PSYC 1032 Science of Emotion

Name: Science of Emotion
Rating: 4.29 (105 reviews)

This course examines the scientific study of emotion for undergraduate students with no background in psychology. Topics include such questions as: What are the functions of emotion, interpersonally and intrapersonally? What are some ways that emotions can be dysfunctional? Are emotions the same across cultures? How do we know what someone else is feeling? How does emotion interact with decision-making? In addressing these questions, we will incorporate discussions of how psychological experiments are constructed, performed, and interpreted.

Course overview

Department: Psychology and Neuroscience
School: MCAS
Credits: 3
Level: Undergraduate
Offered: Every Fall, Every Spring

Catalog details

Satisfies core: Social Science

Catalog text is imported from the reviewed Boston College course snapshot. Confirm eligibility in EagleApps.

Requirements fulfilled

Applied Psychology and Human Development: Major electives — any Psychology (PSYC) or Sociology (SOCY) course (no more than two electives from outside LSEHD) (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
University Core: Social Science (All undergraduates)

Requirement eligibility can vary by school, cohort, and section. Confirm the selected section in EagleApps or with an advisor.

Course evaluations

Response-weighted averages from Boston College’s official course evaluations (Avalanche/Blue).

Course rating: 4.29 / 5 · Very Good
105 responses
Instructor rating: 4.52 / 5 · Excellent
105 responses
Terms evaluated: 2
Most recent: Spring 2023

Scales: overall ratings run from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent); agreement questions from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree); weekly effort from 1 (up to 1 hour) to 5 (10 or more hours).

Evaluations by term and instructor
Term	Instructor	Course overall	Instructor overall	Well organized	Clear learning objectives	Intellectually challenging	Helpful assignments	Applicable beyond course	Attendance necessary	Weekly effort	Responses
Spring 2023	Andrea Heberlein	4.3	4.5	4.6	4.7	4.3	4.3	4.6	4.2	1–3 hrs/week	60 of 77
Spring 2022	Andrea Heberlein	4.3	4.5	4.7	4.7	3.9	4.1	4.2	4.0	1–3 hrs/week	45 of 78

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-10-09. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

Andrea Heberlein
Spring 2027, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 · Official rating 4.52/5

Sections

Section 01
Spring 2027 · Andrea Heberlein · Higgins Hall 300 MWF 10:00AM-10:50AM · Offered