Victoria University
School of Psychology
PSYC 444
Behavioural Neuroscience
2009
Second trimester
Co-ordinator:
Jan Lauwereyns, Associate Professor
EA 619
463 5042
Jan.Lauwereyns@vuw.ac.nz
Office hours: By appointment
Office Hours:
by appointment
Class times:
1pm – 3pm Monday
Location:
EA411
Exam Period:
All in-class assessment
Course Content:
One of the primary goals of behavioural neuroscience is to develop linking
propositions between perception and action. Confronted with multiple sources of
information, an individual has to choose one of several alternative courses of action.
How does the information-processing system prioritize information and/or
alternative courses of action in order to interact successfully with the environment?
There are, broadly speaking, two planes on which the system can operate: It can
prioritize a subset of the incoming information, and so enhance the sensitivity of
perceptual processes; or it can selectively prepare a particular course of action, that
is, create a form of response bias. In this class we will discuss how effects of
sensitivity versus bias can be observed in a wide range of psychological and
neuroscientific experiments, including single-unit recordings (measuring action
potentials of individual neurons) and functional imaging (measuring cerebral blood
flow). We will examine what the current literature can tell us about the underlying
principles and neural mechanisms of perceptual sensitivity and response bias. For
each session, we will have one or two focus papers. Students are asked to thoroughly
read these focus papers and use them as landmarks for their own survey of the topic.
The course is composed of:
1. A series of readings introducing basic areas of knowledge in behavioural
neuroscience.
2. Skill building exercises, including: critically reviewing articles, observational
techniques, graphing & analytical skills.
3. A practical component that will require students to design new experiments.
4. Discussion-based classes. Students will be expected to read key references with
the aim of addressing various questions or issues and be ready to discuss them.
Course Objectives:
At the end of the course students should:
1. Be able to critically review and succinctly report the research pertaining to
specific topics in the area of behavioural neuroscience.
2. Be familiar with the development & analysis of experiments within behavioural
and cognitive neuroscience.
3. Be able to describe the interaction of individuals with the environment in terms of
cognitive information processing.
4. Be able to design new experiments to address relevant conceptual issues.
Expected workload:
This is a 15 point course; an average of 10 hours per week should be sufficient, including
time for reading, critical review, and preparation of assignments.
Group work:
Not applicable.
Readings:
Most of the material students will be expected to read is published in journals and students
will need to read between one and five articles per week. Reading lists will be supplied
throughout the course, however students will also be required to conduct their own
independent reviews of the literature.
Materials and equipment:
No specific requirements.
Assessment requirements:
Students will be assessed as follows:
There will be one in-class test at the end of the trimester, on 12 October 2009,
which counts toward 40% of the grade. The test will comprise three essays (from a list
of six topics) of up to 400 words each, and will last two hours. The test is designed to
examine whether students have met course objectives 2 and 3.
There will be two written assignments, each counting toward 30% of the grade. The
first assignment will be a critical literature review on a topic of choice (word count:
minimum 1,500 words, maximum 2,500 words), due by 7 September 2009. This
assignment is designed to examine whether students have met course objective 1.
The second assignment will be a research proposal on a topic of choice (word
count: minimum 800 words, maximum 1,500 words), due by 5 October 2009. This
assignment is designed to examine whether students have met course objective 4.
There are no other requirements. There are no specific aegrotat implications of optional
assessment.
Penalties:
No specific penalties. If students fail to participate in an in-class test, they will receive a
zero for that test, unless they can present valid documentation to excuse their absence (e.g.,
a medical certificate). In this case, the student will be allowed to take the test at an
alternative time within one week of the scheduled time for the in-class test.
If students do not turn in an assignment by the designated time, they will receive a
zero for the assignment, unless they can present valid documentation to excuse a late
submission (e.g., a medical certificate). In this case, an extension of up to one week may be
granted at the discretion of the course coordinator.
Responsibilities for practicum arrangements:
Not applicable.
Mandatory Course Requirements:
No specific requirements.
Communication of additional information:
Students will be asked to provide E-mail address for communication of additional
information. Documents (e.g., pdf files) will be made available by E-mail.
Schedule
L1
13 July
Classic concepts of decision making, bias and sensitivity
L2
20 July
How can we separate effects of sensitivity versus bias in behavioral data?
Carpenter, R. H. S. (1999). A neural mechanism that randomizes behaviour. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 6, 1322.
Hollingworth, A., & Henderson, J. M. (1998). Does consistent scene context facilitate object perception? Journal of
Experimental Psychology General, 127, 398-415.
L3
27 July
The decision threshold: Neurophysiological evidence
Hanes, D. P., & Schall, J. D. (1996). Neural control of voluntary movement initiation. Science, 274, 427-430.
Churchland, A.K., Kiani, R., & Shadlen, M.N. (2008). Decision-making with multiple alternatives. Nature
Neuroscience, 11, 693-702.
L4
3 August
Models of decision making
Glimcher, P. W. (2002). Decisions, decisions, decisions: Choosing a biological science of choice. Neuron, 36, 323332.
