Psychology

Introduction

Most of the major problems facing the people of the world today — hunger, overpopulation, the continuing threat of war, prejudice, pollution, drug addiction — are people problems; people have created them, and it will be people who must and will find solutions to them. Psychology, as the scientific study of mind and behavior, will help provide the answers to many of these pressing problems.

Psychology’s attempt to understand the human condition takes many approaches. Some psychologists study brain chemistry and its relation to behavior, while others study the behavior of individuals in groups (for example, in a religious cult). Still others are engaged in providing counseling or psychotherapy to people who are mentally ill or who are having difficulty in coping with the demands of life. With a faculty of 28 men and women, all of whom hold doctoral degrees, the department is able to offer a program of study which provides a solid foundation in the general concepts and methods of psychology, as well as courses and programs for students in many of the more specialized areas of this large and exciting field.

The Department of Psychology has limited the number of credits required for a major in psychology so that students may develop minors or a second major in another department. The core program in general psychology is designed to ensure that all majors will develop a sound basic background in psychology which will provide effective preparation for advanced study as well as contribute significantly to a liberal education.

A very important kind of learning takes place when students become personally involved in psychological research. Students are encouraged to become active participants in their own research projects or to cooperate with a faculty member in his or her ongoing research. It also is recommended that students seek participation in one of the off-campus field experiences which are available.

In addition to its undergraduate offerings, the department also offers three graduate programs, an MS in experimental psychology with an optional specialization in measurement, evaluation, and statistical analysis (MESA); an MS in clinical mental health counseling; and an MEd in school counseling. Complete descriptions of these programs may be found in the Graduate School section of this catalog.

Faculty

LAWRENCE A. SYMONS (2000) Chair and Associate Professor. BA, MA, University of British Columbia; PhD, University of Western Ontario.
CHRISTINA A. BYRNE (1997) Associate Professor. BS, Virginia Commonwealth University; MS, PhD, University of Georgia.
JEFFREY B. CARROLL (2012) Assistant Professor. BS, PhD, University of British Columbia.
ANNA C. CIAO (2014) Assistant Professor. BA, Trinity University; MA, PhD, University of Hawaii-Mánoa.
ALEXANDER M. CZOPP (2008) Associate Professor BA, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, MS, PhD, University of Kentucky
JENNIFER DEVENPORT (2003) Associate Professor. BA, Boise State University; MS, PhD, Florida International University; MLS, University of Nebraska.
DALE L. DINNEL (1986) Professor. BS, MAT, MA, PhD, University of Nebraska.
JANET M. FINLAY (1999) Associate Professor. BS, University of Victoria; PhD, University of British Columbia.
JAMES GRAHAM (2006) Associate Professor. BA, Purdue University; MA, Pepperdine University; PhD, Texas A&M University.
REBECCA GOODVIN (2007) Associate Professor. BA, Gonzaga University; MA, PhD, University of Nebraska.
JEFFREY W. GRIMM (2001) Professor. BA, Whitman College; MS, PhD, Washington State University.
DIANA GRUMAN (2003) Associate Professor. BA, Whitman College; MEd, Western Washington University; PhD, University of Washington.
TODD HASKELL (2006) Associate Professor. BA, Dartmouth College; PhD, University of Southern California.
IRA E. HYMAN, JR. (1991) Professor. BA, Duke University; MA, PhD, Emory University.
KELLY J. JANTZEN (2007) Associate Professor. BA, PhD, Simon Fraser University.
MCNEEL GORDON JANTZEN (2009) Assistant Professor. BA, MA, PhD, Florida Atlantic University.
JEFF KING (2007) Professor. BA, University of Oklahoma; MS, PhD, Pennsylvania State University.
BARBARA J. LEHMAN (2005) Associate Professor. BA, Drew University; MA, PhD, Claremont Graduate University.
KRISTI M. LEMM (2000) Associate Professor. BA, Columbia University; MS, PhD, Yale University.
MICHAEL J. MANA (1999) Associate Professor. BS, Washington State University; MA, PhD, University of British Columbia.
ADRIANA M. MANAGO (2012) Assistant Professor. BS, West Virginia University; MA, San Jose State University; PhD, University of California, Los Angeles.
KATE C. McLEAN (2007) Associate Professor. BA, Mills College; PhD, University of California-Santa Cruz.
LUCY D. PURGASON (2013) Assistant Professor. BA, MS, Ed S, PhD, University of North Carolina.
ANNE RIGGS (2016) Assistant Professor. BA, MS, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
CATHERINE A. RIORDAN (2009) Professor. BS, Eastern Michigan University; PhD, State University of New York at Albany.
JACQUELINE ROSE (2008) Assistant Professor. BS, University of Calgary; MA, Queen’s University; PhD, University of British Columbia.
TINA DU ROCHER SCHUDLICH (2006) Assistant Professor. BA, University of Michigan; MA, PhD, University of Notre Dame.
CRISTINA SAMPAIO (2006) Associate Professor. PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
DAVID N. SATTLER (2000) Professor. BA, San Diego State University; MA, PhD, Michigan State University.
JOSEPH E. TRIMBLE (1978) Professor. BA, Waynesburg College; MA, University of New Hampshire; PhD, University of Oklahoma; RF, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.

Declaration Process

Students intending to take PSY 301 and declare a major in Psychology must first declare a Psychology Pre-Major. The procedures for declaring the Psychology Pre-Major are described on the Psychology Department website. The prerequisites for a Psychology Pre-Major are as follows:

Completion of at least 15 Psychology credits by the end of the current quarter (this includes Western credits, transfer credits, and AP classes). At least 5 of those psychology credits must be from Western;
Completion of PSY 101, or transfer credit for that class, as indicated on the Transfer Equivalency Report;
Completed (including classes currently enrolled in) at least 90 credits;
Achieved a Western GPA (based on at least 12 credits) of 2.60 or higher. In the absence of a Western GPA, a GPA of 2.6 or higher from an equivalent four-year institution (based on at least 12 credits) or a cumulative GPA from a completed Associates degree may substitute for the Western GPA.

Students wishing to declare a major in psychology must have:

Successfully completed or be currently enrolled in Psy 301;
Achieved a Western GPA (based on at least 12 credits) of 2.70 or higher. A GPA of 3.0 in all psychology courses taken at Western, including PSY 301, may substitute for the overall 2.70 GPA.

Other Departmental Information

Mid-Program Checkpoint

Students seeking to complete a BA in psychology within four years should have completed an introductory psychology class (e.g., PSY 101 or a comparable course at another school) and 15 other credits in psychology by the start of their junior year.

Graduate Study

For concentrations leading to the Master of Education or the Master of Science degrees, see the Graduate School section of this catalog.

Programs

Undergraduate Major

Undergraduate Minor

Graduate

Courses

Psychology

Courses numbered X37; X97; 300, 400, 500 are described in the University Academic Policies section of this catalog.