College of Liberal Arts
Psychology

 

 Undergraduate Index


Jean Ann Linney, Chair of the Department

Professors
Gary L. Allen, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1979
James B. Appel, Ph.D., Indiana University, 1960
Gordon C. Baylis, Ph.D., Oxford University, 1985
David E. Clement, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, 1963
James R. Coleman, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1974
Keith E. Davis, Ph.D., Duke University, 1963
Diane R. Follingstad, Ph.D., University of Colorado, 1974
E. Scott Huebner, Ph.D., Indiana University, 1976
Sandra J. Kelly, Ph.D., McGill University, 1985
Peter R. Kilmann, Ph.D., Brigham Young University, 1973
Jean Ann Linney, Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1978
Frederic J. Medway, Ph.D., University of Connecticut, 1975
Richard Nagle, Ph.D., Columbia University, 1975
Ronald J. Prinz, Ph.D., State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1977
John E. Richards, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1982
Herman C. Salzberg, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 1960
Abraham H. Wandersman, Ph.D., Cornell University, 1976
Douglas H. Wedell, Ph.D., University of California, 1984
Associate Professors
Thomas P. Cafferty, Ph.D., Purdue University, 1972
Robert E. Deysach, Ph.D., Syracuse University, 1970
Kathleen C. Kirasic, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1979
James E. Laughlin, Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1976
Robin K. Morris, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, 1990
Assistant Professors
Cheryl A. Armstead, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1991
Laurie Ford, Ph.D., University of Kansas, 1991
Julia L. Mendez, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1998
Pauline M. Pagliocca, Ph.D., University of Virginia, 1991
L. Katherine Prenovost, Ph.D., University of Kansas, 2000
Jeffrey C. Schatz, Ph.D., Washington University, 1997
Bradley H. Smith, Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1996
Matthew J. Traxler, Ph.D., University of Oregon, 1993
Adjunct Faculty
Leslie L. Baylis, Ph.D., Oxford University, 1990
Anne Louise Bezuidenhout, Ph.D., University of Michigan Ann Arbor, 1990
James Buggy, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1974
Vernon Louis Cantrell, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 1983
Linda L. Hernandez-Brooks, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 1981
John M. Hogan, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 1981
Leslie Sargent Jones, Ph.D. Northwestern University Medical School, 1981
W. Mark Posey, Ph.D., University of South Carolina 1992
Donald A. Powell, Ph.D., Florida State University, 1967
Andrew H. Ryan Jr., Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 1990
Emilie P. Smith, Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1990
William O. Sullivan, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 1985
Mary Ellen B. Warren, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 1994
Sara Wilcox, Ph.D., Washington University, 1996
Marlene A. Wilson, Ph.D., University of Illinois, Champaign, 1985
Faculty Emeriti
William T. Drennen, Ph.D., Florida State University, 1962
James R. Evans, Ph.D., George Peabody College, 1969
Ann W. Engin, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1970
Gilbert Gredler, Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1956
Roland Haynes, Ph.D., Boston University, 1961
Robert V. Heckel, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 1955
Lawrence McClure, Ph.D., University of Connecticut, 1975

Overview

The Department of Psychology offers two undergraduate majors. Students may elect a program leading to either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in psychology.

Entrance Requirements

Lower Division. In order to be admitted into the Department of Psychology, freshmen and transfer students must meet all University and college admission requirements. Transfer students must meet all such requirements and have a GPA of 2.00 or better. Acceptance into the department with a lower-division classification does not guarantee progression into the upper-division psychology major.
Upper Division. Progression into the upper division is based on the successful completion of all lower-division criteria.

