Winter 2012

Psy 594JR

Psychology of the Menstrual Cycle This course will survey the growing research literature on effects of menstrual cycle phase on women's psychology and behavior. The course will cover comparative physiology of estrous cycles, physiological regulation of human cycles, and cycle phase correlates of women's mating psychology, libido, cognitive performance, and mood. The evolved functions of hormonal mechanisms mediating cycle phase effects will be a central focus of the class. The format for the course will primarily be group discussion of recent journal articles. Instructor: Roney Course time & location: M 900-1120 Psy-E 3843

PSY 594JS

The Science of Consciousness This course will examine scientific approaches to consciousness. Cognitive and neurocognitive evidence will be considered from a variety of philosophical perspectives. Topics that will be considered include, attention, working memory, dreaming, mind-wandering, altered states, subjectivity, time, free will, physics and meta-physics. Instructor: Schooler Course time & location: R 100-330 Psy-E 3843

PSY 594MH

Spatial Thinking Spatial thinking includes thinking about space at the smaller scale of objects and at the larger scale of environments. It also includes situations in which we use visuospatial representations to think about non-spatial entities. This class will provide an overview of spatial thinking. It will have a seminar format, in which we will read and discuss research papers on spatial thinking. At the scale of objects, we will review the nature of visuospatial mental images of objects, and how these are processed in interactions with objects and in reasoning and problem solving. At the scale of environments we will examine the nature of environmental spatial representations and the processes that operate on these to keep us oriented in space, to reorient when we are lost, to learn the layout of new environments, and to plan routes through familiar environments. Finally, we will spend a couple of sessions reviewing how spatial representations are used metaphorically, to think about non-spatial entities, in language, reasoning, and graphics. The class is open to graduate and undergraduate students. Grading will be based on participation in class discussions (both undergraduate and graduate students will be required to participate in discussions and lead a discussion) and a research paper. Instructor: Hegarty Course time & location: T 100-330 Psy-E 3843

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