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CERTIFICATE IN BIOPSYCHOLOGY VBS120

Duration (approx) 600 hours
Qualification
Certificate

Why Study Biopsychology?

Biopsychology looks at the relationship between the brain and human behaviour.

It considers how our physical state affects the way in which we think, and how we think affects our physical state.  For example, when we are stressed, this has a physical and mental effect.

The course considers the interaction between the brain and our biology.

The course is suitable for anyone wanting to increase their knowledge, or improve their job and career prospects. For example  -

  • Carers
  • Nursing home staff
  • Nurses
  • Social workers
  • Counsellors
  • Therapists
  • Pharmacy staff

Etc.

What Will You Learn From This Course?

Biopsychology course studying the interaction between our brain and biology, how our physiology affects the way we think.  

The Biopsychology certificate looks at biopsychology, neuropsychology and psychopharmacology, and considers –

  • How our brain affects our behaviour.
  • How our body affects our brain.
  • The effects of drugs and alcohol on our body.
  • Anatomical structures.
  • Physiological processes
  • The functioning of the brain.
  • How chemicals affect our brain and our bodies and also affects how we behave.

The course consists of six modules. There are four core modules of Biopsychology I and II, Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology.

You then choose two modules from a list of electives given below.

Modules

Core ModulesThese modules provide foundation knowledge for the CERTIFICATE IN BIOPSYCHOLOGY VBS120
 BIOPSYCHOLOGY I - BPS108
 BIOPSYCHOLOGY II - BPS204
 NEUROPSYCHOLOGY BPS306
 PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY (DRUGS & PSYCHOLOGY) BPS302
Elective ModulesIn addition to the core modules, students study any 2 of the following 6 modules.
 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY - BPS210
 ETHICS BPS217
 HUMAN BIOLOGY 1A (INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN BIOLOGY) BSC101
 HUMAN BIOLOGY IB (BIOENERGETICS) BSC201
 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY BPS101
 STRESS MANAGEMENT VPS100

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During the course, you will learn more about how to understand people.

Here is a brief example of what you could learn about -

Learn to Understand People 

Although psychologists are primarily concerned with behaviour, an understanding of the biology of the brain and central nervous system can help to unravel why people behave the way they do in given instances. In fact, biological psychology holds that all our behaviours, thoughts and experiences are a direct consequence of activity in our brains.

Not all causes of behaviour are quite so easy to explain. There are other underlying determinants of behaviour - genetics being one. In fact, we have long known that genetics is a key determinant of how we behave, and this can most obviously be seen through studying our nervous systems. Closely linked to genetics is human development. Development is governed by our genes and their interactions with the environment.

The study of biopsychology is a big part of understanding people. Through a better understanding of how people think, we can better understand how and why people act as they do. This knowledge allows a marketing professional to target their marketing more effectively, and a manager to control their staff better; just as much as it helps a health care professional better care for their clients or patients. 

We are Learning More about the Brain all the Time

Study of brain function, development, injury and damage can help in different fields such as education, research and development of treatments. The more we can learn, the better the treatment options will be. It can take many years to gather data, perhaps because it is taken form case studies or perhaps because of the rarity of some conditions, nevertheless we have come a long way since studies of the brain began.

From a clinical perspective, neuropsychology has two main areas of application, namely assessment and rehabilitation.

  • Assessment - as we have already seen, assessment involves collecting patient-specific data and then using a test battery to help shed further light on the individual's particular deficits and disorders. 
  • Rehabilitation - this involves implementing patient-specific strategies to help improve particular cognitive domains or specific cognitive deficits.  
      

Aside from these obvious applications, study of the brain and behaviour stretches far and wide into our daily lives, perhaps more broadly than many people realise.

Brain Studies and Children
By studying the brain and how it develops, we can learn more about children and how they learn. We have already discussed how changes in the brain affect what a child is ready and able to learn.  If a child is ready to learn to read developmentally, but is not stimulated to learn to read, this can affect their development.  If a child is not ready to read, and is forced to start learning to read, then again, this can affect their development. So it is important that teachers are aware of how the child is developing, what is expected of a child of a certain age but also recognising that all children are different. Children develop in different ways and what they are capable of and ready for, will vary from child to child.  

Beyond this, we can also use the study of neuropsychology to look at different ways to help children learn and improve their memories.

