Fall 2016 Brain and Behavior PSY 455
Course Time: Monday 6 – 8:45 Course Credit: 3 SCH Course Delivery Method: Face to face Faculty: Dr. Angela M. Sikorski Office: UC 202 Email: [email protected] Phone: 903-223-3018 Office Hours: Monday 4:30 – 6:00, Tues 9:30 – 11:00, Thurs 4:30 – 5:30 Prerequisites: PSYC 2301 and 6 SCH of Life Sciences, 3 SCH of which must be in BIOL.
Course Description: Examines of the structure and functioning of the brain and of its many components down to the level of individual neurons. It looks at the development of the brain and the effects of drugs, disease, and injury. It provides an introduction to the processing of sensory information and control of movement by the brain. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 and two semesters of life sciences, one of which must be in BIOL.
Required Materials: Garrett, B. (2014). Brain and Behavior: An Introduction to Biological Psychology, 4th Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. McHenry, B., Sikorski, A.M. & McHenry, J. (2014). A Counselor’s Introduction to Neuroscience. New York: Routledge University Press.
Other Resources: http://www.plagiarism.org/ http://www.apastyle.org/ http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html
Student-Learning Outcomes: At the end of this course, students will demonstrate a mastery of knowledge with regard to 1) basic terminology of the brain and its components, 2) the basic mechanisms that underlie the function of the nervous system, including basic neural communication, 3) how the brain affects a variety of behaviors, 4) the environmental factors that contribute to behavior, and 4) a specific topic of one’s choice choosing that relates to brain and behavior (term paper).
Course Evaluation: Student learning outcomes will be assessed through exams and assignments. Only in the case of a documented emergency or with my prior approval will make-up assignments and exams be allowed. Extensions for the term paper are not permitted. All writing assignments must be submitted via turnitin.com. Through the assessments students may earn up to 1000 points in this course (A=900-1000, B=800-899, C=700-799, D=600-699, F=below 600). The breakdown is as follows:
Exams There are four non-cumulative exams each worth 150 points. Exams may include 600 pts multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer questions. Assignment Students will complete a 4 – 5 page paper discussing a key figure who has significantly 100 pts influenced the field of neuroscience. In this paper you will identify who your person of study is and how they contributed to our current knowledge of the brain and behavior. The individuals you may select from are: Donald O. Hebb, Santiago Ramon y Cajal, Eric Kandel, Larry Squire, “H.M.”, Phinneas Gage, Fred Gage, David Hubel & Torsten Wiesel, Elizabeth Loftus, Brenda Milner, Franz Mesmer, Karl Lashley. The assignment must be based on a minimum of three scholarly sources. Annotated Each student will select a term paper topic and submit an annotated bibliography of 100 pts Bibliography five professional resources related to that topic. At least three sources must be empirical journal articles. Term Paper The term paper will be 12-15 pages in length and written in full APA style. It must be 200 pts based upon at least ten professional resources, seven of which are empirical journal articles.
Fall 2016 Brain and Behavior PSY 455 Course Calendar: *Schedule is tentative and instructor reserves the right to change it as needed. Dates: Topics: Assigned Reading 8/22 Introduction – What is neuroscience? Ch. 1 8/29 Neurons, glia and neural communication Ch. 2 & McHenry, Ch. 2-3 9/5 LABOR DAY – NO CLASS 9/12 Overview of the nervous system: The CNS and PNS – Assignment Ch. 3 & McHenry, Ch. 2-3 Due 9/19 Neuroscience research methods Ch. 4 9/26 Exam 1, Ch. 1 - 4 10/3 The neurobiology of addiction - Annotated Bibliography Due Ch. 5 & McHenry, Ch. 6 10/10 Motivation; biological bases of sex and gender Ch. 6 & 7 10/17 Stress, immunity and health (lecture and video) Ch. 8 10/24 Exam 2, Ch. 5 - 8 10/31 The visual system Ch. 10 11/7 Hearing, language, movement and somatosensation Ch. 9 & 11 11/14 Exam 3, Ch. 9 - 11 11/21 The neurobiology of learning and memory – Term Paper Due Ch. 12 11/28 Intelligence, cognition and psychological disorders Ch. 13 & 14 12/5 Exam 4, Ch. 12 – 14 @ 6:30 PM
Disability Accommodations: Students with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations through the A&M- Texarkana Disability Services Office by calling 903-223-3062.
Academic Integrity: Academic honesty is expected of students enrolled in this course. Cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification of research data, plagiarism, and undocumented use of materials from any source constitute academic dishonesty and may be grounds for a grade of ‘F’ in the course and/or disciplinary actions. For additional information, see the university catalog.
A&M-Texarkana Email Address: Upon application to Texas A&M University-Texarkana an individual will be assigned an A&M-Texarkana email account. This email account will be used to deliver official university correspondence. Each individual is responsible for information sent and received via the university email account and is expected to check the official A&M-Texarkana email account on a frequent and consistent basis. Faculty and students are required to utilize the university email account when communicating about coursework.
Drop Policy: To drop this course after the census date, a student must complete the Drop/Withdrawal Request Form, located on the University website (http://tamut.edu/Student-Support/Registrar/Dropping.html) or obtained in the Registrar’s Office. The student must submit the signed and completed form to the instructor of each course indicated on the form to be dropped for his/her signature. The signature is not an “approval” to drop, but rather confirmation that the student has discussed the drop/withdrawal with the faculty member. The form must be submitted to the Registrar’s office for processing in person, email [email protected], mail (7101 University Ave., Texarkana, TX 75503) or fax (903- 223-3140). Drop/withdraw forms missing any of the required information will not be accepted by the Registrar’s Office for processing. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the form is completed properly before submission. If a student stops participating in class (attending and submitting assignments) but does not complete and submit the drop/withdrawal form, a final grade based on work completed as outlined in the syllabus will be assigned.