Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Texas A&M University College of Arts and Sciences
Head: M. Bergman
Associate Head for Graduate Studies: M. Vess
As a department, we seek to be a leader in psychological research and education. Our faculty members are engaged in innovative research programs focused on studying and intervening in behavior through diverse methods and approaches, from micro to macro, with an aim of improving human health and well-being. The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences offers PhD training in Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology, Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and Social and Personality Psychology. We also maintain research clusters focused on Diversity Science, Affective Science, and Personality Processes. Doctoral students in Clinical Psychology and Industrial/Organizational Psychology complete a Master's Degree as part of their progress toward the PhD. Our doctoral training is strongly research oriented; all students are expected to become involved with research beginning in their first year. We offer a Master of Science degree in Psychological Sciences with a concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, which is intended for students who are interested in employment using psychological principles in the workplace and in organizations.
Doctoral Programs
The objectives of the PhD programs are:
- To prepare students to conduct high quality research, to direct research by others, and to communicate research findings through teaching and writing.
- To prepare students for careers in academic settings or organizations that involve practical solutions to personal, social, or organizational problems.
We enroll approximately 120 doctoral students and offer numerous opportunities for student collaboration with faculty. The student-faculty ratio is roughly 2:1, which allows individualized attention to develop research and professional skills.
Doctoral students admitted to the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences typically receive a competitive monthly salary for four or five years through external awards and fellowships, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, clinical placements, or university employment. Office space, computers, funds to travel to professional conventions, and funds to pursue professional development, are also typically provided by advisors.
All of the programs within the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences support an active speaker series that involves students, faculty, and scientists from across the university and from other institutions. These series provide exposure to different perspectives on the field and the opportunity to network with scientists at other institutions.
Master of Science in Psychological Sciences
The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences offers a Master of Science in Psychological Sciences with a concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. This is the scientific study of human behavior at work and the application of that science to workplace issues facing individuals, teams, and organizations. The program prepares students for employment in consulting, private practice, government, and corporations. The program emphasizes the application of psychological principles to human resource decisions and organizational behavior challenges. Students benefit from training by faculty who are internationally recognized experts in the workplace and organizations.
Psychological and Brain Sciences
PBSI 603 Motivation and Cognitive Processes
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Selected topics in areas of motivation and higher mental processes; symbolic processes in perceptual organization; learning and remembering, reasoning and creativity. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 606/NRSC 606 Learning
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Procedural and theoretical issues in study of basic learning mechanisms in animals and humans, including Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning. Application of this work to other domains and relevant biological mechanisms also discussed. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: NRSC 606/PBSI 606.
PBSI 607 Experimental Psychology
Credits 3.
2 Lecture Hours.
3 Lab Hours.
Experimental methods; developing a general frame of reference for approaching experimental research problems. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 608 Introduction to Clinical Ethics and Techniques
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Ethical and legal issues in clinical practice; development of listening and interpretation skills; supervised practicum in interviewing non-clinical subjects; structured role-play of clinical situations. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 609/NRSC 609 Physiological Psychology
Credits 3.
2 Lecture Hours.
3 Lab Hours.
Current research and methodological procedures on physiological bases of sensation-perception, memory and learning, arousal-sleep-attention, emotions and motivation. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: NRSC 609/PBSI 609.
PBSI 610 Organizational Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Current literature and research in employee motivation, satisfaction, leadership, communication, group conflict and other group processes. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 611 Personnel Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Application of psychological principles and research methods to the areas of selection, placement, job analysis, performance appraisal and training. Prerequisites: PBSI 251 or PBSI 353 or graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 613 Practicum in Psychological Assessment
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Other Hours.
Application of psychological assessment across the life-span; assessment of cognitive, intellectual, academic, and memory abilities and adaptive behavior; assessment of personality, behavioral style, and systems/environment; integration of assessment measures in comprehensive psychological evaluations; attendance required at Practicum Seminar designed to integrate research, coursework, and applied training and supervisory instruction from a faculty supervisor; at least 3 credits and no more than 18 credits applied to degree plan. Prerequisites: PBSI 623 and PBSI 624, or approval of instructor.
PBSI 614 Practicum in Psychology
Credits 1 to 6.
1 to 6 Other Hours.
Practical on-the-job experience for graduate students. Activities will be guided by psychologists in the following areas: behavior modification, social, clinical, experimental and industrial. Supervision will be provided by members of University staff. May be taken more than once but not to exceed 18 hours of credit toward a graduate degree. Prerequisite: PBSI 608 or approval of instructor.
PBSI 615/NRSC 615 Perceptual Processes
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Complex sensory and perceptual phenomena with emphasis on the relationship between perception and motivation, cognition, creativity and instinctive/ethological; learning/experiential factors in higher level perceptual processes. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: NRSC 615/PBSI 615.
PBSI 616 Treatment of Problem Behavior in Children and Families
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Current methods of treating families with children displaying aggressive, hyperactive, underachieving and other problem behaviors in natural settings; behavior of children and adolescents at home, school and at play. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
PBSI 617 Analytical Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Survey emphasizing Jungian psychology but including coverage of Freudian psychology; application of analytical principles and concepts to a variety of clinical issues and situations. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
PBSI 618 Psychology of Persuasion
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Theory and scientific evidence regarding strategies and tactics of persuasion; explores theoretical controversies and presents potential integrations. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 620 Theories of Social Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Current theories of social psychology and a review of related studies to these theories; theories of attitude change, prosocial behavior, aggression, equity, coalition formation, social learning and S-R theory applied to social behavior. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 621 Seminar in Social Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Other Hours.
Attitudes and persuasion; small group interaction and performance; prosocial behavior; aggression; self concept; applied social problems; gender differences in social interaction; and social cognition. May be repeated up to three times for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
PBSI 622 Affective Science
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Overview of theories and approaches in the interdisciplinary field of affective science; historical and contemporary approaches focused on emotional and affective processes. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 623 Psychological Assessment I
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Principles of psychological testing; uses and critical evaluation of tests of achievement, intelligence, aptitude and personality. Prerequisites: Enrollment in Clinical Psychology Program or approval of instructor.
PBSI 624 Psychological Assessment II
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Theory and application of psychological assessment of children, adolescents, and adults; assessment of cognitive, intellectual, academic, and memory abilities and adaptive behavior; integration of assessment measures in comprehensive psychological evaluations. Prerequisite: Enrollment in Clinical Psychology Program or approval of instructor.
PBSI 626 Psychopathology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Various symptom categories in psychopathology including differing theoretical conceptualizations of these symptom categories, and theories and research concerning etiology and treatment. Prerequisite: Enrollment in Clinical Psychology Program or approval of instructor.
PBSI 627 Psychological Assessment of Children and Adolescents
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Theory and application of psychological assessment of toddlers, children, and adolescents; assessment of cognitive, intellectual, academic, and memory abilities and adaptive behavior; assessment of personality, behavioral style, family functioning, and child-focused systems; integration of assessment measures in comprehensive psychological evaluations. Prerequisites: PBSI 623 and PBSI 624, or approval of instructor.
PBSI 629 Pain Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Theory and research on the psychology of pain; examination of historical and personal conceptions of pain; readings and discussions of biopsychosocial mechanisms of pain; consideration of sociodemographic and global pain disparities. Prerequisites: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 630 Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Theory, research and practice of health psychology emphasizing the prevention and modification of health compromising behaviors; psychological management of stress, pain and chronic/terminal illness; effective interventions for specific health behaviors/disorders. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 631 Academic Career Development in Psychological and Brain Sciences
Credit 1.
1 Lecture Hour.
Strategies and career planning for a research and teaching oriented academic track; focus on developing a multi-year plan for placement in a position to be maximally competitive for an academic job and preparation in how to assemble a strong application package.. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 633 Gender and Minority Issues in Clinical Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Human behavior and mental health as a function of culture, gender and sexual orientation; discussion of absolutist, relativist and universalist perspectives in cross-cultural psychology; psychology of stereotype and prejudice; adjustment through acculturation and biculturalism; learning about our own and other cultures. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 635 Behavioral and Cellular Research Seminar
Credits 2.
2 Other Hours.
Expose graduate students to neuroscience research, theory, and proposal development; research presentations by guest speakers, faculty, and graduate students; Discussions, readings and presentations on issues related to research design, statistics, methodology, ethics, IACUC, grant writing, presentation skills, job talks, and other relevant topics. May be taken four times for credit. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 636 Seminar in Developmental Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Other Hours.
Cognitive development; social and emotional development; developmental abnormalities in connection with social/emotional and cognitive development; language acquisition; family processes; and development during infancy; recent developments in these fields; topics will vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit up to three times as topics change. Prerequisites: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 637 Clinical Interventions I
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Theory, research and techniques related to evidence-based behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches to clinical interventions; ethical, professional, multicultural and history/systems issues in therapeutic psychological interventions. Prerequisite: Enrollment in Clinical Psychology Graduate Program or approval of instructor.
PBSI 638 Clinical Interventions II
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Theory, research, and techniques related to evidence-based interpersonal, psychodynamic, group therapy, and family therapy approaches to clinical interventions; ethical, professional, multicultural, and history/systems issues in therapeutic psychological interventions. Prerequisite: Enrollment in Clinical Psychology Graduate Program or approval of instructor.
