Dr. Bryan Devan
Spring 2002
Wed. 7:00-9:50pm
Room 206
Lab - TBA
ADVANCED EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY II (PSYC.674)
Textbook:
Drickamer, L.C., Vessey, S.H. & Jakob, E. (2002). Animal Behavior: Mechanisms,
Ecology, Evolution (5th ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill.
Course Objectives, Requirements and Grading:
The main objective of this course is to familiarize you with some of the major concepts,
processes and contemporary methods used in the multifaceted field of animal
behavior. Textbook readings will be assigned to give you a general overview of the
diversity of animal behavior and research while introductory lectures and journal
articles will focus on some selected topics in the areas of ethology and comparative
neuropsychology. Research topics will include gene-behavior interactions, mimetics
(cultural evolution), the evolution of multiple memory systems, the neuropsychology of
spatial behavior, and animal models of psychological disorders.
The first few class meetings will consist of lecture material, discussion, and films.
During this time, each student will do a literature search on a selected topic. A list of
topics and references will be provided. During the next few classes, each person will
give a 30 minute informal presentation (30% of your course grade) on the topic
chosen, followed by group discussion (led by the presenter) of hypotheses,
experimental design and methodology issues. Participation in class discussion is an
integral part of planning each research project (see below). Therefore, part of your
course grade will be based on class participation (10%). Further instructions and
suggestions for the presentation will be given during the initial class meetings.
Each student will participate in a group project to gain first-hand experience in
conducting animal research (laboratory experiment or field study) using resources
available in the department. A tour of lab facilities will be given at this time. You will
then break up into groups (3-4 students) to discuss research options. Each group will
meet with me to formalize their plans and subsequently present a summary of the
proposal to the class for further discussion. Each team will write up a short proposal
and fill out the required forms for the research protocol that must be submitted and
approved by the Towson University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
(IACUC, vertebrate animals) or Institutional Research Board (IRB, human subjects)
prior to beginning your study. Given time constraints on obtaining approval,
completing the research and reporting the results, you are encouraged to use
noninvasive (or less invasive, i.e., nonsurgical) methods for the course investigation.
Research leading to follow-up study using more invasive procedures may be
considered if individuals are committed to using such methods in their thesis research
or other outside work (this should be discussed with me). At the end of the course
each person will submit a manuscript, written up in APA journal format (60% of your
course grade). In addition, extra credit (no more than 5% of course grade) may be
sought for a 2-3 page description of a follow-up investigation.
Reading Assignments
Topic:
Ethology and Comparative Psychology: Introduction and Overview
Week
Approx. date
1
Jan. 30
2
Feb. 6
Reading
1. Drickamer et al., Chapters 1, 2 and 3
2. Mayr, E. (1961). Cause and effect in biology. Science,
134, 1501-1506.
3. Platt, J.R. (1964). Strong inference. Science, 146, 347353.
4. Dewsbury, D.A. (1999). The proximate and the ultimate:
past, present and future. Behavioural Processes, 46,
189-199.
5. Mayr, J.R. (2000). Darwin's influence on modern thought.
Scientific American, 283, 78-83.
Evolution, Genes and Memes
3
Feb. 13
1. Drickamer et al., Chapters 4, 5 and 6
2. Ayala, F.J., & Fritch, W.M. (1997). Genetics and the origin
of species: An introduction. Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, USA, 94, 7691-7697.
3. Horgan, J. (1993). Eugenics revisited. Scientific American,
268, 122-131.
4. Blackmore S. (2000). The power of memes. Scientific
American, 283, 64-6, 68-71, 73.
5. Ross, S.E. (1999). "Memes" as infectious agents in
psychosomatic illness. Annals of Internal Medicine,
131, 867-871.
6. Miklósi, Á. (1999). The ethological analysis of imitation.
Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical
Society, 74, 347-374.
Neural and Hormonal Influences
4
Feb. 20
1. Chaps. 7 and 8
2. Duchaine, B., Cosmides, L., & Tooby, J. (2001).
Evolutionary psychology and the brain. Current
Opinion in Neurobiology, 11, 225-230.
3. Snyder, S.H., & Ferris, C.D. (2000). Novel
neurotransmitters and their neuropsychiatric
relevance. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 17381751.
4. Sapolsky, R.M. (1994). Individual differences in the stress
response. Seminars in the Neurosciences, 6, 261-269.
5. Sapolsky, R.M. (1999). Glucocorticoids, stress and their
adverse neurological effects: relevance to aging.
Experimental Gerontology, 34, 721-734.
Learning, Memory and Spatial Navigation
5
Feb. 27
1. Chaps. 11 and 13 (pp. 228-237)
2. Maguire, E.A., Burgess, N., Donnett, J.G., Frackowiak,
R.S.J., Frith, C.D., & O'Keefe, J. (1998). Knowing
where and getting there: A human navigation
network. Science, 280, 921-924.
3. Devan, B.D., Goad, E.H., & Petri, H.L. (1996). Dissociation
of hippocampal and striatal contributions to spatial
navigation in the water maze. Neurobiology of
Learning and Memory, 66, 305-323. (skim)
4. Capaldi, E.A., Robinson, G.E., & Fahrbach, S.E. (1999).
Neuroethology of spatial learning: The birds and the
bees. Annual Review of Psyhology, 50, 651-682.
