PSYC 326 Behavioral Neuroscience Fall 2008 Page 1

This course is an introduction to the biological bases of behavior. We will use the topic of learning and memory as a theme to go into depth into the observations and psychological concepts (the behavior and cognitive processes) and the biology (in terms of the anatomy, physiology, neurochemistry, and endocrinology) that make up the discipline behavioral neuroscience. Psychology 100g or permission of the instructor is a prerequisite.

Class Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00 – 3:50 PM, SLH 100

Textbook: Neil Carlson (2007). Physiology of Behavior, 9th Edition. ISBN 0-205-59389-5.

Internet Resources and Extra Credit This version of the Carlson textbook comes with a code that gives you access to resources at www.mypsychkit.com where you will find chapter summaries, media, practice tests, web links and flashcards. You earn extra credit by taking and submitting the online practice tests (see conditions below).

Blackboard: Always go to Blackboard to see the latest updates of the syllabus and other material.

Instructor

David Lavond, Ph.D.

Phone: 740-4041

Office: SGM 1014

Email:

Hours: MW 10:00 – 11:00, TTh 12:30 – 1:30 pm or by appointment

Teaching Assistant

Alexandra Ycaza

Phone: TBA

Office: TBA

Email: TBA

Hours: TBA

Examinations Students are responsible for knowing the material in lecture and in the textbook. There are four midterm exams for this course. The last midterm will be given during the period for the final exam. Each exam covers only the immediately preceding course material -- i.e., the exams are not cumulative exams. Each exam will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions from the lectures and 50 multiple-choice questions of a nationally standardized exam from book publisher. You will not get to keep the exams. The test questions belong to the professor and the publisher. Since these exams will be used again for make-up exams, points will be taken off for every question that has been marked. Do not mark the exams -- points will be taken off for every question marked. If you mark more questions than you get right then you will end up with a negative number for the exam. The exams need to be used again for make up exams.

Each exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions. Bring a half-sheet size scrantron that can handle 100 answers (i.e., one that can handle 50 answers on each side) and No. 2 pencils to the exams. Put your name and the test number on your scantron answer sheet. The test number is used to keep track of the exams and to select the correct answer key. As soon as you receive an exam, make sure there are no stray marks on the exam before you begin, and do not put any marks on the exams yourself, otherwise you will have points deducted from your effort. Half the test questions will come from the lectures, half will come from the book. The course schedule indicates how many test questions come from each source. Each midterm exam lasts 1 hour.

Make-up Exams This is the procedure followed for missing any exams for any reason, including excuses like illness, injury, family death, and religious observance. Should you miss one of the exams you will have the opportunity to make it up during the period for the final exam. That means in the two-hour time period for the final you will have to take the last exam with everyone else and then take any make-up exams in the remaining time. If you have missed two or more of the exams you should either drop the course or expect to take the final and all missed exams in the two-hour final period -- you will not be given more time.

We keep track of the midterm exams you have and have not taken. You do not need to give the instructor a reason for missing one of the midterm exams, and I am not really interested. It is up to you to manage your responsibilities.

You can not make up a missed exam at any time other than during the period of the final exam. You may wish to take the make-up exam earlier, but imagine what would happen if everyone in the class decided to miss an exam and wanted us to reschedule make-up exams at their convenience. To be fair to ourselves and to everyone in the class, we will treat everyone exactly the same by giving all make-up exams during the period of the final exam, no exceptions.

Grading Your course grade will be the average of the letter grades you have earned for the four midterm exams you take in this course. The default grading scheme for each of the exams is the following:

Letter Grade Each Midterm Exam

A 90 – 100 points

A- 84 – 89 points

B+ 78 – 83 points

B 72 – 77 points

B- 66 – 70 points

C+ 60 – 65 points

C 54 – 59 points

C- 48 – 53 points

D+ 42 – 47 points

D 36 – 41 points

D- 30 – 35 points

F less than 30 points

On a 100 point, multiple-choice test with four possible answers guessing would yield, on average, 25 points.

Should an unforeseen event occur, such as a natural or man-made disaster that precludes finishing the course, then your grade for the course will be the grade earned up to that point in time.