PBSI 639 Pediatric Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Application of clinical/counseling/school psychology to children and adolescents with chronic illnesses or disabilities and their families; theoretical foundations and models for consultation, assessment and intervention strategies; unique ethical and professional issues associated with research and service delivery in child health psychology/pediatric behavioral medicine. Prerequisite: PBSI 685, EPSY 685, PBSI 691, or EPSY 691, or approval of instructor; graduate classification.
PBSI 642/NRSC 642 Neuroimaging Data Analysis
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Physics of magnetic resonance imaging; experimental design for fMRI; linear and nonlinear image registration; data denoising; data filtering and smoothing; volume and surface methods; General Linear Models and multivariate approaches to subject-level data; mixed effects modeling, random effects modeling, permutation methods for linear models; functional connectivity. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor; coursework in regression models recommended. Cross Listing: NRSC 642/PBSI 642.
PBSI 649/NRSC 649 Seminar in Behavioral Neuroscience
Credits 3.
3 Other Hours.
Behavioral neuroscience; including behavioral pharmacology, neuropharmacology, methods and techniques, drug reinforcement, behavioral toxicology, pain perception and ingestive behavior. May be repeated up to three times for credit. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: NRSC 649/PBSI 649.
PBSI 650/NRSC 650 Clinical Psychopharmacology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Survey of topics in clinical psychopharmacology, including pharmacodynamics, major neurotransmitter systems, and therapeutic applications and limitations. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: NRSC 650/PBSI 650.
PBSI 651/AFST 651 Cultural Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Surveys key readings in the field of cultural psychology; discussion and examination of relationship between psychological processes (e.g., motivation, memory, self perception, prejudice) and sociocultural contexts. Prerequisites: Enrollment in a graduate program or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: AFST 651/PBSI 651.
PBSI 652 Statistics and Research Methods in Industrial/Organizational Psychology I
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
The first of two courses in statistics and research methods; integrates research design, appropriate methodology, and advanced statistical techniques used by industrial/organizational psychologists (e.g., General Linear Model); current topics pertinent to the content domain draws heavily from the application of quantitative psychology literature to workplace problems; statistical software packages will be used to enhance conceptual understanding. Prerequisites: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 653 Statistics and Research Methods in Industrial/Organizational Psychology II
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
The second of two courses in statistics and research methods; integrates research design, appropriate methodology, and advanced statistical techniques used by industrial/organizational psychologists (e.g., GeneralIZED Linear Model, nonlinear regression); current topics pertinent to the content domain draws heavily from the application of quantitative psychology literature to workplace problems; statistical software packages will be used to enhance conceptual understanding. Prerequisites: PBSI 652; graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 654 Psychometrics and Survey Design in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Study of psychological measurement for testing and assessment purposes in I/O psychology; classical and modern test theories are introduced as well as their implications for test construction and survey design; emphasis on skill acquisition through developing, administering and scoring predictor or criterion tests and presenting results. Prerequisites: PBSI 652; PBSI 653; graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 655/NRSC 655 Foundations in Cognitive Neuroscience
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Experimental design in cognitive neuroscience; basics of cognitive neuroscience methods; perception versus imagery; attention; motor control; short-term and long-term memory; volition and consciousness; executive function; decision making; affect and psychopathology; social cognition. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: NRSC 655/PBSI 655.
PBSI 656 Advanced Selection
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
An in-depth analysis of psychological principles and employee selection methods with a focus on applied practice and current topics; emphasis on the application of evidence-based best practices to the selection process; importance of job and work analysis, testing and assessment, psychometrics, validation procedures, and measurement in light of ethical, legal, diversity and international issues. Prerequisites: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 657 Training and Performance Management
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
A comprehensive review of theory, research, current topics and practice associated with training and performance management; training as an organizational subsystem is emphasized as the model for the design, implementation and evaluation of training programs; appraisal and management of work performance for various organizational purposes. Prerequisites: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 658 Work Attitudes and Motivation
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
A critical analysis of major theories, current research and practical or current issues associated with employee attitudes and motivation in the workplace; topics include job satisfaction, organizational commitment, work engagement, stress, absenteeism, turnover, motivation, job design and quality of work, and work values; key methodological and measurement issues; application of social psychology literature to workplace problems. Prerequisites: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 659 Groups, Teams and Leadership
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
An in-depth review of the factors leading to effective groups, teams and leadership in organizations; topics include strategies for building high performance teams and techniques for assessing, selecting and developing leaders; the course integrates theory, research and current topics with experiential learning; application of social psychology literature to workplace problems. Prerequisites: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 660 Self and Identity
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
An overview of the historical and current issues related to the study of the self and identity.
