PYMPBC1: Programming for Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences

Module code: PYMPBC1

Module provider: Psychology; School of Psych and Clin Lang Sci

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Peter Scarfe, email: p.scarfe@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 23 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Being able to understand experimental design and programming experiments is an essential component of doing scientific research in behavioural and cognitive neuroscience.This module introduces Students to experimental design and programming in Matlab, with the Psychtoolbox and Palamedes packages. Matlab is one of the most widely used programming languages in psychology and cognitive neuroscience, and used widely in numerous areas outside of academia. Students thus have the opportunity to expand their portfolio of transferable skills. 

There is no requirement that Students have any prior experience of programming, beyond basic and routine computing skills (e.g., file manipulation). Plenty of opportunities are organised to support Students who are new to programming, within the module itself, in other modules in the School, and as part of the recurrent activities organised within the School, such as the SPCLS coding club (weekly), neurohack (fortnightly) and other training events, as part of the School’s commitment to open and reproducible research. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Use efficiently and navigate the Matlab programming environment; 
2. Demonstrate understanding of the tasks, measures and methods used for research in behavioural and cognitive neuroscience; 
3. Construct experiments in Matlab using Psychtoolbox; 
4. Implement the analysis experimental data in Matlab using the Palamedes toolbox. 

Module content

1. Introduction to experimental design and programming 
2. Introduction to programming in Matlab #1 
3. Introduction to programming in Matlab #2 
4. Introduction to programming in Matlab #3 
5. Programming experiment in Matlab and Psychtoolbox #1 
6. Programming experiment in Matlab and Psychtoolbox #2 
7. Programming experiment in Matlab and Psychtoolbox #3 
8. Programming experiment in Matlab and Psychtoolbox #4 
9. Analysing data in Matlab and Palamedes #1 
10. Analysing data in Matlab and Palamedes #2 
11. Revision Session 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module will be taught through a mix of plenary lectures to introduce specific topics and accompanying practical work to provide hands-on training. 

Study hours

At least 27 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

1. In class activities each week 
2. Online discussion boards 
3. Student questions within taught sessions 
4. Opportunity for students to arrange a meeting for formative feedback at any point during course, including during staff drop-in hours 

Reassessment

Additional costs