5. Devan, B.D., & McDonald, R.J. (2001). A cautionary note
on interpreting the effects of partial reinforcement on
place learning performance in the water maze.
Behavioural Brain Research, 119, 213-216.
6. Devan, B. D., Petri, H. L., Mishkin, M., Stouffer, E. M.,
Bowker, J. L., Yin, P. B., Buffalari, D. M., & Olds, J.
L. (in press). A room with a view and a polarizing cue:
Individual differences in the stimulus control of place
navigation and passive latent learning in the water
maze. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.
Biological Rhythms
6
Mar. 6
1. Chap. 9
2. Turek, F.W., Dugovic, C., & Zee, P.C. (2001). Current
understanding of the circadian clock and the clinical
implications for neurological disorders. Archives of
Neurology, 58, 1781-1787.
3. Louie, K. & Wilson, M.A. (2001). Temporally structured
replay of awake hippocampal ensemble activity during
rapid eye movement sleep. Neuron, 29, 145-156.
4. Devan, B.D., Goad, E.H., Petri, H.L., Antoniadis, E.A.,
Hong, N.S., Ko, C.L., Leblanc, L., Lebovic, S.S., Lo, Q.,
Ralph, M.L., & McDonald, R.J. (2001). Circadian
phase-shifted rats show normal acquisition but
impaired long term retention of place memory in the
water task. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 75,
51-62. (skim)
Sexual Dimorphism
7
Mar. 13
1. Maguire, E.A., Burgess, N., & O'Keefe J. (1999). Human
spatial navigation: Cognitive maps, sexual
dimorphism and neural substrates. Current Opinion
in Neurobiology, 9, 171-177.
2. Kinsley, C.H., Madonia, L., Grifford, G.W., Tureski, K.,
Griffin, G.R., Lowry, C., Williams, J., Collins, J.,
McLearie, H., & Lambert, K.G. (1999). Motherhood
improves learning and memory. Nature, 402, 137138.
3. Astur, R.S., Ortiz, M.L., & Sutherland, R.J. (1998). A
characterization of performance by men and women
in a virtual Morris water task: A large and reliable sex
difference. Behavioural Brain Research, 93, 185-190.
4. Sandstrom, N.J., Kaufman, J., & Huettel, S.A. (1998).
Males and females use different distal cues in a
virtual environment navigation task. Cognitive Brain
Research, 6, 351-360.
5. LeVay, S., & Hamer, D.H. (1994). Evidence for a biological
influence in male homosexuality. Scientific American,
270, 44-49.
6. Byne, W. (1994). The biological evidence challenged.
Scientific American, 270, 50-55.
Reproduction, Mating Systems and Parental Care
8
March 20
1. Chaps. 17 and 18
2. Gil, D., Graves, J., Hazon, N., & Wells, A. (1999). Male
attractiveness and differential testosterone investment
in zebra finch eggs. Science, 286, 126-128.
3. Cunningham, E.J.A., & Russell, A.F. (2000). Egg
investment is influenced by male attractiveness in the
mallard. Nature, 404, 74-77.
4. Brooks, R. (2000). Negative genetic correlation between
male sexual attractiveness and survival. Nature, 406,
67-70.
5. Sapolsky R.M. (2001). What do females want? Natural
History, 110, 18-21.
Spring Break
9
March 25-31
No reading assignment
Communication
10
April 3
Chap. 12
Social Behavior
11
April 10
Chap. 19
Foraging Behavior
12
April 17
Chap. 15
April 24
Chap. 16
Conflict
13
Evolutionary Perspective on Human Behavior
14
May 1
15
May 8
1. Daly, M., & Wilson, M.I. (1999). Human evolutionary
psychology and animal behavior. Animal Behaviour,
57, 509-519.
2. Mace, R. (2000). Evolutionary ecology of human life
history. Animal Behaviour, 59, 1-10.
3. Jones, I., & Blackshaw, J.K. (2000). An evolutionary
approach to psychiatry. Australian and New Zealand
Journal of Psychiatry, 34, 8-13.
Other Resources
Television Specials:
Me and Isaac Newton (1999, Cinemax real life series)
Inside the Animal Mind (2000, PBS Nature series)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/animalmind/
Evolution (2001, PBS Nature series)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/
The Gene Hunters (2001, PBS SAF series)
http://www.pbs.org/saf/1202/index.html
The Secret Life of the Brain (2002, PBS series)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/
Internet sites:
PBS Nature Series:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/index.html
PBS Scientific American Frontiers:
http://www.pbs.org/saf/
HMS Beagle Magazine on BioMedNet:
http://news.bmn.com/hmsbeagle/contents
Neuroscion:
http://www.neuroscion.com/about.html
Society for Neuroscience:
http://www.sfn.org/
Anxiety Research Group (ARG) including download of C-G arena (virtual watermaze programs):
http://w3.arizona.edu/~arg/
Neurodetective sites:
http://www.psych.uleth.ca/NeuroD/index_org2.html
http://www.neurod.com/
NIH/funding (grants and fellowships):
http://www.nih.gov/
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/index.cfm
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm