College of the Canyons Psychology 102: Physiological Psychology Course Syllabus for Section #17333 Tues 6:30 – 9:35 p.m. Valencia Campus SCOH­206 (Seco Hall, Room 206) Fall 2015 Instructor: Neil Walker
Office: Bonelli 312 e­mail: neil.walker@canyons.edu Office hours = Tues 4:50­6:30 and 9:35­ 10:15 Bonelli Rm 312 Phone: DNC ext 26076 Website: http://canyons.edu/faculty/WalkerN Required Textbook & Materials: COC Psych Dept (2010). ​
Discovering Biological Psychology, Custom Edition. Cengage/ISBN ​
9781111470418 5 Scantron Answer Sheets (#882­E #2 pencil for quizzes & exams; stapler Other Resources Recommended by the Instructor​
: nd​
Discovering Biological Psychology, 2​ Edition Study Guide. Cengage/ISBN ​
9780547177854 Companion Website (contains practice quizzes): ​
http://tinyurl.com/2bctoby Author’s Blog: ​
http://www.laurafreberg.com/ Course Description: This course details the functional and anatomical aspects of the nervous system in order to interpret behavior in terms of physiological processes. Topics include the cellular and organizational structure of the nervous system, the effects of psychoactive substances on the nervous system, the means by which sensory systems detect and process environmental events, and the biological basis of a variety of complex behaviors and mental processes. College­level courses, such as this one, are designed to require 2­3 hours of outside studying for every hour that the class meets. This means that, in addition to attending class meetings, each student should be studying about 6­9 hours per week to do well in this course. Completing reading assignments prior to the in­class discussion of the material is one way to enhance success. Additional study strategies will be discussed during the first week of the course. Note​
:​
Subject matter discussed in this course is mature, sensitive and controversial in nature. Some topics covered in physiological psychology such as: the mind/body debate, animal experimentation, human sexuality, pseudohermaphroditism, sexual orientation, and psychological disorders may be objectionable to some students. This should be considered ​
prior​
to enrolling in this course. Continued enrollment in the course verifies your readiness to analyze and discuss these mature topics. Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course a student will be able to assess the influence of a variety of biological factors including neural and hormonal mechanisms that impact behavior and mental processes such as perception, sleep and dreaming, reproductive behaviors, memory, language and psychological disorders. Classroom Policy: Attendance​
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You are expected to attend each meeting of the course, on time, fully prepared and ready to participate. Attending every class period is important because the material is challenging to learn and some topics covered in lecture will not appear in your textbook. On assignments, exams and quizzes, you will be responsible for the information presented in lecture as well as the textbook chapters assigned. When you miss a class, you are responsible for obtaining the information that was presented, including possible changes in assignments or test dates. Attendance is ​
mandatory​
on examination days {­refer to “Examinations” on pg. 2 for more information­}. Attendance will be recorded by completing in­class reviews and submitting them at the end of each class session. Students arriving to class late or leaving early, without receiving authorization from the instructor prior to the class period, may be marked absent. To change an absence to a tardy/early departure, a student must meet with the instructor that day at the end of lecture. Two recorded tardies or early departures will count as one absence (each tardy/early departure is counted as 1/2 an absence). If you have more than two (2) unexcused absences prior to the drop deadline, you may be automatically dropped from the course by the instructor. Ultimately you are responsible for adding or dropping this course​
. If you are not able to finish or choose not to finish the course, you must officially withdraw by the drop deadline through the Admissions and Records Office. A grade must be given to each student who does not officially drop a course. Classroom Behavior​
