Syllabus
Drugs and Behavior-PSY 245--Fall, 2009
Tuesday/Thursday 2:00-3:15 PM: Dobo 202
Dr. Mark Galizio (galizio@uncw.edu)
Website: http://people.uncw.edu/galizio/galizio.htm
Office = SB 110-A, Office Hrs: Tuesdays 1-2, 3:30-4:30; Thursdays 1-2
Textbook: Maisto, Galizio, & Connors (2008). Drug use and abuse, 5th Ed., Wadsworth Press.
Course Outline
I. Introduction to Drugs and Behavior
A. Psychoactive Drugs: An Overview
1. History
2. Drugs and the Legal System
B. Some Preliminaries: The Nervous System
1. The Central Nervous System (CNS)
2. The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
3. Neurotransmitters: The Chemistry of Thought and Emotion
C. Psychopharmacology: An Emerging Science
1. Basic Principles
2. Methodology: Rats, Double Blinds and Placebos
3. Ethical Issues in Drug Research
Exam 1: c. Sep 22; Readings: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5
II. The Grand Tour: The Major Psychoactive Drugs
Discussion of the history, mechanism of action, medical and psychotherapeutic uses, physiological and psychological effects of the following drug groups:
A. Stimulants: Amphetamines, Cocaine; Anabolic Steroids, Caffeine, Nicotine, Ritalin
B. Depressants: Alcohol, Barbiturates and Sedatives, GHB,
C. Psychiatric drugs: Major and Minor Tranquilizers, Antidepressants
D. Over-The-Counter drugs, Miscellaneous Prescription drugs, Herbal Preparations
Exam 2: Oct. 29; Readings: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, & 14
III. The Tour (continued)
E. Marijuana
F. Hallucinogens: LSD, MDMA (ecstasy), Peyote, Psilocybin, Mescaline, Cholinergic Drugs, PCP, etc.
G. Opiates
IV. Drug Use as a Social Phenomenon
A. The Social Context of Drug Use
B. Social and Personality Correlates
C. Mechanisms of Use and Dependence
D. Therapy and Social Control of Abuse
FINAL EXAM Thurssday, Dec 10, 3:00-6:00 PM; Readings: Chapters 10, 11, 12, 15, & 16
The final exam will be comprehensive, but will focus on the readings and lectures of Units III & IV.
Movie/Book Reviews
You will be asked to view a movie/video or read a book with a substance abuse theme and submit a short (2-3 page) review. A list of acceptable titles and detailed instructions will be provided on the website. Your review will be due on Nov 24.. An additional Web site review may be submitted for a small amount of extra credit.
Grading
Exams 1 and 2 will comprise 25% of your grade
The Final Exam is comprehensive, but will emphasize Unit III and will be weighted as 30% of your final grade.
Pop Quizzes will account for an additional 10% of your grade.
Your review will account for the remaining 10% of your final grade.
Grading .....is basically on a 10-pt scale. Plus/minus grades will be used only in borderline cases as follows: >89.9=A, 89.0-89.9=A-, 87.0-88.9=B+, >79.9=B, and so on....
Electronic Device Policy
Electronic devices such as cellphones, laptops, PDA's, etc. should be switched off during the class period. An electronic device that is active during a quiz or exam invalidates your performance on that exam and is sufficient grounds for a zero to be assigned.
Attendance Policy
Regular attendance is strongly recommended, but I will not attempt to take attendance in a class this size. This course is an elective for you, and I believe that it can be one of the most interesting and worthwhile experiences you can have at UNCW. However, without regular attendance, your experience will lack continuity and will not be as positive. I have found that students who miss many classes usually also perform poorly on my exams. In order to encourage both regular attendance and prompt completion of reading assignments, I will schedule frequent pop quizzes throughout the semester at the beginning or end of class. There will be no make-up quizzes. If you are not present at the time a quiz is given you will receive a zero on that quiz. However, to make up for this draconian policy, I will drop your lowest 2 quizzes. If there are special issues that affect your attendance (e.g., UNCW athletics or other authorized activities; medical issues), please see me about adjustments to this quiz policy). Thus, if you miss two quizzes, those zeroes will be dropped. These quizzes will be very brief (usually 1-3 questions) and will address material covered in lecture or readings assigned for the previous week according to the following schedule:
Week of: ___________________________Chapters:
Aug 25.................................................................1, 2
Sep 1....................................................................3
Sep 8.....................................................................4
Sep 15...................................................................5
Sep 29...................................................................6
Oct 13....................................................................7, 8
Oct 20....................................................................9,13
Oct 27....................................................................14
Nov 3.....................................................................11
Nov 10...................................................................12
Nov 17...................................................................10
Nov 24....................................................................15
Dec 1.......................................................................16