Course Syllabus for Psychology 3102-002Behavioral GeneticsFall, 2017
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday2:00pm to 2:50pm
Instructor: Joe BertaOffice: Muenzinger E 236
Office hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Office phone: (303) 492-1701
E-mail address:
Textbook:V.S. Knopik, J.M. Niederhiser, J.C. DeFries & R. Plomin. (2017). Behavioral Genetics (7th ed.) New York: Worth Publishers
Grades: Your grade for the course will be calculated from your scores on three tests and a paper. Each test and the paper will count for 25% of your final grade. Your grade can range from 0% to 100%. The following chart lists the letter grade equivalent to the final scores:
94% to 100% = A
90% to 93% = A-
87% to 89% = B+
84% to 86% = B
80% to 83% = B-
77% to 79% = C+
74% to 76% = C
70% to 73% = C-
67% to 69% = D+
64% to 66% = D
60% to 63% = D-
Below 60% = F
Tests: Tests may consist of multiple choice, matching, fill-in, genetic problems, and essay questions. The questions will cover material from both the textbook and lectures. The final test will cover material predominately from the final third of the semester but will include some questions based on material from the earlier part of the course (the final part of the course is built partially on what is learned in the first part of the course.)
Term Paper: The term paper is worth 25% of the final grade. Instructions for the paper are given on the third and fourth pages of this syllabus. The paper is due NOVEMBER 17. For each day that the paper is late 10% points will be deducted from the grade on the paper. You may turn the paper in before November 17. Turn in a hard copy of your paper, not an electronic version.
Disability: If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, give me a letter from Disability Services soon so that I can make appropriate arrangements. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. (303-492-8671, Willard 322,
Religious obligations: If you have religious obligations that conflict with the schedule below see me and we can work something out.
Honor Code: The University has an Honor Code. Follow it.
Aims of the Course:
(1) to learn the major topics and findings in behavioral genetics
(2) to learn how behavioral geneticists study behavior
(3) to recognize some of the pitfalls in studying the genetic and environmental effects on behavior
(4) to appreciate that behavioral geneticists are trying to answer questions about behavior that people have posed since ancient times and how the modern views are different and similar to earlier ones
TENTATIVE schedule of lecture topics and tests
Sep 1Chapter 1: Overview
Sep 6, 8, 11Chapter 2: Historical Perspective
Sep 13, 15, 18, 20Chapter 3: Mendel’s Laws and Beyond
Sep 22, 25, 27Chapter 4: The Biological Basis of Heredity
Sep 29
Oct 2Chapter 5: Animal Models in Behavioral Genetics
Oct 4Test #1
Oct 6, 9, 11, 13Chapter 6: Nature, Nurture, and Human Behavior
Oct 16, 18, 20, 23Chapter 7: Estimating Genetic and Environmental Influences
Oct 25, 27, 30
Nov 1Chapter 8: The Interplay Between Genes and Behavior
Nov 3, 6Chapter 9: Identifying Genes
Nov 8Test #2
Nov 10, 13, 15Chapter 10: Pathways between Genes and Behavior
Nov 17PAPER DUE
Nov 17, 17, 29Chapter 11: Cognitive Abilities
Dec 1, 4, Chapter 12: Cognitive Disabilities
Dec 6, 8Chapter 13: Schizophrenia
Dec 11, 13Chapter 17: Substance Abuse Disorder
Final Exam: Wednesday, December 20, 1:30 pm
Term Paper for Behavioral Genetics
(1) Twenty-five percent of your grade will be based on your grade on a term paper. The paper is due November 17 (The grade on the paper will be reduced 10% for every day that the paper is late).
(2) The paper should be a well-researched and well-thought out paper on a topic in behavioral genetics. This is not an opinion paper or a position piece; it is a research paper You may give a conclusion about the adequacy of the research or research methods but an opinion about a political or social issue is not appropriate in this paper. I want facts and justified conclusions. The paper will be graded on content, readability, and the rest of the points listedbelow.
(3) Do not use quotes unless they are necessary. Put information in your own words. If you do quote a source you must include the page number of the quote in the body of your paper.
(4) Use the APA (American Psychological Association) style for citations in the body of your paper and for the list of references at the end of the paper.
