PSYC 387 - Things in Context

1 unit(s)

This course explores the role of context as it relates to the functioning of biological organisms (and other agents too). Context here refers to various kinds of proposed ‘environmental’ influences, for instance, selection pressures if we are highlighting evolution, extracellar milieu if we are focusing on prenatal development, populations of neurons if we are concentrating on brain representations, situational cues if learning is the topic, priming cues in the case of recall, other people where social interaction is concerned, culture in the case of norms, and so on. The goal of the course is to examine the proposition that context is crucial to the cognition, emotion, and behavior of organisms, whether we are looking at phylogeny, ontogeny, or moment-to-moment living and whether we are looking at memory, meaning, morality, socialization practices, personality, or interpersonal understanding. The course, then, explores the role of context at multiple levels and across multiple phenomena. And we ask what happens when we take things out of context. Ms. Broude.

Prerequisite(s): COGS 100 or one 200-level Psychology course.

Not offered in 2013/14.

Open to seniors. For majors, satisfactory completion of a research methods course (PSYC 209, PSYC 219, PSYC 229, PSYC 239, PSYC 249, PSYC 259) is a prerequisite for these courses. Seminar seats are assigned according to a department lottery system. Please contact department office for lottery information. Non-majors and juniors should consult the instructor.