INTRODUCTION TO BIOPSYCHOLOGY
Psychology 302
Fall 2007
Location:
Meeting Times:
Bio W 208
Tuesdays, 5:30–8:15 pm
Instructor:
Office Hours:
Telephone:
E-mail:
Victor A. Shamas, Ph.D.
By Appointment
621-7447 (message phone only)
vas@email.arizona.edu
Textbook:
Study Guide:
Biological Psychology (9th Ed) by James W. Kalat, Wadsworth, 2007
http://vas.web.arizona.edu
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
This is a lecture/discussion course in which your grade is based entirely on three multiple-choice exams.
Although class attendance will not be taken, you will find attendance to be extremely beneficial in helping you
learn the course material and do well on the exams. Here is how the course will be organized:
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Study Guide. You can find this Microsoft Word file on the instructor’s homepage
(http://vas.web.arizona.edu). The study guide divides the course material into three units and
each unit into 18 lessons. Every lesson includes a set of objectives and key terms. This is the
information you will need to know on the exams. Also, you will find a set of practice tests at the
back of the study guide to help you prepare for the exams.
Lectures. Each lecture in this course will cover a specific chapter in the textbook as well as the
corresponding lessons in the study guide. Questions and discussion are strongly encouraged. You
should make sure to do the readings before coming to class and to get all of your questions answered
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by the time you leave class. The instructor will post lecture notes on his homepage
(http://vas.web.arizona.edu) within a week of each lecture.
Assigned Readings. Each lesson has an assigned reading from the course textbook. There are 3-5
lessons pertaining to each chapter. To get the most out of this course, you will want to read the
chapter that will be discussed in class and work through the corresponding lessons in the study guide
prior to each class meeting (see the Course Schedule for more details).
Exams. You will be taking three multiple-choice exams in this course, one at the end of each unit.
These exams are described in greater detail in the Grading Policy section below.
Grading Policy
Your grade will be based on three multiple-choice exams that will take place on the following dates:
Midterm 1:
Midterm 2:
Final Exam:
September 25
October 30
December 4
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. Each question is worth one point. On the final, 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. You will have one hour to complete the midterms
and two hours for the final.
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
Score___
A
100-120
B
80-99
C
60-79
D
40-59
F
below 40
PLEASE NOTE: There is no extra credit for this course, and no grade of "incomplete" will be
awarded.
Course Schedule
Each of the lectures in this course pertains to one chapter of the textbook, as well as the corresponding
lessons in the study guide. Please work through the lessons in each chapter before coming to class. For
example, you should read Chapter 1, “The Major Issues,” and work through Lessons I-1 through I-3 prior to
the August 21 lecture.
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Course Introduction
CH.1: The Major Issues
CH.2: Nerve Cells and Nerve Impulses
CH.3: Synapses
CH.4: Anatomy of the Nervous System
CH.5: Development and Plasticity in the Brain
REVIEW SESSION
CH.6: Vision
MIDTERM 1
CH.7: The Other Sensory Systems
CH.8: Movement
CH.9: Wakefulness and Sleep
CH.10: Internal Regulation
REVIEW SESSION
CH.11: Reproductive Behaviors
MIDTERM 2
CH.12: Emotional Behaviors
CH.13: The Biology of Learning and Memory
CH.14: Cognitive Functions
CH.15: Psychological Disorders
REVIEW SESSION
FINAL EXAM
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