PBSI 670 Professional Seminar in Social Psychology
Credits 2.
1 Lecture Hour.
2 Lab Hours.
Survey of recent theoretical, methodological and empirical developments in social psychology; different topics each semester will include theory and research on attitudes and persuasion, social cognition, interpersonal relationships, group processes, social development, and personality and social behavior. May be taken for credit up to eight times. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 671/NRSC 671 Experimental Design for Behavioral Scientists
Credits 3.
2 Lecture Hours.
3 Lab Hours.
Intensive practical study of designs of special interest to behavioral scientists; repeated measures designs. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor. Cross Listing: NRSC 671/PBSI 671.
PBSI 673 Psychometric Theory and Methods
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Overview of methods for the construction and evaluation of psychological measurements including unidimensional scales and multi-variate analytical techniques; approaches include classical test theory, factor analysis, unidimensional scaling, latent trait theory, profile and discriminant analysis. Prerequisites: PBSI 607 and PBSI 671/NRSC 671 or equivalents.
PBSI 674 Covariance Structure Models and Causal Analysis
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Advanced introduction to structural equation models and causal analysis; emphasis on underlying theory and assumptions as well as practical application for the behavioral sciences. Prerequisites: PBSI 671/NRSC 671 or STAT 608 or approval of the instructor.
PBSI 675 Clinical Psychology and the Legal System
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Survey of theoretical and applied topics relevant to clinical psychology in the legal system; includes assessment of adjudicative competence, criminal responsibility and risk assessment; correctional psychology and offender rehabilitation. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
PBSI 678/CPSY 678 Couples Therapy
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Theory and practice of marital therapy emphasizing systems and communication approaches; effective strategies and techniques; therapy with specific marital problems and obstacles to effective therapy. Prerequisite: PBSI 637, CPSY 631, or equivalent. Cross Listing: CPSY 678/PBSI 678.
PBSI 680 Seminar in Organizational Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Other Hours.
Areas of organizational psychology: job stress, socialization processes, motivation, leadership, person perception in organizations, conflict management. May be repeated up to five times for credit; content will vary by semester. Prerequisite: PBSI 610 or approval of instructor.
PBSI 681 Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Credits 1 to 3.
1 to 3 Other Hours.
Both research and applied colloquia provided by I/O psychologists and individuals in related disciplines. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 682 Seminar in Personnel Selection and Placement
Credits 3.
3 Other Hours.
Personnel selection and placement including job analysis and evaluation, psychological testing, test development, psychometric theory, theories of test fairness, validity generalization, utility theory, performance appraisal and selection/placement decision models. May be repeated up to five times for credit; content will vary by semester. Prerequisite: PBSI 611 or approval of instructor.
PBSI 683 Professional Seminar
Credits 1 to 3.
1 to 3 Other Hours.
Guidance in searching for and securing internships and jobs upon graduation; review of internship requirements and expectations; professional development sessions and preparation of application materials; assistance in the transition from student to professional, e.g., professional identity, affiliation and networks. May be taken for credit up to three hours. Prerequisites: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 684 Professional Internship
Credits 0 to 12.
0 to 12 Other Hours.
Full-time internship experience in a departmentally-approved internship training facility. May be taken up to 12 hours for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
PBSI 685 Directed Studies
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Other Hours.
Directed individual study of selected problem in psychology or special topics to fit small group requirements. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
PBSI 689 Special Topics in...
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Other Hours.
Selected topics in an identified area of psychology. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 690 Cognoscenti - Professional Issues in Cognitive Psychology
Credits 2.
2 Lecture Hours.
Introduce students to current themes in research, theory and practice in cognitive psychology; presentations by guest speakers from within and outside the University. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 691 Research
Credits 1 to 23.
1 to 23 Other Hours.
Research for thesis.
PBSI 695 Manuscript Development and Publication of Academic Research in Psychological and Brain Sciences
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Development of research writing and instruction on the process of publishing in scientific, peer-reviewed scientific academic journals and books; exploration of the many different aspects of publishing research; review of the mechanics of the process ranging from choosing topics, writing the paper, the submission process, the review process, dealing with rejection, responding to requests for revision and resubmission and acceptance and publication; discussion of the benefits of publishing and how publishing factors into career considerations and aspirations. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
PBSI 696 Principles and Methods for Teaching in Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Practical issues related to college teaching; reflection on and improvement of teaching skills; developing course objectives and teaching philosophies; improving teaching tools; understanding teaching-learning situations; advising students; ethics in teaching. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
PBSI 697 Seminar in the Teaching of Introductory Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Introductory methods relevant to teaching psychology; for graduate students assisting in the teaching of PSYC 107. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.