Progression Requirements

Lower Division. All students enter the lower division when the psychology major is declared.
Requirements
1. Complete PSYC 101 and 226 with a grade of C or better.
2. Attain a 2.25 cumulative GPA.
3. The preceding lower-division requirements must be met by the completion of the first 30 credit hours as a declared psychology major. If at that time the student has not met the requirements, the student must select another major.
Regulations
1. Ineligible to enroll in 500-level and higher courses.
2. May repeat psychology major courses only once to earn the required grade of C or better.
Upper Division. Students enter the upper division in one of two ways:
1. Successfully complete lower-division requirements within the first 30 credit hours as a declared psychology major.
2. May be placed in with a cumulative GPA of 2.25 or higher and have earned grades of C or better in both PSYC 101 and 226 or equivalents.
Regulations.
1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or be subject to academic probation. If a 2.00 cumulative GPA has not been attained by the completion of the probationary term, the student must select another major.
2. May repeat psychology major courses only once to earn the required grade of C or better.
3. May enroll in 500-level and higher courses if the prerequisites have been completed.

Degree Requirements

(120 hours)

1. General Education Requirements (53-65 hours)

Psychology 101 may fulfill some of the general education requirements or may serve as an elective, but it must be completed for a major in psychology. At least one of the laboratory science courses must be a course in general biology or one that studies the animal kingdom.

2. Major Requirements (32 hours)

PSYC 226 (3 hours)
PSYC 227 (3 hours)
PSYC 228 (2 hours)
Two courses from PSYC 410, 420, 430, and 440 (6 hours)
Two courses from PSYC 400, 405, 450, and 460 (6 hours)
Four courses in psychology 300 or above, with at least nine hours numbered 400 and above and at least three hours numbered 500 and above; students may count up to six hours of independent study, individual research, and practicum courses (489, 498, 598, 599) for major credit. (12 hours)

3. Cognate or Minor, see "College of Liberal Arts" (12-18 hours)

4. Electives, see "College of Liberal Arts"

Students planning a major in psychology are advised to take basic science credits in biology and chemistry or physics. This is especially important for those contemplating graduate work.

Course Descriptions (PSYC)

