University of Essex

PS495-6-AU-CO:
The Neuroscience of Human Nature

The details

Year: 2025/26

Department: Psychology

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Autumn

Level: Undergraduate: Level 6

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 02 October 2025

End date: Friday 12 December 2025

Credits: 15

Last updated: 13 February 2025

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): (none)

Key module for

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),
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)

Module description

This module will cover the neural basis of some of the fundamental aspects of human nature. These include topics such as how we understand the faces and bodies of others and the role of mirror neurons in action understanding, the neural processes of sleep, voluntary action control, consciousness, and sense of self. An important aspect of the course will be to help develop critical insight into how modern neuroscientific techniques can be used to inform questions about the nature of the human mind and behaviour.

Module aims

The aim of this module is:

To help develop critical insight into how modern neuroscientific techniques can be used to inform questions about the nature of human mind and behaviour.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of cognitive neuroscience research investigating the major aspects of human nature such as emotion recognition, empathy, volition, sleep, consciousness and sense of self.

Critically evaluate theories, research, and methods in the field of social cognitive neuroscience.

Module information

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.

Questions can also be posted on moodle. You will be expected to participate in classroom activities designed to support your learning.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

One 2-hour lecture per week.

Students will be encouraged to participate by asking questions in session. Electronic voting and other digital interactive platforms will also be used during class. The will be used to aid and track understanding, and also to show how research findings inform theoretical debate.

Bibliography*

Ward, J. (2017c) The student's guide to social neuroscience. Second edition. London: Routledge. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?pq-origsite=primo&docID=4767428.
Rizzolatti, G. and Sinigaglia, C. (2010) 'The functional role of the parieto-frontal mirror circuit: interpretations and misinterpretations', Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(4). Available at: https://search-ebscohost-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mdl&AN=20216547&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295.
Hamilton, A.F. de C. (2013) 'Reflecting on the mirror neuron system in autism: A systematic review of current theories', Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 3, pp. 91–105. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2012.09.008.
Heyes, C. and Catmur, C. (2022) 'What Happened to Mirror Neurons?', Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17(1), pp. 153–168. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691621990638.
Ward, J. (2017a) 'Chapter 5: Reading faces and bodies', in The student's guide to social neuroscience. Second edition. Abingdon: Routledge. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=1435672.
de Gelder, B. (2006) 'Towards the neurobiology of emotional body language', Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 7(3). Available at: https://search-ebscohost-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mdl&AN=16495945&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295.
Wood, A. et al. (2016) 'Fashioning the Face: Sensorimotor Simulation Contributes to Facial Expression Recognition', Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 20(3), pp. 227–240. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2015.12.010.
de Vignemont, F. and Singer, T. (2006) 'The empathic brain: how, when and why?', Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 10(10), pp. 435–441. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2006.08.008.
Decety, J. and Moriguchi, Y. (2007) 'The empathic brain and its dysfunction in psychiatric populations: implications for intervention across different clinical conditions', BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 1(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0759-1-22.
Gonzalez-Liencres, C., Shamay-Tsoory, S.G. and Brüne, M. (2013) 'Towards a neuroscience of empathy: Ontogeny, phylogeny, brain mechanisms, context and psychopathology', Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 37(8), pp. 1537–1548. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.05.001.
Lamm, C., Decety, J. and Singer, T. (2011) 'Meta-analytic evidence for common and distinct neural networks associated with directly experienced pain and empathy for pain', NeuroImage, 54(3), pp. 2492–2502. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.10.014.
Iannetti, G.D. et al. (2013) 'Beyond metaphor: contrasting mechanisms of social and physical pain', Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 17(8), pp. 371–378. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2013.06.002.
Singer, T. (2004) 'Empathy for Pain Involves the Affective but not Sensory Components of Pain', Science, 303(5661), pp. 1157–1162. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1093535.
(Bud) Craig, A. (2003) 'Interoception: the sense of the physiological condition of the body', Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 13(4), pp. 500–505. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0959-4388(03)00090-4.
Craig, A.D. (2002) 'How do you feel? Interoception: the sense of the physiological condition of the body', Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 3(8), pp. 655–666. Available at: https://search-ebscohost-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mdl&AN=12154366&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295.
Klinzing, J.G., Niethard, N. and Born, J. (2019) 'Mechanisms of systems memory consolidation during sleep', Nature Neuroscience, 22(10), pp. 1598–1610. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0467-3.
Rasch, B. and Born, J. (2013) 'About Sleep's Role in Memory', Physiological Reviews, 93(2), pp. 681–766. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00032.2012.
Freeman, D. et al. (2020) 'Sleep disturbance and psychiatric disorders', The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(7), pp. 628–637. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30136-X.
Koch, C. et al. (2016) 'Neural correlates of consciousness: progress and problems', Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 17(5), pp. 307–321. Available at: https://essex.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/view/action/uresolver.do?operation=resolveService&package_service_id=2321696620007346&institutionId=7346&customerId=7345&VE=true.
Northoff, G. and Lamme, V. (2020) 'Neural signs and mechanisms of consciousness: Is there a potential convergence of theories of consciousness in sight?', Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 118, pp. 568–587. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.07.019.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Class Test	100%
Exam	Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 90 minutes during January
Exam	Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 90 minutes during September (Reassessment Period)

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
40%	60%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
40%	60%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Dr Sebastian Korb, email: sebastian.korb@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Dr Seb Korb

Contact details: sebastian.korb@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: Yes

Available to Audit: No

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording:* Of 13 hours, 13 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

Further information

Department website: Psychology

* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.

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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.

Module Directory

PS495-6-AU-CO:The Neuroscience of Human Nature