Psychology

This course provides a general overview of topics including research techniques in psychology, evolutionary psychology, the biology of behaviour, learning and behaviour, sensation, perception, memory and consciousness. The most influential findings from each of these areas will be highlighted.

This course provides a general overview of topics including language, intelligence, development, motivation and emotion, personality, social psychology, stress, mental disorders and treatments of mental disorders. The most influential findings from each of these areas will be highlighted.

The course will provide introductory knowledge and hands-on training in computer-based implementations of experimental design, data processing and result interpretation in psychology. The course covers implementations of experimental testing paradigms, computational explorations of empirical data structure and result visualization with the aid of specific programming tools (e.g., Matlab).

This course focuses on the fundamentals of the theory and the application of statistical procedures used in research in the field of psychology. Topics will range from descriptive statistics to simple tests of significance, such as Chi-Square, t-tests, and one-way Analysis-of-Variance. A working knowledge of algebra is assumed. Students in the Specialist programs in Psychology, Psycholinguistics or Neuroscience will be given priority for this course.

Surveys a wide range of phenomena relating to social behaviour.
Social Psychology is the study of how feelings, thoughts, and behaviour are influenced by the presence of others. The course is designed to explore social behaviour and to present theory and research that foster its understanding.

Developmental processes during infancy and childhood.
This course presents students with a broad and integrative overview of child development. Major theories and research findings will be discussed in order to understand how the child changes physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively with age. Topics are organized chronologically beginning with prenatal development and continuing through selected issues in adolescence and life-span development.

This course is intended to introduce students to the scientific study of the whole person in biological, social, and cultural contexts. The ideas of classical personality theorists will be discussed in reference to findings from contemporary personality research.

Clinical psychology examines why people behave, think, and feel in unexpected, sometimes bizarre, and typically self-defeating ways. This course will focus on the ways in which clinicians have been trying to learn the causes of various clinical disorders and what they know about preventing and alleviating it.

An introduction to behaviour modification, focusing on attempts to regulate human behaviour. Basic principles and procedures of behaviour change are examined, including their application across different domains and populations. Topics include operant and respondent conditioning; reinforcement; extinction; punishment; behavioural data; ethics; and using behaviourally-based approaches (e.g., CBT) to treat psychopathology.

Theory and research on perception and cognition, including visual, auditory and tactile perception, representation, and communication. Topics include cognition and perception in the handicapped and normal perceiver; perceptual illusion, noise, perspective, shadow patterns and motion, possible and impossible scenes, human and computer scene-analysis, ambiguity in perception, outline representation. The research is on adults and children, and different species. Demonstrations and exercises form part of the course work.

The course explores how the brain gives rise to the mind. It examines the role of neuroimaging tools and brain-injured patients in helping to uncover cognitive networks. Select topics include attention, memory, language, motor control, decision-making, emotion, and executive functions.

A discussion of theories and experiments examining human cognition. This includes the history of the study of human information processing and current thinking about mental computation. Topics covered include perception, attention, thinking, memory, visual imagery, language and problem solving.

A survey of the biological mechanisms underlying fundamental psychological processes intended for students who are not in a Neuroscience program. Topics include the biological basis of motivated behaviour (e.g., emotional, ingestive, sexual, and reproductive behaviours; sleep and arousal), sensory processes and attention, learning and memory, and language.

This course focuses on scientific literacy skills central to effectively consuming and critiquing research in psychological science. Students will learn about commonly used research designs, how to assess whether a design has been applied correctly, and whether the conclusions drawn from the data are warranted. Students will also develop skills to effectively find and consume primary research in psychology.

This course provides an introduction to, and experience in, ongoing theoretical and empirical research in any field of psychology. Supervision of the work is arranged by mutual agreement between student and instructor. Students will typically engage in an existing research project within a supervisor’s laboratory. Regular consultation with the supervisor is necessary, which will enhance communication skills and enable students to develop proficiency in speaking about scientific knowledge with other experts in the domain. Students will also develop documentation and writing skills through a final report and research journal. This course requires students to complete a permission form obtained from the Department of Psychology. This form must outline agreed-upon work that will be performed, must be signed by the intended supervisor, and returned to the Department of Psychology.

How we communicate in psychology and why. The differences between scientific and non-scientific approaches to behaviour and their implications for communication are discussed. The focus is on improving the student's ability to obtain and organize information and to communicate it clearly and critically, using the conventions of the discipline.

The course will provide advanced knowledge and hands-on training in computer-based implementations of experimental design, data processing and result interpretation in psychology. The course covers implementations of experimental testing paradigms, computational explorations of empirical data structure, and result visualization with the aid of specific programming tools (e.g., Matlab).

This course will provide students with an introduction to physiological processes that are related to psychological processes. Students will gain a theoretical background in psychophysiology as well as read key empirical papers related to the psychological correlates of each physiological system. This course will be a primary methods course for psychology specialists, such that students will acquire advanced skills involved in the acquisition of psychophysiological data and become well-versed in appropriate psychophysiological theory and inference. 

The primary focus of this course is on the understanding of Analysis-of-Variance and its application to various research designs. Examples will include a priori and post hoc tests. Finally, there will be an introduction to multiple regression, including discussions of design issues and interpretation problems.

An introduction to multiple regression and its applications in psychological research. The course covers the data analysis process from data collection to interpretation: how to deal with missing data, the testing of assumptions, addressing problem of multicolinearity, significance testing, and deciding on the most appropriate model. Several illustrative data sets will be explored in detail. The course contains a brief introduction to factor analysis. The goal is to provide the students with the skills and understanding to conduct and interpret data analysis in non-experimental areas of psychology.

This course examines the psychology of judgment and decision making, incorporating perspectives from social psychology, cognitive psychology, and behavioral economics. Understanding these topics will allow students to identify errors and systematic biases in their own decisions, and improve their ability to predict and influence the behavior of others.

A detailed examination of selected social psychological topics introduced in PSYB10H3. This course examines the nature of attitudes, stereotypes and prejudice, including their development, persistence, and automaticity. It also explores the impact of stereotypes on their targets, including how stereotypes are perceived and how they affect performance, attributions, and coping.

A comprehensive survey of how cognitive processes (e.g., perception, memory, judgment) influence social behaviour. Topics include the construction of knowledge about self and others, attitude formation and change, influences of automatic and controlled processing, biases in judgment and choice, interactions between thought and emotion, and neural specializations for social cognition.

A survey of the role of culture in social thought and behaviour. The focus is on research and theory that illustrate ways in which culture influences behaviour and cognition about the self and others, emotion and motivation. Differences in individualism and collectivism, independence and interdependence as well as other important orientations that differ between cultures will be discussed. Social identity and its impact on acculturation in the context of immigration will also be explored.

The course will examine different aspects of imagination in a historical context, including creativity, curiosity, future-mindedness, openness to experience, perseverance, perspective, purpose, and wisdom along with its neural foundations.

What is an emotion? How are emotions experienced and how are they shaped? What purpose do emotions serve to human beings? What happens when our emotional responses go awry? Philosophers have debated these questions for centuries. Fortunately, psychological science has equipped us with the tools to explore such questions on an empirical level. Building with these tools, this course will provide a comprehensive overview of the scientific study of emotion. Topics will include how emotions are expressed in our minds and bodies, how emotions influence (and are influenced by) our thoughts, relationships, and cultures, and how emotions can both help us thrive and make us sick. A range of perspectives, including social, cultural, developmental, clinical, and cognitive psychology, will be considered.

A detailed examination of how organisms exercise control, bringing thoughts, emotions and behaviours into line with preferred standards. Topics include executive function, the neural bases for self control, individual differences in control, goal setting and goal pursuit, motivation, the interplay of emotion and control, controversies surrounding fatigue and control, and decision-making.

An examination of topics in adult development after age 18, including an examination of romantic relationships, parenting, work-related functioning, and cognitive, perceptual, and motor changes related to aging.

Infants must learn to navigate their complex social worlds as their bodies and brains undergo incredible changes. This course explores physical and neural maturation, and the development of perception, cognition, language, and social-emotional understanding in infants prenatally until preschool.

