DEP5058 | Spring 2023 Biological Basis of Behavior Development

 Attendance Policy

This course meets on Mondays from 12:30-3:15 pm in DM 163 unless otherwise stated in the syllabus. Attendance in-person is expected when you are physically and mentally well. You are the best person to judge whether you are able to attend class. Should you become unwell, do not come to campus. I recognize that not all students have access to and transportation to health care. You do not need to provide documentation for an absence. If there is an ongoing situation related to your attendance that I should be aware of, reach out so I can support you. We will be sensitive to how we interact and engage with one another, therefore, we will have periodic check-ins to examine our own dynamics within the classroom. Because identity threat may affect your participation, you will not be graded on your class contributions.

 Professor Information

Dr. Eliza Nelson
Associate Professor of Psychology
elnelson@fiu.edu
She/Her/Hers (Why I share)

Guaranteed Reply: 24 hours

 Coffee Hours

Drop in for virtual coffee hours on Thursdays from 9:00 - 10:30 am using the link go.fiu.edu/coffeehours (Links to an external site.). You don't need to have a question about class to join. You can ask about how to apply for a job, meet my dog Berrin (she/her/hers), or just chat. I also parent three children. All family members are welcome on zoom. If the coffee hours time doesn't work, you can request a one-on-one meeting.

 Course Prerequisites

Graduate standing or permission of the instructor. 

 Course Description

Introduction to theory and research underlying the biological basis of behavior development.

 Course Objectives

After completing this course, learners will be able to:

1. Articulate key concepts in the biological foundations of behavior.
2. Evaluate rigor of biopsychology methods via a developmental lens. 
3. Examine the biological underpinnings of their research specialty. 

 Readings in this Course

Required readings in this course are provided at no cost to you via Canvas. For weeks where there is a class meeting, you are expected to read 1-2 papers in advance. These papers were selected by the invited guest or featured scholar to represent their current scholarship and a "must-read" in their research specialty area. You are responsible for the content of these papers and should prepare your own notes for discussion in the corresponding class meeting. To avoid the cost of purchasing a reference textbook, you will also be able to download a fully accessible slide deck containing foundational knowledge about each topic that corresponds to The Mind's Machine: Foundations of Brain and Behavior, fourth edition. Contact me directly to borrow this text. There are also low-cost options for the third edition of The Mind's Machine as another alternative.

 Assignments in This Course

You will be evaluated on four types of assignments in this course: (1) pre-lecture surveys, (2) post-meeting reflections, (3) completion of an online certificate, and (4) a biomarker project related to your research specialty. There are no exams in this course because tests promote competitive behaviors for higher grades. When rubrics are used in this course, they were designed with diverse research interests in mind. Rubrics are not intended to rank students. There is no limit on the number of students who can earn an "A" in this course. Furthermore, the assignments are about making this course meaningful for you. I will solicit your input into how we should spend lecture time and your thoughts on the impact of the course content, and I will help you feel more prepared for grant and manuscript-style writing as early career graduate students.

Pre-Lecture Surveys (15% of grade): This assignment is graded 1/0 based on submission. In this survey, you will be asked to read a summary of the upcoming lecture and indicate which key concepts in the biological foundations of behavior you may need instructional help to understand and which concepts you are most interested in learning about. Surveys have a soft due date of Wednesday before the corresponding course meeting, and remain open through the Saturday before the course meeting. The earlier you submit surveys, the more useful it will be to me to help tailor class discussion. Responses are collected anonymously. 

Post-Meeting Reflections (30% of grade): This assignment is graded with a check/check plus/check minus system using the rubric provided on Canvas. Briefly, I am looking to see that you can integrate the material from the week and demonstrate thinking that goes beyond what was discussed in class. You will be asked to respond to four prompts on the impact of what you learned that week in 250 words. Reflections have a suggested due date of Saturday after the course meeting but you are able to submit late without penalty through the last day of class (Saturday April 22nd). You can skip one reflection or drop your lowest grade. 

SABV Online Training (15% of grade): The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed free courses to address gaps in knowledge about the influences of sex and gender on health and disease and about the NIH Policy on Sex as a Biological Variable (SABV). In this class, you are required to complete the course “Sex as a Biological Variable: A Primer”. This 4-module online course, developed by ORWH with funding support from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the NIH Office of the Director, helps investigators understand and apply the NIH SABV policy in research design, analyses, and reporting. There is no class meeting the week the SABV course completion certificate is due. This timing corresponds with Spring Break for Miami-Dade and Broward county public schools to provide maximum flexibility for families. 

