PBS Policy on Enrolling in Permission Courses Spring 11
Permission courses (numbered 60-86) are limited in size and require permission. To ensure that all students approaching their senior year have access to these courses, the Department has designated the first week of May as a sign-up period for all of the following year's laboratory courses and seminars. In this way, students can assure themselves access to these courses.
Beginning today May 2, 2011 all permission requests must be submitted via the <Permission Course Request Form> on the web. The Department will review all requests and grant permission based on availability. Although senior majors usually receive preference in all of these courses, they are not guaranteed permission in their first-choice course, because more senior majors may apply than room in a given course permits. For that reason, we also ask for alternative choices. Students who have submitted requests will be notified of their permission status beginning May 18 or within two weeks of submitting the permission course request. You will receive notification from PBS through the permissions overide system and be notifed with a blitz. You will then need to enroll in Banner.
If you are granted permission for a course, but choose not to enroll in that course your slot will be given to another student. You will need to submit another request for permission; the courses that still have available slots are likely to be more limited than in the initial enrollment period.
Students who do not obtain permission to enroll in Culminating courses that are needed to fulfill their major requirements risk not graduating. Special waivers will not be granted to students who fail to obtain needed permissions during this enrollment period. Students who wish to change their major to Psychology during their senior year will need to obtain permission to enroll in a culminating course before being allowed to declare.
Although our labs and seminars are typically populated by seniors, we realize that some students who will be juniors next year will want to enroll in these courses. These students should also request permission during the first week of May. However, they should realize that because these courses are a graduation requirement, priority will typically go to seniors.
Permission Course Request Formhttp://www.omniupdate.com/oucampus-dc/browse.jsp?site=psych&path=%2Fundergrad%2Fpermission9.html
60. Principles of Human Brain Mapping with fMRI
11F:2A. Won Mok Shim. This course is designed to introduce students to the theoretical and practical issues involved in conducting functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments of cognitive and behaviorally-related brain activity. Participants will gain and understanding of the physiological principles underlying the fMRI signal change, as well as the considerations for experimental design. The course will include firsthand exposure to the scanning environment and data collection procedures. Participants will be provided conceptual and hands-on experience with image processing and statistical analysis. At the completion of this course, it is expected that participants will be prepared to critique, design and conduct fMRI studies; appreciate limitations and potentials of current fMRI methods and techniques; and better understand the broad range of expertise required in an fMRI research program. The course is designed to provide the participant with intensive, hand-on instruction. As a result, enrollment in the course will be limited to 12 people. Knowledge of MR physics, signal processing, or the UNIX/Linux operating system is not a prerequisite. Permission through the department website.
63. Experimental Study of Social Behavior
In 11F:11. Catherine Norris. This course deals with the ways in which social psychologists collect data to answer questions about motivation, social cognition, and interpersonal behavior. Theoretical issues and methodological problems are dealt with in class discussions, laboratories, and small group research projects on selected topics. Prerequisite: Dist: SOC. Permission through the department website.
65. Systems Neuroscience with Laboratory
In 11F:10. Danielle Gulick. The primary focus of this course is the physiological basis of behavior from a systems perspective. Such topics as localization of function, neural models, and the physiological bases of sensory/motor systems, learning/memory, and spatial cognition are considered. The laboratory introduces the student to the anatomy and physiology of the mammalian central nervous system and to some of the principal techniques used in systems and behavioral neuroscience. A single laboratory section will be held Tuesday afternoons in the Fall 2011. In the Fall 2011, two laboratory sections will be scheduled for a 3.5 hour period on either Tuesday morning or afternoons; students will be assigned to one of these two laboratory sections. Prerequisite: Psych 1 or 6 and 26 or 45 or Biology 34 and permission through the department website. Dist: SLA.
80. Perceptual Development
11F:2A. Ming Meng. Understanding how the human brain learns to perceive objects is one of the fundamental challenges in neuroscience. This seminar will cover topics of infants' perceptual development as well as neural plasticity in adolescents and adults. Case studies of atypical visual development will also be discussed. Students are expected to review current trends in perceptual development literature. In class discussions, a mid-term exam and a seminar paper will be required. Prerequisites: Psych 21 and permission through the department website.
81. Neural Coding
In 11F:2A. James Haxby. This seminar will examine the principles for coding information in patterns of neural activity and methods for measuring and decoding these population responses. We will concentrate on neural representational spaces in early visual cortex and in higher-level visual cortex for face and object recognition, but will also discuss motor representations, other sensory modalities such as audition and olfaction, and cognitive representations such as word meaning and person knowledge. In addition to weekly readings and student-led discussion, the seminar will include instruction in computational methods with exercises. Permission through the department website.
86. Addiction
11F:10A. Siobhan Robinson. What issues surround drug abuse? Why do people risk infection, homelessness, unemployment, family and death for a shot of heroin? A drink? We will explore the physiological, psychological, behavioral and sociological aspects of drug addiction. Some topics we will discuss are: the effects of drugs of abuse on the brain and behavior, prevention and treatment strategies, the war on drugs, medical use of abused substances, and environmental factors that contribute to drug abuse. Permission through the department website.
60. Principles of Human Brain Mapping with fMRI
12W:2A. William Kelley. This course is designed to introduce students to the theoretical and practical issues involved in conducting functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments of cognitive and behaviorally-related brain activity. Participants will gain and understanding of the physiological principles underlying the fMRI signal change, as well as the considerations for experimental design. The course will include firsthand exposure to the scanning environment and data collection procedures. Participants will be provided conceptual and hands-on experience with image processing and statistical analysis. At the completion of this course, it is expected that participants will be prepared to critique, design and conduct fMRI studies; appreciate limitations and potentials of current fMRI methods and techniques; and better understand the broad range of expertise required in an fMRI research program. The course is designed to provide the participant with intensive, hand-on instruction. As a result, enrollment in the course will be limited to 12 people. Knowledge of MR physics, signal processing, or the UNIX/Linux operating system is not a prerequisite. Permission through the department website.
83. The Social Psychology of Health Behavior
In 12W:10A. Frederick Gibbons. This seminar will focus on psychosocial factors related to health behavior and health status. We will examine interpersonal / social processes, such as racial discrimination and social comparison, and cognitive processes, such as risk perceptions, stereotyping, and attitude change. We will explore how these processes affect behaviors that are health-promoting, such as nutrition and exercise, and health-impairing, including substance abuse and risky sexual behavior. We will apply various social psychological theories and principles (e.g., reasoned action, implicit attitude formation) to the study of these behaviors. There will be a mid-term exam and a paper; a version of the latter will be presented in class. Class participation is expected. Permission through the department website.
85. Top-Down Processing and Plasticity in the Brain
12W: 2A. Won Mok Shim. Information in early sensory cortex has been traditionally viewed as rudimentary and hard-coded. However, research has shown that activity in early sensory cortex is not fixed but changes with experience, and does not hold raw sensory data but often representations modulated by top-down influences, such as attention and interpretation. In this course, we will consider how the functional organization of the human brain changes with experience. We will also explore the variety of higher-level information that can be found at early stages of processing. A mid-term exam and a seminar paper will be required. Permission through the department website.
86. Selective Developmental Deficits
In 12W:10A. Brad Duchaine. Cognitive neuropsychology relies on selective deficits to shed light on the organization of the braibn. In the past, nearly all selective deficits reported in the neuropsychological literature involved brain-damaged patients who lost particular abilities, but many selective deficits due to failures of development have been identified in recent years. These include deficits affecting computations concerned with color, faces, objects, spatial abilities, number, and memory. This course will discuss the theoretical basis of selective deficits, examine examples of selective devlopmental deficits, assess the relationship of developmental and acquired deficits, and consider the more general implications of selective developmental deficits and the research opportunities they present. Permission through the department website.
