After reading all of the class projects, complete this assignment - deadline = May 13, 1999
After reading all of the class projects, evaluate your team and its work - deadline = May 13, 1999
Psychology 325 PSYCHOBIOLOGY Spring, 1999
Dr. John M. Morgan 9:00-9:50 AM
MWF HGH 119
Text: Physiology of Behavior, Sixth Edition
by Neil R. Carlson
Allyn and Bacon, Inc., Boston, 1998
LECTURE AGENDA
Jan 20 (1) Introduction to Course
Jan 22 (1) Introduction Ch. 1 p. 1- 18
Jan 25-Feb 17 (11) Learning and Memory:
Basic Mechanisms Ch. 14 p.409-450
Feb 19 (1) First Midterm Examination
Feb 22-Mar 10 (8) Relational Learning
and Amnesia Ch. 15 p.451-476
Mar 12 (Fri) (1) Second Midterm Examination
(23)
Mar 15-Mar 19 Spring Break
Mar 22-Apr 2 (6) Positive Reinforcement Ch. 14 p.441-449
Addition Ch. 19 p.561-590
Apr 5-Apr 14 (5) Genetic Basis of Learning
and Schizophrenia Handouts
Apr 16 (1) Third Midterm Exam
Apr 19-Apr 28 (5) Mental Disorders: Schizophrenia &
Affective Disorders Ch. 17 p.509-536
Apr 30--May 7 (4) Mental Disorders: Anxiety Disorders,
(44) Autism Ch. 18 p.537-560
May 10(Mon) Scheduled Fourth Midterm exam 8:00 -8:50 AM
LABORATORY AGENDA
Jan 25 - Jan 27 Review of Biological Basis of Behavior
Introduction to Laboratory Procedures
Introduction to Sheep.exe computer aided
neuroanatomy
Feb 1 - Feb 3 Remove Dura Mater and Examine the Dorsal-
Exterior and Ventral Surfaces of Sheep Brain
Figures 1 & 2 and refer to Sheep.exe
Relate to comparable screens of Brainiac
Feb 8 - Feb 10 Make and Examine the Sagittal Cuts
Figures 7 & 8 and refer to Sheep.exe
Relate to comparable screens of Brainiac
Take the practice laboratory test
Feb 15 - Feb 17 Inspect the Actual Human Brains and relate
them to the Sheep brains and Brainiac's
display
Repeatedly observe appropriate frames of
Human Brain Animation
Take the practice laboratory test
Feb 22 - Feb 24 Make the Coronal Sections of Figures 11 thru
14 and refer them to Sheep.exe
Repeatedly observe appropriate frames of
Human Brain Animation
Relate to comparable screens of Brainiac
Take the practice laboratory test
Mar 1 - Mar 3 Make the Coronal Sections of Figures 15 thru
18 and refer them to Sheep.exe
Relate to comparable screens of Brainiac
Repeatedly observe appropriate frames of
Human Brain Animation
Take the practice laboratory test
Mar 8 - Mar 10 Make the Coronal Sections of Figures 19 thru
23 and refer them to Sheep.exe
Relate to comparable screens of Brainiac
Repeatedly observe appropriate frames of
Human Brain Animation
Take the practice laboratory test
Mar 15 - Mar 17 Spring Break
Mar 22 - Mar 24 Description of Functional Anatomy of the Rat
Brain through Stained Sections on 35 mm
Slides
Mar 29 - May 31 Description of Functional Anatomy of the Rat
Brain through Stained Sections of Glass
Slides and Animated selections from Human
Brain Animation
Apr 2 (Fri) Midterm Laboratory Examination held in HGH 119
at 9 am
Apr 5 - Apr 7 Description of the Limbic and Extra-pyramidal
Systems
Movie: The Human Brain
Apr 12 - Apr 14 Demonstration and Discussion of the Event-
Related Potential Technique in both
Humans and Rats
Apr 19 - Apr 21 Comparative Literature discussion and student
presentations of Neuroanatomy function -
10 min
Demonstration and practice using Psych-RX
Apr 26- Apr 28 EEG Physiograph Demonstration of a Sleeping
Subject and also of Physiological
Correlates of Emotional Reactions in
Humans
May 3- May 5 Biofeedback demonstration and discussion
Explore BrainMap computer system of
graphically searching the human brain
lesion/NeuroPsychology literature
through the Internet
May 7 Final Laboratory Examination held in HGH
119 at 9 am
The organization of the course will be lectures on Mon,
Wed, Fri with tests on four of the fridays and on alternate
fridays team discussions, some in private and some open in
class for all to profit. All sessions are mandatory.
