University of Essex

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

The details

Year: 2024/25

Department: Psychology

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Autumn

Level: Undergraduate: Level 6

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 03 October 2024

End date: Friday 13 December 2024

Credits: 15

Last updated: 16 November 2023

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 how we understand faces and bodies of others and the role of mirror neurons in action understanding.

We will also investigate the neural processes that allow us to control our voluntary actions. Finally, we will consider the functions of consciousness and the generation of the sense of agency and the sense of self. We will consider these phenomena both when functioning normally, as well as how their dysfunction can contribute to various symptoms in disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. 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 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:

Describe the brain mechanisms underpinning the major aspects of human nature such as emotion recognition, empathy, volition, agency, consciousness and self.

Be able to relate these mechanisms to their dysfunction, and the symptoms observed in various psychopathologies.

To be aware of the controversies in the field, and critique the evidence pertaining to these controversies.

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

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://air.unimi.it/bitstream/2434/147582/2/Rizzolatti%26Sinigaglia2010.pdf.
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.
De Gelder, B. (2006) 'Towards the neurobiology of emotional body language', Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 7(3). Available at: https://pure.uvt.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/739380/towards.pdf.
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.
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.
Brass, M. and Haggard, P. (2008) 'The what, when, whether model of intentional action', Neuroscientist, 14(4). Available at: https://nro.sagepub.com/content/14/4/319.full.pdf.
Haggard, P. (2019) 'The Neurocognitive Bases of Human Volition', Annual Review of Psychology, 70(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-103348.
Haggard, P. (2017) 'Sense of agency in the human brain', Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 18(4), pp. 196–207. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn.2017.14.
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.
Palmer, C.E. and Tsakiris, M. (2018) 'Going at the heart of social cognition: is there a role for interoception in self-other distinction?', Current Opinion in Psychology, 24, pp. 21–26. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.04.008.
Blanke, O. (2012) 'Multisensory brain mechanisms of bodily self-consciousness', Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 13(8). Available at: https://search-ebscohost-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mdl&AN=22805909&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295.
Craig, A.D. (2009) 'How do you feel--now? The anterior insula and human awareness', Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(1). Available at: https://search-ebscohost-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mdl&AN=19096369&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295.

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	Assessment worth 40%
Coursework	Assessment worth 60%

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
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Dr Gethin Hughes, email: ghughes@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Dr Gethin Hughes

Contact details: email: ghughes@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: Yes

Available to Audit: No

External examiner

Name: Dr Paula Miles

Institution: University of St Andrews

Academic role: Director of Teaching, Senior Lecturer

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

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Module Directory

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