Overview

To build upon the basic sensory neurosciences, particularly with advanced visual and auditory systems and to link these with perception or the representation and conscious awareness of sensation.

Requisites

Prerequisites
NEU20006 Neurophysiology

Equivalent

MBP20005 Perception and Motor Systems (Discontinued)

AND

MBP20007 Sensory Systems (Discontinued)

AND
HET226 - Sensory Systems (Discontinued)

AND

HET231 - Perception and Motor Systems (Discontinued)

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-August-2026
01-November-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-August-2026
Census date
01-September-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
22-September-2026
Results released date
08-December-2026

Unit learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  1. Describe advanced visual and auditory systems
  2. Discuss interactions between sensory systems
  3. Conduct sensory tests on human participants
  4. Distinguish differences between sensation and perception
  5. Explain the place of psychophysics in sensation and perception

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Lecture		3.00 12 weeks 36
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Tutorial Labs		2.00 6 weeks 12
Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Various		3.00 12 weeks 36
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning		5.50 12 weeks 66
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
ExaminationIndividual 40% 1,2,4,5 
Laboratory Tutorial QuizzesIndividual 25% 1,3,4,5 
PosterGroup 35% 2,3,4,5 

Content

  • Psychophysics
  • Information theory and the nervous system
  • Interaction of sensory and cortical representation
  • Cortical plasticity, sensory mapping and remapping
  • Advanced visual systems and perception
  • Color vision, stereopsis, monocular and binocular cues for 3D vision and perception
  • Advanced auditory systems and perception
  • Localisation of sound, discrimination, recognition
  • Touch, smell, taste systems
  • Sensory integration and interaction

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.