| Unit name | Biological Psychology (Conversion) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PSYCM0090 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Magee |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Psychological Science |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Why this unit is important?
This unit provides the core knowledge for biological psychology as required by the BPS standards. The unit covers the fundamental approaches to biological psychology and how biological psychology is relevant to other fields of psychology.. The unit covers historical and contemporary theories of biological psychology and critically discusses methodologies used and the current state of the field. The unit will cover the major findings in brain function, including chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and neuroscience and how biological psychology can inform current practice in clinical and cognitive psychology.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Alongside the other core topic areas (Cognitive Psychology, Lifespan Psychology, Self & Society) this unit delivers the core subject knowledge for psychology required by the BPS standards. The unit interlinks closely with these areas as biological processes underpin cognition, development and decline, social processes, and individual differences. Research methods will further help you develop the tools to critically evaluate the evidence and theories in biological psychology.
An overview of content
This unit will cover biological psychology and cognitive neuroscience, covering the underlying physiology of behaviour, brain anatomy and function, and methods used in biological psychology. There is a focus on critically evaluating evidence and the methods used to generate this evidence. How biology impacts on cognitive, social, individual differences and development will be considered, with a focus on cognitive and social neuroscience. Example topics that may be covered include concepts relevant to brain functioning from chemistry, physiology, cognitive and social neuroscience, and the role of biology in clinical disorders and neuropsychology.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will know about the historical roots and contemporary theories in biological psychology. They will understand how biological factors can influence cognitive, social, and individual differences. Students will be able to think about designing and conducting experiments in biological psychology, as well as being able to critically evaluate theories, methods, and evidence in biological psychology.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the unit a successful student will be able to:
Lectures will be used to deliver guidance on the core material, which will be supplemented with self-directed learning (guided by reading lists). These are effective ways of conveying core knowledge and will allow you to understand the scope of the material, while then working at your own pace through key readings and resources to deepen and consolidate the content. Seminars will help you engage and think more deeply about current topics. Learning will also take place in small groups, promoting team working. Feedback from peers and instructor will help guide your further development. Teamwork, presentations, and preparing literature reviews will help you develop key skills for the programme and for future careers. Drafting a literature review outline will help scaffold key skills around planning and selecting relevant evidence, a highly sought after employability skill, and one necessary for being a successful psychologist.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks
In small groups you will prepare an outline of a literature review of an area in biological psychology. This task provides you with the skills needed throughout the programme to research and plan a substantial piece of writing. You will then present this plan to the rest of the group. The presentation can be in one of several formats, teaching you how to present complex scientific ideas to different audiences. The feedback from peers and the instructors will help you develop your presentation skills further. Peer feedback will be key, and you will be expected to provide feedback to other students on their presentations. These tasks will be completed in the first half of the unit.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark
Based on your presentation and the feedback you received, you will develop a full literature review in biological psychology. This review will encourage you to think critically about existing literature and theories in biological psychology and how evidence can be used to evaluate theories. The unit will finish with an exam comprising a combination of short and long answer questions testing your breadth of knowledge as required by the BPS standards. This will ensure you have a good overall grounding in the historic and contemporary theories of biological psychology, the evidence for and against these theories, as well as key findings in the field and the pros and cons of the methods used to discover this knowledge. The literature review will be submitted towards the end of the unit and contributes 50% of the unit mark, and the exam will take place in the first assessment period and contributes 50% of the unit mark.
When assessment does not go to plan
Reassessments will usually take a similar form as the original assessment (a literature review and an examination).
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PSYCM0090).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
