Subject: Neuropsychology – Research Question: What is the effect of Glob

My research question – What is the effect of Global Transient Amnesia on memory functioning in individuals with depression?

Literature review MUST be 1500 words
The Methodology section MUST be 600 words

I uploaded 7 files in the files sections, please read throughly the files I uploaded before making a start on the assessment as I previous writers did not do that and I ended up getting 2:2’s. Please help me to get a 1st. I also uploaded a file by the name – Links to Research Articles, Journals to use within the Literature Review, this file has majority of the research that I did for the assessment literature review to make it easier for you, please do use them references. Also, please do download all files and study and read them thoroughly before starting the literature review.
Give an intro to the literature, e.g. what will be discussed within the literature review.

Important information to keep in mind when writing the literature review:
To demonstrate a good level of understanding of your area in the literature review, you will need to introduce the area concisely, identify existing problems/limitations within the area (be it the theory/perspective they build on, or the methods used to reach findings), and introduce your measures that can resolve this (i.e., perhaps approaching the area from a different perspective – Experimental Psychology; Computational Cognitive psychology; Cognitive Neuropsychology; Cognitive Neuroscience; or instead using a different methodology; or even using existing methodology differently).

You must answer these key questions in the literature review. They serve a really useful guide to what you should be orienting your writing around, and protect you from going off on a tangent;
• What is missing from previous work in the area?
• What was done wrong in previous research?
• What can be done to improve previous work? (select and source the information that you need for your work)
• What contribution will you make in the field?

The only way in which you can complete the literature review to a fantastic standard is if you read around the area. The more you know, the more familiar you are, then there will be a greater level of information and insight at your fingertips you can use to decide in what way you approach the literature review AND the design of a study assessment.

The assessment MUST provide a concise, yet detailed overview of the cognitive and neurological mechanisms involved in the chosen area (which is my research question), and provide a sophisticated evaluation of the evidence in support of (and against) them.

It should also indicate an in-depth understanding of relevant theoretical underpinnings and acknowledge the role of different research methods in evaluation of the evidence.
There will be a clear indication of how the proposed study will add a useful step to previous research through a rationale as a conclusion of the literature review, and through clear rationalising of the methodology.
Referencing should be modern, accurate, thorough and from primary sources when possible.

By sophisticated evaluation, we mean to encourage you to not appeal to conventional/intuitive criticisms that most non-specialists in the area could make. For example, critiquing a study on the basis that an animal population was used is certainly fair, however this is something that does not indicate that you, the critique, possess a good understanding of the area (as anyone could probably make the same critique). However, if you are to critique a study or finding based on, for example, the research method used, or the theoretical underpinning and approach of the study, then this is where you will demonstrate that you possess a good understanding of the area.
Essentially, understand the implicit “assumptions” the study makes, be it by the way in which they conceptualise a specific problem, solution, or design. Something that might make this easier is if you refer to the lecture slides from Session one, which provide some limitations for the various approaches used in neuropsychology.

In addition to critiquing based on theoretical approach, there are also many advantages and disadvantages with the various research methods used in neuropsychology. Therefore, if a study is to reach a conclusion by using these research methods, then this very conclusion could be called into some question by you, the critique. Whether it is the accuracy of the finding, how applicable the finding is to others, the extent to which the finding or activity observed in the study is reflective of actual brain processes, or whether the study is appropriately designed to facilitate the finding or conclusion reached. You can find a lot of information about common research methods used on Moodle, under Session two and three.

It’s ultimately up to you how you critique a study, and all we are suggesting that you appeal to critiques that demonstrate you possess an awareness of the area.

In Summary:
• Pursue more sophisticated critique/methodological limitations, and avoid discussing the basic limitations, e.g., using animals in an experiment instead of humans.
• Be concise. Don’t use your word count to describe an area that we are already aware of. Instead, keep introductory descriptions (to an area, to a function, to a disorder etc.) short. You will not be demonstrating an awareness of the area if you describe/regurgitate information. To demonstrate your ability and awareness, you need to deliver in your critiques, solutions, and writing.
• Ensure that there is a “thread” running through both the literature review and the methodology that hold it all together. You want to create a narrative.

