PSY10060 Brain and Behaviour

Academic Year 2024/2025

One of the big challenges in psychology is to understand how elements of the nervous system, such as neurons, can cooperate to produce high-level operations like perceiving, thinking, acting and consciousness. The aim of this module is to introduce you to biological psychology by way of studying the link between the brain and behaviour. Psychology students will gain an understanding of how the brain is involved in everything we do; whether it be recognising faces, getting a good night's sleep or remembering where you left the car keys.

The course consists of:
- Historical Perspectives and The Big Questions
- Measuring Brain and Behaviour
- The Developing Brain
- Movement & Action
- Sensation and Perception
- Executive Functions
- Sleep & Dreaming



Throughout the course, case studies will be presented to help show the link between brain and behaviour and to explain clinical disorders and real-life problems that neuroscientists and psychologists study.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:
- Identify and describe the key questions that drive cognitive and behavioural neuroscience research
- Understand and be able to differentiate between the main techniques that psychologists use to probe these questions
- Demonstrate knowledge of the major functions of a range of brain areas.
- Describe the relationship between the brain and behaviour in typical functioning and in neuropsychological disorders.

Indicative Module Content:

The brain and the nervous system

The big questions in affective, behavioural and cognitive neuroscience

How the brain interacts with the world
- sensation and perception
- the motor system

Higher levels of interaction
-Memory
-Sleep

Motivated behaviours
-emotion
-social perception & cognition

Disorders of brain and behaviour
- traumatic brain injury
- neurodegenerative disorders

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

22
Tutorial

2
Specified Learning Activities

18
Autonomous Student Learning

70
Total

112
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The teaching and learning approach adopted in this module will be a combination of formal lectures and interactive class activities including case studies. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
PSY10140 - Mind and Brain


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Quizzes/Short Exercises: In-class quizzes in week five comprise multiple choice and short answer questions covering weeks 1 - 4 of lectures and required reading. n/a Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No

30
Group Work Assignment: Peer review reflection on key topics of the course content n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale No

30
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Quiz in class in week 11 covering content from weeks 5 - 11 of lectures and required reading. The quiz has multiple-choice and short-answer questions. n/a Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No

40

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Not yet recorded
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback for the online MCQ's i Students will receive feedback in Bright-space with respect to what questions they did not answer correctly.


Eagleman, D., & Downar, J. (2018). Brain and behavior: a cognitive neuroscience perspective. New York: Oxford University Press.

Brain Facts: A primer on the brain and nervous system. https://www.brainfacts.org/the-brain-facts-book