Description
Have you ever thought a news story sounded too good to be true? This module will help you develop a better understanding of the difference between media reporting and scientific evaluation. It will equip you with the skills to look beyond sensational stories related to human behaviour and dig deeper into a topic area to validate the evidence.
This module has a particular focus on the “Intellectual” Abertay Attribute and completing it will contribute to students’ ability to:
- Understand how knowledge is evolving, appreciate the importance of interdisciplinarity and recognise how what has been learned can be applied.
- Understand how knowledge is generated, processed and disseminated, and actively apply knowledge in order to recognise problems and solutions.
- Be able to evaluate information, and tackle uncertainty and information gaps with confidence and self-awareness.
Aims
The aim of this module is to provide you with the ability to look beyond the headlines.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module the student should be able to:
- Identify and appraise the scientific evidence surrounding key myths about the mind and behaviour that have been reported in the media.
Indicative Content
1 Paranormal Beliefs and Experiences
Is Extrasensory Perception Real? Is there really evidence that we can predict the future?
2 Myths about the Brain
Can repressed memories be recovered in therapy? How easily are false memories created? What are the implications for the justice system?
3 Myths about our Mind and Body
Is the key to success in everyday life simply a case of posing like a powerful superhero?
4 Myths about Language
Does being bilingual make you smarter and keep your brain younger? Are bilingual people less likely to get dementia as a result of this lifelong brain training?
| Teaching and Learning Method | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 10 |
| Tutorial/Seminar | 0 |
| Supervised Practical Activity | 0 |
| Unsupervised Practical Activity | 0 |
| Assessment | 10 |
| Independent | 30 |
Guidance Notes
SCQF Level - The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.
Credit Value – The total value of SCQF credits for the module. 20 credits are the equivalent of 10 ECTS credits. A full-time student should normally register for 60 SCQF credits per semester.
Disclaimer
We make every effort to ensure that the information on our website is accurate but it is possible that some changes may occur prior to the academic year of entry. The modules listed in this catalogue are offered subject to availability during academic year 2025/6, and may be subject to change for future years.