PSY393H5S - Human Neuropsychology

Monday and Wednesday 9:00 am – 12:00 pm IN-PERSON

MN 1170 (Maanjiwe Nendamowinan)

Course Delivery

• In-person – Returning to Campus Summer 2022

• Learn Anywhere Guide for Students

https://library.utm.utoronto.ca/students/quercus/learn-anywhere
University of Toronto tech requirements for online learning

Contact Information
Prof. Junior Steininger Teaching Assistants:
[email protected] Mahmoud Bitar
[email protected]
Office hours:
Wednesdays 5-6pm via zoom or by appointment. Debanjan Borthakur
[email protected]

Course Description
This course is intended to provide a general introduction to the field of human neuropsychology. Specifically, we will
explore how complex higher-order cognitive functions are mediated through cortical and subcortical neural networks. We
will discuss how we function the way we do, covering topics such as perception, memory, language, executive function
and social cognition.

Prerequisites: PSY201H5/equivalent, 290H5, 270H5

If you have questions about missing prerequisites, the waiting list or other enrollment issues, please contact the Academic
Counsellor for further information at [email protected]

Reading Material
Recommended: Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R. & Mangun, G. (2018). Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind (5thed).
Norton Publishers.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Describe the major anatomical divisions of the central nervous system and the connectivity between them
• Identify the brain regions that produce complex human behaviour and describe the role those regions play
• Explain how multiple cortical and subcortical structures interact to control complex behavior
• Describe the behavioural deficits that result from brain damage

Summer 2022 - Department of Psychology Page 1

 • Explain what researchers have learned about brain function by studying patients with brain damage
• Interpret primary research and effectively synthesize information in a growing field of knowledge
• Produce clear and succinct summaries of published research

Course Evaluation

Unit 1 test July 18 20% Essay Proposal July 20 5%

120 minutes

Essay August 15 20%

Unit 2 test August 3 20% Anatomy Quiz Available July 5%
11 – July 17
120 minutes
Final exam TBA 25% Participation Ongoing 5%

TBA 120 minutes

Essay Proposal and Final Essay

Essay Proposal (5%): You will complete a short assignment in preparation for writing your term paper, in which you will
(1) identify a topic/debate in neuropsychology that you will be writing your final essay on, and (2) provide a brief
introduction, rational, and objective to outline your proposed essay topic. You will be expected to properly source
articles supporting different positions in the topic in a reference section as well. Further details on the paper proposal
and term paper will be posted on Quercus and discussed in class.

Essay (20%): The term paper will be 4-5 double-spaced pages, in which you will identify and summarize a debate in
neuropsychology. In your paper, you will describe two opposing phenomena or views in the field and the evidence
supporting each side. Further details on the paper proposal and term paper will be posted on Quercus and discussed in
class.

Normally, students will be required to submit their course essays to the University’s plagiarism detection tool for a
review of textual similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so, students will allow their essays to be
included as source documents in the tool’s reference database, where they will be used solely for the purpose of
detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply to the University’s use of this tool are described on the Centre for Teaching
Support & Innovation web site (https://uoft.me/pdt-faq)

You may opt out of using Turnitin.com to submit your course work, in which case alternative arrangements can be made
to support your written work (e.g. providing research notes, etc.). If you intend to opt out of Turnitin.com, please inform
your Instructor by Friday, July 18 so alternate arrangements can be made.

Quiz, Midterms and Final Exams

It is essential that you have a basic understanding of brain anatomy as you progress through the material in this course.
In order to encourage you to learn this anatomy, there will be a take-home quiz testing this material early in the course.
The quiz will be available to complete on Quercus between July. You will have 1 hour to complete the quiz once you have
started it and 1 opportunity to submit your answers.

Summer 2022 - Department of Psychology Page 2

The unit tests will be administered as Quercus quizzes during the scheduled class time. If you have a conflict with the Unit
test times (e.g. different time zone), please contact the instructor to set up an alternate test time. The exam will held
during the exam period, as set by the registrar. The delivery method of the exam will be determined by the university.
Each test and exam will cover material only from that unit (e.g. they are not cumulative).

Participation
Research has demonstrated that a good way to learn material is to be tested on it. With that goal in mind, I will prepare
practice test questions and discussion questions that you will participate in during each lecture. These questions will be
scored based on participation only (10 weeks X 0.5% each = 5%). You can hand in the answers to these questions on paper
(muat clearly be dated and have name/student number) and be handed in at the end of class or via email (must have
subject of “participation DATE”) and must be handed sent no later that 1pm after each class.

Course Webpage
The website associated with this course is accessible via http://q.utoronto.ca
Note: You don't need to create a new login for Canvas; it already knows who you are. You just need your UTORid and
password. This is the same login that gets you onto the wireless network with your laptop, and the same one that you
use to check your email. If you're confused about your UTORid or don't remember your password, go to:
https://www.utorid.utoronto.ca/

In order to access course material, monitor course information, and view your grades you must log into Canvas. If you
have any general questions regarding Canvas, please visit the following help site:
https://library.utm.utoronto.ca/faculty/canvas

IMPORTANT COURSE POLICIES **PLEASE READ**

Email
The main source of communication in the course will be email. Due to incompatibility issues with the Blackboard portal
and some email servers (e.g. hotmail, etc.) you must send all email from your utoronto.ca account. Please include the
course number (PSY393) in the subject line in all your emails about the course.

Missed Test Special Consideration Request Process

Students who miss a test due to circumstances beyond their control (e.g. illness or an accident) can request
that the Department grant them special consideration. Students must present their case to the Department
(NOT the Instructor) by submitting a request via the online Special Consideration Request form at:
https://utmapp.utm.utoronto.ca/SpecialRequest.

Important note: Once the test/exam is available online and you’re unable to write or have an approved
request to miss, DO NOT at any point attempt to access the test/exam. If at any time you access the
test/exam, you will NOT be able to submit a special consideration and/or your request will be refused.

If your request is approved by the department, a make-up test will be offered. You will receive an email
when a make-up date has been arranged. The department will try to give 2-3 days’ notice of make-up date,
however sometimes this is not possible. Be prepared for the make-up.

Extension of Time Special Consideration Request Process

Students who seek to be granted more time to complete their term work beyond the due date without penalty, owing
to circumstances beyond their control (e.g., illness, or an accident), must do so by submitting a request directly to the
Instructor for the period up to and including the last day of the term. The decision as to whether or not to apply a
penalty for the specified period rests with the Instructor.

Summer 2022 - Department of Psychology Page 3

Students who seek to be granted more time to complete term work beyond the last day of the term must submit their
request directly to the Department. This request covers the period following the last day of classes and ends the last day
of the exam period. This is done by submitting a request via the online Special Consideration Request form at
https://utmapp.utm.utoronto.ca/SpecialRequest. You are advised to seek advising by the departmental Undergraduate
Counsellor prior to the deadline.

Supporting Documentation
The University is temporarily suspending the need for a doctor’s note or medical certificate for any absence from
academic participation. However, you are required to use the Absence Declaration tool on ACORN found in the Profile
and Settings menu to formally declare an absence from academic participation. The tool is to be used if you require
consideration for missed academic work based on the procedures specific to our campus/department.

Missed Final Exam or Extension of Time beyond exam period

Missed final exams or for extensions of time beyond the examination period you must submit a petition through the
Office of the Registrar. http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/registrar/current-students/petitions and follow their procedures.

Penalties for Lateness

A penalty of 5% per calendar day (i.e., including week-ends and holidays, during which students are not able to submit
term work) up to and including the last day of classes, will be applied by the Instructor. After the last day of classes, the
penalty of 10% per calendar day will be applied by the Undergraduate Counsellor on behalf of the Department. No
penalty will be assigned if request for special consideration, described above, was successful.

Academic Guidelines
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have met all prerequisites listed in the UTM Calendar for this course. If you
lack any prerequisites you WILL BE REMOVED from the course up until the last day to add a course. Further information
about academic regulations, course withdrawal dates and credits can be found in the University of Toronto Mississauga
Calendar at: http://www.erin.utoronto.ca/regcal/.

You are encouraged to read this material. If you run into trouble and need advice about studying, preparing for exams,
note taking or time management, free workshops and advice are available from the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills
Centre at 905-828-5406.

AccessAbility Services
The University provides academic accommodations for students with disabilities in accordance with the terms of the
Ontario Human Rights Code. This occurs through a collaborative process that acknowledges a collective obligation to
develop an accessible learning environment that both meets the needs of students and preserves the essential academic
requirements of the University’s courses and programs. Students requiring academic accommodations for learning,
physical, sensory, or mental health disabilities or medical conditions should contact the AccessAbility Office (2037B Davis
Building), 905-828-3847. http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/accessability/

Lectures and course materials prepared by the instructor are considered by the University to be an instructor’s
intellectual property covered by the Copyright Act, RSC 1985, c C-42. Course materials such as PowerPoint slides and
lecture recordings are made available to you for your own study purposes. These materials cannot be shared outside of
the class or “published” in any way. Posting recordings or slides to other websites without the express permission of the
instructor will constitute copyright infringement.

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

Academic integrity is essential to the pursuit of learning and scholarship in a university, and to ensuring that a degree
from the University of Toronto Mississauga is a strong signal of each student’s individual academic achievement. As a
result, UTM treats cases of cheating and plagiarism very seriously.

Summer 2022 - Department of Psychology Page 4

The University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters outlines behaviours that constitute academic
dishonesty and the process for addressing academic offences. Potential offences include, but are not limited to:

In papers and assignments:

1. Using someone else’s ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgement.
2. Submitting your own work in more than one course without the permission of the instructor.
3. Making up sources or facts.
4. Obtaining or providing unauthorized assistance on any assignment.
On tests and exams:
1. Using or possessing unauthorized aids.
2. Looking at someone else’s answers during an exam or test.
3. Misrepresenting your identity.
In academic work:
1. Falsifying institutional documents or grades.
2. Falsifying or altering any documentation required, including (but not limited to) doctor’s notes.
With regard to remote learning and online courses, UTM wishes to remind students that they are expected to adhere to
the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters regardless of the course delivery method. By offering students the
opportunity to learn remotely, UTM expects that students will maintain the same academic honesty and integrity that
they would in a classroom setting. Potential academic offences in a digital context include, but are not limited to:
Remote assessments:
1. Accessing unauthorized resources (search engines, chat rooms, Reddit, etc.) for assessments.
2. Using technological aids (e.g. software) beyond what is listed as permitted in an assessment.
3. Posting test, essay, or exam questions to message boards or social media.
4. Creating, accessing, and sharing assessment questions and answers in virtual “course groups.”
5. Working collaboratively, in-person or online, with others on assessments that are expected to be completed
individually.
All suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be investigated following procedures outlined in the Code of Behaviour
on Academic Matters. If you have questions or concerns about what constitutes appropriate academic behaviour or
appropriate research and citation methods, you are expected to seek out additional information on academic integrity
from your instructor or from other institutional resources.

Academic Rights
You, as a student at UTM, have the right to:

- Receive a syllabus by the first day of class.

- Rely upon a syllabus once a course is started. An instructor may only change marks’ assignments by following the
University Assessment and Grading Practices Policy provision 1.3.
- Refuse to use the University of Toronto’s Detection Tool (you must be offered an alternative form of submission).
- Have access to your instructor for consultation during a course or follow up with the department chair if the
instructor is unavailable.
- Ask the person who marked your term work for a re-evaluation if you feel it was not fairly graded. You have up to
one month from the date of return of the item to inquire about the mark. If you are not satisfied with a re-
evaluation, you may appeal to the instructor in charge of the course if the instructor did not mark the work. If your
work is remarked, you must accept the resulting mark. You may only appeal a mark beyond the instructor if the term
work was worth at least 20% of the course mark.
- Receive at least one significant mark (15% for H courses, 25% for Y courses) before the last day you can drop a
course for H courses, and the last day of classes in the first week of January for Y courses taught in the Fall/Winter
terms.
- Submit handwritten essays so long as they are neatly written.
- Have no assignment worth 100% of your final grade.
- Not have a term test worth more than 25% in the last two weeks of class.
Summer 2022 - Department of Psychology Page 5
- Retain intellectual property rights to your research.
- Receive all your assignments once graded.
- View your final exams. To see a final exam, you must submit an online Exam Reproduction Request within 6 months
of the exam. There is a small non-refundable fee.
- Privacy of your final grades.
- Arrange for representation from Downtown Legal Services (DLS), a representative from the UTM Students’ Union
(UTMSU), and/or other forms of support if you are charged with an academic offence.

Equity Statement
The University of Toronto is committed to equity and respect for diversity. All members of the learning environment in
this course should strive to create an atmosphere of mutual respect. As a course instructor, I will neither condone nor
tolerate behaviour that undermines the dignity or self-esteem of any individual in this course and wish to be alerted to
any attempt to create an intimidating or hostile environment. It is our collective responsibility to create a space that is
inclusive and welcomes discussion. Discrimination, harassment and hate speech will not be tolerated. If you have any
questions, comments, or concerns you may contact the UTM Equity and Diversity officer at [email protected] or the
University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union Vice President Equity at [email protected].

Course Outline
Date Topic Readings
July 4 Introduction, history and Methods Chapters 1-4 and 8
July 6 Brain Structure (Development and Anatomy)
July 11 Cerebral Asymmetry (Lateralization)
Anatomy and Methods Quiz
July 13 Action – Motor Control
July 18 Unit 1 Test
July 20 Attention Chapters 7, 9 and 11
Essay Proposal Due
July 25 Memory
July 27 Language
August 3 Unit test 2
August 8 Cognitive Control: Cool Control Chapters 10, 12 and 13
August 10 Cognitive Control: Hot Control
August 15 Emotion
Final essay Due
August 17 - 19 Final Exam
Final exam: During exam period, it is the student’s responsibility to be available for the entire exam period.

Summer 2022 - Department of Psychology Page 6