Department of Psychology

Areas of Contemporary Psychology

The objective of this course is providing those who learn psychology first time with actual knowledge about types of studies being undertaken in several areas of psychology such as fundamental psychology applied psychology and clinical psychology.

Statistics in Psychology

It is impossible to reach to any objective outcome without performing some statistical measures on actual data from any psychological study since those data contain considerable errors resulted from various factors. In this course, students will learn which part of given data to be carefully looked at and what kind of method could be used for statistical analysis. Recent trend of depending statistical work on computers are not necessarily undesirable. But student must know what method to use in each case of their study. Therefore, this course is set to provide students with knowledge on analysis, statistical calculation and evaluation of statistical results.
These statistical knowledge is critical in Psychological Experiment, but unfortunately many students failed to acquire this unit in the past. Therefore considerable care should be taken for this course.

Introduction to Psychology

In this course, the lecturer explains some basic topics and themes of clinical psychology and personality psychology. The objective of this course is to induce students' interest in psychology in general.

Mental Hygienic

As human physical body has various illnesses, human mentality also has the statuses of both ill and healthy. So far, the history of medical science has been developed mainly on physical side of human body. But, depending on the areas of illness, mental factors should be considered seriously for the cause and remedy for some illnesses. In this course, the subject of the relationship between body and mind, i.e., the relationship between physical illness and mental stress that considered to be the cause of that illness. Further, students will learn how to prevent mental stress in order to maintain physical as well as mental health.

Psychology for Handicapped Children

"Psychology for Handicapped Children" is one of the special course in Psychology and it is also required for educational course. It becomes necessary to deal with various psychological problems at the field of handicapped children's education. Since it commencement, handicapped children's education has been achieving considerable result. But, the recent trend in this area is to look at the handicap as one of the "characteristics" that children have just as non-handicapped people have different characteristics. Then, a basic question arises. Is there any such field should exist as "Psychology for Handicapped Children" since it could be one of the "characteristics"? If there is any difference between Psychology for Handicapped Children and Psychology for Non-handicapped Children, what is it? In this course, student are expected to think about these problems.

Introduction to Psychology

Prerequisite of taking this course is that students have taken the psychology course at the first year and have basic knowledge on psychology in general. Those who take this course is expected to have the attitude of "Thinking" rather than just listening lectures or leaning some basic knowledge. The actual subject student deal with may be the same one with they learned at the first year course since psychological study cannot be considered apart from actual case. But lecturer will concentrate on the process which each study has been developed. The teaching materials will be "Animal Learning" and "Incentives" which close to the lecturer's study area.

Practice in Psychological Experiment

This course is set at the final stage of psychological study for students. Students have learned various knowledge on psychology, but they are all knowledge that discovered in past studies. In this course, student will learn the basic method of actual psychological study. However, this course will be taken as preparatory course for Special Problem Study on 4th year or Psychology Special Practice on 3rd year.

Practice in Reading on Psychology I

The objectives of this course is to acquire the ability to read various materials of psychology (mainly written in English) and become familiar with psychological terms used in those books.

Introduction on Experiment in Psychology

This is the introductory lectures on experiment in psychology. At first step, students will gain basic view on the "meaning of experiment in psychology," then at the second step, they will learn about the "logic of experiment." In the second stage, students will also deal with basic issues of modern experimental psychology such as: 1 Types of adaptation behavior and development; 2 Changes in behavior and learning; 3 Physiological psychology in emotional system; 4 Mental physics of sense system; 5 Systems and functions of sense; 6 Information process of sense, memory and recognition; 7 Language and exchange system; and 8 Recognition achievement and development and its functional incorporation. On this particular year, mainly 4, 5, 6, 8 of above will be taken up. The lecturer will try to include demonstration in lectures as much as possible.

Introduction to Applied Psychology

This course provided descriptions on present condition of psychology being applied on everyday life. Students will also learn the meaning of applied psychology, thinking method required in applied psychology, and method can be introduced to applied psychology from other related areas. Based on Accumulated results in this area, student will learn how to apply those results in actual problems of today and try to understand possibility of systematizing human behavior. Additionally, the course deals with necessity of psychological approach for elderly and handicapped people, and students will learn about being specialists to deal with these problems.

Introduction to Clinical Psychology

This course aims to give basic knowledge to students of taking psychology as their majors. It gives general view of present status of clinical psychology, therefore it does not deal with any practical skills or knowledge which applied for actual cases.

