Admission Requirements
Master’s students Psychology with specialisation Applied Cognitive Psychology
Description
In this course, a variety of approaches aimed at enhancing cognitive performance (e.g. vigilance, creativity, memory, productivity) is critically evaluated. Students will learn which techniques are applied, whether they really work, and how this is tested. The mechanisms behind cognitive enhancement are discussed in both a behavioral and a psychobiological framework.
Lecture overview (attendance compulsory):
1) Context: circadian rhythm, climate, order, music, light (G.Band)
2) State of the body: motivational states, cardio-vascular fitness, nutrition, stress, plasticity, reward, neurofeedback (G.Band)
3) Cognitive training: mnemonics, mental imagery, speed-reading, self-regulation (G.Band)
4) Cognitive training: sleep learning, serious gaming, mental challenge, engaging life style (K. Olfers)
5) Drugs: improving attention, creativity, memory etc. (S. Brown)
6) Mind set: meditation, hypnosis, mindfulness, spirituality, relaxation, flow, mood (S. Brown)
7) Brain-machine interactions: brain-computer interface, prosthetics (P.Haazebroek)
8) External support: robotics, external memory, life hacking, organizers, media (P.Haazebroek)
Workgroups:
6 meetings with individual student presentations (attendance compulsory)
Course objectives
This is the theoretical part of the specialization in human potential. After this course, students have a complete overview of prevalent techniques for cognitive enhancement and their scientific status.
Timetable
Human Potential: Theory (2014-2015)
Registration
Course
Students need to enroll for lectures and work group sessions. Please consult the Instructions registration
Examination
Students are not automatically enrolled for an examination. They can register via uSis from 100 to 10 calendar days before the date; students who are not registered will not be permitted to take the examination. Registering for exams
Mode of instruction
Intensive master course
8 meetings of 2 hours (attendance compulsory)
4 meetings of 2 hours for student presentations (attendance compulsory)
2 meetings of 2 hours for psychophysiology practice
Assessment method
The assessment is based on:
Individual presentation
Individual paper
Exam
The Faculty of Social Sciences has instituted that instructors use a software programme for the systematic detection of plagiarism in students’ written work. In case of fraud disciplinary actions will be taken. Please see the information concerning fraud
Blackboard
Information available on blackboard.leidenuniv.nl
Reading list
Book to be confirmed:
- Vernon, D. (2009). Human potential: exploring techniques used to enhance human performance. New York: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group. ISBN: 978-0-415-45770-5 (238 pages)
Provisional article list (appr. 200 pages):
Achtman, R L., Green, C.S., & Bavelier, D. (2008). Video games as a tool to train visual skills. Restorative neurology and neuroscience, 26(4), 435.. Not all video games are created equal + par 4. How video game play might enhance learning
Benton, D. (2010). The influence of dietary status on the cognitive performance of children. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 24, 457-470.
Boivin, D. B., Tremblay, G. M., & James, F. O. (2007). Working on atypical schedules. Sleep Medicine, 8, 578-589.
Cecotti, H. (2011). Spelling with non-invasive brain-computer interfaces – current and future trends.
Colzato et al (2011). Lovingkindness brings lovingkindness: the impact of Buddhism on cognitive task representation. Manuscript under revision.
Colzato LS, Szapora A, Hommel B. (2011). Meditate to create. Manuscript under revision.
Dahle, C. L., Jacobs, B. S., & Raz, N. (2009). Aging, Vascular Risk, and Cognition: Blood Glucose, Pulse Pressure, and Cognitive Performance in Healthy Adults. Psychology and Aging, 24, 154-162.
Diekelmann, S. & Born, J. (2010). The memory function of sleep. Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 11(2), 114.
Gilbert, LS (1999). Where is my Brain? Distributed Cognition, Activity Theory, and Cognitive Tools (Working Paper). Houston, Texas: Association for Educational Communications and Technologies (AECT)
Green, C S. & Bavelier, D. (2008). Exercising your brain: A review of human brain plasticity and training-induced learning. Psychology and aging, 23(4), 692.
Hertzog, C., Kramer, A. F., Wilson, R. S., & Lindenberger, U. (2009). Enrichment effects on adult cognitive development: Can the functional capacity of older adults be preserved and enhanced? Psychological Science in the Public Interest (Vol. 9, Whole No. 1). 1
Hillman, C. H., Erickson, K. I., & Kramer, A. F. (2008). Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9, 58-65.
Liyoshi, T., Hannafin, M., & Wang, F. (2005). Cognitive tools and student-centred learning: rethinking tools, functions and applications. Educational media international, 42.
Immenroth, M, Buerger, T, Brenner, J, et al. (2007). Mental training in surgical education – A randomized controlled trial. Annals of surgery, 245(3), 385-391.
Luders, E., Clark, K., Narr, K.L., & Toga, A.W. (2011). Enhanced brain connectivity in long-term meditation practitioners. Neuroimage, 57, 1308-1316.
Lutz, A., Slagter, H.A., Dunne, J.D., & Davidson, R.J. (2008). Cognitive-emotional interactions: Attention regulation and monitoring in meditation. Trends in Cognitive Science, 12, 163-169.
Perham, N, & Vizard, J. (2011). Can preference for background music mediate the irrelevant sound effect?. Applied cognitive psychology, 25(4), 625-631.
Pintrich, PR. (2004). A conceptual framework for assessing motivation and self-regulated learning in college students. Educational psychology review, 16(4), 385-407.
Principles of Pharmacology (Chapter 1) in the book Psychopharmacology: Drugs, the brain and behavior (2005) by Meyer & Quenzer
Van Gerven, M., Farquhar, J., Schaefer, R., Vlek, R., Geuze, J., Nijholt, A., Ramsey, N., et al. (2009). The brain-computer interface cycle. _Journal of neural engineering, 6 _
Vandewalle, G., Maquet, P., & Dijk, D. J. (2009). Light as a modulator of cognitive brain function. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 13, 429-438.
Zhang, J., & Patel, V. L. (2006). Distributed cognition, representation, and affordance. _Pragmatics & Cognition, 14 _
Contact information
Dr. G. Band
Room 2A47
Tel: 071-5273998
E-mail: band@fsw.leidenuniv.nl