Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Psychology School
Cognitive neuroscience is an emerging field of inquiry concerned with how the brain accomplishes tasks such as remembering, sensory perception and language. This course will provide a survey of topics in cognitive neuroscience with a focus on how neuroscience has advanced our understanding of the brain, as well as the methodologies used to gain these insights.
Cognitive neuroscience is an exciting and influential field of inquiry concerned with how the brain accomplishes conscious and unconsciousﾠtasks such asﾠsensory perception, learning, representing the body and the environment,ﾠand interacting with other people.
Following from NEUR2020, you will learn to programme sections of a cognitive taskﾠin Matlab, collect data from participants with thatﾠprogramme, process and analyse the dataﾠwhichﾠwill form the basis for a short report.ﾠThis will encourage you to think logically and analytically, and prepare you for the research demands of fourth (honours) year.ﾠYour assessment tasks will be the sections of Matlabﾠprogramme you have coded and collection of data from some participants on a (fun!) task which will investigate gaze cueing and shifts of attention when we look at people versus dogs. You will report on that analysed data, and will complete twoﾠmultiple-choice quizzes on the lecture material.ﾠﾠ
Tutorials will be conducted in computer labs. Some tutorial material will be pre-recorded and made available on Blackboard in the first week. It is essential that these materials are studied prior to commencing the tutorial course.ﾠ
ﾠ
Course requirements
Assumed background
PSYC/NEUR2020, PSYC1040
Recommended companion or co-requisite courses
We recommend completing the following courses at the same time:
(PSYC2020 or NEUR2020)
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
PSYC3302
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Natasha Matthews
Associate Professor Jess Taubert
Guest lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
On-campus tutorials will be conducted in computer labs. Students need to install Matlab (instructions will be provided on Blackboard) prior to the commencement of the tutorial course. Some tutorial material will be pre-recorded and made available on Blackboard in the first week. It is essential that these materials are studied prior to commencing the tutorial course.ﾠ
ﾠ
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Aims and outcomes
This course aims to establish a knowledge of cognitive principles, and their evaluation through neuroscientific methodologies. Importantly, acknowledging that cognition evolves through the lifespan, this course integrates child, adolescent and adult cognitive development, and its neuroanatomical underpinnings. We include cutting-edge issues such as epigenetics, neuroprosthetics, and brain-to-brain interaction. The tutorial activities aim to complement and extend the lecture course.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand the principles of the neuroanatomical basis of cognitive functions
LO2.
apply the principles of cognitive neuroscience to child, adolescent and adult populations
LO3.
understand how to operationalise cognitive mechanisms to enable their measurement and study
LO4.
Communicate research findings from an independently-conducted project
LO5.
demonstration of basic Matlab programming
LO6.
code basic experiments in Matlab
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical/ Demonstration | Data collection | 5% |
5/09/2025 3:00 pm
students are responsible for recruiting and collecting data from 3 participants other than themselves |
| Computer Code, Notebook/ Logbook | Matlab programme and experiment's hypotheses | 25% |
29/08/2025 3:00 pm |
| Quiz |
Quizzes
|
40% |
Quiz 1 18/08/2025 - 22/08/2025 Quiz 2 8/09/2025 - 12/09/2025 Quiz 3 27/10/2025 - 31/10/2025
In your assigned tutorial |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Lab report - Gaze cueing | 30% |
24/10/2025 3:00 pm |
Assessment details
Data collection
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Practical/ Demonstration
- Weight
- 5%
- Due date
5/09/2025 3:00 pm
students are responsible for recruiting and collecting data from 3 participants other than themselves
- Learning outcomes
- L06
Task description
Students will be allocated this tutorial time to collect data from three participants. It is expected that students should recruit friends/colleagues to come in to the lab and participate in the experiment, under the supervision of the tutor. Data collected will be collated and analysed for the report.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
contact tutor directly
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Matlab programme and experiment's hypotheses
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Computer Code, Notebook/ Logbook
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
29/08/2025 3:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L05, L06
Task description
Students will formulate hypotheses and construct a programme to test face processing abilities. In the course of four tutorials, students will learn to use Matlab to display stimuli and collect response time data. The hypotheses and programme will be marked and corrected prior to data collection for the lab report.
NOTE: students will use the programme to test 3 participants, and describe the results, as part of their Report.
