Psychology 3285F-001
Research in Behavioural Neuroscience
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 introduction to techniques used to investigate the neural and endocrine bases of behaviour.Prerequisites: Psychology 2800E, 2810, and one of Psychology 2220A/B, 2221A/B or Neuroscience 2000, plus registration in third or fourth year Honors Specialization in Psychology or Honors Specialization in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Honors Specialization in Neuroscience, Honors Specialization in Physiology/Psychology, or Honors Specialization in Animal Behavior.
Third or fourth year Psychology Majors and Psychology Special Students who receive 70% or higher in Psychology 2820E (or 60% or higher in Psychology 2800E and 2810), plus 60% or higher in one of Psychology 2220A/B, 2221A/B or Neuroscience 2000 also may enroll in this course.
1 lecture hour, 3 laboratory hours, 0.5 course
Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll 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: Dr. Shelley Cross-Mellor
Office: 8210 SSC (locked area)
Office Hours: please email for appointment
Email: scrossmellor@gmail.com
Teaching Assistant: Nathalie Boulet
Office: 8240 SSC (locked area)
Office Hours: please email for appointment
Email: nboulet@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Lectures & Labs: Mondays 1:30-4:30pm; Fridays 11:30am-12:30pm; 8440 SSC
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
Vanderwolf, C.H. and Cooley, R.K. (1990) The sheep brain: A photographic series (2nd edition). London, ON: A.J. Kirby.
- it is also recommended that you purchase a dissection kit from the bookstore to aid in the sheep brain dissections.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course is an introduction to research methods in behavioral neuroscience. Students will be expected to be familiar with the materials presented in lecture and during the laboratory sessions. This is a hands-on lab course where students will learn neuroanatomy through actual mammalian brain dissections as well as how to design, conduct and analyze and write up experiments in behavioural neuroscience (please note that we use rodents as subjects in our experiments).
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/handbook/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
Evaluation Summary:
Lab Reports (3) 55%
Class Presentation 20%
Neuroanatomy Practical Exam 20%
Participation 5%
Your mark for this course will be based on a neuroanatomy practical exam (Oct. 5), three research reports, a class presentation, and class participation. Attendance at laboratory meetings is mandatory. Failure to attend a laboratory meeting without valid (documented medical or compassionate) reason will lead to the loss of 1 mark from Participation for each meeting missed. Please note that the Participation mark is also for active participation, it is not based just on attendance. Participation at both the Monday lab meeting and the Friday class is considered for the Class Participation mark.
6.0 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
Lab Reports Due Date
Lab Report #1 – LPS & Locomotor Activity Monday November 9 - 15%
- Methods and Results Only
Lab Report #2 – LPS & Morris Water Maze Friday November 27 - 20%
- Full Lab Report
Lab Report #3 – LPS & Operant Conditioning Wednesday December 9 - 20%
- Full Lab Report
Class Presentations Nov 23, 30 & Dec 7 - 20%
Neuroanatomy Exam Monday October 5 – 20%
Laboratory Projects:
In the 3285 lab sessions you will carry out three research projects and become familiar with neuroanatomy by dissecting and studying the sheep brain. Experience with scientific writing will be gained by writing reports on each of the research projects. Your research projects will explore a variety of behaviours following pharmacological manipulation of the immune system in male Long Evans rats. Your initial research project will be to observe the effects of immune stimulation on locomotor activity. Your data will be compared to that obtained by other observers to assess reliability. In your second and third projects you will assess the effects of immune stimulation on different types of learning (spatial and operant conditioning). More details about each of the lab projects will be provided prior to each of the labs. Please note attendance at the animal ethics lecture and participation in the handling workshop is absolutely MANDATORY in order to participate in any of the animal labs. If you are not in attendance it will be your responsibility to arrange with ACVS the proper training (and incur any costs associated).
The data that you obtain from each of the lab projects will be pooled with the data obtained from the rest of the class. The pooled data will be available to you within a few days after completing the project on the course website. You are encouraged to discuss data analysis, data interpretation, theoretical issues, etc., with your classmates. However, each student must write and submit their own written report. The report that you submit needs to be your work, not a paraphrase of a common group report, or a collection of shared passages linked by a few brief bridge passages that you write. A lab report that is substantially the same as one submitted by another member of the class is plagiarism. Please note that all labs must be submitted to Turnitin. Plagiarism will be dealt with according to University Regulations (the penalty for plagiarism ranges from an automatic grade of F in the course to expulsion from the university).
Note: Lab reports are due at the start of the class. Reports submitted after the start of the class session will be marked as late and the late penalty will be applied. If you do not submit your lab report at the lab/class meeting, you must make arrangements with myself or the TA to hand it in. No late final lab reports can be accepted unless the student has permission of their Dean for an INC. A grade of INC (Incomplete) can only be assigned if the student has prior approval from their Dean's office.
Late reports will be penalized 5% for each day late.
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
LAB SCHEDULE – MONDAYS (Tentative)
Date Topic
Sept. 14 Neuroanatomy: Sheep Brain Dissection
21 Neuroanatomy: Sheep Brain Dissection
28 Neuroanatomy: Sheep Brain Dissection
Oct. 5 Neuroanatomy Practical Exam
12 Thanksgiving – no class
19 ANIMAL ETHICS AND HANDLING - MANDATORY
26 Lab #1: LPS & Locomotor Activity
Nov. 2/4 Lab #2: LPS & Morris Water Maze
9 Lab #3: LPS & Operant Conditioning (train rats throughout week)
16 Lab #3: LPS & Operant Conditioning (test day)
23 Class Presentations
30 Class Presentations
Dec. 7 Class Presentations
LECTURE SCHEDULE – FRIDAYS (Tentative)
Date Topic
Sept. 11 Introduction to Course
18 Lecture - Neuroanatomy
25 Lecture - Neuroanatomy
Oct. 2 open lab – review neuroanatomy
9 no class scheduled
16 no class scheduled
23 How to Write a Lab Report
30 Fall Study Break
Nov. 6 Lab 1 Review
13 no class scheduled – be sure to train your rats!
20 Lab 2 Review
27 Lab 2 Due
Dec. 4 Lab 3 Review
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.
