Course Descriptions
NESC 2000 Methods in Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience
CREDIT HOURS: 3
This course provides a thorough grounding in scientific research methods used by experimental psychologists and neuroscientists. Lectures explore concepts, methods, and analytic tools employed to investigate human and animal behaviour and neurophysiology. Students also complete assignments and write reports on a series of supervised laboratory experiments to illustrate concepts presented in lectures.
NOTES: Restricted to students registered in Neuroscience Major or Honours programs. It is highly recommended that students take
PSYO 2501.03, Statistical Methods I, concurrently with
NESC 2000.03. Students must attend the first lecture section.
FORMAT:
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 3
LAB HOURS PER WEEK: 2
PREREQUISITES: (
PSYO 1011.03 or
PSYO 1031.03 or equivalent) and(
PSYO 1012.03 or
PSYO 1032.03 or equivalent) with a grade of B- or better, OR
SCIE 1506.09/1507.09 or equivalent with a grade of B- or better in the Psychology portion.
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 2000.03
RESTRICTIONS: Neuroscience Majors
EXCLUSIONS:
NESC 2007.03
NESC 2130 Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
CREDIT HOURS: 3
Lectures focus on the processes involved in transforming sensory information into the meaningful everyday world that we know. Initially, emphasis is on the visual system, and how information within that system is structured and organized, followed by a consideration of the character of internal representations used in thinking and remembering.
FORMAT: Lecture
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 3
PREREQUISITES:
PSYO 1011.03 (or
PSYO 1021.03 or
PSYO 1031.03) and
PSYO 1012.03 (or
PSYO 1022.03 or
PSYO 1032.03); OR
SCIE 1506.09/1507.09 (or SCIE1505X/Y.18). All prerequisite courses must have a grade of B- or better.
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 2130.03
NESC 2140 Learning: Conditioning and Motivation
CREDIT HOURS: 3
Lectures focus on several goals: (1) providing general principles of learning; (2) understanding the behaviour of particular species; (3) direct application to human problems. Emphasis is on understanding why researchers in animal learning do what they are currently doing (given the goals and the historical context).
FORMAT: Lecture
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 3
PREREQUISITES:
PSYO 1011.03 (or
PSYO 1021.03 or
PSYO 1031.03) and
PSYO 1012.03 (or
PSYO 1022.03 or
PSYO 1032.03); OR
SCIE 1506.09/1507.09 (or SCIE1505X/Y.18). All prerequisite courses must have a grade of B- or better.
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 2140.03
NESC 2150 Perceptual Processes
CREDIT HOURS: 3
Perception deals with the way in which our senses provide us with information about our environment. This course focuses on the process by which sensory experiences are coded, how they are interpreted by the nervous system, and how experience modifies perception.
FORMAT: Lecture
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 3
PREREQUISITES:
PSYO 1011.03 (or
PSYO 1021.03 or
PSYO 1031.03) and
PSYO 1012.03 (or
PSYO 1022.03 or
PSYO 1032.03); OR
SCIE 1506.09/1507.09 (or SCIE1505X/Y.18) OR
BIOL 1010.03 (or
BIOL 1020.03) and
BIOL 1011.03 (or
BIOL 1021.03). All prerequisite courses must have a grade of B- or better.
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 2150.03
EXCLUSIONS: NESC/PSYO 3005.03
NESC 2160 Animal Behaviour
CREDIT HOURS: 3
Using concepts from behavioural biology and psychology, animal behaviourists attempt to explain why animals behave the way they do. The course examines topics such as mating and social systems, mate choice, the evolution of behaviour, and animal communication. The behaviour of a wide range of animals is studied.
FORMAT: Lecture
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 3
PREREQUISITES:
PSYO 1011.03 (or
PSYO 1021.03 or
PSYO 1031.03) and
PSYO 1012.03 (or
PSYO 1022.03 or
PSYO 1032.03), each with a grade of B- or better; OR
SCIE 1506.09/1507.09 (or SCIE1505X/Y.18), each with a grade of B- or better; OR
BIOL 1010.03 or
BIOL 1020.03 and
BIOL 1011.03 or
BIOL 1021.03, each with a grade of C or better.
CROSS-LISTING: PSYO 2160.03
NESC 2470 Systems Neuroscience
CREDIT HOURS: 3
This lecture class examines the brain’s role in controlling experience and behaviour in both animals and humans. The course will focus on the functional anatomy of several psychological systems, in particular the brain pathways involved in sensation, perception, movement, motivation, mood, memory, sleep, emotion, and language. There will be emphasis on recent research findings and understanding methodology for asking questions in neuroscience.
NOTES: Restricted to students registered in Neuroscience or Psychology Major or Honours programs.
FORMAT: Lecture
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 3
PREREQUISITES: Introduction to Psychology I (
PSYO 1011.03 or
PSYO 1021.03 or
PSYO 1031.03) and Introduction to Psychology II (
PSYO 1012.03 or
PSYO 1022.03 or
PSYO 1032.03) EACH with a grade of B- or better, OR
SCIE 1506.09 and
SCIE 1507.09 EACH with a grade of B- or better or SCIE 1505X/Y.18 with a grade of B- or better.
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 2470.03
RESTRICTIONS: Restricted to students registered in Neuroscience or Psychology Major or Honours programs.
EXCLUSIONS: PSYO 2770.03,
PHYL 2041.03
NESC 2570 Cellular Neuroscience
CREDIT HOURS: 3
This course explores the brain at the neuronal level. Material covered includes: the ionic basis of resting potentials; the electrical activity of neurons; synaptic transmission and plasticity; synthesis and action of synaptic transmitters; and drug actions. Cellular phenomena relevant to healthy and neurologically-dysfunctional systems are also discussed.
FORMAT: Lecture
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 3
PREREQUISITES: Introduction to Psychology I (
PSYO 1011.03 or
PSYO 1021.03 or
PSYO 1031.03) and Introduction to Psychology II (
PSYO 1012.03 or
PSYO 1022.03 or
PSYO 1032.03) EACH with a grade of B- or better, or Principles of Biology I (
BIOL 1010.03 or
BIOL 1020.03) and Principles of Biology II (
BIOL 1011.03 or
BIOL 1021.03) EACH with a grade of B- or better, OR
SCIE 1506.09 and
SCIE 1507.09 EACH with a grade of B- or better, or
SCIE 1505X/Y.18 with a grade of B- or better.
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 2570.03,
PHYL 2570.03
NESC 3001 Directed Research in Neuroscience
CREDIT HOURS: 3
Students work on single-term project under the supervision of faculty advisor.
Requirements include a minimum grade of B in
NESC 2000.03 (or
PSYO 2000.03), an overall B+ (GPA 3.30) average in all other Psychology courses, and securing a faculty advisor to supervise the research project. Note: This course cannot be used to fulfill the department's research laboratory requirement.
Coordinator permission required - contact: pnistud@dal.ca
NOTES: This course provides 3-credit hours of directed research. Students wanting a full-year research experience in a single lab with single project, should register for
NESC 3100.03 /
NESC 3101.03.
FORMAT: Lab
LAB HOURS PER WEEK: 4
PREREQUISITES:
NESC 2000.03 or
PSYO 2000.03, AND
PSYO 2501.03 and previous or concurrent enrolment in two other 3000-level courses.
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 3001.03
EXCLUSIONS: NESC 3000.06, PSYO 3000.06,
NESC 3100.03,
NESC 3101.03,
PSYO 3100.03,
PSYO 3101.03
NESC 3002 Directed Research in Neuroscience
CREDIT HOURS: 3
Students work on single-term project under the supervision of faculty advisor. Requirements include a minimum grade of B in
NESC 2000.03, an overall B+ (GPA 3.30) average in all other Neuroscience courses, and securing a faculty advisor to supervise the research project. Note: This course cannot be used to fulfill the department's research laboratory requirement.
Coordinator permission required - contact: pnistud@dal.ca
NOTES: This course provides 3-credit hours of directed research. Students wanting a full-year research experience in a single lab with single project, should register for
PSYO 3100.03 and
PSYO 3101.03.
FORMAT: Lab
LAB HOURS PER WEEK: 4
PREREQUISITES:
NESC 2000.03 or
PSYO 2000.03,
PSYO 2501.03, previous or concurrent enrolment in two other Psychology or Neuroscience 3000-level courses, and Coordinator's consent.
EXCLUSIONS: PSYO 3000.06, NESC 3000.06,
PSYO 3100.03,
PSYO 3101.03,
NESC 3100.03,
NESC 3101.03
NESC 3011 Experiential Learning in Science Communication I
CREDIT HOURS: 3
An experiential learning class for suitably-qualified senior students. This is a fundamentally ‘learn by doing’ course in which students have the opportunity to develop and consolidate teaching and communications skills in Psychology and Neuroscience. Students develop these skills through a series of communication-based projects, in-class instruction, and preparing, delivering, and marking lab materials for
PSYO 1011.03 and
PSYO 1012.03 lab groups (approx. 25 students). SIGNATURE REQUIRED.
