to biological mechanisms underlying behavior. Topics will include the physiology of nerve cells, the anatomy of the nervous system, the control of sensory and motor activity, arousal and sleep, and motivation and higher mental processes.

Credit 3 units. Art: NSM BU: SCI UColl: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3120 Independent Study in Psychology

Requires approval from instructor, dept coordinator, and CAPS

Credit 4 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall Intersession, Summer 3, Spring, Summer Intersession, Spring Intersession, Fall

CAPS-PSYCH 3125 Psychology of Personality

This course covers basic theories of personality and complex human behavior. We study related techniques, procedures, and findings of personality assessment and personality research, and examine critical issues in the evaluation of personality theories.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3135 Health Psychology

This course examines the history of health psychology and its place in general health care. Students and instructor will examine relevant theory as applied to specific topics including stress, coping, weight loss, chronic illness in general (diabetes in particular), adherence to medically prescribed regimens, Type A personality and cardiac risk factors.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3140 Cognitive Psychology

Thought processing from an information processing approach. Includes pattern recognition, attention, memory, reasoning, language processes, decision making, and problem solving.

Credit 3 units. UColl: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3165 Learning and Memory

In this course we focus on the major theories of human learning and memory. We review several behavioral-associationist theories, including classical conditioning and behavior modification. The course emphasis is on cognitive-organizational theories, human information processing, current perspectives on knowledge representation, and their implication for understanding and recall.

Credit 3 units. UColl: SSC

Typical periods offered: Summer 4, Summer 3, Spring, Summer 2, Fall, Summer

CAPS-PSYCH 3175 Introduction to Psychopathology and Clinical Psychology

Affective, cognitive, and behavioral abnormalities which create patterns disruptive to mental health: comprised of psychiatric symptoms, personal distress, and/or functional impairments. Biological, psychological, social, and cultural determinants of mental health and illness; diagnosis, etiology, and treatment of clinical level concerns. This course is the same as Abnormal Psychology in both Arts & Sciences and the School of Continuing & Professional Studies, thus students may not take both.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Summer 4, Summer 3, Spring, Summer 2, Fall, Summer

CAPS-PSYCH 3205 Introduction to Criminology

A general introduction to the study of crime from an interdisciplinary perspective. Classical and contemporary sociological theories to explain and predict criminal behavior will be studied, as well as psychological theories from the psychoanalytic, behavioral, and cognitive traditions that attempt to account for criminality and the psychosocial development of a criminal personality type. Other topics include the measurement and extent of crime, the role of age, race, gender, social class in the causation of and reaction to crime, and the criminal justice response to crime, as well as recent trends in policing, corrections, and community-based interventions.

Credit 3 units. UColl: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3210 Introduction to Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology is the application of scientific psychological knowledge to matters that come before the judge or jury. This course will focus on criminal cases such as homicide and sex offender commitment and on personal injury cases. Topics will include consultation with attorneys, psychological tests used and recommended by forensic psychologists, and sex offender risk assessment. Other topics will include keys to being a dangerous expert on the witness stand. Numerous actual case studies will be presented.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3215 Crisis Intervention: The Criminal Justice Response to Chaos, Mayhem, and Disorder

This course explores the nature and psychology of the major types of crises criminal justice professionals confront on a daily basis, including domestic violence, terrorism, riots and post-disaster panic, cults, threatened suicide, and active shooters, among others. Students will explore these topics against the backdrop of actual case examples like hurricane Katrina, the attacks of 9/11, the shooting at Columbine High School, and the Branch Davidian standoff at Waco. Major theories and typology schemes that attempt to account for these behaviors will be explored, as well as the emotional impact of crisis response on police, correctional officers, and other first responders. .

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Summer 3, Summer

CAPS-PSYCH 3230 Cross-Cultural Psychology

An overview of social, developmental, and organizational forces from a cross-cultural perspective with a focus on culture as a variable, and its relationship to attitudes and behavior. A review of historical biases in the discipline of psychology will precede the study of research methodologies best suited to cross-cultural work. Also emphasized is the manner in which social and cultural forces shape the human experience.

