Faculty
Professor and Chair, P. Whitney; Professors, T. Brigham, G. Burns, R. Craft, D. Dyck, J. Hinson, F. McSweeney, M. Morgan, C. Parks, J. Wright; Associate Professors, C. Chandler, L. Fournier, M. Hendryx, R. Kleinhesselink, P. Kwon, S. Lakatos, R. Patterson, T. Probst, M. Schmitter-Edgecombe, E. Soliday, P. Strand; Assistant Professors, J. Garofalo, M. Gartstein, H. Hamann, M. Hirai, J. Joireman, J. Ruiz; Clinical Associate Professor, B. Wright, Clinical Assistant Professors, L. Robison, S. Swindell.
Program
The graduate program in psychology leads to the advanced degrees of Master of Science in Psychology and Doctor of Philosophy for qualified students who are interested in eventual employment as psychologists in college teaching, in research, or in professional service. Areas of specialization within the Department include clinical psychology and experimental psychology. The doctoral program in clinical psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association.
Excellent departmental facilities are available for various kinds of psychological research. These include a community mental health clinic and specially designed facilities for research in learning, memory and cognition, sensory processes, social interaction, and physiological psychology. In addition, cooperative arrangements with other units of the University and with outside institutions make it possible for students to gain first-hand experience in research and professional work. These arrangements involve the University Health Service, Counseling Service, the Pullman Public School system, the University Computing Center, Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, various mental health service institutions, and industries. The University maintains a comprehensive library of books and journals in psychology and in related fields.
A student entering the program should have completed at least 18 semester hours of psychology, including three hours in elementary statistics and a course in experimental psychology. Amassing a large number of credits in undergraduate psychology courses is not recommended. Rather, it is preferable that the undergraduate years be devoted to building a strong background in mathematics, natural sciences, philosophy, and social sciences. It is possible for a student with fewer than 18 semester hours of psychology to be admitted to the graduate program and to remove deficiencies through undergraduate course work.
Prospective graduate students may obtain further information by writing to the Chair of the Graduate Admissions Committee, Department of Psychology, Washington State University, PO Box 644820, Pullman, WA 99164-4820. Applicants will need to submit Graduate School and departmental application forms; official transcripts from all previous colleges, verbal and quantitative scores on the Graduate Record Examination; and recommendation forms supplied by the Department.
An admissions committee reviews all applications and makes recommendations to the clinical or experimental faculty for the final decision on admissions. Supplementary criteria evaluated for admission include: clinical or research experience; background in physical, biological, and computer sciences; background in mathematics, statistics, and experimental methods; extracurricular activities and jobs related to psychology; and teaching experience, if any.
Clinical Psychology
The doctoral program typically takes four to five years to complete with an additional year for clinical psychology students in an APA-approved internship. Students are expected to complete requirements for the master's degree by the end of the second year and preliminary examinations by the end of the sixth semester and at least initiate the dissertation by the end of the fourth year. Clinical students must complete an internship after the dissertation work.
Students in clinical psychology must meet basic general psychology requirements of two courses in statistics, one course in the history of psychology, one course in social psychology, one course in human development and one course in learning or cognition. Additional clinical requirements include courses in psychopathology, intellectual assessment, professional issues, personality assessment, foundations of psychotherapy, clinical child psychology, behavioral medicine, clinical assessment, foundations of neuropsychology, and cross-cultural psychology. Each student is required also to complete six semesters of supervised practicum and one full year of internship. Beyond these requirements, other courses are available within and outside the Department for persons who wish additional or more specific training in clinical skills, program evaluation, mental health administration, or research.
Experimental Psychology
Students in experimental psychology work closely with a faculty advisor to build individual programs of study within a specialty area of behavior analysis, cognition, physiological, sensory or social/organ-izational. All experimental students are required to take History of Psychology, two courses in statistics and methodology, six hours of seminar credit, and at least four courses from among Physiological Psychology, Sensory Bases of Behavior, Cognition and Memory, Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Professional Ethics, and Attitudes and Social Cognition. Further coursework is dependent upon the student’s individual needs and goals of the specialty.
Courses
502 Research Design V 1 (0-3)-3 (0-9) May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 16 hours. Research design, equipment, data collection, data analysis, and report writing. S, F grading.
504 History of Psychology: Theoretical and Scientific Foundations 3 Roots of scientific explanation in psychology traced through various philosophical schools and psychological movements.
505 Teaching Introductory Psychology V 1-3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 4 hours. Prereq graduate standing. Problems and techniques related to teaching introductory psychology. S, F grading.
506 Current Research in Psychology 1 Current research being conducted by psychology faculty and members of associated departments.
507 Topics in Psychology 3 May be repeated for credit.
508 Special Topics in Psychology V 1-3 May be repeated for credit.
511 Analysis of Variance and Experimental Design 3 Prereq Psych 311. Parametric, nonparametric, repeated-measures, and multivariate ANOVA; planned comparisons; confidence intervals and power analysis; experimental design and variants.
512 Correlation, Regression, and Quasi-Experimental Design 3 Prereq Psych 511. Simple and multiple correlation and regression; time-series analysis; factor analysis; field research and quasi-experimental design.
513 Seminar in Quantitative Methods and Research Design 3 May be repeated for credit. Prereq Psych 512. Advanced topics in specialized quantitative procedures and in design of research in psychology.
514 Psychometrics 3 Prereq Psych 512. Scientific construction of behavioral assessment instruments, including validation and reliability; types of scales and responses; statistical scaling; test theory issues.
