PP 7051
Biological Bases of Behavior
Summer II 2010
INSTRUCTOR:
Dawn Santucci, PsyDPHONE:
630-251-7815EMAIL:
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Title / BiopsychologyAuthor(s) / Pinel, J.P.J.
Copyright / 2007
Publisher / Allyn & Bacon
ISBN / 0-205-59388-7
Edition / 7th
This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet: _YES X NO
ArgosyUniversity
COURSE SYLLABUS
PP 7051
Biological Bases of Behavior: SummerII 2010
Faculty Information:
Faculty Name: Dawn Santucci, Psy.D.
Campus:Chicago
Contact Information:
Email: or
Phone: 630-251-7815
Office Hours:By appointment
Short Faculty Bio: Dr. Santucci earned a M.A. in Counseling Psychology and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the AdlerSchool of Professional Psychology. She holds certification in Neuropsychological Assessment and Clinical Hypnosis. Her primary interest is assessment, particularly neuropsychological and forensic assessment.
Course Description:
This course will introduce students to the gross anatomy and the neurophysiology of the Nervous System. Students will be presented with recent data and updated findings regarding neurological functions as the foundations of human behavior. In addition, this course will present an overview of Endocrinological processes, adding more breadth to the scope of this course of introducing students to the fundamentals of physiology-behavior correlates. Furthermore, students will be introduced to the clinical ramifications of primitive reflexes and their neuron-developmental contributions.
Required Textbooks:
Pinel, J.P.J. (2009). Biopsychology, 7th Edition.Boston: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN: 0-205-59388-7
Course length: 15Weeks
Contact Hours: 45 Hours
Credit Value: 3.0
Program Outcomes:
The Doctoral program in Clinical Psychology at ArgosyUniversity, Chicago Campus is an APA accredited program (APA, 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC20002, 202-336-5500). This program is designed to educate and train students so that they may eventually be able to function effectively as clinical psychologists. To ensure that students are prepared adequately, the curriculum provides for the meaningful integration of theory, training and practice. The Clinical Psychology program at Argosy University Chicago Campus emphasizes the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills essential in the formation of professional psychologists who are committed to the ethical provision of quality services. Specific objectives of the program include the following:
- Goal 1: Prepare professional psychologists to accurately, effectively, and ethically select, administer, score, interpret, and communicate findings of appropriate assessment methods informed by accepted psychometric standards and sensitive to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
- Objective 1a: Accurately and ethically administer and score various psychodiagnostic instruments.
- Objective 1b: Accurately interpret and synthesize assessment data in the context of diversity factors, referral questions, and specific objectives of the assessment, and organize and communicate results in writing and orally.
- Objective 1c: Examine psychometric properties of psychological assessment instruments, and use that knowledge to evaluate, select, administer, and interpret psychological tests and measures appropriate for the client, the referral question, and the objectives of the assessment.
- Goal 2: Prepare professional psychologists to select, implement, and evaluate psychological interventions consistent with current ethical, evidence-based, and professional standards, within a theoretical framework, and with sensitivity to the interpersonal processes of the therapeutic relationship and the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
- Objective 2a: Synthesize the foundations of clinical psychology, including psychopathology, human development, diagnosis, diversity, ethics, and various therapeutic models in clinical applications.
- Objective 2b: Select, plan, and implement ethical and evidence-based interventions with sensitivity to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
- Objective 2c: Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively implement and participate in psychological consultation and supervision.
Objective 2d: Demonstrate personal development and self-reflective capacity, including growth of interpersonal skills, and therapeutic relationships.
- Goal 3: Prepare professional psychologists to analyze the complexity and multidimensionality of human diversity, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to understand diverse worldviews and the potential meaning of social, cultural, and individual differences for professional psychological services.
- Goal 4: Prepare professional psychologists to examine the historical context and the current body of knowledge of biological, cognitive, affective, developmental, and social bases of human functioning.
- Goal 5: Prepare professional psychologists to critically evaluate the current and evolving body of scholarly literature in psychology to inform professional practice.
Course Objectives:
The objectives of this course are designed to contribute significantly to the program’s competence in “Scientific and Historical Foundations of Clinical Psychology.” Students will:
- Demonstrate a mastery of fundamental gross anatomy and physiology of the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems.
- Demonstrate a mastery of main endocrinological processes in the body.
- Demonstrate familiarity with neurodevelopmental processes.
