Social and Affective Neuroscience
| Module title | Social and Affective Neuroscience |
|---|---|
| Module code | PSY3452 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Chengetai Charidza () |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
Social and affective neuroscience is an interdisciplinary research field that has emerged in the last ~15 years. This subject area focuses on uncovering the brain basis of affective (e.g., emotions and moods) and social processes in both human and non-human animals. In this module, you will be able to acquire an overview of contemporary research in social and affective neuroscience, and explore how the brain regulates processes like empathy, altruism, aggression, fear and anxiety, and social learning. Examples of research questions that will be addressed include “How does the brain recognise and generate responses to others’ emotions?”, “How does the brain coordinate defensive emotions like fear and anxiety?”, “What is the difference between emotions and feelings?”, and “How does the brain enable us to learn from others?”.
These topics will be addressed in an interactive way that combines seminars, student-led discussions, and journal clubs.
This module will build on a basic understanding of experimental psychology and neuroanatomy, such as that acquired from earlier modules in biological psychology (PSY1202 and PSY2304).
Module aims - intentions of the module
In this module, you will learn how the brain regulates different affective and social processes that are critical for adaptive human behaviour.
Through interactive seminars, discussions and journal clubs, you will be able to:
- Critically discuss a range of research topics within social and affective neuroscience
- Learn about state-of-the-art methodological approaches to studying the brain
- Identify key open questions and debates in the field
- Think critically and confidently about research
- Develop skills that are highly transferable to other professional settings (e.g., critical thinking, communication skills and collaborative work).
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand how the brain coordinates different socio-emotional processes, and their contribution to real-life behaviour
- 2. Understand different methodological approaches to study the link between brain and behaviour
- 3. Identify open questions in social and affective neuroscience, and think critically about alternative views
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Acquire detailed, systematic and comprehensive knowledge within the discipline, and demonstrate critical understanding of this knowledge
- 5. Review and critically evaluate research, including identifying strengths and weaknesses in methodological approaches and assessing the validity and coherence of arguments to support conclusions
- 6. Systematically address complex problems, and think creatively and independently
- 7. Understand and apply essential principles in designing novel research, and critically evaluate and analyse empirical evidence
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Interact and collaborate with colleagues to understand challenging concepts
- 9. Effectively identify the most important ideas in complex material
- 10. Effectively communicate complex ideas, both in presentations and written work
- 11. Critically evaluate research articles
- 12. Engage effectively in discussions
- 13. Criticise own and others work in a professional and constructive manner
- 14. Manage time effectively to meet deadlines
Syllabus plan
Topics that will be covered include:
- Empathy and altruism
- Aggression and antisocial behaviour
- Fear and anxiety, and their role in social behaviour
- Mechanisms of social learning
- Emotions versus moods – alternative views
- Emerging accounts about how the brain generates socio-emotional behaviour
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 117 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 33 | Seminars, Q&A sessions, Presentations, Journal clubs (11 x 3 h) |
| Guided Independent Study | 80 | Reading in preparation for weekly seminars and Q&A sessions. Additional reading of recommended material. Preparing small group presentations. |
| Guided Independent Study | 37 | Written assignment and exam preparation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement in seminar discussion and journal clubs | 11 seminars | All | Informal feedback (oral or e-mail) |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 60 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written study proposal (individual) | 40 | 2,000 words (max.) | All | Written |
| Examination | 60 | 3 hours | All | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written study proposal | Proposal | All | August/September |
| Examination | Examination | All | August/September |
Re-assessment notes
Two assessments are required for this module. Where you have been referred/deferred in the examination you will have the opportunity to take a second examination in the August/September re-assessment period. Where you have been referred/deferred in the coursework you will be required to resubmit the coursework. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%; deferred marks are not capped.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading will include a selection of scientific articles to prepare for each seminar, for example:
- Breedlove, S. M., & Watson, N. V. (2020). Behavioral Neuroscience (7th ed.). Sinauer Associates, Inc.
- de Waal, F. B. M. & Preston, S. D. Mammalian empathy: behavioural manifestations and neural basis. Nat Rev Neurosci18, 498–509 (2017)
- Mobbs, D., Headley, D. B., Ding, W. & Dayan, P. Space, Time, and Fear: Survival Computations along Defensive Circuits. Trends in Cognitive Sciences24, 228–241 (2020)
- Parkinson, C. & Wheatley, T. The repurposed social brain. Trends in Cognitive Sciences19, 133–141 (2015).
- Olsson, A., Knapska, E. & Lindström, B. The neural and computational systems of social learning. Nat Rev Neurosci21, 197-212 (2020)
- Ward, J. (2019). The student's guide to cognitive neuroscience (4th ed.). Taylor & Francis Group.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE – College to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 04/03/2022 |
| Last revision date | 06/02/2024 |
