Educational objectives Social Neuroscience is an emerging field of study that combines a variety of disciplines ranging from social psychology to cognitive neuroscience. This course aims at offering a broad overview of the relationships between brain and social behavior, through the study of the main topic and techniques pertaining the field of Social Neuroscience.
Knowledge and understanding
The analysis of theoretical and empirical contributions of current literature will allow students to acquire knowledge about the functional mechanisms and neural bases of social cognition and social behavior and their alteration in individuals with brain damage. Moreover, the students will acquire knowledge about the main neuroscientific techniques and their integration in cognitive and social neuroscience.
Applying knowledge and understanding
Students will be able to develop general skills in deepening knowledge related to the same topic explored by different scientific disciplines (e.g. The link between social action and cognitive neuroscience studies of motor cognition.)
Making judgements
Each class will include a collegial discussion on a different topic so that the students will be able to critically evaluate the methodological approach of consolidated theories and experimental data. The students will be able to comment and give explanations and alternative interpretations of theoretical and empirical contributions of current literature.
Communication skills
The course will include collegial discussion of scientific articles conducted by groups of students recruited on a voluntarily basis.
Learning skills
Students will be able to read and critically discuss scientific papers as well as will acquire the theoretical and methodological knowledge in order to perform research on a variety of affective and social processes within a large variety of contexts.
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Educational objectives This course provides an introduction to the logical and epistemological foundations of the scientific research in psychology, of the most common methodological issues researchers deal with, and their possible solutions, of the main data collection procedures and experimental paradigms as they are used in psychology, and their limitations, and finally of the main ethical issues in psychological research.
Knowledge and understanding
Students will have a specific and multidisciplinary knowledge of the main issues concerning the scientific method. Specifically students will have to:
1) understand the logical and epistemological foundation of the scientific research;
2) understand the main methodological issues concerning the scientifici research in different fields of Psychology;
3) know the different data collection procedures and experimental paradigms in the different fields of Psychology, and their limits
4) know the main data analysis techniques used in the different fields of Psychology, and their limits;
5) understand the main ethical issues that characterize the scientific research in Psychology.
Applying knowledge and understanding
The students will:
1) identify and apply the appropriate statistical and methodological techniques in the different fields of Psychology
2) identify the scientific aims of a study and design the appropriate research design
3) identify and deal with the ethical issues of a research project
4) interpret correctly the results of a scientific study, indentifying its limits and possible bias
5) know how to use the main statistical analyses
6) know how to use the most common statistical analysis packages
7) communicate the results of a scientific study following the standard norms adopted in the scientific community
Making judgements
The students will
1) have the technical and theoretical knowledge to autonomously evaluate and make judgments about the results of a scientific study in Psychology
2) be able to collect and analyze scientific data, and asses their relevance to accomplish the aims of the study
3) be able to recognize and solve methodological problems
4) be able to recognize and solve the ethical issues concerning a research project
Communication skills
The students will be able to:
1) communicate the aims and the results of a scientific study in Psychology, orally and in written form, according to the standards used in Psychology
2) communicate and cooperate with non experts in order to make the multidisciplinary collaboration effective
Learning skills
The students will be able to:
1) increase and update their knowledge autonomously through the comunication channels used in the scientific community
2) apply their knowledge to different contexts
3) pursue further studies with a high level of autonomy and effectiveness
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