Psychology 3226B-001

Hormones and Behaviour

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

1.0    CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

An in-depth review of current research problems in the field and the biological mechanisms by which hormones can affect behaviour. Topics may include hormones and brain development, sexual differentiation, sexual and courtship behaviour, parental behaviour, aggressive behaviour, stress, food intake, and endocrine disorders in humans.

Antirequisite: Psychology 3215F/G

Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.

Prerequisites: Psychology 2820E or both Psychology 2800E and 2810, and one of Psychology 2220A/B, 2221A/B or Neuroscience 2000
3 lecture/discussion hours, 0.5 course

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor: Yves Bureau    
Office and Phone Number: 519 646-6100, ext 65739
Office Hours: By appointment    
Email: ybureau@uwo.ca    

Teaching Assistant: Shannon Mischler    
Office: TBA
Office Hours: TBA
Email: shannon.k.mischler@gmail.com

Time and Location of Classes:  2:30-5:30 on Mondays in Room 1 Natural Sciences Centre (NSC-1)

If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you.  Please visit:  http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you.  You may also wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.

3.0  TEXTBOOK

R. J. Nelson (2011) An Introduction to Behavioral Endocrinology (4th ed). Sinauer. ISBN: 978-0-8793-620-5 (hardcover)
http://www.sinauer.com/an-introduction-to-behavioral-endocrinology.html see Publisher website for eBook formats

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course will examine how hormones modify behaviour. Students completing this course will acquire a strong foundation in behavioural endocrinology and will understand current research topics in the field on a variety of species. There will be a strong emphasis on biological processes that regulate behaviour, both physiological and ecological.

5.0     EVALUATION


Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:


70%    1000-level and 2000-level courses
72%     2190-2990 level courses
75%     3000-level courses
80%     4000-level courses
   
The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf ):

A+    90-100    One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A    80-89        Superior work that is clearly above average
B    70-79        Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C    60-69        Competent work, meeting requirements
D    50-59        Fair work, minimally acceptable
F    below 50    Fail

Your final grade in the course will be based on the following:  
Term essay  (due on the last day of class) 15%
Midterm examination   40%
Final examination 45%

Exams will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions.


6.0  TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE

Essay    Due on the last day of class.
Midterm Examination    Feb 22, 2014  2:30PM
Final Examination    TBA scheduled by registrar

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

 

Unit

 

Date

 

Topic

 

Text Readings

1

Jan 4

Introduction

ch 1

2

Jan 11

Endocrine System, Hormones

ch 2

3

Jan 18

Sexual Differentiation

ch 3

4

Jan 25

Sex Differences in Brain and Behaviour

ch 4

5

Feb 1

Sexual and Reproductive Behaviour

ch. 5, 6

6

Feb 8

Parental Behaviour

ch 7

February 15
 

 

Feb 15

Reading Week (No class)

 

 

Feb 22

*MIDTERM EXAMINATION (In Class)

 

 

 

Testing chapters 1-7

 

7

 

Feb 29

Affiliation and Aggression

ch 8

8

Mar 7

Eating and Drinking

ch 9

9

Mar 14

Biological Rhythms

ch 10

10

Mar 21

Stress

ch 11

11

Mar 28

Learning and Memory

ch 12

12

Apr 4

Hormones and Mood

ch 13

Final exam* to be scheduled by the registrar.   Testing chapters 8 through 13.  Exam is not cumulative.

*All exams will be based on the lecture and text chapter material.  The exams will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions.


8.0     STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link:  http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com

Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

9.0    POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS

The University of Western Ontario’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2015/pg117.html

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html


10.0        OTHER INFORMATION

Office of the Registrar web site:  http://registrar.uwo.ca

Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca

Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:

    http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html

- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences

- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2015 Calendar References

No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.