200234 SE Theory and Empirical Research (Mind and Brain) 2 (2021W)

IMPORTANT COVID NOTE: Because this course is aimed at hands-on experience with neuroimaging techniques, we think that it is important that it be held in person (with 3G protocols). We therefore ask that students be mindful of this aim when choosing this class, and only select this course if they are comfortable with in-person meetings.

AIMS: The aim of this course is to give hands-on experience in conceiving, planning, and conducting a laboratory study using a specific neuroimaging technique (fNIRS), which is increasingly employed in labs related to Mind and Brain.

Thus, through this course, students will be provided with a taste of what it might be like to employ this technique towards a research question and thus to use this knowledge in their own studies and, if they wish, a potential Masters thesis. In addition, we aim to hold a broader discussion regarding the context of research and studies that inform this approach and the broader topic of neuroscience, with the specific focus on neuroaesthetics and empirical investigations of beauty and art, as well as to foster a critical understanding of empirical study design.

It is our aim as instructors that, after completing this course, students should be able to: describe for what kind of research fNIRS is used; explain what the fNIRS device consists of, what the parts are for, and how the fNIRS device measures brain activity; use and execute the fNIRS device; know the research area of fNIRS and especially in combination with neuroaesthetics; identify research gaps and develop/formulate their own clear research questions; design and plan a specific study to test research questions; develop oral presentation and communication skills

CONTENT: The main aim of the course will again be on the hands-on as well as theoretical knowledge of fNIRS and the broader topic of neuroaesthetics and applications of brain imaging to the study of art and appraisal of our environments.

METHOD: We will employ a blend of lectures on both empirical aspects of fNIRS use as well as overviews of related topics (history of neuroaesthetics, current advances, neurodegeneration and the arts/creativity, hyperscanning, ongoing research in 471), as well as guest lectures, group presentation, writing of research plans and student-led critical feedback, hands-on sessions on data collection and preprocessing with fNIRS; on site data collection.