ID:
510662
Duration (hours):
36
CFU:
6
SSD:
PSICOBIOLOGIA E PSICOLOGIA FISIOLOGICA
Year:
2025
Overview
Date/time interval
Primo Semestre (22/09/2025 - 09/01/2026)
Syllabus
Course Objectives
This course aims to develop knowledge and understanding in several key areas of Neuropsychology, Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. Specifically, the goal is to lead students to a deep understanding of the experimental methods and techniques used in these fields. The course will also focus on ethical and deontological awareness, which is necessary for responsibly conducting experimental procedures within the same field.
In particular, the course aims to cultivate the ability to effectively apply this knowledge and understanding, enhancing students' ability to:
a) perform and evaluate applications in experimental settings;
b) perform and evaluate applications in clinical settings;
c) develop critical thinking, analytical, and synthetic reasoning skills;
d) adhere to the ethical code in applied and research contexts.
In particular, the course aims to cultivate the ability to effectively apply this knowledge and understanding, enhancing students' ability to:
a) perform and evaluate applications in experimental settings;
b) perform and evaluate applications in clinical settings;
c) develop critical thinking, analytical, and synthetic reasoning skills;
d) adhere to the ethical code in applied and research contexts.
Course Prerequisites
There is no previous knowledge that is strictly necessary for this course. The course is entirely self-contained.
Teaching Methods
The course will be offered as a blended course this year, with around 4h of work from remote based on videos, readings and practicals, followed by an in-person meeting of 2h that will focus on questions and the discussion of the study materials. The details of the course structure are on Kiro and Davide’s Telegram channel [LINK]; it’s very important to subscribe to these platforms to follow the course profitably.
Assessment Methods
The final grade will be based on an oral assessment. The interview will cover the topics discussed during the course and covered in the reading material indicated in the syllabus (with a focus on the core paper). The evaluation will be obviously based on the knowledge acquired during the course. But more than that, I’m interested in the students’ ability to argue and critically apply the knowledge acquired during the course to real/realistic cases. The student's capacity to present their point of view clearly and coherently will also be taken into consideration. The aim of the evaluation is to assess the depth of the students’ understanding and their ability to effectively apply the new knowledge acquired. Students will be encouraged to demonstrate their critical analysis and problem-solving skills, as well as their ability to connect the various topics covered during the course.
For the students who will be able to attend classes – which, for the nature of the course, is very strongly encouraged –, the final grade will also be based on their participation in class and over the on-line media (e.g., Kiro) – the quality of their questions, their ability to help their peers during the discussions, and their group-oriented learning attitude.
For the students who will be able to attend classes – which, for the nature of the course, is very strongly encouraged –, the final grade will also be based on their participation in class and over the on-line media (e.g., Kiro) – the quality of their questions, their ability to help their peers during the discussions, and their group-oriented learning attitude.
Texts
The core study material consists of 6 scientific articles (referred to as core papers in the course), one for each week/module. The articles are as follows:
- Perea, M., Dunabeitia, J.A. and Carreiras, M. (2008). Transposed-letter priming effects for close versus distant transpositions. Experimental Psychology, 55: 397–406.
- Seli, P., Risko, E. and Smilek, D. (2016). On the necessity of distinguishing between unintentional and intentional mind wandering. Psychological Science, 27: 685–691.
- Carr, J., Fantini, M., Perrotti, L. and Crepaldi, D. (2024). Readers target words where they expect to minimize uncertainty. Journal of Memory and Language, 138: 104530.
- Van Witteloostuijn, L., Boersma, P., Wijnen, F. and Rispens, J. (2021). The contribution of individual differences in statistical learning to reading and spelling performance in children with and without dyslexia. Dyslexia, 27: 168–186.
- Grootswagers, T., Robinson, A.K. and Carlson, T.A. (2019). The representational dynamics of visual objects in rapid serial visual processing streams. Neuroimage, 188: 668–679.
- Open Science Collaboration (2015). Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science. Science, 349.
The following two books are recommended as general reference and for further study:
- Shallice, T. (1988). From Neuropsychology to Mental Structure. Cambridge University Press. [The Italian version is available in the library as Shallice, T. (1990). Neuropsicologia e struttura della mente. Il Mulino.]
- Brysbaert, M. and Rastle, K. (2020, 3rd Edition). Historical and Conceptual Issues in Psychology. Pearson.
These books are not strictly necessary for the exam, but provide a broader and deeper preparation than the material we will have time to cover together during the course.
- Perea, M., Dunabeitia, J.A. and Carreiras, M. (2008). Transposed-letter priming effects for close versus distant transpositions. Experimental Psychology, 55: 397–406.
- Seli, P., Risko, E. and Smilek, D. (2016). On the necessity of distinguishing between unintentional and intentional mind wandering. Psychological Science, 27: 685–691.
- Carr, J., Fantini, M., Perrotti, L. and Crepaldi, D. (2024). Readers target words where they expect to minimize uncertainty. Journal of Memory and Language, 138: 104530.
- Van Witteloostuijn, L., Boersma, P., Wijnen, F. and Rispens, J. (2021). The contribution of individual differences in statistical learning to reading and spelling performance in children with and without dyslexia. Dyslexia, 27: 168–186.
- Grootswagers, T., Robinson, A.K. and Carlson, T.A. (2019). The representational dynamics of visual objects in rapid serial visual processing streams. Neuroimage, 188: 668–679.
- Open Science Collaboration (2015). Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science. Science, 349.
The following two books are recommended as general reference and for further study:
- Shallice, T. (1988). From Neuropsychology to Mental Structure. Cambridge University Press. [The Italian version is available in the library as Shallice, T. (1990). Neuropsicologia e struttura della mente. Il Mulino.]
- Brysbaert, M. and Rastle, K. (2020, 3rd Edition). Historical and Conceptual Issues in Psychology. Pearson.
These books are not strictly necessary for the exam, but provide a broader and deeper preparation than the material we will have time to cover together during the course.
Contents
During the course, we will cover these issues:
1. Experimental design and the structure of the data:
a. Fixed vs. random effects
b. Repeated measures
c. Observation vs. manipulation
d. Correlation vs. causality
2. The interaction between variables
3. Models and theories:
a. Simplification, generalization and the issue of overfitting
b. Computational models
4. Individual variability:
a. Precision and reliability
b. Statistical power
5. Instrumental techniques:
a. Measuring the brain (e.g., EEG, fMRI)
b. Spatial and temporal resolution
c. Multidimensional data and their analysis
6. Open Science:
a. Unreliable science
b. Five good reasons to do science openly and transparently
1. Experimental design and the structure of the data:
a. Fixed vs. random effects
b. Repeated measures
c. Observation vs. manipulation
d. Correlation vs. causality
2. The interaction between variables
3. Models and theories:
a. Simplification, generalization and the issue of overfitting
b. Computational models
4. Individual variability:
a. Precision and reliability
b. Statistical power
5. Instrumental techniques:
a. Measuring the brain (e.g., EEG, fMRI)
b. Spatial and temporal resolution
c. Multidimensional data and their analysis
6. Open Science:
a. Unreliable science
b. Five good reasons to do science openly and transparently
Course Language
Italian
Degrees
Degrees (2)
PSYCHOLOGY
Master’s Degree
2 years
PSYCHOLOGY
Master’s Degree
2 years
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