Psychological Science: Psychopharmacology

Effects of drugs (both medical and recreational) on behavior. Topics such as drug effects on learning, memory, motivation, perception, emotions, and aggression. Prerequisites: PSYS 2000 or PSYS 2002; PSYS 2200, NSCI 2100, or NSCI 2105.

Prereqs: PSYS 2002 and (PSYS 2200 or NSCI 2105); Asynchronous online

Psychoactive drugs are substances that alter mood, consciousness, and/or behavior, which they accomplish by modifying existing pathways in the brain.  Most commonly, psychoactive drugs alter the processes involved in the synaptic transmission of neurotransmitters.  In this course we will examine the major neurotransmitters systems of mammalian brains, discussing the pharmacology of each system, and the role of each in normal and abnormal behavior. This course might seem difficult because the field of psychopharmacology is based on fundamental principles spanning many sciences, including chemistry, biology, and biochemistry.  I will do my best to try and make this class accessible to everyone; however, please ask questions and/or see me if you feel lost.  Feedback is very important to me. Learning Objectives 1. Factual knowledge and scientific vocabulary.  We will test your knowledge of scientific vocabulary and basic processes related to psychopharmacology on exams. 2. Conceptual understanding.  Some exam questions will be designed to assess your conceptual understanding of topics related to psychopharmacology.  For example, you may asked to compare similarities and differences between different neurotransmitter systems, or processes within those systems. 3. Solving problems.  We will also require you to use the information that you have learned in a new or different way to show that you can solve problems.  For example, we may give you  a hypothetical scientific problem on an exam, and ask you to determine the best way to address the problem given the tools we have discussed in class. In addition to the objectives listed above, certain departmental learning goals pertain to this course: Department Learning Goals. Learning Goal #1: In this course, I work with students so that they may master core concepts, theoretical perspectives, and empirical findings pertinent to psychopharmacology. Learning Goal #2: In this course, I work with students so that they may develop the skills necessary to interpret and evaluate critically and scientifically material pertinent to psychopharmacology Assignment and exams will have questions that explicitly address the objectives and learning goals outlined above.

Work Expectations There is a lot of material covered in this course.  You are expected to complete all of the readings and assignments on time. You are also responsible for material contained in links to external websites, videos and audio. This will likely take several hours each day. You will get behind quickly if you don't keep up with the material. I expect that many of you will have questions about the material. This means you are engaging with the material! Please feel free to ask me questions. I will monitor Discussion Board for each week frequently, and will happily address questions in that forum. Regarding the assignments, do your best. Some credit will be given for making a thoughtful and clear attempt at engaging with the material.

Grading There are four learning modules corresponding to the four weeks of class. There are 50 points that can be earned in each learning module (25 points from daily assignments, and 25 points from weekly exams).