Additional Information / FAQ:

Can you tell me more about the in class writing?

You will have 10 - 15 minutes (max) to summarize one of the articles being discussed, at the end of class, after the discussion has occurred. However, if it were me, I would prepare for this by practicing a summary for all articles (separately) before hand; and then, I would be sure and clarify during class if I had any questions about something I thought might be important to a short summary. Note that there is no rule against asking class mates (or me occasionally) for help summarizing effectively beforehand. Given you know you will be writing such a summary in advance, if you have incorrect information or conclusions that are not supported by the findings in the article, you will get a very low grade on the summary. Your summary should, much like an abstract, convey the main question, the basic research design, and the basic results. Summarizing an article briefly -- being able to tell what is the most important thing(s) and what is a detail -- is a skill you should have.

Can you tell me more about the final paper?

Think of the final paper as your chance to convey your understanding of how biological process influence human behavior, or how we know that biological processes influence behavior. I recommend putting the books AWAY while you write your paper to avoid plagiarizing.  Please note that I have read the book and articles, have an excellent memory and will recognize sentences that are taken from the book or articles. Any additional outside sources (no more than one please) must be attached to the final paper.

** A few examples of possible topics might include: "Human depression: How we know genetics and brain function matter";  "Sex differences in cognition" ;  "Evidence that homosexuality is influenced by nature", or even "Epigenic mechanisms for environmental influences on behavior". What was most interesting to you? Any aspect of behavior that we have covered enough research about to write 3-4 double spaced pages about will be acceptable.

Any other advice?

It is good practice to keep all your course materials (syllabus, notes, handouts, quizzes, papers, etc) in ONE binder/notebook dedicated to this class. This will also be helpful if you want to use this course for credit in a doctoral program.

Where can I find the links mentioned in class?

                          Right here:

Lobotomy patient tells his story

functional neuroanatomy of ctx

http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/home.html

sex differences research abstracts