Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Prerequisites
PSYC500 Introduction to Psychology: Science and Practice AND PSYC503 Mental Health and Psychological Disorders
Unit rationale, description and aim
Gaining a broad and coherent knowledge of neuroscience and the biological basis of behaviour is an essential requirement for graduates prior to their development of pre-professional competencies. As such this unit will extend upon the content on the biological basis of behaviour in PSYC500 and psychological disorders in PSYC503 to develop students’ understanding of the core aspects of behavioural neuroscience with a particular emphasis on the implications of this knowledge for understanding the nervous system, sensation processes, brain disorders and psychoactive drugs. The aim of this unit is to provide students with a coherent knowledge of these foundational principles of behavioural neuroscience and how they can be applied to understanding human behaviour.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Differentiate structures of the nervous system and their associated functions | GC1, GC3, GC9 |
| LO2 | Critically evaluate different behavioural neuroscience methods and explain how they can be used to answer research questions concerning the biological bases of abnormal behaviour and emotional functioning | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC7, GC9, GC11, GC12 |
| LO3 | Explain the effects and mechanisms of action of a range of psychoactive drugs on the central nervous system | GC1, GC3, GC4, GC9, GC11, GC12 |
| LO4 | Explain how the visual and auditory systems result in perception | GC1, GC3, GC4, GC9, GC11, GC12 |
| LO5 | Explain patterns of sleep, dreams, and sleep disorders | GC1, GC3, GC9 |
| LO6 | Explain and differentiate the mechanisms and symptoms of various brain disorders (including traumatic, chemical and degenerative) on cognitive (e.g., learning and memory), language, motor-perceptual, and emotional functioning | GC1, GC3, GC4, GC9, GC11, GC12 |
Content
Topics will include:
- What is behavioural neuroscience?
- Brain development and the neurobiology of experience
- Neuroanatomy
- Neural conduction and synaptic transmission
- Drug addiction, psychopharmacology and brain reward circuits
- Research and imaging methods in behavioural neuroscience
- Mechanisms of perception: The visual and auditory systems
- Learning, memory, and amnesia
- Sleep, dreaming and circadian rhythms
- Brain disorders and impact on functioning
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Teaching and learning strategies utilised in this unit will support students in meeting the aims and achieving the learning outcomes relevant to this unit as well as to the broader course learning outcomes. This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to the discipline, and opportunities to practice and apply their learning in situations similar to their future professions. Students are provided with choice and variety in how they learn. Students are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous discussions, interact with peers through these discussion forums, and engage with online modules and readings via the online learning platform. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding and application, and to engage constructively with their peers. Collaboration with peers in the online environment will support students in considering, discussing and debating the content of the unit and will also facilitate group work. These learning and teaching strategies assist students in developing their knowledge and application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of that knowledge in the field of behavioural neuroscience. Students will receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress.
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to pass this unit, students must:
- demonstrate the achievement of all learning outcomes
- complete and submit all of the assessment tasks
- obtain an aggregate mark of at least 50%
The assessment strategy for this unit allows students to demonstrate their acquisition of knowledge, as well as the application of that knowledge. The quizzes provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and application of that understanding of content presented in the unit. The group presentation will allow students to demonstrate their ability to work collaboratively and communicate through oral language descriptions and explanations of the content addressed in the unit. The accompanying written report allows students to demonstrate their ability to synthesise the research literature related to the topics covered in their part of the presentation. The final exam consisting of multiple choice and short answer questions provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and application of key concepts and the ability to synthesise information learnt throughout the unit in meaningful ways.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1 - Quizzes Allows students to demonstrate their knowledge and ability to apply knowledge to practical examples. | 25% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO5 |
Assessment Task 2 - Group Presentation and Written Report The group presentation allows students to demonstrate oral communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively. The brief written report (with references) provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their synthesis of the research literature related to the topics covered in their part of the presentation. | 35% | LO2, LO3, LO4, LO6 |
Assessment Task 3 - Final Exam Allows students to demonstrate their knowledge and the ability to apply knowledge to practical examples. | 40% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6 |
Representative texts and references
Freberg, L. (2018). Discovering behavioral neuroscience: An introduction to biological psychology (4th ed.). Cengage.
Kalat, J. W. (2019). Biological psychology (11th ed.). Wadsworth Publishing.
Pinel, J.P.J. (2021). Biopsychology (11th ed.). Pearson.
Pinel, J.P.J. & Edwards, M. (2008). A colorful introduction to the anatomy of the human brain: A brain and psychology coloring book (2nd ed.). Pearson.