Credit 3 units. UColl: CD

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3240 Correctional Theory & Practice

In this course we will explore every aspect of correctional theory and practice in America. We will look at the structure of the correctional system, both jails and prisons, the demographics of the inmate population, and the experience of those working in a correctional setting, especially correctional officers. We will look at inmate psychology, and the personality changes (prisonization) that often take place in an inmate during their period of incarceration. We will look at the special problems that must be addressed by correctional system relating to juvenile, female, mentally ill, and aged inmates. Finally, we will discuss the death penalty and the ongoing debate in America about this type of punishment.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3245 Principles of Forensic Assessment

This course addresses a breadth of topics in forensic assessment through an examination of the methods utilized in this endeavor, particularly in the criminal arena. Students will become familiar with the administration, scoring, and interpretation of instruments used to assess competence to stand trial, criminal responsibility, malingering, and dangerousness, among other domains. Factors surrounding ethics in forensic evaluation, the dilemmas encountered in dealing with the diverse criminal population, and recent social and ethical criticisms of forensic assessment processes themselves constitute pivotal course content. Students will have the opportunity to observe and take a role in forensic evaluations through the use of critical examinations of forensic assessment instruments, the observation of case materials, and the completion of assigned course activities.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3250 Criminal Typologies

This course examines a wide range of delinquent and criminal behavior, with special emphasis on the developmental, biological, learning and situational, and cognitive-behavioral factors that form the origins of criminal behavior. Deriving from the perspective that juvenile and adult criminal behaviors are continually influenced by multiple systems, we will also examine the social, economic, political, and ecological factors that interact to influence such behaviors. This course will consider the precursors to and typologies of delinquency; criminal psychopathy; homicide, assault, and intimate partner and family violence; multiple murder, school, and workplace violence; modern terrorism; sexual assault; sexual abuse of children and youth; burglary, home invasions, thefts and white-collar offenses; violent economic crime, cybercrime, and crimes of intimidation; and substance abuse crimes.

Credit 3 units. UColl: SSC

Typical periods offered: Summer 3, Spring, Fall, Summer

CAPS-PSYCH 3271 Psychological Dynamics of Empathy

In this course, we will explore the antecedents and consequences of empathic motivation, defined broadly. Along the way, we consider answers to several interesting questions: Why are some people generally more empathic than others? Are there cultural differences in levels of this trait? To what extent is empathy an emotional or cognitive phenomenon? We will also consider the conditions under which empathy is associated with prosocial outcomes (e.g., reducing racial prejudice) but with recognition that empathy has a darker side, one that can ironically exacerbate people's preexisting biases. The approach to empathy will be highly interdisciplinary as we consider research and theory within several fields within psychology (e.g., social, personality, cognitive) as well as areas that draw from other scholarly disciplines (e.g. social neuroscience, social anthropology, theology, religious studies).

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 3998 Research Methods

This course provides training in the logic and techniques of psychological research so as to provide students with experience in the design of psychology experiments and interpretation of results. Topics include experimental design and control, library research, quantitative treatment of data, graphical presentation of results, and clarity of scientific writing.

Credit 3 units. UColl: SSC

Typical periods offered: Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 4005 Psychological Tests and Measurements

This course is an introduction to psychological tests and measurements. We will cover basic principles of test construction, including reliability, validity, item analysis, and development of normative data. We will examine major types of tests (e.g., intelligence, personality, interests, and attitudes), as well as their application to career counseling, clinical diagnosis, employee selection, performance appraisal, and organizational assessment.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 4030 Contemporary Topics in Social Psychology:

Consideration of selected contemporary topics in social psychology.

Credit 3 units. Art: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer 3, Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 4125 Applied Psychology of Learning: Training in Industry

Overview of the foundations of industrial training and the tools of the trade. Review of learning and memory and recent findings on cognition. Study of methods and techniques used for analysis, design, development, and evaluation of training. Impact of recent advances in computing and instructional technologies.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 4155 Introduction to Group Dynamics

Various aspects of group process including group decision making and problem solving, group influence processes, communication, power, and leadership. Small group behavior and its application to organizations.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall

CAPS-PSYCH 4160 Addiction and Treatment

This course examines the motivation and behavior patterns of the drug/alcohol user. This examination takes place in the wider context of deviance. A portion of the course is devoted to a survey and evaluation of the services and programs available to the drug/alcohol user from the point of view of the user, the user's family, and society. Topics include: the history of psychotropic substances and their purpose and use in human society to the present; the history and philosophy of counseling interventions for psychotropic substance abuse and dependence; the ethnic, environmental, and socioeconomic factors affecting which substances are used, receptivity to treatment, and attitudes toward intervention; various treatment modalities such as 12-step groups, therapy groups, and in-patient treatment for both self-referred and court ordered clients.

Credit 3 units. UColl: SSC

Typical periods offered: Spring

CAPS-PSYCH 4999 Independent Study

Reading or research in a special area of psychology. Approval of a specific plan of reading or research by the supervising faculty member and the departmental coordinator is required prior to registration. Prerequisite: 15 hours of psychology course work, advanced standing, permission of the instructor, and permission of the departmental coordinator. Open only to CAPS students.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Spring