Department of Psychology

Susanne Ferber, Department Head

Erik Thiessen, Director of Undergraduate Education in Psychology

Emilie O'Leary, Academic Advisor for majors in Cognitive Science and Neuroscience

Lauren McCarthy, Academic Advisor for majors in Psychology and Psychology and Biological Sciences

www.cmu.edu/dietrich/psychology

Can newborn infants perceive the world as we do, or is it just "a blooming buzzing confusion"? Do personality, beliefs and social factors influence health? How do scientists and young children make discoveries, and what abilities make these insights possible? How does brain activity reveal differences in thinking? Can computers think the way people do?

These are some of the questions that psychologists at Carnegie Mellon are trying to answer.

For the student who is majoring in Psychology, Cognitive Science or Neuroscience, studying with faculty who are on the leading edge of research on questions like the above can be a very exciting experience.

The Psychology Department at Carnegie Mellon has long been noted as one of the pioneering Psychology Departments in the world, particularly in such areas as cognitive psychology, cognitive science, social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and health psychology. The Psychology Department offers 5 majors: B.A. and B.S. degrees in Psychology, as well as a B.S. degree in Cognitive Science and together with the Department of Biological Sciences, a unified B.S. double major in Psychology and Biological Sciences, and an Intercollege major in Neuroscience.

Psychology Course Renumbering

In Fall 2025, the Psychology department introduced a new course numbering system.

Understanding the New Numbering System: 85-XYZ

X: Indicates how introductory or advanced the course is
Y: Represents the course’s general topic area
Z: For administrative purposes and does not affect content or placement

Topic Areas by “Y” Value:

Cognitive Psychology: 85-X10
Developmental Psychology: 85-X30
Social Psychology: 85-X50
Neuroscience: 85-X70
Clinical Psychology: 85-X90

Please refer to the Course Descriptions page for the full list of renumbered courses and details.

Program Options

The Honors Program

The Honors Program provides recognition of outstanding performance by students in the Psychology department. Participation enables students to pursue their own research ideas through completion of an honors thesis. The honors thesis is completed during the senior year. By completing a thesis, the student earns 18 units of credit and qualifies for graduation with “College Honors.” To qualify for the Honors Program, the student must maintain a quality point average of at least 3.50 in the major and 3.25 overall. More information on the Honor program can be found here.

A year long departmental senior thesis course exists (66-501 and 66-502) for students interested in pursuing a sizable research project who do not qualify for the honors program. More information can be obtained by contacting Emilie O'Leary at emilier@andrew.cmu.edu.

Course Descriptions

About Course Numbers:

Each Carnegie Mellon course number begins with a two-digit prefix that designates the department offering the course (i.e., 76-xxx courses are offered by the Department of English). Although each department maintains its own course numbering practices, typically, the first digit after the prefix indicates the class level: xx-1xx courses are freshmen-level, xx-2xx courses are sophomore level, etc. Depending on the department, xx-6xx courses may be either undergraduate senior-level or graduate-level, and xx-7xx courses and higher are graduate-level. Consult the Schedule of Classes each semester for course offerings and for any necessary pre-requisites or co-requisites.

85-100 Introduction to Psychology: All Semesters: 9 units
The world is a crazy, confusing place. Much of what we encounter is ambiguous, dynamic, and misleading. Somehow, we have to make sense of it. This class is about how we do that. The course provides an overview of the major areas of scientific psychology, exploring the models of our mind, brain, and behavior that explain wide areas of human (and non-human) functioning. Topics range from neuroscience and the biological basis of behavior, to memory and thought, to social interaction and psychological development over the lifespan, to abnormal psychology, psychopathology, and treatment. Tuesday and Thursday lectures provide a broad survey of topics and findings in psychology. In recitation sections students get hands on experiencing thinking about psychological science by designing and running psychological studies and discussing the real world implications of the concepts they have investigated. While all sections will be completing the same activities, some of the sections are themed. Themed sections will frame the discussion in the context of the theme, thus allowing students in those sections to better appreciate the links between the work being done in the class and the theme of that section. However, the core material will be the same and all sections will prepare students equally well for exams and upper division courses. General (unthemed) sections will sample across themes and topics, rather than being focused on a single theme. At the end of this course, students will not only be more knowledgeable about psychology, but be able to apply their knowledge about psychology to be better thinkers, learners, and consumers of information in general. Themed sections: Design - Register through Design Medicine, health, and Biosciences - Section I Decision Science, business, and economics - Section A

85-102 Introduction to Psychology: Fall and Summer: 9 units
This course examines major areas of scientific psychology in some depth, the attempt being to develop basic models of our behavior and thought that explain wide areas of our functioning. The primary focus is on the areas of neural and motivational control of behavior, memory and thought, social interaction, and psychological development. Specific topics within these areas include brain function, motivational control systems, learning, cognitive and perceptual information processing, problem solving, obedience and conformity, social interaction, emotion, attitude consistency and change, how our social, cognitive and language functions develop, the importance of childhood to adult functioning, and psychopathology. In addition to the lecture, the course includes a weekly recitation section meeting and weekly short WEB-based laboratory experiences in which students get to perform actual experiments, interpret real data, and experience many psychological phenomena.

85-105 Hack Your Life: Spring: 9 units
Hack your life! College offers a new opportunity to hack your life to explore who you are, how you learn, and how you can take better care of yourself. This course will give you the opportunity to fully explore the CMU student experience, the science of learning, and to explore issues central to students (e.g., resilience, social connections, mental health, sleep). Much of this course will focus on providing discussion, strategies, and practices around how you can live a better life, and nurture your happiness and health.

85-106 Animal Minds: Intermittent: 9 units
With intricate cultures, impressive technology, and layered social lives, humans seem to stand apart from their animal kin. However, humans and non-human animals share many aspects of their mental lives, and, upon closer inspection, some animals even reveal cognitive abilities far beyond the capacities of humans. Through comparing and contrasting human and non-human cognition, we can learn about human psychological uniqueness and its evolutionary origins, and fundamental properties of cognitive processes in general

85-107 The Psychology of Video Games: Intermittent: 9 units
This course will explore how the features of video game design and use relate to characteristics of human psychology. We will discuss design and use issues such as microtransactions, online gaming communities, and reward/scoring, and try to understand how these features are (or are not!) well suited to the human mind, with a particular focus on learning, memory, attention, and perception. Student presence will sometimes be required but many course sessions will be asynchronous.

85-108 Mind and Body: Pathways to Health: All Semesters: 9 units
This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of health and disease. Course objectives will encompass the following: 1) recognizing fundamental aspects of body systems, including nervous, endocrine, immune, cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive systems, 2) understanding basic principles of psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral science, and 3) exploring the interactions of these systems and principles and how they influence health and disease states. We will also examine specific risk factors and health behaviors, including: nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, social determinants of health, and environmental influences. In addition, conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and substance abuse, along with other mental and physical health disorders, will be addressed.

85-110 Cognitive Psychology: Fall and Spring: 9 units
This course focuses on the fascinating way that the brain processes the world and allows us to interact with it. Aside from covering the major topics in cognitive psychology (language, memory, visual processing, attention and cognitive control), it includes an introduction to some of the most recent approaches to studying human cognition. The course is set up to highlight the connection between cognitive studies and skills in various majors such as computer science, math, statistics, and medicine. It is also structured to foster the necessary skills for the critical analysis of complex problems.

