Lynne Trench

Professor of Psychology

Office:

Harbert 307

Contact Information:

Box 549037
Birmingham-Southern College
900 Arkadelphia Rd
Birmingham, AL 35254
Office Phone: (205) 226-4835
Office Fax: (205) 226-4847
E-mail: [email protected]

Brief Career Background:

In graduate school, I studied the effects of alcohol and cocaine on biological and psychological development in rats. In 1997, I accepted a position as an assistant professor of psychology at Birmingham-Southern college and I have been here ever since. I primarily teach upper level biological psychology and psychology of learning courses.

Educational Background:

Graduated magna cum laude with a double major in Psychology and Biology from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Obtained Master's in 1994 and Ph.D. in 1998 in Experimental Psychology from the University of Kentucky.

Areas of Academic Interest:

Addictive drugs and effects on the brain and behavior.
Classical and instrumental conditioning and effects on behavior.
Psychological and biological development and how it is affected by various factors.

Courses Taught:

PY 101 Introduction to Psychology (1)
An introduction to the research, theory, and methods of psychological science.

PY 217 Drugs, Brain, and Behavior (1)
A seminar-format study of licit and illicit drugs (focusing on drugs of abuse) examining their effects on the brain and on behavior. Topics will also include addiction and treatment, history of drug use, and the influence of drugs on the unborn child, the individual, and on society.

PY 304 Research Methods for Psychology (1)
An in-depth study of experimental design techniques, psychological research methodology, and research report writing in APA style. This course has a laboratory component in which students will conduct experiments, including researching a topic with primary sources, collecting data, analyzing results, and writing the study in APA style. Prerequisite: PY 101, PY 204 the previous semester, or consent.

PY 312 Biological Psychology (1)
A study of the biological bases of behavior. Includes the study of brain and neural anatomy, communication between neurons, and the function of major brain areas. The rest of the course will build on this knowledge to study the effects on various behaviors including vision, movement, learning, memory, sexual behavior, lateralization of function, drug-taking behavior, and psychopathology. Prerequisite: PY 101.

PY 408 Psychology of Learning (1)
A survey of the theories, components, and applications of Pavlovian and Operant learning in humans and animals. This course has a laboratory component in which students will demonstrate and apply principles learned in class, resulting in first-hand experience with psychological experimentation. Prerequisites: PY 101 and junior or senior standing, or consent.