Summer Course Descriptions 2016:
PSY 4930 / Psychology and Law – Dr. Thomas Pye
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Do you want to learn how psychologists assist in the area of the law?
Do you want to learn how psychologists help lawyers in the presentment of their case to a jury?
Do you want to lean how psychologists assist lawyers in picking a jury?
Do you want to learn about how psychologists educate a jury and even the judge in actual cases?
Do you want to read the actual case decisions made at the highest level at the US Supreme Court that have
had so much influence on our day to day lives which were made possible by psychologists, psychological
research and even briefs submitted to the courts and legislatures by psychologists?
This course examines the relationship between the fields of psychology and law.
In this class, our focus will be on two broad, general ways that psychologists and psychological theory and
research are applied to legal issues.
1.
Psychology of law, where psychological insights contribute to the development of theories about how
the law and legal procedures operate in society.
2.
Psychology in law, the use of psychology and psychological experts in the legal system. In recent
years, growing numbers of psychologists have become involved in a range of activities within the
legal system. They evaluate the mental competency of defendants, they assess potential
dangerousness, they testify as expert witnesses about insanity, etc. They help select juries and prepare
witnesses and evidence for the maximum impact at trial. They also provide lawyers, judges, and
legislators with advice about reforming the legal system.
Topics covered include psychologists and the legal system; the legal system and its players; legality, morality and
justice; forensic assessment; the insanity defense; competence in the legal system; eyewitness identification; jury
selection; theories of crime; punishment and sentencing.
There is no text book, but you will be reading court opinions from the US Supreme Court and other courts. The
development of critical thought is emphasized. You will read and critically analyze arguments on both sides of
relevant contemporary psycho legal issues taken from today’s headlines as well as US Supreme Court cases of
relevance. The increasing presence of psychologists in the legal system has generated a good deal of controversy.
Psychology and Public Policy / PSY 4930 – Dr. Marina Klimenko
This course is designed to give students an introductory experience in applying psychological research to
understand the nature of social problems and to develop science-based public policies to address them. Given
the brevity of the semester, the course will take a developmental approach and focus specifically on the social
issues such as, poverty and education. Special attention will be given to TANF, the federal welfare program.
Our discussions will cover some of the most prominent developmental theories and empirical work which can
shed light on the causes of human behavior and the consequences of government actions and inactions. In
addition, the course will briefly survey the most common research methods used in the field of psychology to
expose students to the science of Psychology.
This course will also have an applied component: For your written assignment, you will receive a description of
a social problem and its policy solution; your job will be to evaluate this proposal using everything that you have
learned in this course. For your second assignment you will present one social issue of your choice and one
empirical study or theoretical review that can explain it from the psychological perspective.
WST 3371: 1598, Women, Leadership, and Diversity in a Global Environment
Dr. Anita Anantharam
WEB; 3 Credits
This course examines key leadership concepts in general, and women in particular. The course is not set up to teach you
to be a leader (or be a better leader), per se, but it will operate with the assumption that if you know how successful wo
and men have navigated power and authority, applied knowledge and core competencies, and balanced life and work, you
be better able to direct your own academic endeavors and professional development. We will explore leadership theo
general, examine the extent to which leadership, as it is currently researched/theorized is framed for American audiences
consider whether or not these metrics are useful for understanding leadership in diverse populations and across nat
borders.
Fall Course Descriptions 2016:
Research Methods in Social Psychology (SOP 4214C) – Dr. Colin Smith
Pre-Requisite: SOP 3004
If you are interested in continuing your training in psychology in graduate school, this course is an important
one for you – after all, it is what you will do! There are a lot of ways to gain an understanding of our world; this
is a course for those of us who want to do that by asking (and answering) questions by collecting real data from
real people. In this course, you will actively use the tools that social psychologists use to understand the world.
We will examine things carefully and thoroughly so that you gain a real hands-on grasp of what social science
can be when it’s done right. This is a lab course, so you will gain experience entering and analyzing data using
SPSS, in addition to help with writing each section of a manuscript and giving effective research presentations.
At the end of the course, you will have a working understanding of how to design a study, what measures to use
(and how to make sure they’re strong measures), how to use statistics to evaluate your results, and how to write
up your results for publication. In short – if you so desire – at the end of this course you will be able to
accurately call yourself a “Social Psychology Researcher”. Please feel free to contact me (Dr. Smith @
colinsmith@ufl.edu) if you have any questions about this course.
Eating Disorders (PCO4930) – Sarah Conlin and Rich Douglass
Eating Disorders is an online course that provides an introduction to the characteristics and criteria associated
with a variety of forms of disordered eating. It uses the Canvas platform and includes online lectures,
PowerPoints, and video streaming, as well as interactive quizzes, discussion boards, and course assignments.
We cover anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge eating disorders, and overeating, among others, and overview key
features of their causes, presentation, and treatment. Attention is given to critical factors in the development and
maintenance of eating disorders. The causes, conceptualizations, and interventions related to eating disorders
can be understood at many different levels, ranging from biological and genetic to sociocultural and political,
and our goal is to give you an overview of a broad spectrum of these different perspectives and the scholarly
and scientific research literatures that support them. We are excited to have the opportunity to introduce you to
this important area of study.
WST 3371: 1598, Women, Leadership, and Diversity in a Global Environment
Dr. Anita Anantharam
WEB; 3 Credits
This course examines key leadership concepts in general, and women in particular. The course is not set up to
teach you how to be a leader (or be a better leader), per se, but it will operate with the assumption that if you
know how successful women and men have navigated power and authority, applied knowledge and core
competencies, and balanced life and work, you will be better able to direct your own academic endeavors and
professional development. We will explore leadership theory in general, examine the extent to which
leadership, as it is currently researched/theorized is framed for American audiences, and consider whether or
not these metrics are useful for understanding leadership in diverse populations and across national borders.
WST 3323: 09BH, Gender, Bodies, and Health
Dr. Alyssa N. Zucker
M 6-8; FAB 0105; 3 Credits
In this class we will examine how gender is “worn” on the female body. Adopting a feminist interdisciplinary
approach, we will explore three major themes: female biology in a social context, bodily practices concerning
food and exercise, and disease (i.e., cancer). Throughout, we will examine how these topics are shaped by
intersections of gender, race, and class. We will also focus on the role of activism and policy changes in
improving health for all people.
SOP 4704 Section 2C94:
PSY CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS (“Psychology of Close Relationships”)
Term: Fall 2016
Instructor: Gregory D. Webster
Description: This course examines the psychological science of close relationships, ranging from friendships to
romantic and intimate relationships. The class approaches the study of close relationships from multiple
theoretical perspectives, include social, personality, developmental, and evolutionary psychology. Students are
encouraged to actively participate in lecture discussions and various in-class activities. Assessments include
exams, quizzes, and written assignments.
DEP4930
Term: Fall 2016, MWF 3rd Period
Language, Cognition, & Development
Language is one of the most complex abilities that humans possess. Paradoxically, children seem to
acquire language easily while adults often struggle to learn it. The purpose of this seminar is to examine why.
Two central perspectives will frame the course are: (1) whether language is a separate, innate, cognitive system,
or (2) whether language is a reflection of general cognitive and social processes. To explore this issue, evidence
from several different sources of language use and development will be considered. These include: (1) typical
& atypical language acquisition, (2) deafness, language, and thought; (3) brain development, brain damage, and
language; (4) second language acquisition; and (5) animal "language".