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Developmental Social Neuroscience - PSY00087M

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  • Department: Psychology
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Elena Geangu
  • Credit value: 10 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
    • See module specification for other years: 2021-22

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Spring Term 2022-23

Module aims

Developmental Social Neuroscience is a relatively young discipline in Developmental Psychology. It became established in record time due to the relevance of the research in this domain for our understanding of human social and emotional development.

The aims of this module are: a) to provide an in depth understanding of theories, concepts, and methods of the developmental social neuroscience; b) to discuss and employ concepts with regard to several topics of investigation; c) to provide a comprehensive overview of current research trends in the developmental social neuroscience.

Students enrolling on this module should demonstrate a good understanding of core knowledge in cognitive psychology, as well as intermediate skills in quantitative statistical analyses.

Module learning outcomes

  • Review, with some guidance, some of the topics under debate in the developmental social neuroscience;
  • Analyse and assess the value of the social neuroscience approaches for the understanding of key issues in developmental psychology;
  • Describe and evaluate different examples of empirical evidence in developmental social neuroscience;
  • Illustrate and discuss, with some direction, the debated nature of the knowledge concerning the development of action perception, emotion information processing, emotion regulation, play, and antisocial behaviour as resulted from applying social neuroscience paradigms.
  • Manage and synthesise information, recognize relevance of literature and develop sustained and reasoned argument from a range of sources
  • Formulate and communicate personal views regarding the discussed topics in developmental social neuroscience

Module content

  1. What is developmental social neuroscience? Theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches.
  2. The development of visual and auditory emotional information processing.
  3. Emotion regulation development during infancy and childhood.
  4. The development of biological motion perception.
  5. Action processing
  6. Play
  7. Empathy and pro-social behaviour development.
  8. Origins and development of aggressive and antisocial behaviour.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay: Developmental Neuroscience		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay: Developmental Neuroscience		 N/A 100

Module feedback

The marks on all assessed work will be provided on e-vision.

Indicative reading

  • M. de Haan, & M. R. Gunnar (Eds.) (2009). Handbook of developmental social neuroscience. NY: Guilford Press.
  • J.J.Gross (Ed.) (2007). Handbook of emotion regulation. New York: Guilford Press.
  • M. de Haan (Ed.) (2007). Introduction to infant EEG and event-related potentials. Hove, England: Psychology Press.
  • R. D. Lane & L. Nadel (Eds.) (2002). Cognitive Neuroscience of emotion. Series in affective science. London: Oxford University Press


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.