COURSE DESCRIPTION:  Biopsychology is a course that covers the biological bases of behavior.  You will find that a wide range of biological perspectives are applied to understanding behavior, including the anatomy and physiology of the brain and sensory systems, behavior genetics, and the evolutionary framework provided by comparative psychology.  Specific topics include, but are not limited to, anatomy and function of the nervous system, sensory processes, hormones and sexual behavior, memory and motivation, and drugs and behavior.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Exams:  There will be 4 exams during the quarter.   Each exam will be given on Monday of the week scheduled.  All exams will be multiple-choice.  Each will be worth 40 points for a total of 160 points.  Make up exams will be scheduled only on W 9:00-10:00 A.M. or Th. 1:00-2:00 P.M. of the week of the scheduled exam and will comprise both multiple-choice and short essay questions. Exams not taken during the scheduled week may be made up only if a student provides acceptable documentation supporting a medical or other emergency that caused the student to be absent.  The final exam is Tuesday, May 1, at 1:00 P.M.
    Exams will not be formally comprehensive, i.e., on the 2nd and later exams you will not be explicitly tested on material presented earlier.  However, because later material depends heavily upon information presented earlier in the course, you should not simply forget what you have studied for prior exams.  As an example, during the first several weeks, we will become familiar with the general anatomy of the brain.  One important structure is called the hypothalamus.  This structure is located roughly in the lower-central part of the brain and has several functions.  On the first exam, I may ask you where in the brain the hypothalamus is located.  In later chapters, we will discuss the functions of the hypothalamus.  Some of these functions depend upon neural connections (sort of like telephone connections) with other parts of the brain.  I will not test you on the location of the hypothalamus on later tests, but I will test you on function.  If you do not have a good understanding of the hypothalamus and its relation to other parts of the brain, you will not do well on questions about function. Thus, it is a good idea to review the summaries and main points of earlier chapters at regular intervals throughout the semester.
Term Paper: Biopsychology is an exciting research area, so much so that many newspapers and magazines frequently report current research findings.  Unfortunately, these reports often present the conclusions of research without providing details of methodology or cautionary statements made by the researchers.  For example, I recently found a headline in The New York Times that read: "Study Finds Possible New Alzheimer's Gene".  The headline gave the impression that scientists had concluded that Alzheimer's disease may be genetically determined.  In reality, the situation is far more complex; there are biological, environmental and developmental influences on one's behavior. As we will see during the semester, it is unlikely that any one factor is the sole determinant of Alzheimer's, or of any other behavioral characteristic.
    In your term paper, you are to address the general issue of how the popular press reports research by considering a specific report.  You must first find an article in the popular press (newspapers, news magazines) that summarizes an original research report concerned with some aspect of biopsychology. Then you must find and read the original research report. In your term paper, you are to summarize the original research, covering four major points: 1) why the research was conducted; 2) how it was carried out; 3) what the results were; and 4) why the research is important.  You must also critique the popular press version, covering three main points: 1) whether important information was left out; 2) why you think any information might have been left out; and 3) whether the report misleads the reader, either intentionally or unintentionally.
    You must receive my approval of your topic no later than Friday, April 6.  You must also provide me with copies of both the popular media and the original research report by April 6.  Papers on topics that have not been approved by April 6 will lose 10 points and will therefore be worth a maximum of 30 points. Your term paper is due on Friday, April 20.  Late papers will be accepted, however, you will lose 5 points for each class-day your paper is late.
    The term paper will be worth 40 points, graded as follows:
 

Grading:  There are 200 points available.  Grades will be assigned as follows.
 

General Class Policies:
    1. Children are not permitted  in the classroom.
    2. Cell phones and pagers are not permitted; in an emergency, you may be contacted through the Psychology
              department, 581-2360.
    3. Plagiarism, discussed in a separate handout, is a serious academic offense, and constitutes academic dishonesty.
    4. Cheating: Convincing evidence of academic dishonesty will result in appropriate actions as provided by the Cameron
              University Code of Student Conduct.
    5. Disruptive behavior in class will not be tolerated.  A first offense will usually result in a warning.  Subsequent
               instances will result in a written warning, which can lead to formal disciplinary action.