65. Systems Neuroscience with Laboratory
In 12S:10. Jeffrey Taube. The primary focus of this course is the physiological basis of behavior from a systems perspective. Such topics as localization of function, neural models, and the physiological bases of sensory/motor systems, learning/memory, and spatial cognition are considered. The laboratory introduces the student to the anatomy and physiology of the mammalian central nervous system and to some of the principal techniques used in systems and behavioral neuroscience. A single laboratory section will be held Tuesday afternoons in the spring 2010. In the spring 2010, two laboratory sections will be scheduled for a 3.5 hour period on either Tuesday morning or afternoons; students will be assigned to one of these two laboratory sections. Prerequisite: Psych 1 or 6 and 26 or 45 or Biology 34 and permission through the department website. Dist: SLA.
83.1 Non-Verbal Aspects of Social Interaction
12S: 10A. Robert Kleck. The seminar will focus on the nonverbal and paraverbal dimensions of human communication. Particular attention will be given to research which has examined the role of gaze behavior, facial expressions of emotion and appearance cues in social relationships. Video records of social interaction will be used to demonstrate and illustrate the various ways in which nonverbal behaviors play an important role in interpersonal dynamics. A mid-term exam, a seminar paper and participation in class discussions are the mechanisms through which the student's mastery of the seminar materials is assessed. Permission through the department website.
83.2 Attitudes and Persusion
In 12S:2A.Catherine Norris. Red Sox vs. Yankees, Clinton vs Obama, Coke vs. Pepsi - we all hold strong beliefs and attitudes about the objects and people we encounter in the world. This course will examine how these beliefs are formed and changed, as well as how they influence our behavior in daily life. Given that in 1935 Gordon Allport, the father of attitudes, defined an attitude as "a mental and neural state of readiness", we will integrate social psychological and neuroscience research to better understand how attitudes function. Examples will be drawn from marketing and advertising, politics, and the history of racial predudice in America as we explore the broad impact of attitudes on our lives. Permission through the department website.
84. Ability, Giftedness, Genius, Ambition: the Psychology of High Achievement
In 12S: 2A. Rogers Elliott. This course will consider the nature and nurture of mental abilities, the different kinds of these, both general and special, and their social and economic implications. It will also examine abilities at the level of giftedness, particularly the meaning and development of giftedness in its many forms; and important aspects of personality and temperament, such as achievement orientation, conscientiousness, energy, openess, stability, and leadership that contribute to great accomplishment. Permission through the department website.
85. Higher-level Cognition
In 12S:10A. Jerald Kralik. "What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculty?" To answer Shakespeare's question is to understand higher-level cognition. Cognition balances our instincts with thoughtfulness and tempers impulsivity with patience. Cognition allows us to plan over long time horizons, to solve novel and seemingly intractable problems, and to rise above the concrete experiences of our daily lives to thrive in a world of analogy, metaphor and imagination. In this course, we study problem-solving, planning, reasoning, insight, decision-making, symbolic processing, and virtually instant learning. We explore whether these are distinct processes, what they allow us to accomplish, and how they may interact with other brain functions, such as emotions, to create nobility in reason and infinity in faculty. Permission through the department website.
88. The course is designed to enable specifically qualified students, usually seniors, to engage in independent laboratory or field research under the direction of a faculty member. Students may take up to three terms of Independent Research. However, no more than two terms of 88, 89, or a combination of 88s and 89s may count toward the eight required courses for the major. Normally a student must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 both overall and in the major to enroll.
NOTE: This course may NOT be used to satisfy the 60- or above requirements for the major.
Non-majors may request exemption from normal prerequisites and other requirements of Psychology 88.
Checklist for enrolling in Independent Research, Psychology 88, not part of a psychology major.
Checklist for enrolling in Independent Research, Psychology 88, for library research.
