Module: Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory Practice

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory Practice
Module Code	PSYC405 (ITS) / PSY1049 (Banner)
Faculty	Science & Health	School	Psychology
Module Co-ordinator	David McGovern
Module Teachers	-
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

Coursework Only

Description

This module aims to familiarise students with some of the key methodological techniques in behavioural and cognitive neuroscience. The module will cover a range of different methods, applied in both human and animal participants, including brain imaging techniques, psychophysical techniques, computational modelling and single-unit recordings.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify and explain the basic principles and methods in biopsychological and neuroscience research.
2. Describe experimental designs used in biopsychological and neuroscience research.
3. Identify and explain ethical issues in experimental designs used in biopsychological and neuroscience research.
4. Describe specific laboratory methods in detail.
5. Proceed into conducting research in a laboratory setting.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	24	No Description
Assignment Completion	36	Written coursework and reports
Independent Study	65	No Description
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

• Main research principles in biopsychology/behavioural neuroscience

• Description of commonly used experimental procedures in behavioural neuroscience/cognitive neuroscience research

• Ethical Issues of the experimental design in behavioural neuroscience/cognitive neuroscience

• Main laboratory procedures/techniques in behavioural and cognitive Neuroscience

• General laboratory procedures in physiology of behaviour:

• Laboratory practicals using different behavioural neuroscience procedures

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Report(s)	Written report after lab tutorials	40%	n/a
In Class Test	n/a	60%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Jamie Ward: 2015, The Student's Guide to Cognitive Neuroscience, 3rd, Psychology Press, 978-18487227
Michael Gazzaniga, Richard Ivry, George Mangun: 0, Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind, 4th, W. W. Norton & Company, 978-039391203
Mark Bear, Barry Connors, Mike Paradiso: 2015, Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain, 4th, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 978-145110954
Carlson, N.E.: 2014, Foundations of Behavioral Neuroscience, 8th, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 978-0-205-94614-3
Matt Carter & Jennifer Shieh: 0, Guide to Research Techniques in Neuroscience, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 978-0-12-374849-2
Michael Herzog, Gregory Francis, Aaron Clarke: 2019, Understanding Statistics and Experimental Design: How to Not Lie with Statistics (Learning Materials in Biosciences), Springer, 978-303003498

Other Resources

None