Mar 29, 2024  
2013-2014 General Catalog (Summer, Fall 2013) 
    
2013-2014 General Catalog (Summer, Fall 2013) ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

Psychology


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Department Head: Gretchen Gimpel Peacock
Location: Emma Eccles Jones Education 487E
Phone: (435) 797-0721
Department Mailing Address:

Department of Psychology,
Utah State University, 2810 Old Main Hill,
Logan UT 84322-2810

FAX: (435) 797-1448
E-mail: psychology@usu.edu
WWW: psychology.usu.edu

Program Coordinators:

Combined Clinical/Counseling/School PhD:

Susan L. Crowley, Education 485, (435) 797-1251, susan.crowley@usu.edu

Experimental and Applied Psychological Science PhD:

Timothy Shahan, Education 499, (435) 770-7619, tim.shahan@usu.edu

School Psychology EdS:

Donna M. Gilbertson, Education 494, (435) 797-2034, donna.gilbertson@usu.edu

School Counseling MS:

Camille J. Odell, Education 482, (435) 797-5576, camille.odell@usu.edu

Undergraduate Program Faculty Coordinator:

Amy L. Odum, Education 496, (435) 797-5578, amy.odum@usu.edu

Undergraduate Advisors:

Becca Boman, Education 475, (435) 797-1456, becca.boman@usu.edu

Tressa M. Haderlie, Education 477, (435) 797-0097, tressa.haderlie@usu.edu

Degrees offered: Bachelor of Science (BS) and Bachelor of Arts (BA), in Psychology and Psychology Teaching; Master of Science (MS), Educational Specialist (EdS), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology

Graduate specializations: MS—School Counseling; EdS— School Psychology; PhD—Combined Clinical/Counseling/ School Psychology, Experimental and Applied Psychological Science

Undergraduate Programs

Objectives

Psychologists endeavor to scientifically understand the thought processes, emotions, and behavior of both humans and animals. Psychologists specialize in diverse areas. Psychologists utilize research methods to understand the causes of behavior, emotion, and thought processes.

The Department of Psychology at USU offers a rich undergraduate program in psychology following the American Psychological Association (APA) guidlines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major:

Learning Goals/ (Learning Outcomes)

1. Knowledge Base of Psychology

(Demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology)

2. Research Methods in Psychology

(Understand and apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation)

3. Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology

(Respect and use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and, when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes)

4. Application of Psychology

(Understand and apply psychological principles to personal, social, and organizational issues)

5. Values in Psychology

(Value empirical evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically, and reflect other values that are the underpinnings of psychology as a science)

Knowledge, Skills, and Values Consistent with Liberal Arts Education that are Further Developed in Psychology

6. Information and Technological Literacy

(Demonstrate information competence and the ability to use computers and other technology for many purposes)

7. Communication Skills

(Communicate effectively in a variety of formats)

8. Sociocultural and International Awareness

(Recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity)

9. Personal Development

(Develop insight into their own and others’ behavior and mental processes and apply effective strategies for self-management and self-improvement)

10. Career Planning and Development

(Pursue realistic ideas about how to implement their phsycholgical knowledge, skills, and values in occupational pursuits in a variety of settings that meet personal goals and societal needs.

To view a complete description of these goals and outcomes, link to www.apa.org/ed/precollege/about/psymajor-guidelines.pdf

Assessment of Learning Objectives

All required, core domain, and specialization elective courses in psychology address the programmatic learning objectives. Syllabi and ancillary course materials specify detailed learning objects in these areas.

The objectives are also addressed in the applied and research service-learning experiences that faculty offer to students via independent apprenticeship; independent research; independent applied service-learning coursework (PSY 2250 , PSY 4250 , PSY 4910 , PSY 4920 , PSY 4950 , PSY 4960 , PSY 5900 , PSY 5910 , PSY 5930 ); supervision of honors’ coursework in any of the required, primary elective, and specialization courses in psychology; active student engagement in professional psychological organizations (Psi Chi, American Psychological Association (APA), American Psychological Society (APS), Student Analysis of Behavior Association, I/O Psychology group; student poster or paper presentations at professional societies; and student submissions to competitive undergraduate journals dedicated to teaching or research in psychology.

Students can complete the major or minor in psychology either on campus (Logan), Online, or through the USU Distance Education system. Students should check with the Psychology Advising Office at the time of registration for availability. The specific requirements for the major, the Apprenticeship, the on-and off-campus (distance education) options, and for how psychology electives can be used to advance students’ career goals can be obtained from the Psychology Advisement Office, Eccles-Jones Education Building, Room 475, (435) 797-1456.

Requirements

Requirements for Psychology may be found at: psychology.usu.edu

Pre-psychology Admission Requirements

Students are admitted to the Department of Psychology as Prepsychology majors by meeting the Utah State University admission requirements . To be a Psychology major, a student must make written application to the department, after meeting the following prerequisites: (1) completion of at least 40 semester credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher; (2) completion of at least 18 credits of the University Studies requirement with a GPA of 2.75 or higher; and (3) completion of PSY 1010  , PSY 1100 , PSY 1400 , PSY 1410 , PSY 3010  , and PSY 2010  with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Application to the department should be made during the semester in which these prerequisites will be completed.

