Undergraduate Course: Learning and Memory (PSYL10108)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | AM = Alexa Morcom; SMP = Sarah MacPherson)
This course aims to give an understanding of long-term memory at a range of levels of analysis. It begins with memory failures and preservation in amnesia, then considers the basic neurobiology of the hippocampus. Next a human cognitive neuroscience perspective on memory provides the framework for applications to learning skills, and an understanding of false memory and eyewitness testimony. The main course content is presented in lectures, with additional class discussions. The course is supported by autonomous peer-learning groups with a revision and feedback session in the final week.
Provisional schedule:
1. Amnesia and memory systems (SMP)
2. The hippocampus and the neurobiology of memory (SMP)
3. Human episodic memory and learning (AM)
4. Constructive memory: its successes and failures (AM)
5. Revision and feedback session (AM & SMP)
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| Course description |
Not entered
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Psychology 2 (PSYL08002)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 3 Psychology courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Block 3 (Sem 2) |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 12,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
86 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework questions (100%)
Students will answer 2 short coursework questions (word limit 1000 each), one from each of two sections. Each question will be worth 50% of the overall mark. The two questions from each section will invite critical evaluation of important issues raised in A) the first two lectures and B) the last two lectures.
In-class feedback exercises will be used to check understanding (e.g. multiple choice questions) alongside informal peer-led discussions, and there will be a revision and feedback session in the final week. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
Describe and discuss the kinds of memory preserved and impaired in amnesia
Understand the basic neurobiology of the hippocampus and its disruption in amnesia
Evaluate cognitive neuroscientific insights into human memory and their implications for how we learn and study
Discuss the constructive nature of human memory and its pitfalls for eyewitness evidence
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Reading List
Purves, D., Cabeza, R., Huettel, S.A., LaBar, K.,S., Platt, M.L., & Woldorff, M.G. (2013). Principles of Cognitive Neuroscience. Chapter 8: Memory: Varieties and Mechanisms (pp. 243-275) and Chapter 9: Declarative Memory (pp. 279-318). Sinauer, Sunderland, MA.
Schacter, D. L., Guerin, S. A., & St Jacques, P. L. (2011). Memory distortion: an adaptive perspective. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(10), 467-474.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Alexandra Morcom
Tel: (0131 6)51 1907
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Stephanie Fong
Tel: (0131 6)50 3628
Email: |
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