85-117 Changing your brain: All Semesters: 9 units
Changing Your Brain explores one of the most fascinating questions in science: How does experience physically reshape the human brain? In this hands-on course, students will learn about brain plasticity by testing it on themselves. Students will complete cognitive training, collect and analyze MRI data, and compare brain activity before and after learning. Along the way, we will ask what really changes with practice, how cognitive skills build intelligence and support success in college, and how brain imaging can help us understand and improve the human mind.

85-120 Demystifying Freud and the Discipline of Psychology: Intermittent: 3 units
Regardless of discipline, an understanding of human thought and behavior is essential in navigating one's environment and work. Psychology, the science that can guide this understanding, is often misunderstood by the general public. Throughout the world, when psychology is mentioned, the name that often comes to mind is Sigmund Freud. Many of the misconceptions regarding psychology started with misinterpretations of Freud's work and concepts. Using Freud's most well-known concepts, this course will introduce students to what psychology is, and what it isn't - in hopes of illustrating what use psychological principles can be in a plethora of academic disciplines. In particular, students will learn how to apply these principles to modern day research settings with a specific focus on health and well-being research. Students will not only gain insight into their own academic and career paths, but into their own personality and health as well. Course work will consist of class attendance, weekly course readings and online discussions, one exam, and a final paper.

85-130 Developmental Psychology: Fall and Spring: 9 units
This course is about normal development from conception through adolescence. Topics include physical, perceptual, cognitive, emotional and social development. Students will learn facts about children at various points in development, theories about how development works, and research methods for studying development in infants and children. Students will be encouraged to relate the facts, theories and methods of developmental psychology to everyday problems, social issues and real world concerns. Please note that to complete this course, students will have to sign up for observation slots at the CMU Children's School outside of the class meeting times; the exact times will be communicated in class, but are expected to be between 8:30am and 2pm.

85-150 Social Psychology: All Semesters: 9 units
The focus of this course will be on how peoples behavior, feelings and thoughts are influenced or determined by their social environment. The course will begin with lectures and readings on how social psychologists go about studying social behavior. Next, various topics on which social psychologists have done research will be covered. These topics will include: person perception, prejudice and discrimination, the nature of attitudes and how attitudes are formed and changed, interpersonal attraction, conformity, compliance, altruism, aggression, group behavior, and applications of psychology to problems in health care, law, politics, and the environment. Through readings and lectures on these topics, students will also be exposed to social psychological theories.

85-170 Foundations of Brain and Behavior: Fall and Spring: 9 units
How do we sense, think, and connect? The answer lies in the brain. This introductory neuroscience course examines how the brain enables perception, thought, and behavior—from the activity of individual neurons to the dynamics of large-scale networks. Open to students from any major with no prior background required, the course explores the foundational concepts and methods of neuroscience, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence. By engaging with experiments, visual illusions, patient case studies, and real-world applications, students will gain a solid understanding of brain function—bringing complex ideas to life. By the end of the course, students will understand how the brain works, why it sometimes fails, and how discoveries in neuroscience are transforming technology, AI, and medicine.

85-190 Psychopathology: Fall: 9 units
This course provides an introduction to the science and practice of psychopathology. Students will examine definitions of psychopathology in a historical and contemporary context, explore issues relevant to diagnosis and patient care, and be introduced to various diagnostic categories for psychological disorders. Students will also learn about potential determinants of and treatments for psychological disorders in the context of major theories and empirical findings in the field. Emphasis will be placed on three major paradigms in psychopathology: genetics, neuroscience, and cognitive behavioral. An assigned memoir, case studies, and short video clips will be used to illustrate the human side of mental illness.

85-198 Research Training: Psychology: Fall and Spring: 9 units
See the Course URL and click on (forms and guides informational handout page) then click on current freshman-sophmore research training courses for listing of research training course descriptions.

Course Website: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/collester/undergraduate-research/research-training-program

85-210 Language, AI, and Thought: Intermittent: 9 units
This course explores the nature of human language, how it emerges, and how we can model this using AI. Specifically. 1. What is unique about human language and thought? 2. How can we use AI as a model of human language and thought? 3. How does the brain process language, how does this compare to AI? 4. What are the genetic, physiological, and social bases for language? 5. To what degree can these bases be realized in AI? Is human-like AI fundamentally impossible? 6. How do children learn language? Can AI learn like children? 7. What causes language impairments and can we model this? 8. How do people learn second languages? 9. Are there language universals? 10. How and why did languages evolve and how do they change over time? 11. What are the relations between language, emotion, and gesture?

85-211 Cognitive Psychology: Fall and Spring: 9 units
This course number was used prior to Fall 25. This course focuses on the fascinating way that the brain processes the world and allows us to interact with it. Aside from covering the major topics in cognitive psychology (language, memory, visual processing, attention and cognitive control), it includes an introduction to some of the most recent approaches to studying human cognition. The course is set up to highlight the connection between cognitive studies and skills in various majors such as computer science, math, statistics, and medicine. It is also structured to foster the necessary skills for the critical analysis of complex problems.

85-213 Human Information Processing and Artificial Intelligence: Fall: 9 units
This course will review the information-processing challenges that humans face. We will discuss how these challenges are dealt with in the domains of attention, perception, memory, problem solving, reasoning, decision-making, and language. We will compare and contrast how these challenges are dealt with by humans and artificial intelligence applications. The course will include a number of programming projects that try to solve specific information-processing demands that occur in particular tasks and simulate human information processing. Student must have taken or currently be taking 15-122 or 15-150. If you will be taking 15-122 or 15-150 as a co req for this course, please contact Emilie O'Leary emilier@andrew.cmu.edu to be registered.
Prerequisites: 15-122 or 15-150

85-232 Thinking in Person vs. Thinking Online: Fall: 9 units
Being online changes how we think. Different media lead us to ask different questions, remember (or forget) different information, attend to different details, and interact with other people in different ways. These types of thinking aren't inherently better or worse, but they may be better or worse for facilitating specific goals. Too often, we use a particular medium/technology without considering how it will influence our thinking. This can lead us to be less efficient or less effective at a task than we otherwise might be, or can qualitatively change the nature of our outcomes. In this class, we will explore how the media we use affects the character of our thinking, so as to enable students to make mindful and deliberate choices about how to interact with media in ways that support the type of thinking desired and appropriate for their goals. Moreover, we will examine how to optimize media for specific goals in important applied domains, such as education, medicine, policy, child-rearing, and dating.

85-241 Social Psychology: Fall and Spring: 9 units
This course will serve as an introduction to the field of social psychology - and make the case for why it is relevant to all of our lives. You will learn about how the social environment impacts our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Throughout the course, you will become familiar with the history of social psychology, explore the questions studied by social psychologists, and develop an understanding of basic research in social psychology as well as how it affects important real-world domains, such as eyewitness testimony, conflict negotiation, and the impact of stress on health.

