PN5010 Principal Approaches to the Origins of Mind

Academic year

2025 to 2026 Semester 1

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 11

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) 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.

Planned timetable

Seminars: Thursdays 9-11; Practicals and Tutorials: Thursdays 2-5

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Prof C L Hobaiter

Prof C L Hobaiter
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr C Hobaiter, Dr G Brown

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This module serves to introduce distinct ways of studying the origins of mind within a comparative Tinbergian framework, emphasising both functional and mechanistic accounts; why capacities exist, how they are implemented, how they evolved and how they develop. Lectures will cover general evolutionary theory and: (1) Comparative/Phylogenetic, (2) Developmental, (3) Mechanistic/causal, and (4) Functional/adaptive approaches. 'Hot' research topics will be presented using particulars of these frameworks and will exemplify the spectrum of methods possible to address the origins of mind.

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

Resubmission of failed item(s) of coursework

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

Seminar and tutorial/practical each week.

Intended learning outcomes

  • explain key features of the human mind and how these fit into the broad spectrum of animal cognition, include to what extent they are or are not shared across other species
  • integrate research ideas from across the field and develop their own ideas about what the important next steps would be in order to provide further support for existing hypotheses, or test new ones
  • describe how selection can act to shape species' behaviour, as well as their bodies, over evolutionary time. They will be able to describe, using examples from previous research, to what extent species-typical evolutionary behavioural heuristics impact an individual's behaviour
  • gained practical skills in a wide range of data collection and data analysis including video, acoustic, and archaeological research methods