| Psychology Department Newsletter |
October 2000 |
The Spring 2001 class schedule is out, so it's time to begin planning for next semester and even the next few semesters. Make an appointment to see an advisor now. Sign-up sheets are available outside the Psychology Advisement Office in H-525B. If you have never seen an advisor, it is very important to visit the Advisement Office soon. Students on probation must see an advisor in order to register for the spring semester.
There are some great classes this spring that are not offered every semester. Try one (or more!) of these:
Psych 473: Sleep, Dreams and Behavior. Learn why students avoid early morning classes, how to sleep better,
why the springtime shift in our daylight savings program is much more difficult to handle than the fall shift, and what to do about your snoring roommate! A great class for students interested in clinical or counseling psychology, I/O, or teaching. Everyone has to sleep, so learn how to do it well! (Dr.
White)
Psych 415: Cognitive Processes. Advanced treatment of theory and research in such topics as attention, pattern recognition, memory, knowledge representation, language, decision making, judgment, reasoning, and problem solving. An opportunity to pursue a topic in depth. (Dr. Smith)
Psychology 362: Psychology of Aging. This course addresses the psychological ways that human beings adapt
and change across a lifetime -- from young adulthood to old age and death. The course is readily applied to everyday living, and provides strong skills development in writing and critical thinking, and the application of course concepts to a mini-internship. Some internships have resulted in paid employment for class members.
(Dr. Welch)
Psychology 317: Legal Psychology. Have you ever wondered if an attorney can "stack a jury in favor of his client"? Learn about such topics as scientific jury selection, the death penalty, pretrial publicity and discover what psychological research can tell us about these and other important and controversial topics. (Dr.
Devenport)
Psychology 460: Social Psychology of Sports. Topics include leadership and team dynamics, performance enhancement, fan behavior, and ecological and sociological perspectives on sports. Students will learn to
assimilate broader social influences into their understanding sport performance. (Dr. Marelich)
Psychology 412: Advanced Psychology of Human Sexuality. This course is for students who are interested in psychological research in the area of human sexuality. Students should come to this class with a strong background in research methods, statistics, and library research methods. Students will also be attending a professional meeting of the Society for Scientific Study of Sexuality. (Dr. Keesling)
Psychology 466: Advanced Computer Applications.
This course will focus on conducting research using the
Internet. Learn to conduct experiments and surveys using the latest methods for data collection. Previous Internet experience is not required.
(Dr. Birnbaum)
Consider taking Psych 495, the undergraduate internship course. There are clinical, industrial/organizational, and gerontology internship classes this spring. Students in the I/O internship work a minimum of 8 to 10 hours a week in one of the following areas: human resources, marketing research, management or the training of personnel. The course will integrate I/O theories and principles with your internship experience. Students in the program have had internships for organizations and consulting firms such as Target, Enterprise Rental, Anaheim Hilton and Towers, Management Action Program (MAP) and Capitol Records. For more information, see Dr. Blackman in H-426D or check out the I/O bulletin board on the fifth floor.
Students in the clinical internship will gain valuable experience in a clinical setting and training. If you are interested in this class, you need to sign up for a brief interview with Dr. Davis. Applications for this class are available in the Psychology Department office (H-830M). Students may sign up for interviews outside her office, H-426D. Students may contact Dr. Davis directly at H-426D or by phone at 278-2919.
Applications are also being accepted for the gerontology internship class (Psychology 495, Section 5). This class provides work experience in gerontological settings and enables the intern to learn how principles learned from research and theory in the psychology of aging can be applied in various environments that involve the elderly. Prerequisites are: 12 units of psychology including Psychology 362 (The Psychology of Aging) and 12 units of the Gerontology minor (this includes courses in the Psychology major so it is not as hard to do as it may appear). In some cases, it may be possible to do an internship without having met all of the prerequisites, but you will need to discuss your case with Dr. Smith. For more information, see Dr. Smith in H-835M or send email to wsmith@fullerton.edu.
