Course syllabus for Experimental psychology

Specific entry requirements

Mathematics 2a or 2b or 2c, Social Sciences 1b or 1a1+1a2. Or: Mathematics level 2a or Mathematics level 2b or Mathematics level 2c, Social Studies level 1b or Social Studies level 1a2.

Outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to

Module 1, Perception and attention

• explain how sensory information from the outside world is processed and interpreted into perception, and account for central theories and relevant neurophysiological basis for these processes
• account for the principles of how we pay attention to certain information but not others, and describe central theories and the neurological basis for attention
• give examples of, and explain how disturbances in perception and/or attention processes can manifest themselves clinically.

Module 2, Emotion and motivation

• from psychological, evolutionary and neuroscience perspectives, describe how motivation and motivated behavior arise
• describe basic emotions such as fear from psychological, evolutionary and neuroscientific perspectives
• reflect on the ways in which feelings (or emotions) play a central role in people's lives
• explain different approaches to understanding emotions, and contrast these with each other.

Module 3, Basic statistics and e**xperimental methodology

• define and understand the meaning of descriptive statistical concepts (e.g. population, sample, measures of central tendency, variance) and statistical inference (e.g. significance, significance level, within- and between-subject comparisons, t-test), and be able to discuss and implement statistical analysis of simple experimental data
• characterise descriptive methods and the difference between qualitative and quantitative data
• describe the principles of experimental design and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of experimental methodology in different research contexts
• in a group setting plan and carry out a laboratory session in the form of a smaller experiment and in writing be able to analyse, report and discuss its results
• during a seminar be able to discuss your own as well as other students' experimental lab-reports from a statistical, methodological, and ethical perspective

Content

The course is divided into three modules, as follows:

Module 1, Perception and attention, 5 hp
The module deals with sensory and perception, that is how our minds are informed about the world around us and about events in one's own body, as well as psychological research about how this information is interpreted and used. The neurophysiological background of these functions is treated comprehensively. Perception can not treat all available information but attention processes will select the information to be prioritised that will guide action. Theories (and the neurological basis) of attention are included. The module also highlights how disturbances in perception and attention processes can manifest clinically.

Module 2, Emotion and motivation, 5 hp
The module deals with emotions from evolutionary biology, psychology and neuroscience perspectives. Different perspectives and approaches to understanding, defining and studying emotions are introduced and compared, and the relationship between emotions and the everyday experience of feelings is discussed. The translation from neurobiological understanding of emotions and emotional regulation to clinical application is touched upon. The emphasis is placed on the basic defensive emotion of fear, although other emotional states are also touched upon. Basic driving forces behind human action – motivation, desire and reward – are discussed and understood through how they relate to learning and neurobiological control. Furthermore, the interaction between emotion and other psychological processes is discussed.

Module 3, Basic statistics and experimental methodology, 5 hp
The module provides an introduction to statistics that partly deals with descriptive statistical concepts such as population and sample distribution, measures of central tendency (e.g. mean), variability (e.g. standard deviation) and statistical estimation, and introduces inference statistics with significance tests of differences between the two groups.

Further, an introduction is given to experimental research methodology with an overview of basic concepts such as experimental variables (independent, dependent and irrelevant variables), experimental control, and causal inferences. Further, experimental design and the usability of experimental methodology for various types of issues and scientific writing are discussed.

Teaching methods

The main part of the teaching takes place in the form of lectures/ seminars where the students are encouraged to actively participate. Further, demonstrations and statistical calculation exercises, and the completion of a laboratory work, are included. The laboratory work implies that the students in groups formulate an issue for an experiment, and plan, carry out, analyse, and report this in a written report that is then presented at a seminar. Reports may be written in and ventilated in English.

Some course elements are compulsory, see heading "Examination".