Extra Credit Your taking and submitting the online exams for each chapter of the textbook at www.mypsychkit.com is recorded and made available to me through the publisher when you use your online code that comes with the book. Complete each of the exams in good standing and you will have earned extra credit that will convert your course grade into one grade level higher in the series F, D-, D, D+, C-, C, C+, B-, B, B+, A- and A. For example, if your received A-, B, B+ and B+ on the four exams this averages to a course grade of a B+. If you have taken the online exams in good standing then your extra credit converts that B+ into the next grade up, into an A-. Similarly, extra credit converts an average grade of C into a C+.

Incompletes University regulations determine eligibility for incompletes. Students must seek permission for an incomplete from the professor before the university's deadline. Incompletes will be granted only in the event of documented illness or family tragedies.

Disabilities "Students requesting academic accommodations based on a disability are required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP when adequate documentation is filed. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me (or to TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is open Monday-Friday, 8:30-5:00. The office is in Student Union 301 and their phone number is (213) 740-0776."

Help "If you are having difficulty with this class, let me remind you that, in addition to me (and if appropriate, the teaching assistant), there are other ways that you may receive help. The Center for Academic Support offers tutoring and learning skills instruction and computer-assisted instruction to USC students in many classes. The center is located in the Student Union Suite 301 and is open Monday through Friday. It is important to phone ahead for an appointment for learning skills at 213-740-0776. In addition, the Writing Center in THH 321 offers undergraduates help in composition. Tutors are available for 30-minute appointments by calling 213-740-3691. Also, your departmental adviser, or an adviser in the College Academic Services Office in CAS 100, is available to you, if you believe you should talk with someone in more general terms about your problems. Please remember that there are many people at USC who are available to help you."

New in Fall 2008 This course is evolving. New this semester are the following changes based on student feedback. Keep in mind that these are changes were specifically suggested by students who took the course in Fall 2007.

(i) the biggest change is that instead of lecturing from the book, as I did last year, students will read the textbook on their own and I will give independent lectures on new material -- I have chosen the topic of the biological bases of learning and memory as a theme for my lectures; last year students felt that they could read the textbook material on their own and that my lectures were superfluous;

(ii) there are now more tests (up one test from three to four);

(iii) to accommodate the additional midterm test it is necessary to reduce the number of lectures by one;

(iv) the professor and/or TA will write the test questions for the lectures;

(v) the textbook material is evaluated by using nationally standardized tests from the publisher. These tests are designed to include a few easy and a few difficult questions with the majority of questions being in the middle range; note that there are practice tests available for the textbook by signing into www.mypsychkit.com;

(vi) there are now twice as many questions as there were last year because students felt this would give them more opportunities to do well on the tests (frankly, the logic escapes me, but that is what they strongly wanted);

(vii) extra credit is now given, which you earn by your taking the practice tests available for the textbook by signing into www.mypsychkit.com; you have to do well on the practice tests for them to count;

(viii) in addition, signing into www.mypsychkit.com also gives you access to study aids for the textbook, like chapter summaries and flash cards.

NOTE: In the following schedule, “Suggested Reading” are my guidelines to help you pace your independent studying and practice testing of the material in the Carlson textbook. You will be responsible for this material on the midterms and final exams.

Class Date Day Topic

Day in of (the number of test questions =

Semester Week number of points in parentheses)

1 8/26 T Lecture 1: Psychology of Learning and Memory, Part 1 (8 points)

Suggested Reading: Carlson Chapter 1 Introduction (8 points)

2 8/28 Th Lecture 2: Psychology of Learning and Memory, Part 2 (8 points)

Suggested Reading: Carlson Chapter 2 Structure and Functions of

Cells of the Nervous System (17 points)

HOL 9/1 M LABOR DAY HOLIDAY

3 9/2 T Lecture 3: The Neuroscience of Learning and Memory, Part 1 (8 points)

Suggested Reading: Carlson Chapter 2 continued

4 9/4 Th Lecture 4: The Neuroscience of Learning and Memory, Part 2 (9 points)

Suggested Reading: Carlson Chapter 3 Structure of the Nervous System (17 points)

5 9/9 T Lecture 5: Episodic and Semantic Memory, Part 1 (8 points)

Suggested Reading: Carlson Chapter 3 continued

PSYC 326 Behavioral Neuroscience Fall 2008 Page 1

Instructor

Teaching Assistant

6 9/11 Th Lecture 6: Episodic and Semantic Memory, Part 2 (9 points)

Suggested Reading: Carlson Chapter 4 Psychopharmacology (8 points)

10 9/25 Th Lecture 9: Working Memory and Executive Control (8 points)

Suggested Reading: Carlson Ch. 6 continued