NOTES: This course must be taken in the same academic year as
NESC 3012.03 and no credit can be given for one course without the other. A grade will be given for
NESC 3011.03 only after
NESC 3012.03 is completed.
FORMAT:
FORMAT COMMENTS: Lecture/Seminar 2 hours, Skills Lab 1 hour
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 2
LAB HOURS PER WEEK: 1
PREREQUISITES: B+ or better in
NESC 2007.03 (or equivalent), advanced courses in Psychology or Neuroscience, and Instructor’s consent.
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 3011.03
EXCLUSIONS: PSYO 3010.06
NESC 3012 Experiential Learning in Science Communication II
CREDIT HOURS: 3
An experiential learning class for suitably-qualified senior students. This is a fundamentally ‘learn by doing’ course in which students have the opportunity to develop and consolidate teaching and communications skills in Psychology and Neuroscience. Students develop these skills through a series of communication-based projects, in-class instruction, and preparing, delivering, and marking lab materials for PSYO1011.03 and PSYO1012.03 lab groups (approx. 25 students). SIGNATURE REQUIRED.
NOTES: This course must be taken after, and in conjunction with,
NESC 3011.03 in the same academic year and no credit can be given for one course without the other. A grade will be given for
PSYO 3011.03 only after
PSYO 3012.03 is completed.
FORMAT:
FORMAT COMMENTS: Lecture/Seminar 2 hours, Skills Lab 1 hour
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 2
LAB HOURS PER WEEK: 1
PREREQUISITES:
NESC 3011.03
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 3012.03
EXCLUSIONS: NESC 3010.06
NESC 3051 Research Methods in Sensation and Perception
CREDIT HOURS: 3
A hands-on course that explores sensory perception with an emphasis on data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Several methodologies are used across the different senses to study perception and its neural underpinnings.
NOTES: Students should be aware that some data collection may occur outside of class time.
FORMAT:
FORMAT COMMENTS: Research Lab 1 hour
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 3
PREREQUISITES:
PSYO 2000.03 or
NESC 2000.03,
NESC 2470.03/
PSYO 2470.03, and
NESC 2150.03/
PSYO 2150.03
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 3051.03
NESC 3100 Independent Research in Neuroscience I
CREDIT HOURS: 3
For upper-year students who wish to gain research experience. Requirements include a minimum grade of B i
n NESC 2000.0
3/PSYO 2000.03, a high level of performance in other Neuroscience courses, an overall B+ (GPA 3.30) average, and securing a faculty advisor to supervise the research project. SIGNATURE REQUIRED.
Contact: pnistud@dal.ca
NOTES: This course must be taken in the same academic year as
NESC 3101.03 and no credit can be given for one course without the other. The work undertaken in
NESC 3101.03 should be a continuation of that initiated in
NESC 3100.03. A grade will be given for
NESC 3100.03 only after
NESC 3101.03 is completed.
FORMAT:
FORMAT COMMENTS: Independent Research
LAB HOURS PER WEEK: 4
PREREQUISITES:
PSYO 2000.03 or
NESC 2000.03,
PSYO 2501.03, previous or concurrent enrolment in two other Psychology or Neuroscience 3000-level courses, and Coordinator's consent.
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 3100.03
RESTRICTIONS: Restricted to Neuroscience Majors and Honours Students
EXCLUSIONS:
NESC 3001.03, NESC 3000.06
NESC 3101 Independent Research in Neuroscience II
CREDIT HOURS: 3
For upper-year students who wish to gain research experience. Requirements include a minimum grade of B i
n NESC 2000.03/P
SYO 2000.03, a high level of performance in other Neuroscience courses, an overall B+ (GPA 3.30) average, and securing a faculty advisor to supervise the research project. SIGNATURE REQUIRED.
Contact: pnistud@dal.ca
NOTES: This course must be taken in the same academic year as
NESC 3100.03 and no credit can be given for one course without the other. The work undertaken in
NESC 3101.03 should be a continuation of that initiated in
NESC 3100.03. A grade will be given for
NESC 3101.03 only after
NESC 3100.03 is completed.
FORMAT:
FORMAT COMMENTS: Independent Research
LAB HOURS PER WEEK: 4
PREREQUISITES:
NESC 3100.03 and Coordinator's consent
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 3101.03
RESTRICTIONS: Restricted to Neuroscience Majors and Honours Students
EXCLUSIONS:
NESC 3001.03, NESC 3000.06
NESC 3131 Research Methods in Attention
CREDIT HOURS: 3
The methods, findings, and theories that underpin our understanding of attention (alertness, preparation, selection, and control of information processing) are covered. Behavioural and neuroscientific evidence as well as computational models are examined in the lectures. Laboratories emphasize behavioural methods used to isolate and reveal the components of attention.
FORMAT:
FORMAT COMMENTS: Research Lab 2 hours
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 2
PREREQUISITES:
PSYO 2000.03 or
NESC 2000.03,
PSYO 2501.03, and
NESC 2130.03/
PSYO 2130.03 or
NESC 2150.03/
PSYO 2150.03
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 3131.03
EXCLUSIONS: NESC 3130.06/PSYO 3130.06
NESC 3132 Research Methods in Visual Cognition
CREDIT HOURS: 3
Visual cognition is the study of how we extract meaning from our visual environment and use it to direct our behaviour. Emphasis is placed on object, face, and word recognition as revealed by normal behaviour, and by neuroimaging techniques and neuropsychological studies of brain-damaged individuals who have lost these recognition abilities.
FORMAT:
FORMAT COMMENTS: Research Lab 2 hours
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 2
PREREQUISITES:
PSYO 2000.03 or
NESC 2007.03,
PSYO 2501.03, and
NESC 2130.03/
PSYO 2130.03 or
NESC 2150.03/
PSYO 2150.03
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 3132.03
EXCLUSIONS: NESC 3130.03/PSYO 3130.06
NESC 3133 Research Methods in Memory
CREDIT HOURS: 3
This course examines human memory from the perspective of cognitive psychology and, to a lesser extent, cognitive neuroscience. Lectures emphasize cognitive approaches to the study of memory with an explicit focus on empirical research methods, data, and interpretation of results.
FORMAT:
FORMAT COMMENTS: Research Lab 2 hours
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 2
PREREQUISITES:
PSYO 2000.03 or
NESC 2000.03,
PSYO 2501.03, and
NESC 2130.03/
PSYO 2130.03
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 3133.03
EXCLUSIONS: NESC 3130.03/PSYO 3130.06
NESC 3134 Psycholinguistic Methods Across the Lifespan
CREDIT HOURS: 3
This course provides a survey of research methods for studying language at various points in development. It explores topics in infant through adult language, introducing students to behavioural and neuroimaging techniques. Knowledge of basic research methodology and design is assumed. Students complete exercises to gain experience conducting language research.
FORMAT:
FORMAT COMMENTS: Research lab 3 hours (with occasional lectures that introduce lab concepts)
PREREQUISITES:
NESC 2000.03/PSY
O 2000.03, NES
C 2470.03/PSYO 247
0.03 (or equi
valent), and one of PSYO 2090.03 or NESC 2130.03/PSYO 2130.03
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 3134.03
EXCLUSIONS: NESC 3130.06/PSYO 3130.06
NESC 3137 Research Methods in Cognitive Neuroscience
CREDIT HOURS: 3
An overview of neuroimaging and other techniques of cognitive neuroscience (including fMRI, ERP, and others) focusing on how they work, how they are applied, and their inherent limitations. Labs include experience collecting and analyzing ERP data, demonstrations of fMRI scanning, and analysis of fMRI data.
FORMAT:
FORMAT COMMENTS: Research Lab 2 hours
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK: 2
PREREQUISITES:
PSYO 2000.03 or
NESC 2000.03,
PSYO 2501.03, and
NESC 2130.03/
PSYO 2130.03
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 3137.03
NESC 3161 Measuring Behaviour
CREDIT HOURS: 3
Measuring behaviour is essential in the study of ethology, behavioural neuroscience, developmental, social and clinical psychology. The function of this laboratory course is to teach methods of observing and scoring behavior using qualitative and quantitative methods. Sampling methods, behaviour description and analysis will be done in laboratory and naturalistic settings.
FORMAT: Lab
FORMAT COMMENTS: Research Lab 3 hours
PREREQUISITES:
PSYO 2000.03 or
NESC 2000.03
CROSS-LISTING:
PSYO 3161.03