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PSY-40127 - Module Specification
School of Psychology
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 11 December 2025

PSY-40127 - Cognitive and Biological Psychology
Coordinator: Einat Rashal
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 7
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office: 01782 733736

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

This module will allow you to develop your knowledge and reflective skills on a range of topics in biological and cognitive psychology centred on current issues relevant for the discipline. It will allow you to understand how they relate to the development of psychology as a discipline and to other areas in psychology. This module, where possible, will also help you to develop an appreciation of the impact of cultural and individual differences in psychology. Typical cognitive topics could include perception, attention and inhibitory control, human learning and memory, 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 have weekly asynchronous teaching and activities (online, not live). You will also be encouraged to think critically about the application of cognitive and biological psychology in professional contexts, for example you might be asked to critique the ‘medical model’ of psychosis or current national guidelines around communication with dementia patients.

Aims
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. The module will cover both biological and cognitive psychology in a range of applied contexts to demonstrate the utility of such knowledge to students in a practical sense.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/psy-40127/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

describe, explain and critically evaluate key issues, theories and research in biological and cognitive psychology: 1,2,3
apply underlying concepts and principles of biological and cognitive psychology to explain human mental processes and behaviour: 1,3
accurately use language and terminology relating to biological and cognitive concepts: 1,2,3
reflect on the ways in which different perspectives in psychology can be integrated to give a holistic view of human thought and behaviour: 1,3
critically evaluate the application of biological and cognitive psychological theories in a professional context: 3

Study hours

300 hours Independent study, comprising:
- 24 x 2 hours weekly asynchronous learning = 48 hours
- preparation for the production of the MCQs (12 hours)
- preparation for the academic blog entries (wider reading, structure assignment, writing up, proofreading: 72 hours)
- preparation of the critique (72 hours)
Total assessment prep = 156 hours
Independent and guided reading = 96 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Assignment weighted 40%
Academic blogs
In this assessment students will be asked to write two academic blogs that will focus on cognitive and biological topics taught in the first semester of the module. They will be asked to choose two out of four topics proposed by the teaching staff. The blogs will need to cover both biological and cognitive psychology aspects of the chosen topics. The blog posts should explain all about the chosen research topics, including the research aims, methods, results, discussion, and the student's interpretation of their overall contribution. The blog should be written using accessible (i.e. non-specialist) language. Word count for this assessment is 1000 ±10% each (total 2000 ±10%).

2: Assignment weighted 20%
Student produced MCQ's
In this assessment students will be asked to write 2 Multiple Choice Questions - 1 per semester, corresponding to the material taught in that semester. Each MCQ will have 4 alternative answers, and the student will be required to explain the correct answer and why 3 conceptually appropriate red herrings have been proposed. Specific topics for the MCQs will be explicitly instructed for each submission on the KLE and in the module handbook. Word count for this assessment is 300 ±10% each submission (1 each semester, 2 in total).

3: Assignment weighted 40%
Critique
In this assessment students will be asked to critically evaluate a practice within a specified area of professional psychology which employs cognitive or biological psychology, for example, the physiological models that are used to treat mental illnesses, or cognitive models that guide the design of computer interfaces. This should include a description and critical evaluation of the implementation of the theory into the practice. Students will need to choose the theories they will write about from the material taught in the module (either semester 1 or 2). Word count for this assessment is 1500 ±10%.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 11 December 2025