PSYCHOL 4309 - Mind, Brain & Behaviour

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2022

The aim of this course is to introduce students to current topics in mind, brain and behaviour. The course content will cover fundamental questions in the study of the human mind. The specific content will vary from year to year, but may address the following questions: How do people acquire knowledge of the world? How does children's reasoning differ from that of adults? How do people make choices in a complex world? How are these processes instantiated in the brain? How can cognitive functioning go wrong?

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Course Details

Course Code	PSYCHOL 4309
Course	Mind, Brain & Behaviour
Coordinating Unit	Psychology
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 2 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Restrictions	Available to B.Psychological Science (Honours) and B. Psychology (Advanced) (Honours) students only
Assessment	Mid-Semester exercise

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Rachel Searston

School of Psychology Office: psychologyoffice@adelaide.edu.au; ph +61 8313 5693

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes of this course are to;

1)- Understand the current debates in the literature regarding the mind, brain and behaviour

2)- Demonstrate skills in posing the key questions of relevance to understanding conscious experience

3)- Understand the techniques and methods used to explore questions about mind, brain and behaviour

4)- Consider the role of physiological and cognitive processes in real-world expert decision-making contexts

5)- Demonstrate the ability to argue for a position in the debate about mind-brain questions

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	1, 3 & 4
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	2 & 5
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	1,5
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	1, 2, 3, 4, & 5
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	1 & 4
Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.	1
Attribute 7: Digital capabilities Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.	3
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	1 & 2

Learning Resources

Required Resources

There are no required resources for this course. Readings may be assigned by each presenter and will be available on MyUni throughout the course.

Online Learning

Material from the seminars offered during the semester will be made available on MyUni.

This course may use MyUni for one or more of the following:
- Communication with students via Announcements and Discussion Board
- Submission of summative assessment-
- Access to additional readings
- Self-directed learning activities
- Exam preparation materials

Link to MyUni: https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

Series of interactive, face-to-face seminars

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

This course consists of six on campus seminars, two written pieces of assessment, and preparatory readings. Below is a guide to assist you in engaging appropriately with the course requirements (156 hours total):

Seminars: 12 hours
Literature Review: 24 hours
Essay: 48 hours
Online discussion posts: 6 hours
Self directed study: 66 hours
Total: 156

Learning Activities Summary

Details will be made available on MyUni.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Title	Weighting	Learning Objectives
Assessment 1: Reflection	30%	1-5
Assessment 2: Essay	70%	1-5

Assessment Related Requirements

Students are required to submit two written pieces: one reflection and one essay.

Assessment Detail

Assessment 1 (30%): A critical reflection of 1000 words. Topics to be provided in class.

Assessment 2 (70%): A critical essay of 2000 words. Topics to be provided in class.

Additional references and rubrics for these assessments will be made available during the course.

Submission

All assessments are to be submitted via Turn-it-In on MyUni under the Assessments tab. Please view the Undergraduate Psychology Students Handbook for information about late penalties.

Students are advised to keep a copy of all assessments and to take a screen shot of the submission page showing the date and time of submission should any problems be encountered due to MyUni or Turn-it-In server outages. This information should be saved for future reference.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M11 (Honours Mark Scheme)
Grade	Grade reflects following criteria for allocation of grade	Reported on Official Transcript
Fail	A mark between 1-49	F
Third Class	A mark between 50-59	3
Second Class Div B	A mark between 60-69	2B
Second Class Div A	A mark between 70-79	2A
First Class	A mark between 80-100	1
Result Pending	An interim result	RP
Continuing	Continuing	CN

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

The School of Psychology and the members of academic staff are committed to listening to and understanding the perspectives of students in relation to our teaching programs. Feedback to the School teaching staff can be given via the Student-Staff Consultative committee. Year level representatives for this committee are nominated at the beginning of each year and the contact details of the representatives can be obtain from the School of Psychology office: psychologyoffice@adelaide.edu.au
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator