The Department of Psychology at the University of Prince Edward Island has openings for sessional instructors during the forthcoming Fall 2026 semester. All positions are subject to final budgetary approval.

Please note: the courses offered below will be taught in person, unless otherwise specified as an online course. Should qualified applicants not be available for in-person instruction, applications to teach online will be considered.

PSY-2420 Intro. to Social Psychology

This course focuses on the ways in which an individual's thoughts, feelings, and actions are influenced by the social environment. It provides an introduction to major theories, principles, methods, and findings of the discipline. Topics include social perception and cognition, attitudes and attitude change, gender, attraction, aggression, helping, conformity, obedience, group interaction, and cultural influences. Through a variety of assignments, students are encouraged to attend to the operation of social psychological principles in daily living. The course includes both lectures and participation in group experiences.

PSY-2510 Think Critically Psy. Research

This course develops students' abilities as consumers of psychological research. Students learn about paradigms of research and knowledge, consider key assumptions in both quantitative and qualitative research, and explore how quantitative and qualitative perspectives influence the construction of knowledge. Students apply critical thinking strategies within the context of psychological research and develop skills to evaluate claims made about psychological phenomena in the popular media and professional literature. Concepts explored include understanding and prediction, description and inference, biases in research conduct and communication, representativeness, evaluating testimonials, correlation and causation, multiple causation, operational definitions, placebo effects, experimental control, and probability.

PSY-3510 Theories of Personality

The purpose of the course is to survey, compare, and evaluate different approaches to the study of personality. Relevant personality theory and research will be reviewed within a broad framework, including the perspectives of the psychodynamic, behaviour theory, cognitive, and humanistic approaches. The processes of personality organization and disorganization will be examined from different theoretical perspectives. The emphasis will be placed on current personality theory and its relevance to the student as a person, as well as its relevance to other psychological theories.

PSY-3820 Cognitive Psychology

This course examines recent developments in cognitive psychology with special emphasis on the study of thinking, problem solving, and decision making. Its topics include theories and research in inductive and deductive reasoning, information processing approaches to thinking and problem solving, and the implications of the cognitive perspective for our understanding of intelligence, creativity, and mental development. A lab will provide students with the opportunity to perform problem-solving demonstrations, test representative phenomena, analyze their own data, and examine the results in terms of current theories.

PSY-3830 Psycholinguistics

This course reviews the psychology of language from the perspectives of sensation, perception, cognition, and interpersonal processes. Topics include the nature of speech production and perception, the nature of grammatical and lexical knowledge, semantics and pragmatics, language acquisition, the social bases of human communication, and computer systems for language understanding.

PSY-4320 Beyond Behavior: Attachment Theory & Clinical Practices

Beyond Behaviour: From Attachment Theory to Attachment-Based Clinical Practices
Students in this course will aim to understand the foundations of early attachment theory, including its key principles and contributors (e.g., Bowlby, Ainsworth). We will analyze how the absence of secure attachment can be a risk factor for various mental health challenges, while recognizing the role of secure connections in fostering resilience and a coherent sense of self. We will apply attachment science as a framework for interpreting psychological issues, simplifying complex (and often negative) relational patterns. Psychotherapeutic approaches (such as Emotionally Focused Therapy) that are rooted in attachment theory will be examined, and we will critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of the attachment perspective. Coursework will aim to strengthen critical thinking, writing abilities, and oral communication skills and will foster the ability to participate effectively in small-group discussions

Qualifications:

Successful applicants should hold a Graduate degree, preferably a Doctoral degree, in Psychology. Preference will be given to the qualified candidates with seniority on the UPEI Sessional Roster and full-time and term contract Faculty Members of the Academic unit.

Application Instructions:

Applicants should submit a letter of application, an updated C.V., and the names of three references to:

Dr. Philip Smith
 Professor and Acting Chair, Department of Psychology
 University of Prince Edward Island
 Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3
 📧 psychadmin@upei.ca

In accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. UPEI is committed to the principle of equity in employment.

UPEI is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation and believes in providing a positive learning and working environment where every person feels empowered to contribute.

UPEI is committed to the principle of equity in employment and encourages applications from underrepresented groups, including women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.

Closing date for applications is May 12th, 2026.