Netherlands

This is the second of a three-module course on qualitative research methods. This module builds on what students have learned in part I and is designed to guide them through the steps of data collection for their qualitative study. Students work on gaining access to their research site and begin the interview process and/or their observations and conversations with their research participants as participant observers. Students are introduced to the process of transcribing the interviews, coding the data, and memo writing. All three steps are part of qualitative data analysis. As students develop their research projects, they are challenged to link their specific research questions to larger processes and forces. They also are asked to consider who might find their research useful and how the results of their investigations might be utilized to promote social change. In-depth analysis of the intricacies underlying contemporary social, cultural, and political discourses and practices, provides the basis for good social research. This is a time and labor-intensive skills training, especially once data collection has begun. Most of the required work occurs outside of the class setting. Students are expected to work independently and should count on having to invest an extra two to four hours per week in interviewing, transcribing the interviews, and working on the data collection.

This course studies emotion from different cognitive-social and biological perspectives and understands its role in guiding/motivating human behavior. The course starts with the classic theories of emotion and then continues with several relevant topics, including: cognitive and biological perspectives on causation of emotion and motivation; emotion regulation and self-determination; social-communicative functions of emotion expressions; the interaction between genes, stress, and affective-emotional behavior; the relation between sleep, emotion regulation, and affective behavior; topics related to emotion and motivational problems as seen in work stress or problems with goal setting.

Given the continuously growing impact of the European Union on business, attention to politics is warranted in international business studies. At the same time, governance in the EU is far from straightforward, as it is based on a very complex mixture of political principles, structures, and institutions. This course looks at the wider institutional environment of the firm and provides background for doing business in Europe.  This course is a good option for students aspiring to work for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or business practitioners in Europe. A creative, multidisciplinary approach is taken, using original and challenging literature from the literature on international business, comparative politics, and comparative economic systems. The course material assists in understanding past and current changes in the broader European business & politics landscape.

This course offers a study of the nervous system and its functions. The course explores the scientific study of the central and peripheral nervous systems as well as some of the latest developments in neuroscience. The course focuses on the nervous system's regulation of our somatic homeostasis by discussing topics such as the anatomy and functions of important neurological structures, the hippocampus, the corpus callosum, the pre- and postnatal development of the brain, and neurotransmission. This course consists of tutorial group meetings, lectures, and labs.

This course gives a broad overview of biological foundations of behavior. The role of certain brain areas, neurotransmitters, and hormones on brain function are discussed. The course consists of nine topics; the first is an introductory topic regarding the link between brain and behavior. The following topics involve several types of specific behaviors ant their links to the brain anatomy. The topics are: gender development, emotion, memory, sleep, mental illnesses, addiction, hunger and thirst, and language. 

Full course description

Cognitive neuroscience is an entirely new research field that originally emerged from a combination of traditional sciences such as philosophy, psychology, medicine and biology that all investigate the principles of perception, behaviour and cognition from different perspectives.

As technical developments of different methods and tools in the field of cognitive neuroscience came forth, and as theoretical application of different mathematical and computer science-based models were used to explain neuronal functioning, additional disciplines, such as physics, mathematics, bioengineering and computer science materialized as an important part of this research field.

Subsequently, an effective research project in cognitive neuroscience requires an interdisciplinary cooperation, in which each scientific discipline contributes its respective genuine theories, models, techniques and tools for the mutual investigation of the neuronal principles of perception, attention, and cognition.

But can we really watch the brain at work? Are there ways to identify where exactly, and when exactly activation in the brain is necessary to perform a specific mental process? This course will help to give some answers on the basic principles of brain research and it will show relevant applications of these techniques in different areas of cognitive psychology.

Course objectives

• To give an introduction into the new field of cognitive neuroscience.
• To learn which methods a brain researcher can use to investigate the neuronal bases of different mental processes.

Prerequisites

SCI2034 Brain and Action and elementary knowledge of electricity and magnetism as stated under SCI-P(p. vi-viii). 

Recommended 
SCI1009 Introduction to Biology or SCI2038 Physics (or SCI1030 Physics I) or SSC1005 Introduction to Psychology or SSC2025 Memory.