Description

What does it mean to learn something, or to remember it long after? And how do we retrieve the memories we need at the right moment? To answer such questions and beyond, in this seminar, we will delve into essential concepts of memory such as retrieval, remembering, and forgetting but approach them from an adaptive perspective. To this end, we will focus on the overarching memory function analysed through such processes as memory prioritisation, transformation, or organisation – to name just a few. Through examining these core ideas in the light of recent findings from basic research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, we will aim to uncover overarching principles of memory function. As a result, students will gain (or deepen)an understanding of learning and memory, enhancing their ability to think critically and apply memory concepts both in scientific research and in real-world contexts.

Target audiance

  • Students from BSc / MSc level (with a background in psychology / social sciences)

Course objectives

This seminar aims to gain or deepen fundamental knowledge of learning and memory typically acquired in introductory psychology courses during their studies.

  • Students can identify how the meaning of critical concepts in the psychology of learning and memory has developed over time.
  • Students can name several recent findings from basic research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience that challanged our understanding of memory processes.
  • Students have good understanding of current perspectives on memory and have a critical stance to evaluate on-going basic research in the domain of learning and memory.
  • Students can name fundamental principles of memory and discuss circumstances when these principles might be altered or overshadowed.
  • Students can identify strengths and weakness of current methodologies used to study human memory.

Course structure

In the spirit of a “Journal Club”, students are expected to actively participate in the discussions during the seminar. For each session, students are expected to read an empirical paper, based on which they prepare questions, offer their critical position, and communicate their understanding of what they have read. In some sessions, they provide short presentations to ‘kick off’ a discussion. At the end, students will select a recent paper on their own and write a short report (1–2 pages) based on a set of guiding questions that serve as a scaffolding.

Topics

[under construction]

Funding

The funding to develop this course was provided by the University of Tuebingen in the framework of the prestigious Humboldt Professorship awarded to Prof. Kou Murayama. 👋

License

This work is licensed under CC BY 4.0.