PSY-20045 - Module Specification
School of Psychology
Faculty of Natural Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

This module will allow you to deepen your knowledge and reflective skills on a range of topics in biological and cognitive psychology centred on current understanding. It will allow you to understand how biological and cognitive psychology relate to the development of psychology as a discipline and to other areas in psychology. This module will also help you to develop an appreciation of how cultural differences and individual differences can influence issues, theories and research perspective in psychology. Typical cognitive topics could include perception, attention and inhibitory control, human learning and memory, and mental imagery. Biological topics are related to the central nervous system in normal and pathological conditions, highlighting the brain substrates underpinning mental processes and behaviour. You will attend one two-hour interactive teaching session each week. You will also engage with weekly structured and unstructured activities provided to support your learning independently (asynchronous learning activities).

By building on the first year content, this module will enable students to develop an advanced knowledge of biological psychology and cognitive psychology, to understand current issues in their study and to critically evaluate theories and research in these areas. Students will be also encouraged to recognise not only that biological and cognitive aspects are often highly integrated, but also that they interact with social, developmental and other aspects in psychology, to determine mental processes and behaviours. Moreover, this module will aim to help students develop, where possible, an appreciation of cultural and individual differences in psychology.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Describe, explain and critically evaluate key issues, theories and research in biological and cognitive psychology: 2
Apply underlying concepts and principles of biological and cognitive psychology to explain human mental processes and behaviour: 1,2
Communicate complex ideas in biological and cognitive psychology effectively: 2
Accurately use language and terminology relating to biological and cognitive concepts: 1,2
Independently locate, study and synthesise knowledge from relevant literature within the fields of biological and cognitive psychology: 1,2
Reflect on the ways in which different perspectives in psychology can be integrated to give a holistic view of human thought and behaviour: 2

Study hours

Taught class time - 22 hours - seminar/workshop sessions 11 x 2 hours (weekly)
Asynchronous structured activities to prepare for and extend upon learning in classes - 33 hours
Independent study, comprising:
- wider reading related to the taught classes (22 hours)
- preparation for the production of the MCQs (16 hours)
- preparation for the academic blog entries (wider reading, structure assignment, writing up, proofreading: 57 hours)

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment