Course Syllabus Drugs, Behavior and Society (PSYC 165) Fall 2012 Instructors: John Monterosso TAs: Lectures: Tue & Thur 8:00 – 9:20 pm, SGM Room 124 FINAL EXAM: Tuesday, December 18 4:30-6:30 p.m. {Note that this is late in the final exam period. If you cannot make this date, please do not take this course.} *Minor revisions may be made to the syllabus – when this occurs, a message will be posted on Blackboard. Drug use can be looked at from many perspectives. Although we will consider several, our emphasis will be on a psychological and physiological perspectives. We want you to leave this course with a better understanding of why people use drugs, what effects drugs have on people, and how individuals think about drug use. Besides learning about drugs and their use, we hope you will learn how to critically evaluate scientific research and the benefits (and limitations) of using this research to inform personal choices and public policy. As a Cat 4 GE class, this larger goal is most important. We recognize that use and abuse of drugs is a topic that touches the everyday lives of people, and we hope this will energize the course. However, please do not look to the faculty or TAs for personal and professional opinions or counsel. Information about available resources is on an informational page posted on Blackboard. Readings The primary course text is: Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior. By Carl Hart & Charles Ksir, 2010. McGraw-Hill 14th edition. It is available for Kindle, and there look to be cheaper options to me at Amazon than the bookstore, but I don’t know what the Bookstore buy-back program is (or if there even is one). Sometimes students try to save money by getting older editions. I have the 13th edition, and don’t see huge differences. I will try to identify any major differences. So while the 14th edition is our edition, using the 13th would for sure not put you at a major disadvantage, and hopefully, not at disadvantage at all. It is available in the USC bookstore, from the publisher: http://www.mhprofessional.com/product.php?isbn=0073380792 and other online retailers, including a Kindle edition from Amazon: Additional readings will be posted on Blackboard. 1 Lecture & Lab Dates & Topics TOPIC Date Topic UNIT 1 – DRUGS AND OUR NERVOUS SYSTEM WEEK 1: 8/27 to 8/31– NO LAB 1 8/28 Introduction: Course goals & structure, Overview of Scientific method {No Reading} 2 8/30 The Nervous System {Ch 4} Week 2: 9/3 to 9/7 *Monday groups will be one week behind since they cannot meet on 9/3. Introduction to data and experimental design Scientific Method & Research 3 9/4 Actions of Drugs {Ch 5} 4 9/6 Caffeine {Ch 11} Week 3: 9/10 to 9/14 The Caffeine Experimental Design Lab 5 9/11 Stimulants {Ch 6} 6 9/13 Tobacco {Ch 10} Week 4: 9/17 to 9/21 Data collection on our Caffeine Experiment 7 9/18 Opioids {Ch 13} 8 9/20 Marijuana {Ch 15} Week 5: 9/24 to 9/28 Monday labs only (catch up). Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri sections don’t meet. 9 9/25 REVIEW 10 9/27 EXAM #1 UNIT 2 – DRUGS AND ADDICTION Week 6: 10/1 to 10/5 (TBA) 11 10/2 What is addiction? Reading 1) Leshner’s “Addiction is a Brain Disease” 2) Stanton Peele reading 12 10/4 Phenomenology of addiction Reading) Owen Flanagan’s “What its like to be an Addict” Week 7: 10/8 to 10/12 (TBA) 13 10/9 Models of addiction Reading 1) Siegel’s “Heroin overdose” 2) Piaza’s “Addicted Rats” 3) Lehrer New Yorker article, “Don’t” 14 10/11 Genetics of addiction Reading) Just posted “NIDA Summary” Week 8: 10/15 to 10/19 (TBA) 2 15 10/16 Pharmacotherapy for addiction Reading 1) “Medications for treatment of alcohol dependence” 2) CNN web archive on “Cocaine Vaccine” 16 10/18 12-step approach to treatment Reading) Letter from Bill Wilson To Jung, and from Jung to Wilson Week 9: 10/22 to 10/26 VISIT From Recovery Grads 17 10/23 Moderation Approaches to treatment Reading: Marlatt’s “Overview of harm reduction treatments for alcohol problems” 18 10/25 Can you be addicted to behaviors? (e.g., sex, internet, gambling, overeating) Reading: Jaffe’s “Obesity, drug addiction, and dopamine” Week 10:10/29 to 11/2 (TBA) 19 10/30 Review 20 11/1 EXAM #2 UNIT 3 – DRUGS AND SOCIETY Week 11: 11/5 to 11/9 (TBA) 21 11/6 A historical perspective (reading TBA) 22 11/8 America and prohibition (reading TBA) Week 12: 11/12 to 11/16 (TBA) 23 11/13 America’s war on drugs (reading TBA) 24 11/15 CLASS CANCELLED Week 13: 11/19 to 11/23 (TBA) 25 11/20 California and LA pot scene (reading TBA) 26 11/22 THANKSGIVING RECESS Week 14: 11/26 to 11/30 (TBA) 27 11/27 Designer Drugs (reading TBA) 28 11/29 Performance Enhancers (emphasis on stimulants and school) (reading TBA) Week 15: 12/3 to 12/7 (TBA) 29 12/4 Hallucinogens, spirituality and psychiatry (reading TBA) 30 12/6 Review FINAL: Tue, Dec 18 4:30-6:30 p.m There are currently several weeks for which lab topics are listed as TBA. We will announce later in the semester which of these dates we will hold labs. You are responsible for being available at your designated lab time every week unless the syllabus explicitly lists lab as cancelled. Whether the lab will be held will be announced at least one week ahead of time. 3 Attendance We hope you will regularly come to lecture. However, we won’t be taking attendance. If you come late to class, try to be as quiet as possible when entering the room, so as not to disturb students that are sleeping. Or paying attention! Since attendance is not required, we assume that everyone who comes wants to be there. Please be considerate of others. Even though attendance is not required, it will likely be recorded through a phone/computer-based response system (this is still being worked out). For those that miss fewer than five lectures, there will be an added attendance bonus of +1.5 points onto their average (additional to any extra credit). Attendance in your lab section is mandatory – you will lose points for missing. Please do not ask your TA to make an exception for you. If you have a good reason that you cannot attend your section during a particular week, you can ask permission to attend a different section – this requires that you contact both your TA and whatever TA teaches the section you would move to. The TAs involved will decide if switching for that 1 week is OK. TAs for lab sections Sec # Time Day TA Room 52731R 8-9:50am Monday Serenita Kumar WPH201 52732R 8-9:50am Monday Tana Luo WPH203 52763R 10-11:50am Monday Serenita Kumar GFS213 52764R 10-11:50am Monday Tana Luo VHE214 52761R 8-9:50am Wednesday Eustace Hsu WPH201 52762R 8-9:50am Friday Tana Luo WPH201 52765R 10-11:50am Friday Eustace Hsu GFS213 52766R 10-11:50am Friday Serenita Kumar VHE214 52767R 2-3:50pm Friday Eustace Hsu GFS104 Evaluation There are four components to evaluation in this class: 1. Lab Grade: 30% 2. Three Exams: 20% each 3. Paper: 10% Presentation and Debates: Each student will be required to give one presentation during the semester for their lab. This will contribute to your lab grade. A few students that give outstanding presentations will be invited to present them to the class – if you are selected and choose to do this, then you will get a bonus – automatic full credit for your paper. 4 Exams: The exams will be multiple choice. The content of the exams will be drawn from the readings, labs, andthe lecture material. Paper: The final paper is due 12/9 at 9 pm. We will assign a topic during the semester. The paper will be graded on the strength of your argument, the amount of relevant evidence you cite for your position, and the clarity and persuasiveness of your writing. The paper may not be more than 1000 words. If your paper is more than a few words over this, it will be sent back to you. Grading Philosophy and Criteria: The grading in this class will use standard percent criteria, listed below. 93% - 100% A 90% - 92.99% A- 87% - 89.99% B+ 83% - 86.99% B 80% - 82.99% B- 77% - 79.99% C+ 73% - 76.99% C 70% - 72.99% C- 67% - 69.99% D+ 63% - 66.99% D 60% - 62.99% D- Below 60% F There may be a curve. After the final exam and paper are graded we will compute each student’s overall course percentage and examine the grade distribution for the class. If the average grade (the median) is below 83%, we will add points to everyone’s score to bring the average up to 83%. Thus, at a minimum, half of the class will get a B or higher. If the class average is above 83%, we will not curve down. Other than the curve, we will not be rounding up anyone’s grade or applying any subjective criteria to the grade cut-offs or to anyone’s grades. If you get a 79.9999, that will be a C+, not a B-.