Schedule of Classes and Assignments
Last Updated: January 11, 2025
All
assignments listed on the right are from Kalat’s (2019, 13th
edition) text
| Week |
Day |
Date |
Topic |
Assignment |
| Module
1: The Major Issues in Biopsychology:
General introduction |
||||
| 1 |
Mon |
Jan 13 |
General
Introduction to Course |
Syllabus |
| Wed |
Jan 15 |
The Biological
Approach to Behavior |
Introduction•
pp. 4-8 |
|
| |
Fri |
Jan
17 |
The Genetics of
Behavior |
Ch.
4.1 • pp. 104-114 |
| Module
2: Nerve Cells and Impulses |
||||
| 2 | Mon | Jan 20 |
Martin
Luther King, Jr. holiday/Inauguration Day • No Class |
|
| Wed |
Jan 22 |
Cells
of the Central Nervous system [ppt] |
Ch. 1.1 • pp. 18-26 |
|
| Fri |
Jan 24 |
Neural
Impulse (a) [ppt] |
Ch. 1.2 • pp. 28-38 |
|
| 3 | Mon |
Jan
27 |
Neural Impulse
(b) [ppt] |
|
| Module
3: Synapses |
||||
| Wed |
Jan
29 |
The Concept of
the Synapse |
Ch.
2.1 • pp. 42-48 |
|
| Fri |
Jan
31 |
Chemical Events
at the Synapse |
Ch.
2.2, pp. 50-61 |
|
| 4 | Mon |
Feb
03 |
Synapses, Drugs,
& Addiction (Substance Abuse) |
Ch.
14.1 • pop. 460-466 |
| Module
4: Anatomy of the Nervous System |
||||
| Wed |
Feb
05 |
Structure of the Vertebrate Nervous System | Ch 3.1 • pp. 68-80 | |
| Fri |
Feb
07 |
The Cerebral Cortex (a) | Ch. 3.2, pp. 82-89 | |
| 5 | Mon |
Feb 10 | The Cerebral Cortex (b) Complete |
|
| Module 5: Research Methods | ||||
| Wed | Feb
12 |
Research Methods in Bio/Neuropsychology | Ch. 3.3 • pp. 91-99 | |
| Fri | Feb 14 | Complete Research
Methods... |
||
| 6 | Mon | Feb 17 | Test #1 on Modules 1-4 (but not Module 5) |
| Module 6: Brain Development | ||||
| Wed |
Feb
19 |
Development of the Brain | Ch. 4.2 • pp. 117-133 | |
|
|
Mon |
Feb
21 |
Plasticity after Brain Damage | Ch. 4.3 • pp. 136-143 |
| Module 7: Vision | ||||
| 7 |
Mon | Feb
24 |
Visual Coding | Ch. 5.1 • pp. 148-159 |
| Wed | Feb 26 | Wellness Day • No Class |
||
| Fri |
Feb 28 | Parallel Processing in the Visual Cortex | Ch. 5.2 • pp. 162-174 | |
| Module 8: Wakefulness & Sleep | ||||
| 8 | Mon | Mar 03 | Rhythms of Waking and Sleeping | Ch. 8.1 • pp. 258-266 |
| Wed | Mar 05 | Test #2 on Modules 5-7 | ||
| Fri |
Mar 07 |
Stages of Sleep & Brain
Mechanisms; Sleep Disorders [Mid-Term
Grades due]
|
Ch. 8.2 • pp. 268-278 |
| 9 |
Mon |
Mar 10 |
Why Sleep? Why REM? Why Dreams? | Ch. 8.3 • pp. 280-285 |
| Module 9: Reproductive Behaviors | ||||
| Wed |
Mar
12 |
Sex and Hormones | Ch. 10.1 • pp. 322-334 | |
| Fri |
Mar
14 |
Variations in Sexual Behavior | Ch. 10.2 • pp. 337-347 | |
| Spring Break: March
17-21 • No Class |
||||
| 10 | Mon |
Mar
24 |
TBA |
|
| Module 10: Emotional Behaviors | ||||
| Wed |
Mar 26 | What is Emotion? | Ch. 11.1 • pp. 352-360 | |
| Fri | Mar
28 |
Attack & Escape Behaviors | Ch. 11.2 • pp. 362-373 | |
| 11 | Mon |
Mar
31 |
Stress & Health | Ch. 11.3 • pp. 376-380 |
| Wed |
Apr
02 |
Review for Test #3 | ||
| Module 11:
Learning & Memory, Language |
||||
| |
Fri |
Apr 04 |
Learning Memory & Memory Loss; Alzheimer's Disease | Ch. 12.1 • pp. 384-392 |
| 12 | Mon |
Apr 07 |
Test #3 on Modules 8-10 | |
| Wed |
Apr
09 |
The
Hippocampus & the Striatum |
Ch.
12.2 • pp. 395-403 |
|
|
|
Fri |
Apr
11 |
Lateralization of Function | Ch. 13.1 • pp. 424-429 |
| 13 | Mon |
Apr
14 |
TBA |
|
| Wed | Apr 16 | McGilchrist's Master and His Emissary (The Divided Brain) | Notes from Instructor | |
| Fri | Apr 18 | Good Friday • No Class |
||
| 14 | Mon | Apr 21 | Easter Monday • No
Class |
|
| Wed | Apr 23 | Evolution & Physiology of Language | Ch. 13.1 • pp. 430-438 | |
| Fri |
Apr
25 |
TBA | ||
| Module 12: Psychological Disorders | ||||
| 15 | Mon |
Apr
28 |
Diagnosing Mental Disorders |
Notes from Instructor |
|
|
Wed |
Apr
30 |
Schizophrenia Spectrum
Disorders & Psychosis |
Ch. 14.3 • pp. 480-489 |
| Fri |
May
02 |
Mood Disorders | Ch. 14.2 • pp. 468-477 | |
| 16 |
Mon |
May
05 |
Mood Disorder (cont'd) • Last Class |
|
Test #4 exam •
Note this is NOT a cumulative Final Exam. Rather it
is Test #4 covering materials in Modules 11 &
13. It will take the same format as the previous
three tests and will take you one hour to complete.
It will be held in the same classroom, GH 207.
|
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