Psychology 2220A-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
Structure and function of the nervous system in relation to behaviour. The physiological basis of the major aspects of behaviour in human and other animals (principally mammals) will be covered, including: sensorimotor control, sleep and waking cycles, reproduction, ingestion, aggression, learning, memory, communication, and behavioural disorders. Some background in biology is desirable. This course is the normal prerequisite for Psychology 3285F/G.
Antirequisites: Neuroscience 2000, Psychology 2221A/B
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if this course has an antirequisite that you have previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in this one.
Prerequisite: At least 60% in a 1000 level Psychology course. The former Psychology 1200 and/or a background in biology is strongly recommended.
3 lecture hours, 0.5 course
Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll 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.
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Shelley Cross-Mellor
Office: 8210 SSC (in locked area)
Office Hours: by appointment – Mondays and Wednesdays
Email: scrossmellor@gmail.com
Time and Location of Lectures: Mondays & Wednesdays: 1:30-4:30pm; SSC 2028
If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you. Please visit: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.
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 Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Required: Pinel, J.P.J. (2014). Biopsychology, 9th edition, Pearson
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course students will be able to:
- Explain the meaning of words in the biopsychology vocabulary
- Describe and apply the major principles of biopsychology including
- Behaviour is caused by brain activity
- Behaviour is determined by on-going events and previous experiences
- Biopsychology is a way of studying behavior, not a body of knowledge. Researchers use specialized methods to examine the biology of behavior. They interpret observations to draw conclusions.
- Use judgement to identify the most important information and integrate elements in biopsychology
- Actively participate in group discussions and in-class learning activities
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
5.0 EVALUATION
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 the University of Western Ontario 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
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 May 29 (1:30-3:30pm) – Chapters 1, 3 and 4 – worth 30%
Test 2 – Monday June 12 (1:30-3:30pm) – Chapters 5, 6, 7, 11 – worth 35%
Test 3 – TBA- June 26 or 27 – 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.
For questions regarding missed tests or exams, see the academic policies section attached, or consult the professor or an Academic Advisor.
6.0 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
Test #1 Monday May 29 Chapters 1, 3, 4 + lectures
Test #2 Monday June 12 Chapters 5, 6, 7, 11 + lectures
Test #3 June 26/27 – TBA by Registrar Chapters 10, 15, 17, 18 + lectures7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
|
Date |
Topic |
Chapter(s) |
|
Mon May 15 |
Intro & What is biopsychology? |
1 |
|
Wed May 17 |
The anatomy of the nervous system |
3 |
|
Mon May 23 |
VICTORIA DAY (NO CLASS) |
|
|
Wed. May 24 |
Neural Conduction & synaptic transmission |
4 |
|
Mon. May 29 |
TEST 1 – 30% (Chapters 1, 3, 4) |
|
|
Wed. May 31 |
Research Methods in Biopsychology |
5 |
|
Mon. June 5 |
Visual system & Perception
|
6 & 7 |
|
Wed. June 7 |
Learning, Memory and Amnesia |
11 |
|
Mon. June 12 |
TEST 2 – 35% |
|
|
Wed. June 14 |
Brain Damage & Plasticity |
10 |
|
Mon. June 19 |
Drug Addiction Emotion, Stress and Health (Pt 1) |
15 17 (Pt 1) |
|
Wed. June 21 |
Emotion, Stress and Health (Pt 2) Psychiatric Disorders |
17 (Pt 2) 18 |
|
Mon. June 26 OR Tues. June 27 |
TEST 3 – 35% |
|
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
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://westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2017/pg954.html
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
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
- 2017 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.
