Outline

Overview

This unit examines a range of ethical issues within neuroscience and mental health, and how our understanding of these issues is important for research, diagnosis, treatment, and policy making. Students will not only examine how contemporary scientific practices have ethical, social, cultural and legal implications, they will also examine how ethical, social, and cultural factors can affect our understanding of neuroscience and mental health, and the underlying assumptions of researchers in these fields. The course aspires to inform future decision-makers in health, public policy, clinical settings and academia of the unique contributions and skills that biomedical ethics provides to the fields of mental health and neuroscience. Topics may include the nature of psychiatric disorders and their relationship with prevailing social and cultural factors, the implications of new technology for treatment and enhancement, the philosophical basis of the concept of mental disorder, the extent to which neuroscience can or cannot help us understand and treat mental illnesses, the relationship between researchers and public understanding of the research, the relationship between power, the psychiatric profession, and the categorisation of patients, the complex relationship between morality, mental health and the law, and whether scientific research can help us answer philosophical questions.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	BMRI5001
Academic unit	Brain and Mind Science
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Adam Piovarchy, adam.piovarchy@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Online task	Argument Summary Summarise an argument from the required readings	2.5%	Week 04 Due date: 04 Sep 2023 at 23:59	1-2 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Open peer commentaries Written response to journal articles	15%	Week 04 Due date: 25 Aug 2023 at 23:59	1100 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Position Paper 1 Written response to scenario	30%	Week 08 Due date: 22 Sep 2023 at 23:59	1700 words
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Media Task Find a relevant media article.	2.5%	Week 10 Due date: 13 Oct 2023 at 23:59	Please refer to Canvas.
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Position paper 2 Written response to scenario	30%	Week 12 Due date: 27 Oct 2023 at 23:59	1700 words
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Weekly Quizzes Weekly MCQ quizzes on the content of the readings worth 20% of your mark	20%	Weekly	Please refer to Canvas.
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Weekly quizzes: Multiple choice quizzes will be posted on Canvas, drawing primarily from the required readings but occasionally also from the lecture content.  
Argument summary: Summarise an argument by Nomy Arpaly, which appears in the required readings. Dot points are fine.
Media task: Find an article in the media that misrepresents a peer-reviewed study, and identify in what ways the media presentation misrepresented the original study.
Open peer commentaries: Two academic journal articles will be assigned to students for reading. Students will then be asked to prepare a 550 word response to each article.
Position Papers: Students will choose one of the scenarios prepared by the unit coordinator that present an application of neuroscience that is ethically, socially or legally challenging. Students will argue for a position.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Please refer to the Brain and Mind Centre Postgraduate Program Course Rules and Policies Canvas site: https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/12062/pages/course-rules-and-policies?module_item_id=666352

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 02	Introduction to Ethics; Introduction to Neuroethics; Addiction and Responsibility; Ethical and Social Issues With Enhancement	Workshop (6 hr)
Week 06	Implicit Assumptions and the Nature of Explanations; History of the DSM; Social Constructionist Accounts of Mental Illness; The Neuroscience of Ethics and Philosophy; Public Understanding of Neuroscience	Workshop (8 hr)
Week 10	Neuroscience and the Law; Animal Brains and Research; Brain Death, Personal Identity and the Definition of Death	Workshop (8 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance. Students are expected to attend 80% of classes either on campus or via Zoom.
Passing the course. Students must earn an average mark of at least 50% for the unit as a whole by passing their assessments.
Academic honesty. Academic honesty must be demonstrated in all forms of assessment. Similarity detection software (i.e. Turnitin) will be used for all submitted written work.

Please refer to our Course Rules and Policies: https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/12062/pages/course-rules-and-policies?module_item_id=666352

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library Reading List, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. discuss brain and mind function within a historical, philosophical and ethical context
LO2. explain the impacts of key neuroscience innovations of the last century on concepts of brain and mind function
LO3. critique claims regarding the benefits and harms of neuroscience for understanding brain and mind function, and psychological capacities
LO4. examine how society and culture influence central concepts in brain and mind sciences
LO5. determine ethical issues that arise from the use of neurotechnology in research and clinical contexts
LO6. analyse broader implications of neuroscience in social and legal contexts
LO7. debate appropriate uses of neurotechnology in clinical, social and legal contexts.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

We value your feedback about any aspect of the unit of study and your experience as a student of Sydney Medical School. To help ensure our courses meet your needs and maintain a high standard, we welcome your feedback at any time and we ask you to complete the Unit of Study Survey at the end of the semester. You can also rate any component of the unit using our star rating system found at the bottom of many pages as you progress through the unit. Your ratings and comments are anonymous and specifying what you liked and didn’t like about any of the learning materials, assessment items, discussion forums, feedback etc will help us to target our improvement efforts. Please note that your participation in this unit of study permits de-identified information about your learning experience and interaction with learning resources to be used for the purpose of improving the student learning experience. New 2023 assessments include Weekly quizzes, Media task and Argument summary

Additional information

Help and Resources - Brain and Mind Centre Postgraduate Program

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

BMRI5001: The Ethics of Neuroscience and Mental Health

Semester 2, 2023 [Distance education/intensive on campus] - Mallett Street, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect