INTRODUCTION TO BIOPSYCHOLOGY
Psychology 302
Spring 2010
Instructor:
Victor A. Shamas, Ph.D.
Office Hours: By Appointment
Telephone:
621-7447 (message phone only)
E-mail:
vas@email.arizona.edu
Homepage:
http://vas.web.arizona.edu
Required Materials: Biopsychology Course Reader (available only at
http://www.ActOnWisdom.org; click on “Books and CDs” link)
Course Overview
This course deals with the underlying biological basis of human experience, thought and action. We
will be looking at issues related to the genetics, evolution, anatomy and physiology of the nervous
system. The main question we will be asking throughout this course is: How does the physical brain
give rise to experiences like vision, hunger, memory, sexual desire, and language use? The answer to
this question will lead us in the following directions:
Unit 1: Anatomy, Physiology and Development
After a brief introduction to the genetics and evolution of behavior, we will delve into the structure
and function of neurons. We will look at the electrochemical events that take place both in the
neuron and at the synapses. Then we will discuss the anatomy of the nervous system, with emphasis
on the structure of the brain. The unit concludes with an overview of how the brain develops.
Unit 2: Regulation of Basic Functions
In this unit, we will concentrate on the physiological basis of the following functions: the five senses,
movement, circadian rhythms, sleep and dreams, hunger, thirst, and temperature regulation.
Unit 3: Emotions and Cognition
We begin this unit by examining the effects of hormones, especially on sexual development and
behavior. The discussion then turns to the "higher" human functions: emotions, learning, memory
and language. Finally, we will deal with the causes, effects, and treatment of psychological disorders.
Course Structure
Although this is a Web-based course, it resembles a traditional lecture course in virtually every
regard. Here are the features of the course:
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Classroom. This course has a virtual classroom that you can access through D2L
(http://d2l.arizona.edu). By clicking on the Discussions link from the course home page,
you will be able to access two forums: Classroom and Announcements. In the Classroom
forum, you will be able to post questions and discuss issues related to the course material
with the instructor and with other class members. The instructor will use the
Announcements to update you on the day-to-day business of the class. The difference
between the two is that content questions related to the subject of biopsychology will be
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addressed in the Classroom forum and logistical questions about the class (e.g., deadlines,
exams, grading) in the Announcements forum.
Handouts. You will be able to download the materials you need from the course website.
These materials include the syllabus and a set of PowerPoint files pertaining to each of the
topics addressed in the course.
Assignments. The main requirement in this course is that you keep up with the course
readings. These assigned readings are shown in the section entitled “Course Schedule”
below. All reading assignments are from the Biopsychology Course Reader, which can only
be ordered online through http://www.ActOnWisdom.org (click on “Books and CDs”
link).
Exams. You will be taking three multiple-choice exams in this course, which are described
in greater detail in the section entitled “Grading Policy.”
Grade Posting. You will be able to look at your exam scores and course grade by clicking
on the Grades link from the course home page.
Office Hours. You can send private questions to the instructor by clicking on the Mail link
from the course home page or at vas@email.arizona.edu. The instructor will answer
virtually all questions in less than 24 hours. In most cases, he will post his answers to one of
the two forums so that other members of the class can benefit from the information.
The course will proceed as follows: There will be assigned readings for each week of the session.
You will be expected to visit the course D2L site at least 2-3 times a week. Please note that any
changes in the course schedule, exam times and locations, or grading policy will ONLY be
announced on the website. If you do not check it often, you will miss out on important information.
When you enter the Discussions, you will find course announcements, questions about the material,
and discussion of issues related to the course content. Although you are not required to post to
either forum, you are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the learning opportunities the online
format affords you. You will be taking three exams in the course (see “Grading Policy” for more
information).
Grading Policy
Your grade will be based on three multiple-choice exams, which will be held in at 6pm in a
classroom TBA on the following dates:
Midterm 1: Friday, February 19
Midterm 2: Friday, March 26
Final Exam: Friday, April 30
Attendance and punctuality are absolutely required at all three exams. If you miss an exam or
arrive more than 15 minutes late, you will receive an automatic score of zero. There are no
makeup exams except in the event of an extreme and verifiable emergency.
