PSYC 406
Are there any universal psychological phenomena? Fall 2023
Division III Difference, Power, and Equity
This is not the current course catalog

In this course, we will critically examine the ways culture, identities, power, systems, and privilege have shaped our understanding of human behavior as well as the consequences for policy, education, intervention, and prevention. Students will: a) evaluate the ways in which unmeasured cultural variables may have influenced the findings of seminal research articles and psychological theories; b) identify new methodological approaches, concepts, and processes that are revealed when we centralize people and topics that have been excluded from the research literature; c) examine ways the field has contributed to structural oppression and inequities; and d) design studies that provide robust tests of universality, elucidate the limits of universality, and have implications for addressing inequities. This student-led course will allow students to identify topics of interest in multiple sub-disciplines of psychology, select empirical readings, and lead class discussion.