Psychology 3221G-001
Animal Behaviour
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 the scientific study of animal behaviour, emphasizing evolutionary and ecological influences on behaviour. Recent research from the field and the laboratory will be used to illustrate such topics as communication, foraging, orientation, territoriality, mate choice, altruism, and animal cognition.
Prerequisites: Psychology 2820E (or both 2800E and 2810), AND one of Psychology 2220A/B, 2221A/B or Neuroscience 2000
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: Biology 3436F/G
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/discussion hours, 0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Krista Macpherson
Office Hours: By Appointment
Email: kmacphe6@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes: Thursdays 9:30-12:30 SSC 3026
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
Alcock, J. Animal Behavior 11th Edition. Oxford University Press: UK.
This textbook is required for the course
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course provides an introduction to the scientific study of animal behaviour, along with more advanced discussion of selected topics. Psychologists and zoologists, as well as naturalists, philosophers, and others have always asked why animals and people behave as they do. This course examines the answers that are provided by modern research in animal behaviour. The causes of behaviour, the functions that behaviour serves, how behaviour develops, and how it has evolved will all be examined. The influence of natural selection on behaviour and the adaptive consequences of behaviour are emphasized. Examples and illustrations are drawn from recent research in animal communication, foraging, orientation, sexual behaviour, social organization, animal cognition, and other topics.4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
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Learning Outcome |
Learning Activities
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Assessment |
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Knowledge and Understanding |
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Describe and explain key concepts and research findings in animal behaviour. Distinguish among evolutionary, functional, causal, and developmental questions about behaviour. Differentiate among ecological, behavioural, and neural levels of analysis of behaviour. |
Reading Participating in class discussion Preparing for class presentation Writing essay
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Term Test Class presentation Essay Final Exam
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Critical Thinking |
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Use Web of Science to locate current research findings. Organize and synthesize research results. Critically evaluate concepts and theories. Formulate testable hypotheses about animal behaviour. |
Reading Participating in class discussion Preparing for class presentation Writing essay
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Term Test Class presentation Essay Final Exam
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Communication |
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Communicate ideas and research-based evidence orally and in writing in a professional manner.
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Participating in class discussion Delivering class presentation Writing essay
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Term Test Class presentation Essay Final exam |
5.0 EVALUATION
The term test and the final examination will consist of multiple choice, short answer and essay questions on lectures and text material. The final exam will emphasize lecture and course material not previously examined in the term test, although understanding of some basic ideas and concepts may be examined in both the term test and the final exam. The group presentation consists of a 30-minute presentation by students in groups, on a topic chosen to illustrate how research in animal behaviour is actually done in the field and in the lab. The essay is a written discussion by each student of a chosen research topic and is strictly an individual, not group, effort. The written assignment is due at 11:59pm on the last day of scheduled classes, and should be 12-point typewritten double-spaced pages in length, about 2500 words. The written assignment must be submitted to OWL via Turnitin.
Style should follow the American Psychological Association (APA) Publication Manual 6th Edition. There is a penalty for late submission of 3% per day.
PLEASE NOTE: Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations (http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2017/pg108.html), you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.
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
Midterm Exam (Feb 13th) 25%
Group Presentation 10%
Essay (Due April 9th at 11:59pm) 25%
Final Exam (Final Examination Period: Apr 6-26) 40%
Dates for midterm make-up exams will be announced via OWL. It is the student’s responsibility to check this date and ensure that they are available to write on the specified day if a make-up exam is required.
The make-up exam time for the final exam will be posted once the finals schedule is out—students should not make travel plans prior to this date
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
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Date |
Topic |
Text Chapters |
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January 9 |
Introduction to the study of animal behaviour |
1 & 2 |
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16 |
Developmental vs. Genetic factors |
3 |
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23 |
Brain and Behaviour |
4 |
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30 |
Physiological Factors |
5 |
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February 6 |
Foraging, Predation, & Optimality |
6 |
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13 |
Midterm (Feb 13, In class) |
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20 |
Reading Week |
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27 |
Navigation |
7 |
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March 5 |
Communication |
8 |
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12 |
Sexual Selection |
9 |
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19 |
Mating Systems |
10 |
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26 |
Parental Care |
11/12 |
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April 2 |
Social evolution and Behaviour |
13/14 |
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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.
