MCC Daily Tribune

PSY-101 Has a New Name

PSY-101 is now Introduction to Psychological Science.

In an effort to distinguish the introductory psychology curriculum from pop-psychology expectations, the Psychology Department has officially changed the name of the introductory course to "Introduction to Psychological Science." Awash in misconception, psychology is dominated in popular understanding by interpretations that focus on emotional adjustment, interpersonal motivations, and variations on psychological distress, while the academic field of psychology (and especially the introductory survey course) is, and has traditionally been the scientific study of cognitive and behavioral processes focused mostly on discovering and understanding normal human activity. The new name more accurately represents what is taught in PSY-101 (not only here at MCC but across the nation in colleges and universities), and we hope it will improve advising and encourage students to approach the course prepared for a fascinating journey into the detailed scientific investigation of mind and behavior.

Michael Ofsowitz
Psychology
02/26/2019