Course:
PSY4950 ST: Behavioral Genetics II
Prerequisites:
AJU/PSY/SOC3030 Psy4950 ST: Behavioral Genetics I
Permission of Instructor
Instructor:
James E. Horton
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Webpage:
Office Hours:
Textbooks:
Class Attendance:
105 Social Sciences
328-0136
jeh2b@uvawise.edu
http://people.uvawise.edu/jeh2b
Posted on Web Page
NeuroCognitive Sciences Laboratory Resource books
Course Objectives: This will be a two-semester course divided into three basic parts. The first
semester will cover Part I and a portion of Part II of the course. The second semester will cover the
balance of Part II and Part III of the course. Part I of this course will cover basic Cognitive
Neuroscience concepts of mind/body interaction with emphasis on the influence of neural and
endocrine physiology on psychological behavior. Part I will also emphasize the different methods of
neuroimaging acquisition and analyses for correlation of neural activity with behavior. Part II of the
course will review basic neuropsychology with a slightly different perspective on mind/body interaction
and will emphasize the diagnosis of brain disorders or trauma based on behavioral observation. Part III
of this course will approach the mind/body interaction from yet another perspective and will
concentrate on the genetic and physiological influence on psychological development and behavior
with an emphasis on the interaction of genetic predisposition with environmental influences. At the
completion of the course, the student should possess an elementary working knowledge of the
following areas of cognitive neuroscience.
1) The student should understand the basic concept and mechanics of using advanced research
methods to correctly acquire and analyze neuroimaging data including procedures for measuring
neural structures and checking interrater and intrarater reliability.
2) The student should have a rudimentary understanding of the relationship of neural activity and
behavior and be able to correlate deficits in behavior with neural deficits.
3) The student should be able to use specialized software running on either Windows or Linux
operating systems.
4) The student should understand the concept of converting raw EEG data into epochs for analyses of
stimulus bound neural activity and what the resulting ERPs signify.
5) The students should be able to correctly interpret neuroimaging analyses and apply to theory.
6) The students should understand the basic interaction of genetics and environment and have a better
understanding of how genetic predisposition toward certain behavioral development can be
influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of various stressors in the environment. .
Students will be assigned readings from resource books in the NeuroCognitive Sciences lab and will
engage in discussions of the material covered during their time in the lab. Times will vary based on the
students schedule but will consist of a minimum of three hours per week in contact with the professor
and other students to discuss various topics in cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychology and
behavioral genetics.
Section Exams:
There will be no exams.
Assignments:
Class assignments and take-home exams will be given to measure the progress of the student.
Final Exam:
The will be no final exam.
Grading:
Your grade will be determined by your class participation, completion of assignments and take-home
exams and discussion of the material.
Honor Code:
The Honor Code of The University of Virginia’s College at Wise is fully and unconditionally
supported in this course. Violations of the Honor Code will be prosecuted through the Honor Court.
Special Accommodations:
If you have any type of learning disability or problem that might require special accommodations,
please inform me at the beginning of the term to enable appropriate arrangements to be made.