PSYK1700 Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience Course description

The course provides an introduction to the neurological basis of cognition and basal knowledge of cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychology deals with attention, sensing, perception, acts, linguistic processes, problem-solving, thinking, learning and memory.

Admission to the programme.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student has

• knowledge of the neurobiological basis of behaviour
• knowledge of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system, including their structure and main functions
• is familiar with signal transfers in the brain and signal substances
• is familiar with methods used to study the brain, brain damage and effects on behaviour
• knowledge of key elements of cognitive psychology

Skills

The student is capable of

• using knowledge of cognitive psychology to explain phenomena that involve human thinking and behaviour

Competence

The student is capable of:

• using knowledge of cognitive psychology in connection with planning, rationalisation etc.

This course provides an overview of behavioral economics for students and professionals interested in behavioral science. Whereas the focus is on a behavior analytic framework of choice behavior and decision-making, the course is highly interdisciplinary, as it includes concepts and cases drawn from economic, psychological, and social sciences.

Admission to the study program

Supervised individual written exam, four hours.

On successful completion of the course, the student has the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can describe and discuss the main distinctions between neoclassical economics, behavioral economics and behavior analysis, and define behavioral economics and describe the origins
• can define the concepts of Homo economicus and bounded rationality
• can define the core concepts of discounting
• can define "beliefs, biases and heuristics" and describe typical heuristics
• can define core principles in game theory

Skills

The student

• can discuss discounting in relation to the standard economic model and behavioral economics
• can describe and discuss the concepts of rule-governed and contingency shaped behavior in the light of discounting
• can discuss how nudging can affect choice behavior, and analyze nudging in behavioral analytic terms
• can discuss the concept of selection at the behavioral and cultural level in relation to micro- and macroeconomics

Competence

The student

• can present core principles of behavioral economics to others in a way that meets the requirements of professional scientific communication
• can present core principles of behavioral economics to the Public
• can discuss how behavior analysis can contribute to the field of behavioral economics
• can present evidence based research from behavioral economics, and discuss different methods and Applications
• can discuss how the field of behavioral economics can contribute to further understanding of choice behavior

Teaching and learning methods include lectures, student exercises, individual papers, discussions.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• 3 written assignments, each with maximum 10.000 keystrokes.

Individual written examination with invigilation, 4 hours. Exam questions are in English. Students may submit their exams in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.