A student who wishes to be officially recognized as a psychology major or psychology teaching major must submit a formal application to the Department of Psychology Undergraduate Advising Office at Utah State University. The formal application will be reviewed and approved by the USU Psychology Department advisorial staff. This contingency applies to all students, including those in the on-campus programs and in any of the USU Regional Campuses and Distance Education (RCDE) programs. Applications that have been reviewed by a USU Psychology Department advisor and meet all requirements will be processed in a timely fashion.

Students who wish to fulfill the major requirements via any of the USU RCDE sites must contact the Psychology Department Advising Office on the Logan campus to be informed of the contingencies regarding timely progression through the program. Students need to carefully review their program of study with the Psychology Department Advising Office. 

Suggested Sample Four-year Plan for Psychology Major

A suggested semester-by-semester four-year plan for students working toward a bachelor’s degree in Psychology can be found in the department.

Students should consult with their advisor to develop a plan of study tailored to their individual needs and interests.

Important Contingencies for Psychology Courses

Prerequisites for Psychology courses are strictly enforced. The prerequisites are indicated, at the end of course descriptions, within the Psychology course listings .

A student must be admitted as a psychology major or must complete at least 45 semester credits with a GPA of 3.0 or higher prior to taking psychology courses numbered 3110 or above. However, students who have been admitted to the Teacher Education program may take PSY 3660 , provided they have met the prerequisites. A student must be admitted as a psychology major or must complete at least 60 semester credits with a GPA of 3.0 or higher prior to taking psychology courses numbered 4000 or above.

Students desiring to receive credit for psychology courses taken at other institutions must request review of those courses for approval by the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Office.

Students who can complete a baccalaureate degree within seven years of enrollment at USU can qualify for graduation by meeting (1) the General Education/University Studies requirements in effect when they initially enrolled and (2) the major requirements in effect when they officially declared their major, even though there may have been changes in General Education/University Studies and major requirements since that time. Students who have not completed the baccalaureate requirements within seven years of their initial enrollment at USU must have their General Education/University Studies and major requirements evaluated and approved by their department head and dean. However, exceptions to this seven year policy may be necessary for mandated changes in degree requirements.

Undergraduate psychology coursework (USU or transfer) that is more than eight years old may not be used toward meeting the specific psychology coursework requirements for a psychology major or psychology minor. However, the Psychology Department Undergraduate Committee may allow revalidation through testing. Testing arrangements may be made by contacting Becca Boman at becca.boman@usu.edu or Tressa Haderlie at tressa.haderlie@usu.edu.

Departmental Honors

Students who would like to experience greater academic depth within their major are encouraged to enroll in departmental honors. Through original, independent work, Honors students enjoy the benefits of close supervision and mentoring, as they work one-on-one with faculty in select upper-division departmental courses. Honors students also complete a senior project, which provides another opportunity to collaborate with faculty on a problem that is significant, both personally and in the student’s discipline. Participating in departmental honors enhances students’ chances for obtaining fellowships and admission to graduate school.

In the Psychology Department, students may complete an Honors in University Studies with Department Honors or a Department Honors only program. The requirements for departmental honors are as follows:

Honors Coursework

Honors students must complete 12 credits in courses designated as Honors courses. These courses are selected by students, and are approved by the Department Honors Coordinator and individual faculty members. Any upper-division (3000-level or higher) course may be taken as Honors. Additional courses which will meet the criteria for an Honors designation are determined, in conjunction with the student, by the faculty members teaching the courses.

GPA Requirements

To qualify for departmental honors, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.3 and a GPA of 3.5 within upper-division major requirements and Honors coursework.

Senior Thesis

In order to obtain departmental honors, students are required to design, conduct, and present a senior thesis/project under the supervision of a faculty mentor. The senior thesis/project can be built from the research component of PSY 4950  and PSY 4960 

Interested students should contact the Honors Program, Main 15, (435) 797-2715, honors@usu.edu. Additional information can be found online at: http://www.usu.edu/honors/

Additional Information

For detailed information about course requirements for majors and minors within the Psychology Department, see the major requirement sheet, which is available from the department or psychology.usu.edu.

Graduate Programs

Admission Requirements

Admissions requirements vary somewhat across Psychology graduate programs. Therefore, applicants should review program web pages for more details. However, applications submitted to the School of Graduate Studies must include the following: (1) transcript showing completion of undergraduate course prerequisites, plus any recommended coursework; (2) report of (GRE) test scores from ETS; (3) GPA of at least 3.2, covering the last 60 semester credits; (4) three letters of recommendation; and (5) a statement of professional goals and intent. The department requires Verbal and Quantitative GRE scores to be at or above the 40%.

The deadline for submitting applications for the Combined Clinical/ Counseling/School Psychology, Experimental and Applied Psychological Science PhD programs is December 15. The application deadline for the EdS School Psychology program is February 1. Applications for the MS program in School Counseling must be submitted by May 1.

