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ZO4817: HORMONES AND BEHAVIOUR (2015-2016)

Last modified: 25 Mar 2016 11:36


Course Overview

  • Lectures and student-led seminars provide the structure for you to examine the bi-directional effects of hormones and behaviour in animals, integrating studies from rodents to birds, and primates to humans.
  • Directed readings on each topic, associated with discussions sessions will strengthen your skills in interpreting published research and provide you with specialized knowledge on hormonal mechanisms related to behaviour.
  • Exploration of a single piece of research in depth will help you to appreciate how scientific understanding is dynamic, provisional and incremental.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 4
Session Second Sub Session Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Tyler Stevenson

Qualification Prerequisites

None.

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • One of Psychology (PS) (Studied) or BSc Biology (Studied) or BSc Zoology (Studied) or BSc Marine Biology (Studied)
  • Either Psychology (PS) (Studied) or ZO3513 Environmental Physiology (Passed)
  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)
  • Either Programme Level 3 or Programme Level 4

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

In this course we consider topics such as these:
  • An introduction and history of the study of behavioural endocrinology
  • The endocrine system
  • Sex differences in behaviour: basic principles, animal and human models
  • Male and female reproductive behaviour, parental behaviour
  • Hormones and social behaviour
  • Homeostasis and behaviour
  • Biological rhythms
  • Stress
  • Learning, memory and affective disorders

Upon completion of this course students will have:

  • Evaluated several pieces of published research and presented an article to the class to demonstrate and understanding of how a specific piece of research contributes to future directions in research.
  • Demonstrated an understanding of the effects of hormones on behaviour through active engagement with class discussions.

Associated Costs

None

Further Information & Notes

This course runs in weeks 31-35, and is scheduled in Thread 2, so may have contact hours in any or all of these times: Mondays, 14-18; Tuesday, all day; Friday, 14-18. If this is an optional course, there may also be contact hours on Wednesdays, 9-11.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2023 for 1st half-session courses and 22 December 2023 for 2nd half-session courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt: 1st attempt: 1 two hour written examination (30%) and continuous assessment (70%) Continuous assessment includes five short reports on scientific papers (30%), a Scientific new article (20%) and an oral presentation (20%).

Resit: Similar to 1st attempt, with continuous assessment mark(s) and /or exam mark carried forward with an opportunity to resit either or both, depending on what was failed in the first attempt.

Formative Assessment

Discussion sessions will provide opportunity for student-student and student-tutor interaction. Formative assessment will be provided during this interaction.

Feedback

Students will receive regular written feedback on each report and the presentation. Generic feedback will be provided to the class after each assignment to provide guidance on areas to focus on for improvement. Students who are identified as having difficulty in successfully completing the coursework assessment tasks will be invited to meet members of the course team to identify difficulties and discuss solutions.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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