Examination

Module 1, Perception and attention is examined in the following way:
a) written examination about perception and attention, is graded U (Fail), G (Pass) or VG (Pass with distinction)
b) active participation in compulsory demonstrations, according to schedule

The module is graded U, G or VG.
The grade G on the module requires G on the written examination, as well as fulfillment of compulsory course elements.
The grade VG requires, in addition, the grade VG on the written examination.

Module 2, Emotion and motivation is examined in the following way:
a) written examination about emotion and motivation, is graded U, G or VG
b) active participation in compulsory seminars and group assignments, according to schedule

The module is graded U, G or VG.
The grade G on the module requires G on the written examination, as well as fulfillment of compulsory course elements.
The grade VG requires, in addition, the grade VG on the written examination.

Module 3, Basic statistics and experimental methodology is examined in the following way:
a) written examination of method (is graded U, G or VG) and statistics (is graded U, G or VG)
b) written report of completed group experiment and oral review of this in a seminar. It is also required that the group acts as a critic of another group's report. The examination is graded U or G.
c) attending compulsory elements of laboratory work, according to schedule

The module is graded U, G or VG.
The grade G on the module requires G on both parts of examination a (method and statistics), G on examination b, as well as fulfillment of compulsory course elements.
The grade VG requires, in addition, VG on at least one of the two parts of the examination a (method and/ or statistics).

Course grade
The entire course is graded U, G or VG.
The grade G requires at least G on all the three modules. The grade VG requires in addition VG on at least two of the three modules.

Absence from or unfulfillment of compulsory course elements
The examiner decides whether, and if so how, absence from or unfulfillment of compulsory course elements can be made up for. Study results cannot be reported until the student has participated in or fulfilled compulsory course elements, or compensated for any absence/ failure to fulfill in accordance with instructions from the examiner. Absence from or unfulfillment of a compulsory course element may imply that the student can not retake the element until the next time the course is offered.

Possibility of exception from the course syllabus' regulations on examination
If there are special grounds, or a need for adaptation for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to deviate from the syllabus' regulations on the examination form, the number of examination opportunities, the possibility of supplementation or exemptions from the compulsory section/s of the course etc. Content and learning outcomes as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and attitudes may not be changed, removed or reduced.

Transitional provisions

If the course is cancelled or goes through substantial changes, information about interim regulations will be stated here.

Other directives

This is a translation of the Swedish version (Experimentell psykologi). In the event of any discrepancy between the versions, the Swedish version constitutes the official decision, and the Swedish wording will prevail.

Literature and other teaching aids

Mandatory literature

• Adolphs, Ralph; Anderson, David J., The neuroscience of emotion: a new synthesis, Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, 2018 - online resource (xvi, 357 sidor) ISBN: 9781400889914, LIBRIS-ID: 22677402, Online access for KIB,
• Barrett, Lisa Feldman, How emotions are made: the secret life of the brain, London : Pan Books, 2018 - xv, 425 sidor ISBN: 9781509837526, LIBRIS-ID: 21788019,
• Borg, Elisabet; Westerlund, Joakim, Statistik för beteendevetare: faktabok, Fjärde upplagan : Stockholm : Liber, [2020] - 612 sidor ISBN: 9789147129409, LIBRIS-ID: r4q07d8hpt7z8qcp,
• Purves, Dale., Principles of cognitive neuroscience, 2nd ed. : Sunderland, Mass. : Sinauer Associates, c2013. ISBN: 978-0-87893-573-4, LIBRIS-ID: 13905270,
• Reisberg, Daniel, Cognition: exploring the science of the mind, 7e, international student edition. : New York : W. W. Norton et Company, [2019] - xxiii, 585, A-27, G-20, R-49, C-5, I-26 pages ISBN: 9780393665093, LIBRIS-ID: w656z86gt8l766wh,
• Research Methods in Psychology (4th edition), Rajiv Jhangiani, S; I-Chant Chiang, A; Cuttler, Carrie; Leighton, Dana C, Kwantlen Polytechnic University KPU, Boken kan läsas utan kostnad online, Free access to the book online

Further study material (e.g., articles) may be included (approx. 20 pages).