A senior high school level biology course (or an introductory university biology course) and a course in introductory psychology (or animal behaviour) are strongly recommended.
Psychology 402 examines the relationship between the brain and behaviour. The course explores the biological basis of behaviour, learning, memory, language, and thinking, as well as disorders that arise from malfunctions of the nervous system.
Outline
Unit 1: Nerve Cells and Nerve Impulses
Unit 2: Synapses
Unit 3: Anatomy and Research Methods
Unit 4: Genetics, Evolution, Development and Plasticity
Unit 5: Vision
Unit 6: The Other Sensory Systems
Unit 7: Movement
Unit 8: Wakefulness and Sleep
Unit 9: Internal Regulation
Unit 10: Reproductive Behaviours
Unit 11: Emotional Behaviours
Unit 12: The Biology of Learning and Memory
Unit 13: Cognitive Functions
Unit 14: Psychological Disorders
Evaluation
To receive credit for PSYC 402, you must complete all of the course assignments, achieve a mark of at least 50 percent on the final examination, and at least D (50 percent) for the course composite grade. The weighting of assignments is as follows:
Activity
Weight
5 Quizzes
25%
Term Paper
35%
Final Exam
40%
Total
100%
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Kalat, J. W. (2016). Biological Psychology (12th ed.). Boston: Cengage. (eText)
The online course materials include a student manual, workbook, and study guide. These can be accessed from the Moodle course page.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the PSYC 402 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on the examination.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.