Neuropsychological assessments are tools that have traditionally been used in hospitals by psychiatrists and psychologists, but teachers have come to realise that they can also be used in assessing children educationally. For example, school psychologists or educational psychologists can use them to assess children with special needs.

Neuropsychology helps us to study the function of the brain and how the nervous system affects the way that people think and behave.  It is also now helping in determining why some children have difficulties acquiring language skills, reading, learning arithmetic and so on. So neurological assessments can be used to determine how much of the child’s school performance is due to the function of their brain and nervous system. It can also help the school to determine the child’s skills and the best learning environment for them. 

In practice, this will involve gathering information about the child’s development physically, psychologically, educationally and socially.  This can include observations by parents, formal observations, standardised assessment methods and other tests. 

What Are the Advantages of Studying Psychology With ACS Distance Education?

  • You can start at any time to suit you.
  • They are self-paced.
  • You can study when and where suits you. They are flexible to fit in around you and your lifestyle.
  • Our tutors are all experts in their field, with years of experience in psychology and counselling.
  • They are also keen and enthusiastic about their subject and enjoy working with students to improve their knowledge and skills.
  • Courses are also updated regularly to meet the demands of the changing needs for knowledge and to keep our courses up to date.

Enrol Now? Any Questions?

This course will allow you to extend your knowledge and broaden your understanding of biopsychology.

Study for professional development or to increase your knowledge of our brains and behaviour. 
Some will choose this course to build on scientific knowledge or behavioural studies which they already have behind them; while for others, this may be a starting point for exploring human biology and behavioural science.

Whatever your reason; this course will build both your understanding of people around you, and of the anatomical and physiological wonders of the human body.

You can enrol today by clicking the “Enrol Now” button above.

Or

Click here to Contact a Psychology Tutor.

Or Request a Prospectus Here.

 

Courses can be started anytime from anywhere in the world!

Meet some of our academics

Tracey Jones (psychology)B.Sc. (Hons) (Psychology), M.Soc.Sc (social work), DipSW (social work), PGCE (Education), PGD (Learning Disability Studies) Tracey began studying psychology in 1990. She has a wide range of experience within the psychology and social work field, particularly working with people with learning disabilities. She is also qualified as a teacher and now teaches psychology and social work related subjects. She has been a book reviewer for the British Journal of Social Work and has also written many textbooks, blogs, articles and ebooks on psychology, writing, sociology, child development and more. She has had also several short stories published.
Jacinda Cole B.Sc.,M.Psych.Psychologist, Educator, Author, Psychotherapist. B.Sc., Psych.Cert., M. Psych. Cert.Garden Design, MACA. Jacinda has over 25 years of experience in psychology, in both Australia and England. She has co-authored several psychology text books and many courses including diploma and degree level courses in psychology and counselling. Jacinda joined ACS in 2001.
Jade SciasciaBiologist, Business Coordinator, Government Environmental Dept, Secondary School teacher (Biology); Recruitment Consultant, Senior Supervisor in Youth Welfare, Horse Riding Instructor (part-completed) and Boarding Kennel Manager. Jade has a B.Sc.Biol, Dip.Professional Education, Cert IV TESOL, Cert Food Hygiene.


Check out our eBooks

LearningA book to help students learn and to discover better learning techniques. There are lots of different techniques for learning. Most work well for some people, but not for others. If you understand the way in which a particular individual is most likely to learn, you can better determine the most appropriate learning techniques for them to use. This book helps you understand both the theory and the practical solutions that can help improve learning whether at home, at school, at work or at play.
The Brain and BehaviourThe Brain and Behaviour ebook provides a fascinating insight into the functions of the human brain. From understanding the human brain, human anatomy & behaviour, chemistry, brain damage and memory, this ebook is an interesting read and also a great reference for students of biology, biopsychology or psychology.
The Psychology of HealthThe Psychology and Health ebook is a delightfully interesting read that helps you understand the link between physical and psychological health. This ebook is ideal for anyone who has a personal interest in the area, as well as psychology and health students.
Human BiologyFor any new student of human biology, being confronted with thousands of unfamiliar words can be overwhelming. It can also be difficult to identify which words you need to learn first. This book presents words that have been carefully selected as the most important for new biology students to learn and understand. It also provides more information about each word than is often found in traditional dictionaries, giving students a more in-depth understanding of the word's meaning. The book is intended as an aid to all new students of human biology.