Biological Bases of Behaviour I

The aim of this obligatory course is to present how biological

psychology explains behaviour. Throughout the lecture we will survey

explanations related to the physiology of the nervous system, especially

the brain, genetic factors and endocrine activity, to name a few.

We will look at the morphology and the anatomy of the nervous

system, the principles of neural transmission, and the functional

organisation of the central nervous system (CNS).

The course will also outline basic concepts in evolutionary theory and

ethology - the science of animal behaviour.

Number of hours 30 h Lecture + 30 h Seminar

It is no exaggeration to say that what makes us human is our large and

complex brains. From a biological point of view all our experiences and

actions are the result of neural activity and the study of human behavior

would not go far without the study of brain structure and function. The

content of the course maps well onto subjects investigated by biological

psychologists. Thus the aim of this course is firstly to present how

biological psychology explains behavior. We will survey different

explanations related to the physiology of the nervous system at different

levels of organization: from genes, cells and neurotransmitters to largescale

networks spanning the entire brain.

The second aim is to show students how scientific knowledge arises from

individual experimental studies employing a range of methods. The

converging methods approach is unique to biological psychology, thus we

will look at the contribution of genetics, animal models, neurophysiology,

neuroimaging and patient studies.

Throughout the course we will look at morphology and the

anatomy of the nervous system, the principles of neural transmission, and

the functional organisation of the central nervous system (CNS).

Subsequent themes cover different sensory systems: vision, hearing,

proprioception and smell as well as the neural basis of learning and

memory and of motor control. We will conclude with a brief outlook on

comparative studies of animal behavior, basic concepts in evolutionary

theory and a critical look on the field of evolutionary psychology.

Obligatory textbook:

Kalat, James W. (2012) Biological Psychology 11th Ed. Belmont :

Wadsworth CEngage Learning. (or newer editions).

1. Students will know the anatomy and functional organisation of the

peripheral and central nervous system.

2. They will know functional relationships between brain activity and

motor, cognitive or emotional processes.

3. They will have well-organised knowledge on theory of evolution and

evolutionary processes and molecular genetics in relation to human

motor, cognitive and emotional processes.

4. Student will know the principles of psychophysiological and

neuroimaging research methods and biological mechanisms

underlying electrical and hemodynamic brain responses.

5. They will know basic

Lecture: No specific attendance policy. Attendance will not be monitored.

Seminar: 2 unexcused absences allowed. 2 more excused absences are

allowed. In case of more than 4 absences extra work will be required.

Attendance will be monitored.

Lecture:

1. Passing grade from Seminar.

2. Multiple-choice test (100% grade). (60% total points needed to

pass)

Seminar (60% total points needed to pass)

1. Midterm test. (30%)

2. Final test. (40%)

3. Essay (30% grade).