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The Brain in Action (PSYC0032)

Key information

Faculty
Faculty of Brain Sciences
Teaching department
Division of Psychology and Language Sciences
Credit value
15
Restrictions
Non-psychology students are usually expected to have taken some lower-level Psychology (e.g. at A-level or a level 4 or 5 Psychology module).
Timetable

Alternative credit options

There are no alternative credit options available for this module.

Description

Content: This module introduces students to the psychological and neurological processes that generate human actions, and action decisions. The module covers the neural circuits and mechanisms of decision-making, metacognition, and neural control of action. The module will introduce students to recent research literature using a wide range of research methods: behavioural, computational, neuroimaging, neurostimulation, electrophysiological and patient studies. It will therefore suit students who feel comfortable with somewhat technical material.

Teaching delivery: This module is taught in 15 hours of in-person lectures spread over 10 teaching weeks (usually 5 2-hour sessions in one half of term and 5 1-hour lectures in the other half of term).

Indicative Topics: Indicative lecture topics – based on module content in 2023/24, subject to possible changes: Neural mechanisms for simple decisions, Computational accounts of decision-making, Metacognition in decision-making, Error Monitoring & Cognitive Control, Neuro-computational accounts of decision-making, Volition in action: role of medial frontal cortex, Thought into action: executive function, Decision confidence, Metacognition, Motor cortex. Basal Ganglia. Reading, evaluating & writing about research.

Module Aims: By the end of the module students should be able:

  • To critically read and evaluate cognitive neuroscience research;
  • To use data describing brain processes to tackle questions about the human mind;
  • To integrate and compare experimental results obtained by multiple scientific methods.

Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year

Intended teaching term: Term 2 ÌýÌýÌý Undergraduate (FHEQ Level 7)

Teaching and assessment

Mode of study
In person
Methods of assessment
100% Coursework
Mark scheme
Numeric Marks

Other information

Number of students on module in previous year
7
Module leader
Professor Patrick Haggard
Who to contact for more information
psyc.admin@ucl.ac.uk

Intended teaching term: Term 2 ÌýÌýÌý Postgraduate (FHEQ Level 7)

Teaching and assessment

Mode of study
In person
Methods of assessment
100% Coursework
Mark scheme
Numeric Marks

Other information

Number of students on module in previous year
12
Module leader
Professor Patrick Haggard
Who to contact for more information
psyc.admin@ucl.ac.uk

Intended teaching term: Term 2 ÌýÌýÌý Undergraduate (FHEQ Level 6)

Teaching and assessment

Mode of study
In person
Methods of assessment
100% Exam
Mark scheme
Numeric Marks

Other information

Number of students on module in previous year
84
Module leader
Professor Patrick Haggard
Who to contact for more information
psyc.admin@ucl.ac.uk

Last updated

This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.

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