  • 101–Introduction to Psychology. (3) An introduction to and survey of the basic concepts and findings within the field of psychology.
  • 103–Psychology of Adjustment. (3) Introduction to theories and processes underlying and facilitating human adjustment in the community, family, and workplace.
  • 226–Research Methods in Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130) Basic principles and methodology.
  • 227–Psychological Statistics. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 226 and MATH 111 or placement out of MATH 111) Introduction to statistical methods essential for psychological research.
  • 228–Laboratory in Psychology. (2) (Prereq: PSYC 226 and 227) Laboratory in psychology in which research methods and statistical methods are integrated. One lecture and one two-hour laboratory per week.
  • 300–Human Sexual Behavior. (3) Psychological, physiological, and sociological factors of human sexual behavior and attitudes.
  • 301–Psychology of Marriage. {=WOST 301} (3) The psychological, physiological, and social characteristics of marriage.
  • 310–Psychology of Women. {=WOST 310} (3) Women’s experiences: childhood and adolescence, work, family, cultural images, adjustment, and social change.
  • 320–Psychology of Religion. {=RELG 361} (3) The development of the religious consciousness and its various expressions, the psychological dynamics of growth and conversion, response to crisis, and the relation of spiritual practice to health and wholeness.
  • 330–Psychology and the African-American Experience. (3) Psychological theory and research as it applies to African Americans. Explores Africentric and other perspectives and roles of culture, racism, and historical phenomena.
  • 350–Industrial Psychology. (3) Psychological techniques applied to various industrial problem areas, such as management and supervision, morale, efficiency, training, personnel selection and placement, and relations among personnel.
  • 360–Applied Psychology. (3) Uses of psychological knowledge and techniques in practical contexts; clinical, school, industrial, consumer, and environmental psychology.
  • 370–Psychology of Consciousness. (3) Theories, controversies, and research findings on the nature of various states of consciousness; topics such as sleep/dreams, hypnosis, drug-induced states, and psychic phenomena.
  • 380–Sport Psychology. (3) The role of sports in socialization, personality development and competence, including: spectator-performer interactions, motivation, competition effects; and the application of psychological techniques to performance enhancement.
  • 399–Independent Study. (1-6) (Prereq: PSYC 101 and consent of instructor) Closely supervised project or research experience in psychology. Approved contract required. May be repeated for up to six credits. Not for psychology major credit.
  • 400–Survey of Learning and Memory. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130) Research and applications concerning the acquisition of new behavior and knowledge, including accounts based on classical and instrumental conditioning and on information-processing models.
  • 405–Cognitive Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 400) Research and theories on sensory memory, attention, short-term and working memory, human learning and forgetting, imagery, long-term memory, speech perception, reading, language, thinking and problem solving, and decision making.
  • 410–Survey of Abnormal Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130) Covers the classification, diagnosis, etiological theories, and treatments of the major mental and emotional disorders.
  • 420–Survey of Developmental Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or EDPY 335 or SCCC 130) Psychological development from conception to late adulthood. Topics include physical, cognitive, and social processes associated with development at each stage of the life cycle.
  • 430–Survey of Social Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130) Introduction to theory and research in social psychology from a psychological viewpoint. Topics include social perception, social cognition, attitudes, interpersonal relationships, aggression, prosocial behavior, and group processes.
  • 440–Survey of Personality. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130) Covers the major theories and research on personality and the dynamics of human motivation.
  • 450–Sensation and Perception. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130) Processing of information from the environment. Physiological, physical, psychological, and contextual determinants of perception.
  • 460–Physiological Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130) The neurochemical and neuroanatomical bases of behavior ranging from the reflex to schizophrenia.
  • 465–Health Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130) Application of psychological theories and assessment and treatment methodologies for health maintenance and the diagnosis and treatment of illness.
  • 470–Introduction to Language Sciences. {=ANTH 373, LING 300} (3) Introduction to the linguistic component of human cognition. Properties of speech, the organization of language in the mind/brain, crosslinguistic universals, child language acquisition, and aspects of adult language processing.
  • 487–Community Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130 and at least three hours in psychology at 400 level or above) Application of knowledge from other areas of psychology to the study of the role of the individual in the community.
  • 489–Community Psychology Practicum. (1-6) (Prereq: 15 hours in psychology and consent of instructor) Supervised, structured field experience in a community agency, applying psychological principles, theory, and research. May be repeated once for credit.
  • 498–Advanced Independent Study. (1-6) (Prereq: 9 hours of psychology and consent of instructor) Closely supervised project or research experience in psychology. Approved contract required. May be repeated for up to six credits.
  • 501–Human Factors Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 and nine hours of upper-level courses all in psychology, business, engineering, or nursing) Application of research in experimental psychology to ergonomics, the design of human-environment systems, with emphasis on work settings.
  • 503–Psychology of Drug Use and Effects. {=PHRM 513} (3) (Prereq: consent of instructor) Research and theoretical considerations of substance abuse. Pharmacological, sociological, psychological, medical, economic, forensic, and other relevant research and treatment disciplines.