A review of the interplay of psychosocial and biological processes in the development of stress and emotion regulation. Theory and research on infant attachment, mutual regulation, gender differences in emotionality, neurobiology of the parent-infant relationship, and the impact of socialization and parenting on the development of infant stress and emotion.

This advanced course in developmental psychology explores selected topics in childhood and adolescent development during school age (age 4 through age 18). Topics covered include: cognitive, social, emotional, linguistic, moral, perceptual, identity, and motor development, as well as current issues in the field as identified by the instructor.

This course will examine research and theory on the evolution and development of social behaviour and social cognition with a focus on social instincts, such as empathy, altruism, morality, emotion, friendship, and cooperation. This will include a discussion of some of the key controversies in the science of social development from the second half of the nineteenth century to today.

Clinical neuropsychology is an applied science concerned with the behavioural expression of brain dysfunction. In this course we will first examine the brain and localization of neuropsychological function. We will then explore the science and practice of clinical neuro-psychology where tests measuring different neuropsychological domains (e.g., memory, attention and so on) are employed in patient populations to infer brain dysfunction. Students in the Specialist (Co-operative) Program in Mental Health Studies should enrol in PSYC73H3, not in this course.

An examination of the therapeutic methods used to improve the capacity of a brain damaged individual to process and use incoming information, enhancing functioning in everyday life. Students will be introduced to methods that aim to restore cognitive function by compensatory techniques. Neuropsychological rehabilitation problems caused by deficits in attention, visual processing, language, memory, reasoning/problem solving, and executive functioning will be stressed. Lectures and demonstrations. Students in the Specialist (Co-operative) Program in Mental Health Studies will have priority for entry to the course.

This course is intended to advance students' understanding of contemporary personality theory and research. Emerging challenges and controversies in the areas of personality structure, dynamics, and development will be discussed.

This course will provide students with an introduction to prominent behavioural change theories (i.e. psychodynamic, cognitive/behavioural, humanist/existential) as well as empirical evidence on their efficacy. The role of the therapist, the patient and the processes involved in psychotherapy in producing positive outcomes will be explored.

This course deals with conceptual issues and practical problems of identification, assessment, and treatment of mental disorders and their psychological symptomatology. Students have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the psychological tests and the normative data used in mental health assessments. Lectures and demonstrations on test administration and interpretation will be provided.

This course focuses on the application of psychology to the law, particularly criminal law including cognitive, neuropsychological and personality applications to fitness to stand trial, criminal responsibility, risk for violent and sexual recidivism and civil forensic psychology.

This course examines advanced cognitive functions through a cognitive psychology lens. Topics covered include: thinking, reasoning, decision-making, problem-solving, creativity, and consciousness.

This course will provide an in-depth examination of research in the field of visual cognitive neuroscience. Topics will include the visual perception of object features (shape, colour, texture), the perception of high-level categories (objects, faces, bodies, scenes), visual attention, and comparisons between the human and monkey visual systems.

This course is about understanding how the human brain collects information from the environment so as to perceive it and to interact with it. The first section of the course will look into the neural and cognitive mechanisms that perceptual systems use to extract important information from the environment. Section two will focus on how attention prioritizes information for action. Additional topics concern daily life applications of attentional research.

An exploration of how the brain supports different forms of memory, drawing on evidence from electrophysiological, patient neuropsychological and neuroimaging research. Topics include short-term working memory, general knowledge of the world (semantic memory), implicit memory, and memory for personally experienced events (episodic memory).

Studies the perceptual and cognitive processing involved in musical perception and performance. This class acquaints students with the basic concepts and issues involved in the understanding of musical passages. Topics will include discussion of the physical and psychological dimensions of sound, elementary music theory, pitch perception and melodic organization, the perception of rhythm and time, musical memory, musical performance, and emotion and meaning in music.

This course will introduce students to current understanding, and ongoing debates, about how the brain makes both simple and complex decisions. Findings from single-cell neurophysiology, functional neuroimaging, and computational modeling will be used to illuminate fundamental aspects of choice, including reward prediction, value representation, action selection, and self-control.