Letter grades are calculated on a curve generated only
by this class. There will be 4 periodic examinations worth
100 points each. In lieu of the usual midterm and final
examinations there will be a first and second project worth
150 points each and a take-home exam to ascertain whether or
not each student in the class has read and studied the
projects of their colleagues (30 points) along with team
peer evaluations of 20 points. The laboratory exercises are
worth 1/4 of the letter grade.
Additional credit points may be earned as follows:
20 points for the class crossword puzzle turned in
on time,
20 points for volunteering for a research project
sponsored by a Psychology faculty member.
Increase of either 1/3, 2/3 or 1 letter grade by
an extra credit term paper due by the day that the final
exam is scheduled.
My office is in room 116B of HGH (826-3747) and my
office hours are MW 10-12 & TTh 10-12. I invite you to
consult with me on any matter during my office hours or any
time that is agreeable to you and me either in person or by
email (jmm4@axe.humboldt.edu).
Projects
This is a new portion to my courses and stems from the
philosophy that the students should bear a reasonable share
of the work of a course. The first half of the course is
composed of exploring how the brain and nervous system can
support the complex human behavior of learning and memory.
The second half is devoted to a discussion of pleasure
mechanisms/additions and the genetics and psychobiology of
normal and abnormal human behavior.
FIRST PROJECT
The first project will explore the workings of the
brain by requiring that each student team explore the
mechanisms by which one aspect of learning and memory takes
place. The teams will consist of 5 or 6 students from our
class and each student will accept responsibility to
research, explore and describe for the team and the rest of
the class one of the mechanisms listed below:
I. Possible student's topic include human and non-human
research models and data investigating learning and memory:
Synaptic mechanisms underlying an aspect of learning
and memory, e.g. cell assemblies
Neural systems underlying an aspect of learning and
memory, e.g. limbic,
Synaptic specializations that allow learning and
memory, e.g. synaptic spines, etc.
Neural phenomena that allow learning and memory, e.g.
sprouting, neoneurogenesis, etc.
Intracellular mechanisms that allow learning and
memory, e.g. g proteins, NO, etc.
II. Each team will explore the above different mechanisms
in one of the following aspects of learning and memory, such
as:
Short term episodic memory
Long term episodic memory
Long term syntaxical memory
Long term perceptual memory
Long term generic memory
Short term skill memory
Long term skill memory
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Emotional Leaning
SECOND PROJECT
The second project will explore the workings of the
brain by requiring that each student team explore the
theories and supporting data and research designs that
indicate that genetics play a role in determining, allowing,
facilitating, etc. human behavior.
I. Each student topic will research the different issues
involved in the genetic mechanisms of behavior , such as:
Gene theory, e.g. relation of DNA to behavior
Gene theory, e.g. relation of RNA to behavior
Gene theory, e.g. relation of proteins to behavior
Debate of monogenetic vs polygenetic influences on
behavior
Theoretical arguments concerning genes involvement in
human behavior, e.g. Nature - Nurture dispute
Effect of genes on the phenotype
Research designs utilized to investigate the effect of
genes and behavior
Advantages and disadvantage of specific research
designs to specific behaviors
(Remember the purpose is to discriminate the relative
importance between genetic influences on behavior and
environmental ones)
II. Each team will explore the above different aspects
of the gene behavior debate to one of the following
behaviors:
Schizophrenia
Depression
Obsessive-Compulsive
Intelligence
Additions
Memory, e.g. normal age related forgetting,
Alzihiemer's disease
Sexual orientation
Food and water maintenance and body size
----------------------------------------------------
PROCEDURES FOR BOTH PROJECTS
III. Process of the project:
Solo Each student selects a drug group or brain area in
which to participate (II. above)
Solo Each student selects the aspect of the brain
effected by the drug or the prospective of a person dealing
with the tumor or lesion (I. above)
Team Members of the team negotiate with each other so
that each student is assigned a different brain aspect on
which to concentrate (I. above)
Solo Each student researches his/her topic and
assimilates the material, then writes a 2 page report in the
format and style agreed upon by the team.