Prerequisite: Psych 1 or 6, 10 and 11. Written permission from the advisor, and then written permission from the Chairman of the Undergraduate Committee (for 09-10, Professor Catherine Cramer).
89. Honors Research
This course is designed to enable especially qualified students, usually seniors, to engage in independent laboratory or field research under the direction of a faculty member. Students may take two or three terms of Honors Research, but no more than two terms of 88, 89, or a combination of 88s and 89s may count toward the eight required courses for the major. This course may not be used to fulfill the upper-level (60 or above) major requirement. A student must have a minimum grade point average of 3.30 in the major and 3.0 overall to enroll and must enroll before the end of the Fall term of their Senior year. Honors theses will be evaluated by a two-person Thesis Committee approved by the Undergraduate Committee. Thesis Committee members must be identified prior to the student signing up for Psych 89. The Thesis Committee must include a regular member of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences faculty. The other individual, if not a regular member of PBS, must have an active academic appointment (e.g., Research Associate, Research Assistant Professor, Medical School Faculty, Faculty in other departments of the College, for instance). Either Committee member may serve as the primary advisor. The two members of the Thesis Committee may not be in the same laboratory. The Thesis Committee will read and evaluate the thesis and oral presentation, and make recommendations to the Undergraduate Committee regarding the awarding of Honors or High Honors. In addition, all Honors students will present their work in a departmental symposium at the conclusion of the Spring term. The Thesis Committee will also recommend in writing meritorious students to the Undergraduate Committee for consideration for the various departmental prizes. Two terms of this course are required of those who seek to graduate with Honors in Psychology.
Potential sources of funds for independent research may be found in the description of The Filene and Benner Fellowships for Independent Research and on the web site http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ugar/undergrad/
Prerequisite: Psych 1, 10 and 11. A sixty level course is strongly recommended. Students should check well in advance with their faculty advisor for additional prerequisites. Written permission from the advisor, and then written permission from the Chairman of the Undergraduate Committee (for 09-10, Professor Catherine Cramer).
Checklist for enrolling in Honors Independent Research, Psychology 89. Be sure to read the Expectations and Procedures for Honors in Psychology, to help you design and conduct a successful Honors Major.
Checklist for enrolling in independent research, Psyc88.
Checklist for enrolling in Honors Independent Research, Psyc89.
90. Independent Neuroscience Research
This course is designed to enable Neuroscience majors to engage in independent laboratory research under the direction of a neuroscience faculty member. This course is suitable to use for your culminating experience, but cannot be used to fulfill the elective requirement for the Neuroscience major. Students may take up to two terms of independent research. Students are required to write a final report of their research.
Prerequisite: Psychology 6, and 10. A completed Checklist for Independent Study form along with the signed permission from the advisor on the form should be submitted to the PBS Department office. The Neuroscience Steering Committee will evaluate and approve the application. The Staff.
91. Honors Neuroscience Research
This course is designed to enable especially qualified Neuroscience majors, usually seniors, to engage in independent laboratory research under the direction of a neuroscience faculty member. Students must take at least two terms of Psychology 91. A student must have a minimum grade point average of 3.30 in the major and 3.00 overall to enroll and must enroll by the Fall term of the senior year. The honors thesis will be evaluated by a two-person thesis committee approved by the Neuroscience Steering Committee. Thesis committee members must be identified prior to the student signing up for Psychology 91. The thesis committee must include a regular faculty member of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. The other individual must have an active academic appointment at Dartmouth. A prospectus of proposed research is due by the end of the Fall term for approval by the Neuroscience Steering Committee. The student is expected to submit a written thesis, give a public presentation and pass an oral examination administered by the thesis committee. The thesis committee will make recommendations to the Neuroscience Steering Committee regarding the awarding of Honors or High Honors.
Prerequisite: Psychology 6, and 10. A 60s level course is strongly recommended. Students should check well in advance with their faculty advisor for additional prerequisites. A completed Checklist for Honor's Thesis form along with the signed permission
