PS411-5-SP-CO:
Brain and Behaviour
2021/22
Psychology
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Monday 17 January 2022
Friday 25 March 2022
15
13 April 2021
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA 63C2 Psychological Studies,
BA C801 Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BA C802 Psychology,
BA C807 Psychology (Including Foundation Year),
BA C810 Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BSC C800 Psychology,
BSC C803 Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C811 Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BSC C812 Psychology (Including Foundation Year),
BSC C806 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C808 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience,
BSC C809 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Placement Year),
BSC C813 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Foundation Year),
MSCIC999 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience,
MSCICA98 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Placement Year),
MSCICA99 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C814 Psychology with Economics,
BSC C815 Psychology with Economics (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C816 Psychology with Economics (Including Placement Year),
BSC C817 Psychology with Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BENGH169 Neural Engineering with Psychology,
BENGH170 Neural Engineering with Psychology (including Placement Year),
BENGH171 Neural Engineering with Psychology (including Year Abroad),
BENGH172 Neural Engineering with Psychology (Including Foundation Year),
BSC H167 Neural Technology with Psychology,
BSC H168 Neural Technology with Psychology (including Year Abroad),
BSC H176 Neural Technology with Psychology (including Placement Year),
MSCIC998 Psychology with Advanced Research Methods,
MSCICB98 Psychology with Advanced Research Methods (Including Placement Year),
MSCICB99 Psychology with Advanced Research Methods (Including Year Abroad)
This module addresses how the brain underlies behaviour from the cellular level via the systems level to cognitive and behavioural levels.
Main topics cover neuroanatomy, cell physiology, typical and atypical neuropsychology, psychopharmacology, sleep and various socio-cognitive processes (i.e. learning and memory, motor control, emotion).
The aim of the module is to provide an appreciation of the physiological mechanisms that underlie human behaviour.
The brain is an extremely complex organ, and many areas of interest to psychologists are as yet, beyond the reductionist approach adopted here. However, it is hoped that the module will at least establish the possibility that even our deepest thoughts and feelings arise from a combination of electrical and chemical interactions.
In order to do this, this module aims to introduce the physiological mechanisms underlying behaviour and encourage students to consider the possibility that even our deepest thoughts and feelings arise from electrical and chemical activity in our brains.
The lectures will introduce students to the broad approaches and methods used in biological psychology. As part of the module’s assessment, students will develop an understanding of a wide range of psychological and neuroscientific theories, and the main methods of cognitive neuroscience.
The specific learning outcomes are as follows:
1. Acquire an understanding of the key issues and concepts of biological psychology
2. Develop critical thinking skills in evaluating methodological approaches and theoretical accounts in biological psychology
3. Develop an understanding of the biological bases of behaviour and cognition
4. Develop an ability and an understanding of how to present acquired knowledge in an educationally salient way
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be assessed by coursework, in the form of an oral presentation. Learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3 will also be assessed through examination.
Compulsory for:
Year 2 BA Psychology, Year 2 BSc Psychology
Lectures start on the hour. Please arrive promptly to avoid disrupting the class. There will be a short break halfway through the class. Please ask questions during class if there is anything that is unclear.
A questions forum on Moodle is also provided, in order to facilitate questions that arise outside of lectures.
Other extra material is also shared on Moodle in order to encourage an open mind to learning beyond the classroom and a willingness to engage in independent learning.
The module consists of 10 sessions each lasting approximately 1 hour 50 minutes. Each session will integrate a lecture format with opportunities for self-testing and questions.
Issues and points raised in the lecture can also be discussed in online discussion activities and student participation will be encouraged.
This module will be taught by blended learning. This will combine online material and face to face sessions where appropriate.
The Module will provide seminars to support coursework.
Socrate and International students:
These students have different assessments and must check with the department what the requirements are
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Timed essay |
|
100% |
| Practical |
Oral Presentation |
|
0% |
| Exam |
Main exam: 24hr during Summer (Main Period)
|
Additional coursework information
Lectures:
Lectures form the bulk of teaching in Year II, with weekly lectures on all modules. All lectures are 2 hours in duration. Two-hour lectures will normally have a short break at the halfway point. With the consent of the lecturer, you may ask questions during lectures if any point is unclear, but please remember that lecture time is limited, and there may not be time to resolve questions during the lecture itself. Please note also that use of mobile phones or audience conversations during a lecture, even if whispered, can be very distracting both to the lecturer and other students and should not occur under any circumstances. Be ready to receive a request from a lecturer to be silent if you do start conversations, and expect requests to become more pointed if you are a persistent offender. Promptness at a lecture, which starts on the hour, is essential so that you can collect handouts and take a seat without disrupting the class. If you are unavoidably late, please take a seat quickly and quietly, and be as unobtrusive as possible. If you are persistently late, consider altering your travel arrangements.Tutorials:
Tutorials are available for all second-year modules. For undergraduates these tutorials are not compulsory. Instead, they may be arranged at times of mutual convenience. In order to indicate that you have an interest in attending a tutorial, simply e-mail the module organiser to request a meeting time and date. Tutorials work best if there is a group of interested students, so it is a good idea to request that a tutorial be arranged if you know of a few others who would be willing to come along and participate. Individuals who wish to discuss issues related to the module may simply arrange an appointment. Please note that there is actually a high staff/student contact in computer workshops, laboratory classes and essay-focussed seminars, and many quick questions associated with lectures can be dealt with in these sessions.
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Nicholas Cooper, email: ncooper@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Nick Cooper, Dr Steffan Kennett, Dr Elia Valentini, Dr Megan Klabunde and Dr Gethin Hughes
email: ncooper@essex.ac.uk
Yes
No
No
Dr Thomas Hunt
University of Derby
Senior Lecturer in Psychology
Available via Moodle
Of 940 hours, 0 (0%) hours available to students:
940 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
Psychology
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