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Biological and Behavioral Psychology - PSY201 Spring 2026
Course
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James Pfaus
This course introduces students to the brain and its neural and neurochemical mechanisms underlying behavior. It aims to develop students’ ability to understand and analyze how complex behaviors emerge from interactions between biological systems and environmental stimuli, providing a foundation for further studies in behavioral neuroscience and the psychology of motivation. First part of the course covers the structure and function of the nervous system, neural communication, and the biological basis of sensory processing. Through three thematic units, students learn how neurons transmit information, how electrochemical and molecular mechanisms shape neural activity, and how neurochemical and hormonal systems contribute to behavior. By learning the terminology of neurobiology and building up the understanding of biological concepts in a step-by-step manner, students will come to view psychology from a different, more biological perspective, and will acquire an overview of neuroscience in the process. It also helps students understand the biological mechanisms underlying psychological processes and the interconnections between biological, physiological, and social determinants of mental functioning. Second part of this course explores the neural mechanisms underlying motivated behaviors. Students are introduced to key concepts such as goal-directed behavior, incentive motivation, and the distinction between internal drive states and external incentives. The course examines neuroanatomical and neurochemical systems involved in maintaining homeostasis (e.g., hunger, thirst, temperature regulation, biological rhythms) as well as non-homeostatic motivated behaviors such as sexual behavior, parenting, and aggression. Attention is also given to the neuroscience of reward, pleasure, and drug addiction.
Here is the course outline:
1. Lecture 1: Introduction to Biological Psychology/Structure and function of the nervous systems an...
Feb 2 11:15am .. 2pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
What is neuroscience? The scope of biological psychology. Central and peripheral nervous system, basic brain anatomy, types of neurons and glial cells, neuronal cell structure. |
2. Lecture 2: Ionic basis of neural communication/Regulation of membrane potentials and neural integ...
Feb 9 11:15am .. 2pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
Electrical properties of neurons, integration of signals, membrane resting and action potentials. |
3. EXAM 1
Feb 16 11:15am .. 12:30pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
On Unit 1 (Lectures 1 and 2). Worth 15%. |
4. Lecture 3: The neuromuscular junction and synaptic transmission
Feb 16 12:30pm .. 1:50pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
Chemical and electrical synapses; synaptic vesicle release. |
5. Lecture 4: Synaptic function, signal transmission, and signal transduction.
Feb 23 11:15am .. 2pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
Pre- and postsynaptic events, receptors (ionotropic vs. metabotropic), second messengers, intracellular cascades. |
6. EXAM 2
Mar 2 11:15am .. 12:30pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
On Unit 2 (Lectures 3 and 4). Worth 15%. |
7. Lecture 5: Neurochemistry I: Classic neurotransmitters and brain function
Mar 2 12:30pm .. 2pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
Acetylcholine, dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin. |
8. Lecture 6: Neurochemistry II: Small molecules, neuropeptides, and unconventional transmitters/Che...
Mar 9 11:15am .. 2pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
Glutamate, GABA, Substance P, opioids, oxytocin, nitric oxide, endocannabinoids/taste and smell. |
9. EXAM 3
Mar 16 11:15am .. 12:30pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
On Unit 3 (Lectures 5 and 6). Worth 15%. |
10. Lecture 7: Behavior and motivation: Theories of motivation and incentive models.
Mar 16 12:30pm .. 2pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
Definitions of motivation; goal-directed behavior; evolution and survival; difference between motivation and drive; homeostasis vs. allostasis, drive reduction, incentive salience, models of reward. |
11. Lecture 8: Thirst and feeding.
Mar 23 11:15am .. 2pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
Physiological and neural mechanisms regulating thirst, hunger, satiety; hypothalamus and energy balance. Hedonic regulation, dopamine involvement, learning and social factors in food intake. |
12. NO CLASS MIDTERM BREAK AND EASTER MONDAY
Mar 30, Anywhere you are, there you'll be.
Have fun! Finish reading Toates. |
13. Lecture 9: Sleep and biological rhythms, sleep disorders, Mood (depression and mania).
Apr 13 11:15am .. 2pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
Circadian rhythms, sleep stages, REM/NREM, on-off and “flip-flop” switches, biological clocks, melatonin, sleep disorders, mood disorders. |
14. Lecture 10: Temperature regulation, Sex and reproduction I
Apr 20 11:15am .. 2pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
Neural mechanisms of thermoregulation; hypothalamic control; behavioral thermoregulation. Hormonal regulation of sexual differentiation and motivation; human and animal models. |
15. Lecture 11: Sex and reproduction II
Apr 27 11:15am .. 2pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
Neural systems of sexual excitation and inhibition; influence of learning and context. |
16. EXAM 4
May 4 11:15am .. 12:30pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
On Units 4 and 5 (Lectures 7 to 10, but no sex). Worth 20% |
17. Lecture 12: Parental behavior and aggression, Fear and safety.
May 4 12:30pm .. 2pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
Maternal/parental behavior, aggression, and safety systems. |
18. Lecture 13: Reward mechanisms, Addiction, Pleasure and optimality.
May 11 11:15am .. 2pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
Dopamine system, reward pathways, neurobiology of drug use and reinforcement, hedonic tone, homeostatic and allostatic models of addiction and pleasure; adaptive significance. |
19. EXAM 5
May 18 11:15am .. 1:45pm, Classroom 2.05 (Main Building)
On Units 6 and 7 (Lectures 10 to 13). Worth 25%. |