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PN4108   Animal Models in Neuroscience and Psychology

Academic year(s): 2024-2025

Key information

SCOTCAT credits : 15

ECTS credits : 7

Level : SCQF level 10

Semester: 1

Availability restrictions: Available only to students in the second year of the Honours programme and MSc students.

Planned timetable: Tuesday 9-11am

Have you ever wondered why animals are used in psychology and neuroscience? Why do we study primate behaviour to better understand human behaviour? Why are zebra finches used to grasp how human language is learnt? What use are invertebrates for understanding human (a vertebrate) locomotion? In this module, you will learn about the animals frequently used in psychology and neuroscience research (e.g. chimpanzees, rats, and zebra finches). We will discuss key physiological and behavioural characteristics of the animals, and explain why these characteristics make them good models for certain areas of research, while also explaining how these behavioural and physiological characteristics must be accounted for when designing your experiment(s) (e.g. rats are nocturnal, so probably wouldn t be wise to investigate search behaviour in the middle of the day).

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisite(s): If UG, student must have passed PN2022 OR PN3313.

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact: 1 lectures (x10 weeks), 1 seminar (x10 weeks), 1 practical (x1 week)

Scheduled learning hours: 24

Guided independent study hours: 121

Assessment pattern

As used by St Andrews: Coursework = 100%


Re-assessment: Coursework = 100%

Personnel

Module coordinator: Dr I Allodi
Module teaching staff: Dr Ilary Allodi, Dr David Tait, Dr Manon Schweinfurth and Dr David Shuker
Module coordinator email se30@st-andrews.ac.uk

Intended learning outcomes

  • Understand the importance of animals in psychology and neuroscience research.
  • Communicate a sensitive subject to a lay audience.
  • Define appropriate experimental setups for behavioural analysis of animal models in Neuroscience and Psychology and identify and utilise protocols relevant to study specific animal models.
  • Critically evaluate and present research articles.
  • Work to tight deadlines while producing a variety of assessments.
  • Describe the limitations of using animal models of disease in laboratory settings.