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| Module Availability |
| Semester 2. |
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| Assessment Pattern |
1) 2500 word coursework essay [50% weighting]
2) One hour exam [50% weighting]
Students must achieve 40% in each component of assessment. |
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| Module Overview |
| Students will be introduced to the topic of social cognitive neuroscience through a combination of lectures and small group discussions. We will investigate the neural substrates of various processes essential for social interaction. Throughout the module, the emphasis will be on critical evaluation of the literature, gained through detailed discussion of selected studies. |
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| Prerequisites/Co-requisites |
| All Level 2 modules are pre-requisites. |
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| Module Aims |
| This course aims to introduce students to the neural bases of a wide range of social cognitive processes. The interactions between these processes and brain changes due to brain damage, developmental disorders, and individual differences will also be investigated. The course also aims to enable students to assess the literature in the area of social cognitive neuroscience on both its technical and theoretical merits. |
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| Learning Outcomes |
By the end of this course, students should be able to describe our current understanding of how the brain performs a range of processes critical for social interaction. They should be able to discuss how techniques from cognitive neuroscience have improved our understanding of social cognition; and conversely, how theories of social cognition have influenced our understanding of the brain. They should be able to engage in critical discussion of studies in this area, and describe their relevance to clinical and other applied settings.
As well as subject-specific knowledge, students should be able to demonstrate transferable skills such as working in groups, critical thinking, and communication skills (both written and verbal). |
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| Module Content |
| Topics will include: person perception (e.g. face, biological motion, and emotion perception); mirroring the other (e.g. the mirroring of actions (imitation) and emotions (empathy)); the self and the other (e.g. theory of mind, self/other distinction, self knowledge); social interaction (complementary behavior, co-operation, stereotypes, social exclusion, deception). The effects of brain damage, developmental and psychiatric disorders, and individual differences on these topics will also be addressed. |
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| Methods of Teaching/Learning |
| Seminar time will typically be divided between a lecture and small group work. Group work will include, for example, working together to produce a presentation on a paper; critical discussion of a paper; discussion of research methods appropriate for a particular question, etc. Students will be expected to read all the papers on the reading list and will need to go beyond the core reading, by following up studies discussed in the lecture, in order to complete the coursework essay to a high standard. |
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| Selected Texts/Journals |
| As this is a relatively new area of psychology, there isn’t a core text book. Most of the core reading is in general journals such as Neuron, Current Biology, Nature Neuroscience, Brain, Neuropsychologia and NeuroImage. The most appropriate specialist journal is Social Neuroscience. |
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| Last Updated |
| 6th May 2011. |
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