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Physiological Psychology II

Code: 102546
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Psychology OB 2

Contact lecturer

Name :
Pilar Segura Torres
Email :
pilar.segura@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Anna Vale Martinez
Laura Aldavert Vera
Carles Tapias Espinosa

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites, but the knowledge acquired in the first year of the Degree in Psychology (Foundations of Psychobiology I, II) is assumed. It is advisable to have knowledge of English.

Objectives

The general objective of the subject is to learn about the biological bases of sleep and waking, motivated behaviors, emotions, and learning and memory processes.


At the end of the course, students will be able to do the following:

1. To explain the neurobiological basis of sleep and wakefulness rhythms, the functions of sleep and some sleep disorders.

2. To explain the neurobiological basis and functions of the reward system. To describe the neurobiological changes associated with addictive behavior.

3. To describe the neural and hormonal control of different motivated behaviors such as hunger, sexual and parental behaviors.

4. To explain the neurobiological basis of emotions and their implications in health.

5. To explain the neurobiological basis of learning and memory processes.

6. To describe and interpret figures and findings from neuroscientific articles relevant to the subject matter of the course.

Learning outcomes

  1. Evaluate the contributions of a psychobiological approach to advancing understanding of the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness.
  2. Evaluate the contributions of a psychobiological approach to advancing understanding of the rhythms of the neurobiological basis of motivated behaviours (hunger, thirst, sexual and parental behaviour).
  3. Evaluate the contributions of psychobiological approach to advancing understanding of neurobiological basis of emotion.
  4. Evaluate the contributions of a psychobiological approach to advancing understanding of the rhythms of the neurobiological basis of learning and memory.
  5. Describe the neuronal circuits, the neurophysiological, neurochemical and hormonal mechanisms involved in the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness.
  6. Describe the neuronal circuits, the neurophysiological, neurochemical and hormonal mechanisms in motivated behaviours.
  7. Describe the neuronal circuits, the neurophysiological, neurochemical and hormonal mechanisms involved in emotions.
  8. Describe the neuronal circuits, the neurophysiological, neurochemical and hormonal mechanisms involved in learning from memory.
  9. Relate neuroanatomical, neurophysiological and neurohormonal alterations with disorders of sleep-wakefulness rhythms.
  10. Relate neuroanatomical, neurophysiological and neurohormonal alterations with motivated behavioural disorders.
  11. Relate neuroanatomical, neurophysiological, neurohormonal, and genetic alterations with emotional disorders.
  12. Relate neuroanatomical, neurophysiological, neurohormonal, and genetic alterations with learning and memory disorders.
  13. Relate sleep-wake rhythms to their neuronal bases and neurophysiological, hormonal and genetic underlying mechanisms.
  14. Describe the changes in the in sleep-wake rhythms in relation to changes in the underlying neurophysiological and neurohormonal mechanisms.
  15. Identify and recognise the mutual interaction between the physical and social environment of the person and the genetic, hormonal and neural factors that affect health.
  16. Analyse the influence of the determinant physical and social factors on neurobiology of mental processes for the purpose of understanding the bases of health psychology.
  17. Evaluate the interrelationship between the neurobiological, educational and social approaches to explaining normal and pathological human behaviour.
  18. Analyse scientific texts written in English.
  19. Use different ICTs for different purposes.
  20. Maintain a favourable attitude towards the permanent updating through critical evaluation of scientific documentation, taking into account its origin, situating it in an epistemological framework and identifying and contrasting its contributions in relation to the available disciplinary knowledge.
  21. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  22. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.

Contents

Unit 1. SLEEP and WAKING


1. Circadian rhythms


2. Behavioral and physiological characteristics of sleep and waking


3. Neural mechanisms


4. Functions of sleep



Unit 2. REWARD


1. Motivational systems


2. Neural mechanisms of reward systems


3. Addiction



Unit 3. HUNGER


1. Digestion and metabolism


2. Peripheral regulation of mechanisms of eating


3. Neural control of eating



Unit 4. SEXUAL AND PARENTAL BEHAVIORS


1. Sex hormones: organization and activation effects


2. Pheromones


3. Neural control of sexual behavior


4. Parental behavior



Unit 5. EMOTIONS


1. Nature of emotions and feelings


2. Communicative functions of emotions


3. Neural control of emotions


4.Agression and violence


5.Stress and health



Unit 6. LEARNING AND MEMORY


1. Nature of learning and memory


2. Synaptic plasticity and temporal dynamics


3. Non-declarative memory


4. Declarative memory


5. Working memory

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Master or flipped-classroom classes with ICT support 28.5 1.14
Seminars (12h) and Workshops (4h) 16 0.64
Comprehensive reading of materials (books, scientific papers, outreach articles, webs) 20 0.8
Individualized and/or small group follow-up tutoring (virtual and/or face-to-face) 8.5 0.34
Documentation 11 0.44
Exercises and activities 20 0.8
Study of basic concepts of the subject (conceptual maps, synthesis) 42 1.68

DIRECTED ACTIVITY (30%)

a) Master Classes (TE, 19 face-to-face sessions; 1,5h) based on:

  • Master or flipped-classroom classes with ICT support and proposal of questions to discuss and debate through the active participation of students.
  • Practical exercises and problem-solving tasks, both individually and in groups.
  • Viewing and discussing short videos.

b) Seminars (PAUL, 6 sessions; 2h). Face-to-face seminars to work, usually in groups, based on:

  • Reading of texts and articles (in Spanish, Catalan, or English) to gain a better understanding of the subject content.
  • Completion and correction of practical exercises and self-assessment.
  • Problem-solving tasks, reflections and debates on various topics related to the subject.
  • Evaluation activity Ev3: self-evaluation exercises.
  • Raising and resolving doubts.

c) Workshops (PLAB, 2 sessions; 2h). Workshops to facilitate practical and empirical learning of the subject content, based on:

  • Analysis and interpretation of neurophysiological sleep recordings (EEG, EMG and EOG) and actigrams.
  • Study of spatial navigation, declarative memory systems and the effects of hippocampal lesions in animal models.

SUPERVISED ACTIVITY (5%)

Tutorials. Follow-up, either face-to-face or virtual, with the teacher individually and/or in groups. Among others, aspects such as:

  • Correction and supervision of the answers to key questionsof the syllabus.
  • Reflections on readings.
  • Resolution of doubts.
  • Individualized strategies for the study of the subject.

AUTONOMOUS ACTIVITY (60%)

  • Search for information.
  • Comprehensive reading of basic materials of the subject (recommended books, scientific journal articles, etc.).
  • Consultation of complementary material (outreach articles, videos, websites, etc.).
  • Study and memorization of basic concepts of the subject (creation of scripts, concept maps, synthesis, etc.).
  • Carrying out exercises and activities of continuous evaluation and self-evaluation.
  • Regular participation in communication forums and other spaces on the virtual campus, coordinated by the lecturing staff.

ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY (5%)

  • Individual written tests (multiple-choice questions, open questions and practical exercises) (EV1 and EV2).
  • Self-assessment activities (EV3).
Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
EV1. Written individual test (multiple-option, open question and short questions) 45% 2 0.08 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22
EV2. Written individual test (multiple-option, development and short questions) 45% 2 0.08 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22
EV3 (optional). Self-assessment activities 10% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

The CONTINUOUS EVALUATION of the course allows the students to know their academic progress and will be carried out through different tests in which the students must demonstrate that they have achieved the competencies, have achieved the objectives and passed the corresponding learning outcomes. For each of the following evaluation activities, its weight in the final grade, the duration of the test and when it will take place are indicated (see at the end the link to the evaluation calendar):

1. EV1. Learning evidence 1 (compulsory): individual face-to-face, written test of development and/or short questions/test on Units 1, 2 and 3 (45%; 1.5 hours; 1st evaluation period).

2. EV2. Evidence of learning 2 (compulsory): individual face-to-face, written test of development and/or short questions/test on Units 4, 5 and 6 (45%; 1.5 hours; 2nd evaluation period).

3. EV3. Evidence of learning 3 (optional): self-assessment activities (10%).

The course offers the possibility of SINGLE ASSESSMENT (see link at the end for information on regulations, application, deadline), which implies the renounce of continuous assessment and involves the completion on a single date of EV1, EV2 (mandatory) and EV3 (optional). The date of completion will correspond to the date of the second evaluation period. The description, weight and duration of the evidences are the same as those specifiedin sections 1 - 3 above. The same recovery process will be applied as for the continuous evaluation (see the following section e). The single assessment IS REQUESTED ELECTRONICALLY (E-FORM) IN THE SPECIFIC PERIOD (more information on the Faculty's website).


The course DOES NOT OFFER THE POSSIBILITY OF TAKING A SYNTHESIS TEST.


The delivery of the TRANSLATION OF THE FACE-TO-FACE ASSESSMENT TESTS may be requested if the requirements established in article 263 are met and the request is made in week 4 electronically (E-form, more information on the faculty's website). In any case, the teaching team will decide whether or not to carry out the translations.

The EVALUATION CRITERIA are the following:

a) Completion of all mandatory learning evidences, EV1 and EV2.

b) Students who have submitted learning evidences with a weight equal to or higher than 40% will be considered \"evaluable\".

c) The final grade of the course will be obtained from the weighted sum of the results obtained in all the evaluation activities carried out.

d) The course will be approved when the final grade, calculated from the weighted sum of all the evaluation evidence taken, is equal to or greater than 5 points out of 10. In addition, it will be necessary to have obtained a minimum grade of 4.5 points out of 10 in each of the two mandatory tests (EV1 and EV2). If either of these two requirements is not met, the subject will not be considered passed and the maximum grade that can be recorded in the academic record will be 4.5 points out of 10.

e) Students who have taken the two mandatory tests (EV1 and EV2) and have obtained an overall assessment grade (EV1 + EV2 + EV3) of between 3.5 and 4.85 points out of 10 may take the reassessment test, which will be carried out in the recovery period established by the Faculty. The reassessment test will consist of the repetition of EV1, EV2 or both, as appropriate. Once the grade of the evidence or evidence recovered has been replaced, the criteria for passing the subject will be the same as those established in section d). Consequently, to pass the course, it will be necessary to obtain a minimum grade of 4.5 points out of 10 in each of the recovered evidences (EV1 and/or EV2) and an overall grade equal to or greater than 5 points out of 10.

If a student opt for re-assessment, the maximum possible numerical grade for the subject will be 7 out of 10.

f) In those situations in which, in accordance with article 264 of the academic regulations and with the supporting documentation that justifies them, the evaluation tests to be taken in the first evaluation period must be rescheduled, this test will be held on the same day that the test of the second evaluation period of the subject is carried out or in the recovery. In the event that it affects a test in the second evaluation period, it will be rescheduled for the scheduled day of recovery without affecting the recovery process foreseen by the subject. In any case, taking into account the situation, the Coordination of the degree, and in agreement with the Coordination of the subject, may determine another day if it deems it necessary.

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Link to the Evaluation Guidelines, Evaluation Test Translation Criteria, Evaluation Calendar andinformationon the Single Assessment of the School of Psychology:

https://www.uab.cat/web/estudiar/graus/graus/avaluacions-1345722525858.html

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PROGRAMMING OF THE RETURN OF EVIDENCE and ACTIVITIES

Type of Return EV & TYPE WEEK
Tutorial Ev1 (Week 7) individual written test Ev1 (Week 10)
Tutorial Ev2 (Week 19) individual written test Ev2 (Week 20)
In the classroom Ev3a Self-assessment activities (Topics 1, 2 and 3) Ev3b Self-assessment activities (Topics 4, 5 and 6) Ev3a (PAUL-3) Ev3b (PAUL-6)

Bibliography

In bold the fundamental bibliography (choose one of the reference manuals), the rest is complementary bibliography.

  • Bear, Mark F.; Connors Barry W.; Paradiso Michael A. (2020). Neuroscience: Exploring the brain (Enhanced Edition). Jones & Barlett Learning.
  • Carlson Neil R.; Birkett, Melissa A. (2023). Physiology of Behavior (13th edition). Pearson.
  • Carlson Neil R.; Birkett, Melissa A. (2018). Fisiología de la conducta (12ª edición). Madrid: Pearson (online: https://www-ingebook-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/ib/NPcd/IB_Escritorio_Visualizar?cod_primaria=1000193&libro=7811)
  • Collado Guirao, Paloma; Guillamón Fernández, Antonio; Pinos Sánchez, Helena; Rodríguez-Zafra, Mónica; Claro Izaguirre, Francisco; Carrillo, Beatriz (2017) Psicología Fisiológica. Madrid: UNED.
  • Garret, Bob; Hough, Gerald. (2022). Brain and Behavior (6th Edition). Sage Publications Inc.
  • Morgado, Ignacio (2014). Aprender, recordar y olvidar: claves cerebrales de la memoria y la educación. Barcelona: Ariel.
  • Morgado, Ignacio (2019). Deseo y placer. Barcelona: Ariel.
  • Morgado, Ignacio (2023). La mente humana. Barcelona: Ariel.

Software

None specific

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies

  • The teaching team of the subject considers that the student can make use of AI exclusively in support tasks, such as bibliographic or information search, text correction or translations.
  • The team also warns students of the danger of the lack of veracity that the information provided by AI can entail, and recommends the study of the content of the subject based on the recommended texts and manuals.
  • On the other hand, for the performance of the assessment activities, the use of AI is strictly prohibited. Its use is considered a serious lack of academic honesty and, if detected, the EV3 grade will be 0 points.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 3 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 4 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 5 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 11 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 12 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 21 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 22 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 31 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 32 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 41 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 42 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 51 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 52 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 111 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 112 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 113 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 114 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 211 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 212 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 213 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 214 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 311 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 312 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 313 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 314 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 411 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 412 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 413 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 414 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 511 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 512 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 513 Catalan second semester morning-mixed