1 - 10 of 162 results for: PSYCH

An introduction to the science of how people think, feel, and behave. We will explore such topics as intelligence, perception, memory, happiness, personality, culture, social influence, development, emotion, and mental illness. Students will learn about classic and cutting edge research, a range of methods, and discover how psychology informs our understanding of what it means to be human, addresses other fields, and offers solutions to important social problems. Psych 1 fulfills the SI Way, and, effective Autumn 2018, the SMA Way. For more information on PSYCH 1, visit http://psychone.stanford.edu. Please note that section assignments will be done through Canvas in the first week of class.

Techniques for organizing data, computing, and interpreting measures of central tendency, variability, and association. Estimation, confidence intervals, tests of hypotheses, correlation, and regression.

One of the most important questions people ask themselves when they enter a new setting, whether a school, a workplace, or a country, is "Do I belong here?". How do people make sense of their belonging in a new setting? How and why do group identities, such as race-ethnicity, social-class background, gender, or national origin matter? What are the consequences of people's inferences about their belonging? And how can we create school and work settings in which people from diverse backgrounds can genuinely and authentically belong?

Preference to freshmen. The impact of people's belief in a growing versus fixed self on their motivation and performance in school, business, sports, and relationships. How such theories develop and can be changed.

Can a parrot learn in a social setting? Do apes have culture or moral agency? Although human cognitive processes are in many ways unique and remarkable, nonhuman animals are capable of complex mental behaviors. A fundamental question asked throughout this course is whether human cognitive behaviors are qualitatively different from those observed in animals or whether there is continuity between the mental behavior of other species and humans. Students will learn to think critically about which questions can be answered and how to formulate hypotheses, develop skills in methods and experimental construction, and use logic and evidence to interpret data and justify the various conclusions from the literature.

In this class, you will answer a simple yet dizzyingly complicated question: how did you get here? All Stanford students got here somehow from somewhere, surely with the help of someone or something, but what's your story? In what ways have you moved (or been moved) along your journey, and what do you attribute that movement to? Community? Diligence? Luck? Sacrifice? Compassion? All of the above? What does it even mean to be here?

Kindness - the ability to understand each other, the instinct to care for each other, and the desire to help each other - is among our most powerful natural resources. It supports cooperation, fosters relationships, improves health, and overwrites hatred. Kindness is also challenging, especially in the modern world. More than ever, individuals are isolated, anonymous, and independent: qualities that make it harder to truly see each other and easier to succumb to indifference and even cruelty. As technology mediates more of our interactions and tribal signifiers occupy more of our identity, kindness erodes. And yet we have options. A growing number of social scientists are now experimenting in re-building kindness, using everything from virtual reality to meditation to literature to old-fashioned friendship. Their efforts demonstrate that through directed effort, people can become kinder. This class will explore the nature of kindness, the challenges modernity has placed in front of it, and the many ways scientists and practitioners are stimulating kindness. Though drawing mainly from psychology, we will tour sociology, conflict resolution, technology, the humanities, and neuroscience as well. The class will also grapple with central questions about human nature -most importantly, to what extent can we change ourselves into the people we'd like to become? Finally, we will meld science with personal narrative and exercises meant to not only explore kindness-building as a research concept, but as a part of our own lives.

This seminar will take an interdisciplinary approach to exploring how subjective aspects of the mind (e.g., thoughts, beliefs, and expectations) can fundamentally change objective reality. Over the course of the semester, students will be challenged to think critically about research from psychology, sociology, and medicine, which suggests that what we think, believe and expect plays a significant role in determining our physical health, performance and well-being. Students will explore research on how mindsets about nutrition, exercise, and stress can alter the body's response to those phenomena. Students will also uncover how culture and social interactions with friends, family, colleagues and the media influence their beliefs. And students will learn about the neurological and physiological underpinnings of the placebo effect, a powerful demonstration of expectation that produces real, healing changes in the body. Finally, students will have the opportunity to consider real world applications in disciplines including policy, business, medicine, academics, athletics and public health and consider the ethical implications of those applications. Throughout the class active participation and an open mind will be critical to success.

How does a child, born without beliefs or expectations about race, grow up to be racist? To address this complicated question, this seminar will introduce you to some of the psychological theories on the development of racial stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Together, these theories highlight how cognitive, social, and motivational factors contribute to racist thinking. We will engage thoughtfully and critically with each topic through reflection and discussion. Occasionally, I will supplement the discussion and class activities with a brief lecture, in order to highlight the central issues, concepts, and relevant findings. We will share our own experiences, perspectives, and insights, and together, we will explore how racist thinking takes root. Come to class with an open mind, a willingness to be vulnerable, and a desire to learn from and with your peers. Students with diverse opinions and perspectives are encouraged to enroll.