Surveys the molecular and cellular mechanisms of neuronal communication. Covers ion channels …
Surveys the molecular and cellular mechanisms of neuronal communication. Covers ion channels in excitable membrane, synaptic transmission, and synaptic plasticity. Correlates the properties of ion channels and synaptic transmission with their physiological function such as learning and memory. Discusses the organizational principles for the formation of functional neural networks at synaptic and cellular levels.
This course provides an overview of the human developmental processes from conception, …
This course provides an overview of the human developmental processes from conception, through early adolescence. Some of the major topics covered are: research methods, memory, cognition, and language development. This course is also designed to promote a continuing interest in child development and to facilitate critical thinking about the social, emotional, and cognitive influences on development via lectures, videos, and in-class assignments.
The focus of this course will be on individual development in context …
The focus of this course will be on individual development in context from infancy into late childhood. At a general level, we will examine the genetic and biological contributions to individual development, the social contextual contributions, and the interaction between these two general sets of variables. Our discussions will focus on several domains of human development including physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development. In our examination of these topics, we will view child development as a phenomenon that occurs within a cultural context influenced by race, sex, sexual orientation, and social class. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to familiarize students with history, theory, policy, and research on child development beyond mainstream psychology. Together, students and the instructor will explore how different factors impact child developmental outcomes through selected readings, classroom discussions, activities, and various media (e.g. Images, Ted Talks, YouTube). There is no textbook for this course. Instead, students will read journal articles, chapters from selected books, or online news articles which copies of will be provided. Students are encouraged to bring in, suggest, or post additional images, media, readings, comments, questions, concerns, or other materials to enhance the course.
Cocaine afflicts many individuals and is potently addictive. Originally hailed as a …
Cocaine afflicts many individuals and is potently addictive. Originally hailed as a wonder-drug in the late 19th century, cocaine is now considered an illegal substance. Cocaine’s addictive properties can be attributed to changes in the dopamine reward pathway of the Ventral Tegmental Area and Substantia Nigra, Prefrontal Cortex, Dorsal Striatum, Nucleus Accumbens, Amygdala, Globus Pallidus, and Hippocampus. This drug affects the brain in two processes: binge and crave. The binge process highlights cocaine’s ability to block dopamine reuptake from the synapse resulting in hyperstimulation of the postsynaptic neuron in the dopamine reward pathway. The crave process promotes drug-seeking behavior through conditional and contextual cues. Understanding the effects of cocaine in the brain may grant insight in creating future medication and therapies to treat individuals addicted to this drug.
This course explores the cognitive and neural processes that support attention, vision, …
This course explores the cognitive and neural processes that support attention, vision, language, motor control, navigation, and memory. It introduces basic neuroanatomy, functional imaging techniques, and behavioral measures of cognition, and discusses methods by which inferences about the brain bases of cognition are made. We consider evidence from patients with neurological diseases (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Balint's syndrome, amnesia, and focal lesions from stroke) and from normal human participants.
An introduction to human information processing and learning; topics include the nature …
An introduction to human information processing and learning; topics include the nature of mental representation and processing; the architecture of memory; pattern recognition; attention; imagery and mental codes; concepts and prototypes; reasoning and problem solving.
How genetics can add to our understanding of cognition, language, emotion, personality, …
How genetics can add to our understanding of cognition, language, emotion, personality, and behavior. Use of gene mapping to estimate risk factors for psychological disorders and variation in behavioral and personality traits. Mendelian genetics, genetic mapping techniques, and statistical analysis of large populations and their application to particular studies in behavioral genetics. Topics also include environmental influence on genetic programs, evolutionary genetics, and the larger scientific, social, ethical, and philosophical implications.
How do individuals and families interface with larger systems, and how do …
How do individuals and families interface with larger systems, and how do therapists intervene collaboratively? How do larger systems structure the lives of individuals and families? Relationally-trained practitioners are attempting to answer these questions through collaborative and interdisciplinary, team-focused projects in mental health, education, the law, and business, among other fields. Similarly, scholars and researchers are developing specific culturally responsive models: outreach family therapy, collaborative health care, multi-systemic school interventions, social-justice-oriented and spiritual approaches, organizational coaching, and consulting, among others. This course explores these developments and aims at developing a clinical and consulting knowledge that contributes to families, organizations, and communities within a collaborative and social-justice-oriented vision.
