PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY – PSYC004.02W Winter Quarter 2013

Instructor: Nancy J. Melucci PhDOffice: T2335, Long Beach City CollegeE-mail: drnanjo@aol.com; meluccinancy@fhda.edu; nmelucci@lbcc.eduIM: “drnanjo” (AIM, Yahoo, MSN)Phone: (562) 938-4097 (voicemail available – email strongly preferred)FAX: (707) 313-4583Office hours: Online (Available throughout the day by email and IM)

If you find that you need assistance with the material presented in this course or just want to talk about it contact me by email. If you are concerned about your learning, please do not wait until the end of the quarter to contact me!

Course ObjectivesUpon successful completion of this course, you should:

Understand physiological psychology and its place in psychology and neuroscience Be familiar with the anatomy of the nervous system, including its organization and some of the major

structures and their functions Know the more common techniques used to understand the physiology of behavior Understand the symptoms, brain damage, and treatment of Parkinson’s Disease Be able to describe the structure and function of neurons and synapses Know the major neurotransmitters and their influence on behavior Be able to discuss drug addiction and the brain’s reward circuits Know the biological mechanisms of sleep (including sleep disorders), stress, learning & memory,

drives and motivated behaviors (such as hunger and sex) and emotion Be familiar with the biological basis of psychological disorders such as schizophrenia, depression,

and anxietyMore generally, you should also be able to:

Understand how your “Mind is what your Brain does.” Appreciate how the study of Physiological Psychology is relevant to your life Use the scientific terminology of Physiological Psychology appropriately Read and critically evaluate journal articles, web sites, and popular press articles about

Physiological Psychology Appreciate the complexity of the brain and nervous system, particularly with respect to control of

behavior, and understand some of the challenges faced by researchers

Textbook (required): Kalat, J.W. (2010). Biological Psychology, Pacific Grove: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning. (10th or 9th edition is acceptable.)

Companion Site (required)

http://www.wadsworth.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=9780495603009&discipline_number=24

Grading: N.B. NO PASSING GRADE WILL BE GIVEN TO ANY STUDENT WHO FAILS TO COMPLETE ALL MAJOR ASSIGNED WORK (2 EXAMS, 2 PAPERS, QUIZZES, DISCUSSION)

Exams: There will be two exams administered during the quarter – a midterm and a final. Both will consist of fill-in-the-blanks, terms for definition, and short essays. There is no cumulative final exam; however, you should not assume that because you have been tested on something that it is no longer important. Nor should you assume that if you weren’t tested on a concept, it wasn’t important. You are not in school to take tests, you’re in school to learn. At any rate, an understanding of material presented later in the semester will require knowledge of material presented earlier. Exams will count as 40% of your grade

Quizzes: Quizzes will be posted for each major topic; these will be based on a maximum score of 10. You will be required to take 5 quizzes, most likely there will be several more than 5 quizzes offered and you will be STRONGLY encouraged to take them all; your highest 5 scores will be counted toward your final grade (20% of your grade)..Writing Assignments: Two written assignments will be required: an essay AND the student’s choice of a journal article, popular press article or web site critique. All assignments must be typewritten, double-spaced (submitted as electronic attachments or by FAX.) Writing assignments will count as 25% of your semester grade. Details of the writing assignments are at the end of the syllabus.

Discussion Participation: You are expected to make regular and thoughtful contributions to the discussion forums. Discussion will count as 15% of your grade

Final Course Grades: Letter grades will be assigned according to the following scale:

Percent of Points Available

Letter Grade

94 and up A90-93 A-87-89 B+84-86 B80-83 B-77-79 C+Percent Letter Grade74-76 C70-73 C-67-69 D+60-66 D59 and below F

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These cutoffs are firm. Do not ask me to give you an extra assignment to raise your grade – I will not do so under any circumstances.

ETUDES/course web site: I will post exam study guides, most class handouts, articles for the writing assignments, your grades, and reminders of upcoming exams and assignments on ETUDES. Please check the page regularly for announcements, updates, etc.

Policies and Procedures

Etiquette, responsibilities and skills:

1. Do not just log in to the site on the first day and say “OK I logged in guess that’s it.” Introduce yourself in the discussion forum and look around the site actively. There will be lecture notes, external links and other materials added on a weekly basis, as well as the syllabus and assignment information to become acquainted with at the site. There are quizzes that open just about every week and you need to check for them. Don’t wait for the information to come to you, you must be self-disciplined and active, or you will find yourself in deep trouble sooner than you think.