­­ College level behavior is expected. Maintaining a positive classroom learning environment is important, so anyone engaging in any inappropriate behavior during class ​
will​
be asked to leave &/or referred to the Dean. **Phones must be put away, turned off or on “vibration” mode, and inaccessible throughout the entire class period. Cell phone use during the class period is not permitted. Texting, e­mailing, and other activities on the phone are not permitted during the class period. When students text, e­mail, and/or talk on the phone during class, it is a major distraction to everyone, and potential concern (if occurring during a closed­book quiz or exam, since cell phones are essentially mini computers and could be used to facilitate academic dishonesty). While it may feel like you can participate in class AND play Angry Birds/Words with Friends, studies have consistently shown it is not possible to do both effectively.​
☺​
Additionally, it is very distracting to the instructor to see audience members immersed in their phones. Hats, hoods, and sunglasses must be removed when you take an exam. Additionally, your desk must be cleared, except for a scantron form and #2 pencils. Please put away all other materials including, but not limited to, PDAs, calculators, MP3 players, laptop computers, cell phones, textbooks and notebooks. These materials must remain put away until after the quiz or exam session has concluded and all testing materials have been collected. Exams and completed scantron forms must be submitted in class when the instructor signals that time is up. Examination materials cannot be removed from the classroom for any reason. No photographing or copying of any exam materials is permitted. If classroom behavior becomes a problem and is determined to consistently diminish student learning, the instructor may utilize a number of techniques to improve the classroom environment including, but not limited to, asking disruptive students to leave (without opportunity for making up missed work), requiring disruptive students meet with the Dean prior to returning to class, constructing a seating chart &/or locking the door at the beginning of the class period. Student Services​
­­A student with a verified disability may be entitled to appropriate academic accommodations. Please contact me and/or the Disabled Students Program and Services Office (SCOH­103) at ext. 3341/3342 for further 2 information. If you currently have documentation from the DSP&S Office and are requesting academic accommodations for this course, please speak with me at your earliest convenience to make arrangements. It takes some time to set up academic accommodations, so please don’t wait until the last minute to do so. Academic Honesty​
­­All students are expected to conform to the college policy on academic honesty. It is not fair, or academically honest, for a student to earn points for work he/she did not complete himself/herself. Academic and academic­related misconduct includes, but is not limited to, representing the work of others to be one's own, tampering with projects of others, using external information or unauthorized collaboration during tests/quizzes, or facilitating dishonesty by others. Unless otherwise specified by the instructor, all homework assignments, in­class assignments, extra credit assignments, quizzes and exams must be your own work to be eligible for credit. Cite outside resources, including your textbook. No assignments submitted by separate students should contain the same written answers. Additionally, the instructor may use resources such as Google and Turnitin.com to determine if academic misconduct has occurred. A student engaging in academic misconduct is subject to disciplinary action by the instructor and by College of the Canyons. At a minimum, academic misconduct will result in a grade of zero for the assignment in question. Components of Your Grade: Examinations​
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​
Four exams, worth 75 points each, and one (last) exam worth 50 points will be given throughout the semester. Each exam may contain of any combination of multiple choice or true­false questions. Examinations will consist of information presented in the required textbook readings, as well as material discussed in lectures.​
