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BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE: PSY 4931-521 Spring 2014
University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee
Instructor: Kimberly A. Badanich, Ph.D.
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 941-359-4451
Mailbox: SMC C263
Office location: SMC C242
Class Time: Tues &Thurs 9:00 – 10:15am
Campus: SMC
Classroom: SMC 206
Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 12:00 - 2:00pm
Also by appointment
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites. It is expected that students will have background in basic topics in
psychology, psychological statistics, and/or research methods in psychology. Students without this background
will be expected to learn relevant concepts on their own. Recommended courses are: PSY 2012 (Introduction
to Psychology), PSY 3204 (Psychological Statistics), and PSY 3213 (Research Methods in Psychology).
Required readings: Assigned readings will be posted on Canvas
BA in Psychology Mission
The curriculum for a Psychology degree from USF Sarasota-Manatee prepares graduates for the many
occupations (e.g., human services, community or public relations, administration, and advertising and market
research) and post-graduate degree programs open to Psychology majors. By the time our majors are ready to
graduate, they are equipped with two vital skill sets. First, our majors are familiar with numerous factors
influencing behavior and mental processes, and the interactions among them. These factors range from the
molecular (communication in the brain) to the cultural (human diversity). Second, our majors have developed
the critical thinking skills necessary for the consumption and production of psychological research. These skills
include writing and familiarity with the ethics of conducting psychological research. Students will have the
opportunity to take a capstone course that allows them to demonstrate these competencies.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)
1. Knowledge and Application: Knowledge of concepts and theories in at least 4 areas of psychology
(e.g., Clinical, Industrial-Organizational, Developmental, Addiction, Motivation, Psychology-Law,
Neuropsychology, Cognitive, Behavioral/Learning, Social, Physiological, and Personality), and relate
them to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes, or to real-world problems.
2. Diversity: Recognition of the impact of human diversity (gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status,
sexual orientation, culture, age, religion, disabilities) on behavior and mental processes.
3. Ethics: Knowledge of professional ethics in the use of research subjects.
4. Critical Thinking: Ability to critically evaluate various research methods and designs, including their
strengths, weaknesses, and applications to psychological inquiry, and their role in causal hypothesis
testing.
5. Communication: Ability to write effectively by producing work in the APA style and standards.
Course Description and Purpose:
This course provides students with a background in behavioral neuroscience. Topics covered in this course
will focus on specific techniques and procedures used in behavioral neuroscience experiments. Specific
techniques covered will be electrophysiology, operant conditioning paradigms, fMRI, cognitive flexibility
assessment tasks, social defeat, tract-tracing, autoradiography, western blots, neurogenesis, and
optogenetics. Both clinical and basic science articles will be discussed for each research topic including
learning, addiction/relapse, impulsivity, schizophrenia, depression, stress, and cognitive deficits. Course
material will be provided by a brief lecture on a technique followed by student presentations and a round table
discussion of articles.
Course Objectives:
This course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of research methods in psychology. By
the end of the course, students should
1. understand the basic procedures of behavioral neuroscience techniques (SLO#1)
2. demonstrate understanding of typical research designs utilized in behavioral neuroscience research
(SLO#4)
3. demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate behavioral neuroscience research (SLO#4)
4. demonstrate understanding of the appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics required for specific
behavioral neuroscience experiments (SLO#3, 4)
5. understand how to formulate testable hypotheses. (SLO#4)
6. demonstrate understanding of the ethical issues involved in human and animal research (SLO#3)
7. The principles of scientific writing will be emphasized by students writing research based literature
reviews in APA style. (SLO#5)
Course Materials:
Before and after each class meeting, students are required to check their USF email account, check for
announcements in Canvas and access lecture materials. Lecture materials including selected readings, article
worksheets, PowerPoints, instructions for essays and article presentations will be posted on Canvas at
myUSF.
Review questions to prepare for the exam will be posted as the second slide in each PowerPoint
lecture and will serve as the review sheet for the exam (i.e., you do not have to wait until the week
before class to start preparing for the exam!!). In fact, if you wait until the week before the exam to
start studying, you will have great difficulty passing the exam. Study as you go!!!
Accessing USF email: Go to the myUSF homepage at https://my.usf.edu. You will need to enter your net ID to
sign in. If you do not already have a net ID you can sign up for one by clicking on “create an account” on the
myUSF homepage. Signing in will bring you to your own homepage. Click on the tab labeled “Google mail”.