2. You must be able to send and receive – upload and download – attachments in order to participate in this class. I may offer an opportunity to practice this skill as when the time comes your inability to follow my instructions and perform these tasks can seriously negatively affect your grade. All exams and papers must be attached to an email and sent to me. It is NEVER acceptable to use the email itself – the message section of the email – to submit work and all such work will be refused and receive no credit. Also, you may not split an exam into more than one file (fill-ins in one and assays in the other) to submit it; it will also be refused. Finally, you must name your exam or assignment file in such a way as I can easily identify what it is and who is the author, i.e. janestudentexam1.doc, joesmithpaper2.wpd, etc. Perhaps it will seem like nitpicking to you but if every one of 100 students sends me an “exam1.doc” then every time I download the file, I erase and replace the previous one from a different student. So, if I receive a generically named file from you, the response will be to please resend the file with an appropriate name that identifies the sender. If you do not respond, you will receive a zero for that exam or assignment.

3. If you are unsure of your internet skills, find a friend or other person who can help you for the first few weeks. My job is to teach you about psychological science, and I only have a limited capacity for also teaching you how to use computers and the internet. To be frank, I don’t react well to the helpless, overwhelmed “I can’t do this, I’m so lost” demeanor. If you have any doubts about your internet skills, get help NOW from someone who knows the score. Besides, I know you CAN do it. It’s just a matter of commitment and practice.

4. When you send me an e-mail, please give me specific information in the subject line, such as “exam 2” or “writing assignment question.” I receive quite a bit of spam, and I am likely to delete e-mails with subject lines such as “important” or “help” or worse yet NO subject line at all. PLEASE sign your full name, course and school – I have many students at many schools and if you don’t provide me with a context for your question, I will not be able to help you at all (and I will tell you so.) If your screen name is Cursedmeatball@aol.com or Lovinpimp@yahoo.com I may laugh quietly at your creativity but I will still not be able to answer your questions unless you sign your email with all the information listed above.

5. If you send me an IM I will be happy to help you if you follow the same guidelines – please don’t lead off with “hi” or even “hi prof” – please say who you are “hi prof this is Tammy from Foothill Psych 4 do you have time to answer a question?” Worst case if I do not, I’ll simply instruct you to email the question to me.

Incompletes: I cannot and will not give an incomplete for poor course performance; you are responsible for seeking help if you need it and for being aware of withdrawal deadlines.

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Academic honesty: As in all classes, academic honesty is expected of all students. In this course, cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following behaviors:

Copying, attempting to copy, and/or aiding another in the copying of essay or discussion answers from other students. Collaborating on writing assignments is permitted on a limited scale.. Students may discuss writing assignments, but the work that each student turns in must be his/her own original work.

You may not have someone (wittingly or not) write your essay for you, either a peer or someone who has made their work available on line. Please paraphrase and cite, or quote and cite any borrowed materials, or suffer the consequences, which may be dire.

Plagiarism (defined as taking ideas, writing, etc. from another and passing them off as one’s own) of writing assignments. If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, please ask me before an assignment is due.

The penalty for a first offense of cheating of any kind will be, at minimum, a zero on the exam/assignment which will have to be redone for a much lower grade. The penalty for a second offense will be an automatic F in the course.

Disability Services Statement: Students who have a physical, medical, learning or psychiatric disability, either temporary or permanent, may be eligible for reasonable accommodations at the University as per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. In order to receive such accommodations, students must identify themselves at the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS), provide appropriate documentation and collaborate with the development of an accommodation plan. For further information, please go to our website at http://www.foothill.edu/al/drc.phpOther contact information: Phone numbers (650) 949-7017 or (650) 949-7332TTD for hearing impaired: (650) 948-6025DRC Coordinator, Margo Dobbins, (650) 949-7038e-mail DobbinsMargo@foothill.edu

Mailing address: Foothill CollegeAdaptive Learning Division12345 El Monte RoadLos Altos Hills, CA 94022-4599

COURSE OUTLINE & SCHEDULEI. Introduction – Chapter 1 (Week 1: 1/7 to 1/13)

A. What is Psychobiology?B. Historical OverviewC. Major Issues in PsychobiologyD. Different Types of Research in PsychobiologyE. Critical Thinking about Psychology

II. The Anatomy and Functioning of the Nervous System – Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5(Weeks 2 and 3 - 1/14 to 1/20)

A. General Layout of the Nervous SystemB. Cells of the Nervous SystemC. Neural Conduction and Synaptic TransmissionD. The Neuron’s Resting Membrane PotentialE. Generation and Conduction of Postsynaptic PotentialsF. Integration of Postsynaptic Potentials and Generation of Action PotentialsG. Conduction of Action PotentialsH. Synaptic TransmissionI. NeurotransmittersJ. Pharmacology of Synaptic Transmission

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K. Brain Scanning Techniques and DirectionsL. The Spinal CordM. The Five Major Divisions of the BrainN. Major Structures of the BrainO. Plasticity and other qualities of the brain

