Courses

Beehner, Jacinta Catherine jbeehner@umich.edu
PSYCH 438 - Hormones and Behavior
In this course, we will examine how hormones can produce changes in behavior, but also how behavioral interactions can alter hormones. We will primarily discuss hormone-behavior interactions in mammalian systems with an emphasis on humans and non-human primates. Throughout the course, we will explore the hormonal influences on sex determination, sexual behavior, parental behavior, dominance and aggression, responses to stressful stimuli, immune function and homeostasis, biological rhythms, learning and memory, maturation, ageing and senescence, and several behaviors relevant to humans such as motivation and mood.

Yates, J Frank jfyates@umich.edu
PSYCH 449 - Decision Processes
Specifically, my primary aims in this course are to help the student do two things: (a) achieve an understanding of how people - individually and collectively - actually solve decision problems; and (b) develop an understanding of how people - including the student him - or herself - could decide better than they would be inclined to decide naturally. PSYCH 449 is built around what I call the "cardinal decision issue perspective." This is a way of thinking about decision problems which focuses on things like what decisions are, what it ought to mean to say that a decision is "good" or "bad," and the kinds of questions that must be answered for virtually any decision problem that arises. The specific topics we will address are organized according to the categories distinguished in the cardinal issue perspective. One of my major goals is to have you develop a deep appreciation for that perspective since it can help you think through the problems you will face as a student of decision making and as a decision maker.

Bergman,Thore Jon thore@umich.edu
PSYCH 530 - Advanced Topics in Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology:
Comparative Animal Cognition
This seminar focuses on the cognitive abilities of animals from an evolutionary perspective, addressing questions such as:

• Are some animals "smarter" than others, and if so, why?
• How and why do cognitive abilities evolve?
• What sorts of cognitive abilities are favored by different ecological and social tasks?
• Are the cognitive abilities of animals specific to certain tasks or does it make sense to talk about generalized mental abilities like intelligence?

The course will begin with a brief review of evolutionary concepts and evolutionary comparative methods and then move on to specific topics relating to animal cognition. Topics covered will include spatial cognition, numeric cognition, foraging, learning, memory, sexual selection and cognition, ecological and social complexity hypotheses, comparative studies of brain size, communication and language, eavesdropping, intentions and theory of mind, deception, and behavioral flexibility.

Peterson, Christopher M chrispet@umich.edu
PSYCH 606 - Positive Psychology
Positive psychology calls for as much focus on strength as on weakness, as much interest in building the best things in life as in repairing the worst, and as much attention to fulfilling the lives of healthy people as to healing the wounds of the distressed. The concern of psychology with human problems is understandable. It will not and should not be abandoned. Positive psychologists are "merely" saying that the psychology of the past sixty years is incomplete. But as simple as this proposal sounds, it demands a sea change in perspective. Psychologists interested in promoting human potential need to start with different assumptions and to pose different questions from their peers who assume a disease model. This seminar will concern itself with the basics of positive psychology and then move to topics of special interest to seminar participants. For example, students interested in schools might focus on character education; those interested in therapy might take a look at life coaching; those interested in medicine might explore wellness promotion; those interested in the workplace might look at ethics; and so on.