This is a seminar focused on in–depth examination of theory, application and research issues in Educational and Cognitive Psychology. The content will be adjusted according to the interests and specializations of each lecturer. The goal is to have distinguished visitors or specialized scholars/scientists who will work with the Psychology Department to provide lectures for this seminar.
The course is designed to provide an integrated, in-depth and applied approach to multivariate data analysis and linear statistical models in psychological research. The focus will be on practical issues such as selecting the appropriate measures of analysis, preparing data for analysis, performing the analysis with SPSS, interpreting output and presenting research results. This course will provide an overview of some of the most common multivariate methods, namely: exploratory factor analysis, analysis of variance and covariance, multivariate analysis of variance and covariance, multiple regression, meditation and moderation. The course will strongly emphasize the applications of multivariate methods, rather than their theoretical derivation. All multivariate procedures will be discussed with reference to research designs and interpreted in a practical manner.
This course presents the contribution that psychological research can make to educational practice and discusses relevant issues that concern classroom educators. It critically examines contemporary theories of human development and learning in order to apply this knowledge in educational settings and situations. Additionally, it examines topics such as individual differences, home/school relations and cooperation among the educational psychologist, teachers and parents.
This course will inform students of the current research and theory in the area of cognitive development. Theories and models of cognitive change will be taught, as well as methods for determining conceptual change. Students will be required to study the relevant bibliography and present reports on relevant topics of the bibliography both orally and in written form. For practical experience, students will also be asked to participate in small-scale experiments with the models taught.
The main theories of human development, from conception to the end of life, will be critically presented and discussed. There will also be discussions concerning intra-personal and interpersonal influences on biological, cognitive, emotional and social development.
This course will cover the main theories and research on cognitive, physiological, socio-emotional, moral, and personality development during adolescence. Furthermore, we will also discuss the various problems faced by adolescents, emphasizing the factors contributing to the development of problematic behavior, including emotional, social and academic problems. The importance of discussing various psychological and other problems faced by adolescents lies in the fact that they are connected to extreme behaviors, such as suicide, criminal and aggressive behavior.
This course will introduce students to classic and contemporary theories of human development, which consider development to be a socio-psychological process. There will be a historical review of theories that form the theoretical bases of the contemporary socio-genetic approach to human development, e.g., the classic theories of Mead, Baldwin, Piaget and Vygotsky. There will be also in-depth discussions about recent meta-Piagetian theories of the Geneva social school, and about meta-Vygotskian theories such as those of Bruner, Rogoff, Wertsch and Valsiner.
This course will offer in-depth discussions concerning two of the most significant areas of Social Psychology: social influence and social representations. There will be discussions about the functional and the genetic model of social influence, as well as about classic and contemporary advancements in the areas of social influence and social representations. Moreover, the development of social representations of gender and national identity will be discussed. The applications of social influence and social representation theories to the fields of prevention, health psychology, advertising, communication and trade will also be discussed.
This course will review the most common disorders of childhood and adolescence with an emphasis on diagnostic criteria, developmental course, possible etiologies and the role of the environment in the development and maintenance of problem behaviors. Scientifically based treatments for these disorders will also be discussed.
This course will examine the phenomenon of aggressiveness, by presenting the various theories that attempt to explain it, as well as the empirical research that aims to locate its parameters. Terms such as pre-active and counteractive aggressiveness, emotional toughness and its relationship to psychopathology; family as a trigger for the development of aggressive behavior and the development of an aggressive personality will be analyzed. There will be special reference to bullying and profiles of children involved in it (bullies, victims, aggressive victims).We will also discuss about issues related to antisocial behavior in general, such as substance abuse, youth violation of rules and youth criminality.
This course examines the ways that social psychology can facilitate an understanding of discourse as a social and communicative practice. It will examine the ways in which discourse, both written and spoken constructs, creates different social realities and is structured in order to achieve specific communicative ends. During the course, reference will be made to research that critically analyses everyday communicative discourse as well as institutional discourse (media, political). Special reference will be made to representations in the media discourse that relate to specific social and psychological issues, such as psychopathology, gender, disability, sexuality, racism and nationalism.
This course examines how structural and functional features of the family microsystem influence its members, especially the young, still developing members. The main theories of family development and function will be presented, with emphasis on the systemic approach. There will also be presentations and discussions on recent research targeting the interaction of intrapersonal and interpersonal variables on the child's cognitive, psycho-social and personality development.
Human language is a dynamic and complex function. The purpose of this advanced course is to discuss the theoretical and scientific bases for language acquisition and development, and the language disorders caused by developmental, organic, and neurological etiologies. The course will cover the spectrum of ages beginning with infancy and will conclude with the aging process. Disorders like aphasia, specific language impairment, language learning disabilities, as well as language impairments resulting from brain injuries and dementia and the relationship between language, cognition, and other psychological functions will be presented. Assessment techniques and intervention strategies based on contemporary theoretical, research, and clinical models will be included.
This class identifies the need for a social psychological approach to the study of phenomena related to cross-cultural contact and communication. Students will use different theoretical paradigms and empirical evidence coming from intercultural contact zones worldwide in order to understand issues related to the psychological aspects of movement and migration. The course will first explain and discuss concepts related to nation and nationalism and will then move on to the study of psychological processes related to migration. We will then identify the challenges that people face when they are exposed to new environments, by examining processes of acculturation and focusing on issues of identity and stigma negotiation. We will discuss the challenges that societies face with migration, by referring to issues of acculturation, identity and prejudice. Finally, we will discuss of intergroup relations issues in multicultural societies.
Cognitive neuroscience is the study of the biological underpinnings of the mind. This course will be an introduction to the field and will cover a range of techniques/methods as well as demonstrate applications of those techniques to a wide array of cognitive, social, emotional, and developmental processes. Aside from summarizing key research and methods in the field, the course will aim to sharpen student's ability to think critically about topics in the field so they can apply such skills in their own research.
This course will offer in-depth discussions on classic and contemporary theories of intergroup relationships. The concepts of stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination will be discussed. We will focus on the theories of Frustration-Aggression, Authoritarian Personality, Realistic Conflict, Social Identity, Contact Hypothesis, as well as recent evolutions of these theories, such as the theory of Orientation towards Social Reign, the Theory of Threats, and theories combining the Contact Theory with the Social Identity Theory. We will also discuss empirical findings and applications of these theories on the mixed education institution and on the resolution of intergroup conflicts in North Ireland, South Africa, Israel, Palestine and other places.
This course will discuss the socio-psychological bases of crosscultural education. Students will learn the main theories on the generation and reduction of prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination, as well as their application in educational settings. There will be discussions on the phenomenon of immigration, looking at the issue from the perspectives of the minority and the majority. The course will also discuss the topic of national conflicts, as well as the role that the educational system may play in peace consolidation through the application of the discussed theories.
This course will introduce and familiarize students with qualitative research methods in psychology through a theoretical review and empirical applications. The course will involve the study of qualitative research projects in the areas of social, developmental, educational, cognitive and clinical psychology. The course will include study of: 1) the epistemological principles of qualitative and quantitative methodology; 2) principles and application of methods of data collection; 3) analytical theoretical models; 4) organization, management and class presentation of an original small research project.
Research Design, Review of Regression Analysis, Basic Functions of Structural Equation Modelling and Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (First-order CFA model, CFA models with Higher-Order factors), Multitrait-Multimethod model, The Full Latent Variable model, Growth Modelling, Multiple-Group Analyses(Testing for invariant factorial structure of a theoretical construct, Testing for invariant latent mean structure, Testing for Invariant Causal Structure), Item Response Theory, Rasch measurement models. Emphasis will be placed on application, analysis and interpretation of latent variable models analyzed with appropriate software.