III. Sensorimotor processes – The Eight Senses, Attention and Movement – Chapters 6, 7, and 8 (Weeks 4 and 5 – 1/22 through 2/3)A. Anatomy of the Visual SystemB. Coding of Visual Information in the RetinaC. Analysis of Visual Information at the Cortical LevelD. The Binding ProblemE. AuditionF. The Body Senses – Balance, Proprioception, Pain and TouchG. The Chemical Senses – Smell and TasteH. AttentionI. Motor nerves and musclesJ. Reflex control of movementK. Cortical and voluntary regulation of movement

MIDTERM – END OF WEEK 5 AND BEGINNING OF WEEK 6

IV. States of Consciousness - Wakefulness and Sleep (Chapter 9, Week 6 – 2/4 through 2/10)A. Physiological and Behavioral Events of SleepB. REM Sleep and DreamingC. Why Do We Sleep?D. Circadian Sleep CyclesE. Effects of Sleep DeprivationF. Neural Mechanisms of SleepG. The Circadian ClockH. Drugs that Affect SleepI. Sleep DisordersJ. Effects of Long-Term Sleep Reduction

V. The Psychobiology of Internal Regulation of Drives and Emotion (Chapters 10, 11 and 12 Weeks 7 and 8 – 2/11 through 2/24)A. Physiological Components of Internal RegulationB. Cardiovascular FunctionC. DigestionD. Immune FunctionE. The Stress ResponseF. Biopsychology of EmotionG. Brain Mechanisms of Human Emotion

VI. The Psychobiology of Learning, Memory, and Language; Pathology & Mental Illness (Chapters 13 and 14; Weeks 9 and 10 –2/25 through 3/10)A. Amnesic Effects of Bilateral Medial Temporal LobectomyB. Amnesia of Korsokoff’s SyndromeC. The Hippocampus and Memory for Spatial Location

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D. Synaptic Mechanisms of Learning & MemoryE. Effects of Experience on NeurodevelopmentF. SchizophreniaG. Affective DisordersH. Anxiety Disorders

Weeks 11 & 12 – 3/11 to 3/29 REVIEW, WRAP-UP AND FINAL EXAM

Written Assignments

General directions for all assignmentsI will take into account the following when grading assignments:

Completeness of the assignment: Did you follow the directions? Did you do what you were asked, or are certain components missing or questions left unanswered?

Neatness of the assignment/surface quality: Is the assignment prepared and presented neatly? Does it appear that you gave it proper time and attention, or does it appear that it was a last-minute effort? Are there numerous spelling/grammatical/typographical errors?

Level of mastery/depth of work: Is it clear that you understand what you are writing about? Is it evident that you have a firm grasp of course material? Could an interested college student/adult who has not taken the course understand what you are saying?

In the second assignment (due at the end of the term) do not quote the web site or article that is to be summarized – use your own words to explain the article. If you encounter difficulty in understanding the material, please see me and I will help you.

Basic formatting for all assignments: approximately 4 pages long (at least 3 pages but no more than 6, not including cover page) typed, double-spaced all margins 1 inch standard font style and size cover page with your name and description of assignment work should be proofread carefully (don’t rely on the spell-checker!) read out loud to yourself or to

someone else.

Deadlines:Please note that the due dates for each assignment vary. DO NOT LEAVE WORK UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE.

Use Google, InfoTrac (link from companion site) or a college/university database to locate appropriate resources.

ASSIGNMENT 1: Essay question (Chose one out of four – due 2/19 EOD [by midnight])

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Use Google, InfoTrac (link from companion site) or a college/university database to locate appropriate resources.Provide a detailed answer to the essay question you’ve selected. When applicable, discuss specific experiments that were performed and their results. Use your text and class notes as sources.Question 1Describe two problems or questions that a biopsychologist might investigate. Give an example of the type of research that might be done by the biopsychologist to answer questions related to that area. If you were a biopsychologist what problems would you like to investigate, and why?Question 2What is the evidence that dopamine is involved in the brain’s reward system? Include descriptions of and results from relevant experiments.Question 3Describe narcolepsy and at least 2 other sleep disorders and what we know about the biology of each.Question 4Discuss the research on adult neurogenesis – what it is, when it occurs, etc. Discuss some of the applications that might arise from this research.

ASSIGNMENT 2:CHOOSE AN ASSIGNMENT FROM ONE OF THE THREE CATEGORIES LISTED BELOW; DUE ON THE LAST DAY OF THE TERM – 3/29 EOD.Category A: Web site summary and critiqueEach of these requires that you visit a specified web site related to Physiological Psychology. For each of these, browse the site thoroughly and answer the following questions:

Who created the web site? (person, professional organization, etc.) What is the purpose of the web site? Who is the target audience? (If this is not explicitly stated, use

your own judgment.) What type of information is presented? How does the information in this web site relate to class notes and the text? (Be specific!) What additional information (that is not in the class notes and the text) did you find on this web site?