This course provides an overview of the cognitive and neural processes and representations that underlie language abilities. Core topics include first language acquisition, second language acquisition and bilingualism, speech comprehension, and reading. Insights into these different abilities will be provided from research using behavioural, neuroimaging, computational, and neuropsychological techniques.

An examination of behavioural and neurobiological mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of drug dependence. Topics will include principles of behavioural pharmacology and pharmacokinetics, neurobiological mechanisms of drug action, and psychotropic drug classification. In addition, concepts of physical and psychological dependence, tolerance, sensitization, and reinforcement and aversion will also be covered.

The course focuses on methodological skills integral to becoming a producer of psychological research. Students will learn how to identify knowledge gaps in the literature, to use conceptual models to visualize hypothetical relationships, to select a research design most appropriate for their questions, and to interpret more complex patterns of data.

Introduces conceptual and practical issues concerning research in social psychology, and provides experience with several different types of research.
This course is designed to consider in depth various research approaches used in social psychology (such as attitude questionnaires, observational methods for studying ongoing social interaction). Discussion and laboratory work.

This course introduces conceptual and practical issues concerning research in developmental psychology. Developmental psychology focuses on the process of change within and across different phases of the life-span. Reflecting the broad range of topics in this area, there are diverse research methods, including techniques for studying infant behaviour as well as procedures for studying development in children, adolescents, and adults. This course will cover a representative sample of some of these approaches.

The applied science concerned with the behavioural expression of brain dysfunction for students in the Specialist (Co-op) program in Mental Health Studies. Lecture and demonstration material will be as described for PSYC31H3, Clinical Neuropsychology, but students will also complete a laboratory component. The laboratory will afford the student the opportunity for hands-on experience with a number of neuropsychological measures and will emphasize the learning of specific test administration and interpretation.

In this course students will be introduced to the study of human movement across a range of topics (e.g., eye-movements, balance, and walking), and will have the opportunity to collect and analyze human movement data. Additional topics include basic aspects of experimental designs, data analysis and interpretation of such data.

This course introduces conceptual and practical issues concerning research in cognitive psychology. Students will be introduced to current research methods through a series of practical exercises conducted on computers. By the end of the course, students will be able to program experiments, manipulate data files, and conduct basic data analyses.

The course introduces brain imaging techniques, focusing on techniques such as high-density electroencephalography (EEG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), together with magnet-resonance-imaging-based neuronavigation. Furthermore, the course will introduce eye movement recordings as a behavioural measure often co-registered in imaging studies. Students will learn core principles of experimental designs, data analysis and interpretation in a hands-on manner.

A survey of developments in Western philosophy and science which influenced the emergence of modern psychology in the second half of the Nineteenth Century. Three basic problems are considered: mind-body, epistemology (science of knowledge), and behaviour/motivation/ethics. We begin with the ancient Greek philosophers, and then consider the contributions of European scholars from the Fifteenth through Nineteenth Centuries. Twentieth Century schools are discussed including: psychoanalysis, functionalism, structuralism, gestalt, behaviourism, and phenomenology.

An intensive research project intended to provide laboratory/field experience in data collection and analysis. The project must be completed over 2 consecutive terms.
These courses provide an opportunity to engage in research in an area after completing basic coverage in regularly scheduled courses. The student must demonstrate a background adequate for the project proposed and should present a clear rationale to prospective supervisors. Regular consultation with the supervisor is necessary, and extensive data collection and analysis will be required. Such a project will culminate in a written research report.
Students must first find a supervisor before the start of the academic term in which the project will be initiated. They must then obtain a permission form from the Department of Psychology's website (www.utsc.utoronto.ca/psych/undergraduates) that is to be completed and signed by the intended supervisor, and returned to the Psychology Office. At that time, the student will be provided with an outline of the schedule and general requirements for the course, including the structure of the required log-book.
Students seeking supervision off campus are further advised to check the appropriateness of the proposed advisor with the Program Supervisor. If the proposed supervisor is not appointed to the Psychology faculty at UTSC then a secondary advisor, that is appointed at UTSC, will be required.

