Cognitive Neuroscience
Postgraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 10
- Teaching semesters
- Autumn
- Course code
- MAPSYK336INT
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
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
ECTS Credits
10 ECTS
Level of Study
Master
Semester of Instruction
Autumn
Required Previous Knowledge
Course in biological psychology corresponding to PSYK114 Biological Psychology (5 ECTS) at the University of Bergen.
Access to the Course
Open to students of the Master's Programme in Psychology at the University of Bergen. Also open to exchange students at the master's level as well as to students with a BA in psychology.
Due to the restricted number of spaces available, admission to the course is limited.
Teaching Methods and Extent of Organized Teaching
Lectures, seminars, lab practice 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
The grading scale used is A to F. Grade A is the highest passing grade in the grading scale, grade F is a fail.
Assessment Semester
Autumn
Reading List
Reading list for the upcoming semester is published December 1st for the spring semester and July 1st for the autumn semester.
Course Evaluation
The course will be evaluated in accordance with UiB's quality assurance system and the routines for participatory evaluation at the Faculty of Psychology.
Programme Committee
Department of Biological and Medical Psychology
Course Coordinator
Department of Biological and Medical Psychology
Course Administrator
The Faculty of Psychology
Department
Department for Biological and Medical Psychology