Module: Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory Practice

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory Practice
Module Code	PSY1049 (ITS: PSYC405)
Faculty	Psychology	School	Science & Health
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

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

Section Breakdown
CRN	11488	Part of Term	Semester 1
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	David McGovern	Module Teacher

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment 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; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

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

Indicative Reading List

Books:

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

Articles:

Michael Cohen: 2017, Where does EEG come from and what does it mean?, Trends in Neurosciences, 519149
2019: Ten simple rules for the computational modeling of behavioural data, Psyarxiv, 519150, 1
Overview of functional magnetic resonance imaging: Neurosurgery Clinics,

Other Resources

None