Biological Psychology: From Biology to Behaviour
A 6-week self-paced course covering the effects of the brain, neurochemistry, hormones, and genetics on the ways we think and behave.
Dr Steph Acaster
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(253)
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What's included
6 pre-recorded lessons
6 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentAssessment
Informal feedback is given to all students who submit tasks and join in the discussion threads throughout the course. Optional: If you would like to receive a grade for your participation in this series of classes, please send me a message when enrolling, and I will provide you with a syllabus detailing what tasks will contribute to your grade.Grading
includedClass Experience
This class is a self-paced class with no live meetings. Each week will begin with a video lecture uploaded by the teacher, followed by several assigned activities for students to participate in and/or upload to the classroom. (Please note that the length of the video lecture may change depending on the topic, but that on average, they will last around 45 minutes). Some examples of the main tasks are given in the topic list below. The teacher will visit the classroom regularly to respond to questions and uploaded assignments/tasks. We will explore the Biological factors which can impact our Psychological and Behavioural characteristics. No prior knowledge is required, but an interest in biology and/or psychology would be great!
Learning Goals
Students will learn the names and functions associated with parts of the brain and nervous system.
Students will learn how to apply their knowledge of the nervous system to topics such as stress, anxiety, and treatment of mood disorders.
Students will learn how biology can underpin the motivation for different behaviours and emotions.
Students will learn terminology around genetic inheritance, and understand how to interpret information in terms of whether or not it suggests a genetic or evolutionary component to different types of behaviour.
Syllabus
6 Lessons
over 6 WeeksLesson 1:
Brain Structure, Localisation of Function, and Brain Scanning Techniques
Lesson 2:
The Nervous System, The "Fight or Flight" Response, and Anxiety
Lesson 3:
Neurons and Synapses
Lesson 4:
The Biological Basis of Emotion and Motivation
Other Details
Parental Guidance
This class will cover the biological perspective of psychology, describing from an academic viewpoint various ways in which biological factors can influence the behaviour of people and animals. Behavioural categories such as anxiety and aggression will be used to illustrate the effect of biology on behaviour. Students will not be expected to share any personal experiences but may do so if they feel comfortable giving an example on any topic.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Learners are encouraged to explore 3D visuals of the brain using the following source: https://www.brainfacts.org/3D-Brain#intro=false&focus=Brain as well as content inspired by materials available at http://psychology.tools
Example citations for theories and examples using in the course:
Bodily maps of emotions (Nummenmaa et al, 2014)
The “Big Five” personality dimensions (Costa & McCrae, 1992)
How genes may influence personality (Eysenck, 1967; 1990)
Reciprocal altruism in rats (Mason, 2016)
Joined June, 2020
5.0
253reviews
Star Educator
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Doctoral Degree in Psychology from Sheffield Hallam University
Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from University of Birmingham, UK
I completed a PhD in Psychology, with a focus on Cognitive Neuroscience and Visual Perception, giving me a thorough knowledge of Cognitive and Biological Psychology.
I have been working as a full time online tutor for GCSE (UK age 14-16 curriculum) and A-level (UK age 16-18 curriculum) since February 2018.Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$15
weekly or $90 for all content6 pre-recorded lessons
6 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 47 learners
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Ages: 13-18
