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Psychology is a relatively young science, having begun as a separate discipline in 1879. It examines how and why we think, feel, and behave as we do. While the methods of research inquiry are relatively young, the questions are often very old and have been pondered by philosophers and scientists for millennia. You will gain an understanding of the major topics concerning the mind and behavior in the 21st century. We will consider: definitions of psychology; the history of the field and how it gave rise to the different schools of thought in use today; famous characters such as Pavlov, Skinner, Jung, and Freud and their current influence; the biological foundations of the mind; how we learn (and forget) things; how we think and what intelligence might be; personality and mental and emotional disorders; various types of psychotherapy. Class Limit: 20

Instructor Joel Shapiro, Ed.D. retired as Chair and full professor of education and psychology from Green Mountain College, Poultney, VT. He won a Fulbright Scholarship to teach at the University of Presov, Slovak Republic and wrote a book for college professors on ways to successfully integrate international students into American classrooms. Additionally, he wrote numerous articles for American and European professional journals and lectured at universities and conferences throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. He has won teaching awards at several colleges. Prior to beginning his academic career, he was a school psychologist working with children having special needs. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Colgate University, his Master’s degree from Temple University and his doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.