Biomarker Project (40% of grade): Over the semester, you will build towards an Opinion Paper on the utility of a biomarker of your choice applied to your research specialty area (2000 words + a Key Figure). The ability to build a well-developed argument is a transformative skill. The goal of the Opinion Paper is to practice high-impact writing in a short format. To make sure you stay on track, you will turn in an annotated bibliography 5 weeks before the paper due date. The goal of the Key Figure is to provide a visual summary of the most important point(s) of your paper in a clear, didactic, and impactful way. On the last day of class, you will present your Key Figure. This exercise is an opportunity to get feedback on your Opinion before turning in your final paper. You will be evaluated on your project using the rubrics provided on Canvas.

 Meetings in this Course

Meetings in this course are split into two segments separated by a break. Most weeks I will start class with a foundation lecture and discussion based on your input from the pre-lecture survey from 12:30-1:45 pm, and the invited guest will join us in-person or via zoom from 2:00-3:15 pm. I have noted in our schedule where the order will be reversed due to scheduling conflicts. In some weeks, the featured scholar is unable to join us but selected readings from their expertise for discussion. We learn how to read papers with techniques that take us beyond behavior, and how to evaluate scientific rigor in studies outside of our specialty area. We will focus on why developmental scientists should care about the biological basis of behavior. We will check in on each other and hold space for weekly wins and losses. Last but not least, we will spend time on professional development hearing about the background, training, and experiences of our guests. 

 Understanding Your Grade in this Course

You need a minimum of 165 points ("B") to maintain a 3.0 GPA.  

1. Pre-Lecture Surveys (10 total x 3 points each; 30 possible points; 15% grade)
2. Post-Meeting Reflections (Drop 1; 10 total x 6 points each; 60 possible points; 30% grade)
3. SABV Online Course (1 total; 30 possible points; 15% grade)
4. Biomarker Project (1 total; 80 possible points; 40% grade)

 Grading Scheme in this Course

The following grading standards will be used in this class:

 Policies in this Course

Availability Before and After Class

I am not available to meet with you before or after class due to my lactation schedule. Drop by my virtual coffee hours or reach out to make a meeting at an alternative mutual time. 

Family-Friendly Policy

Preferred Name Policy

 Important Information

Before starting this course, please review the following pages:

• Policies
• Netiquette
• Technical Requirements and Skills
• Accessibility and Accommodation
  • This course includes some instructional materials that are not accessible when utilizing assistive technology. Should you require accommodations, please reach out to me via email (elnelson@fiu.edu) as soon as possible.
• Academic Misconduct Statement

Commitment to Intersectionality

I would like to acknowledge that we are all individuals with multiple sociocultural identities that intersect and shape our worldview through the lens of privilege and oppression. My commitment to you as your instructor is to minimize systemic forces of oppression within the classroom such as ableism, classism, racism, sexism, transphobia, and heterosexism in efforts to create a safe learning environment for all of us. I ask that you also join me in this commitment to foster respect for one another, enhance solidarity, and build community. 

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that our university is located on the ancestral homelands of sovereign Native nations, including the Tequesta, the Calusa, and today, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. We pay our respects to the traditional custodians, the Elders past and present, by fully recognizing Indigenous sovereignty as well as the historical and contemporary relationship between Indigenous peoples and their traditional homelands. It is within our responsibility as an academic institution to uphold knowledge about the history of our institution with the original stewards of this land that we live, learn, and work on. We encourage our University community to read and learn about ways to support our local Indigenous communities in their efforts to preserve Seminole and Miccosukee land and water rights, cultural practices, and the conservation of the environment.

Consistent with our University's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, FIU is working towards creating an academic environment that is inclusive of Indigenous students, faculty, and staff who have often been rendered invisible due to structural discriminatory practices. At FIU, we hold ourselves accountable to serving local, regional and worldwide Indigenous communities through academic policy-oriented research, education, partnerships, community service, as well as enrollment initiatives to overcome the effects of Indigenous exclusion and erasure in our own academic institution. It is our hope that acknowledging the land helps us to better understand that harm has been done and address the legacies of violence in our communities in order to create a pathway to true healing.

This statement is provided as part of FIU’s Global Indigenous Forum, for more information visit the Global Indigenous Forum website at indigenous.fiu.edu. 

Statement on Civility

 Course Schedule

**Note: I acknowledge different holidays and the privileges of holidays celebrated within higher education. You are not obligated to attend a course meeting or turn in an assignment on your religious holidays. 

*Denotes guest will join us from 12:30-1:45 pm.

