Psychology

In this course, students are introduced to the innovative field of developmental neuropsychology. The anatomy of the brain and relevant brain functions are introduced at the beginning of the module. Through case studies, students explore the fundamental research and the most recent advances in the field. Students attempt to find solutions to the questions presented by researching various articles and group discussion. Cognitive development is typically measured by changes or improvements in cognitive processes. In this course, processes such as language, reasoning, and memory, etc. are explored in terms of their developmental trajectory and how this trajectory relates to changes in the maturing brain. Students examine how these developmental changes can be measured by various neurological methods (e.g. fMRI and EEG). The field trip included in the course focuses on the importance of neuroscientific research methods and forms a unique and practical insight into the subject matter. Midway through the course the students construct a research proposal regarding developmental neuropsychology in subgroups and present this proposal. Prerequisites for this course include at least one intermediate level psychology course. It is recommended that the students have an interest in the development of the human brain and cognitive development. An interest in scientific research and methods is also recommended.

The Internship Workforce course provides students with an overview of working in the United Kingdom. The course looks at the changing organizational structures of work in Britain. It examines the social and economic changes that affect the workplace in the UK. Topics covered include: sociology of work, trade unions, 0ppression at work, generational changes at work, and the future of work. An internship while studying in London provides an opportunity to experience a “hands on” working situation and a different perspective on the workplace and working practises, while developing professional skills.
 

This course focuses on how social context influences human cognition, including shared memory, interpersonal action coordination, social perception, learning, and decision making. A central part of this course is about measuring cognition in social interaction, such as how to make the cognitive processes in social context visible and observable. The course provides the tools to understand social processes from a cognitive perspective. The course includes designing an empirical study or project in the area of social interaction.

The course provides in-depth analyses of scientific knowledge (classical and recent, theoretical and empirical) about the relations between cognition, emotion, and language from the perspectives of psychological and developmental sciences. A large range of cognitive, emotional and language phenomena (typical and abnormal) as well as scientific theories and methods are examined.

This course covers mental disorders. Students learn about mental and behavioral distress and/or dysfunction and how to promote subjective well-being and personal adaptation.  Case studies on different anxiety disorders, eating disorders, addictions, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and personality disorders are used. Questions continually raised during the course are: what is the clinical picture?  where is the boundary between no need for care and need for care? what causes such a disorder? what can be done about the disorder?  the gap between theory and practice, between scientific thinking and clinical treatment are evaluated. Different theoretical schools are examined.