Learning Outcomes of the Literature Review are as follows:
1. LO1 – Critically evaluate research and theory in the area of cognition and neuropsychology
2. LO3 – Apply thorough knowledge of research and theory in cognitive and neuropsychological areas and evaluate this information

Guidance on how to write each section in the Methodology and important information to keep in mind when writing the Methodology:

The design of the study should make logical and intuitive sense after reading your literature review. So, in the METHODOLOGY section you must resolve the issues and limitations you introduced in the literature review. Essentially, you are formulating a problem and then formulating a solution. Your choice of how you resolve the problem will depend solely on the level of reading you’ve done. It’ll be pretty evident to us that you’ve not read much – for example, if you propose a survey is a good way to measure brain damage.

Once you have completed both assessments, read them in reverse. Each decision you make when designing the study should be related to some point you’ve made in the literature review. If there is no correspondence, then you either need to change or add information in either.

1st explain the Rationale – by answering these questions; What gap is there in the literature that needs to be explored?, What is the next step forward that needs to be taken to understand more?, and What new way could a current theory be tested to see if it is accurate? Also, you MUST include a Clear Hypothesis for your study. Please do not suggest the replication of an earlier study. While this is of course scientifically valid, it isn’t the point of the assessment!

2nd the Design – Designing an experiment – compare groups of participants and answer these questions, Is it between different groups? E.g. Global Transient Amnesia vs effect on memory in individuals with depression vs effect on memory in individuals without depression
Also, state Is it a within group or repeated measures – E.g. ability in a water maze before and after specific drugs are given? Also state What is being manipulated – The Independent variable?
And finally state How is it being measured – The dependent Variable? Answer all these in the Design section.

3rd the Participants – State Who will take part? Humans or animals? Disordered or healthy? How many, and why? Base it off previous research What age range would you use?, if appropriate, and How would you recruit them? General population? Hospital? Answer all of these where applicable.

4th the Materials – State What will you use to find your results? E.g. fMRI scanning? Drug use? EEG? A Water Maze? Surgical Procedure? Questionnaires? Cognitive Tests? Memory Tasks?

5th the Procedure – State How will the experiment actually occur. Do a Step-by-step description from start to finish. No need for every detail but should be replicable from your information. Must Start after all consent forms and information sheets are done, and finish before participants are debriefed.

6th Ethics – State What the possible problems there are ethically – E.g. at-risk populations? Animal research?, What are you going to do to make things safe?, What sort of training is needed from experimenters? Answer all of these questions.

7th Expected Outcomes – Given the background, rationale and method, state what differences do you expect to see?, How would this change or add to the current literature?, What might you do next to add to it? And then lastly do the conclusion.

So, in conclusion, this is what needs to be included within the Methodology section:
1. Rationale – Explain Why is this experiment needed, what gap does it fill?
2. Design – state whether Is it an experiment? State What are your groups? State Your IV and DV?
3. Participants – state Who will take part? Animals, Humans?
4. Equipment/Materials – what are you going to use, What equipment? Drugs? Scanning? Surgery? Questionnaires?
5. Procedure – state How the study actually be run?
6. Ethics – state How you will overcome any possible ethical issues?
7. Expected Conclusions – state What do you think you will find?

The methodology MUST show your understanding of the chosen method and mode of investigation and show that you have chosen a useful and scientifically valid method of study.

Learning Outcomes of the Methodology section are as follows:

1. LO2 – Explain the appropriate application of research methods to examine neuropsychological questions
2. LO4 – Demonstrate an ability to synthesise theory and practice using research in cognition and neuropsychology

To get a 1st Class grade: You MUST provide a concise, yet detailed overview of the cognitive and neurological mechanisms involved in the chosen area (memory), and provide a sophisticated evaluation of the evidence in support of (and against) them.
It MUST also indicate an in-depth understanding of relevant theoretical underpinnings and acknowledge the role of different research methods in evaluation of the evidence.
There MUST be a clear indication of how the proposed study will add a useful step to previous research through a rationale as a conclusion of the literature review, and through clear rationalising of the method in the presentation.
The methodology MUST show your understanding of the chosen method and mode of investigation and show that you have chosen a useful and scientifically valid method of study.
The Referencing MUST be modern, accurate, thorough and from primary sources when possible and you MUST follow the latest APA guidelines.