PSY 230T Psychology of Emergencies: Stress, Trauma, and Crisis Response
When ordinary life is disrupted - by an accident, a sudden hazard, or a fast-moving public emergency - people must think, decide, and act under pressure. Stress can sharpen focus or distort it; groups can coordinate brilliantly or break down; and what happens in the first minutes and days can shape recovery long after the event. This course introduces students to the psychology of emergencies by tracing that arc from immediate response to longer-term coping, with attention to experiences that may become traumatic.
Drawing on cognitive, social, and clinical psychology, students study acute stress and emotion regulation; attention, memory, and judgment under time pressure; teamwork, leadership, and communication in high-stakes settings; bystander behavior; and practical principles of risk and crisis communication. The course also addresses trauma, resilience, and recovery, including the fundamentals of psychological first aid and clear ethical boundaries for non-clinicians.
Learning blends classroom work with structured, scenario-based experiential activities (e.g., simulations, navigation/orienteering-style tasks, basic safety decision-making, self-awareness practice, and guided debriefing) to translate theory into practical skill. As an Academic Travel course, students complete an off-campus component in Italy that includes visits and learning activities with organizations and professionals working in emergency preparedness and response. Because field-based learning comes with real constraints, students are expected to be adaptable, flexible, and collaborative - comfortable with changing schedules, non-luxury accommodations, and the demands of learning outside the classroom.
Offered
Alternate Fall (even years)