Psychology

This course examines attention research and theory from an individual differences perceptive. Students learn about a wide range of factors that can influence the ability to focus and maintain attention. Topics covered include the relationship between IQ, cognitive control and attention; attentional effects of individual differences in perception; age-related changes in attention; mind wandering; attentional biases associated with depression, addiction, and anxiety; clinical syndromes associated with attention problems (e.g. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). This course also covers key measures and methods used, and provides training in the critical analysis of research studies in the field.

This course provides an introduction into epidemiological and public health perspectives on mental health and wellbeing. The course focuses on theoretical and empirical accounts of how wellbeing and common mental health problems (including symptoms of anxiety and depression, weight/eating problems, conduct problems, alcohol and other drug use) are understood in an epidemiological and public health perspective. Cultural, individual differences, and lifespan approaches to mental health and wellbeing are an integrated part of the course.

This course focuses on mental processes such as memory, problem solving, and decision making. It discusses the ideas and experiments of major psychologists who studied cognition, such as Ivan Pavlov and Albert Bandera. The main focus of the course is learning about cognition and internal mental processes. It studies the birth of scientific psychology, behavorism to cognitivism, memory, and metacognition.

This course provides a systematic review of the basic principles, models, and methods of Psychophysiology research. The association between body and mind is scientifically analyzed by studying cognitive and emotional processes, and considering both physiological and behavioral variables, measured using electrophysiological and neuroimaging techniques. As much as possible, practical (brief) training sessions in the psychophysiology lab are carried out. The course discusses topics including an introduction to functioning principles and methodology of psychophysiological research; biosignal classification, and their application as marker of psychological processing; activation and resting state: peripheral and central (i.e., EEG and fMRI) indices; cognitive activation in healthy adults; and application of psychophysiological techniques to clinical research: evidence from studies on neurological and psychiatric patients. The course requires students to have an adequate knowledge of cognitive processes and anatomo-physiological bases of the central and peripheral nervous system as a prerequisite for the course.

In this course, students learn about the benefits as well as the challenges of building diverse and inclusive (D&I) organizations. The course is grounded in social and organizational psychology. In addition, students are introduced to a multidisciplinary approach to D&I (e.g., drawing on economics, law, gender studies, media studies, and sociology to name a few) to gain a multilevel understanding of how to promote D&I at the institutional level (e.g., which laws, organizational structures, AI systems promote or limit D&I?), the experiential level (e.g., why do people resist D&I policies? What is it like to not feel included at work?) and the symbolic level (e.g., how is power and status in organizations symbolized? How diverse is an organization’s board and why does that matter?). In work groups, existing D&I initiatives are analyzed and a theoretically sound and evidence-based approach to change these is developed. 

The course covers human psychological development from childhood to old age and methods used in research in development psychology. It describes theoretical perspectives on personality and related fields of application. The course consists of four modules, this is the second module: Development in Adults. The module covers development during adulthood and the aging process based on theories of developmental, personality, and social psychology. Different aspects of aging are addressed, such as stress, mental and physical health, and ill health.

This course is an introduction to the burgeoning field of philosophy of psychiatry. Against a solid historical background, the course sets out to present, examine, and discuss concepts fundamental to our understanding of mental illness (mind, body, self, person, rationality, emotion, normality/disorder), the meaning of psychopathology, the relationship between biology (genetics, evolutionary biology, and neuroscience in particular) and subjectivity, and the question of therapy (the values and norms of well-being).

This course examines the interaction between humans and technology. On an applied level, it discusses how systems should be designed to promote the greatest possible degree of efficiency, safety, and health. The course largely focuses on complex socio-technical systems, such as control room systems, navigation in maritime environments, railway systems, and tunnels. It also considers the design of less complex systems such as websites and software, consumer electronics, and signage systems. The course discusses how human-technology interaction informs wider organizational systems, such as training, selection, reward systems, stress management programs, and deviation regulation. Risk and risk perception, as well as safety culture, are also central themes in the course. On a deeper academic level, the course is central to the study of consciousness, and forms part of a wider discussion within cognitive science.

This course deals with dating, mating, and close (intimate) relationships. Although other relationships such as family and friendship are addressed, the main focus is on adult romantic relationships. It discusses core concepts and frameworks of close relationships (attachment, interdependence, love); cycles of close relationships from stages of initial attraction (and underlying mechanisms) to relationship formation, maintenance, repair, and in some cases dissolution; important aspects of close relationships such as trust, commitment, satisfaction, and sacrifice; communication and interaction patterns, conflict, and the relationship’s social context; and dishonesty in romantic relationships and ongoing research. Throughout the course and more in-depth towards the end, it also addresses crucial contemporary matters such as cross-cultural differences and multi-ethnic couples; the LGBTQIA+ community; technology and online dating; and casual, short-term, and non-monogamous relationships.