An intensive research project intended to provide laboratory/field experience in data collection and analysis. The project must be completed over 2 consecutive terms.
These courses provide an opportunity to engage in research in an area after completing basic coverage in regularly scheduled courses. The student must demonstrate a background adequate for the project proposed and should present a clear rationale to prospective supervisors. Regular consultation with the supervisor is necessary, and extensive data collection and analysis will be required. Such a project will culminate in a written research report.
Students must first find a supervisor before the start of the academic term in which the project will be initiated. They must then obtain a permission form from the Department of Psychology's website that is to be completed and signed by the intended supervisor, and returned to the Psychology Office. At that time, the student will be provided with an outline of the schedule and general requirements for the course, including the structure of the required log-book.
Students seeking supervision off campus are further advised to check the appropriateness of the proposed advisor with the Program Supervisor. If the proposed supervisor is not appointed to the Psychology faculty at UTSC then a secondary advisor, that is appointed at UTSC, will be required.

This course examines the applications of social psychological theory and research to understand and address social issues that affect communities. In doing so the course bridges knowledge from the areas of social psychology and community psychology. In the process, students will have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how theories and research in social psychology can be used to explain everyday life, community issues, and societal needs and how, reciprocally, real-life issues can serve to guide the direction of social psychological theories and research.

This course focuses on social psychological theory and research pertaining to close interpersonal relationships. The course will cover topics including perceptions of and interactions within close relationships, development and maintenance of relationships, and relationship conflict and dissolution.

This seminar explores the topic of the self from an experimental social-psychological perspective, including an in depth analysis of the fundamental processes of the “hyphenated self:” self-knowledge, self-esteem, self-regulation, for just a few examples. This course is designed to not only introduce students to much of the important theory and research in the social psychology of the self, but also to develop critical thinking skills.

This seminar offers an in depth introduction to the recent scientific literature on how humans manage and control their emotions (emotion regulation). We will explore why, and how, people regulate emotions, how emotion regulation differs across individuals and cultures, and the influence that emotion regulation has upon mental, physical, and social well-being.

This course provides an in-depth introduction to the field of moral psychology. In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in the science of human morality; the goal of this course is to offer an introduction to the research in this field. The course will incorporate perspectives from a variety of disciplines including philosophy, animal behaviour, neuroscience, economics, and almost every area of scientific psychology (social psychology, developmental psychology, evolutionary psychology, and cognitive psychology). By the end of the course students will be well versed in the primary issues and debates involved in the scientific study of morality.

An intensive examination of selected issues and research problems in social psychology.

The development of social psychology is examined both as a discipline (its phenomena, theory, and methods) and as a profession. The Natural and Human Science approaches to phenomena are contrasted. Students are taught to observe the lived-world, choose a social phenomenon of interest to them, and then interview people who describe episodes from their lives in which these phenomena occurred. The students interpret these episodes and develop theories to account for their phenomena before searching for scholarly research on the topic.

This course investigates how linking theory and evidence from psychology, neuroscience, and biology can aid in understanding important social behaviors. Students will learn to identify, critique, and apply cutting-edge research findings to current real-world social issues (e.g., prejudice, politics, moral and criminal behavior, stress and health).

This course focuses on theory and research pertaining to gender and gender roles. The social psychological and social-developmental research literature concerning gender differences will be critically examined. Other topics also will be considered, such as gender-role socialization.

An intensive examination of selected issues and research problems in developmental psychology.
The specific content will vary from year to year with the interests of both instructor and students. Lectures, discussions, and oral presentations by students.

The processes by which an individual becomes a member of a particular social system (or systems). The course examines both the content of socialization (e.g., development of specific social behaviours) and the context in which it occurs (e.g., family, peer group, etc.). Material will be drawn from both social and developmental psychology.

Mutual recognition is one of the hallmarks of human consciousness and psychological development. This course explores mutual recognition as a dyadic and regulatory process in development, drawing on diverse theories from developmental science, social psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, literature, psychoanalysis, and gender studies.

