PSYC 2240 3.0 Section A Biological Basis of Behavior
Course Instructor
Dr. Susan Murtha
217 BSB
Office Hours: by appointment
Email: smurtha@yorku.ca (if you send anything to me via email, make sure you put your course
number in the subject heading).
Phone: 736-5115 Ext. 66132
Class notes: www.psych.yorku.ca/smurtha click on your course on left column, find the lecture
notes you require, click on it. These are Word (.doc) files summarizing the text on my ppt
slides. They are not my ppt slides and therefore do not contain graphs, or any copyright
protected material. Downloading these notes does not make up for coming to the lectures.
Teaching Assistant (TA):
Paula McLaughlin
Rm: 065 BSB
Office hour: Thursday 1:00-2:00
Email: paulamc@yorku.ca
In order to leave a phone message for your TA phone 416 736 5115, listen to recorded
message and then press option 2, your message will be recorded and left in the TA’s mailbox.
However, the best way to get a hold of your TA is via email. She is not always on campus and it
could be days before she picks up her phone messages.
Secretary:
Zehra Bandhu,
Rm. 284 BSB
Phone: -5115 Ext. 66232
Class Time/location: Thursday 2:30 – 5:30 in Room ACE 001
Course prerequisite: Introductory Psychology (PSYC 1010 6.0) with a minimum grade of C.
Text Book: Kalat J.W., (2007). Biological Psychology (9th edition). NY: Brooks/Cole
Class Format
Lectures are designed to stimulate your interest in the field of Biological Psychology. Not
all the information presented in the text nor in each chapter will be covered in class. You are
responsible however, for covering the information in the chapters in their entirety unless I specify
otherwise. In addition, some of the lectures will present information that is not in the text.
Questions pertaining to such information may appear on the tests, and it is in your best interest to
borrow notes from a classmate if you happen to miss a class. Films and/or videos may be shown
from time to time during classes and questions derived from such material also may appear on
tests.
Evaluation
Tests: three tests will be administered worth 35%, 30%, 35% . These tests will be
comprised of multiple choice questions and short answer questions. Questions may be factual
and/or require critical thinking skills.
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Grading
Percentage
9080-89
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
40-49
0-39
Letter Grade
A+
A
B+
B
C+
C
D+
D
E
F
Missed Tests and Exams
According to University Policy, the only legitimate excuse for missing a test/exam is
because of medical problems or an emergency not because you have to work or because you
don’t feel like writing it. If you miss one of the tests because of a documented medical illness or
emergency (see below), email your TA within 48 hours of the date of the test. You should be
prepared to write the make-up within the week following the test. You may cc me on this email
but your first contact will be your TA, she will be able to provide you with where and when the
make-up will be held. You can also call to leave a message for your TA, or my secretary (ext
66232) but it would be best if you could email your TA. Bring your documentation at the time
of the make-up. Although everyone will be given the opportunity to write the make-up if your
documentation is found to be invalid or falsely obtained you will be assigned an F for the test.
Guidelines for Missed tests and Exams
1) A message must be left within 48 hours and it must clearly state the following:
-your name
-your student number
-course name and section
-phone number at which you can be reached if you prefer to be called back.
-and (this is very important) time best to call you back if you prefer to be called then emailed.
2) If you cannot contact someone during this 48 hour period, subsequent documentation
accounting for the delay must be provided.
3) Appropriate documentation verifying the circumstances for the missed test or
examination must be provided at the time specified by the instructor. Failure to provide
appropriate documentation will result in a grade of F on the missed test.
What is appropriate documentation?
a) medical circumstances – tests/exams missed due to medical circumstances must be supported
by an attending physicians statement or a statement by a psychologist or counselor. The
statement must include the following:
i) the full name, mailing address and telephone number of the physician.
ii) the nature of the illness and its duration (i.e., specific dates covered), and
iii) an indication of whether the illness and/or medication prescribed would have
seriously affected the students ability to study and perform over the period in question.
NOTE: the physician's office may be contacted to verify that the forms were completed by the
physician.
b) non-medical circumstances – tests/exams missed due to non-medical circumstances must be
supported by appropriate documentation, i.e., death certificates, obituary notice, automobile
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accident reports, airline/bus ticket/receipt for emergency travel (with date of booking on ticket),
etc. Airline/train/bus ticket/receipts for emergency travel must indicate destination, departure,
and return dates.
4) The manner in which the missed test (which has been legitimately documented) will be
handled is at the discretion of the instructor.
Eg., In the case of a make-up test/exam, the student must be prepared to write within the week
following the missed test (a date will be set by the instructor). Although the content to be
examined will be the same, the format may or may not follow that of the original test/exam. You
must check with the TA for the date and time of the make-up. A conflict in another course during
the time of the make-up is not an acceptable reason for missing the make-up (unless there is an
examination in the other course at that time).
-if you miss the make-up (again supported by appropriate documentation), then the
situation will be dealt with on a case by case basis depending on the circumstances.
Cheating/Plagiarism/Impersonation
The University does not look favorably on cheating of any kind and the penalties for
doing so are very harsh. Become familiar with the rules and regulations regarding
cheating/plagiarism. If you have any questions about academic honesty/integrity– you can go to
the Academic Integrity web site at York University (http://www.yorku.ca/academicintegrity), to
read the section ‘For Students’. This website provides links to York’s Senate Policy on Academic
Honest, and an online Academic Integrity Tutorial that you may find useful.
In summary, you can avoid problems by following some simple rules:
a) Do your own work and present your own ideas in your own words. Do no merely repeat or
reword whole sections from other sources.
b) Always identify your sources of information or ideas and properly reference them.
c) Don’t copy from friends or neighbors and don’t let friends or neighbors copy from you.
Bad Weather
Classes will be held unless York University is officially closed. If the University closes
on the day of a scheduled test, the test will be held during the next class meeting. Otherwise tests
will be held as scheduled. If you think the university may be closed due to bad weather, call the
university “weather emergency” number 736-5600, or the main switchboard at 736-2100.
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Expected Date
September 6
September 13
September 20
Lecture Topic & Associated Chapter (material)
Introduction (Chapter 1)
no class
Nerve cells, impulses & synapses (Chapters 2 & 3 (not
pages 65, 66)
September 27
Anatomy and Development of the brain (Chapters 4 & 5.1)
October 4
Test A (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.1)
October 11
Brain Damage and Recovery of Function (Chapter 5.2, plus
extra material provided through lecture)
October 18
Vision (Chapters 6)
October 25
Wakefulness & Sleep (Chapter 9)
November 1
Test B (Chapters 5.2+ in class lecture material, 6 &9
November 8
Reproductive behaviors (Chapter 11 & pgs, 65, 66, 224225)
Last day to drop Fall term courses without receiving a grade is November 9
November 15
Learning and Memory (Chapter 13)
November 22
Other Cognitive functions (Chapter 14)
November 29
Psychological Disorders (Chapter 15)
December 5th– Dec 20th exam time period: Test C will take place during the final exam
time period on chapters 11, 13, 14, 15)
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