Spring 2010
PSYC 300: Introduction to Brain and Behavior
Instructor: Dr. Douglas Wallace Location: PM153
Office: 309 Psychology
Time: MWF 9:00-9:50
Phone: 753-7071
Text: Kolb B, Whishaw IQ, An Introduction to Brain
Email: dwallace@niu.edu
and Behavior 3/e, 2010, Worth.
Purpose of Course: This course will explore the biological basis of behavior. The student will first learn about
the fundamental elements of the nervous system and their function. Subsequent lectures and readings will
integrate these elements into the systems responsible for basic behaviors.
Class sessions: Class attendance is not required (although I strongly urge you to attend every class). If you do
not attend class, you remain responsible for all material covered in class and any announcements made in class.
Lectures will cover material that is not covered in the text and will go into greater detail than the text does, so it
is in your best interest to attend class regularly.
Missed Exams: If you miss an exam and have an adequate excuse, you may take a make-up. I reserve the right
to decide on the adequacy of the excuse. If an exam is missed and no make-up is taken, the student will receive
a zero for that exam. Contact me as soon as possible if you miss an exam for any reason, by phone or e-mail.
Quizzes: There will be a quiz at the beginning of most classes. Each quiz will include questions based on the
material presented in the previous class. This course is based on a lot of unfamiliar terms that will be easier to
learn through distributed practice rather than cramming before an exam.
Paper: Describe how a topic (see list below) covered in this class has applied to understanding a phenomena
relevant to your life. Your paper must be submitted as a MSWord file via email and be 1500 words in length.
Cheating: Students caught cheating will be dealt with according to University regulations.
Grading: Final grades will be based on three exams (25% each), the quizzes (20% in total), and the paper (5%).
The grades are broken down as follows: A[100-90], B[89-80], C[79-70], D[69-60] F[59 and below].
Topics
Origins
Neuroanatomy
Neuron
Synapse
Drugs and Behavior
Development
Vision
Motivation
Memory
Sleep
Exam1
Exam2
Web: http://www.niu.edu/user/tj0dgw1
Chapters
1
2
4
5
7
6
8
12
13
14
Exam3