CPSYC 1150 FYS - Born to Be Wild: The Psychology of Wilderness Experiences – Honors
In this First Year Honors Seminar, students will examine and discuss the concept of wilderness as it relates to the human psyche. This course will consider different types of human relationships with wilderness by investigating the stories of individuals who stepped off the beaten path; walked in the wilderness in silence for 17 years; and paddled into vicious storms. As we look at these stories, we will consider the wilderness as a place of personal refuge, transformation, discovery, survival, and as a territory to be conquered. Students will explore complex questions, examining what motivates individuals to take risks and to seek out wild places and what happens to others who end up in close relationship with wild animals. The coursework will also draw attention to various forms of diversity and culture as they relate to one’s experience with nature. This inquiry will address these stories from a number of different areas of psychological research, including, but not limited to, research on peak experiences, risk, sensation- seeking, resilience, healing, and social justice.