Prerequisites

A passing score on the reading section of the TASP test.

Course Description

A brief introduction to the main subdisciplines of Psychology with an emphasis on evolutionary explanations of psychological phenomena, and on brain processes underlying behavior.

Course Requirements

All Psychology 301 students must complete a research requirement by either participating in experimental sessions within the Psychology Dept. or by writing a research paper.

Grading Policy

Grades will be based on two 75 minute multiple choice tests during the semester and one 75 minute multiple choice test at final exam time.

Texts

Psychological Science by Gazzaniga & Heatherton, 2nd Edition, 2005

Prerequisites

PREREQ: FOR PSY MAJS, PSY 301 & 418 WITH GRADE AT LEAST C IN EACH; FOR NONMAJS, PSY 301 WITH GRADE AT LEAST C, & 1 OF FOLLOWING WITH GRADE AT LEAST C: BIO 318M, C E 311S, ECO 329, EDP 371, GOV 350K, KIN 373, M 316, PSY 317, SOC 317L, S W 318, STA 309.

Course Description

Scientific studies of production, comprehension of language; learning of these abilities. Strong biological orientation; detailed consideration of evolution of language, relation between language and brain function.

Grading Policy

Exams: Two 75 minute exams during the semester. 2/3rds of the grade.
Final: 75 minutes. 1/3 of the grade.

Exams consist of multiple choice and short answer questions, and at least one essay.

Texts

The Origin of Speech by MacNeilage

A note packet and additional readings will be available by the first class day.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Consideration of approaches to the study of language, its development in children, and its functioning; important research from psychology and linguistics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for nonmajors, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309.

                                                                                                                                                    Psychology 301 Introduction to Psychology

Dr MacNeilage

T.T 8-9.30  Unique # 43920                                                                                    Fall 2009

Professor: Peter MacNeilage

3.230 Seay

Ph: W: 475-7009  H: 479-6720

e-mail: macneilage@psy.utexas.edu

Office Hours: T T 11-12

TA:Mitzi Gonzales

4.110e Seay

e-mail mitzi2020@gmail.com

Office Hours: TT 9.30 – 11.00

Course Requirements

            There are two sets of course requirements.  The first is requirements for getting a grade.  The second is participation in ongoing experiments in the department, or writing a paper, without which you cannot get a final grade. The latter requirement will be discussed in class.

Grade Requirements.

            Your grade will be based on the results of 2, 75 minute, 75 question,  multiple choice exams, one on October 16, testing the first half of the semester, and the other on Saturday Dec. 12 from 9 to 10.15, testing the second half of the semester. Thus the maximum score for the course will be 150—one point per question. Each of the 2 exams will be worth 1/2 of the grade.  There are practice multiple choice questions in the textbook. No reasons for missing exams will be accepted if you did not contact me before exam time.  Now you know the exam times, nonrefundable air fares can not be used as an excuse for absence from exams.

Class attendance is compulsory.  You can miss 2 classes during the semester without penalty.  After that, marks will be deducted in the following way: 3 classes missed, 4 points deducted; 4 classes missed, 8 points deducted: 5 classes missed, 16 points deducted; 6 classes missed, 32 points deducted; 7 classes missed, 68 points deducted; 8 classes missed, course failed. After the first class day, attendence will be taken by the TA at the South Door.

Grades:

Here is how the course grade will be determined.  The number of points that you make on each of the two exams will be added together to give you a sum for the course. (Note that you will not receive a letter grade during the semester but simply a score, which is the number of points.) At the end of the course, marks lost for missing classes will be deducted.  Then your letter grade will be assigned according to a simple formula based on a. your sum, and b. the average of the scores of the top 3 students in the class.  This average of the three greatest sums will be considered a perfect score of 100% and is the basis for all the other grades.

If your sum is;              Then your grade is;

86-100%                               A

71-85%                                B

61-70%                                C

51-60%                                D

50% or below                       F

Notice that anything can happen.  Its possible (but not likely) for everyone to get an A.  In this course you are not graded on some absolute or arbitrary scale, but in relation to the three best members of your class.

Psychology 301 Introduction to Psychology

Dr MacNeilage

                                                                        Fall 2009

Textbook: M.S. Gazzaniga and T.S. Heatherton Psychological Science.  New York, Norton, 2^nd Edition, 2006

Approximate Lecture Schedule and Readings

(Note that Chapter 2 and certain sections of other chapters, to be announced, will not be required.)

Aug 28. Ch. 1 Introduction to Psychological Science

Sept 2, 4 Ch 1 Cont. 

