PHBA8240 Complex stimulus control - research and application Course description

Complex stimulus control has origins in behavioral psychology, especially within the areas of discrimination learning and behavioral analysis. Research areas that give the possibility of exploring more complex stimulus-response relations and to study how responses are governed by multiple features, contexts, or relational aspects of stimuli. Important topics within these research areas are conditional discrimination and Matching-to-Sample, stimulus equivalence and relational frame theory, transfer(formation) of function, contextual and compound stimulus control, and applications in clinical and educational settings. Research on complex stimulus control has implications for therapy, education, and cognitive science.

General admission requirements for the Ph.D. Degree in Health Sciences.

The course can also be offered to students who have been admitted to the "Health Science Research Programme, 60 ECTS", by prior approval from the supervisor and based on given guidelines for the research programme.

On completion of the course, the PhD candidate has achieved the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

The Phd candidate

• can describe complex stimulus control by accounting for

• how combinations of stimuli or relations among stimuli rather than simple stimuli influence behavior
• how individuals react to multiple stimulus dimensions
• how contextual control and relational control guide behavior
• how transfer(formation) of function influence behavior

Skills

The PhD candidate can

• describe the research strategies and main findings of the initial research on complex stimulus control
• discuss symbolic behavior
• describe and discuss the evolution of the field of equivalence research, with emphasis on theoretical explanation
• discuss motivational operations
• discuss attending properties of stimuli
• design and execute experiments within stimulus control
• describe motor and sensory systems
• perform data analysis and interpretation

General Competence

The Phd candidate

• understands how multiple features, contexts, or relations among stimuli influence behavior
• has competence about identifying stimulus features and relations
• can apply discrimination and generalization principles
• can use Matching-to-Sample (MTS) and conditional discrimination techniques
• understands the importance of stimulus equivalence and relational frame theory
• can apply knowledge about emergent relations in applied settings

Candidates must write an essay based on a problem of their choice and discuss theoretical and research challenges associated with the use of one or multiple methods of measurement. The essay must consist of up to 5,000 words and must be submitted no more than 2 weeks after the end of the course.

The course consists of 10 days, 9:15 am -1:00 pm. However, the students should discuss and work on different projects out-of-class during the ten days. The students are required to give two presentations and also serve as discussant for two presentations. The format will be like a "mini conference" in which each speaker gives a presentation of maximum 18-20 min. Another student will serve as discussant and will give a constructive review of 15 min. A high level of student participation is expected. Assignments as presenters, discussants, and chapters/articles will be completed on Day 1.

This course offers an overview and adopts a critical perspective of different types of mapping, testing, and evaluation of health-related activities at individual, group, and society levels. The course covers mapping, testing, and evaluating quality of life, mental health, physical health, functional ability, and disease mechanisms. It will take a critical look at the classification of measurement methods as disease-specific vs. generic, and self-reported vs. performance-based, as well as screening vs. diagnostics, quantitative vs. qualitative evaluation, and standardisation vs. individualisation.

This course is primarily aimed at PhD candidates admitted to the PhD Programme in Health Sciences but is also open to other applicants. Admission requirements are a completed major, master's degree (120 credits) or equivalent qualification.

The course can also be offered to students who have been admitted to the "Health Science Research Programme, 60 ECTS", by prior approval from the supervisor and based on given guidelines for the research programme.

On completion of the course, the PhD candidate has achieved the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

The PhD candidate

• is at the forefront of knowledge of conceptual understanding and of theories on the significance of different types of scientific instruments for measuring, testing, evaluating, and assessing health
• is at the forefront of knowledge of national and international mapping systems for health indicators

Skills

The PhD candidate can

• critically evaluate different theories and approaches with methodological significance for measuring, testing, evaluating, and assessing
• apply measurement methods, testing, evaluation, and assessment to their own research project
• critically reflect on and evaluate different psychometric properties of measurement methods, tests, evaluations, and assessments
• address the results of mapping, testing, and evaluation applied in health science research

General competence

The PhD candidate can

• discuss ethical and social issues associated with different types of measurement methods, testing, evaluation, and assessment
• present and discuss knowledge of methods of measurement, testing, and evaluation in the health sciences

Work and teaching methods consist of lectures, seminars, self-study, and practical exercises in the use of different software programmes for statistical analysis. The outcomes of the seminars are presented and discussed in plenary sessions.

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