The Department of Psychology at the University of Prince Edward Island has several openings for sessional instructors during the forthcoming Fall 2022 semester. These positions are subject to final budgetary approval.

PSY 1010 - Introduction to Psychology: Part I

A general introductory survey of theory and research on basic psychological processes: research methodology in psychology, biological basis of behaviour, sensation and perception, learning and motivation, memory and cognition. Three hours per week.

PSY 2010 – Developmental Psychology

This survey course examines human development across the life span through physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional domains. The course includes discussions surrounding applications of developmental theory in various contexts, including public policy, education, counselling, and health domains. Lectures, in-class assignments, and research papers are designed to encourage students to evaluate developmental change critically and to apply their knowledge to their communities. Three hours per week.

PSY 2420 – Social Psychology

This course focuses on the ways in which an individual's thoughts, feelings, and actions are influenced by the social environment. It introduces major theories, principles, methods and findings of the discipline. Topics include social perception and cognition, attitudes and attitude change, gender, attraction, aggression, helping, conformity, obedience, group interaction, and cultural influences. Through a variety of assignments students are encouraged to attend to the operation of social psychological principles in daily living. Three hours per week.

PSY 2510 – Thinking Critically About Psychological Research

Designed for non-Psychology majors, this course develops their abilities as consumers of psychological research. Students learn about paradigms of research and knowledge, consider key assumptions in both quantitative and qualitative research, and explore how quantitative and qualitative perspectives influence the construction of knowledge. Students apply critical thinking strategies within the context of psychological research and develop skills to evaluate claims made about psychological phenomena in the popular media and professional literature. Concepts explored include understanding and prediction, description and inference, biases in research conduct and communication, representativeness, evaluating testimonials, correlation and causation, multiple causation, operational definitions, placebo effects, experimental control, and probability. Three hours per week.

PSY 2600 – Sensation and Perception

This course examines how the more basic senses work and how they contribute to our awareness of the world. The sense of touch seems to give us direct contact with the world. The abilities to sense chemicals in the food we eat and the air we breathe guide not only what we eat but also our emotions. Sensing vibrations in air enables us to detect events out of sight and to receive both verbal and musical communications from others. Content covered in this course also considers principles and theories of how visual information is received, and how it is processed and combined to produce visual images. These vastly different sources of information-mechanical, chemical and gravitational, as well as the electromagnetic basis of vision are sensed by specialized biological receptors that transform the information into nerve impulses. This course examines how the principles used by the brain to interpret the diverse information are surprisingly similar. Three hours per week.

PSY 2710 - Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences

This course is an introduction to applied statistics as used by behavioural scientists in measurement, data, analysis, and design of experiments. This course stresses both an understanding of the rationale governing the selection of appropriate designs or techniques as well as practical experience in calculation. Topics include: scaling, measures of central tendency and variability, probability, statistical inference and hypothesis testing, means test (z and t), correlational techniques, chi-square and other non-parametric techniques, and analysis of variance. Three hours per week.

PSY 2780 - Statistics Research and Design I (2 sections)

The first in a two-part series, this course considers paradigms of knowledge and research, introducing students to skills in interpreting and applying descriptive statistics and in basic quantitative and qualitative research design. Students learn how to find and evaluate reports of psychological research. Statistical concepts and applications addressed include frequency tables, graphs, measures of central tendency and variability, z scores, correlation, and probability. Students explore research methods of interviews, observation, and questionnaires. Ethical issues in research are introduced. Laboratory and field projects introduce students to SPSS and to research methodologies. Three hours per week.

PSY 3080 – Child Development

This course explores children’s development in depth by focusing on the various domains of change from birth to adolescence. Themes of change and stability throughout childhood are examined using analytical and descriptive theories of development. Implications of developmental approaches are examined for practice and public policy domains. Lectures, in-class assignments, and research projects are designed to encourage students to assess critically these developmental changes and to apply that understanding to other contexts. Three hours per week.

PSY 3420 - Intimate Relationships

This course is designed to examine a variety of areas of study within the field of intimate relationships. Through in-class discussion of the major theoretical frameworks of the discipline and by designing their own original relationship research proposals, students will gain an increased understanding of the multifaceted nature of intimate relationships. Topics to be covered include but are not limited to: attraction, social cognition, interdependency, conflict, and love. Cross-listed with Family Science 3440. Three hours per week

PSYC 4410 – Existential Phenomenological Psychology

This is an inquiry into a psychology of the experience of the person. This part of the course is an attempt to understand the personal world through a critical examination of the problems of becoming a person in our time. The approach to be taken is problem-centred with the person as a focal point. Each student is encouraged to formulate questions by which his/her inquiry will be guided. Extensive reading lists on existential themes will be provided. Possible topics include alienation, values, meanings, and identity. Three hours per week.

Qualifications:

Successful applicants should hold a Graduate degree or a Doctoral degree in Psychology.

Please note that applicants on the UPEI Sessional Roster for Psychology will be considered first.

Application Instructions: 

Applicants should submit a letter of application, an updated C.V., and the names of three referees to:

Dr. Nia Phillips, Associate Professor and Chair
Department of Psychology
University of Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3
nlphillips@upei.ca
tel: 902-566-0966
fax: 902-628-4359

UPEI is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation, and believes in providing a positive learning and working environment where every person feels empowered to contribute.

In accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. UPEI is committed to the principle of equity in employment.

UPEI will require all students, staff, and faculty to comply with the Covid 19 attestation and vaccination requirements as set out under the UPEI Covid 19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy.

Closing date for applications is April 27, 2022.