Cognitive Neurosciences and Psychological Rehabilitation

The course overall promotes students’ knowledge in the main theoretical models in Individual Differences in Personality Psychology and in the research methods in studying Personality within Neuroscience and the main evaluation tools to capture the main individual differences. Particular effort will be devoted to explaining those factors that contribute to the individual vulnerability to develop behavioral and emotional problems, as well as the factors that promote individual well-being. The course consists of a theoretical part (3 credits) and a laboratory application part (3 credits). Upon completion of the course the student is expected to have achieved the following specific learning objectives (Dublin indicators): I) Knowledge and understanding: Theoretical lessons: The course provides knowledge of research methods to study and evaluate predictive capacity of main personality traits on vulnerability to psychopathology. Students will develop the capacity to comprehend current neuro-scientific models to understand the role of individual differences in personality traits in tasks involving attentional and emotional processes. During laboratory activities students will acquire knowledge concerning: a) specific instruments for the assessment of temperament and personality, through their use during laboratory activities; b) knowledge concerning the relations among different personality characteristics (temperament and personality) in individual psychological functioning through the single case analysis; c) knowledge concerning mechanism contributing to the stability of personality individual differences. II) Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: Theoretical lessons promote the capacity to critically evaluate current theoretical models in predicting empirical results and their implications in terms of evidence-based intervention programs, the capacity to critically discuss models that highlight strengths and limits of studies that capitalize upon recent models developed within cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Laboratory activities promote students’ capacities to apply knowledge to assessment and intervention through the integration of theory with practice, with the assessment process and the analysis of single cases, and the identification of strategy of intervention in health promotion and prevention. III) Autonomy of judgement: Theoretical lessons: Students will be able to gather and to interpret information useful to formulate evaluation and scientific hypothesis about theories, methods, and evaluation tools to study personality psychology, considering social and ethical norms. Those skills are acquired through students’ exposure to scientific reports on personality profiles. Laboratory activities: Students will be capable to critically evaluate the different instruments for the assessment of personality individual differences to be used in different context, will be capable to analyse and connect different personality characteristics and to make hypothesis on case studies. During in-class group activities critical thinking will be promoted. IV) Communication skills: Frontal lessons: Students’ will develop oral and written communicative skills about knowledge that will be acquired through in-class oral presentations on research topics based on literature reviews and meta-analyses, and from a selection of recent empirical studies. In-class critical discussion of the experimental evidence to support specific hypothesis will contribute to boost students’ communicative skills in presenting and discussing experimental and clinical data toward the scientific community of researchers and/or clinical professionals interested in personality psychology. Laboratory activities: In sharing the results of individual and/or group work on assessment instruments or single cases, students will develop their capabilities to clearly communicate their reasoning, to discuss with other students’ and teacher’ different points of view, and they will further strengthen their debating skills. V) Learning skills: Theoretical lessons: Students’ will acquire learning skills that are transversal to many fields within psychology and that, over the course of their professional and academic career, will allow them to enhance their knowledge of the theoretical and practical models within psychology, and of the intervention programs linked to such models. Moreover, students will acquire skills to examine and to integrate information from different sources (e.g., lectures, articles, workshops, scientific databases) to build knowledge and expertise on specific topics. Those skills will be acquired during this course, with emphasis on the discussion of theoretical models and on promotion and prevention intervention programs. Laboratory activities: Those learning skills are acquired during this course, with particular emphasis to the discussion on analysis of single cases conducted autonomously by students.