Psychology at Sewanee

Psychology is a diverse discipline that borders on the biological and social sciences. It is at once a science and a means of promoting human welfare. Reflecting its historical roots in philosophy, physiology, and clinical practice, it embraces a variety of theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and areas of study.

The Department of Psychology at Sewanee provides majors and non-majors with the basic principles of psychology within the context of a liberal arts education. Our curriculum emphasizes scientific thinking and equips majors with multiple perspectives and research methods with which to understand behavior and mental processes.

Graduates of our program pursue advanced study and careers in a variety of areas, including psychology (e.g., industrial, developmental, clinical, school), other helping professions (e.g., social work, physical therapy), and other fields (e.g., law, medicine, education, business).
 
IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Sophomore Jay Hill has Article Accepted for Publication
in the Journal of Young Investigators
 
Sewanee sophomore Jay Hill's article, Prevalence of Public Displays of Affection on a College Campus, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Young Investigators. Hill's article appears in the October 2008 volume of the undergraduate peer-reviewed journal, and is viewable at http://www.jyi.org/research/re.php?id=1633. The article is based on research conducted in the Fall of 2007 as part of the Psychology Department's course in Research Methods. 
Dr. Helen Bateman and Students Present Research  
at the 20th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science

The Association for Psychological Science held its 20th annual convention on May 22 - 25, 2008 in Chicago, IL. Among the researchers presenting their work were Sewanee's Dr. Helen Bateman and four student representatives from the Psychology Department's Development and Community Research Group, with whom Dr. Bateman conducted this research. This group is comprised of students who completed at least one of the following courses: Social Psychology (Fall 2007, Fall 2006) and/or Adolescent and Adult Development (Spring 2008, Spring 2007).

Dr. Bateman, along with students Stephanie Goodwin, Kaki Nix, Ansley Riedel, and Chris Tipler, presented research that "represents a collaborative project between faculty and students. The goal of this research was to identify the relationship between psychological sense of community in college and students' social needs, academic achievement, and emotional state. The long-term goal of this research project is to identify means through which students' psychological sense of community in college can facilitate students' academic achievement, emotional well-being, and positive social engagement."