PSYC 51N: The Science of Sleep in Cognition and Mental Health
We live in a society that continues to deprioritize sleep by embracing the "I'fll sleep when I'm dead" mentality. But what actually happens to your brain when you miss a night of sleep? How does this then impact your ability to recall the test material you just spent all night cramming for? Why does missing a night of sleep make some people feel more irritable or anxious? Should high schools start later? What is considered a good night of sleep and how do we measure it? Through guided readings, lectures, and discussion, this seminar will critically examine the research that has attempted to address these important questions. Students will be introduced to the science of sleep with a particular focus on its role in memory, attention, emotion processing, and mood. We will also examine how the role of sleep in these vital functions may change across the lifespan, with a particular emphasis on adolescence. Readings will be primary scientific literature in biology, cognitive neuroscience, a
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We live in a society that continues to deprioritize sleep by embracing the "I'fll sleep when I'm dead" mentality. But what actually happens to your brain when you miss a night of sleep? How does this then impact your ability to recall the test material you just spent all night cramming for? Why does missing a night of sleep make some people feel more irritable or anxious? Should high schools start later? What is considered a good night of sleep and how do we measure it? Through guided readings, lectures, and discussion, this seminar will critically examine the research that has attempted to address these important questions. Students will be introduced to the science of sleep with a particular focus on its role in memory, attention, emotion processing, and mood. We will also examine how the role of sleep in these vital functions may change across the lifespan, with a particular emphasis on adolescence. Readings will be primary scientific literature in biology, cognitive neuroscience, and psychology as well as some popular press coverage of these original scientific articles. As a result, students will learn how to read and interpret scientific articles and critically evaluate the popular press coverage of these articles in the context of sleep research. The class will culminate in a small group outreach project focused on communicating the importance of sleep with peers and the community.
| Units: 3
PSYC 51Q: Culture, Psychology, and Mental Health Treatment
Focuses on a critical analysis of Western approach to psychology and psychiatric terms of understanding mental illness, psychiatric phenomena, and treatment of mental health disorders. Includes an orientation to and critique of western clinical psychology/psychiatry and an inquity as to its relevance outside Western settings. Includes guest speakers representing cross-cultural providers of mental health services as well as medical anthropologists and critics of the Western generalizations in psychiatry. Special attention place on cross-cultural psychiatry and international mental health efforts.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 2
PSYC 52N: The Neuroscience of Stress and Reward: Circuit Fundamentals of Emotional Arousal
How do our brains translate thoughts and experiences into feelings of pain or pleasure? Why do some people struggle more than others with social isolation, addictive habits, poor quality sleep, unexpected life challenges, or societal pressures? More importantly, what can we do about it? This course provides an introduction to studies from psychology, neurobiology, and psychiatry that explain fundamentals of emotions & behavior. We will focus on the underlying neural basis of mental health conditions like anxiety, insomnia, and addiction, while also covering the science of resilience. Students will learn foundational concepts that build knowledge in core areas of neuroscience.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA
PSYC 53N: Your Secret Mind: Getting to Know and Living with your Unconscious
Focuses on the motivational unconscious. Topics include the science of the unconscious mind and the techniques used to gain conscious access to these psychological process, as well as methods of exploring students' own unconscious for creative purposes and to understand personal habits, reactions, motives, emotions and thoughts. Case-based, problem-oriented format utilized to develop foundational understanding of the science of the unconscious mind. Emphasis on student study of self and own unconscious as case for the class. Student privacy will be protected.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 3
PSYC 54N: Genes, Memes and Behavior
Examines how natural selection operates to shape successful genes in the gene pool, how cultural selection operates to shape successful memes in the pool of cultural ideas, and how selection by consequences operates to shape successful behaviors in our repertoires. Topics include cases in which selection produces undesirable consequences (e.g. genetic mutations, cultural problems, and aberrant behaviors in children). Emphasis on understanding the role of modern natural science in complex behaviors and why study of human life from an interdisciplinary perspective is important.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA
PSYC 55N: Secrecy
What is a secret and why do we keep them? What is the cost - and the burden - of secret-keeping? The focus of this seminar will be professional secrecy, as we explore corporate confidentiality and the secret-keeping expected of all of us as professionals, and those who are engaged in issues of national security. Secrecy will be discussed in both ethical and practical frameworks. We will also explore psychology of secrecy, and secret-keeping in relationships. Students will begin to develop a personal ethic related to secrecy and will grapple with the intersection of secrets, lies and obfuscation.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
Instructors:
Jacobs, J. (PI)
PSYC 56N: The Personal Genomics Revolution: Focus on Mental Health
The Human Genome Project transformed the field of medicine and launched the "Personal Genomics Revolution". It is now possible to view your DNA in minute detail for only $99. Height, weight, educational attainment, depression risk, and much more, can be predicted using genetic information. Ethical questions abound regarding the use of genetic information in medicine, the legal system, government, and private companies. On the other hand, genetic findings may dramatically improve mental health treatment by guiding the development of new medications, matching patients to the right treatments, and identifying people for whom early mental health services might make all the difference. How much can you learn about risk for mental health problems from your DNA? This course will provide the foundational genetic and statistical information necessary for understanding the current and future capabilities of personal genomic predictions for mental health outcomes including depression, anxiety, bi
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The Human Genome Project transformed the field of medicine and launched the "Personal Genomics Revolution". It is now possible to view your DNA in minute detail for only $99. Height, weight, educational attainment, depression risk, and much more, can be predicted using genetic information. Ethical questions abound regarding the use of genetic information in medicine, the legal system, government, and private companies. On the other hand, genetic findings may dramatically improve mental health treatment by guiding the development of new medications, matching patients to the right treatments, and identifying people for whom early mental health services might make all the difference. How much can you learn about risk for mental health problems from your DNA? This course will provide the foundational genetic and statistical information necessary for understanding the current and future capabilities of personal genomic predictions for mental health outcomes including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. We will also explore the ways in which genetic data can reveal where our ancestors lived as well as the consequences of a lack of diversity in genetic databases. This course also focuses on the practice of science, how it works well and how it can go terribly wrong. Learning from past examples of the misuse of genetic information, students will propose and debate strategies for maximizing the utility of genetic research to improve mental health while simultaneously limiting potential harms.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
PSYC 60N: The Psychology of Stoked
Examines the biological, psychological and social aspects of what it means to live a positive, life-affirming existence. Drawing from a wide range of sources, from psychiatry and psychology, to spirituality and philosophy, seminar informs on the latest thinking about the psychology of happiness, and questions assumptions about personal happiness. Explores the new field of positive psychology and pulls from a multidisciplinary literature, examining life satisfaction and happiness from many perspectives, and the psychiatry of stimulation including substance, human sexuality, and healthy methods of attaining happiness. Includes guest speakers from many different backgrounds and perspectives. Examines what it means to be truly mindful.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Joshi, S. (PI)
;
Reicherter, D. (PI)
PSYC 61: Advanced Stoke - Applying "the Psychology of Stoke"
This course will develop the material from
PSYC 60N, The Psychology of Stoked, into complete modules, drawing from the existing material. This is a class about the biological, psychological, and social aspects of what it means to live a positive, life-affirming existence. The Stoked class has been running for 10 years and has developed efficiency for teaching many principles of wellbeing. The Stoked Laboratory plans to process the developed material into learning modules for scaling psych 60N into a large lecture class. The Stoked Laboratory plans to develop modules suitable for high school students and incorporate them into teaching instruments for Stanford Neuroscience course for High School Students (CNI-X) in the summer of 2025.
PSYC 60N is a prerequisite for this course and instructor's permission.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2
Instructors:
Reicherter, D. (PI)
PSYC 63Q: Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health
Over 900 million individuals worldwide suffer from a mental health disorder. Human and financial costs associated with the management of individuals with mental health disorder are substantial and constitute a growing public health challenge. Yet there are presently no objective markers used to determine which individuals have a mental health disorder and predict the progression of the disorder. Furthermore, there are presently a limited number of effective treatments for mental health disorders, as well as considerable heterogeneity in treatment response. The lack of access to mental health care is yet another challenge in developed as well as developing countries. Newly available technologies such as Artificial Intelligence offer an unprecedented opportunity for developing solutions that address the aforementioned challenges and problems. In this interdisciplinary seminar, students will learn about (i) psychopathology, (ii) state-of-the-art in diagnosis and treatments of mental healt
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Over 900 million individuals worldwide suffer from a mental health disorder. Human and financial costs associated with the management of individuals with mental health disorder are substantial and constitute a growing public health challenge. Yet there are presently no objective markers used to determine which individuals have a mental health disorder and predict the progression of the disorder. Furthermore, there are presently a limited number of effective treatments for mental health disorders, as well as considerable heterogeneity in treatment response. The lack of access to mental health care is yet another challenge in developed as well as developing countries. Newly available technologies such as Artificial Intelligence offer an unprecedented opportunity for developing solutions that address the aforementioned challenges and problems. In this interdisciplinary seminar, students will learn about (i) psychopathology, (ii) state-of-the-art in diagnosis and treatments of mental health disorders, (iii) unaddressed challenges and problems related to mental health, (iv) artificial intelligence and its potential through real-world examples, (v) recent real-world applications of artificial intelligence that address the challenges and problems related to mental health, and (vi) ethical issues associated with the application of artificial intelligence to mental health. Diverse viewpoints and a deeper understanding of these topics will be offered by a mix of hands-on educational sessions and panel discussions with psychiatrists, computer scientists, lawyers, and entrepreneurs. Students will also spend guided time working in small teams to develop innovative (artificial intelligence based) solutions to challenges/problems related to mental health.
Last offered: Spring 2025
| Units: 3