Sept 9, 11. Ch. 3 Genetic and Biological Foundations

Sept 16, 18.  Ch 4. The Brain and Consciousness

Sept 23, 25.  Ch. 5. Sensation, Attention and Perception

Sept 30, Oct 2.  Ch 6. Learning and Reward

Oct 7, 9.  Ch 7. Memory

Oct 14.  Ch 8 Thinking and Intelligence

Oct 16. Mid-Semester Exam

Oct 21 Ch 8 Cont.

Oct 23, 28 Ch 9. Motivation

Oct 30, Nov 4.  Ch 10. Emotions and Health

Nov 6, 11.  Ch 11. Human Development

Nov 13, 18 Personality

Nov 20, 25. Disorders of Mind and Body

Nov 27  THANKSGIVING

Dec 2. Treating Disorders of Mind and Body

Dec 4. Social Psychology

Psychology 337: Fall, 2009  Course Information

Unique # 44090

Professor: Peter MacNeilage

3.230 Seay

Ph: W: 475-7009  H: 479-6720

e-mail: macneilage@psy.utexas.edu

Office Hours: TT 11-12

TA: Elizabeth Pommier

2.122 Seay

e-mail: Elizabeth.Pommier@mail.utexas.edu

Office Hours: T 11-12:30 & TH 1:30 – 3:00

Course Requirements

             Your grade will be based on the results of 2, 75 minute tests, one on October15, and the other on Friday Dec. 11 from 9 to 10.15.  Each of the two tests during the semester will consist of 20 multiple choice questions 5 short paragraphs (choice of 7), and 2 essays (choice of 3). No reasons for missing exams will be accepted if you did not contact me before exam time. Work: 475-7009; Home: 479 6720; e-mail: macneilage@psy.utexas.edu (No problems arising from non-refundable air fares will be considered as all exam times are now known to you.) Grades cannot be improved by extra assignments.

Grades.

Here is how grades will be determined.  The number of points that you make on each of the two exams will be added together to give you a sum for the course.  The highest possible number of points is 200—1 point per minute of testing. (Note that you will not receive a letter grade during the semester but simply a score, which is the number of points.)  Your letter grade will be assigned according to a simple formula based on a. your sum, and b. the average of the scores of the top 2 students in the class.  This average of the two greatest sums will be considered a perfect score of 100% and is the basis for all the other grades.

If your sum is;              Then your grade is;

86-100%                               A

76-85%                                B

61-75%                                C

51-60%                                D

50% or below                       F

Notice that anything can happen.  Its possible (but not likely) for everyone to get an A.  In this course you are not graded on some absolute or arbitrary scale, but in relation to the two best members of your class. After the 2 tests,  class attendance/participation will be factored in and your final grade will again be computed in relation to the top two scores in the class as above.

Attendance.

Class attendance will be compulsory.  You can miss 2 classes during the semester without penalty.  After that, marks will be deducted in the following way: 3 classes missed, 4 points deducted; 4 classes missed, 8 points deducted: 5 classes missed, 16 points deducted; 6 classes missed, 32 points deducted; 7 classes missed, 68 points deducted; 8 classes missed, course failed.  After the first day, class attendance will be taken by the TA at the South door of the room,

Departmental Requirements

The Psychology Department will drop all students who do not meet the

following prerequisites:

(a)  PSY 301 with a C or better

(b)  Upper-Division standing (60 hours completed)

(c)  PSY 418 (or an equivalent listed in the course schedule) with a C or better

Accommodations

At the beginning of the semester, students with disabilities who need special accommodations should notify the instructor by presenting a letter prepared by the Services for Students with Special Disabilities (SSD) Office.  To ensure that the most appropriate accommodations can be provided, students should contact the SSD Office at 471-6259 or 471-4641 TTY.

Adding Classes

The only way undergraduates can add a PSY class is through the ROSE registration system by Aug. 31st.   If the class has an electronic waitlist started in the registration system students must add themselves to it for any chance to add the class.  If a class is full, students can keep trying during their access times and speak to their advisors (in their major departments) to explore other options in case it does not open up.  Feel free to forward email inquiries about adding a class to undergrad@psy.utexas.edu to answer. Dean's offices typically will not allow adds past Sept.11th, when official roll is taken.

Policy on Scholastic Dishonesty

Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary procedures, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from The University.  Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. 

                                    Psychology 337:  Psychology of Language 44090

Dr. MacNeilage  Fall ‘09

MWF 2-3 NOA 1.124

Required Readings:

1. MacNeilage, P.F. The Origin of Speech.  (Available at the Co-op in the middle of September)
2. A set of power point slide copies and a set of readings (Available at Jenn’s Copy; NW corner of 22^nd and Guadalupe)

Schedule: Lectures & Readings

1. Background.

Aug 28, Sept 1. Language: What is it?