515 Multilevel and Synthesized Data 3 Prereq Psych 512. Structural equation modeling, hierarchical linear modeling and meta-analysis and the software used to conduct these analyses.
520 Empirical Approaches to Psychotherapy 3 Major therapy systems, research on process and outcome of therapy.
521 Behavior Modification 3 (2-3) Prereq Psych 390, 520. Learning principles applied to modifying behavior of children and adults in institutions, clinics, and schools.
522 Applied Behavioral Research 3 Research theory and methodology on development of applied programs.
530 Professional Ethical and Legal Issues 3 Application of professional, ethical, and legal issues in clinical psychology to such topics as confidentiality, dual-relationships, research, assessment, and intervention.
533 Adult Psychopathology 3 Prereq by interview only. Theoretical and empirical approaches to diagnosis, etiology and treatment of mental disorders. Cooperative course taught by WSU, open to UI students (Psych 575).
534 Clinical Psychopharmacology 3 Prereq Psych 533, 574. Classification, clinical application, and mechanisms of psychotherapeutic drugs used in the treatment of mental disorders.
535 Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis 3 Diagnostic interviewing, conceptualization of clinical problems, case presentations, and treatment planning.
536 Measurement Theory and Personality Assessment 3 Prereq Psych 530, 539; admission to clinical psychology Ph.D. program. Psychometric theory, theories of personality, objective and projective methods of assessing personality, development of testing and interpretive skills.
537 Psychology Clinic Assessment Practicum 3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 18 hours. Prereq Psych 539 or by interview only. Supervised practice in psychological assessment in the Psychology Clinic. S, F, grading.
538 Child Therapy Practicum 3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 18 hours. Prereq Psych 520, 530, 533, 535, 536, 539, 543, or by interview only. Supervised practice in the clinical application of psychology with children and families. S, F grading.
539 Measurement Theory and Intellectual Assessment 3 Prereq by interview only. Psychometric theory theories of intelligence, methods of appraising intelligence in children and adults, and development of testing and interpretive skills.
542 Community Psychology 3 Examination of community and its effects on health and behavior; organization of community based mental health services.
543 Child Clinical Psychology: Empirical Approaches to Assessment and Therapy 3 Research on developmental psychopathology, child assessment, and child therapy.
544 Medical Psychology: Psychological and Pharmacological Interventions 3 Psychological factors and their influence upon the causes and/or course of medical illnesses as well as relevant clinical interventions. Cooperative course taught by WSU, open to UI students (Psych 544).
545 Psychology Clinic Adult Therapy Practicum 3 (0-9) May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 18 hours. Prereq Psych 520, 530, 535, 536, 539, or c//. By interview only. Supervised practice in the clinical application of psychology with adults in the Psychology Clinic. S, F grading.
546 Counseling Service Practicum V 1-3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 12 hours. Prereq Psych 545 or c//. By interview only. Supervised practice in the clinical application of psychology; at the WSU Counseling Service. S, F grading.
547 Medical Psychology Practicum 3 Prereq by interview only. May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 18 hours. Supervised practice in the clinical application of psychology at the WSU University Health Service. S, F grading.
548 Clinical Externship V 1-3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 18 hours. Prereq by interview only. Supervised practice in the clinical application of psychology at the Sacred Heart Medical Center and St. Luke's Rehabilitation Center. S, F grading.
550 Attitudes and Social Cognition 3 Attitude structure, function, and change. Social cognition and motivation, and attributions. Cooperative course taught by WSU, open to UI students (Psych 520).
551 Group and Interpersonal Processes 3 Theories and research in interpersonal dynamics; cognitive, learning, equity, and attributional concepts. Group performance and interpersonal interaction, social influence, distributive and procedural justice, helping, and attraction.
552 Diversity Issues in Psychology 3 Research, theories, and controversies regarding the role of human diversity in psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and clinical research.
553 Theories of Personality 3 Classical (e.g., psychoanalytic, ego psychology) and contemporary (e.g., object relations social learning, psychological behaviorism) views of personality development.
574 Physiological Psychology 3 May be repeated for credit. Neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and other biological cases of human and animal behavior.
575 Foundations of Neuropsychology 3 Foundations in brain/behavior relationships and neuropathological syndromes; preparation for advanced training in neuropsychological assessment.
576 Neuropsychological Assessment 3 Prereq Psych 574 and Psych 575. Brain-behavior relationships in humans and the evaluation of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional changes accompanying a variety of neuropsychiatric syndromes.
577 Behavioral Pharmacology 3 Prereq Psych 574. Survey of drugs which affect brain function with emphasis on animal models and clinical applications.
579 Behavioral Neuroscience 3 Prereq Psych 574. Advanced topics in neurochemistry, neurophysiology and neuroanatomy.
584 Sensory Bases of Behavior 3 Prereq Psych 384. Sensory and physiological aspects of vision, audition, and other senses.
591 Models of Learning 3 Historical and current theory and research in learning and cognition.
592 Cognition and Memory 3 Experimental approaches to human information processing, memory, and cognition.
593 Experimental Analysis of Behavior 3 Operant conditioning in relation to the experimental evidence currently available; examination of research strategies.
595 Clinical Internship in Psychology V 2-16 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 16 hours. Prereq passing of prelims and completion of course work for PhD. Clinical training in an internship approved by American Psychological Association or by WSU. S, F grading.
600 Special Projects or Independent Study Variable credit. S, F grading.
700 Master's Research, Thesis, and/or Examination Variable credit. S, F grading.
702 Master's Special Problems, Directed Study and/or Examination Variable credit. S, F grading.
800 Doctoral Research, Dissertation, and/or Examination Variable credit. S, F grading.