Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Behavior analysis is the scientific study of the interactions between environmental variables and human behavior. Decades of research in the area has led to a well-established and verified set of concepts and principles that account for human behavior. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) serves as one area of behavior analysis that applies the concepts and principles of behavior analysis to make socially meaningful and lasting change. Over the years, researchers and clinicians have used the applications of behavior analysis in a variety of areas including general education, special education, industrial/organizational settings, autism and disabilities, sustainability, and more. For more information about the professional practice of behavior analysis, click here.

Since behavior analysis can be applied to any socially significant area of human behavior, there are many careers an individual can pursue with professional certification in behavior analysis. Many behavior analysts work in:

• School settings working on academic and social behavior
• Assessment and treatment of problem behavior
• Consultants in industrial/organization settings
• Applied animal behavior analysis
• Residential settings for individuals with disabilities
• Clinic-based settings for students with and without disabilities
• Early Intensive Behavior Intervention (EIBI) for students with autism
• Instructional design and curriculum development

The Association for Behavior Analysis International has verified the following courses toward the coursework requirements for eligibility to take the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst® examination. Applicants will need to meet additional requirements before they can be deemed eligible to take the examination. For up to date information about pass-rates associated with verified course sequences, please click here. Pass-rate data are not published for sequences with fewer than six first-time candidates in a single year or for sequences within their first four years of operation.

PSYC 3410: Introduction to Behavior Analysis (3 hours)

An introduction and overview of basic concepts and principles of behavior analysis. Variables and processes responsible for conditioning and learning in human and non-human organisms will be discussed.

PSYC 3420: Principles of Behavior Change (3 hours)

Advanced examination of the concepts and principles of behavior analysis and how they can be applied to make socially meaningful changes in behavior. Specific procedures to increase desirable behavior and decrease unwanted behaviors are highlighted, with a focus on human behavior.

PSYC 3425: Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis (3 hours)

This course provides an introduction to research methodologies in behavioral sciences. An overview of single case research designs will be given including measurement, graphical display, and evaluation of behavior change interventions.

PSYC 3430: Behavioral Assessment (3 hours)

Overview of assessment and measurement techniques, with a focus on how to select, define, and measure behavior. A variety of assessment procedures (e.g., indirect and direct functional behavior assessments, preference assessments, etc.) will be covered to identify variables that establish and maintain undesirable behaviors. Single subject research designs will be discussed in relation to the evaluation of specific behavior assessment and change procedures.

PSYC 3440: Behavior Change Techniques (3 hours)

Introduces students to advanced behavior change techniques and considerations. Topics will include procedures to establish new behaviors, strategies to prevent and reduce undesirable behaviors, advanced behavior change systems, and how to select, plan for, and monitor behavior change procedures to increase or decrease target behaviors in a variety of settings.

PSYC 4791: Practicum in Behavior Analysis (3 hours)

Supervised experience in the professional practice of behavior analysis.

Interested students should contact Dr. Andrew Bulla at abulla@georgiasouthern.edu

Students interested in behavior analysis are encouraged to apply for the minor in Applied Behavior Analysis. Currently, coursework in behavior analysis is only offered at the Armstrong Campus. Additional information regarding degree requirement, course work requirements, experience requirements and the Behavior Analyst Certification Board exam application process may be found at Behavior Analyst Certification Board.

The Psychology Department anticipates that graduates of this program will seek the following professional state licenses or certifications: Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst

The Psychology Department has determined that the required classes and educational activities of this academic program will qualify a graduate of this program to take the exam for a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst certificate in Georgia.

The Psychology Department has not determined whether the required classes and educational activities of this academic program will qualify a graduate of this program to take the exam for a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst certificate for any state not set forth above.

Students interested in licensure in other states are referred to https://www.bacb.com/u-s-licensure-of-behavior-analysts/ for additional information.

One of the options for fulfilling our Experiential Learning or Major Capstone Requirement is a semester-long internship at a site while completing PSYC 4790: Senior Internship. Students must receive instructor permission in order to register for PSYC 4790 or work with a faculty member in the department to develop an individual arrangement section of the course. A list of the sites at which students have completed internships in recent years is provided below:

One of the best things you can do for professional development is present your research at a conference. Several professors in the department regularly accompany undergraduate students to conferences for this purpose, so keep an eye out for opportunities. If you are working on a research project in a class, and you think it has the potential to make a good presentation, speak with your professor about presenting your work at a conference.

