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PSYC3297: NEUROPSYCHOLOGY OF AMNESIA

Please ensure you check the module availability box for each module outline, as not all modules will run in each academic year. Each module description relates to the year indicated in the module availability box, and this may change from year to year, due to, for example: changing staff expertise, disciplinary developments, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback. Current modules are subject to change in light of the ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19.

Type Open
Level 3
Credits 10
Availability Available in 2023/24
Module Cap 45
Location Durham
Department Psychology

Prerequisites

  • 60 credits from Level 2 Psychology module

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • This module will give students an understanding of what amnesia is, and what neuropsychological studies have taught us about memory processes and the brain regions underlying amnesia

Content

  • This module examines the neuopsychological approach to understanding amnesia and its causes
  • It begins with an introduction to what amnesia and neuropsychology are before critically addressing a number of topic areas
  • These can vary from year to year but are likely to include medial temporal lobe amnesia, the medial temporal lobe memory system model, the extended hippocampal memory system model and the role of acetylcholine
  • The module will also cover related conceptual and historical issues in psychology

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Detailed knowledge of the neuropsychology of amnesia including current theory and evidence

Subject-specific Skills:

  • Ability to review critically and consolidate understanding of a coherent body of psychological knowledge and apply it appropriately

Key Skills:

  • Good written communication skills
  • Good IT skills in word processing, data manipulation and data presentation
  • Ability to work independently in scholarship and research within broad guidelines

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Students' acquisition of detailed knowledge will be facilitated by lectures, some small group work, audio-visual materials, discussions and detailed reading lists
  • These modes of teaching provide students with detailed knowledge of the key theories and the skills needed to evaluate different theoretical positions in light of current evidence
  • An assessment of the range, recency and appropriateness of sources will be included in the overall assessment of the exam
  • The use of group discussions / small group work will ensure that students are exposed to a range of different theoretical positions, and encouraged to understand their inter-relations
  • Lectures, discussions and small group work will also give students the opportunity to interpret and evaluate the significance of empirical work
  • The exam assesses students' acquired knowledge of theoretical principles and empirical studies and their ability to organise and synthesise them coherently and critically in written form i
  • The exam will also assess students' written communication skills

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Total100 
Lectures101 per week2 hours20 
Preparation and Reading80 

Summative Assessment

Component: Summative EssayComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Summative Essay2500 words100 

Formative Assessment

None

More information

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