This module will provide students with theoretical instruction and practical experience in some key advanced research methods appropriate for scientific research in cognitive (neuro)psychology. The study of cognitive processes and the temporal nature of brain activity will feature highly in this module.
Total contact hours: 25
Private study hours: 175
Total study hours: 200
MSc in Cognitive Psychology/ Neuropsychology
MSc in Research Methods in Psychology
Poster presentation A1 size; guideline of 1,000 words but not prescriptive 20%
Essay 3,000 words 80%
Reassessment methods: Like for Like.
Reading list (Indicative list, current at time of publication. Reading lists will be published annually)
Carreiras, M., & Clifton, C.E. (2004). The on-line study of sentence comprehension: Eyetracking, ERP and beyond. Psychology Press, USA.
Rayner, K. (1998). Eye movements in reading and information processing: 20 years of research. Psychological Bulletin, 124, 372-422.
Handy, T.C. (2004). Event-related potentials: A methods handbook. MIT Press.
Luck, S. J., & Kappenman, E. S. (2012). The Oxford Handbook of Event-Related Potential Components. Oxford University Press, USA.
Luck, S. (2014). An introduction to the Event-related potential technique. MIT Press.
Huettel, S.A., Song, W.A., & McCarty, G. (2009). Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2nd ed., Sinauer.
Poldrack, R.A., Mumford, J.A., & Nichols, T. E. (2011). Handbook of Functional MRI Data Analysis, CUP.
Field, A., & Hole, G. (2008). How to design and report experiments. Sage Publications ltd.
Ward, J. (2012). The Students Guide to Cognitive Neuroscience. Hove: Psychology Press.
See the library reading list for this module (Canterbury)
The intended subject specific learning outcomes. On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
8.1 Develop knowledge and understanding of structures and functions of the human brain and how they can be measured successfully using behavioural methods, eye-tracking and event-related brain potentials
8.2 Show key intellectual skills by critically evaluating the role of cognitive neuroscience techniques for examining explicit human behaviour and the underlying cognitive mechanisms
8.3 Develop a sound understanding of how results from the different cognitive neuroscience techniques relate to/ complement each other (including temporal sensitivity and spatial resolution)
8.4 Develop the ability to evaluate through written analysis and interpretation the contributions made by the different approaches and research methods that are used in cognitive neuroscience
The intended generic learning outcomes. On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
9.1 Familiar with a broad range of advanced research methods relevant to cognitive (neuro)psychology
9.2 Capable of independently planning a research study and familiar with the appropriate statistical techniques for analysing the results
9.3 Critique (i.e. evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of) the research methods and evaluate their relevance to specific research questions
9.4 Competently disseminate their work to an audience
9.5 Demonstrate the ability to express opinions, argue rationally and engage in critical thinking both orally and in the written form
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