85-251 Personality: Intermittent: 9 units
The primary purpose of personality psychology is to understand human uniqueness and #8212;how and why it is that one person differs from others, in terms of the ways that they thinks, feels, and acts. Students in the course will be exposed to several broad theoretical perspectives, each of which attempts to capture and understand the origins and consequences of individual distinctiveness from a slightly different vantage point. Included among these approaches are the dispositional or trait, psychoanalytic, learning, humanistic, and cognitive self regulation perspectives. This is a survey course and is intended to provide students with a broad background of theory and research in the area. Class meetings consist primarily of lecture, but there is some discussion too. Students will be given the opportunity to assess their own personalities during the course. A consistent theme throughout the course is the relationships between aspects of one's personality and physical health.

85-252 Intro to Health Psychology: SES and Health Inequalities: All Semesters: 3 units
Health Disparities exist in many countries around the world. For years researchers have sought to determine the root cause of these disparities and to explain why some people live significantly longer, healthier lives than others. Both mortality and morbidity rates can be related to ones' place in society and one's interactions with others. This course is designed to critically examine the social factors research has found to impact individual and population health experiences. We will focus specifically on those factors that comprise one's socioeconomic status. Students in the course will learn how money and access to health services are not the only factors that matters when it comes to one's health.

85-258 Intro to Health Psychology: Stigma and Its Consequences: All Semesters: 3 units
This course will introduce students to theoretical and empirical psychological research on prejudice and social stigma. The topics covered will include examinations of why individuals stigmatize: exploring cognitive, evolutionary, self, and system justification explanations. The course will examine the consequences of stigmatization for low-status groups (e.g., stereotype threat, dis-identification, internalization, health outcomes). We will explore the role of stigma in intergroup interactions and variation in the experience of stigma. Specific course topics will include the meaning of stigma, why people stigmatize, the physiological, cognitive-affective and social behavioral processes linking stigma and health outcomes, and moderators of stigma.

85-270 Computational Approaches for Neuroscience Questions: Intermittent: 9 units
To understand the complex dynamics of the brain and mind, neuroscientists increasingly rely on interdisciplinary computational strategies. In this course, we will introduce quantitative tools for interpreting neural data (e.g., principal component analysis, regression) and techniques for modeling neural responses (e.g., biophysical simulations, network models). Students should have a basic familiarity with programming and matrix algebra, as the course will also review foundational mathematical techniques (e.g., linear algebra, differential equations) with a focus on their application to neuroscience and cognitive science. Students will work through exercises simulating neural responses, characterizing properties of visual and auditory neurons, and building neural network classifiers.
Prerequisites: (85-170 or 85-219 or 85-110 or 85-211) and 15-112

85-294 Teaching Assistantship: Intermittent
This course is designed to provide students with an apprenticeship in the practice of teaching through one-on-one interaction with a faculty member in the design, administration, and teaching of a course. The student should have previous coursework in the topic domain of the course to ensure that they have the basic skills and background necessary to contribute to the course. The Teaching Assistantship will be supervised by a faculty member, and should result in a concrete, measurable contribution to a course (such as the design of assignments or exams) and/or a reflection on the practical and pedagogical considerations of course design (such as a paper). It is the student's responsibility to make independent arrangement for independent course study courses with individual faculty members. This should be done the semester before a student wishes to register for one of these courses. The course may be taken for any number of units up to 9, depending on the amount of work done.

Course Website: https://tinyurl.com/2encx2n3

85-300 Introduction to Research Methods: All Semesters: 9 units
The overall goal of this course is to help you transform from being consumers of research knowledge to being evaluators and producers of it. This course provides (a) hands-on exploration of fundamental concepts in research design, statistical analysis, scientific writing, and ethics; (b) skills necessary for designing, conducting, analyzing, and disseminating an observational study; and (c) skills for critically evaluating psychological research and mainstream media reports of it.
Prerequisites: (85-110 or 85-104 or 85-100 or 85-211 or 85-150 or 85-190 or 85-219 or 85-170 or 85-102 or 85-241 or 85-130 or 85-221) and (70-207 or 36-200 or 85-309 or 36-309)

85-302 Research Methods: Meta-Analysis: Fall: 9 units
The scientific process is inherently cumulative: Scientific understanding moves forward by building on the theories, methods, and findings of individual scientistics. The broad aim of this course is to teach you a set of practical, modern tools for conducting psychological research that facilitate cumulative scientific progress.
Prerequisites: 85-330 or 85-300 or 85-310 or 85-320 or 85-340 or 85-314 or 85-370

85-309 Statistical Concepts and Methods for Behavioral and Social Science: Spring: 9 units
Research in the Social Sciences is a project of understanding the ways in which people are similar while grappling with the ways in which they are different. Statistical methods are a powerful tool for managing the tension between the two. This course introduces the statistical methods most commonly used in in the social sciences, as well as their implementation in the R programming language. Topics involve exploratory data analysis, sampling and randomization, hypothesis testing, and power analysis.
Prerequisites: 36-200 or 36-201

85-310 Research Methods in Cognitive Psychology: Fall and Spring: 9 units
This is a course in which students develop the research skills associated with cognitive psychology and cognitive science. Students learn how to design and conduct experiments, and analyze and interpret the data they collect. The course covers a variety of experimental designs, e.g., factorial, Latin Squares. Analyses of response times, qualitative data, and signal detection are also covered. Cognitive modeling will also be discussed. Topics include mental imagery, memory, and perception. The class format consists of lectures, discussions and student presentations.
Prerequisites: (85-211 or 85-213 or 85-110) and (85-309 or 36-309) and (85-300 or 85-320 or 85-314 or 85-311 or 85-340)

85-314 Cognitive Neuroscience Research Methods: Intermittent: 9 units
This is a hands-on laboratory course designed to foster basic skills in the empirical approaches used in cognitive neuroscience research. Students will learn how to evaluate which cognitive neuroscience method is best suited to a research question, basic experimental design and analysis, and how to formally present empirical results. The course will focus on functional MRI, but will also cover structural MRI (diffusion imaging) and EEG, and survey various other methods. Students will work with actual datasets using the current software used by cognitive neuroscience researchers.
Prerequisites: (85-309 or 36-309) and (85-211 or 85-219)

85-320 Research Methods in Developmental Psychology: Fall and Spring: 9 units
This is a laboratory course, in which the student will have direct experience working with children, as well as writing research reports and designing and critiquing research in child development. The purpose of the course is to develop research expertise that will assist the student both in carrying out research and in evaluating the research of others. Special emphasis will be given to the unique methodological problems associated with the study of development. Students must be sure they are also available to attend the Children's School during specific blocks in addition to the class meeting times. Either MW 8:30-10:30am, TR 8:30-10:30am, MW 12:30-2:15pm or MW 12:30-2:15pm.
Prerequisites: (85-221 and 85-309) or (36-309 and 85-221)

85-330 Developmental Research Methods: Intermittent: 9 units
This is a laboratory course, in which the student will have direct experience working with children, as well as writing research reports and designing and critiquing research in child development. The purpose of the course is to develop research expertise that will assist the student both in carrying out research and in evaluating the research of others. Special emphasis will be given to the unique methodological problems associated with the study of development. Students must be sure they are also available to attend the Children's School during specific blocks in addition to the class meeting times. Either MW 8:30-10:30am, TR 8:30-10:30am, MW 12:30-2:15pm or MW 12:30-2:15pm.
Prerequisites: (85-310 or 85-340 or 85-314 or 85-300) and (85-221 or 85-130) and (85-309 or 36-309)