Sept 3, 8, 10. Evolution.  Weiner. Grant. Crick. Lewin Chs 4 & 7.

Sept 15, 17. Classicism versus Neodarwinism. MacNeilage: Causes of Form. MacNeilage: Notes on Objectivism.             MacNeilage: Chs 1. & 2.

2. Evolution of Language.

Sept 22, 24. Bickerton’s Scenario.  Calvin & Bickerton: Lingua ex Machina.  Chs 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11.

Sept 29. MacWhinney’s Scenario.  MacWhinney: The Gradual Emergence of Language.  Gopnik: Theory of Mind.              Rizzolatti et al., Mirrors in the Mind. (Some power points to come.)

Oct 1. Tomasello’s Scenario.  Tomasello: Origins of Human Communication, Ch. 7, From Ape Gestures to Human             Language. (Power points to come.)

3. Evolution of Speech: MacNeilage’s Scenario

Oct 6, 8, 13. What is Speech?  MacN: Ch 3.

Oct 15 MID TERM EXAM

Oct 20. How Speech got Started. MacN Ch 4.

Oct 22, 27. Acquisition and Evolution.  MacN: Chs 5 and 6.

Oct 29. First Words. MacN: Ch 7.

4. Brain and Speech/Language.

Nov 3, 5. The Brain. Gazzaniga, Ivry & Mangun pp. 44-68.

Nov 10, 12. Brain Evolution for the Frame/Content Mode   MacN: Chs 8 & 9.

Nov 17, 19. Evolution of Hemispheric Specializations including Speech.  MacN: Ch 10. MacNeilage, Rogers &             Vallortigara: Origins of the Left and Right Brain. (Some power points to come.)

Nov 24.  Broca’s Area and Language Embodiment. Wise: Evolution of Ventral Premotor Cortex and Primate Way             of Reaching. Willems and Hagoort: Neural Evidence for the Interplay Between Language, Gesture, and             Action: A Review. (Power points to come).

Nov 26. THANKSGIVING

5. Speech: Some Conclusions about Speech.

Dec . Ultimate Causes of Speech: Genes and Culture.  MacN: Ch 14. 

Dec 3 Conclusions  MacN. Ch 15.

Content of Readings Packet.

Background

Introduction

MacNeilage, P.F. On the Causes of Form in Nature. 

MacNeilage, P.F. Notes on Objectivism, Formalism, Essentialism, Rationalism. 

Evolution

Weiner, J. The Handy-Dandy Evolution Prover. 

Grant, P.R. Natural Selection and Darwin’s Finches.

Crick, F. What Mad Pursuit: The Baffling Problem (excerpt). 

Lewin, R. Human Evolution, Ch 4 Primate Heritage.

Lewin, R. Human Evolution, Ch 7 Major steps in human evolution.  

Evolution of Language

Calvin, W.H. & Bickerton, D.  Lingua ex Machina (Excerpts).

MacWhinney, B.M. The Gradual Emergence of Language.

Gopnik, A. Theory of Mind.

Rizzolatti, G., Fogassi, L. & Galese, V. Mirrors of the Mind.

Tomasello: Origins of Human Communication, Ch. 7, From Ape Gestures to Human Language.

Brain and Speech

Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, I., & Mangun, G. Cognitive Neuroscience (Excerpt, pp. 44-68.)

MacNeilage, P.F., Rogers, L.J. & Vallortigara, G.  Origins of the Left and Right Brain.

Wise, S. Evolution of Ventral Premotor Cortex and Primate Way of Reaching.

Willems, R.M & Hagoort, P. Neural Evidence for the Interplay Between Language, Gesture, and Action: A Review.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Consideration of approaches to the study of language, its development in children, and its functioning; important research from psychology and linguistics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-divison standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for nonmajors, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychoogy 371, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or the equivalent in independent study.

Supervised research.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor and the linguistics graduate adviser.

Hour(s) to be arranged. Restricted enrollment; contact the department for permission to register for this class. May be repeated for credit.

Readings, conferences, and other work on individually selected topics. Conference course. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and twelve semester hours of upper-division coursework in psychology. Students must sign up in the Department of Psychology Graduate Office before enrolling in some sections; these are identified in the Course Schedule.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Supervised reading in selected topics of significance; area of intensive study is chosen by the student in consultation with the instructor. Individual instruction. May be repeated for credit. Offered on the pass/fail basis only. May not be counted toward a major in psychology. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and consent of instructor.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.