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Psychology is a young science, having begun as a separate discipline in 1879. It examines how and why humans think, feel, and behave as we do. The methods of scientific inquiry into the mind are relatively young, but the questions asked are often very old and have been pondered by philosophers and scientists for millennia. In this course, you will gain an understanding of several major topics concerning the mind and behavior in the 21st century. We will consider: near-death experiences; roots of spirituality and religion; origins of conscience, morality, and questions about personal responsibility; crime and punishment; mob psychology and its influence on the American political process; cult behavior; historical figures including Pavlov, Skinner, Jung, and Freud and their current influence.

Instructor Joel Shapiro, Ed.D., retired as Chair and full professor of education and psychology from Green Mountain College, Poultney, VT. He won a Fulbright Scholarship to teach at the University of Presov, Slovak Republic and wrote a book for college professors on ways to successfully integrate international students into American classrooms. Additionally, he wrote numerous articles for American and European professional journals and lectured at universities and conferences throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. He has won teaching awards at several colleges. Prior to beginning his academic career, he was a school psychologist working with children who have special needs. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Colgate University, his Master’s degree from Temple University and his doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.