This course is an introduction to computational theories of human cognition. Drawing …
This course is an introduction to computational theories of human cognition. Drawing on formal models from classic and contemporary artificial intelligence, students will explore fundamental issues in human knowledge representation, inductive learning and reasoning. What are the forms that our knowledge of the world takes? What are the inductive principles that allow us to acquire new knowledge from the interaction of prior knowledge with observed data? What kinds of data must be available to human learners, and what kinds of innate knowledge (if any) must they have?
This assignment was developed for students in SYF 101 Psychology who attend …
This assignment was developed for students in SYF 101 Psychology who attend a 1-hour library session. This session is aligned with the Inquiry and Problem Solving core competency in terms of exposing students to Searching as Strategic Exploration and the Integrative Learning core competency in terms of analyzing Scholarship as a Conversation. In the first of two parts, this session will focus on building subject knowledge and finding background information in encyclopedias. Students will learn how encyclopedias can offer different perspectives on the same topic; they will also create an APA citation for an encyclopedia entry. In order to gain a better understanding of subject knowledge students will create a concept map on ADHD or a topic related to their assignment, which will also help students narrow a research topic from general to specific. After covering background information in Part 1, students will discuss the difference between news, popular, and scholarly sources as it relates to their research. Information from diverse sources will be examined as existing on a spectrum, rather than in a hierarchy. As a result, students will begin to understand scholarship as a conversation and that different sources meet different research needs. Students will also be introduced to a discipline-specific database like Psych INFO. Again, citation will be covered, this time for scholarly articles. LaGuardia's Core Competencies and Communication Abilities Main Course Learning Objectives: Students will be introduced to the concept of library academic resources Students will learn the strengths and weaknesses of different forms of information
Basic principles of learning are always operating and always influencing human behavior. …
Basic principles of learning are always operating and always influencing human behavior. This module discusses the two most fundamental forms of learning -- classical (Pavlovian) and instrumental (operant) conditioning. Through them, we respectively learn to associate 1) stimuli in the environment, or 2) our own behaviors, with significant events, such as rewards and punishments. The two types of learning have been intensively studied because they have powerful effects on behavior, and because they provide methods that allow scientists to analyze learning processes rigorously. This module describes some of the most important things you need to know about classical and instrumental conditioning, and it illustrates some of the many ways they help us understand normal and disordered behavior in humans. The module concludes by introducing the concept of observational learning, which is a form of learning that is largely distinct from classical and operant conditioning.
This course provides an overview of existing psychological and epidemiological findings on …
This course provides an overview of existing psychological and epidemiological findings on the relationship between behavior and disease. The course explores how behavior, emotion and cognition can influence disease processes and examines the impact of stress and perceived control of one’s destiny on coronary, immune and infectious diseases and symptoms. The biological processes of several relevant chronic illnesses are covered as well as related racial and social economic health disparities. Templates for understanding and treating chronic illness including social support, referral and interventions for optimal physical and mental health are discussed. The interdisciplinary theme of this course will provide an overview of extant literature on theories of health psychology within the context of critical race theory, epidemiology, research methods, philosophy of science, biological anthropology, sociology, as well as applied health/medical fields for an enriched understanding of the biopsychosocial approach to health and illness. Lectures and in-class activities as well as films, guest lecturers, and interactive computer programs make up this textbook-free course with required readings made available via CityTech’s OpenLab and Open Educational Resources (OER).
This textbook presents core concepts common to introductory courses. The 15 units …
This textbook presents core concepts common to introductory courses. The 15 units cover the traditional areas of intro-to-psychology; ranging from biological aspects of psychology to psychological disorders to social psychology. This book can be modified: feel free to add or remove modules to better suit your specific needs.
This book includes a comprehensive instructor's manual, PowerPoint presentations, a test bank, reading anticipation guides, and adaptive student quizzes.
Our thoughts and behaviors are strongly influenced by affective experiences known as …
Our thoughts and behaviors are strongly influenced by affective experiences known as drive states. These drive states motivate us to fulfill goals that are beneficial to our survival and reproduction. This module provides an overview of key drive states, including information about their neurobiology and their psychological effects.
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