Courses offered by the Institute of Psychology in English in the autumn term of 2013/2014.
Course title and code: Life-span development BBNPS15000 / Credits: 6Code: BBNPS15000
Type of course (lecture/seminar) and hours per week/semester: 2 hours per week
Method of assessment (exam/practical grade): exam
Suggested semester:
Prerequisites (if any): -
Course description:
This course is about human development. The pattern of change that begins at conception and continues through human life span. We are going to talk about biological, cognitive and socioemotional processes. We are going to discuss the periods of development, differenet theories as well as the contexts of life-span development.
Required and recommended reading:
J.W. Santrock (2007). A topical approach to life-span development. Forth edition. McGraw-Hill
or
L.E. Berk (2009). Child development. Eighth edition. Pearson
Lecturers participating in teaching: Máté Révay
Course Title: Psychology of Aggression– An Introduction / Credits: 6
Code: BBNPS05601/BBNPS21500
Type of course (lecture/seminar) and hours per week/semester: 2
Method of assessment (exam/practical grade): practical grade (average grade of 3 mini-essays and a presentation)
Suggested semester: spring
Prerequisites (if any): none
Course description: In this seminar students will learn the basic phenomena and theories in connection with human aggression in a complex and integrative way. The scientific fields of Psychology, Ethology, Cultural Anthropology and Psychiatry as well as Fine Arts will be involved.
The following topics will be discussed throughout the semester:
Introduction: What Aggression really is?
Evolutionary and Cultural Aspects of Human Aggression
Psychological Models of Aggression
Aggression and Socialization
School aggression 1. (Bullying, Harassment, Violence what’s the difference?)
School Aggression 2. (How to measure bullying and victimization? What can we do about it?)
Aggression and Psychopathology 1. (Suicide)
Aggression and Psychopathology 2. (Personality Disorders, Substance Use Disorders)
How to Measure Aggression?
Required and recommended reading:
Alikasifoglu, M., Erginoz, E., Ercan, O., Uysal, O., Albayrak-Kaymak, D. (2007). Bullying behaviours and psychosocial health: results from a cross-sectional survey among high school students in Istanbul, Turkey. Eur. J. Pediatr. 166: 1253-1260.
Anderson, C.A., Bushman, B.J. (2002). Human Aggression. Annu. Rev. Psychol. 53:27-51.
Blair, R.J.R. (2001). Neurocognitive models of aggression, the antisocial personality disorders, and psychopathy. Advances in Neuropsychiatry. 71:727-731.
Engelhardt, C.R., Bartholow, B.D., Kerr, G.T., Bushman, B.J. (2011). This is your brain on violent video games: Neural desensitization to violence predicts increased aggression following violent video game exposure. J. of Experimental Social Psychology. 47, pp. 1033-1036.
Ferguson, C.J., San Miguel, C., Graza, A., Jerabeck, J.M. (2012). A longitudinal test of video game violence influences on dating aggression: A 3-year longitudinal study of adolescents. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 46: 141-146.
Gao, Y., Raine, A. (2010). Successful and Unsuccessful Psychopaths: A Neurobiological Model. Behavioral Science and the Law. 28: 194-201.
Gerevich J, Bácskai E, Czobor P. (2007). The generalizability of the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research. 16(3):124-36.
Hogg, M.A., Cooper, J. (2003). The Sage Handbook of Social Psychology. Chapter 14: Human Aggression – A Social-Cognitive View. Sage Publication Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, USA. pp. 296-323.
Kovess-Masfety, V., Boyd, A., Haro, J.M., Bruffaerts, J.M., Villagut, G., Lépine, J.P., Gasquet, I., Alonso, J. and the ESEMeD/MHEDEA investigators (2011). High and low suicidality in Europe: A fine-grained comparison of France and Spain within the ESEMeD surveys. Journal of Affective Disorders. 133:247-256.
Liu, J. (2011). Early health risk factors for violence: Conceptualization, evidence, and implications. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 16, pp. 63-73.
Solberg ME, Olweus D, Endresen IM. (2007). Bullies and victims at school: Are they the same pupils? British Journal of Educational Psychology. 77(2):441-64.
Lecturers participating in teaching: Balázs Matuszka, psychologist, Ph.D. student
Course title and code: Psychology of Well-being / Credits: 6
Code: BBNPS20900
Type of course (lecture/seminar) and hours per week/semester: seminar, 2 hours
Method of assessment (exam/practical grade): grades based on class participation
Suggested semester: any
Prerequisites (if any): none
Course description:
Course description
The course offers an introduction to positive psychology through the positive aspects of human experience, focusing on happiness, satisfaction with life, and some altered forms of consciousness, which provide us with the impression of optimal or peak experiences.
Course objectives
Students attending the course, by the end of the term will- become familiar with the growing area of positive psychology
- have hands-on experience with flow, mindfulness, and some other key concepts
- become an informed and critical consumer of information related to happiness/well-being, topics about which most people have a strong intuitive basis
- gain a better understanding of yourself and others
Procedures
In order to meet the objectives students learn through lectures, class discussions, individual and group exercises, films and students’ oral presentations.Course outline/Weekly Schedule
1. The concept and background of positive psychology. Happiness in human history.2. Attention, order and disorder in consciousness; flow theory vs. psychic entropy.
