Stress, behaviour and experimental design 4D option BIOL4306

  • Academic Session: 2025-26
  • School: School of Psychology and Neuroscience
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course will explore the impact of stress on neurobiological mechanisms and neural circuits and how chronic stress modulates emotions and biological functions, ultimately shaping behaviours. This course will also develop your ability to design experiments focused on stress-related research, a valuable skill for integrating various research fields. Through engaging lectures, research-based case studies, and interactive discussions, the students will gain a deep understanding of how different stressors influence emotions, biological processes and behaviour.

Timetable

This option is assigned to block S2-D. There is normally a 1-hour session on Friday mornings and a 2-hour session on Friday afternoons each week over 10 weeks.

Requirements of Entry

Normally, only available to final-year Life Sciences students in a Neuroscience programme.  Students from other Life Science degrees and visiting students may be allowed to enrol, at the discretion of the Life Sciences Study Abroad Coordinators and the Course Coordinator.

Excluded Courses

None

Assessment

The course will be assessed by 2 components:

■ April/May exam based on experimental design and critical evaluation of specific stress research (ILOs 1, 4) (70%)

■ In-course presentation based on a scientific stress-research article (ILOs 2, 3) (30%)

Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? No

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

Course Aims

The course aims are:

1. To develop the student's knowledge of intrinsic and environmental factors that modulate stress-related biological functions and behaviours

2. Develop scientific communication skills

3. To develop the ability to design and critique experiments using original stress-related research articles 

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Critically discuss and evaluate intrinsic and environmental factors that modulate stress

2. Appraise current experimental techniques and strategies used in stress research

3. Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively about stress-research

4. Design experiments to answer research questions focused on stress research

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.