Overview

This unit provides students with understanding of complex brain/behaviour relations and their underlying mechanisms, as they apply to higher order functions, in particular, attention and sleep states.

Requisites

Prerequisites
NEU20005 Sensation and Perception
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
01-March-2027
30-May-2027
Last self-enrolment date
14-March-2027
Census date
30-March-2027
Last withdraw without fail date
20-April-2027
Results released date
06-July-2027

Unit learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:

  1. Differentiate between varieties of attentional and appetitive behaviour
  2. Examine sleep behaviour and comprehend sleep laboratory recording
  3. Critically evaluate research on models and methods used in evidence-based interventions for disorders of hunger, sex, and sleep
  4. Compare, contrast and synthesise critical arguments associated with key research in the cognitive neuroscience of attention and sleep

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Activity Type Activity Total Hours Number of Weeks Hours Per Week
On-campus Class 12 6 weeks 2
Specified Activities Various 36 12 weeks 3
Unspecified Activities Independent Learning 78 12 weeks 6.5
Live Online Lecture 12 12 weeks 1
Online Lecture 12 12 weeks 1
Total Hours: 150 Total Hours (per week): 13.5

Assessment

Hawthorn

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Literature Review Individual  40%  2,3,4
Final-Semester Test Individual  30%  1,2
In-Class Presentation Group  30%  3,4 

Content

  • Neural mechanisms of hunger, sex, and sleep
  • Neural mechanisms of reinforcement learning
  • Processes of attention modulation associated with motivational and goal-driven behaviours
  • Disorders of motivation and goal-driven behaviours
  • Biochemical and hormonal mechanisms in hunger, sex, and sleep
  • Graduate Attribute – Communication 1- Verbal Communication
  • Graduate Attribute – Communication 2- Communicating using different media
  • Graduate Attribute - Teamwork 1- Collaboration and negotiation
  • Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies 1- Information literacy

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.