Module: PSY6003-20 Advanced Cognitive and Biological Psychology

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Dr Gerasimos Markopoulos

Module Tutor Contact Details: g.markopoulos@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

Biological psychology and Cognitive psychology encompass two of the most fundamental areas in experimental psychology. Cognitive psychology involves the study of mental processes, such as attention and memory. Biological psychology explores the way the brain and body interact with the environment to create behaviour. In this sense, then, this unit explores both mind and matter, in an attempt to understand how what we think and feel affects our behaviour, and vice versa.

This unit is a direct continuation of the Level 5 unit ‘Biological and Cognitive Psychology’. It builds upon the basic groundwork covered in the Level 5 unit, and expands into more technical and complex areas of research, for example active vision, movement disorders, drugs & addiction, consciousness, problem solving, reasoning and connectionism.

2. Outline syllabus:

The module is broadly split into two components. The first half of the module will look at Cognitive Psychology, and the second half at Biological Psychology.

The Cognitive Psychology component will focus on current theories of attentional functions in terms of how different processes are assumed to interact, how problem solving takes place and how different theories attempt to explain the occurrence of insight, how recognition memory works and the different methods which have been developed to measure it, among other things.

The second half of the module is dedicated to Biological Psychology. Building upon the fundamentals of human neurobiology that were established in year 2, this section will take an in-depth look at the biological basis of motivation, which plays a critical role in nutrition and addiction. In addition, topics such as the importance of vision in human behaviour, as well as the mechanisms underlying sleep and consciousness, will be covered.

3. Teaching and learning activities:

The module will consist of two 1 hour weekly lectures and a 2 hour weekly seminar or practical class. Lectures will introduce the core topics and provide a framework to the module. These will be supported by seminars which will be a mix of tutor and student led discussions, practical work and presentations. These flexible sessions will allow in depth exploration of the topics introduced in the lectures, further discussion and the opportunity to gain experience and develop materials for the assessments.

The assessments (see below for further details) will allow you to develop your skills in understanding and evaluating scientific information, and allow you to gain an understanding of critical appraisal of scientific research.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Essay (Cognitive based 2500 words)

• % Weighting: 50

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: EXAM

• Description: 2-hour unseen examination (Biologically based)

• % Weighting: 50