(5) You should have at least two or three good references. A lecture may act as inspiration for a paper but the lecture is not a proper reference for this paper. Wikipedia is a decent source for background information and references to scholarly sources but you have to treat its information with caution, consequently, check its information with a reliable source and don’t cite Wikipedia articles in your paper as a reference.
(6) Do not turn in a paper you wrote for another class.
(7) The body of the paper is to be no less than 3 pages long and no longer than 4 pages(not including the cover page or the page of references). If it is shorter than 3 pages points will be deducted; if it is longer than 4 pages points will be deducted. If your paper is shorter than 3 pages, you may need to change or broaden your topic. If your paper is longer than 4 pages you may need to change or narrow your topic.
(8) Print the paper on white paper. Do not send me an electronic copy of your paper. Do not include pictures unless they are essential to the paper. Do not put the paper in a plastic covering (or any other kind of covering).
(9) A cover sheet should have the title of your paper and your name on it. Each of these should be centered in the middle of the sheet. This sheet does not count as one of the three to four pages of the term paper. Do NOT include an abstract (summary) of your paper.
(10) Each page should have one-inch margins at the top, bottom, and sides of the paper. The first page should be no different; do not put extra space at the top of this page.
(11) Print the paper with a 12-point font. Use a standard font such as Times New Roman. Do not use a fancy font.
(12) Double-space the paper (not one-and-a-half or two-and-a-half spacing, but double-spacing). Do not skip an extra line or an extra half-line between paragraphs.
(13) Staple the paper in the upper left hand corner. Do not fold the upper left hand corner or use a paper clip. If you cannot afford a staple, I will give you one.
(14) If your topic concerns a general trait (e.g., IQ, personality) or a disorder (e.g., schizophrenia, alcoholism) you should (if appropriate):
-Describe the trait.
-Describe how the trait is measured.
-Note the evidence for genetic and environmental effects on the trait.
-Describe the estimated size of the genetic and environmental effects.
-If there is a genetic effect, describe the mode of transmission (e.g., single-gene recessive, polygenic with strong additive effects).
-Note any gene that has been associated with the trait.
-Describe what is known about environmental effects.
-Describe what methods were used to discover the above.
(15) If your topic is about a method in behavioral genetics, you should describe the method, its pitfalls, and how it has been used in behavioral genetic studies.
(16) Some possible topics:
General traits:
Aggressiveness
Artistic ability
Athletic accomplishment
Circadian rhythms (biological clocks)
Creativity
Criminality
Handedness
IQ
Mathematical ability
Memory (or learning)
Musical ability
Personality
Problem Solving Ability
Risk taking
Sexual orientation
Social economic status
Spatial ability
TV watching
Verbal ability
Writing ability
Disorders (or unusual variants)
ADHD
Alcoholism
Alzheimer’s disease
Angelman syndrome
Anorexia nervosa
Antisocial personality disorder
Autism
Bipolar disorder
Cognitive disability
Color blindness
Criminal behavior
Down syndrome
Drug addiction (including smoking)
Dyslexia
Fatal familial insomnia
Fragile-X syndrome
Huntington’s disease
Insomnia
Lesch-Nyhan syndrome
Major depression
Narcolepsy
Obesity
Prader-Willi syndrome
Rett syndrome
Schizophrenia
Sleep apnea
Tourette’s disorder
Williams syndrome
XO syndrome
XXX (XXXX, XXXXX) syndrome
XXY syndrome
XYY syndrome
Methods
Adoption method
Family method
Inbred strain comparison
Knockout animals
Microarray technology
Pedigree analysis
QTL mapping
Selective Breeding
Transgenic animals
Twin method
Virtual twin method
Miscellaneous
Behavioral exaptations
David Rhymer and sexual reassignment
Epigenetic effects
Eugenics
Genomic imprinting
Language genes
Maze bright/maze dull rats
Human migration mapped by mutations
Minnesota study of twins reared apart
Mitochondrial Eve
Origin of cats
Origin of dogs
Why are humans conscious? (from an adaptive view)
Why is there DNA?
NOTE: You are not limited to these topics. If you wish to write about something else, just run the topic by me (Joe Berta).