Gold, J. I., & Shadlen, M. N. (2001). Neural computations that underlie decisions about sensory stimuli. Trends in
Cognitive Sciences, 5, 10-16.
L5
10 August
The dopamine circuit, reward & information processing: underlying mechanisms
Dommett, E., Coizet, V., Blaha, C.D., Martindale, J., Lefebvre, V., Walton, N., Mayhew, J.E.W., Overton, P.G., &
Redgrave, P. (2005). How visual stimuli activate dopaminergic neurons at short latency. Science, 307, 1476-1479.
Reynolds, J. N. J., Hyland, B. I., & Wickens, J. R. (2001). A cellular mechanism of reward-related learning. Nature,
413, 67-70.
L6
17 August
Reward & decision making: Neurophysiology
Matsumoto, M., & Hikosaka, O. (2009). Two types of dopamine neuron distinctly convey positive and negative
motivational signals. Nature, 459, 837-841.
Tobler, P.N., Fiorillo, C.D., & Schultz, W. (2005). Adaptive coding of reward value by dopamine neurons. Science,
307, 1642-1645.
Mid-trimester break
L7
7 September
Response bias: A way to implement reward value?
Lauwereyns, J., Takikawa, Y., Kawagoe, R., Kobayashi, S., Koizumi, M., Coe, B., Sakagami, M., & Hikosaka, O.
(2002). Feature-based anticipation of cues that predict reward in monkey caudate nucleus. Neuron, 33, 463-473.
Lauwereyns, J, Watanabe, K., Coe, B., & Hikosaka, O. (2002). A neural correlate of response bias in monkey
caudate nucleus. Nature, 418, 413-417.
L8
14 September
Attention and the interface between perception and action
L9
21 September
Reward & decision making: functional MRI
L10
28 September
“Neuro-economics”: functional MRI
L11
5 October
Future directions, game theory
Test
12 October
In-class Test
GENERAL UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND STATUTES
Students should familiarise themselves with the University’s policies and statutes, particularly the
Assessment Statute, the Personal Courses of Study Statute, the Statute on Student Conduct and any
statutes relating to the particular qualifications being studied; see the Victoria University Calendar or
the University’s policy website,
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/about/policy
Student and staff conduct
The Statute on Student Conduct together with the Policy on Staff Conduct ensure that members of the
University community are able to work, learn, study and participate in the academic and social aspects
of the University’s life in an atmosphere of safety and respect. The Statute on Student Conduct
contains information on what conduct is prohibited and what steps are to be taken if there is a
complaint. For information about complaint procedures under the Statute on Student Conduct,
contact the Facilitator and Disputes Advisor or refer to the statute on the Victoria policy website at:
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/about/policy
The Policy on Staff Conduct can be found at:
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/about/policy
Academic grievances
If you have any academic problems with your course you should talk to the tutor or lecturer
concerned; class representatives may be able to help you in this. If you are not satisfied with the
result of that meeting, see the Head of School or the relevant Associate Dean; The VUWSA Student
Advocate is available to assist in this process. If, after trying the above channels, you are still
unsatisfied, formal grievance procedures can be invoked. These are set out in the Academic
Grievance Policy which is published on the Victoria website at:
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/about/policy
There is also a leaflet explaining the grievance process available from the AVC(Academic) website at:
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/about/avcacademic/Publications.aspx#grievances
Students with Impairments
Refer to the Meeting the Needs of Students with Impairments Policy, available on the University’s
policy website. http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/about/policy
The University has a policy of reasonable accommodation of the needs of students with impairments.
The policy aims to give students with disabilities the same opportunity as other students to
demonstrate their abilities. If you have a disability, impairment or chronic medical condition
(temporary, permanent or recurring) that may impact on your ability to participate, learn and/or
achieve in lectures and tutorials or in meeting the course requirements, please contact the course
coordinator as early in the course as possible. Alternatively, you may wish to approach a Student
Adviser from Disability Support Services (DSS) to discuss your individual needs and the available
options and support on a confidential basis. DSS are located on Level 1, Robert Stout Building:
telephone: 463-6070
email: disability@vuw.ac.nz
The name of your School’s Disability Liaison Person is in the relevant prospectus or can be obtained
from the School Office or DSS.
Student Support
Staff at Victoria want students to have positive learning experiences at the University. There are a
number of support services available to help you directly if your academic progress is causing concern
or if there are elements in your life that are affecting your ability to study. These include:
 Your course coordinator or programme director;
 Staff in your Faculty Student Administration Office Student Dedicated learning support
through Student Learning Support Service; Kaiwawao Māori ;Maanaki Pihiphipinga; Disability
Support Services and Victoria International;
 Wider holistic support through the Health Service; Counselling Service; Financial Support and
Advice; Accommodation Service and Career Development and Employment. Find out more at
www.victoria.ac.nz/st_services/ or email student-services@vuw.ac.nz;
 VUWSA employs a Student Advocate who deals with academic problems and provides
support, advice and advocacy services, as well as training and supporting class
representatives and faculty delegates. The Education Office is located on the ground floor,
Student Union Building. Email education@vuwsa.org.nz or tel. 463-6716 or 463-6984.