(Again, be specific!) What did you learn about Physiological Psychology from this web site? Do not quote the web site – use your own words to explain it.

Category B: Journal article summary and critiqueThese are summaries of selected journal articles in the field of Physiological Psychology. They will be available via ETUDES as the due dates approach. Each article relates to a topic we will cover in the text or lecture. For each summary, include the following information:

What is the topic of the article, and why is it important? Who wrote the article? Is the article an empirical article (reporting the results of a study that the authors conducted) or a review article (a summary and integration of the results of many previous studies that have been done on a particular topic)?

If the article is an empirical article, what is the purpose or goal of the study being described? Do the authors make specific hypotheses? If so, what are they? Who were the subjects/participants? Describe the methods/procedures used. What were the main findings? Did the findings support the researchers’ hypotheses? What do the researchers make of the findings – that is, what do they conclude?

If the article is a review article, summarize the major themes or patterns of findings that the authors discuss. What do the authors conclude about this area of knowledge based on their review of the research in it? What do the authors say still needs to be done?

Explain how what you’ve read in this article fits in with what you know from class notes and the text (be specific!).

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Identify 3 specific things (facts, ideas, etc.) that you learned about Physiological Psychology by reading this article.

Do not quote the article – use your own words to explain it.

Category C: Popular press article summary and critiqueThese assignments require that you summarize a popular press article relating to Physiological Psychology. Do not quote the article – use your own words to explain it.

Find a recent popular press article (Time, Newsweek, Star-Ledger, etc., published in 2005 – an electronic version is fine) relating to Physiological Psychology. Attach a copy of the article to the assignment.

Summarize the article. Why did you choose the article? (That is, you probably found it interesting, but why?) How does the article relate to topics we’ve covered in class? Based on the class notes and text, how accurate is the article in its explanation of Physiological

Psychology topics?

A note on plagiarism: Plagiarism defined as the act of taking ideas, writing, etc. from another and passing them off as one’s own, will not be tolerated. Plagiarism includes quoting or even paraphrasing without citation, as well as substituting synonyms into someone else’s text and then retyping it or simply rearranging the order of words. Follow the four-word rule: if 4 or more words in a row are the same as the original source, it’s plagiarism. If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, please see the APA Publication Manual or ask me before an assignment is due. I take plagiarism very seriously, and I expect that you will as well.

The penalty for a first offense of plagiarism (or any other kind of cheating) will be, at minimum, a zero on the exam/assignment. The penalty for a second offense will be an automatic F in the course.

QUIZ TITLE DATE OPENED DATE CLOSED

Chapter 1 1/9/2013 1/30/2013

Neurons and Synapses (Chapters 2/3)

Neuroanatomy(Chapters 4/5)

1/14/2013

1/20/2013

2/18/2013

2/18/2013

Vision (Chapter 6) 1/28/2013 2/18/2013

Other Senses (Chapter 7)1/24/2013 2/18/2013

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Movement (Chapter 8) 1/31/20132/19/2013

******************************

Consciousness (Chapter 9)

*******************

2/11/2013

******************

3/29/2013

Drives (Chapter 10/11)

Emotions (Chapter 12)

Cognition (Chapter 13/14)

Biological Basis of Mental Illness

2/25/2013

3/1/2013

3/8/2013

3/15/2013

3/29/2013

3/29/2013

3/29/2013

3/29/2013

QUIZZES MAY BE ADDED AND MAY OPEN EARLIER THAN THE LISTED OPENING DATE…THEY WILL NEVER CLOSE EARLIER THAN THE LISTED CLOSING DATE

BUT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO PACE YOURSELF. IF YOU IGNORE OR NEGLECT TO NOTE THE CLOSING DATE

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YOU WILL MISS THE QUIZ. QUIZZES ARE NEVER REOPENED, REGARDLESS OF SERIOUSNESS OF EXCUSE OFFERED TO INSTRUCTOR FOR MISSING THEM.

DISCUSSIONS:

Title OPEN CLOSED

Introductions 1/6/2013 1/30/2013

fMRI

Nervous System Questions

Exercise

Cybersenses

Consciousness

Hunger/Fitness

Sexual Orientation

Cheer Up!

1/8/2013

1/16/2013

1/22/2013

1/31/2013

2/15/2013

2/24/2013

2/28/2013

3/7/2013

2/17/2013

2/17/2013

2/17/2013

2/19/2013

3/30/2013

3/30/2013

3/30/2013

3/30/2013

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DISCUSSIONS MAY BE ADDED AND MAY OPEN EARLIER THAN THE LISTED OPENING DATE…THEY WILL NEVER CLOSE EARLIER THAN THE LISTED CLOSING DATE

BUT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO MAKE REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS. IF YOU DO NOT, POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED AT THE CLOSE OF THE TERM.

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