- Develop an understanding of brain-behavior and physiology-behavior correlates in the service of a necessary conceptual grasp of physiological determinants to human development, human behavior, and psychopathology.
Class Expectations:
This is a critical and fundamental course in the curriculum of our graduate program. Mastery of this course material is essential for several academic and training components of this program. Students are expected to attend all classes, read all designated chapters, and complete all assignments. Meaningful participation in classroom discussions is encouraged and expected. Students are invited to ask questions, express their thoughts regarding the material presented, and demonstrate respect and sensitivity to individual differences and opinions.A student who must miss a class or an assignment (regardless of the reason) hasto inform the instructor as early as possible. If more than two classes are missed,a failinggrade will be given for the course,unless a contracted way to make up the missed classes is arranged.
The final grade for this course will be determined by the total points (100) earned from a Midterm Paper (20 points), Midterm Exam (30 points), Final Paper (20 points), and a Final Exam(30 points). Work is expected to be turned in on time. If, for some reason, you miss class the day an assignment is due, the assignment is expected to be in my school mailbox or email inbox by the start of class time. Assignments not turned in by the start of class will be considered late and marked down 3% for every day that it is late. Work that is more than a week late will not be accepted and a zero will be given for the assignment. There will be an opportunity for extra credit each class period. A Multiple Choice question will be asked from each chapter of the assignedreadings. Questions will be worth a ½ point each, for a total of 8½ points for the course. If you are not present for the extra credit questions no make-up opportunities are allowed. You can use personal notes from the readings to answer the questions.
Assignment Table:
Week / Topics / Readings / Assignments1a 7/7 /
- Introduction
- Evolution and Genetics
1b 7/7 /
- CNS & PNS: Anatomy and Gross Functions
- Cranial Nerves
Appendixes I, II, III and IV
2a 7/14 /
- Nervous Tissue and Neurotransmission
- Neurons and Glial Cells; Synapses and Neurotransmitters
2b 7/14 /
- Neurodevelopment
3a 7/21 /
- Brain Damage & Neuroplasticity
3b 7/21 /
- Sensory Systems
- Perception, Awareness, and Attention
- Sensorimotor System
4a 7/28 /
- Test Review
4b 7/28 / MIDTERM EXAM
5a 8/4 /
- Learning, Memory, and Amnesia
- Lateralization, Language & the Split Brain
5b 8/4 /
- Hunger and Thirst
- Sleep, Dreaming, and Circadian Rhythms
6a 8/11 /
- The Neuroendocrine System (Hormones, Reproductive Physiology)
6b 8/11 /
- Emotion, Stress, and Health
- Neurological correlates of Drug Abuse and Psychiatric Disorders
7a 8/18 /
- Test Review
7b 8/18 / FINAL EXAM
Grading Criteria
Grading Scale Grading requirements
A / 100 – 93A- / 92 – 90
B+ / 89 – 88
B / 87 – 83
B- / 82 – 80
C+ / 79 – 78
C / 77 - 73
C- / 72 – 70
D+ / 69 – 68
D / 67 – 63
D- / 62 – 60
F / 59 and below
Midterm Paper / 20%
Midterm in Class Exam / 30%
Final Paper / 20%
Final in Class Exam / 30%
100%
Library Resources:
ArgosyUniversity’s core online collection features more than 21,000 full-text journals, 23,000 electronic books and other content covering all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences.All electronic resources can be accessed through the library’s website at User IDs and passwords are distributed during orientation, but can also be obtained at the circulation desk, calling 312-777-7653, or by e-mail at .
In addition to online resources, ArgosyUniversity’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Library Online Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections.Alternatively, students can search combined collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance from campus librarians.
Information Literacy: ArgosyUniversity’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach fundamental and transferable research skills, including selecting sources appropriate for academic-level research, searching periodical indexes and search engines, and evaluating and citing information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at
Academic Policies:
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, ArgosyUniversity requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001). WashingtonDC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as consult the ArgosyUniversity catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Scholarly writing: The faculty at ArgosyUniversity is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be asked to submit your course assignments through “Turnitin,” ( an online resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share common information and duplicative language.
Americans with Disabilities Act Policy:
It is the policy of ArgosyUniversity to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services. Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.
Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.
The ArgosyUniversity Statement Regarding Diversity:
ArgosyUniversity prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic, and educational experiences. Boththe academic and training curricula are designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes essential to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
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