Drugs & Individual Behavior 400:170g  Dr. Linda L. Walsh
	Spring, 2009 9:30 T Th   MSH 37

Course Objectives

   I consider Drugs and Individual Behavior to be a general information class useful to any student from any major. We all will encounter drugs and their effects on behavior throughout our lives. Almost all of us use some drugs (prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, caffeine, alcohol). We have family members, friends, and other acquaintances who use drugs in one form or another. We read about drugs or hear about drug problems on the news. Many of you have career goals that include helping those with drug problems, educating others about the effects of drugs, or perhaps making use of therapeutic medications. And as voters we play a role in shaping government policies affecting drug use and substance abuse prevention and treatment through our choice of candidates.
    This course will help you understand the relationship between drugs, the body, and behavior and allow you to better evaluate drug use and abuse, including use by you and your loved ones. It will increase your awareness of controversies in the drugs field and enable you to make better decisions, backed by critical thinking, when you face personal or social issues concerning the use of drugs in the future.
     Some of the background material we cover applies to any type of drug (factors such as dose, route of administration, time course, side effects, etc.). Once we have laid that groundwork we will concentrate on the major categories of psychoactive drugs, why they are used, their common effects and side effects, risks such as overdose and dependency, and treatment in cases of abuse. It's a fascinating subject,  but not the easiest of courses because we cover so many different drugs and their characteristics. You'll have to work hard to keep them all straight in your head, but I can almost guarantee that you will make use of this information time and time again in the years ahead.


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"How much of this stuff will be on the exam?"

Course Requirements

     Realizing that this course draws students from many different majors and with varying commitments outside of the class, I have tried to design a flexible set of assignments that gives you some freedom of choice. A few assignments I consider important learning experiences for all students. These are labeled REQUIRED below. Other assignments may be of interest to students with particular career goals/interests or to students who prefer to have a greater percentage of their grade based on assignments and a smaller percentage of their grade depending on tests. Many students feel like they have more control over how well they do on assignments vs the uncertainty of how well they might do on exams. These assignments are labeled OPTIONAL below. Note that OPTIONAL does not mean extra credit: if you choose to do optional assignments your "points possible" increases, the relative importance of tests decreases. In the end your grade will be based on the percentage of points you earned. Our 4 exams will be worth about 125 each or 500 points total. The remaining will come from the assignments below. Please note that late submissions will lose points.

ASSIGNMENT 1 - Notes to prepare for Jeopardy and Test 1. Due 1/29.
Completion of this linked assignment is necessary to earn any Jeopardy points and will help you prepare for our first exam.
ASSIGNMENT 2 - REQUIRED-Using Drug Info Resources Due 3/10. 75 pts I believe that everyone should know how to find information on the medications they or their loved ones are taking. Today's physicians rarely take the time to fully inform patients about their meds and often don't ask what other drugs, herbs, or supplements are being used. Pharmacists make mistakes. It is up to us to take an active role in monitoring our health care and watch out for ourselves - even if it means wading through some medical jargon. For this assignment you must find key information on prescription drug of your choice, using the Physician's Desk Reference and at least 1 other detailed general drug reference. If you don't have a medication in mind I'd suggest choosing one of the medications included in our text to get a head start on a drug category we will be covering.
ASSIGNMENT 3 - REQUIRED- Critical evaluation of a OTC drug commercial or ad Due 4/14. 25 pts Videotape a drug commercial or copy a drug ad from a magazine, preferably one for one of the OTC analgesic or cold or allergy medications discussed in class. Using class information and drug references evaluate everything that is said, everything that seems to be suggested, the way the drug is portrayed or referred to, sale pitch, and the accuracy, honesty & completeness of the info presented. Is the manufacturer being totally straight forward with the consumer? Or does the ad mislead consumers with what it says, implies, or what it fails to say? Would you praise or "tsk tsk" their advertising?

Graduate students will, in addition, be asked to prepare a review of 10 current research reports on a narrowly defined drugs topic (125 pts; handout will be provided). Keep Dr. Walsh up to date by telling me about the methods and findings of new research on a drugs topic. Please select and submit your preliminary computer search of research articles on a narrow topic by 3/5, show me 6 related primary sources no later than 4/7, and your completed papers by 4/28.

Optional Assignment. Do a 2 day Addiction Simulation . This simulation is recommended for future teachers and is not recommended for anyone who has had a substance problem. It is only an educational experience if you commit to truly following the instructions. It does involve deceiving friends, family, and employers for the 2 day period. Due by 3/12.
(up to 25 pts)

Optional Assignment. Arrange to go out into the community (Waterloo-Cedar Falls or your hometown area) and interview an individual or individuals who are currently working living in areas affected by drug-use (police, substance abuse counselors, school counselors, health care providers, court officials are some that come to mind). Plan for your interview carefully, doing some reading to help prepare a good list of questions. Prepare a report on the individual(s), the setting, your questions, and the interview responses. If you feel you and your interviewee are up to it, a videotape of your "investigative report" could be an alternative.(up to 25 pts) Due by 4/23.

10 pt Extra Credit. Keep a blank videotape handy to record any shows, segments, or news reports on the drugs/drug issues we cover in this class. Turn the tape in to me with a summary of the program , why you think it's relevant to the class, and a critical evaluation of the segment using an evaluation handout.(tape will be returned). May be done once for credit.  No later than 4/23.
 

About Your Prof
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Education: B.S. (Psychology) University of Illinois, Chicago;
                  M.A. (Biopsychology) University of Chicago;
                  Ph.D. (Biopsychology) University of Chicago
Married:  James Walsh (attorney)
Children:  3 girls (Jennifer, Sara, & Annie)
Hobbies:  Gardening, gourmet cooking, travel, concert-hopping, reading
Most unusual experiences: Performing brain surgery on rats, riding an elephant (twice!), climbing the Great Pyramid, wearing a live python around my neck, flying in a blimp, visiting ancient Greek ruins, giving birth
Goals: Continue to learn for the rest of my life, enjoy my professional and private lives, help others discover psychology (especially the biological side of psychology)

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