The best place to present your research is at an undergraduate conference because you will have less stress there, and people who attend are usually very supportive of undergraduates. They want you to have a positive first experience as a presenter at a conference! Here are a few undergraduate conferences you might consider. If you come across additional conferences for undergraduates, please let us know.

Georgia Undergraduate Research in Psychology (GURP) Conference

Carolinas Psychology Conference

Georgia Southern Psychology Conference (Details soon to come)

Regional Conferences

Or you might try regional conferences that would be for all levels of professionals, but they tend to be a bit friendlier and supportive than national or international conferences.

Georgia Psychological Society

Southeastern Psychological Association

Publication Opportunities

Another avenue toward professional development is to publish your research. Publishing is a bit tougher, but it’s worth the work. Just as with conferences, it is best to submit research to an undergraduate journal so you won’t be competing with professors who have been conducting and publishing research for decades. If you are not sure where to submit your work, undergraduate journals or regular journals, ask your professor.

Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

The Yale Review of Undergraduate Research in Psychology

Many professionals choose to submit their work to a conference, present it there if accepted, get feedback from attendees, then work on a final manuscript to submit to a journal. Although it is generally not accepted practice to present the same project at two conferences, it is perfectly acceptable (even encouraged) to present your work at a conference and then submit it for publication.

We hope you take these steps in your professional development. Psychology is an exciting discipline, and you will enjoy sharing your research with others!

Lawrence Locker, Jr.
Dr. Locker’s area of interest is cognitive psychology in language and memory. He is also interested in issues related to social cognition or interdisciplinary studies that involve a cognitive component. Dr. Locker conducts laboratory research involving the presentation of stimuli on a computer. Students are involved in the preparation of stimuli (e.g., a list of words). Research assistants also help with scheduling participants and are active in the data collection process.

Karen Naufel
Dr. Naufel’s research interests are twofold: people’s interpretations and responses to health messages, and ethical issues in psychology. Dr. Naufel’s undergraduate students take on various roles in the lab: They create health messages, design questionnaires (both web surveys and print surveys), assist with recruitment of participants, and conduct research sessions. Dr. Naufel values a lab community in which research ideas are generated and explored. Undergraduate assistants work actively with their lab mates and lab advisor, so strong interpersonal skills are desirable. Undergraduates must have completed or be enrolled in Research Methods.

Michael Nielsen
Dr. Nielsen’s research program focuses on psychological aspects of religion. He studies this from a social psychological perspective, sometimes working with colleagues in sociology, political science, and anthropology. Depending on the specific project, undergraduate students take on a range of duties, usually including library research, data collection, or data entry. Dr. Nielsen’s projects tend to involve self-reports (questionnaires), but he usesvexperimental and quasi-experimental designs. The most important qualities for research assistants are the abilities to be accurate and thorough in carrying out their duties and open-minded regarding views that may differ from their own. Students can typically sign up for 1 or 2 hours of credit (3-6 hours per week).

Rebecca G. Ryan
Dr. Ryan is open most semesters to students who are interested in registering for one, two, or three credit hours of research experience. The research in her lab is currently focused on jury decision-making and service learning. Dr. Ryan is investigating the influence of a series of variables on the conclusions made by mock jurors and outcomes associated with engaging in community service as part of completing course requirements. Research assistants will be involved in collecting and entering data, scoring assessments, and assisting with literature searches. Those accepted will gain experience in running participants and using SPSS and PsycInfo.

Theresa Yancey 
Dr. Yancey’s research areas are child maltreatment, resiliency following trauma, and the use of empirically supported treatments in nontraditional populations. Students working on Dr. Yancey’s projects enter data, read and evaluate research, and  write portions of research papers.

Mission Statement:

The mission of the B.A. and B.S. degree programs in psychology is to provide a course of study that reflects both breadth and depth in the field of psychology.  The curriculum is grounded in science and teaches scientific thinking as well as appropriate content in the specific sub-disciplines of the field. In addition to providing quality instruction, the faculty members aim to inspire individuals to be sensitive to cultural issues and individual differences, to facilitate personal growth, and to connect scientific theory to practice.

Learning Outcome #1: Fundamental Knowledge

Students will recognize, compare, and apply the core domains of psychology.

Learning Outcome #2: Research Design

Students will recognize, apply, and evaluate the fundamental methods and statistics of psychological science.

Learning Outcome #3: Diversity:

Students will recognize and respect the complexity of sociocultural diversity and individual differences.

Learning Outcome #4: Professional and Personal Development:

Students will recognize the value of psychology in professional and personal domains.