Team Members of the team meet often and produce a team
report that integrates each of the member's reports in a
publishable format and that maintains each student's
section separate and signed.
IV. Resources:
Text book of the course
Book section (stacks) of the library
Periodical section of the library (see attached list of
Neuroscience journals)
Search of electronic indexes through the library, e.g.
Medline, Psychlit, ERIC, etc.
Internet newsgroups and lists (see attached list for
examples)
Search internet for specific topic home pages
Physician, Patient and/or survivor home pages and/or
newsgroups on internet
V. Final Report will be published on the Internet as
a product of our class. Only those reports that are of
sufficient quality will earn course credit and be published
for all to read.
The individual student will write his/her part individually
but the team will be responsible to insure that each part
fits well with each other part. Therefore, the team needs
to meet several times during the period in order to insure
that the individual reports mesh together in substance and
style. Each section needs to use some of all of the
resources listed above and referenced on the third page of
the report for all to reference. The individual reports
should be 2 single-spaced, full pages. Each of these
reports need to be highly compacted with knowledge and data
written in a very concise form. There is no room for
sentences which do not materially advance the topic or that
repeat a previously state thought. Personal, unsubstantiated
opinions have no place here. This is not an "I think" piece
or a composition for an english class but a report on hard
data that extends the textbook treatment of the topic.
Please be sure to follow these guidelines:
1 Establish your specific topic with the other members of
your team after repeated meetings and together write an
introduction to the team report.
2 Research and write your part of the team report in the
word processor of your choice consulting periodically with
your team members.
3 When completely finished with your part, examine it to
follow these cautions:
a Use only one set of formatting codes and place
them only at the beginning of your report.
b Use Courier or New Courier font only
c Use 12pt font size only - do not change this
anywhere in the body of your report.
d Use single space vertical line spacing only.
e Use 1" margins at the top, bottom, left and a 1.5"
margin at the right. Otherwise, the lines overrun the
viewers screen.
f Do not use hyphens anywhere in the text. They
will not translate well.
g Do not use fancy formatting anywhere in the text,
e.g. avoid hanging indents for the bibliography.
h. Avoid underlines, italics, etc. because they will
not translate to the web.
4. Save your work to floppy disc using only ASCII (DOS)
TEXT file type, not ASCII delimited nor your word
processor's proprietary file type.
5. Get together with the rest of your team and join all of
your team member's individual reports together as one
sequential team report, eliminating any formatting codes in
the body of the team report and placing them at the very
beginning of the document only.
VI. Evaluation: Total
Points
Mandatory:
4 tests @ 100 points each 400
2 projects: Solo portion @ 100 points each 200
Team portion @ 50 points each 100
2 Take home exam over the published team
projects @ 30 (use on-line form) 60
2 Team peer evaluation @ 20 40
----------
Total for the Semester 800
Voluntary extra credit:
2 Crossword puzzles 40
2 Volunteering to be a subject in a Psychology
dept experiment 40
1 Extra credit term paper 1/3 or 2/3 or 1 letter
grade increase variable
My Wide World Web site is http://users.humboldt.edu/jmmorgan
My Internet email address is jmm4@axe.humboldt.edu
Letter grades are calculated on a curve generated by
this class only. The laboratory midterm and final
examinations are each 50 minutes long and are together
worth 267 points (i.e. 1/4 of the letter grade) where as the
lecture portion of the course is worth 800 points(i.e. 3/4
of the letter grade).
My office is in room 116B of HGH (826-3755) and I invite you
to consult with me on any matter during my office hours or
any time that is agreeable to you and me.
Go back to the beginning
Copyright © 1998, Dr. John M. Morgan, All rights
reserved -
This page last edited November 27, 1998
If you have any feedback for the author, E-mail
me
