Postgraduate

Exploring cognition: damaged brains and neural networks

On this page

• Summary
• Course content
• Entry
• Qualifications
• If you have a disability or additional requirement
• Course materials
• Teaching and assessment
• Students also studied
• Future availability
• How to register

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Summary

Cognitive neuropsychology (the study of damaged brains) and connectionist modelling (making computer models of networks of neurons) are at the forefront of research, shedding new light on the brain mechanisms of human cognitive processes. The two techniques provide information about how the intact brain might work and what goes wrong when it is damaged. This course introduces the general principles of both, and discusses methodological problems. It is ideal for developing your skills for further postgraduate study or as grounding if you want to train in clinical psychology.

Course content

Cognitive neuropsychology examines the complex patterns of impairment that result from brain damage, and from them infers the organisation and sequence of cognitive processes. Connectionist models simulate the performance of both normal and brain-damaged people performing tasks such as reading and recognising objects.

This course develops skills of critical analysis and evaluation, so that you can assess how studies of brain damage influence theories in cognitive psychology. Connectionist models, with their superficial resemblance to real neural networks (brains), are increasingly being used to model psychological functions and dysfunctions. You will have an introduction to connectionist models and will learn how to construct and manipulate them yourself with the aid of supplied software. After the basics of connectionist models – training with error signals, pattern associators, auto-associators and competitive networks – the course covers advanced issues in connectionist neuropsychology, including lesioning connectionist models.

Visual recognition and language are the aspects of human cognition that have been selected for detailed study. In visual recognition, the course concentrates on face recognition and object recognition. Case studies show that damaged brains may be able to recognise some kinds of object but not others, or objects but not faces. Connectionist models that simulate these disorders and throw light on the underlying mechanisms of recognition are discussed. In the area of language, the course describes detailed studies of different kinds of dyslexia, as well as neural nets that are constructed to reproduce these patterns and to test theories of skilled reading. A section on speech production looks at children’s learning of correct past-tense forms, how tense usage is affected by brain damage, and the debate about whether there are separate mechanisms for regular and irregular forms. In all these areas the course introduces recent controversies and encourages you to assess the evidence.

The course takes a guided study approach; you will be reading material from a variety of leading authors in the field, with the aid of a specially prepared study guide.

Vocational relevance

This course develops the advanced skills you will need if you intend to undertake research or further postgraduate study in cognitive psychology, neuropsychology or computer modelling. It also provides a useful grounding for those who want to train in clinical psychology.

The distance-taught MSc in Psychological Research Methods (F20) now has ESRC recognition and DS871 is an optional course for that degree.

Entry

You must hold a UK honours degree (or equivalent), ideally though not necessarily in the subject you wish to pursue.

Before taking this course it is expected that you will commence your studies with the preferred postgraduate foundation course for the qualification you are studying towards, either Investigating the psychological world (D821) or Investigating the social world (D822) or Introduction to research: basic skills and survey methods (DT840).

The course assumes knowledge of cognitive psychology such as you would get from a bachelors degree in psychology. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, or whether your subject knowledge and study skills are adequate for study at this level, please contact the Postgraduate Studies in Social Science Learner Support Team at the OU in Yorkshire (telephone 0113 234 1225, or email).

Preparatory work

You will be sent a preparatory pack that contains clear introductory material to give you background knowledge of the areas of cognitive psychology covered in the course.

Qualifications

DS871 is an optional course in our

• Postgraduate Certificate in Social Sciences (C24)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Research Methods (E11)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Social Sciences (D41)
• MA in Social Sciences (F09)
• MSc in Psychological Research Methods (F20)
• MSc in Psychology (F15)
• MSc in Science (F12)

DS871 together with either Investigating the social world (D822) or Investigating the psychological world (D821) (or the discontinued course D820) will qualify you for a Postgraduate Certificate in Social Sciences and with an additional 60 points of specified courses for a Postgraduate Diploma.

Some postgraduate qualifications allow study to be chosen from other subject areas. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.

If you have a disability or additional requirement

All of the assignments are completed and returned online using our electronic assignment system, and one of the assignments requires further work with a computer using supplied software. Most of the contact with and support from your tutor will also require you to access online forums.

If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.

Course materials

What's included

Course book, other printed materials accompanied by a course binder, audio material in the form of downloadable MP3 files and a CD-ROM with software for connectionist modelling.

Computing requirements

This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.

You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you cannot use an Apple Mac or Linux computer unless it is running windows Boot Camp or similar.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. Your tutor will not be local, so your contact will be by email, telephone and mainly online forums. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.

You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• Introduction to research: basic skills and survey methods (DT840)
• Issues in brain and behaviour (SD805)
• Advanced experimental design and analysis (D841)
• Identity in question (D853)

Future availability

The details given here are for the final course starting date in November 2009.

How to register

We regret that we are currently unable to accept registrations for this course. Where the course is to be presented again in the future, relevant registration information will be displayed on this page as soon as it becomes available.

About this page

A postgraduate course.

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Student Reviews

I found this course both enjoyable and hard work. There is a lot of reading - most is provided in ...
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The subject was fascinating and the texts comprehensive and informative. In this presentation, there were problems with tutoring, with many ...
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