This course will familiarize you with the basic theoretical foundations and applications for the biological basis of behavior and the reciprocal interactions between the two. We will learn about the methods and tools used by biopsychologists, and the information these have yielded. Although the field has some limits regarding understanding behavior, it is also a field in which remarkable discoveries have been made - and will continue to be made as long as there are students with curious minds!

 

Students who successfully complete the course will be able to explain and give examples of the reciprocal interaction between behavior and: genetics, neurotransmitters, neurotransmission, neuroanatomical structures, and the nervous and endocrine systems. These students will be able to explain how researchers use surgical, pharmacological, and electrical techniques to manipulate the brain and explore their effects. They will also be able to explain how and why physiological measures advance our understanding of the brain-behavior relationship.

 

If you want to become one of these students, buckle up! You are about to explore areas of knowledge that few possess. And it's going to be a "wild and bumpy ride"!