PC5004 - Biological and Evolutionary Psychology (2015/16)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2015/16 | ||||||||||||||||
| Module status | DELETED (This module is no longer running) | ||||||||||||||||
| Module title | Biological and Evolutionary Psychology | ||||||||||||||||
| Module level | Intermediate (05) | ||||||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 30 | ||||||||||||||||
| School | Faculty of Life Sciences and Computing | ||||||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 300 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2015/16(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
The module will consider the influences of biology, genetics, and evolution on behaviour. The biological component of the module focuses on the role of the brain and nervous system in producing behaviours, whilst the genetics component examines the role of hereditary factors on behaviour, including certain behavioural disorders. Finally, the evolutionary psychology component asks why certain behaviours and dispositions may have been favoured (‘selected for’) throughout the course of history, resulting in the behavioural patterns we see today.
Prior learning requirements
PC4004 Biological and Experimental Psychology
Module aims
1. To describe key biological, genetic, and evolutionary theories of behaviour
2. To facilitate students’ critical appraisal of these theories in terms of (a) their internal logic and (b) data from controlled and observational research.
3. To encourage independent learning through the access of background information using appropriate primary and secondary sources.
Syllabus
Topics will be drawn from:
Neurochemistry and neurophysiology of nerve transmission; behavioral genetics; psychoneuroendocrinology. Psychopharmacology. Biological aspects of learning, memory, motivation and emotion, sleep and arousal. Neuropsychology, cortical localisation of function, biological basis of psychological abnormalities. Sensory systems and conditions, e.g. pain, synathesia, phantom limbs Evolutionary explanations of behaviours/dispositions such as mating strategies, sexual jealousy, cheater detection, pregnancy sickness, parental nurturance and negligence, spatial memory, landscape preferences, aggression and violence.
Learning and teaching
Lectures will provide students with the basic framework and knowledge for the topic, but deeper knowledge and understanding will be promoted through directed study of recommended reading material, workshops, and online formative testing.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
1. Identify biological, genetic, and evolutionary explanations of behaviour
2. Evaluate the explanations in (1) using research evidence.
3. Produce discursive evidence of their understanding related to (1) and (2) under timed exam conditions.
4. Identify the correct answer to focused questions relating to (1) and (2) under timed conditions.
Assessment strategy
The assessment strategy is to (1) adopt a mix of assessment types (online/offline, formative/summative, timed/untimed, discursive/non-discursive) without overburdening students with too many assessments, (2) provide opportunities for formative assessment throughout the module.
Bibliography
Breedlove, S.M., N.V. Watson, and R. M.R., Biological Psychology: An Introduction to Behavioral, Cognitive, and Clinical Neuroscience 6th ed. 2010, Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.
Buss, David M. (2011). Evolutionary psychology: The new science of the mind (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Carlson, N. R. (2006). Physiology of Behavior (9th ed.): Allyn & Bacon
Pinel, J. P. J. (2005). Biopsychology (6th ed.): Allyn & Bacon.
Chandler, C., The Science of ADHD: A Guide for parents and Professionals. 2010, Oxford: WileyBlackwell.
Dawkins, R. (1976/2006). The selfish gene. Oxford: Oxford University Press. If possible, we recommend that you obtain the 2006 (30th anniversary) version, which contains a new preface by Dawkins.