Psychology 4222G-001
Behavioural Pharmacology
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
Given the University’s directive to move all Winter 2020 classes online beginning Wednesday, March 18, it is necessary to revise the course outline for the course specified above. The purpose of this document is to communicate these revisions in a clear and concise manner. This document serves as a formal revision to the course outline and any revisions to the grading scheme supersede previously agreed-upon course requirements.
Table 1: Course Schedule1
|
Week of |
Original course content / learning outcomes |
Revised course content / learning outcomes |
Revised means of delivery |
|
March 9 |
Presentations and participation (in class), assignments, essays (submitted online) |
Content and outcomes remain the same |
Presentations and discussion to move online (Zoom), essays and assignments unchanged. If asynchronous method is required, class discussion will move to OWL. |
|
March 16 |
|||
|
March 23 |
|||
|
March 30 |
1 This schedule is considered binding as of March 18, 2020.
Table 2: Course Grading Scheme2
|
Assessment/Component |
Original Weight |
Revised Weight |
Revised Date or Due Date |
To whom does the change apply?3 |
|
Presentation |
35% |
35% |
n/a |
Full class |
|
Participation |
10% |
10% |
n/a |
Full class |
|
Assignments |
20% |
20% |
n/a |
Full class |
|
Essay |
35% |
35% |
n/a |
Full class |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 Note that previously completed assessments may have been re-weighted. Since alternatives to final exams are still under discussion, this scheme may need to be revised. Any revisions will be announced as “Revision 2” by April 3, 2020.
3 Some changes may only apply to some students (e.g., those who have missed a make-up exam)
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
This course examines drugs, brain and behavior using principles of neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, synaptic transmission and research methods in psychopharmacology. Topics include: major neurotransmitter systems and their relations to psychoactive drug effects, drug addiction and major substances abuse and the biochemical bases of psychopathology and drugs used to treat affective disorders.
Prerequisite(s): One of Psychology 2220A/B, Psychology 2221A/B or Neuroscience 2000, plus registration in third or fourth year Honors Specialization in Psychology, Honors Specialization in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Honors Specialization in Neuroscience, or Honors Specialization in Animal Behavior. Other Psychology students and Psychology Special Students who receive 70% in the prerequisite course(s) may enroll in this course
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.
3 seminar hours; 0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Laura Rosen
Office and Phone Number: SSC 7440
Office Hours: TBA Email: lrosen3@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes: Mondays, 1:30-4:30 - TC205
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
Meyer, J.S., and Quenzer, L.F. (2019) Psychopharmacology, Drugs, The Brain and Behavior, Third Edition, Sinauer Associates, Mass
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
The course will involve combined behavioural and pharmacological analysis of basic emotion and motivational systems (e.g. social behaviours, sexual behaviour, aggression, feeding, learning and memory). Basic pharmacological principles (e.g. categories of drugs, animal models) will be addressed. In addition, animal model systems of human psychopathology, including that of drug abuse, will be considered.4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Learning Outcome Learning Activities Assessment
Knowledge and Understanding
• Identify, describe, and explain concepts and research findings in behavioral pharmacology • Describe theories, hypotheses, predictions, research methods, and results used in behavioral pharmacology • Textbook and paper reading • Class discussion • Class presentation • Essay writing • Writing take-home assignment Class presentation
Class discussion
Final essay
Take-home assignments Critical Thinking • Use Web of Science to locate current relevant research findings • Describe key elements from primary journal articles in behavioural pharmacology • Organize and synthesize current research findings • Critically evaluate concepts and theories • Prepare class presentation on a topic in behavioral pharmacology • Read and comprehend current scientific literature in behavioral pharmacology • Critically evaluate theories, hypotheses, and research methodologies used in behavioral pharmacology Class presentation
Class discussion
Final essay
Take-home assignments Communication • Communicate ideas and research-based evidence orally and in writing • Form and answer questions about how behavior is regulated and manipulated via pharmacological approaches • Prepare presentation and lead class discussion. • Participate in class discussion. • Write take-home assignments • Write final essay Class presentation
Class discussion
Final essay
Take-home assignments
5.0 EVALUATION
The grade in the course will be based on class presentations, one essay, take-home assignments and class participation.
Class Presentation 35% Essay 35% (based on presentation material, due 2 weeks after your presentation) Take-home assignments 20% (2 essay-style assignments, worth 10% each) Class participation 10%
Class Presentation and Leading Class Discussion. Students are expected to introduce and discuss the assigned material, raise questions about ideas and research findings, and describe any additional research results or topics they have examined. Each class discussion will be led by a group of students, and each student will participate in leading one class discussion. Students may wish to use PowerPoint to show figures, illustrations, graphs and tables.
The Essay is a written description and discussion of the topic presented in class. The essay can also have a broader coverage and can include material not presented in class. Maximum length is 10 double spaced pages, about 2500 words. Style should follow the American Psychological Association (APA) Publication Manual. Essays are due two weeks following the class presentation.
Take-Home Assignments. Students will choose from two of 6 available weeks to complete take-home assignments. The assignments will be essay-style, and no longer than 3 pages. Assignment topics will be based on textbook material.
Class Participation is marked on the basis of participation in discussion. Participation in class can consist of asking or answering questions about the assigned readings and class topic, contributing additional information from other courses or your own reading, or similar involvement in classroom discussion. You will receive a grade for half of your participation mark up to February 24 and a grade for the remaining half of the participation at the end of the course.
PLEASE NOTE: Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.
This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.
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
There are no tests or examinations in this course. Evaluation is based on the components described above in Section 5.0.
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
Jan 6 Introduction and course organization Principles of Pharmacology and BehaviorChapters 1, 4
Jan 13 Structure and Function of the Nervous System, Chemical Signalling
Chapters 2-4
Jan 20 Catecholamines: Dopamine, Norephinephrine and Epinephrine Chapter 5 Jan 27 Serotonin and Acetylcholine Chapters 6, 7 Feb 3 Glutamate and GABA Chapter 8 Feb 10 Drug Abuse and Addiction, Opioids Chapters 9-11 Feb 17 Reading Week Feb 24 Psychomotor Stimulants, Nicotine, Caffeine Chapters 12, 13 Mar 2 Marijuana and Cannabinoids Chapter 14 Mar 9 Hallucinogens, PCP and Ketamine Chapter 15 Mar 16 Alcohol, Inhalants Chapters 10, 16 Mar 23 Anxiety and Impulsivity Disorders, Affective disorders Chapters 17, 18 Mar 30 Schizophrenia, Neurodegenerative disease Chapters 19, 20
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.
