Course Syllabus
Sustainable Development Goals
Learning area
Applied Experimental Psychological Sciences
Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding
· Knowing the cognitive, neurobiological and functional bases of social and affective mental processes.
· Understanding the genesis and dynamics of alterations and disorders of cognitive, communicative, emotional-motivational and social activity
Applying knowledge and understanding
· Acquisition of the ability to apply the acquired knowledge in order to design and carry out empirical studies in the field of social and affective neuroscience.
· Acquisition of the abillity to apply the acquired knowledge in order to personally design and carry out studies focused on specific patients with socio- affective disorders.
Contents
This course provides essential knowledge concerning the main cognitive models of social and emotional-motivational processes in humans, in order to promote the understanding of socio-emotional and behavioral functions, both in healthy people and patients with specific social or affective disorders.
Prerequisites
This course requires a basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology of the nervous system and its cognitive functions.
The understanding of textbooks and scientific articles in English.
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons with slides and audio/video presentations. Presentation and discussion of ongoing data and research articles.
Assessment methods
Cognitive foundation of cognitive and affective processes module:
Written exam with an oral interview on demand (either by the student or by the lecturers). The written examination consists of two open ended questions (essay-like) on textbooks and slides of the lectures; part of the exam (one question) can be substituted with an oral presentation of a scientific article, or a brief essay, to be completed during the course and agreed with the lecturer, testing both the knowledge on a topic presented in the course and the student's critical thinking skills.
Erasmus students are admitted to the course and take the exam in English.
Neuro-functional basis of cognitive and affective processes module:
Written exam with an oral interview (on demand).
The written exam consists in short essays (exposition of topics covered in class and described in study material/book chapters)
The oral colloquium is an in-depth interview on the topics covered in class.
Erasmus students are admitted to the course and take the exam in English.
Textbooks and Reading Materials
Cognitive foundation of cognitive and affective processes module:
Course slides and scientific papers will be uploaded on the course website by the lecturer.
Detailed information about reading material will be given on course start, and published on the course webpage.
Neuro-functional basis of cognitive and affective processes module:
From the handbook, which is online and with open access: “Social and Affective Neuroscience of Everyday Human Interaction - From Theory to Methodology”, Springer Nature, Boggio et al. (2022).
Part 2. Social Neuroscience and Moral Emotions
Chapter 5. AM Proverbio, A Zani Mirror neurons in actions…ERP and neuroimaging evidences
Chapter 6: AM Proverbio Sex differences in social cognition
Part 4. Methods used in Social and Affective Neuroscience
Chapter 12: AM Proverbio EEG and ERPs in the study of Language and Social Knowledge
Gazzaniga M.S., Ivry R.B., & Mangun G.R. (2019). Cognitive Neuroscience. New York: Norton (ONLY Chapters 13 & 14).
Lesson slides will be provided during the course and uploaded on the appropriate E-learning web page.