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You must use a scantron #882­E answer sheet and #2 pencil to complete each exam. Only answers submitted on an #882­E scantron form using a #2 pencil will be accepted for credit. ​
Attendance for examinations is ​
mandatory​
. Make­up exams may be given only in unforeseen, extreme emergency situations including cases of severe illness (e.g. hospitalization) and undue hardship that is verified by an outside authority (e.g. death in the immediate family). Should one such conflict occur, requests for any make­up exams must be made to the instructor prior to the examination hour or as soon as humanly possible. Official written documentation of your hardship (e.g. from hospital, police) is required for any consideration of a make­up exam at the discretion of the instructor. Original copies (& not photocopies or scanned copies) of documentation materials are required. In­class Assignments​
: In order to engage you further in the material and encourage your presence in class, there will be review / quizzes given in class that will be collected for credit. They will correspond with the lecture and will be presented during every class period (except on Exam days). The intention of the assignments is to help you make connections with the book material, lecture topics, and your own experiences. The more effort you bring to the assignments, the more connections you will make and the more you will learn and remember. If you miss class for any reason you will NOT recover the points missed. Research Article ; Review Paper​
: Over the course of the semester you will be required to write a paper (5­6 pages, typed, double spaced) with a total of three components. The activity will involve you (1) finding a suitable research article related to physiological psychology, (2) writing an article summary (1­2 pages), and (3) writing a paper (3­4 pages) that links the article to the relevant concepts from the textbook and demonstrates a deep level of understanding. The article itself does NOT count toward the total number of pages. A more detailed description of these papers is provided toward the end of this syllabus. Grade Distribution​
: Your final course grade will be determined by the following: 3 Examinations​
........................................................ 47% of total points 5 Exams 350 points Assignments​
.......................................................... 20% of total points 10 In­Class Review / Quizzes 150 points Research Article / Review Paper…
​…………… 33% of total points 250 points ____________________________________________________________ TOTAL
750 points ​
Final Course Grade Distribution 90­100% of total points (675 ­ 750 points) = A
80­89% of total points (600 ­ 674 points) = B
70­79% of total points (525 ­ 599 points) = C
60­69% of total points (450 ­ 524 points) = D Less than 60% total points (449 ­ less pts) = F
Tentative Course Schedule: Chapter assignments
Date ​
(Reading Assignment)
Class Discussion Topics Aug
25
Welcome, Chapter 1
Syllabus, Q & A, Success Tips, Intro to Biological Psychology Sep
01
Chap 2, start Chap 3
Anatomy & Evolution, Cells of the Nervous System Sep
08 ​
Chapter 3​
, EXAM # 1 Cells of the Nervous System​
, Exam Covers Chapters 1, 2, and 3 Sep 15
Chapter 4, Start Chap 6
Psychopharmacology, Vision Sep
22
Chapter 6, Start Chap 7
Vision, Non Visual Sensation and Perception
**RESEARCH ARTICLE DUE** Sep 29 Chapter 7, ​
EXAM #2
Non­visual sensation and perception, ​
Exam Covers Chaps 4, 6,& 7 Oct
06
Chapter 9
Temperature Regulation, Thirst and Hunger
Oct 13
Chapter 10
Sexual Behavior Oct
20
Chapter 11
Sleep and Waking **ARTICLE SUMMARY DUE** Oct 27
EXAM #3
Covers Chapters 9, 10, and 11 Nov
03
Chapter 12, Start Chap 13
Learning and Memory, Lateralization, Language & Intelligence Nov
10
Chapter 13, Start Chap 14
Lateralization, Language and Intelligence: Emotion, Reward Aggression **LINK PAPER DUE** Nov
17
Chapter 14, ​
EXAM #4
Emotion, Reward, etc. ​
EXAM Covers Chapters 12, 13, & 14 4 Nov
24
Chapter 15
Neurological Disorders 01
Chapter 16
Psychological Disorders 08
​
EXAM #5
EXAM covers Chapters 15 and 16 Dec
Dec
Last day to drop with Refund: Sept 06, 2015
Add Deadline: Sept 06, 2015
Last day to drop without a 'W': Sept 06, 2015.
