PS411-5-SP-CO:
Brain and Behaviour

The details
2019/20
Psychology
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Monday 13 January 2020
Friday 20 March 2020
15
13 May 2019

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

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),
BSC C814 Psychology with Economics,
BSC C815 Psychology with Economics (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C816 Psychology with Economics (Including Placement Year),
BSC H167 Neural Technology with Psychology

Module description

The module is co-ordinated by Dr Nick Cooper, to whom queries should be addressed.

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.

The lectures will be taught by Dr Nick Cooper, Dr Steffan Kennett, Dr Gethin Hughes and Dr Elia Valentini. PS411 will be supported by additional tutorial classes, which will introduce the use of Powerpoint Presentations.

PS411 is assessed by an oral PowerPoint presentation (10%), and a timed essay (15%) and a final end-of-year essay-based summer examination (75%).

Socrate and International students:
These students have different assessments and must check with the department what the requirements are.

Module aims

This module will detail the psychological mechanisms that underlie human behaviour and highlight the possibility that even our deepest thoughts and feelings arise from electrical and chemical activity in our brains.

Module learning outcomes

--

Module information

Compulsory for:
Year 2 BA Psychology, Year 2 BSc Psychology
16/10/18 JC

Learning and teaching methods

The PS411 module will have an oral PowerPoint presentation and timed essay. Full details will be made available in the module handout. The Module will provide seminars to support your study.

Bibliography

This module does not appear to have any essential texts. To see non-essential items, please refer to the module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Timed essay - Reassessment only     100% 
Practical   Oral Presentation     0% 
Exam  Main exam: 48hr 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

Coursework Exam
25% 75%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
25% 75%
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

 

Availability
Yes
No
No

External examiner

Dr Thomas Hunt
University of Derby
Senior Lecturer in Psychology
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 138 hours, 55 (39.9%) hours available to students:
83 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

 

Further information
Psychology

Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.