NRSC 4300 Brain and Behavior
This course takes a comparative and systems-level approach to understanding the biological basis of behavior. The course begins by asking "What is behavior?" and "What is brain?" and "How are they associated?" The course then describes the neurophysiology and neuroanatomy of the brain. Then it builds on the answers to the opening questions by exploring the psychology and neuroscience of specific categories of behavior: the stress response, perception, movement, hunger, thirst, reward, threat behavior, and vigilance. Real-world behavior is complex; that is, 1. it
involves multiple categories of behavior operating at once, 2. it is flexible, adaptive, and predictive, and 3.it varies based on environmental context. Consequently, throughout the course, we will consider the behavior under discussion in the context of an organism operating in an environment. By the end of the course, you will be able to describe a complex behavior you engage in and the neural circuits underlying it.