Accessing online lecture notes using Canvas: Blackboard has been discontinued on USF campuses. All
courses will now use Canvas. To access Canvas, Go to the myUSF homepage at https://my.usf.edu, use your
net ID to sign in, and click on the tab labeled “Canvas”. Under “courses & groups” will be a list all of the
classes you are participating in. Click on “Behavioral Neuroscience”. This is where I will post the syllabus,
announcements, PowerPoints, readings, worksheets, instructions, grades, ect. All lecture materials will be
listed under “Modules”. Online lecture notes should NOT be used as a substitute for coming to class. Notes
and tapes are not permitted for sale. You can also use Canvas to contact me by e-mail. If you have any
trouble accessing or using Canvas, please contact USFSM E-Learning staff from 9am to 5pm Monday through
Friday. Please call or email Dale Drees at 941-359-4215 [email protected]. The USF Tampa IT Helpdesk
provides 24 hour support for CANVAS. Please call 813-974-1222 or email: [email protected] if you need
assistance outside of USFSM’s E-Learning hours. Additionally, CANVAS tutorials can be found in the Student
Quickstart Guide at http://guides.instructure.com/m/8470.
Course Requirements:
There will be 1 exam, 2 written essays, 1 article presentation, 10 article worksheets, and a participation grade.
Exams: There will be 1 exam to test student’s knowledge of research design, statistics, ethics and basic
neuroscience concepts. Exams will be 50 multiple choice questions (2pts/question; 100 pts/exam) and will
cover all lectures and assigned readings. Exams may also include short answer essay questions. Students
are required to bring their student ID and a #2 pencil to class. During exams, students will only be allowed
to have a pencil at their desk. All books, bags, purses, cell phones, laptops, headphones, drinks, coffee cups
(sorry Starbucks lovers), hats and any other items ect., must be placed at the front of the room until the student
has completed the exam. Under no circumstances will a student approach or handle any item other than a
pencil during an exam. Please be sure to pick up YOUR belongings (not your peer’s) after handing in your
exam. For safety purposes, please leave your valuables at home on the exam day. If a student talks or looks
at another student during the exam, both students involved will be stopped from finishing the exam. Students
cannot leave the room until they have completed and handed in their exam. No student can enter the room
after the first student has completed the exam. Some students are fast test takers so I advise never being
more than 15 min late for an exam. Students may not take an exam in place of another person.
Make-up exams: Students are required to take the exam on the designated exam date listed in the
syllabus. If you do not take the exam on the designated exam date, you will receive a zero. The ONLY
exception is if you notify me of your absence 24 HOURS BEFORE THE EXAM. Only students with an
EXCUSED ABSENCE will be allowed to take a make-up exam (see excused absence section below).
Vacations do not count as excused absence. Students with an approved excused absence MUST
schedule a make-up exam on a date designated by USF Sarasota-Manatee. There are 4
predetermined make-up exam dates this semester and these dates are always on Fridays from 1-3pm.
Make-up exam dates cannot be altered to fit a student’s schedule. Students missing the exam and
having an approved excused absence will be required to take the make-up exam on the date closest to
the missed exam (i.e., you only get one chance to make it up). Please note that all make-up exams
will include essay questions. No exam can be taken early.
Essays: Students are required to write 2 essays. Each essay will be a research based literature review that
expands on one of the concepts covered in class. Students will pick a topic covered in class, expand on the
idea by researching the literature and relating it to a published theory, cite supporting articles for evidence and
conclude with a unique/relevant hypothesis. Essays must be typed in APA format. Specific instructions on the
required content of each essay will be posted in advance on Canvas. Completed essays (one hard copy
handed to me in person and one identical electronic copy submitted to Turnitin- a plagiarism website) must be
turned in during class on the designated due date (see due dates in syllabus). I will not accept essays by
email. Each essay will be worth 100 points. One letter grade will be deducted from the final essay grade for
each day that the assignment is late. Essays that are 4+ days late will receive a zero. No exceptions.
Note: I am not on campus on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays. Warning: I am a fair but tough grader
with high expectations.
The University of South Florida has an account with an automated plagiarism detection service which
allows student assignments be checked for plagiarism. I reserve the right to ask students to submit their
assignments to Turnitin through Canvas. Assignments are compared automatically with a database of
journal articles, web articles, and previously submitted papers. The instructor receives a report showing
exactly how a student’s paper was plagiarized. Pursuant to the provisions of the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), students are requested to maintain confidentiality as a way to keep
their personal contact information (i.e. name, address, telephone) from being disclosed to vendors or
other outside agencies. By your submission, you are also agreeing to release your original work for
review for academic purposes to Turnitin.