 Required Reading List

***Note: PDFs of all readings are available for direct download via Canvas Modules. 

1. Michel, G.F. (Preprint). A synthetic theory of development: Developmental Psychobiology encounters Eco-Evo-Devo. 
2. Marek, S., Tervo-Clemmens, B., Calabro, F. J., Montez, D. F., Kay, B. P., Hatoum, A. S., ... & Dosenbach, N. U. (2022). Reproducible brain-wide association studies require thousands of individuals. Nature, 603(7902), 654-660. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04492-9 
3. Dick, A. S., Silva, K., Gonzalez, R., Sutherland, M. T., Laird, A. R., Thompson, W. K., ... & Comer, J. S. (2021). Neural vulnerability and hurricane-related media are associated with post-traumatic stress in youth. Nature human behaviour,  (11), 1578-1589. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01216-3 
4. Trucco, E. M., & Hartmann, S. A. (2021). Understanding the etiology of adolescent substance use through developmental perspectives. Child Development Perspectives, 15(4), 257-264. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12426
5. Hartmann, S., Hayes, T., Sutherland, M., & Trucco, E. (2021). Risk factors for early use of e-cigarettes and alcohol: Dimensions and profiles of temperament. Development and Psychopathology, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579421001565 
6. Mulligan, C. J. (2021). Systemic racism can get under our skin and into our genes. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 175(2), 399-405. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24290
7. Brody, G. H., Miller, G. E., Yu, T., Beach, S. R., & Chen, E. (2016). Supportive family environments ameliorate the link between racial discrimination and epigenetic aging: A replication across two longitudinal cohorts. Psychological science, 27(4), 530-541. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615626703
8. Vuong, H. E., Yano, J. M., Fung, T. C., & Hsiao, E. Y. (2017). The microbiome and host behavior. Annual review of neuroscience, 40, 21-49. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-072116-031347
9. Querdasi, F. R., Karnani, N., broekman, b., Chong, Y. S., Gluckman, P., Daniel, L. M., … Callaghan, B. (2022, August 3). Multigenerational adversity impacts on gut microbiome composition and socioemotional functioning in early childhood. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/64m9g
10. Ferre, C.L. NIH Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01): Codevelopment of Sensory and Motor Function in Infants At Risk for Cerebral Palsy. 
11. Hajcak, G., McDonald, N., & Simons, R. F. (2003). Anxiety and error-related brain activity. Biological psychology, 64(1-2), 77-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-0511(03)00103-0
12. Buzzell, G. A., Troller-Renfree, S. V., Barker, T. V., Bowman, L. C., Chronis-Tuscano, A., Henderson, H. A., ... & Fox, N. A. (2017). A neurobehavioral mechanism linking behaviorally inhibited temperament and later adolescent social anxiety. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(12), 1097-1105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2017.10.007
13. Gunnar, M. R. (2021). Forty years of research on stress and development: What have we learned and future directions. American Psychologist, 76(9), 1372. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000893
14. Wooddell, L. J., Kaburu, S. S. K., & Dettmer, A. M. (2021). Behavioral and hormonal changes following social instability in young rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Journal of Comparative Psychology, 135(4), 568–580. https://doi.org/10.1037/com0000297
15. Güntürkün, O., Ströckens, F., & Ocklenburg, S. (2020). Brain lateralization: a comparative perspective. Physiological reviews, 100(3), 1019-1063. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00006.2019
16. Ocklenburg, S., Friedrich, P., Fraenz, C., Schlüter, C., Beste, C., Güntürkün, O., & Genç, E. (2018). Neurite architecture of the planum temporale predicts neurophysiological processing of auditory speech. Science Advances,  (7), eaar6830. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aar6830. 
17. Carter, C. S. (2022). Sex, Love and Oxytocin: Two Metaphors and a Molecule. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 104948. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104948
18. Harshaw, C., Leffel, J. K., & Alberts, J. R. (2018). Oxytocin and the warm outer glow: Thermoregulatory deficits cause huddling abnormalities in oxytocin-deficient mouse pups. Hormones and behavior, 98, 145-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.12.007
19. Vieites, V., Nazareth, A., Reeb-Sutherland, B. C., & Pruden, S. M. (2015). A new biomarker to examine the role of hippocampal function in the development of spatial reorientation in children: a review. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 490. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00490
20. Vieites, V., Pruden, S. M., Shusterman, A., & Reeb‐Sutherland, B. C. (2020). Using hippocampal‐dependent eyeblink conditioning to predict individual differences in spatial reorientation strategies in 3‐to 6‐year‐olds. Developmental Science, 23(1), e12867. 
    https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12867

Brain art visualization by Joroen Bloommaert.

Course Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time (EST). Due dates are according to this time zone.

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