85-340 Research Methods in Social Psychology: Fall and Spring: 12 units
This course is designed to provide students with the necessary knowledge to evaluate research, make transitions between theory and the operations that test the theory, and to design and carry out original research. Topics will include the nature of proof and causal inference, manipulation of indepen-dent variables, measurement of dependent variables, questionnaire design, experimental ,and quasi-experimental, design and ethical issues involved in doing research. Survey, observational and experimental techniques as applied in both field and laboratory settings will be covered. Students will be expected to criticize completed research. They are also expected to design measures and complete their own original studies. During the course of the semester students will also be expected to design and carry out an original research project as well.
Prerequisites: (36-309 and 85-251) or (36-309 and 85-241) or (85-309 and 85-241) or (85-309 and 85-241)

85-350 Social Research Methods: Fall and Spring: 12 units
This course is designed to provide students with the necessary knowledge to evaluate research, make transitions between theory and the operations that test the theory, and to design and carry out original research. Topics will include the nature of proof and causal inference, manipulation of indepen-dent variables, measurement of dependent variables, questionnaire design, experimental ,and quasi-experimental, design and ethical issues involved in doing research. Survey, observational and experimental techniques as applied in both field and laboratory settings will be covered. Students will be expected to criticize completed research. They are also expected to design measures and complete their own original studies. During the course of the semester students will also be expected to design and carry out an original research project as well.
Prerequisites: (85-241 or 85-150) and (36-309 or 85-309) and (85-330 or 85-320 or 85-310 or 85-314 or 85-300)

85-352 Evolutionary Psychology: Intermittent: 9 units
This course will cover both the fundamentals of evolutionary psychology, including the theories of natural and sexual selection, with the overarching aim of providing an overview of the field at an advanced level. We will examine the relevance of evolutionary thinking to a range of psychological phenomena including problems of survival, long-term mating strategies, short-term sexual strategies, parenting, kinship, cooperative alliances, aggression and warfare, conflict between the sexes, and prestige, status, and social dominance. We will also examine evolutionary approaches to sensation and perception, development, consciousness, cognition, language, and abnormal behavior. Juniors and Seniors only or permission of instructor. Pre req: 85-102, 85-211, 85-221, 85-241 or 85-251
Prerequisites: 85-241 or 85-251 or 85-102 or 85-211 or 85-221

85-358 Pro-Social Behavior: Fall: 9 units
This course is an advanced seminar that focuses on social psychological research involving the examination of pro-social behavior. A heavy emphasis will be placed on classic research on helping (which investigates how, when, and why we help strangers), as well as the wide body of literature on social support (which investigates how we help, and seek help from, those who are closer to us). Research on both help-seeking and help-provision will be covered, as well as the implications of this type of pro-social behavior for relationships and health. The course also will cover research on other types of pro-social behavior such as empathy, altruism, forgiveness, and cooperation. This is an advanced seminar in which you will be expected to read original research articles and chapters on assigned topics and come to class prepared to discuss the material. Readings will consist of theoretical and empirical articles from psychology journals and related sources. Additional course requirements will involve short, weekly writing assignments, student presentations of research articles, and a written research proposal. Over the course of the semester, students will design and carry out a small-scale, original investigation on a topic of interest.
Prerequisites: 85-310 or 85-320 or 85-311 or 85-314 or 85-330 or 85-340

85-359 Introduction to Music Cognition Research: Intermittent: 9 units
This course explores the roles of cognitive processes in the experience of music with a focus on carrying out a collaborative laboratory project in order to understand first-hand the challenges of the experimental study of music. In readings, lectures, discussions, and demonstrations we will become acquainted with the relevant psychological theories of perception, memory and learning, and review and critically analyze selected experimental findings on the psychology of music. We will examine the use of psychological principles (e.g. Gestalt laws of perception, limitations on working memory, categorical perception, chunking, schemas, modularity) to explain musical phenomena. The emphasis will be on applying an experimental approach to music perception and cognition, but we will also consider ongoing debates about larger issues (such as musics adaptive value to the human species, and the determinants of musical taste). Prerequisite: either Harmony 1 or Cognitive Psychology or introduction to psychology or an intro level statistics or by instructor permission.
Prerequisites: (36-200 and 85-102) or (36-200 and 85-211)

85-370 Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Methods: Fall: 9 units
This is a hands-on laboratory course designed to foster basic skills in the empirical approaches used in cognitive neuroscience research. Students will learn how to evaluate which cognitive neuroscience method is best suited to a research question, basic experimental design and analysis, and how to formally present empirical results. The course will focus on functional MRI, but will also cover structural MRI (diffusion imaging) and EEG, and survey various other methods. Students will work with actual datasets using the current software used by cognitive neuroscience researchers.
Prerequisites: (85-110 or 85-211 or 85-170 or 85-219) and (85-309 or 36-309) and (85-340 or 85-302 or 85-320 or 85-300 or 85-310)

85-372 tba: Intermittent: 9 units
TBA
Prerequisites: (85-110 or 85-170 or 85-211 or 85-213 or 85-219 or 85-107) and (15-112 or 15-110)

85-395 Applications of Cognitive Science: Spring: 9 units
The famous psychologist George Miller once said that Psychology should "give itself away." The goal of this course is to look at cases where we have done so and #8212; or at least tried. The course focuses on applications that are sufficiently advanced as to have made an impact outside of the research field per se. That impact can take the form of a product, a change in practice, or a legal statute. The application should have a theoretical base, as contrasted, say, with pure measurement research as in ergonomics. Examples of applications are virtual reality (in vision, hearing, and touch), cognitive tutors based on models of cognitive processing, phonologically based reading programs, latent semantic analysis applications to writing assessment, and measurses of consumers' implicit attitudes. The course will use a case-study approach that considers a set of applications in detail, while building a general understanding of what it means to move research into the applied setting. The questions to be considered include: What makes a body of theoretically based research applicable? What is the pathway from laboratory to practice? What are the barriers - economic, legal, entrenched belief or practice? The format will emphasize analysis and discussion by students. If pre reqs are not met, please reach out to the instructor for special permission to enroll.
Prerequisites: 85-104 or 85-102 or 85-211 or 85-219 or 85-241 or 85-221 or 85-251

85-401 Psychology of Aging: Intermittent: 9 units
As the human lifespan extends and birthrates fall, many societies around the world must contend with the logistics of supporting an aging population. More than ever, understanding how the human mind ages is crucial to achieving and maintaining quality of life in our latest years. This seminar will explore how various aspects of our psychology change over the latter half of our lifespan, including sensation and perception (e.g., vision and hearing), cognition (e.g., memory and executive function), and intra- and interpersonal behavior. While the course will primarily focus on healthy aging, we will also touch on the major intersections of aging and neurodegeneration, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted story of human aging, as well as strengthen their ability to critically read, synthesize, and discuss empirical literature. Ultimately, this seminar aims to provide insight into the trajectory of human psychology that will in turn foster empathy and innovation as we work to better recognize and meet the needs of an aging society.
Prerequisites: 85-300 or 85-340 or 85-314 or 85-330 or 85-311 or 85-320 or 85-310

85-402 Multilevel Modeling: Intermittent: 9 units
This course introduces a number of expressions of multilevel modeling that are now in common use in all the major branches of psychology, as well as in education and other sciences. The course balances conceptual understanding of MLM with practical, lab-based application. A working knowledge of R or SAS statistical software will be advantageous but not required.
Prerequisites: 36-309 or 85-309

85-403 Data Science for Psychology and Neuroscience: Intermittent: 9 units
This course will cover advanced topics in statistics and experimental design necessary for applied research in modern psychology, including information design, exploratory data analysis, data visualization, nonparametric statistics, data and inference errors (multicollinearity, overfitting, Simpson's and Robinson's paradox), sanitization (data anonymization, de-identification), and linear models (including conditional process models). Students will get hands on experience with simulating, analyzing, and visualizing data in the R statistical environment.

85-406 Autism: Psychological and Neuroscience Perspectives: Fall: 9 units
Autism is a disorder that affects many cognitive and social processes, sparing some facets of thought while strongly impacting others. This seminar will examine the scientific research that has illuminated the nature of autism, focusing on its cognitive and biological aspects. For example, language, perception, and theory of mind are affected in autism. The readings will include a few short books and many primary journal articles. The readings will deal primarily with autism in people whose IQ's are in the normal range (high functioning autism). Seminar members will be expected to regularly enter to class discussions and make presentations based on the readings. The seminar will examine various domains of thinking and various biological underpinnings of brain function, to converge on the most recent scientific consensus on the biological and psychological characterization of autism. There will be a special focus on brain imaging studies of autism, including both structural (MRI) imaging of brain morphology and functional (fMRI and PET) imaging of brain activation during the performance of various tasks.
Prerequisites: 85-429 or 85-355 or 85-213 or 85-211 or 85-219

85-407 How the Brain Makes Meaning: Intermittent: 9 units
Conceptual knowledge underpins all aspects of everyday experience, from language, to thinking, to recognizing familiar objects, people and places. This seminar will survey major theories and findings about how the brain represents 'meaning.' The course will emphasize research using neuropsychological methods in brain-damaged patients and functional neuroimaging in healthy participants. Students will read primary empirical and theoretical review articles to develop an understanding of both classic findings and recent discoveries about how the human brain represents meaning.
Prerequisites: (85-219 or 85-211) and (36-201 or 36-200)

85-408 Visual Cognition: Intermittent: 9 units
Recognizing an object, face or word is a complex process which is mastered with little effort by humans. This course adopts a three-pronged approach, drawing on psychological, neural and computational models to explore a range of topics including early vision, visual attention, face recognition, reading, object recognition, and visual imagery. The course will take a seminar format.
Prerequisites: 85-213 or 85-219 or 85-211

85-409 Crosscultural: All Semesters: 9 units
Human beings share a common genetic inheritance, but our cultural institutions differ in a bewildering variety of ways. This course explores the many different cultural expressions of basic human cognitive and social abilities and needs, We will look at cultural variations in child rearing, mother-child attachment, language socialization, categorization, reasoning, problem-solving, architecture, music, politics, warfare, food-gathering, sex roles, mental disorders, and altered states of consciousness, all with the goal of understanding how the shape of social systems and symbolic expression reflects the economic and adaptive needs of the culture and its people. Among the approaches to these phenomena we will consider are symbolic interaction, cognitive anthropology, dialectic materialism, and modern ethnology.
Prerequisites: 85-170 or 85-219 or 85-211 or 85-110 or 85-104 or 85-100 or 85-102 or 85-241 or 85-150 or 85-221 or 85-130

85-411 Introduction to Music Cognition Research: All Semesters: 9 units
This course explores the roles of cognitive processes in the experience of music with a focus on carrying out a collaborative laboratory project in order to understand first-hand the challenges of the experimental study of music. In readings, lectures, discussions, and demonstrations we will become acquainted with the relevant psychological theories of perception, memory and learning, and review and critically analyze selected experimental findings on the psychology of music. We will examine the use of psychological principles (e.g. Gestalt laws of perception, limitations on working memory, categorical perception, chunking, schemas, modularity) to explain musical phenomena. The emphasis will be on applying an experimental approach to music perception and cognition, but we will also consider ongoing debates about larger issues (such as musics adaptive value to the human species, and the determinants of musical taste). Prerequisite: either Harmony 1 or Cognitive Psychology or introduction to psychology or an intro level statistics or by instructor permission.
Prerequisites: (36-200 and 85-100) or (36-200 and 85-110) or (36-200 and 85-102) or (36-200 and 85-211)

85-412 Cognitive Modeling: Spring: 9 units
This course will be concerned with modeling of agent behavior in a range of applications from laboratory experiments on human cognition, high-performance simulations such as flight simulators, and video game environments. The first half of the course will teach a high-level modeling language for simulating human perception, cognition, and action. The second half of the course will be a project in which students develop a simulated agent or agents for the application of their choice.
Prerequisites: 15-150 or 15-122

85-413 Perception: All Semesters: 9 units
Perception, broadly defined, is the construction of a representation of the external world for purposes of thinking and acting. Although we often think of perception as the processing of inputs to the sense organs, the world conveyed by the senses is ambiguous, and cognitive and sensory systems interact to interpret it. In this course, we will examine the sensory-level mechanisms involved in perception by various sensory modalities, including vision, audition, and touch. We will learn how sensory coding interacts with top-down processing based on context and prior knowledge and how perception changes with learning and development. We will look at methods of psychophysics, neuroscience, and cognitive psychology. The goals include not only imparting basic knowledge about perception but also providing new insights into everyday experiences.

85-414 Cognition in the Age of AI: Fall: 9 units
Advances in artificial intelligence and internet-scale datasets have transformed our everyday lives. In this course, we will learn about ways that AI and large datasets are also transforming what we know about the human mind and brain. We will discuss recent research that uses tools like deep convolutional neural networks and large language models as "model systems" for investigating human cognition, and what we can learn by comparing model outputs against real human data. We will also examine the rise of big datasets in neuroscience and psychology, and how these datasets are enabling powerful applications of machine learning to the study of human cognition. These methods enable us to critically evaluate the alignment between deep neural networks and humans, to build better computational models of human brain activity, and to decode rich visual and semantic information from brain recordings. Throughout the course, we will consider how AI tools are opening up progress on core research questions in psychology and neuroscience, such as how perception unfolds within complex natural environments, how we comprehend language, and how we learn about the world through experience. The course format will involve weekly readings and discussion, along with hands-on coding exercises in Python.
Prerequisites: (85-241 or 85-130 or 85-221 or 85-170 or 85-110 or 85-219 or 85-102 or 85-213 or 85-211 or 85-100 or 85-104 or 85-190) and (15-112 or 15-110)