Research Method in Psychology

In many cases, those who are the subject of psychological experiment must express some events such as dreams they had using "language" in order for experiment to be taken place. Observation is, of course, one of the psychological method, but it is quite limited in terms of their value except in the cases of animal experiment. Therefore expressing through language inevitably becomes principal method for psychological research.
On the other hand, languages we use obviously contain numerous problems as can be seen in communication problems in our daily life. Therefore, certain evaluation must be performed on languages in order for it to be used in psychological experiments. In this lecture, students will experience this evaluation process through "Question on Paper Method." To take "Question on Paper Method" as a method of psychological study, it should be done as an systematic process from developing the scheme to analyzing and reviewing the result. Otherwise, it has no difference from simple street questionnaire. Therefore, this lecture will be conducted in such a way that going through whole process of the method by taking some particular problems as examples.

Psychometric Method

This is the systematic and introductory lectures on "Psychometric Method."

Practice in Psychology in Foreign Country

This is a optional course newly introduced on 1996 which initiated as "American Seminar" by the department of literature. The University of Massachusetts, has the course of psychology and counseling at its Boston school. Also, in Boston, there are several facilities of educational hospitals and clinics for handicapped children belong to Harvard University. This course aims to give students some idea about status of psychological studies in America, experience of different culture and training on language using above mentioned facilities in Boston. The number of student for this course will be limited for ten. The course is divided into three parts, before, during and after summer vacation. At the first part of the course, students will be given lectures on ideas which actual treatments performed in those facilities are based on. Students will be able to see some aspects of most progressive activities professional work in America.

Special Practice of Experimental Psychology

This is the course that each student initiates their activities such as studies on reference materials, planning of experiment and research, executing experiments, analyzing results and developing reports under instructor's supervision.
This is the preliminary step for Special Research in Psychological Issues (graduation thesis), and the educational arrangement for this practice will be same as that of graduation thesis.

Reading Practice on Psychology II

This course aims to develop student's abilities for understanding the theoretical, academic and systematic contents of materials written in English by carefully reading selected papers produced by foreign psychologists. Students are also expected to practice how to express the contents in Japanese.

Practice in Clinical Psychology

This course aims to student's acquisition of skills on psychological experiments and treatments.
The instructor expects students taking this course to be planning to become clinical practitioners on psychology. Those who only trying to fill the course requirement are not welcomed.

Special Lectures in Experimental Psychology I

This course introduces the cognitive psychology which rapidly developing after 1960's. Then, discusses the studies on memory information processing field, especially concentrating some studies on short term memory based on experimental data. By these lectures, students are expected to acquire basic knowledge on cognitive psychology.

Special Lectures in Experimental Psychology II

Higher animals including humans acquire their behavior through learning processes. Therefore, the issues on learning and incentives are considered to be crucial part in psychology. This course will be valuable for students who are interested in clinical psychology since the activity treatment adopted in clinical psychology is based on the principles on learning psychology.

Special Lectures in Applied Psychology I

This course aims to let student understand the luminance difference recognition and the luminance comparison recognition. It also aims to let students acquire the skills to bring out the luminance difference recognition under complicated visual circumstance.

Special Lectures in Applied Psychology II

Human life may basically be divided into two parts, i.e., professional part which enables to maintain our life by gaining incomes and the part devoted for leisure or family life. This lecture, deals with "understanding for working and the burden in production process and safety" taking two different perspectives mentioned above. The lecturer explains the patterns of human behavior thorough actual examples.

Special Lectures in Clinical Psychology I

The aim of clinical psychology is to provide mental support for people who suffer from adaptation problems in today's stressful society. Clinical psychology is based on the principle of personality in psychology at large and it has characteristics of "application and practice." This lecture aims to provide students hoping to become professionals in this area with applicable knowledge.

Special Lectures in Clinical Psychology II

This lecture aims to give students concrete idea about "Psychological treatment." The lecturer welcomes students who seriously considering to become professionals in the future.

History of Psychology

Modern psychology has various fields, approach and paradigms. Consequently, each psychologists and practitioners takes different approaches such as active, cognitive or mental analytical approach. These different methods often deal with different areas in psychology, but they may appear to be in conflict with each other time to time. Therefore, it is quite natural for students to be confused.
This lecture aims to help students understand the psychology as a whole by providing the basic knowledge on relationship between various theories and areas within psychology. The lecturer tries to do this by following the formation process of psychology at the end of 19th century, then explains how different areas of psychology were formed and developed to present status.

Special Lectures in Psychology II

This lecture mainly deals with cognitive psychology. Lecturers are from the cognitive science course in the department of information science. Each lecturer selects a suitable topics within their own special areas and gives explanations referring psychology. It may help students to gain whole picture of cognitive psychology.
Topics to be taken up are as follows; human knowledge, emotion, solving problems, learning through cognition, linguistic activity, communication, artificial brain, human interface.

Special Research in Psychological Issues

Each student must decide the theme for his/her own research. On the process of preparing a graduation thesis, they may receive some guidance from instructors.

Practice in Reading on Psychology III

The aims of this practice are to deepen the students' general understanding of psychology by reading some texts written in English. This course also include some discussion periods which expected to develop students' ability to progress in studying psychology.