Take a look at the department's Web site at http://psych.fullerton.edu. You can find information on faculty, advisement, and links to useful sources of information for psychology majors.
If you plan to graduate in June or August of 2001, you must turn in your COMPLETED grad check by
the last
day of classes of THIS semester (Dec. 8, 2000). If you haven't had your grad check form signed by Dr. Mearns or Dr. White, make an appointment at the Advising Office in H-525B. Call the Advisement Office at 278-3102 if you have any questions.
Students who are planning to graduate in January 2002 should apply now for a grad check at the Cashiers Office (UH-180). Once you have received paperwork from the University, make an appointment at the Advising Office (H-525B) with either Dr. Mearns or Dr. White to complete the grad check. Be sure to bring your paperwork with you.
Sandra Willis is the newest member of the psychology faculty. Sandra comes to us from the University of Alabama where she specialized in cognitive psychology (cognitive neuroscience). The title of her dissertation research is "Unconscious Perception in Skilled and Less Skilled Readers: An Investigation in Second Language Acquisition and Dyslexia".
Her primary research interests are in unconscious cognition and stereotyping, and hemispheric specialization/laterality of language processing among bilinguals and individuals with learning disabilities. She is teaching Elementary Statistics, Social Psychology, and Information Processing.
Her office is H-710G and her e-mail address is swillis@fullerton.edu Find out more about her courses and research at her Web page.
Psychology is a great major for students wanting to become teachers. The Center for Careers in Teaching at Cal State Fullerton has information to help you plan the courses you will need to most efficiently obtain a teaching credential. More information can be found at their Web site: http://www.fullerton.edu/cct/psychology.htm and at their office in FTS-710.
The Psychology Department has two outstanding master's degree programs. One is a Master of Arts in general psychology. The other is a Master of Science that specializes in clinical psychology. The deadline for applications for Fall 2001 is March 1. For more information on the programs, including application forms, go to http://psych.fullerton.edu/graduate.html
A new Web site devoted to information on graduate study in psychology is http://www.psychgrad.org It has information for undergraduates just starting to think about graduate school, the application process, and tips for doing well in grad school.
Take a practice GRE exam. PDSA is sponsoring a practice GRE exam on Saturday, November 18, from 9am to 1pm in H-612. Sign up in H-830M with a check for $5 payable to the Psychology Dept. Student Association. Registration at the door on Nov. 18 is $8.
The following speakers have been scheduled for this semester. All of the talks will be at 1pm in H-609.
The Western Psychology Conference for Undergraduate Research will be held on April 7, 2001 at Santa Clara University. The featured speaker is William Dement from Stanford, a leader in sleep research. Information on the conference may be found at http://www.scu.edu/psychconference.
Both graduate and undergraduate students are invited to present research at the 25th Annual Student Research Conference, sponsored by the CSU’s Social Science Research and Instructional Council (SSRIC). The conference will be held at CSU Sacramento on Friday, April 27, 2001. Questions should be directed to Professor Ted Lascher, Graduate Program in Public Policy and Administration, Cal. State Univ., Sacramento, 95819-6081, (916)278-4864, tedl@csus.edu.
Each year the CSU hosts a statewide student research competition open to both undergraduate and graduate students. The location rotates among CSU campuses and offers a unique learning opportunity for students engaged in scholarly and creative work. This year's student research competition will be held at San Jose State University on April 27 & 28, 2001. An information packet is available in the Academic Programs office, MH-129. The deadline for paper submission is February 13.
Sue Maddox, the department's administrative aide, gave birth to Kobe Maddox on October 23. Congratulations Sue!
Dr. Kee got married on October 7 to Dr. Judy Todd. Dr. Kee is on sabbatical this semester, but the happy newlywed will be back teaching Psychology 202 this spring.
Enjoy the rest of the semester and have a great holiday season. Watch for information on Spring semester events including Psych Day. If you are graduating in January, June, or August, be sure to plan on attending commencement on May 26, 2001.
Do you have news or suggestions for the next newsletter? Send them to Dr. Cozby via e-mail at cozby@fullerton.edu.