Cognitive Neuroscience
Postgraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 15
- Teaching semesters
- Autumn
- Course code
- MAPSYK336
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
- Reading list
Course description
Objectives and Content
The course will provide brain-level accounts and models of cognitive, perceptual, and affective processes. We will begin by presenting the primary methods by which we measure neural processes at metabolic, chemical, and electrical levels. This will be followed by a session on methods for noninvasively modulating brain function to map mental processes. After this, we will get to the main substance of the course covering neural formulations of memory, attention, cognitive control, and action. Near the end of the term, you will have the opportunity to see how everything comes together in the context of an integrative auditory neuroscience module. This module will start with the neuroscience of primary auditory processing and then proceed to a neural rendering of language and music followed by neural accounts of the affective and semantic components of these complex phenomena. Finally, we will examine the brain from the standpoint of clinical neuropsychology by asking what Parkinson¿s disease can tell us about neural organization and function.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students should have the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence.
Knowledge
The student can:
- apply knowledge of neuroscientific methods (e.g., EEG/ERP, brain stimulation) in considering the merit of extant neuroscience research and in development of independent research projects
- provide a detailed overview of theoretical models and neural substrates of memory, attention, cognitive control, perception, affect, and language
- show the location and lateralization of the above functions
- explain how brain injury and/or psychiatric illness can interfere with these functions
Skills
The student has:
- the ability to independently plan, implement, and analyze informative neuroscientific experiments
- the ability to clearly present the rationales, methods, results, and conclusions of empirical studies in the context of an academic presentation or article
- the ability to critically analyze the scientific literature in cognitive neuroscience
General competence
The student can:
- reflect on ethical aspects of human-brain research with regard to how subjects are treated, how experiments are conducted, and how articles are published
Full-time/Part-time
Full-time
Level of Study
Master's degree
Semester of Instruction
Autumn
Required Previous Knowledge
A module in biological psychology equivalent to Biological Psychology (5 credits) in PSYK114 (or PSYK101) in the University of Bergen¿s one-year programme in psychology.
Recommended Previous Knowledge
None
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Not applicable
Access to the Course
Registration for the course requires admission to the masters degree programme in psychology. The course has a limited number of places, and students must apply for admission to the course/teaching.
Teaching and learning methods
Lectures, seminars, laboratory exercises and demonstrations.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
The compulsory work requirements must be approved by the teacher before the student can take the exam.
Forms of Assessment
The assessment consists of a school exam. The exam lasts for 3 hours and is completed as an essay assignment.
Grading Scale
A-F
Assessment Semester
Autumn
Reading List
The bibliography will be ready before 01.07 for the autumn semester and before 01.12 for the spring semester.
Course Evaluation
The module will be evaluated in line with the Faculty of Psychology¿s procedures for participatory evaluation and the University of Bergen¿s quality assurance system. .
Examination Support Material
None
Programme Committee
Department of Biological and Medical Psychology
Course Coordinator
Department of Biological and Medical Psychology
Course Administrator
The Faculty of Psychology