PSYC 2080 Biological Psychology
This course introduces the biological bases of behavior. It includes ethnology and comparative behavior, psychobiological development, physiological and sensory mechanisms of behavior, and evolutionary and behavioral genetics. The course presents basic structural and functional properties of the nervous system. Prerequisites:
PSYC 1000 and
BIOL 1010. (3 lect.)
Major Topics
- Neural Foundations:
- Communication within nervous system
- Functions of nervous system
- Motivation and Emotion:
- Drugs, addiction, and reward
- Motivation and the regulation of internal states
- Biology of sex and gender
- Emotion and health
- Interaction with the world:
- Hearing and language
- Vision and Visual Perception
- Body Senses and movement
- Complex Behavior:
- Learning and memory
- Intelligence and cognitive functioning
- Psychological disorders
- Sleep and consciousness
Outcomes
In order to successfully complete this course, the student will:
1. Identify the names and functions of a variety of neural activities by critically examining the neural makeup of the brain and body.
2. Make a comparative analysis of concepts regarding motivation, emotion, language, the senses, cognitive functioning and consciousness by exploring the various ways in which the brain determines our behavior.