Students are admitted to the MS program in School Counseling, following completion of a bachelor’s degree. Prospective EdS students in School Psychology and prospective PhD program students in the Combined Clinical/Counseling/School program or the Experimental and Applied Psychological Science program can possess either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree.

Prerequisites for Admission to Graduate Programs

Applicants to the Master of Science (MS), Educational Specialist (EdS), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs are advised that they should possess a broad base of knowledge at the undergraduate level in a substantive subgroup of the following: general psychology, human development, learning theory, cognition, personality theory research, psychometrics, elementary statistics, history and systems, physiological, sensation and perception, and social psychology. The absolute  prerequisites for each graduate program are outlined below, along with a listing of graduate program course requirements for each program.

Research Opportunities for Students

Departmental faculty are heavily involved in basic and/or applied research. A sampling of the diverse research interests of tenured and tenure-track faculty available to students includes:

  • Barrett, C.—school environments, consultation, academic interventions
  • Bates, S.—adolescent problem behavior prevention, community-level prevention, higher education teaching and learning
  • Buhusi, C.—behavioral and computational neuroscience
  • Buhusi, M.—neuroscience, animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders
  • Crowley, S.—anxiety, depression, supervision and training
  • DeBerard, S.—health psychology, behavioral medicine, spinal surgery outcome and technique efficacy
  • Domenech-Rodríguez, M.—Latino family dynamics, parent training programs
  • Earl, H.—clinical neuropsychology, child and family psychotherapy
  • Fargo, J.—homeless prevention, social policy
  • Galliher, R.—social and dating relationship processes and dynamics in adolescence and rural mental health service delivery
  • Geiser, C.—structural equation modeling, multitrait-multimethod analysis, longitudinal modeling, spatial abilities/mental rotation
  • Gilbertson, D.—early intervention and prevention of behavior problems, school psychology
  • Johnson, C.—health psychology
  • Jordan, K.—cognitive development, multi-sensory perception
  • Madden, G.—experimental analysis of behavior
  • Gimpel Peacock, G.—ADHD, behavioral disorders of children
  • Levin, M.—acceptance and commitment therapy, web-based interventions
  • Lockhart, G.—development, prevention, health risk behaviors
  • Odum, A.—experimental analysis of behavior, behavior pharmacology
  • Shahan, T.— experimental analysis of behavior, drug self administration, behavior momentum, conditioned reinforcement, behavior economics
  • Tschanz, J.—neuropsychology of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
  • Twohig, M.—behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, anxiety
  • White, K.—educational research, hearing loss detection in infancy, and program evaluation

Graduate Student Financial Assistance

Financial support for students enrolled in the MS and EdS programs is limited. These students should meet with their academic advisor for information about possible assistantship opportunities.

PhD students receive assistantship for support and tuition awards. Assistantships are generally awarded to students matriculated in psychology PhD programs, but are occasionally given to exceptional MS or EdS students. Furthermore, the department has some scholarship support specifically available to psychology graduate students. 

Psychology Faculty

Professors
Susan L. Crowley, counseling psycholog
Melanie M. Domenech-Rodríguez, counseling/child clinical psychology
Gretchen Gimpel Peacock, school psychology
Gregory J. Madden, behavior analysis
Amy L. Odum, behavior analysis
Timothy Shahan, behavior analysis
JoAnn T. Tschanz, neuropsychology, physiological psychology
Karl R. White, research and evaluation methodology

Professors Emeritus
Frank R. Ascione, developmental
Carl D. Cheney, physiological
Tamara J. Ferguson, social and developmental psychology
Marvin G. Fifield, school and counseling
J. Grayson Osborne, behavior therapy, child
Blaine R. Worthen, research and evaluation methodology

Associate Professors
Scott C. Bates, social and community psychology
Catalin Buhusi, neuroscience
M. Scott DeBerard, health psychology
Heath Earl, clincial psychology
Jamison Fargo, measurement and statistics
Renee V. Galliher, clinical psychology
Donna M. Gilbertson, school psychology
Mark S. Innocenti, school psychology
Kerry Jordan, psychology and neuroscience
Michael Twohig, clinical psychology

Assistant Professors
Mona Buhusi, neurosciece
Christian Geiser, measurement and statistics
Christopher Johnson, health psychology
Michael Levin, clinical psychology
Ginger Lockhart, human development

Research Assistant Professor
Susan G. Friedman, research methods

Lecturer
Carrie S. Madden, child/school psychology

Adjunct and Clinical Faculty
Sandra Ameel, school counseling
Carolyn G. Barcus, counseling psychology
Thomas Berry, counseling psychology
Kathryn Bitner, counseling psychology
David W. Bush, clinical/counseling
Richard D. Gordin, Jr., sport and exercise psychology
Marilyn Hammond, special education
Kris Hart, school counseling
LuAnn Helms, counseling psychology
Anne Hunt, statistics
Bruce Johns, clinical psychology
Amy Kleiner, counseling psychology
Tera Lensgrav-Benson, clinical psychology
Mark A. Nafziger, counseling psychology
Camille J. Odell, school counseling, clinical instructor
Brian Tschanz, social psychology
Marietta Veeder, clinical psychology
Thomas Wiltbank, school counseling

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