  • 506–Psychology of Language. {=LING 567} (3) (Prereq: consent of instructor) Theories of speech perception, linguistic theories of syntax and semantics, the brain mechanisms underlying language, the development of language in children, and the role of language in thought.
  • 510–Abnormal Behavior in Children. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 420 or 410 or consent of instructor) Theories, description, and assessment of child behavior problems and disorders; methods of intervention.
  • 520–Psychology of Child Development. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 420 or consent of instructor) Examination of development from conception through older childhood. Specific cognitive and social processes will be given in-depth study.
  • 521–Psychology of Adolescence. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 420 or consent of instructor) Theories and research examining social, emotional, and intellectual development in adolescence. Explores influence of family, peer, school, and cultural contexts.
  • 522–Psychology of Early and Middle Adulthood. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 420 or consent of instructor) Developmental changes in abilities, personality, and behavior which occur between adolescence and old age.
  • 523–Psychology of Aging. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 420 or consent of instructor) Psychological, social, and biological phenomena associated with maturity and aging.
  • 524–Psychology of Mental Retardation. {=EDEX 619} (3) (Prereq: a course in the areas of child psychology-child development) Nature and causes of mental retardation; behavior and potentialities of persons with mental retardation.
  • 526–Prevention of Psychological Problems in Children and Youth at Risk. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 410 or 420 or equivalent) Etiology, prevention or, and intervention in behavioral, social, emotional, educational, and psychological problems in children and youth at risk,
  • 528–Psychology of Children with Exceptionalities. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 420 or 520 or consent of instructor) Characteristics, causes, needs, and intervention strategies for children with a broad range of exceptionalities including mental, physical, social/emotional difficulties and atypical gifts and talents.
  • 529–Specific Learning Disabilities of School Children. {=EDEX 531} (3) (Prereq: PSYC 528 or EDEX 523 or consent of instructor) Children with average or above average intelligence and specific learning impairments; diagnostic and remedial techniques. (Given jointly by the College of Education and the Department of Psychology.)
  • 530–Advanced Social Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 430) Intensive study of topics selected from the field of social psychology.
  • 550–Advanced Sensation and Perception. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 450) Intensive study of topics selected from the field of sensation and perception.
  • 560–Advanced Physiological Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 460) Intensive study of topics selected from the field of physiological psychology.
  • 565–Psychology of Physical Activity. {=EXSC 410} (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101, PSYC 228, or consent of instructor) Introduction to psychosocial factors in physical activity. Topics include mental health effects of exercise, behavior change theories applied to physical activity, and physical activity determinants and interventions.
  • 570–Physiological Psychology Laboratory. (3) (Prereq or coreq: PSYC 460 or consent of instructor) Practice in surgical, histological, and behavioral testing methodology. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week.
  • 572–Cognitive Psychology Laboratory. (3) (Prereq or coreq: PSYC 405) Practice in the experimental techniques used in the study of cognitive psychology. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week.
  • 574–Sensation and Perception Laboratory. (3) (Prereq or coreq: PSYC 450 or consent of instructor) Concepts and principles in the study of sensation and perception in the laboratory. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week.
  • 575–Developmental Psychology Laboratory. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 226 and 227; prereq or coreq: PSYC 420 or 520 or consent of instructor) Methods of observation and experimentation on human psychological development. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week.
  • 580–Intermediate Statistics for Psychologists. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 226 and 227; undergraduate enrollment limited to psychology majors) Advanced analysis of the uses and applications of statistics to research in psychology, and interpretation of statistics in the psychological literature.
  • 581–Intermediate Statistics for Psychologists II. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 580; undergraduate enrollment limited to students majoring in psychology) Continuation of PSYC 580.
  • 583–Psychological Tests and Measurement. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 227 or consent of instructor) Overview of the nature, design, and application of psychological tests. Emphasis on test construction, the psychometric properties of psychological tests, intelligence and aptitude testing, objective and projective tests of personality, and general issues in the application of tests.
  • 584–History and Systems of Psychology. (3) (Prereq: 9 hours in psychology at 400 level or above) Systematic approaches to psychology.
  • 585–Advanced General Psychology. (3) (Prereq: 12 hours in psychology courses numbered above 300) Review and integration of general principles of psychology. Primarily for students planning graduate study in psychology.
  • 586–Applied Research in Substance Abuse. {=PHRM 625} (3) (Prereq: consent of instructor) Pharmacological, sociological, psychological, medical, economic, forensic, and other relevant research and treatment disciplines.
  • 589–Selected Topics in Psychology. (3) Course content varies and will be announced in the schedule of classes by suffix and title.
  • 598–Individual Research. (3) (Prereq: 15 hours of psychology and consent of instructor) Planning and execution of supervised research in psychology. Approved contract required.
  • 599–Individual Research. (3) (Prereq: 15 hours of psychology and consent of instructor) Planning and execution of supervised research in psychology. Approved contract required.

Return to Liberal Arts

[Bulletin Home Page] [Undergraduate Bulletin Contents] [Disclaimer] [Office of Undergraduate Admissions]

This web site updated September 2001 by Thom Harman, and copyright © 2001-2002 by the Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina. All Rights Reserved.
URL http://www.sc.edu/bulletin/ugrad/LibPsych.html