Seminar Cognitive Neurosciences

Course

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/P_MSEMCNS_AI

Course Objective

After this course, the student
• can describe central contemporary debates in cognitive neuroscience
• can explain, critically evaluate, and present the main ideas in these debates, their strengths and weaknesses, methodological implications and empirical support
• can apply these ideas to research findings and clinical conditions and to design new experiments
• can formulate ideas about, and discuss how the field of cognitive neuroscience should progress

Course Content

This is an advanced course that presents recent developments in the field of cognitive neuroscience, with a focus on overarching ideas. Why do we have a brain to begin with? What is the relationship between cognition and action? Can psychiatric disorders be reduced to brain dysfunction? And can artificial systems ever truly think and learn like humans? The course provides an overview of important cognitive and neuroscientific debates with a focus on influential theories, their strengths and weaknesses, their methodological implications and their empirical support. We will also explore what are important future directions for the field of cognitive neuroscience.

Teaching Methods

Lectures, literature study, group assignments, and discussions.

Method of Assessment

Group assignments (30%) and a final exam (70%). Both the exam and the assignments (average) will have to be graded with at least a 5.5 to pass the course.

Literature

Scientific articles. The list of articles will be announced on canvas (annually updated).

Entry Requirements

The requirement to participate is the completion of the basic Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology course. Alternatively, students may study the required literature by self-study.
Academic year1/09/2431/08/25
Course level6.00 EC

Language of Tuition

  • English

Study type

  • Master