Degree Requirements: Master's degree
Completion Time: 5-6 years
Earned Credits: 66
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Psychophysiology is the branch of psychology centering on the physiological bases of human psychological processes. It is the study of the biological basis of human behavior. Applied psychophysiology is the subspecialty of psychophysiology, which uses the knowledge of the biological bases of various behaviors in conjunction with various psychological techniques to help people optimize their behaviors.
Applied psychophysiologists are professionals who develop and use psychological interventions based on such areas as behavioral genetics, hormonal influence on behavior, individual differences in perception, and abnormal physiological patterns to assist clients in recognizing and altering problems caused by these biological underpinnings. Common psychophysiological intervention techniques include:
- Biofeedback
- Relaxation training
- Entrainment
- Hypnosis
Applied psychophysiology focuses on the amelioration/treatment and prevention of disease, as well as creation of optimal functioning patterns in education, sports, and business through teaching people techniques for recognizing and correcting abnormal physiological levels of function and responses.
This specialization is not designed to prepare graduates for licensure, but students interested in licensure may combine this specialization with a degree from the Department of Clinical Psychology.
More program information can be found in our academic catalog.
Residential Orientation (RO)
All new students in the Ph.D. in Psychology degree program begin their studies with a one-time, two-day Residential Orientation (RO). Residential Orientations are held two days ahead of the Residential Conference (RC) at the start of the fall and spring semesters in California. Attendance at the entire RO is an academic requirement.
At the RO, students become familiar with the Saybrook culture and academic and support services, including online resources and the library research services and databases. The challenges of distance and peer learning are also discussed during this time. At the RO, students:
- Consult with the Psychology Department chair, specialization coordinators, and an academic adviser to organize their degree plan process
- Develop a rationale for the scope and sequence of their proposed plan of study
- Plan what consultation they will need from other faculty
Residential Conference (RC)
After completing the RO in the first year, all psychology students will be required to attend only the five-day fall Residential Conference (RC) each academic year. Although students may complete most of their courses through distance learning, all our psychology degree programs have residential requirements. Residential requirements are academic requirements, and their completion is important for successful academic progress; they allow students to meet with faculty and co-learners in a stimulating and supportive face-to-face environment.
Our RCs are an important part of our students’ learning experience as they nurture intellectual and relational creativity, enrich the educational environment, and foster faculty and peer interactions. At RCs, there are courses being launched, workshops, independent learning activities, peer learning opportunities, community events, and other hands-on experiences intended to nurture professional development, skill building, and transformative change. All students must be on-site on registration day and remain in residence until the end of the last day of each required conference.
No academic credit is given for attendance at the RC. Students who attend a seminar at an RC and wish to study the topic further may, with the permission of the seminar instructor and department chair, register for an independent study course (ALL 8100) following the RC and receive one academic credit upon completion. Each course is individually designed and negotiated with the seminar instructor. Not all RC workshops, courses, and seminars are eligible for the follow-up independent study credit. Students will need to review their program plan to confirm the one credit independent study will satisfy degree requirements.
Transfer Credit
Transfer credits based on equivalent graduate courses taken at another regionally accredited institution in the same or similar discipline where the student received a grade of B or better may be transferred and will reduce the number of course credits required to be completed at Saybrook. Allowable transfer credits must be suitable for transfer to the intended degree as determined by the Psychology Department chair. Transfer course credits do not affect the minimum number of credits required for the degree.
Transfer credit to be applied toward required electives:
- Ph.D. in Psychology – May include up to 12 transfer credits completed in the psychology discipline, six of these credits may be from cognate fields, non-degree Saybrook Certificate credits, Saybrook CE credits, or other non-degree credits taken at Saybrook University within the last seven years*
*Exception to the amount of transfer credits may be made when students complete the M.A. in Psychology program within Saybrook (with specialization [CSIH, Creativity Studies, and EHP] and without specialization) within the last one year.
Fundamentals of Psychophysiology
This course explores the manifold ways the brain and body work together to produce behavior and the cycle between behavior and physiology. The course begins with a description of the body’s organizational structure and genetics as related to behavior. The basic physiological ways information is received from the external and internal environments through a variety of sensors and then processed by the hormonal/nervous system is also described, as well as typical psychophysiological dysfunctions and interventions.
Psychophysiological Recording, Assessment, and Interventions
This course provides a basic understanding of the physiology and methodology underlying common psychophysiological recording techniques used in behavioral medicine including surface electromyography, electroencephalography, respiration, blood pressure, pulse rate, skin temperature, and electrodermal responses. Sufficient knowledge about how common psychophysiological recording and biofeedback instruments function and are used is provided so students can incorporate psychophysiological aspects of assessment into their normal practices.
This course also teaches the principles and applications of general biofeedback as used in educational and clinical settings. The strengths and weaknesses of evidence supporting the use of biofeedback for a variety of clinical disorders is reviewed and the techniques for actually doing biofeedback are detailed. Techniques for using biofeedback as a tool for shaping and conditioning responses to stress are emphasized. The laboratory portion of the courses provides sufficient hands-on exposure to typical, clinical grade psychophysiological recording and biofeedback equipment and techniques that students will be able to recognize adequate and inadequate signals and be able to attach sensors to their patients appropriately so that good signals can be recorded.
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