心理学系的最基本价值是增进知识和理解，以改善人类状况。在我们特定的系和大学的背景下，此值的体现至少具有三个维度。首先，该学院致力于在所选领域成为公认的学者，通过理论构建，研究，写作和出版来增进人类和动物行为的知识。除了致力于我们的专业生活以改善这种奉献精神外，我们还希望让学生沉浸在研究及其相关活动是日常生活的核心组成部分，使他们能够学习进行研究的基本技能的环境中。在这样的环境中，学生们可以直接学习到获取知识的过程是一项激动人心且有价值的努力。
Department of Psychology is the advancement of knowledge and understanding for the betterment of the human condition. Within the context of our particular Department and University, there are at least three dimensions to the embodiment of this value.<br>Firstly, the faculty are dedicated to being recognized scholars in their chosen fields, advancing knowledge of human and animal behavior through theory-building, research, writing, and publication. In addition to devoting our professional lives to the betterment entailed by this dedication, we want to immerse our students in an environment where research and its associated activities are a core part of daily life and where they can learn the basic skills for conducting research. In such an environment, the students can learn first hand that the very process of gaining knowledge is an exciting and valuable endeavor.<br>Secondly, we want to bring the faculty dedication and enthusiasm to the classroom as well as the laboratory. We want our students to learn from scholars whose own research advances the field in significant ways. It is important that students be exposed to teachers from whom they can learn to think meaningfully about the fundamental problems of the field. Beyond this, we hope the students may learn how our field relates to the broader society at large and how it may contribute to the solution of larger social problems. Such learning occurs in the daily give-and take of both classroom and laboratory.