PSY-20023 - Cognitive Neuroscience
Coordinator: Emma Smillie
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733736

Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2022/23

It is not an exaggeration to say that one of the biggest unanswered questions in science is how our complex human cognition arises from the biological constraints of the brain. As Alan Newell once famously asked, "How can the human mind occur in the physical universe?". This module will present the cognitive neuroscientists' unique approach to addressing this question, by presenting the various methods at their disposal (functional magnetic resonance imaging, electrophysiology, transcranial magnetic stimulation, neural network modelling, and single-cell recording). Students will thus be given an insight into "...how the gears clank and how the pistons go..." (Newell) during human cognition.

Aims
Building upon their first year cognitive psychology modules, this module aims to provide students with a detailed introduction to the field of cognitive neuroscience, introducing its methods and how it is in a unique position to answer theoretical questions as to how human cognition is instantiated in the brain. The module will provide students with the ability to critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of an array of cognitive neuroscience methods.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/psy-20023/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

analyse, identify, and contrast a range of neuroscience research methods: 2
evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of various neuroscience methods: 2
recognise the contexts in which these different methods are applied: 1,2
analyse, identify, and contrast the utilisation of neuroscience methods to our knowledge of cognition: 2

Study hours

24 hours of synchronous class activity
36 hours of prepared asynchronous work
90 hours of independent study and preparation plus engagement with assessments

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Multiple Choice Questions - Knowledge weighted 20%
4 x continuous MCQ quizzes
This continuous assessment will be 4 x MCQ quizzes delivered via the KLE across the semester. The quizzes will comprise of 10 questions per batch. The best 3 out of 4 quiz scores will be used to calculate the final score for each student, as per the School of Psychology's guidelines on use of continuous assessment.

2: Essay weighted 80%
2,000 word essay
This assessment is designed to test the depth of knowledge. The student will be asked to identify one area of cognitive psychology that interests them, and discuss how one neuroscience method has been used to investigate this topic. In the essay, the student must discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the method they have chosen in comparison to other neuroscience methods.