Drop Deadline: Nov 15, 2015 REMINDERS​
:​
This is a TENTATIVE schedule. Examination and reading assignment dates may change periodically throughout the semester. You are responsible for obtaining the information presented in class, including possible changes in assignments or test dates, either in person or from one of your classmates. Continued enrollment in the course assumes you have a thorough understanding of the course syllabus, expectations and acceptance of policies regarding grading, exam dates, assignment requirements, & “no make up exams” policy. Article Project Over the course of the semester you will be asked to complete one paper (several pages typed, double spaced), with a total of three components. The activity will involve you 1) finding a suitable research article related to physiological psychology, 2) writing an article summary, and 3) writing a paper that links the article to the relevant concepts from the textbook/lecture which demonstrates a deep level of understanding. The objective of this project is to enhance your research skills by finding a suitable and relevant research article, demonstrate your critical thinking and analysis skills by summarizing the article you found, and exhibiting your knowledge base of physiological psychology by connecting the article to topics and concepts found in the course. You will have different “checkpoints” throughout the course to both make sure you are on track time­wise, but also to identify the importance of each component of the project. Be very careful not to fall behind, as the due dates are not flexible and if you miss one, you may find it very easy to miss the next, and so on. Any part of the assignment that is submitted late will suffer a reduced grade. No emailed documents will be accepted. Let’s look at each component more thoroughly: 1) Article Search: DUE September 22nd What do you do? Start searching scholarly, peer­reviewed research articles online through the campus’s library database. It does not necessarily have to be from a Physiological Psychology journal, but you will still need to make the connection later in the project. Don’t be fooled by the title, you want to read the abstract or even the introduction before you commit to your article. Make sure it’s something you understand and are interested in looking more deeply into. There is no date restriction; in other words, the article can be brand new, or more “historic” (say from the beginning of Physiological Psychology). There is no page minimum or limit. It’s about quality, not quantity. Searching Via Computer​
: Use the following link to go to COC’s library page. http://www.canyons.edu/offices/library Then select the "Find Articles" icon and scroll down.The databases that are generally most useful are '​
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection' and 'Proquest Direct'.​
If you use Proquest, you may wish to limit the search parameters to Peer Reviewed Journal Articles (otherwise you'll get newspaper and magazine articles, and dissertations and such). If you are using a computer off campus, use the username and password below to log in, or call the reference desk at 661­362­3358 for help. 5 Username:​
magic Password: ​
mountain After you have access, you can use any database that can give you access to the articles you may want. The KEY is to make sure it is a peer­reviewed and scholarly research article, not a popular publication, such as People, Psychology Today or Time magazine. Once you find the article, print it out. What do you turn in? A copy of the article. You are required to give me a printed copy of the article, and ** NOTE ** I will not be giving it back to you, so make sure you make a copy for yourself. The article submission is worth 50 points. If you select a popular publication (magazine, newspaper, blog report, etc) or someone's thesis or dissertation instead of a peer reviewed scholarly research article I will deduct 10 points and tell you to initiate your search again until you come up with an appropriate article. If you have any questions or doubts about the appropriateness of your article, show it to me in advance of the submission date. 2) Article Summary : DUE October 20th What do you do? Summarize the main points of the article in a one to two page, typed, double­spaced, stapled paper. Do NOT copy from the article itself. Put the writing in your own words and identify what was most important, what was the conclusion, how did they reach it, how might it have been handled differently, or what other research questions can be asked as a result of the findings. Summarize in ​
YOUR OWN​
words. What do you turn in? Your typed summary. Once it is looked over, you will be credited up to 100 points, depending on the quality of writing, critical thinking, and organization. Also note that I will not be returning these to you. 3) Link Paper: DUE November 10th What do you do? Connect the information from the research article to concepts that are addressed in the textbook and/or lecture. Back up what you saw in the article by discussing it with language from Physiological Psychology to demonstrate your deeper level of understanding and knowledge of the topic. It may require you to do some independent research to be more thorough in your explanations, don’t be scared. It is your opportunity to demonstrate that you GET IT, even if it’s only one topic within the course. Don’t reiterate the article or your summary. Use it as a jumping off point to become more involved in the topic that the article is related to. You will do this and turn in to me a three to four page, typed, double­spaced, stapled paper. By three pages, that means three complete pages of writing, not some writing on the third piece of paper. What do you turn in? Your typed paper linking the article to the concepts of Physiological Psychology, This final part of the project is worth a total of 100 possible points. Please note again that I will not be returning these to you. TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE: ARTICLE: 50 points SUMMARY: 100 points
LINK PAPER: 100 points Total: 250 Points 6