PSYC 1119 Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience CWK Assignment Brief

Aims and learning outcomes  

This piece of coursework is designed to assess the ability to integrate and evaluate material relating to a topic of  interest within cognitive psychology and neuroscience.  

The aims are to: 

1. Critically evaluate theories and research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience

2. Develop your practical skills by using a range of high-quality sources to provide empirical support  for arguments you make  

3. Develop effective writing and communication skills by constructing a well-reasoned essay that  builds on your formative assessment and the feedback received  

PSYC 1119 Rationale for assessment  

Student question-authoring can be a valuable learning tool and its main benefits are a deeper exploration and creative use of knowledge of the module content, and an enhanced awareness of the learning process. It is more challenging to have to create your own assessment task, as this requires far more than simply knowing and remembering facts. 

This method of assessment contrasts with traditional methods. It challenges passive learning and fosters an active and more constructivist learning environment that promotes inquiry-based active learning and critical thinking. It also reduces pressure and anxiety. 

Guidelines for the Assessment  

Your task is to conduct a literature review on a topic of interest in cognitive psychology and neuroscience and  evaluate the research landscape. You are free to choose a topic of your interest, but it must be related to module content. You will also formulate a title for your work, ensuring that it accurately represents your chosen topic and the content included in your essay. Therefore, it is very important to come up with the right topic that will allow you to meet all the learning outcomes of the module.

Word count: 3000 words (± 10%) 

You should read extensively on the topic you are reviewing, primarily recent journal articles. You are advised to  structure your report in the following way:  

• A title (of your choosing) that accurately reflects your chosen topic and the content included in your  essay
• An introduction that provides an outline or a ‘road map’ of your essay
• A critical review of theories/concepts and research evidence relating to your topic, including an  evaluation and discussion of the key themes related to your chosen topic, in light of recent research 
• Implications for theory, research and practice 
• A conclusion 
• Reference list (the expectation at Level 7 is 15-20 references or more)

Further advice on the essay  

• Your essays should have a clear structure with clear sections for an introduction, main body, and a  conclusion (you are encouraged to use sub-headings to indicate your flow of thought to the  reader/marker)  
• Within these broad sections, you are free to organise your essays in a way that suits you best  
• You should concentrate on using high quality research literature to support your assertions. The quality  of evidence you present will contribute to your mark. By high-quality research, we mean scientific  journal articles that are published in peer-reviewed journals. For example, this could be experimental  research, randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses.  
• You should read extensively on the two topics you are reviewing, primarily recent journal articles. The  reading lists provided by the relevant lecturers for each topic are a good starting point (you will find  this within the tabs for each lecture topic on the Moodle page). Please keep in mind that you are  expected to conduct your own independent reading beyond this basic list provided. 
• Consider how recent the research evidence is when including it as support for your assertions. By  recent, we mean evidence within the last 10-15 years. If a piece of evidence is older (but a key study  within the field), try and find more recent evidence to supplement the older citation.
• You will be awarded marks based on your ability to select and integrate different lines of argument and  evidence. Remember that a good essay does more than describe evidence. 
• To demonstrate critical reflection, you should also draw on the strengths and limitations of the  evidence you use to make an informed conclusion.  
• Marks will be awarded for structure, clarity, and coherence. As with any of your work, you should be  using regular citations and referencing. 
• Please make use of the Academic Support Team and Studiosity Tool resources for additional support  with structure, grammar, ethical writing, and appropriate use of citations.  
• You must reference in APA if you are a Psychology student.  
• Please take a look at the Grading Criteria on this Moodle page for a detailed marking rubric. 

5. Format and specifications 

Formative Assessment 

You will prepare a short (500 word max) essay plan outlining your main line of argument. This assessment will  not count toward your final grade. You will get an opportunity to start thinking about your essay in class during  Dr Ramamoorthy’s session on February 20th, 2024 and submit via Moodle by March 22nd, 2024.   
Summative Assessment 
Word count: 3000 words (± 10%) 
Weighting: 100%  
Feedback: individual written feedback 
Submission: Via Moodle link 
Submission deadline: 29th April 2024 by 23:30 (GMT) 

5. List of lectures for 2023-24  

The topic list for 2023-2024 is provided below and is the same as the lectures listed on the Moodle page.  
Please note, that if you are a resit student, and took the lectures in the 2022-2023 year, then you are able to use  the content/lecture list from last year. 
List of lecture topics for 2023-24 
1. Visual Information Processing 
2. Attention 
3. Automatic processing and Stroop effect 
4. Recognition of visual patterns and faces 
5. Short-term and working memory 
6. Long-term memory and forgetting 
7. Judgement and decision-making 
8. Reasoning 
9. Autobiographical and flashbulb memory 
10. Psycholinguistics 
11. Language and cognition 
12. False memory and eyewitness memory