Areas of Concentration
All students majoring in
psychology must complete a "depth requirement" by enrolling in a number
of intermediate/advanced courses from the subfields in which they
completed the department's introductory/survey course. The specifics of the depth requirement differ in the current and the 'old' requirements. For details of your major requirements, please refer to the major requirements page. It is also worth noting that when the department
redesigned the major requirements, the number of sub-fields was revised from four areas to five. The areas of depth for each system are shown in the following table:
| Current/Revised Requirements |
Former/'Old' Requirements |
|
|
The following is an overview of
each of the areas of depth...
Abnormal / Health Psychology
Courses in this area focus on understanding psychological processes
involved in both healthy and maladpative adjustment. The survey course in this area, "Abnormal Psychology" (PSY 100RE, formerly 119A), provides a broad overview of psychological
disorders, including how psychological disorders are classified and treated,
and the contribution of biological and experiential factors to the development of psychopathology. Other courses in this area build on this foundation to explore a wide range of issues related to abnormal behavior as well as
the role of psychological processes in physical well being.
Biological Bases of Behavior
The human brain may be the most sophisticated machine in the universe. This exceptionally compact
device is responsible for virtually all behavioral and mental
achievement, from the criminal to the sublime. Brain research, often
called "the last frontier," has accelerated in recent years, and it has
begun to reveal remarkable insight into memory, perception, emotion and
an array of other behavioral and mental processes.
The brain is the centerpiece of a biological approach to behavior, but its role must be understood within the broad context of its evolution, and of the forces that shape it during an individual's development. Moreover, one must appreciate its relationship to other aspects of physiology, such as the endocrine and immune systems. The courses in this track have been designed to provide this broad perspective on the brain and behavior. The initial course is "Biological Bases of Behavior" (PSY 101RE, formerly 91), which is also a core course in the major's concentration in the Neurosciences. http://unp.aas.duke.edu/.
Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychology is the study of what people and animals know and do. Relying on experimental evidence, models and theory, it studies how people and animals attend, learn, perceive, reason, and remember, and it examines how people in particular solve problems and use concepts, images, language and other modes of representation.
The course titled "Cognitive Psychology" (PSY 102RE, formerly 92) introduces the major topics. Subsequent courses focus on specific issues (perception, memory, reasoning, and language development, etc.) and on the research and modeling methods used to address them. Faculty research interests include sensory capabilities (audition, vision, taste, smell, touch), perception and perceptual coding, stimulus definition, mental representation, psycholinguistics, cognitive aspects of aging, individual differences in cognition, and perceptual and cognitive development.
Students can receive training in these general areas as well as in such specific issues as autobiographical memory, memory for rhyme and prose, categorization, imagery, specific learning, memory expert/novice differences, everyday cognition, and differences in perception by infant, children, adults and the aged.
Developmental Psychology
The developmental track
emphasizes development across age. It encompasses a broad review that
includes biological, cognitive, emotional, and social processes as they
develop across infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. It
includes such diverse areas as the development of sensory and motor
systems, the development of children's thinking and reasoning, and the
development of social behavior in families, peer groups, and social
institutions. Theoretical orientations represented are also diverse and
range from views of human and animal development that emphasize
biological evolution, to those that stress social learning or the
organization of mental structures. See the Bulletin about the multi
disciplinary undergraduate certificate programs in Human Development
and Early Childhood Studies. The survey course in this area is "Developmental Psychology" (PSY 103RE, formerly 97).
Personality/Social Psychology
The courses in this area are designed to take account of recent research and conceptual advances as well as historical approaches to the timeless questions of human character and human behavior. These courses, beginning with the course "Personality/Social Behavior" (PSY 99), introduce the student to methods and concepts for understanding the personalities of children and adults, the behaviors of individuals and groups under varying conditions, and the deviant behaviors manifested by persons and groups designated as psychopathological. The courses are designed to raise and consider issues pertaining to such questions as the following: What constitutional and environmental factors are important for "normal" as well as optimal development and functioning? How do environmental factors influence socialization and conformity with the norms of the society? What are the characteristics of psychologically problematic and psychopathological behavior? What methods are currently used to assess such problem behaviors and what techniques are applied to alleviate them? While the track courses are available to all students, they will be especially relevant and valuable for those who aspire to advanced study of clinical, social or personality psychology, or for those whose career plans involve a people-centered vocation or profession.
Our department does not have the resources to provide all students with formal opportunities to work with individuals and groups classed as psychopathological. However, many volunteer opportunities are available in Durham and surrounding communities. Several student groups and local agencies help coordinate these opportunities.