PSY4123 - Investigating Mechanisms of Behaviour

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

1 Discuss the historical and contemporary theoretical perspectives and debates in cognitive and biological psychology and their relevance across cultures.
2 Explain the role of research in cognitive and biological psychology, with a focus on quantitative research.
3 Summarise the key processes involved in designing, conducting, and analysing psychological research, and accurately report and interpret the results.
4 Develop experience of a range of ethical considerations and research methods through practical participation in the Research Participation Scheme (RPS).

Content:

Foundational knowledge of cognitive and biological psychology, including the application of psychology to world issues. Cognitive and biological perspectives will be explored through the lenses of primarily quantitative, but also qualitative research methods. Global and cultural perspectives will be addressed throughout, as will ethical issues and practices and the historical underpinnings of modern psychology.

Cognitive: The evolution and establishment of cognitive psychology within the broader historical timeframes. From there, core disciplines in cognition, such as memory, perception, attention, reasoning, and language, will be explored through primarily quantitative research.

Biological: Overview of historical perspectives and methodological approaches; neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and the nervous system; hormones and behaviour; sleep and biological rhythms; emotions and the limbic system; learning and memory; decision making; sensation and perception; psychiatric disorders; addiction and substance use. All explored through primarily quantitative research.

Research methods: measuring cognitive and biological psychological variables, causality, experimental manipulation and inferential statistics. Historical and contemporary issues of ethics in experimental research, scientific reporting, data handling, AI, big data, universality, publication bias, open science and the replication crisis. Practical skills running and participating in research, software packages, research design, data handling, storage, analysis, interpretation and communication.

Learning and Teaching Information:

The primary method of teaching will involve a student-led approach. You will be required to engage with an hour of interactive online content for biological psychology, for cognitive psychology and for research methods prior to coming into the live teaching session (guided independent study time). Live teaching will comprise two 1.5-hour interactive lectures per week and one 2-hour practical skills lab per week. These live teaching sessions will have some tutor led content but will primarily be interactive and application-focused, using active learning methods such as enquiry and problem-led learning, discussions, peer collaboration, and hands-on quantitative research activities and skill development in practical skills labs. Within class, you will use a range of digital platforms, as well learning through practical ‘hands-on’ activities. Your learning will be consolidated by short knowledge checking tasks after the session, with resources to support your learning further if you wish to do so. Teaching and learning also involves hands-on experience of research methods and ethical practices through participation in studies via the Research Participation Scheme (RPS).

Interactive Lectures
Hours: 30
Intended Group Size: Cohort

Practical Workshops
Hours: 20
Intended Group Size: 50

Guided Independent Study
Hours: 250



Further Details Relating to Assessment

The online quiz will comprise a series of multiple-choice questions that are designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of biological and cognitive psychology. This will provide an early opportunity for you to identify any strengths or knowledge gaps in your understanding of these areas.

Writing a research report is an essential skill required of a psychology graduate and by writing reports you will be able to develop and demonstrate skills of analysing data, evaluating sources, and forming evidence-based conclusions. This assessment will also help you develop critical thinking, research, and academic writing skills. It will deepen your understanding of psychological concepts, promote your ethical awareness, and prepare you for writing reports at Level 5 and for your dissertation at Level 6.

Research participation is an essential component of an accredited Psychology degree. The BPS Code of Human Research Ethics states that participation in psychological research provides you with valuable experience in research methodology and ethical considerations. You must participate in research as a prerequisite for conducting your own research at L5 and L6. You will be able to choose the studies you participate in. The level of engagement in research participation to achieve a pass for this component will be determined based on the nature and availability of studies on the Research Participation Scheme advertised by Level 6, PGRs and staff each year.
You will be supervised throughout and the full responsibility for ethically conducted research activities will fall to module leaders. Ethical approval for lab-based research activities as part of teaching will follow LTU ethics processes for approval with both full research project applications and smaller research activities undertaken covered by general protocols by the module leaders. All research activities will be voluntary for students and alternative experiences or observations provided for participants who do not wish to or are unable to participate. Data storage and sharing will follow GDPR and LTU requirements. All research activities will be conducted within FSSE School of Psychology, LTU and BPS requirements for ethical research.

Please note that assessment component 003 must be passed in order to pass the module overall, as research participation is an essential element of the BPS-accredited programme.

Assessment:

001 Online quiz; 30 mins; early sem 2 20%
002 Quantitative research report; 2000 words; end of sem 2 80%
003 Research participation; approx 3-4hrs; pass/fail; end of sem 2 %

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Fayme Yeates
Level - 4
Credit Value - 30
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 4S2

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