The exams are multiple-choice and each question has four choices. The midterms have 30 questions
each and the final has 60 questions. Because the tests are computer-graded, you will need to bring a
Number 2 pencil to the exams and to make sure that you fill in the accompanying scantron form
according to the instructions that will be provided. Each question is worth one point. On the final,
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approximately 40 questions will cover new material (Unit 3) and the other 20 will be review from
Units 1 and 2.
All of the exams are closed-book and closed-notes tests. There are a total of 120 points for this
course, which are distributed as follows:
Midterm 1:
Midterm 2:
Final exam:
TOTAL
30 points
30 points
60 points
120 points
Your grade will be based on the grade cutoffs shown below:
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Score___
100-120
80-99
60-79
40-59
below 40
Please note: There is no extra credit in this course and no grade of “incomplete.”
Required Materials
All readings listed in the course outline are taken from the Biopsychology Course Reader, which can
be obtained from the following website: http://www.ActOnWisdom.org. If you click on the
“Books and CDs” link, you will find the reader for this course towards the bottom of the page.
There is no longer a required textbook for this course. The instructor has chosen to use an
electronic reader instead because it offers the following advantages over a standard textbook: 1) it
saves the students money; 2) the method of delivery of the materials is more eco-friendly; and 3) all
the proceeds go to a non-profit organization that the instructor supports. If you have any feedback
concerning this new format, please e-mail the instructor: vas@email.arizona.edu.
Course Schedule
You will need to read an average of about four lessons from your course reader per week in this
course. Please keep up with the readings so that you can post questions to the Classroom forum.
You can post any question about any of the course material on any day of the semester, and
your questions and thoughts are always welcome. But you and your classmates will get more out of
the course if you keep up with the readings and post your questions pertaining to a specific reading
on the day we are scheduled to discuss it.
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The following is the schedule we will be following in this course:
WEEK 1 (1/13 - 1/15)
WEEK 2 (1/18 - 1/22)
WEEK 3 (1/25 - 1/29)
WEEK 4 (2/1 - 2/5)
WEEK 5 (2/5 - 2/12)
WEEK 6 (2/15 - 2/19)
WEEK 7 (2/22 - 2/26)
WEEK 8 (3/1 - 3/5)
WEEK 9 (3/5 - 3/12)
WEEK 10 (3/15 - 3/19)
WEEK 11 (3/22 - 3/26)
WEEK 12 (3/29 - 4/2)
WEEK 13 (4/5 - 4/9)
WEEK 14 (4/12 - 4/16)
WEEK 15 (4/19 - 4/23)
WEEK 16 (4/26 - 4/30)
Major Issues (Lessons I-1, I-2, I-3)
Nerve Cells & Nerve Impulses (Lessons I-4, I-5, I-6)
NO CLASS: MLK DAY, JANUARY 18
Synapses (Lessons I-7, I-8, I-9, I-10)
Anatomy of the Nervous System (Lessons I-11 thru I-15)
Development & Plasticity in the Brain (Lessons I-16, 1-17, I18)
MIDTERM 1: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 6pm
Vision (Lessons II-1, II-2, II-3, II-4, II-5, II-6)
The Other Sensory Systems (Lessons II-7, II-8, II-9)
Movement (Lessons II-10, II-11, II-12)
Wakefulness & Sleep (Lessons II-13, II-14, II-15)
Internal Regulation (Lessons II-16, II-17, II-18)
SPRING BREAK
MIDTERM 2: FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 6pm
Reproductive Behaviors (Lessons III-1, III-2, III-3)
Emotional Behaviors (Lessons III-4, III-5, III-6, III-7)
Biology of Learning and Memory (Lessons III-8, III-9, III-10)
Cognitive Functions (Lessons III-11, III-12, III-13, III-14,
III-15)
Psychological Disorders (Lessons III-16, III-17, III-18)
FINAL EXAM: FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 6pm
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