An in-depth examination of aspects related to perceptual and motor development in infancy and childhood. The topics to be covered will be drawn from basic components of visual and auditory perception, multisensory integration, and motor control, including reaching, posture, and walking. Each week, students will read a set of experimental reports, and will discuss these readings in class. The format of this course is seminar-discussion.

An intensive examination of selected issues and research problems in personality psychology. The specific content will vary from year to year.

This course provides an in-depth introduction to the field of cultural-clinical psychology. We examine theoretical and empirical advances in understanding the complex interplay between culture and mental health, focusing on implications for the study and treatment of psychopathology. Topics include cultural variations in the experience and expression of mental illness.

This course reviews the latest research on the causes, longitudinal development, assessment, and treatment of personality disorders. Students will learn the history of personality disorders and approaches to conceptualizing personality pathology. Topics covered include “schizophrenia-spectrum” personality disorders, biological approaches to psychopathy, and dialectical behaviour therapy for borderline personality disorder.

An intensive examination of selected issues and research problems in abnormal psychology. The specific content will vary from year to year.

This course reviews the psychopharmacological strategies used for addressing a variety of mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, psychosis, impulsivity, and dementia. It will also address the effects of psychotropic drugs on patients or clients referred to mental health professionals for intellectual, neuropsychological and personality testing. Limitations of pharmacotherapy and its combinations with psychotherapy will be discussed.

This course is an opportunity to explore how social practices and ideas contribute to the ways in which society, families and individuals are affected by mental health and mental illness.

This course provides an in-depth exploration of cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT) for psychological disorders. Topics covered include historical and theoretical foundations of CBT, its empirical evidence base and putative mechanisms of change, and a critical review of contemporary clinical applications and protocols.

An intensive examination of selected topics. The specific content will vary from year to year.

This course provides an intensive examination of selected topics in recent research on perception. Topics may include research in vision, action, touch, hearing and multisensory integration. Selected readings will cover psychological and neuropsychological findings, neurophysiological results, synaesthesia and an introduction to the Bayesian mechanisms of multisensory integration.

This course provides an overview of neural-network models of perception, memory, language, knowledge representation, and higher-order cognition. The course consists of lectures and a lab component. Lectures will cover the theory behind the models and their application to specific empirical domains. Labs will provide hands-on experience running and analyzing simulation models.

The course provides an intensive examination of selected topics in the research of visual recognition. Multiple components of recognition, as related to perception, memory and higher-level cognition, will be considered from an integrative psychological, neuroscientific and computational perspective. Specific topics include face recognition, visual word recognition and general object recognition.

An in-depth study of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as used in cognitive neuroscience, including an overview of MR physics, experimental design, and statistics, as well as hands-on experience of data processing and analysis.

This course takes a cognitive approach to understanding the initiation and perpetuation of gambling behaviours, with a particular interest in making links to relevant work in neuroscience, social psychology, and clinical psychology.

An extensive examination of selected topics in human brain and behaviour. The neural bases of mental functions such as language, learning, memory, emotion, motivation and addiction are examples of the topics that may be included.

This course offers the opportunity to engage in a year long research project under the supervision of an interested member of the faculty in Psychology. The project will culminate in a written report in the form of a thesis and a poster presentation. During the course of the year, at appropriate times, students will meet to present their own research proposals, to appraise the proposals of others, and to discuss the results of their investigation. Students must first find a supervisor, which is usually confirmed before the start of the academic term in which the project will be initiated. Students will meet as a group with the coordinator as well as individually with their supervisor. This course is restricted to Specialists in Psychology and Mental Health Studies with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher. Students planning to pursue graduate studies are especially encouraged to enrol in the course. Students must obtain a permission form from the Psychology departmental website (www.utsc.utoronto.ca/psych/undergraduates) that is to be completed and signed by the intended supervisor, and submitted to the Psychology Office. At that time, the student will be provided with an outline of the schedule and general requirements for the course. Students seeking supervision off campus will need to arrange co-supervision with a faculty member in Psychology at this campus.