Psychology
The goal of the Psychology Department is to provide students with the tools to pursue novel questions about behavior and the mind using the scientific method. Strong emphasis is placed on helping students learn to communicate their ideas clearly and concisely.
About the Major
At Hamilton, psychology students are introduced to a breadth of topics (e.g., clinical, cognitive, developmental, evolutionary, neuroscience, and social) while also gaining a strong foundation in research methodology and statistics. Students have opportunities to apply their knowledge, such as through research with a professor or at the New England Center for Children, a treatment facility for individuals with autism. From introductory courses through the Senior Project, students learn to use the scientific method to pursue questions about human nature.
Students Will Learn To:
- Explain how behavior and the mind are shaped by a variety of factors (e.g., biological, sociocultural)
- Evaluate sources, evidence, and psychological theories critically
- Employ appropriate research methods and statistics to address novel psychological questions ethically
- Communicate ideas clearly and concisely, demonstrating awareness of both disciplinary conventions and the target audience
A Sampling of Courses
Lifespan Development
An introduction to the science of lifespan development, from conception and prenatal development to older age and death. Focuses on multiple domains of development, including cognitive, social, physical, and emotional, with emphasis on how development in all domains is shaped by both biological and social/cultural influences (e.g., gender norms, social class, stereotyping and prejudice). This course provides the opportunity for experiential learning through work with individuals in applied settings such as child care centers.
Explore these select courses:
Meet Our Faculty
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and associated behavior problems; transition to college; assessment; learning disabilities; parent training; stress and coping
social, emotional, and self-regulatory development; infant and child temperament; parent-child relationships
learning and inference; functional neuroimaging; computational neuroscience; cognitive science
defensive self-esteem, responses to ego threat, and negative consequences of thought suppression
moral judgment, moral behavior, perceptions of blame, and social cognition
emotion, social stress, psychoneuroimmunology, psychophysiology, and neurogenetics
social surrogacy, narrative effects, need to belong
cognitive neuroscience of perception and attention; experimental psychology; cognitive psychology; human neuropsychology
Siobhan Robinson
Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Director of Neuroscience
neurobiology of learning, memory and motivation
cognitive and socioemotional development; self-control; play and imagination; psychological distancing
Keelah Williams
Assistant Professor of Psychology; Director Jurisprudence, Law and Justice Studies
law, stereotyping and prejudice, and evolutionary psychology
Penny Yee
James L. Ferguson Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean of the Faculty
cognition, attention, memory and language processing
brain and behavioral patterns, psychophysics, and sensory physiology
behavioral neuroscience and psychopharmacology
Explore Hamilton Stories
Five Faculty Members Awarded Tenure
Five Hamilton College faculty members were approved for tenure by the College’s Board of Trustees at its March meeting. They include Vikranth Bejjanki (psychology, neuroscience) and Rachel White (psychology).
Zhai ’22 Awarded Fulbright ETA to Cambodia
Amy Zhai ’22 is among six seniors recently awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships. We're featuring all of them on the news page in coming weeks. Here, Zhai tells why she applied for this opportunity in Cambodia, and how Hamilton has prepared her.
Gioia ’22 to Pursue Doctorate in Physical Therapy at GWU
“Through Hamilton’s open curriculum I was able to strike a balance for myself,” Gioia said. “Physical therapy requires high levels of empathy and strong communication skills, so a combination of psychology and literature classes was fitting to learn from an array of viewpoints.”
Careers After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in psychology are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
- Senior Financial Analyst, IBM
- Clinical Social Worker, Washington, D.C. Department of Mental Health
- Product Quality Analyst, Google
- School Psychologist, Dundee Central School
- Neuroscientist, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Chief Architect, Port Authority of NY & NJ
- Vice President of Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook
- Professor, Georgetown University Law Center
- Assistant Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service
- Program Director, National Science Foundation
- Senior Deputy General Counsel, San Francisco Unified School District
Contact
Department Name
Psychology Department
Clinton, NY 13323
