Psychology 2220B-001
Introduction to Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
An introduction to animal cognition, including topics such as classical and operant conditioning, memory, tming, and categorization.
Prerequisite: A mark of at least 60% in 1.0 credits of Psychology at the 1000 level
Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
Antirequisite: Psychology 2280E
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.
3 lecture hours, 0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Shelley Cross-Mellor
Office: 7440 SSC
Office Hours: by appointment
Email: scrossmellor@gmail.com
Teaching Assistant: Gregory Brooks
Office: WIRB 4190
Office Hours: Tuesdays 1-2pm
Email: gbrook5@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes: Mondays 2:30-5:30pm; NS 1
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western
http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Pinel, J. P. J. & Barnes, S. J. (2017). Biopsychology, 10th edition. Pearson.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the course students will be able to:
a) Identify the key structures and chemicals of the nervous system and their function
b) Describe and apply the major principles of biopsychology including
a. Behaviour is caused by brain activity
b. Behaviour is determined by on-going events and previous experiences
c. Describe and understand the specialized methods to examine the biology of
behavior
d. Brain function and dysfunction can be used to describe much of human and
animal behaviour
c) Actively participate in group discussions and in-class learning activities to integrate
elements in biopsychology
5.0 EVALUATION
The evaluation for this course is comprised of 3 tests. The non-cumulative tests and exam will be a mixture of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks, label the diagram and short answer questions based on lecture and textbook material.
Test 1 – Monday January 27 (3:00-5:00pm) – Chapters 1, 3 and 4 – worth 30%
Test 2 – Monday March 2 (3:00-5:00pm) – Chapters 5, 6, 7, 11 – worth 35%
Test 3 – TBA- April Exam Period (April 6-26) – Chapters 10, 15, 17, 18 – worth 35%
The tests are closed book and no aids are allowed. Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating. Therefore, it is in your interest to avoid sitting near anyone you studied course material with. Please note that grades cannot be adjusted on the basis of need. Your mark in the course will be the mark that you earn. Tests and exams cannot be re-written to obtain a higher mark and there are no extra credit assignments available. Please note that I do not email or give out full lecture notes for missed classes under any circumstances.
For questions regarding missed tests or exams, see the academic policies section attached, or consult the professor or an Academic Advisor.
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level and 2000-level courses
72% 2190-2990 level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows Western's grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
6.0 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
Test #1 Monday January 27 Chapters 1, 3, 4 + lectures
Test #2 Monday March 2 Chapters 5, 6, 7, 11 + lectures
Test #3 April 6-26 – TBA by Registrar Chapters 10, 15, 17, 18 + lectures
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
Date Topic Chapter(s)
Mon. Jan. 6 Intro & What is biopsychology? 1
Mon. Jan. 13 The anatomy of the nervous system 3
Mon. Jan. 20 Neural Conduction & synaptic transmission 4
Mon. Jan. 27 TEST 1 – 30%
(Chapters 1, 3, 4)
Mon. Feb. 3 Research Methods in Biopsychology 5
Mon. Feb. 10 Visual system & Perception 6 & 7
Mon. Feb. 17 Reading Week – no class
Mon. Feb. 24 Learning, Memory and Amnesia 11
Mon. March 2 TEST 2 – 35%
(Chapters 5, 6, 7, 11)
Mon. March 9 Brain Damage & Plasticity 10
Mon. March 16 Drug Addiction 15
Mon. March 23 Emotion, Stress and Health 17
Mon. March 30 Psychiatric Disorders 18
Topics will be covered in the order given above. Approximate lecture dates are listed so that you can keep up with
the readings. It is best to read the assigned chapter briefly before class, and then return to the text and reread the
material more carefully after we have discussed it. In class, I will discuss those parts of the chapter that I feel are the most important, most difficult, or the most interesting and may update and expand upon the topic. Classes will
include lectures, video clips, films, demonstrations and activities to help further understand material. You are not
responsible for chapters that do not appear on the class schedule.
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com
Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS
Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:
- Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
- For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
Students seeking academic consideration:
- are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;
- are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;
must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence
10.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2019-2020 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.
Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute lecture notes, wiki material, and other course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
