Course Details in 2025/26 Session

Module Title	Adolescence: Mind and Brain
School	School of Psychology
Department	School of Psychology
Module Code	03 27868
Module Lead	Dr Stephanie Burnett Heyes
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-20 hours Seminar-3 hours Supervised time in studio/workshop-1 hours Guided independent study-176 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	Adolescence, the period of life between childhood and adulthood, is characterised by profound changes in many aspects of an individual’s life. Recently, research has shown evidence that during adolescence, there are also changes in cognitive abilities (e.g. social cognition), and in their basis in the brain. Potentially, this research has implications for understanding phenomena such as the onset of mental illness during adolescence and early adulthood. This module will cover topics including: What is adolescence? Biology and culture Adolescent social cognitive development (e.g. mentalising, face processing) and its basis in the brain Adolescent executive function development (e.g. working memory, metacognition) and its basis in the brain Risk-taking and peer influence Emotional reactivity and emotion regulation Puberty Adolescence as a period of mental health vulnerability
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Describe and discuss evidence for adolescent cognitive development across two or more domains (social cognition, executive function, risk/decision-making, emotion regulation); Demonstrate an understanding of adolescent structural and functional brain development; Understand potential issues with ecological validity when investigating adolescent social cognition experimentally; Undertake how to present research findings in poster format.
Assessment	27868-10 : Coursework Report : Coursework (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessments: 1. Written coursework portfolio, 2000-4000 words (100% of 20 credit module) Reassessment: 1. Written coursework portfolio, 2000-4000 words (100% of 20 credit module)
Other	None
Reading List