85-416 Applications of Cognitive Science: Intermittent: 9 units
The famous psychologist George Miller once said that Psychology should "give itself away." The goal of this course is to look at cases where we have done so and #8212; or at least tried. The course focuses on applications that are sufficiently advanced as to have made an impact outside of the research field per se. That impact can take the form of a product, a change in practice, or a legal statute. The application should have a theoretical base, as contrasted, say, with pure measurement research as in ergonomics. Examples of applications are virtual reality (in vision, hearing, and touch), cognitive tutors based on models of cognitive processing, phonologically based reading programs, latent semantic analysis applications to writing assessment, and measurses of consumers' implicit attitudes. The course will use a case-study approach that considers a set of applications in detail, while building a general understanding of what it means to move research into the applied setting. The questions to be considered include: What makes a body of theoretically based research applicable? What is the pathway from laboratory to practice? What are the barriers - economic, legal, entrenched belief or practice? The format will emphasize analysis and discussion by students. If pre reqs are not met, please reach out to the instructor for special permission to enroll.
Prerequisites: 85-190 or 85-170 or 85-219 or 85-213 or 85-221 or 85-150 or 85-241 or 85-110 or 85-104 or 85-102 or 85-100 or 85-130

85-417 Multilingual Minds and the Brain: Fall: 9 units
Does multilingualism change your mind, literally and figuratively? In this course, we will examine several topics related to the differences between mono- and multilinguals. First, how juggling several languages in one brain may "train" certain skills so the multilingual mind processes information differently, even when that information is not language related. Second, how patterns of neural activation may also differ in mono- and multilinguals, changing language processing at that level. Third, how contexts of use and acquisition of different languages may affect how we process information in each one, changing how one makes decisions in each language they speak. We will use original sources to try and answer that initial question. Further, we will analyze published research and propose ways of developing it further.
Prerequisites: 85-310 or 85-330 or 85-320 or 85-340 or 36-309 or 85-309

85-419 Introduction to Parallel Distributed Processing: Spring: 9 units
This course provides an overview of Parallel-Distributed-Processing/neural-network models of perception, memory, language, knowledge representation, and learning. The course consists of lectures describing the theory behind the models as well as their implementation, and their application to specific empirical domains. Students get hands-on experience developing and running simulation models.
Prerequisites: 21-112 or 21-111 or 21-120 or 21-115 or 21-124

85-420 Biologically Intelligent Exploration: Fall: 9 units
Humans and other mammals exhibit a high degree of control when selecting actions in noisy contexts, quickly adapting to unexpected outcomes in order to better exploit opportunities arising in the future. This course will explore both the cognitive and neurobiological systems of adaptive decision-making, through a mixture of readings, lectures, and hands-on modeling projects (in Python and Matlab).
Prerequisites: (85-219 or 85-110 or 85-170 or 85-211) and (21-120 or 21-111)

85-421 Language and Thought: Intermittent: 9 units
This course allows the student to explore ways in which the mind shapes language and language shapes the mind. Why are humans the only species with a full linguistic system? Some of the questions to be explored are: What kinds of mental abilities allow the child to learn language? What are the cognitive abilities needed to support the production and comprehension of sentences in real time? How do these abilities differ between people? Are there universal limits on the ways in which languages differ? Where do these limitations come from cognition in general or the specific language facility? Why is it so hard to learn a second language? Are there important links between language change and cultural change that point to links between language and culture?
Prerequisites: 80-150 or 80-180 or 85-211 or 85-213

85-426 Reverse engineering brains and machines: Spring: 9 units
Biological and artificial intelligence emerge from relatively simple computational principles, yet the representations these systems encode are not directly accessible without careful scientific inquiry. This course explores how brains and machines can be reverse engineered to reveal what they represent, how they compute, and why they behave as they do. Using tools such as representational similarity analysis (RSA), we will study the structural and functional alignment between biological and artificial systems and how sensory information becomes neural code. The course treats brains and modern neural networks as complementary objects of study, emphasizing shared principles, key differences, and the limits of interpretability. Drawing on neuroscience, cognitive science, and machine learning, students will examine methods for interrogating internal structure, including behavioral testing, neural recordings, model comparison, and computational probes. We will also compare perceptual illusions in biological systems with adversarial perturbations in artificial systems. By examining where these models align with, or fail to match, biological behavior and neural activity, students will gain insight into what it takes to build more brain-like AI. This course prepares students to develop their own studies of internal representations and to critically evaluate claims about brain and machine intelligence.
Prerequisite: 15-112

85-432 Data Science for Psychology and Neuroscience: Intermittent: 9 units
This course will cover advanced topics in statistics and experimental design necessary for applied research in modern psychology, including information design, exploratory data analysis, data visualization, nonparametric statistics, data and inference errors (multicollinearity, overfitting, Simpson's and Robinson's paradox), sanitization (data anonymization, de-identification), and linear models (including conditional process models). Students will get hands on experience with simulating, analyzing, and visualizing data in the R statistical environment.
Prerequisites: 85-309 or 36-309

85-433 Infant development: Inside the Mind of Babies: All Semesters: 9 units
This course will provide an overview of development in infancy with a focus on the emerging mind. A basic knowledge of developmental issues is assumed. We will cover the key aspects of infancy but with a primary focus on perception (seeing), cognition (thinking), and action (doing). Each week, students will be required to read a chapter in a textbook as well as short advanced empirical paper, often with conflicting accounts of a phenomenon. The instructor will introduce the key concepts, issues, and lines of research, but in each case students are expected to take an active role in discussing and developing ideas about the topic under consideration. Research methods specific to the study of infant development will be emphasized. Major issues that will be discussed include theories of developmental change, continuity in development, the nature of the psychological mechanism that underpin change, the relative contributions of heredity and environment, and the notion that all change occurs through a series of development cascades.
Prerequisites: 85-221 or 85-130

85-443 Social Factors and Well-Being: Intermittent: 9 units
This course will focus on the role that our social environment plays in our feelings of well-being and in the maintenance of our mental and physical health. Topics to be discussed include marriage, widowhood, loneliness, social support, social participation, social aspects of personality (e.g., social anxiety, extraversion, agreeableness, and hostility), social stressors (betrayal and conflict), discrimination, and socioeconomic status. We will consider how each social factor develops, the extent to which we can alter it or its effects on our lives, and how it influences our overall well-being.

85-446 Psychology of Gender: Spring: 9 units
This course is devoted to the investigation of psychological gender rather than biological sex. That is, sex differences will be explored from a social psychological (e.g., socialization) perspective. Implications of both male gender role and female gender role in the areas of relationships and health will be the course focus.
Prerequisites: 85-241 or 85-251

85-450 Psychology of Prejudice: Intermittent: 9 units
This course is devoted to the study of both traditional and more modern forms of prejudice and discrimination and the psychological processes that can arise from categorizations and stereotyping. The class provides an overview of the cognitive and emotional underpinnings of prejudice and discrimination as it pertains to many forms of inequality. Its goal is to examine social differences and social inequality in many areas of society. The psychological theories underlying these behaviors will be examined as well as their impact on the lives of stigmatized individuals. In addition to the traditional forms of prejudice based on such things as race, gender and age, other inequalities that result from less traditional groupings such as social class, appearance, and disability will be explored. Research on issues of social identity, intergroup relations and the reduction of prejudice will be examined through readings and class activities.
Prerequisites: 85-241 or 85-150

85-452 Attitudes and Persuasion: Intermittent: 9 units
This advanced undergraduate course will focus on the topic of attitude change and how various persuasive techniques are used to shape human response. The dynamics of propaganda and what makes the techniques effective on social and consumer decisions will be addressed. The primary goals of the course are to 1) understand the dynamics of attitude change; 2) explore the mechanism by which attitude change techniques operate and 3) examine relevant theories and research in persuasion. Examples of topics covered include the origins of attitudes, how attitudes influence judgments, social power and attitude change, and how individual decisions are influenced by the mass media. Classic and contemporary research in the area of persuasion will be examined in the form of course readings and assignments.
Prerequisites: 85-150 or 85-241

85-454 Health Psychology: All Semesters: 9 units
This course is concerned with how behavior and psychological states influence the development of and recovery from disease. The class provides an overview of existing psychological and epidemiological data on the relationship between behavior and disease and addresses the issue of how behavior, emotion and cognition can influence the disease processes. Topics include: measures and concepts, stress and disease, stress and coping, personal control, helplessness and disease, social support and health, reactivity to stress, behavior and hypertension, coronary heart disease, infectious diseases and immune function, and the effectiveness of behavioral interventions in health.
Prerequisites: 36-200 and (85-150 or 85-130 or 85-110 or 85-190 or 85-219 or 85-102 or 85-251 or 85-241 or 85-221 or 85-104 or 85-211 or 85-100)

85-456 Relationships: Fall: 9 units
The primary goal of this course is to introduce you to social psychological theory and research on the topic of relationships. Although a variety of relationship phenomena will be discussed, a heavy emphasis will be placed on research that addresses fundamental processes in close relationships. The coverage of material will include a review of historical roots and classic approaches to the scientific study of relationships, as well as exciting new research and theory on particular subtopics. The majority of class time is spent discussing and evaluating recent research. Special emphasis also is given to learning and critically evaluating the methodological tools that are used to study close relationships. This is an advanced seminar in which students will be expected to read original research articles and chapters on assigned topics and come to class prepared to discuss the material. Readings will consist of theoretical and empirical articles from psychology journals and related sources. Additional course requirements will involve short, weekly writing assignments, student presentations of research articles, and a written research proposal. Over the course of the semester, students will design and carry out a small-scale, original investigation on a relationships topic of interest.
Prerequisites: 85-330 or 85-320 or 85-300 or 85-340 or 85-310

85-471 How the Brain Makes Meaning: Intermittent: 9 units
Conceptual knowledge underpins all aspects of everyday experience, from language, to thinking, to recognizing familiar objects, people and places. This seminar will survey major theories and findings about how the brain represents 'meaning.' The course will emphasize research using neuropsychological methods in brain-damaged patients and functional neuroimaging in healthy participants. Students will read primary empirical and theoretical review articles to develop an understanding of both classic findings and recent discoveries about how the human brain represents meaning.
Prerequisites: (85-170 or 85-219 or 85-211 or 85-110) and 36-200

85-472 Cognitive Neuropsychology: Fall: 9 units
This course will review what has been learned of the neural bases of cognition through studies of brain-damaged patients as well as newer techniques such as brain stimulation mapping, regional metabolic and blood flow imaging, and attempt to relate these clinical and physiological data to theories of the mind cast in information-processing terms. The course will be organized into units corresponding to the traditionally-defined subfields of cognitive psychology such as perception, memory and language. In each area, we will ask: To what extent do the neurological phenomena make contact with the available cognitive theories? When they do, what are their implications for these theories (i.e., Can we confirm or disconfirm particular cognitive theories using neurological data?)? When they do not, what does this tell us about the parses of the mind imposed by the theories and methodologies of cognitive psychology and neuropsychology?
Prerequisites: 85-219 or 85-211 or 85-110 or 85-170

85-473 tba: Intermittent: 9 units
tba

85-480 Internship in Clinical Psychology: All Semesters
This course allows students to gain applied clinical experience in a mental health setting. Students will work alongside psychology professionals at designated field placements. This course is designed to help students apply and expand their knowledge of clinical psychology and to develop appropriate professional work standards. Students will spend the majority of their time (8 hours per week) in an applied clinical setting, with a one hour per week supervision meeting with Kasey Creswell kasey@andrew.cmu.edu. Instructor permission is required.
Prerequisite: 85-104 Min. grade B

85-482 Internship in Psychology: Fall and Spring
The Internship in Psychology is designed to enable students to gain experience in professional settings related to their studies in Psychology and earn credit for the intellectual work involved. It is the students responsibility to locate an internship site and on-site supervisor, as well as to identify a CMU faculty sponsor. The student registers for the internship by submitting a completed internship form to Theresa Kurutz in Baker Hall 343.

85-483 Internship in Psychology - Mini: Fall and Spring
The Internship in Psychology is designed to enable students to gain experience in professional settings related to their studies in Psychology and earn credit for the intellectual work involved. It is the students responsibility to locate an internship site and on-site supervisor, as well as to identify a CMU faculty sponsor. The student registers for the internship by submitting a completed internship form to Lauren McCarthy (laurenmc@andrew.cmu.edu).

85-484 Practicum in Child Development: Fall and Spring
This guided field experience is designed to help students deepen their understanding of developmental psychology by assisting in a preschool or kindergarten classroom and discussing the ways that their experiences relate to the theories they have learned previously and to new readings. Each student will individually schedule a consistent 6 hours per week helping in a Children's School classroom (preferably 2 or 3 chunks of time). Classroom duties will include working one-on-one and with small groups of students as they do puzzles, art projects, dramatic play, etc., as well as helping with snack, playground supervision, classroom cleanup, and storytime. Each student will be expected to keep a journal 1) relating general experiences to developmental theories and 2) documenting the development of a particular child during the semester. All students will meet for a 1 hour weekly discussion with the director. Discussion topics and related readings will be selected collaboratively, based on issues/questions raised by the group's observations and discussions. This course is typically 9 units, but may be negotiable between 3 and 9. Class meeting time for the Spring 23 semester is Tuesdays from 11am to 12:20pm in MMC 17
Prerequisite: 85-221

85-501 Teaching Assistantship: Fall and Spring
This course is designed to provide students with an apprenticeship in the practice of teaching through one-on-one interaction with a faculty member in the design, administration, and teaching of a course. The student should have previous coursework in the topic domain of the course to ensure that they have the basic skills and background necessary to contribute to the course. The Teaching Assistantship will be supervised by a faculty member, and should result in a concrete, measurable contribution to a course (such as the design of assignments or exams) and/or a reflection on the practical and pedagogical considerations of course design (such as a paper). It is the student's responsibility to make independent arrangement for independent course study courses with individual faculty members. This should be done the semester before a student wishes to register for one of these courses. The course may be taken for any number of units up to 9, depending on the amount of work done.

85-503 Internship in Psychology: All Semesters
The Internship in Psychology is designed to enable students to gain experience in professional settings related to their studies in Psychology and earn credit for the intellectual work involved. It is the students responsibility to locate an internship site and on-site supervisor, as well as to identify a CMU faculty sponsor. The student registers for the internship by submitting a completed internship form to Emilie O'Leary emilier@andrew.cmu.edu.

85-505 Readings In Psychology: All Semesters
As the name implies, the emphasis in the Reading course is on reading articles and books in some specified area. The students work in the course must lead to the production of a written paper which will be read by the instructor directing the readings. Often the reading is related to a research project which the student may wish to conduct. Readings courses have also been used to give students an opportunity to receive instruction in areas which are not included elsewhere in our course listing. The course may be taken for any number of units up to 9, depending upon the amount of work to be done.