Submission guidelines
Submission via drop box directly to tutor.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
For full details please review the School of Psychology Student Guidelines - Extensions and Deferred quiz/exam.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Quizzes
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
Quiz 1 18/08/2025 - 22/08/2025
Quiz 2 8/09/2025 - 12/09/2025
Quiz 3 27/10/2025 - 31/10/2025
In your assigned tutorial
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
On-line, in tutorial class time
Quiz 1 (10%): in-class open book, 20 multiple choice questions, lectures 1-3
Quiz 2 (10%): in-class open book, 20 multiple choice questions, lecture 4-6
Quiz 3 (20%): in-class open book 40 questions multiple choice
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
For full details please review the School of Psychology Student Guidelines - Extensions and Deferred quiz/exam.
Lab report - Gaze cueing
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
24/10/2025 3:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L03, L04
Task description
Using the Matlab programme constructed in the first half of the course, the hypotheses generated, and the background literature provided, students will collect, process and analyse behavioural data (reaction times) from 3 participants. They will describe the background literature, method and results, and focus on the Discussion section.
3,000 words total
Submission guidelines
via Turnitin
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
For full details please review the School of Psychology Student Guidelines - Extensions and Deferred quiz/exam.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 29.99 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 46.99 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47 - 49.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Links to lecture-relevant articles will be provided prior to each lecture.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Not scheduled |
Not Timetabled |
Mechanisms of Attention; Matlab resources No class Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05, L06 |
Week 1 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Lecture |
Developmental Neuroanatomy I Developmental Neurobiology I: Embryonic development of the nervous system Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 2 (04 Aug - 10 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Matlab programming self-guided Matlab programming, under tutor supervision Learning outcomes: L05, L06 |
Lecture |
Developmental Neuroanatomy II Developmental Neurobiology II: Postnatal brain development and environmental cues Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 3 (11 Aug - 17 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Matlab programming self-guided Matlab programming, under tutor supervision Learning outcomes: L05, L06 |
Lecture |
Genetics of Behaviour Genetic basis of cognitive processes Dr Natasha Matthews The lecture on Ekka will be delivered as a pre-recording Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 4 (18 Aug - 24 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Quiz 1 and Matlab programming 1) Quiz 1 (in-class open book, 20 multiple choice questions, lectures 1-3) 2) self-guided Matlab programming, under tutor supervision Learning outcomes: L05, L06 |
Lecture |
Space and Action I Interacting with the physical environment; Body representation, action reference frames. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 5 (25 Aug - 31 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Matlab programming self-guided Matlab programming, under tutor supervision Learning outcomes: L05, L06 |
Lecture |
Space and Action II Action observation, action interpretation, joint action and the mirror neurone system Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 6 (01 Sep - 07 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Data collection with Matlab programme Arrangements (pre-bookings) will be made to test 3 participants on the Matlab task in class Learning outcomes: L04, L05, L06 |
Lecture |
Neuroscience of the self and others The mechanisms of building a representation of the self; how the self interacts with the environment Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 7 (08 Sep - 14 Sep) |
Lecture |
Face processing Are faces special? How we process faces and emotions Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Quiz 2 and Data collation, processing and analysis for report 1) Quiz 2: (in-class open book, 20 multiple choice questions, lecture 4-6) 2) Data collation, processing and analysis for report How to train your dragon I: transforming your data from logfiles to bar graphs Learning outcomes: L05, L06 |
|
Week 8 (15 Sep - 21 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Continue data collation, processing and analysis for report How to train your dragon I: transforming your data from logfiles to bar graphs Learning outcomes: L04 |
Lecture |
Attention non-visual attention; cross-modal attention; hemi-neglect Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 9 (22 Sep - 28 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Continue data collation, processing and analysis for report How to train your dragon II: analysing your data Learning outcomes: L04 |
Lecture |
Reward and value learning Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Mid Sem break (29 Sep - 05 Oct) |
Not Timetabled |
MID-SEMESTER BREAK |
Week 10 (06 Oct - 12 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Data Analysis 1 Data Analysis - Discussion of findings for report 2. Learning outcomes: L04 |
Lecture |
Neuroprosthetics The union of biology and technology Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 11 (13 Oct - 19 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Data Analysis 2 - Discussion Data Analysis - Learning outcomes: L04 |
Lecture |
Consciousness & Attention Can we process our environment without really trying? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 12 (20 Oct - 26 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Brain-driven machines and EEG practicum / report consult Fun time / report Consult: Brain-driven machines and EEG practicum - Neuroprosthetics; using your brain waves to drive machines Learning outcomes: L04 |
Lecture |
Brain training Can we 're-wire' our brain to improve our performance? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 13 (27 Oct - 02 Nov) |
Tutorial |
Quiz 3 Quiz 3: in class open book 40 multiple choice questions Learning outcomes: L05, L06 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: