SOW-BS038
Neuroscience of Behaviour
Course infoSchedule
Course moduleSOW-BS038
Credits (ECTS)4
CategoryMA (Master)
Language of instructionEnglish
Offered byRadboud University; Faculty of Social Sciences; Behavioural Science;
Lecturer(s)
Coordinator
dr. H.T. van Schie
Other course modules lecturer
Contactperson for the course
dr. H.T. van Schie
Other course modules lecturer
Examiner
dr. H.T. van Schie
Other course modules lecturer
Academic year2017
Period
PER1  (04/09/2017 to 12/11/2017)
Starting block
PER1
Course mode
full-time
RemarksFor external (PhD) students, see www.ru.nl/BS/enrolment
Registration using OSIRISYes
Course open to students from other facultiesYes
Pre-registrationNo
Waiting listNo
Placement procedure-
Aims
On finishing this course successfully, students will be able to confidently read, discuss and report verbally and in written text on research articles in neuroscience, in particular articles in the domain of developmental neuroscience, affective neuroscience and the neuroscience of action. Furthermore, students will be able to critically evaluate the strengths and weakness of research methods in neuroscience and in particular their application to understanding behaviour. Finally, students will be able to consider and report how neuroscience methods could be relevant and applied to their own research questions in behavioural science.
Content
Have you always been curious what neuroscience has to offer, and how insight in brain mechanisms could help to understand behaviour? Than this course will be of interest to you! Our course provides an introduction to the field of neuroscience of behaviour and is intended to interest students in exploring the neuroscience literature and present a selection of recent neuroscience methods that are relevant to researchers in behavioural science. By reading and discussing selected research papers we aim to provide students with a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of different neuroscience methods and at the same time illustrate how studies in neuroscience could contribute to understanding healthy and pathological behaviour of individuals.
In this course you are invited two write two papers, a research proposal, and a position paper. In the research proposal student dyads come up with an question of interest in the domain of developmental neuroscience, affective neuroscience or the neuroscience of action that can be addressed through a neuroscientific method. The course allows ample time to work on this research proposal, through a brainstorm session, a class discussion, a poster presentation, and feedback from another student dyad. In addition each student writes an individual position paper on a topic of personal interest within developmental neuroscience, affective neuroscience, or the neuroscience of action. In the position paper you try to answer an original question in behavioural science by exploring the neuroscience literature.
In short, our course has the following to offer:
1. a general understanding of neuroscience methods that are relevant for research in behavioural science.
2. insights into the development of brain structures underlying intelligence, memory and spatial cognition.
3. insights in the neurobiological correlates of human fight-flight-freeze reactions, voluntary control of automatic approach-avoidance behaviour, and altered emotion processing in social psychopathologies.
4. insights in brain mechanisms supporting body ownership, action understanding, and human interaction.
5. an opportunity to write a position paper about a question of personal interest.
6. an opportunity to write a research proposal in behavioural neuroscience with another student.
7. a team of enthusiastic instructors that are eager to share their insight and experience in cognitive neuroscience with you!
Teaching structure: The course is structured in the following manner:
Week 1. Lecture methods in Developmental Neuroscience
Week 2. Lecture methods in Affective Neuroscience
Week 3. Lecture methods in Neuroscience of Action
Week 4. Brainstorm session research proposals
Week 5. Presentations Developmental Neuroscience / Presentations Affective Neuroscience
Week 6. Presentations Neuroscience of Action / Q&A position papers
Week 7. Poster session research proposals
Week 8. Paired feedback session research proposals
Week 9. Paired feedback session position papers
In the first three weeks experts from developmental neuroscience, affective neuroscience, and neuroscience of action will give a lecture presenting the latest developments in their respective fields of interest with a focus on the strengths (and limitations) of current research methods in neuroscience. In the following three weeks, students will brainstorm, present and discuss their ideas for a research proposal in the domain of developmental neuroscience, affective neuroscience or neuroscience of action. The outline of the research proposal will be presented in the form of a poster in week 7. In the final two weeks all students will read and provide feedback on the text of each other’s research proposals, and on the text of their individual position papers.
Test information
The final grade will reflect the weighted average of the following assignments:
- poster presentation, 20% (duo)
- research proposal, 40% (duo)
- position paper, 40% (individual)
There will be no final written exam.

Required materials
To be announced
The papers that will be discussed are announced at the start of the course.

Instructional modes
Lectures

Tests
Examination
Test weight1
OpportunitiesBlock PER1, Block PER2