3. Emotional intelligence.
4. Positive Emotions: The Broaden and Build Theory
5. Optimism, resilience, and post-traumatic growth
6. Goals and meaning in life; altruism vs. materialism, self-discipline
7. Culture and well-being; positive education and workplace
8. The Values in Action (VIA) classification of strengths.
9. Spirituality and religion.
10. Positive aging.
11. Final test.
12. Wrap-up.
Required and recommended reading:
Brown, K.W., Ryan, R.M., Creswell, J.D. (2007). Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects. Psychological Inquiry, 18, 211-237.
C.R. Snyder & S. Lopez (Eds.): Optimism, in: The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology, OUP.
Catarina Ramos*a, Isabel Leala:Posttraumatic Growth in the Aftermath of Trauma: A Literature Review About Related Factors and Application Contexts. pch.psychopen.eu
Creswell, J.D., Irwin, M. R., Burklund, L. J., Lieberman, M. D., Arevalo, J., Breen, E., & Cole, S. (2012) Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction training reduces loneliness and pro-inflammatory gene expression in older adults: a small randomized controlled trial. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
Csikszentmihalyi, M & Csikszentmihalyi, I.S.(Eds. (2006)): A life worth living; Contributions to positive psychology. Oxford University Press, New York
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2004): The psychology of optimal experience. Flow. Harper and Row, Publishers, New York.
Peterson, C., Park, N., & Seligman, M.E.P. (2005). Orientations to happiness and life satisfaction: The full life versus the empty life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 6, 25-41.
S. L. Gable & J. Haidt: What (and Why) Is Positive Psychology? Review of General Psychology 2005, Vol. 9, No. 2, 103–110
Seligman, M.E.P., Ernst, R.M., Gillham, J., Reivich, K., & Linkins, M. (2009). Positive education: positive psychology and classroom interventions. Oxford Review of Education, 35, 293-311.
Lecturers participating in teaching: Ottilia Boross
Course title and code: Familypsychology / Credits: 6
Code: BBNPS15100
Type of course (lecture/seminar) and hours per week/semester: seminar, 2 hrs
Method of assessment (exam/practical grade): practical
Suggested semester: -
Prerequisites (if any): developmental psychology
Course description: Family psychology
The aim of this course is to give an introduction into the main questions and theories of family psychology. ( The family system model, the family life cycle model.) It will include also the possible malfunctioning of the family system and some possible methods what the family therapy can use to help to resolve the problems.
Required and recommended reading:
Boszormenyi-Nagy, I., & Spark, G. (1973; 1984). Invisible loyalties: Reciprocity in intergenerational family therapy. New York: Harper & Row. (Second edition, New York: Brunner/Mazel)
Peggy Papp (1983): The process of change, The Guilford Press, London
Lecturers participating in teaching: Hollósi Mária Cecília
Course title and code: Art Psychology – BBNPS20900 / Credits: 6
Code: BBNPS20900
Type of course (lecture/seminar) and hours per week/semester: lecture
Method of assessment (exam/practical grade): exam
Suggested semester: first / any
Prerequisites (if any): -
Course description:
Course description:
This interdisciplinary field relying on cognitive psychology helps the understanding of the development of human capacities, and creations called art. It also aims at the understanding of their role in developing affective-cognitive, and cultural constructs. It overviews the specificities of the absorption (perception) of art, their mental and physical determination, and the parallels of the consciousness and aesthetic experience. It presents the connection of mental disorders and art, and the therapeutic effect of art. It dwells on the intercultural aspects of music, and on the general relation of psychology and different forms of art.
Course objectives
Students participating in this course will
- Gain insight into the evolutionary anchorage of arts in human history
- Learn about how the brain relates to the subjective experience of visual arts and music
- Learn about the parallels of language and music
- Gain a better understanding of the symmetry between art experience and everyday life
Procedures
Students will complete a multiple choice test at the end of the course.
Course outline/Weekly Schedule
1. The roots of art, and creation
2. Art, evolution, consciousness
3. Mechanisms of perception, Human perception in different modalities.
4. The visual experience. Illusions (Gestalt, neural mechanisms)
5. The symbolic and psychological meaning of visual art.
6. Art and psychopathology. Music therapy
7. Social psychology and art (The Visual Construction of Identity and the Social Status of the Artist.)
8. Evolution and psychology of story-telling.
9. Origins of music (evolutionary theory, development of instruments)
10. Effects of music on cognition (Mozart effect)
11. Ethnomusicology (the anthropology of music)
12. Origins and functions of dance
13. Art and creativity
Required and recommended reading:
Required reading
1. Robert L. Solso (2003) The Psychology of Art and the Evolution of the Conscious Brain (chapters)
2. Denis Dutton (2009). The art instinct, Bloomsbury press. (chapters)
3. Desmond Morris(1967) The naked ape, McGrow-Hill, New York (chapters)
Recommended reading
1. Berger, R. (1963). Discovery of painting. Viking press.
2. Charles Hubert (2001) The Evolution of the Art and Music, Library Reprints
Lecturers participating in teaching: Krisztian Gabris