Professor William Falls John Dewey Hall 206 Office Hours: TR 12:00 to 1:30 or by appointment william.falls@uvm.edu 
Teaching Assistant and Office Hours: Kim Rhodes (kimberly.rhodes@uvm.edu) Office hours ‐ MW 10:45 – 12:15 
Overview and course goals: Psychology 121 explores the biological bases of behavior. We will examine both classical and contemporary issues in behavioral neuroscience, including introduction to nervous system, physiological and behavioral effects of drugs, biological theories of behavioral disorders and the biological basis of learning, memory, emotion and stress. The goals of the course are to provide students with foundational knowledge in behavioral neuroscience which includes contemporary theoretical issues and research methods, to encourage students to think now, and into the future, about the role of the nervous system in all psychological processes, to begin to develop the ability to read and interpret original research articles in behavioral neuroscience and to practice writing skills. Lectures: Regular attendance at lectures is required. Textbook reading assignments are meant to provide additional breadth and background for the material discussed in lecture. It is assumed that the assigned readings will be completed before class. 

Exams: Your comprehension of the lecture and reading materials will be assessed by 3 exams and a final exam. Exams will be in multiple choice format. Together they will comprise 75% of the final grade. The final exam will be given on FRIDAY 12/11/2009 from 8:00 ‐ 11:00 AM. This is the only time the final exam will be given. Exemptions from taking the exam at the scheduled time will only be granted under college and university exceptions (e.g., no more than three exams in one day), or to students who have serious illness or family emergencies. Therefore, please plan accordingly. 
Article Summaries: One goal of the course is to build foundational knowledge in behavioral neuroscience, including contemporary theoretical issues and research methods. While we will discuss the results of many research studies, we will also read and discuss original research articles in order to give you a fuller appreciation for the theoretical issues and research methods. You will be required to read each article and to write a brief (no more than one page) narrative summarizing the article. The articles will be available via Blackboard and will be announced in class and on Blackboard. Grades on summary papers comprise 10% of your final grade. 
Neuroscience in the Media Paper: Another goal of the course is to encourage students to think now, and into the future, about the role of nervous system in all psychological processes. To encourage such broader thinking, each student will be required to discuss an example of “biopsychology in the media” (movies, television, music, magazines, newsprint, etc). This term paper will discuss and critique an example of biopsychology in the media with reference to original scholarly research articles on the topic. The Media Watch paper will comprise 15% of the final grade and is due on December 4th 2009. To facilitate the Neuroscience in the Media paper project, a brief description of the media example that will be the basis for your paper is due on October 7th and a bibliography of original research articles for the topic is due on November 6th. A grading rubric for the Media Watch paper will be provided at least one month in advance of this due date. 
Text Book Pinel, J. (2007). Basics of Biopsychology. Allyn & Bacon. 
Grading: Your final letter grade will be comprised of the following percentages: 45% Mid Terms (3 each @ 15%) Final Exam (12/11/2009 @8:00) 30% Article Summaries 10% Media Watch Paper (due 12/4/2009) 15% 
Letter Grades are awarded as follows: A 90 to 100% B 80 to 89% C 70 to 79% D 60 to 69% F < 60% Extra‐ Credit: Extra credit is available in the form of optional weekly quizzes. These quizzes will be available beginning Friday at 11 am and will close at 5pm on Sunday. Scores on the quizzes will be added as extra credit to the score on the following exam. 
Academic Honesty: Students are advised to review the policy on Academic Honesty as found at: http://www.uvm.edu/cses/code_ai.html Lecture Topics and Schedule (note: topics and topic schedule are subject to change, exam and assignment dates WILL NOT change) Week Date Topic Reading 1 8/31 Course Overview and Introduction 9/2 Pinel Chapter Introduction to Biopsychology 1, pp 5‐33 Assignments Due 2 3 4 5 6 7 9/4 Introduction to Biopsychology 9/7 Methods in Biopsychology Pinel Chapter 3, pp 82‐96 9/9 Methods & Animals in Research 9/11 Structure of the Nervous System Pinel Chapter 2, pp 36‐62 9/14 Structure of the Nervous System 9/16 Structure of the Nervous System 9/18 Neurological Disorders Pinel Chapter Article Summary Due 8, pp 230‐262 @ 5PM 9/21 Neurological Disorders 9/23 Neurological Disorders 9/25 EXAM 1 9/28 Communication in the Nervous System Pinel Chapter 3, pp 64‐81 9/30 Communication in the Nervous System 10/2 Communication in the Nervous System 10/5 Pinel Chapter Drugs (Psychopharmacology) 13, pp 404‐
423 10/7 Drugs (Psychopharmacology) 10/9 Fall Recess 10/12 Drugs (Psychopharmacology) Neuroscience in the Media Topic Due 10/14 Drugs (Psychopharmacology) 10/16 EXAM 2 10/19 No class meeting – Society for Neuroscience 10/21 No class meeting – Society for Neuroscience 8 9 11 12 13 10/23 Anxiety and Depression Pinel Chapter 13, pp 424‐
Article Summary Due 440 @ 5PM & Chapter 15, pp 488‐496 10/26 Anxiety and Depression 10/28 Anxiety and Depression 10/30 Sensation and Perception Pinel Chapter 5, pp 140‐168 11/2 Sensation and Perception 11/4 Learning and Memory Pinel Chapter 9, pp 264‐296 11/6 Learning and Memory Neuroscience in the Media Bibliography Due 11/9 Learning and Memory 11/11 Learning and Memory 11/13 EXAM 3 11/16 Sexual Behavior Pinel Chapter 11, pp 332‐
364 11/18 Sexual Behavior 14 15 16 11/20 Hunger Pinel Chapter Article Summary Due 10, pp 300‐
@ 5PM 330 11/23 Hunger 11/25 Thanksgiving Recess 11/27 Thanksgiving Recess 11/30 Sleep Pinel Chapter 12, pp 366‐
400 12/2 Sleep 12/4 Sleep Neuroscience in the Media Paper Due @ 5 PM 12/7 TBA 12/9 TBA 12/11 FINAL EXAM ‐ 8:00 AM