Professor: Dr. Lyn Stein (Fall)
Semester: Fall, Spring
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: none

Catalog Description: Individual and social problems of normal persons. Personality development, social behavior, and adjustment reactions with emphasis on increasing awareness of personal and interpersonal functioning.

PSY 103 is designed to help students enhance their self-awareness and understanding and to promote practical skills for effective personal and interpersonal functioning. The course will require students to critically evaluate the information that was presented within the classroom, consider the meaning across contexts and cultures, and assess the real world implications. By the end of the semester students will be able to:

• Examine human differences
• Read complex texts
• Write effectively

This course requires the student to be an active participant in learning. Pedagogical methods include lecture, discussion, audiovisuals, and course assignments. Each student is required to write three short experiential projects for the purpose of learning APA style professional writing. Experiential projects are out-of-class assignments designed to allow students to apply classroom concepts to the real world, to study the meaning and applications to their own lives and the lives of others, and to help students develop skills for effective personal and interpersonal functioning.

Class Topics:

• Theories of personality
• Stress and its effects
• Coping processes
• The self
• Social thinking and influence
• Interpersonal communication
• Marriage and intimate relationships
• Gender and behavior
• Development in adolescence and adulthood
• Careers and work
• Development and expression of sexuality
• Psychology and physical health
• Psychological disorders
• Psychotherapy

Dr. Lyn Stein is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and a Clinical Psychologist. She conducts research in the areas of substance abuse and other risky behaviors in forensic populations, especially juveniles, treatment and assessment of these behaviors including issues related to ethnic/racial bias.

PSY 103 meets the Psychology major requirement for an applied course. This is an introductory psychology course that lays the foundation for understanding the basic concepts of psychology and personal and interpersonal functioning. It enables students to enter the professional role with an empathetic attitude towards patients and their families. It also provides students with skills they can use to therapeutically communicate with others.

The American Psychological Association website offers useful information about psychologists and topics in the field. Make sure to browse through this if you want to learn more about a specific area.