Department of Psychology University of Alberta

Psychology 372
Course Schedule

FALL 2003

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Dates Topic Lecture Notes Readings
Weds, Sept 3rd
Syllabus & Introduction
lecnote Chapter 1
Sept 5 Mendelian Genetics lecnote Chapter 2
Sept 8
Non-Mendelian Genetics
lecnote
Chapter 3
Sept 10
DNA
lecnote
Chapter 4
Sept 12
Nature/Nurture & Behaviour
lecnote
Ch 5 (pp 61-72)
Sept 15
Nature/Nurture & Behaviour
lecnote
Ch 5 (pp 72-84)
Sept 17 Heritability lecnote Ch 5 (pp 85-92), Appendix p349-351
Sept 19 Identifying Genes lecnote 6 (pp 93-103)
Sept 22
Identifying Genes in Humans
lecnote
Ch 6 (pp 103-115)
Sept 24
Neurogenetics
lecnote lecnote
Ch 7
Sept 26
Evolution (I)
lecnote lecnote
Ch 14
Sept 29
Review Session
What is genetic imprinting?
Chapters 1-6
Oct 1 MIDTERM 1: Topics: Chapters 1-6
Oct 3 Evolution (II)
lecnote lecnote (Fun reading: lecnote lecnote lecnote )
Chapter 14
Oct 6 Cognitive Disabilities (I)
lecnote lecnote
Chapter 8, p132-140
Oct 8 Cognitive Disabilities (II)
lecnote lecnote
Chapter 8, p141--144
Oct 10 Learning Disabilities
lecnote lecnote
Chapter 8, p145--155
Oct 13
Thanksgiving Day
No class
Oct 15 General Cognitive Abilities
lecnote lecnote
Chapter 9
Oct 17 General Cognitive Abilities
lecnote lecnote
Chapter 9
Oct 20 Special Cognitive Abilities
lecnote lecnote
Chapter 10
Oct 22 & 24
Pete Not Here
No class
Oct 24 & 27 Special Cognitive Abilities (2)
lecnote lecnote
Chapter 10
Oct 29
Review Session
Chapters 7-10 & 14
Oct 31 MIDTERM 2: Topics: Chapters 7-10 & 14
Nov 3 Psychopathology lecnote lecnote Chapter 11
Nov 5 Psychopathology lecnote lecnote Chapter 11
Nov 7 Personality lecnote lecnote Chapter 11
Nov 10
Fall Break
No class
Nov 12 Personality lecnote lecnote Chapter 11
Nov 14 & 17 Personality in Animals lecnote lecnote Chapter 12
Nov 17 Environment lecnote lecnote ( fun reading lecnote) Chapter 15
Nov 19 Environment & Heritability revisited lecnote lecnote (required reading lecnote) Chapter 15 & blat!
Nov 21 Teaching Evaluation Chapter 14
Nov 24 2D:4D lecnote lecnote
Nov 26 2D:4D lecnote lecnote x
28 No class
Dec 1 TBA x
Dec 3 Review Session The whole she-bang
Tues Dec 9 Final Exam 14:00 (that's 2PM) (Location V102 -- Usual place) Topics: everything

Suggested further reading:

Ridley, M. 2003. Nature via Nurture: genes, experience, & what makes us human. Harper Collins.
The most highly recommended book on this list. Relevant reading for PSYCO372 students, an entertaining, readable, and informed overview of behavior genetics. The subject matter of this book is mandatory for true enlightenment.
Weiner, J. 1999. Time, Love, Memory: A Great Biologist and His Quest for the Origins of Behavior. Vintage.
Pulitzer prize winning author (for 1994's Beak of the Finch) relates the history of molecular genetics studies of behaviour in fruit flies. A bit less entertaining than Beak of the Finch, but still quite readable.
Segerstråle, U. 2001. Defenders of the Truth - The Sociobiology Debate. Oxford U. Press.
How politics, philosophy and personalities shaped scientific (and not-so-scientific) debate over the role of genetic factors in human behaviour. This is an excellent book, but it does assume a fair amount of familiarity with the subject matter. It will make a lot more sense if read after Gould's The Mismeasure of Man, Dawkins' The Selfish Gene and Maynard Smith's Did Darwin get it right? essays on games, sex and evolution
Sapolsky, R. 1997. 'The Trouble With Testosterone' and Other Essays on the Biology of the Human Predicament. Scribner.
Not really a behaviour genetics book, more of a collection of essays on behavioural endocrinology. Still, stories of studying hormones and behaviour that will make you laugh, cry, then turn green with envy. Sapolsky is one of the best, most entertaining, science writers you could ever hope to read, and he's a first rate researcher. Strongly recommended reading for anyone interested in the science of behaviour.

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