Psychology

The discipline of psychology is concerned with the examination of human behavior.

For General Education

The goals of the psychology department for general education students are:

1. to instill in students an appreciation and respect for studying God’s highest creation;
2. to expose students to the diversity of behavior, research, theories, and applications in the field of psychology;
3. to promote in students a quality of discernment with respect to the claims about what is known in psychology today;
4. to develop a student’s ability to understand the value and importance of utilizing biblical and empirical methods for understanding human behavior;
5. to provide participatory, hands-on, educational opportunities.

For the Major Field

For students majoring in psychology, the goals of the psychology department are:

1. to provide students with the state-of-the-art understanding of human behavior;
2. to help students develop the capabilities needed to conduct research that adds to our understanding of human behavior;
3. to prepare qualified students for advanced work in psychology;
4. to instill in students the value of competence and professionalism when making application of principles drawn from psychology;
5. to encourage the active involvement by students in departmental activities such as field trips, department colloquia, and on-going research by faculty members.

These goals are accomplished, in part, through the following sequences of courses:

a survey of modern psychology;
1. the methods used by psychologists in the investigation and analysis of behavior;
2. the theories and data of the subfields within psychology;
3. opportunity for application of the information of psychology and the integration of psychology with one’s personal Christian beliefs.

The classification of courses is consistent with the above sequence, namely: 1) survey courses, 2) methods courses, 3) content courses, and 4) application courses. The student should be aware that the application of psychological principles necessarily follows an understanding of the data and methods upon which these principles are based.

The student majoring in psychology may take advantage of experimental equipment for individual research projects, calculator and computer facilities for the analysis of research data, and internship opportunities at various mental health agencies in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The psychology department is committed to an academically responsible concept of the integration process. It provides the opportunity for relating the discipline to a Reformed Christian world and life-view. Students majoring in psychology examine contemporary viewpoints on integration relative to psychology and work toward a personal statement reflecting their efforts.