Article Presentation: Each student must give a presentation on a behavioral neuroscience research article
listed in the syllabus. Students will be allowed to sign up for a specific week (i.e., topic) listed in the syllabus.
Students will be responsible for reading and critically evaluating the 2 assigned articles in their assigned week
as well as preparing a PowerPoint oral presentation to explain the 2 articles to the class. Each presentation
must be at least 15 min but not more than 20 mins long. Presentations will be worth 100 points. Individual
assigned presentation dates and specific instructions on the required content of the oral presentation will be
posted in advance on Canvas. Students must be present on their designated presentation date. No makeups. No exceptions.
Article Worksheets: Students should read and critically evaluate assigned articles for class, even when they
are not presenting. To encourage complete reading of each article and to encourage discussions during class,
students will be required to complete an article worksheet. Article worksheets will consist of several questions
regarding the article. Worksheets will be posted on Canvas with their assigned articles. Students should read
the article and answer the questions on the worksheet. Worksheets should be turned in on the day the article
is presented in class. Each article worksheet is worth 10 points.
Participation Grade: During each article discussion (weeks 5-9 & 11-15), each student must ask one insightful
question about the article/topic (10 points/question; total of 100 points). Participation points will be given for
asking questions and participating in class discussions.
Attendance:
Attendance is mandatory for the first class meeting. Students who do not come to the first class meeting
without giving me prior notice will be automatically dropped from the class. Attendance after the first class is
encouraged. Students missing a class will be responsible for any material covered in class that day.
Remember that students must be present in class to turn in essays/worksheets, participate in discussions/ask
insightful questions, and to give their article presentation. I will not accept emailed assignments.
Excused absence: An excused absence must 1) be brought to my attention at least 24 hours before the
absence and 2) be accompanied by a valid written and dated excuse. Examples of valid excuses are written
doctor’s note with dates of illness, court papers or jury duty notices with dates of service, death of a family
member with a copy of the obituary, or a school function with a verification letter. Students who anticipate the
necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a major religious observance must provide
advance notice of the date(s) to the instructor in writing. Students with unexcused absences will be given a
zero for missed exams and assignments. No exceptions.
Extra credit:
Each student has the opportunity to earn a total of 10 extra points!!! Bonus points will be added to your final
point total at the end of the semester. Students can earn extra points by participating in psychology
research experiments. Please bring me valid documentation indicating the name of the experiment
you participated in, the number of points earned, and the research coordinator’s contact information.
Grading:
Grading for this course will be on a point scale. Assignment point values are listed below:
Graded item
Total possible points
Your score
Exam
100
Essays (2)
200 (100 points each)
Article Presentation
100
Article Worksheets (10)
100 (10 points each)
Participation (10 insightful questions)
100 (10 points each)
Total points = 600 points for the entire course. Point values needed for final course letter grades:
Letter grade
Percentage
Possible points needed
A+
97 - 100%
579-600
A
93 - 97%
555-578
A90 - 92%
537-554
B+
87 - 89%
519-536
B
83 - 87%
495-518
B80 - 82%
477-494
C+
77 - 79%
459-476
C
73 - 77%
435-458
C70 - 72%
417-434
D+
67 - 69%
399-416
D
63 - 67%
375-398
D60 - 62%
357-374
F
< 59%
0-356
USF Sarasota-Manatee Policies and Procedures
Religious Observances
The University recognizes the right of students and faculty to observe major religious holidays. Students who anticipate the
necessity of being absent from class for a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in
writing, by the second week of classes.
http://generalcounsel.usf.edu/policies-and-procedures/pdfs/policy-10-045.pdf
Disabilities Accommodation
Students are responsible for registering with the Office of Students with Disabilities Services (SDS) in order to receive
academic accommodations. Reasonable notice must be given to the SDS office (typically 5 working days) for
accommodations to be arranged. It is the responsibility of the student to provide each instructor with a copy of the official
Memo of Accommodation. Contact Information: Disability Coordinator: 359-4714; [email protected];
http://www.usfsm.edu/students/disability/
Academic Dishonesty
The University considers any form of plagiarism or cheating on exams, projects, or papers to be unacceptable behavior.
Please be sure to review the university’s policy in the USFSM Undergraduate Catalog or USFSM Graduate Catalog and the
USF Student Code of Conduct.
Undergraduate:
http://www.sarasota.usf.edu/Academics/Catalogs/
Graduate:
http://www.sarasota.usf.edu/Academics/Catalogs/
USF Student Code of Conduct:
http://www.sa.usf.edu/srr/page.asp?id=88
Academic Disruption
The University does not tolerate behavior that disrupts the learning process. The policy for addressing academic disruption
is included with Academic Dishonesty in the USFSM Undergraduate Catalog or USFSM Graduate Catalog and the USF
Student Code of Conduct.
Undergraduate:
http://www.sarasota.usf.edu/Academics/Catalogs/
Graduate:
http://www.sarasota.usf.edu/Academics/Catalogs/
USF Student Code of Conduct:
http://www.sa.usf.edu/srr/page.asp?id=88
Contingency Plans
In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USFSM to suspend normal operations. During this time, USFSM
may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard/Canvas,
Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor
Blackboard/Canvas site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USFSM and College websites,
emails, and MoBull messages for important general information. The USF hotline at 1 (800) 992-4231 is updated with prerecorded information during an emergency.
Emergency Preparedness
It is strongly recommended that you become familiar with the USF Sarasota-Manatee Emergency Action Plan on the Safety
Preparedness site http://www.sarasota.usf.edu/facilities/SafetyPreparedness.php
Fire Alarm Instructions
At the beginning of each semester please note the emergency exit maps posted in each classroom. These signs are
marked with the primary evacuation route (red) and secondary evacuation route (orange) in case the building needs to be
evacuated.
Web Portal Information
Every newly enrolled USF student receives an official USF e-mail account. Students receive official USF correspondence
and Blackboard/Canvas course information via that address. Therefore it is the student’s responsibility to check their USF
email regularly.
Instructor Copyright
Students may not sell notes or other course materials.
Withdrawal date: The last day to withdrawal from the class without academic penalty is March 22, 2014
Tentative Course Schedule:
I reserve the right to change dates. Any changes will be announced in class, posted on Canvas and will be
updated on the syllabus.
Day
T
Date
1/7
Topic
Course Overview
Ethics
Review of Factorial Designs
Introduction to Research Design in the
Behavioral Neurosciences
Reading
Bordens & Abbott
Th
T
1/9
1/14
Th
T
1/16
1/21
Cellular Foundations of Neuropharmacology
Cooper, Bloom &
Roth
Th
T
Th
1/23
1/28
1/30
APA
Exam
Cozby & Bates
-----------------------
T
2/4
Dopamine, Learning and Expectancies
example presentation by Dr. B
Schultz
Carelli
Th
T
2/6
2/11
Impulsivity
***in class activity: topic development***
Student article presentations
Potenza
Grahame
Th
T
2/13
2/18
Th
T
2/20
2/25
Th
T
2/27
3/4
Th
3/6
T
Th
T
3/11
3/13
3/18
Th
T
3/20
3/25
Th
T
3/27
4/1
Th
T
4/3
4/8
Th
T
4/10
4/15
Th
4/17
T
4/22
Th
T
4/24
4/29
Cue-induced Learning and Relapse
Student article presentations
Cognitive Flexibility and Schizophrenia
Student article presentations
Alcohol Sensitivity and Stress
Student article presentations
SPRING BREAK – NO CLASS!
SPRING BREAK – NO CLASS!
Social Stress
Student article presentations
Assignment Due Dates
Keppel & Wickens
McKim
Exam: covers lectures &
assigned readings from
1/7 – 1/23
Article worksheet #1 due
Participation question#1 due
Article worksheet #2 due
Participation question#2 due
Robinson/Berridge Article worksheet #3 due
Kalivas
Participation question#3 due
Robbins
Article worksheet #4 due
Floresco
Participation question#4 due
Brady/Anton
Article worksheet #5 due
Holmes
ESSAY #1 DUE
Participation question#5 due
Ouellet-Morin
Miczek
Development
Student article presentations
Tapert
Brenhouse
Teicher
Neurogenesis
Student article presentations
Eriksson
Crews
Optogenetics
Student article presentations
Atasoy
Deisseroth
Habit formation
Student article presentations
De Wit
Lovinger
Article worksheet #6 due
Participation question#6 due
Article worksheet #7 due
Participation question#7 due
Article worksheet #8 due
Participation question#8 due
Article worksheet #9 due
Participation question#9 due
Article worksheet #10 due
Participation question#10
due
The Brainbow
Student article presentations
Careers in Neuroscience
Individual Meeting w/ Instructor to review
final essay
Lichtman
ESSAY#2 DUE