PS411-5-SP-CO:
Brain and Behaviour
2023/24
Psychology
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Monday 15 January 2024
Friday 22 March 2024
15
26 September 2023
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
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),
BSC C680 Sport and Exercise Psychology,
BSC C681 Sport and Exercise Psychology (including Year Abroad),
BSC C682 Sport and Exercise Psychology (including Placement Year)
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 aims of this module are:
- To provide an appreciation of the physiological mechanisms that underlie human behaviour.
- To introduce the physiological mechanisms underlying behaviour.
- To encourage students to consider the possibility that even our deepest thoughts and feelings arise from electrical and chemical activity in our brains.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Acquire an understanding of the key issues and concepts of biological psychology.
- Develop critical thinking skills in evaluating methodological approaches and theoretical accounts in biological psychology.
- Develop an understanding of the biological bases of behaviour and cognition.
- Develop an ability and an understanding of how to present acquired knowledge in an applied and educationally salient way.
Learning outcomes 1-4 will be assessed by three pieces of coursework, in the form of an oral presentation, and two related pieces of educational products: an information ‘flyer’ and a (more in-depth) written pamphlet.
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 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.
This module will be delivered via:
- Ten sessions lasting approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes each. Each session will integrate a lecture format with opportunities for self-testing and questions.
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. 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.
Seminars to support coursework will be provided.
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 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 |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Information Flyer |
|
20.0% |
| Coursework |
Written Pamphlet |
|
70.0% |
| Practical |
Oral Presentation |
|
10.0% |
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 Helge Gillmeister, email: helge@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Steffan Kennett, Dr Elia Valentini, Dr Megan Klabunde and Dr Gethin Hughes
email: helge@essex.ac.uk
Yes
No
No
Dr John Patrick Rae
Roehampton University
Reader in Psychology
Prof Joanne Hudson
Swansea University
Professor
Available via Moodle
Of 48 hours, 28 (58.3%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
20 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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.