PSYC 21N: How we think as how we feel: Cognitive and emotional influences on mental health

Please note, PSYC 21N will be taught by Dr. Christina Chick only, effective Feb. 5. 2024. 

This course is expected to experience high student demand. Frosh, sophomores, and new transfers who decide to rank a high-demand course when making their three selections for priority enrollment are advised to select other IntroSems being offered the same quarter for their second and third choices.

Course Description

Plato described Reason and Emotion as two horses pulling a chariot in different directions. Was he right? By the end of this course, you will be able to decide for yourself, based on the latest scientific evidence. We will start by reading philosophical texts that establish the classical Western view of emotion and cognition as opposing forces, and of emotion as detrimental to rational decision-making. We will then put these views to the test by examining evidence from the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and psychiatry. You will learn how thoughts and emotions affect perception, memory, and decision-making. You might be surprised to learn how often thoughts and feelings influence one another!

We will then turn to practical applications. First, we will examine the effects of thoughts and feelings on rational decision-making. When thoughts and feelings compete, which one wins? Is it ever rational to follow your emotions? Second, we will examine evidence from different stages of development about the effect of cognitive abilities on decision-making. Are children ever more rational than adults? Third, we will learn about the role of thinking and feeling in mental health, and in disorders such as anxiety, depression, and autism. We will also discuss cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps people change how they feel by changing how they think. Fourth, we will examine the role of the physical body in influencing thoughts and feelings. Is sleep as good as overnight therapy? Is there a scientific basis for the notion that emotions originate from the heart? By the end of this course, you will be able to describe whether the best decisions come from the head, the heart, or their interaction.

Course sessions will comprise lectures and group discussions/laboratory activities. Assessments will include written assignments, quizzes, and a final presentation.