85-506 Readings in Psychology: Fall and Spring
As the name implies, the emphasis in the reading course is on reading articles and books in some specified area. The students work in the course must lead to the production of a written paper which will be read by a psychology faculty instructor directing the readings. Often the reading is related to a research project which the student may wish to conduct. Reading courses have also been used to give students an opportunity to receive instruction in areas which are not included elsewhere in our course listing. The course may be taken for any number of units up to 9, depending upon the amount of work to be done. This course is special permission and can only be added in consultation with a psychology faculty member and registered by the Undergraduate administrator, Emilie O'Leary emilier@andrew.cmu.edu.

85-507 Research in Psychology: Fall
This course may include field study, applied work, or laboratory research. The student should have previous training in the basic research skills that will be used in his/her project, especially statistical methods and experimental design. Independent Research Projects will be supervised by a faculty member and must result in a written paper. It is the students responsibility to make arrangements for independent study courses with individual faculty members. This should be done the semester before a student wishes to register for one of these courses. The course may be taken for any number of units up to 12, depending upon the amount of work to be done. Please contact the CMU psychology faculty member you wish to work with to get approval to enroll then email Emilie Rendulic at emilier@andrew.cmu.edu in order to be registered for the course.

85-508 Research in Psychology: Spring
This course may include field study, applied work, or laboratory research. The student should have previous training in the basic research skills that will be used in his/her project, especially statistical methods and experimental design. Independent Research Projects will be supervised by a faculty member and must result in a written paper. It is the students responsibility to make arrangements for independent study courses with individual faculty members. This should be done the semester before a student wishes to register for one of these courses. The course may be taken for any number of units up to 12, depending upon the amount of work to be done.

85-509 Research in Psychology Practicum: Fall and Spring: 1 unit
All students registered for research units via 85-198 or 85-507/508 * to register, in addition, for this 1 unit course. This course will meet every other week (online, at a time to be determined by survey). This course will provide students with an opportunity to frame their research experience in a broader professional and scholastic perspective, as well as an opportunity to get feedback on ongoing research experiences. Topics to be covered include professional development, protections for researchers and participants (including Title IX), problem solving, and communication. Students will complete short homework assignments in relation to each topic as a way of maintaining engagement with the course materials, as well as brief written assignments reflecting on their research experience. Students will be connected with resources like the Global Communications Center and the Career and Professional Development Center to help students contextualize their research experience in ways that contribute to their ongoing professional aspirations.

85-530 Practicum in Developmental Psychology: Fall and Spring
This guided field experience is designed to help students deepen their understanding of developmental psychology by assisting in a preschool or kindergarten classroom and discussing the ways that their experiences relate to the theories they have learned previously and to new readings. Each student will individually schedule a consistent 6 hours per week helping in a Children's School classroom (preferably 2 or 3 chunks of time). Classroom duties will include working one-on-one and with small groups of students as they do puzzles, art projects, dramatic play, etc., as well as helping with snack, playground supervision, classroom cleanup, and storytime. Each student will be expected to keep a journal 1) relating general experiences to developmental theories and 2) documenting the development of a particular child during the semester. All students will meet for a 1 hour weekly discussion with the director. Discussion topics and related readings will be selected collaboratively, based on issues/questions raised by the group's observations and discussions. This course is typically 9 units, but may be negotiable between 3 and 9.
Prerequisites: 85-130 or 85-221

85-590 Internship in Clinical Psychology: Fall and Spring
This course allows students to gain applied clinical experience in a mental health setting. Students will work alongside psychology professionals at designated field placements. This course is designed to help students apply and expand their knowledge of clinical psychology and to develop appropriate professional work standards. Students will spend the majority of their time (8 hours per week) in an applied clinical setting, with a one hour per week supervision meeting with Dr. Creswell. Instructor permission is required, 85-104 Psychopathology can be taken as either a pre req or a co req. Please contact Dr. Kasey Creswell.

Faculty

JOHN R. ANDERSON, Richard King Mellon University Professor of Psychology and Computer Science – Ph.D., Stanford University; Carnegie Mellon, 1978–

JESSICA CANTLON, Ronald J. and Mary Ann Zdrojkowski Associate Professor of Developmental Neuroscience – PhD, Duke University; Carnegie Mellon, 2007–

SHARON CARVER, Teaching Professor, Psychology; Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Dietrich College – Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 1993–

CHANTE COX-BOYD, Associate Teaching Professor – Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Carnegie Mellon, 1999–

DAVID CRESWELL, Professor – Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles; Carnegie Mellon, 2008–

KASEY CRESWELL, Associate Professor – Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh; Carnegie Mellon, 2012–

JENELLE FEATHER, Assistant Professor – Ph.D, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon, 2022–

BROOKE C. FEENEY, Professor – Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo; Carnegie Mellon, 2001–

SUSANNE FERBER, Department Head – Ph.D, University of Osnabruck; Carnegie Mellon, 2000–

ANNA FISHER, Associate Professor – Ph.D., The Ohio State University; Carnegie Mellon, 2006–

VICKI S. HELGESON, Professor – Ph.D., University of Denver; Carnegie Mellon, 1990–

LAURIE HELLER, Teaching Professor – Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania; Carnegie Mellon, 2009–

MAGGIE HENDERSON, Assistant Professor of Psychology – Ph.D. in Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego ; Carnegie Mellon, 2021–

MARCEL A. JUST, D. O. Hebb University Professor of Psychology – Ph.D., Stanford University; Carnegie Mellon, 1972–

ROBERTA KLATZKY, Charles J. Queenan Jr., University Professor of Psychology – Ph.D., Stanford University; Carnegie Mellon, 1993–

KENNETH R. KOEDINGER, Hillman Professor & METALS Program Director – Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 2001–

PHOEBE LAM, Assistant Professor – PhD, Northwestern University; Carnegie Mellon, 2023–

MARSHA C. LOVETT, Teaching Professor – Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 2000–

BRIAN MACWHINNEY, Teresa Heinz Professor of Cognitive Psych – Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley; Carnegie Mellon, 1981–

BRADFORD MAHON, Associate Professor – PhD, Harvard University ; Carnegie Mellon, 2009–

KODY MANKE, Assistant Teaching Professor – Ph.D, Standford University; Carnegie Mellon, 2016–

DAVID PLAUT, Professor of Psychology – Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 1994–

DAVID RAKISON, Associate Professor – D.Phil., University of Sussex; Carnegie Mellon, 2000–

MICHAEL TARR, Professor, Kavčić-Moura Professor of Cognitive and Brain Science – Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon, 2009–

ERIK D. THIESSEN, Associate Professor, Director of Undergraduate Education in Psychology – Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison; Carnegie Mellon, 2004–

MICHAEL TRUJILLO, Assistant Professor – PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University; Carnegie Mellon, 2018–

JONATHAN TSAY, Assistant Professor – Ph.D., UC Berkeley; Carnegie Mellon, 2023–

TIMOTHY VERSTYNEN, Associate Professor and Co Director of the CMU-Pitt BRIDGE Center – Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley ; Carnegie Mellon, 2006–

Undergraduate Catalog