Psychology (PSY)

The course provides the student with continuous matriculating status for the semester while not enrolled in coursework but adhering to all other university policies and procedures for continuous enrollment.

The psychology of cyberspace is explored through examination of the intersection between psychological theory and the progression of technology through its current digital manifestation in everyday life. The behavioral implications of digital technologies will be explored associated with help-seeking, cybercrime, digital privacy, and information security.

Current trends in the field of cyberpsychology are explored with an emphasis on preparing the student to be aware of the current areas of greatest need relevant to this discipline area. This course will prepare students to identify gaps in current qualitative and quantitative cyberpsychological research. Discussions and assignments will provoke critical thinking and help students explore potential areas of interest for research.

This course is designed to provide the student with a collection of ethical guidelines for conducting social science research with an emphasis on non-traditional sources of data collection. Traditional research methods and principles of ethical conduct a psychological study are introduced. Strategies needed to effectively plan, design, evaluate, and disseminate cyberpsychological research are discussed as is suitability of various forms of research tailored to potential capstone projects.

This course focuses on understanding quantitative research applied to the critical examination of human behavior. Methodologies and theoretical foundations are discussed building upon descriptive and inferential statistical techniques.

This course focuses on understanding qualitative research applied to the critical examination of human behavior. Methodologies and theoretical foundations with particular emphasis on both emic and etic approaches consistent with field interviewing, focus group surveying, and examination of publicly available source material. Data analytic approaches will be examined and academic article critique will be included.

This course will introduce students to the psychology of the consumer and the media in an increasingly digital world. Students will examine the relevance of psychology theory and research to understand how social media, in particular, impacts the social and economic well-being of individuals within different societies. Students will explore how consumer preferences are shaped and influenced by the different media available to them as well as how information is cultivated and delivered to people based on big data sourcing and algorithms that leverage users' online activity.

Human-computer interaction (HCI) is an interdisciplinary field that integrates theories and methodologies from computer science, cognitive psychology, human, factors, digital learning, and other related areas. This course will cover the basic theory and methods that exist in the field and use case studies, critical thinking, and experiential activities to examine the potential applications of HCI in physical and digital environments.

Virtuality explores the artistic, scientific, and clinical application of reality and actuality on human behavior. Diverse and interdisciplinary approaches will be used to explore the intersection between society, culture, technology, and digital connectivity to better understand methods of increasing quality of life and life satisfaction. This course incorporates psychological theories which support the biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, cognition and communication, and mental health care to facilitate the critical examination of how virtual and augmented reality and related technologies are leveraged to improve human functionality and performance.

This course addresses the research and application of psychological knowledge to different areas of (digital) forensics specifically as they apply to the intersection of psychology, sociology, and criminal justice. Classifying cybercrimes and applying forensic psychology to deviant online behavior from criminological and forensic psychological theoretical perspectives will be addressed.

This course is designed to teach the underlying principles of human cognition (i.e., attention, thinking, perception, intelligence, comprehension, memory, decision making, problem solving, reasoning) as it applies to human behavior in cyberspace. Attention will be given to the comparison of online versus offline behavior and decision making. This course deals with understanding how higher mental processes are influenced by digital technologies and provides relevant theories and research to support a deeper understanding of cybercognition.

This course offers a broad overview of abnormal psychology and applies concepts to behaviors commonly impacted by digital technologies. Topics may include how to define normal versus abnormal, behavior, diagnostic features and etiology of well-established psychopathology, prevalence and treatment of psychopathology and related disorders, critical evaluation of current debates about digital addictions and online self-help, and a focus on the influence of societal and systemic factors.

Internship experience in a cyberpsychology related position provides the student with an opportunity to apply their knowledge in an applied setting. Internship does not guarantee future employment but aims to significantly enhance marketability post-graduation. Internships may require a physical presence for 5-20 (or more) hours per week with credit hours (minimum of 1, maximum of 3 per semester) commensurate with anticipated hours of work. The course instructor will also provide indirect supervision and oversee required documentation and evaluation completion. All training opportunities must be approved by the MS CyberPsychology Program Coordinator prior to their start. Students are also required to complete course assignments facilitated by the course instructor. Students may repeat this course for credit multiple times up to 9 semester credit hours in total.

This course facilitates the formal research process for the student to develop, refine, carry out and analyze data in pursuit of a successful capstone project. In this course, students will work with their instructor to identify an appropriate and researchable capstone topic and prepare the required background information and documentation needed to execute their study. Students will conduct literature reviews and formulate a full research proposal outlining all areas of their proposed study. Students will prepare all documentation for the institutional review board, and review and carry out their research study leading directly into PSY690 (Capstone), where they will finalize and present their project. PSY610 is repeatable and students are required to complete 9 credits prior to enrolling in PSY690.

This course facilitates the formal research process for the student to develop, refine, carry out and analyze data in pursuit of a successful capstone project. In this course, students will work with their instructor to identify an appropriate and researchable capstone topic and prepare the required background information and documentation needed to execute their study. Students will conduct literature reviews and formulate a full research proposal outlining all areas of their proposed study. Students will prepare all documentation for the institutional review board, and review and carry out their research study leading directly into PSY690 (Capstone), where they will finalize and present their project. PSY610 is repeatable and students are required to complete 9 credits prior to enrolling in PSY690.

This course is the second of three formal research courses required to prepare the student for a successful capstone project completion. In this course students will work with the instructor to implement and execute their study directly following from their progress in PSY 610. Students are expected to begin the process of collecting data and formalizing their capstone documentation in preparation for the capstone course.

The CyberPsychology Capstone is the final course in the research sequence. Building on the progress achieved in PSY 610, students will be prepared to compile their results in a comprehensive research report and present their research findings for approval. Capstone completion is acknowledged after the student successfully presents and defends their project representing the culmination of the student's development throughout the program and the final deliverable prior to earning the MS in CyberPsychology degree.