Course Details in 2025/26 Session

Module Title	The Mind Detective: Understanding how the mind works by looking at what happens when it is damaged
School	School of Psychology
Department	School of Psychology
Module Code	PSYC 27872
Module Lead	Dr Andrew Olson
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Exclusions
Description	This module is dedicated to what we know about how the mind works by looking at how it breaks down in patients with brain damage due to stroke, head-injury or neurodegenerative disease. Students will understand the logic and practice of neuropsychological assessment, look at detailed case studies from current topics in understanding the mind based on its breakdown and examine the intersection between neuropsychological research and clinical practice. Lecture 1: The detective’s rule book – Principles of neuropsychological assessment and approaches from different schools. Lecture 2: The case of visible language – Sign language, chimps and brain injury. Is language the same no matter how its produced? Lecture 3: The case of the mirror woman and the missing maps. How do we know where things are in space? Lecture 4: The case of the missing consciousness. Is consciousness an ability or an emergent property? What do disorders of consciousness tell us? Lecture 5: By their actions you will know them. Is cognition action? – the case of speech and articulation. Lecture 6: From research to the clinic – The secret history of IQ, clinical assessment and the modular mind. Lecture 7: From research to the clinic – Assessment, rehabilitation and rehabilitation research. Does knowing the problem provide the solution? How do you know if your rehabilitation is working? Lecture 8: From research to the clinic -- The not gold standard. The logic of clinical trials, personalised medicine and neuropsychology. Lecture 9: From research to the clinic – Frankenstein’s toolkit. New tools for manipulating the mind. Can they help fix it? Lecture 10: The case of the missing mind detective. The new empire of the brain or who needs the mind?
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Understand the logic and practice of neuropsychological research from several perspectives; Apply this understanding to specific cases of neuropsychological data and critically evaluate the conclusions that these cases allow; Participate productively in small group discussions of important points of debate in the field; Understand critical issues that determine how neuropsychological research and clinical practice influence each other and critically evaluate claims from research about practice or claims from practice about the relevance of research.
Assessment
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: Coursework (100%)
Other	None
Reading List