PSY 403A Physiological Psychology

Physiology of nervous and glandular systems as they relate to behavior, including sensation, emotion, aggression, learning, and mental disorders. Prerequisite: Four hours of laboratory biology.

• To understand the elements of biology that influence the way we think, feel, and act.
• To understand the elements of psychology that are affected by biological factors.
• To understand the interaction of psychological and biological factors in our experience of life.

• Be able to discuss various sides of the mind-body problem.
• Know the structure and function of the nervous system.
• Understand the research methods of neuroscience.
• Describe the physiological basis of perception, especially vision.
• Understand the physiological basis of appetitive behaviors.
• Understand the physiological variables associated with sleep.
• Understand the role of reward circuits in learning and addiction.
• Understand the physiological basis of certain mental disorders.

• Historical background and philosophical issues
• Methods and their logic or illogic
• Cellular physiology
• Neuroanatomy
• Biochemistry of behavior
• Reception, transduction, projection, and sensation: The sensory systems
• Reflex and voluntary movement and the mind-body problem
• Physiological bases of representative normal phenomena
• Sleep and waking
• Reproductive behavior
• Emotion and stress
• Eating and drinking
• Complex human behaviors and how they go wrong, from a physiological perspective

1. Three examinations:

Examinations are essay format, and include terms and conncepts to identify, define or explain. You may be asked questions about lab material as well as class content and assigned research.

29 September ...................................15%

1 November ..............................15%

12 December, 10:30 a.m.............20%

2. Term paper or project ........................20%

Choose a topic on which you wish to become expert. You may get ideas from the table of contents in the textbook, or any other relevant source.

Research the topic thoroughly, and present your findings in a scholarly fashion:

• A traditional term paper, in APA format, with citations and references.
• A Website, with citations and references.
• A class presentation, with handout references as an annotated bibliography.
You may work individually, or in groups. If you choose to work in groups, consult with me to determine how the expectations about the complexity of your project will change.

Due: 1 December.

3. Lab reports .........................................30%

A written report on each week's lab work is due by the following Monday. Your report should
• Describe the observations you made in the lab exercise
• Connect the lab exercise to the related material in the textbook
• Answer the questions in the lab handout.

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Narcolepsy, a sleeping disorder, is explained in this Website by course students Gregory Bayse and Lori Scott.

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A discussion group folder has been added to your Groupwise account. It should show up in the left panel of your Groupwise screen as a folder labeled Discussion group under Physiological Psychology under your Cabinet files. If there is a plus sign (+) in the box to the left of your Cabinet files icon, click it to show the folders available: one of them should be Physiological Psychology.

When you get to the Discussion group icon, it chould have a receiving hand over a folder icon. If it doesn't, please let me know.

To post a message to the Discussion group, click on the icon, then click File...New...Discussion. That will open a dialog box, and you can send an e-mail as usual.

Remember that items you post to the discussion group may be read by any member of the class, including the teacher. However, nobody else has access to your musings.

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Last updated 23 August, 2000  Copyright Paul D. Young