CDCR6049 - Topics in Cognitive Science 2024/25 Fall
Weekly outline
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Thursdays from 10.50 am to 12.30 pm, in Room C503, Quellenstrasse 51, Vienna
Christophe Heintz (Course coordinator)
Elisa Wiedemann (TA)
For questions please contact wiedemann_elisa@phd.ceu.edu, or heintzc@ceu.edu
Course description:
The course will provide an overview of some key topics and research methods in Cognitive Science. This will include important debates in the field as well as an overview of key research topics in Cognitive Science. The sessions will consist of answering open questions about the readings and discussing controversial topics/accounts. Members of the Cognitive Science department will cover fields in which they are expert.
Assignments:
Students are required to attend the sessions and to participate actively in this course.
1) For regular sessions the assignments will be to submit a short (200 - 300 words) informed opinion on a topic, question or debate on the online CEULearning Forum. You will need to include references to research articles to back your informed opinion. The deadline for submitting the assignments is Wed noon. All course participants are asked to read each other's opinions before the Thursday session and reflect on what they like or don’t like about these opinions. This will provide the basis for our debates/discussions.
Note that different lecturers may choose to provide different kinds of assignments such as watching videos of lectures in advance, assigning readings etc. Check the specific session below for these assignments.
2) Research project report: Doctoral students in cognitive science taking this course should submit a one-page report about their meetings with three faculty members or postdocs to discuss their doctoral research project. Students from other disciplines attending this class should meet with at least one doctoral student or post-doc at the department of cognitive submit a one-page report about their research project.
3) Final exam: towards the end of the semester, you will take a two hour exam (at home) in which you will have to quickly answer questions about the content of the course. You will be able to consult your notes and the web during the test, but you'll have to be able to efficiently navigate those notes and external sources of information to answer the questions in the limited time you'll have and demonstrate some understanding of the topics and debates reviewed in the course.
Grading will be based on the informed opinions submitted for regular sessions (60%), the research project report (20%), the final exam (10%), and active participation in discussions/debates in all sessions (10%). -
Members of the Department of Cognitive Science shall attend the 2nd-year student progress workshop which will take place room D001, starting at 10am. This workshop should give incoming students first idea of the research done at the Department and the type of work they are expected to do during their first year as doctoral student.
Christophe will present the course to students who are coming from outside the department: he will go through the syllabus, explain the course format, and the topics of individual sessions.
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We will review central theoretical frameworks for cognitive science that have focused on symbol processing, neural networks, Bayesian inferences and bounded rationality, and the so-called 4Es.
Assignment for this session:
READING:
Bermudez, JL. Cognitive Science. Cambridge University Press, 3rd edition
choose the most relevant chapters/sections for you: e.g. on dynamical systems (chapter 6), massive modularity (chapter 8.3 for evolution), and the mindreading chapters (13, and particularly 14 for social).
If you are interested in the history of these theoretical frameworks, have a look at Csaba's lecture.
TASK:
Which theoretical framework do you intend to rely upon in your studies and why?
Alternatives include: symbolic processing, the brain and neural networks, Bayesian inferences/probabilistic networks, bounded rationality, 4Es, or any other well identified framework. Can you frame your own research hypothesis in any of this framework? Provide theoretical and empirical arguments in a 200-300 word informed opinion and back it up with 3+ references. Submit your opinion to the course forum on e-learning for this session.
If you are not sure, pick one of the framework and explain how useful it is for formulating your hypotheses.
The deadline for submission is 18th September (noon). -
We will examine different kinds of research methods that Cognitive Scientists use to study the mind. We will discuss which methods are most useful and which theoretical commitments they may imply based on the informed opinions submitted by students.
We will then focus on hypothesis-testing and the experimental method and question which are the best practices for this method.Assignment for this session:
READINGS AND VIDEOS
Bower & Clapper's chapter on Experimental Methods in Cognitive Science for a primer on behavioral methods.
Open Science Tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF0b3ThojznSbIHMSImePqDLamQgrQzOpTASKS
- Take the online course on ethical research
- Fill in a PREBO application with an research project that involves gathering data on human behaviour (the project can be the one you intend to pursue later or not).
- Include your observations and comments in the discussion forum
The deadline for submission is 25th September (noon).-
Complete this ethical research training to familiarise yourself with rules that you need adhere to when running experiments that involve human participants. Completing this training is a precondition for testing human participants at CEU.
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Website that enables all researchers (including you) to create preregistration for your studies
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An attempt to estimate prevalence of misconduct from number of paper retractions
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A blog post showing how the data from a recent PNAS paper was fabricated
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In this session we will discuss how to organize your research work as a doctoral student with some invited speakers from the department.
Assignment
Watch the uploaded videos on scientific practices by Laura Schlingloff, Barbara Pomiechowska, and Anna Zamm, and consult the posted resources below. Do a little research of your own and write a post in the forum containing the following:
(1) a resource you found helpful regarding the topic of how to organize your life as a doctoral student (this can be related to anything from how to organize your day-to-day life as a PhD student to inspiration regarding your future career) + a short explanation why, and
(2) a brief reflection on the posted content + at least one question for us to discuss with the invited speakers (PhD students and a postdoc at this department) in the session. In particular, these could be questions (or worries) concerning the organization of your PhD, such as:
- What if I do not plan to run experiments? How can I evaluate what expectations there are?
- Can I have an advisor who is not at CEU?
- For family reasons, I will need to spend a lot of time outside of Vienna, is it possible?Or whatever would be useful to you in your situation. The goal is to have an open discussion that is helpful to students starting their PhD journey at this department, so we ask for your input to make the most of it.
The deadline for this assignment is Oct 2, noon.
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This is a document compiled by Christophe with some tips for the comprehensive exam for doctoral students at the Department of Cognitive Science that they must pass at the end of their first year.
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This is a link to the MPIEA's online Growing Up in Academia Series. The next talks are by Ghislaine Dehaene-Lambertz on Sept 30 and by Anil Seth on Oct 28.
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This is a link to the SharePoint site of the Career Center at CEU. The site includes tips regarding job search strategy, application materials, etc., but also has some reports on CEU alumni and job perspectives after completing your studies at CEU.
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Lecturer: József Fiser
This lecture will provide an overview of Cognitive Science research in the area of perception.
Assignment for this session:
Watch the video lectures by Jozsef Fiser, read Marr's chapter and ask at least one question, either about the chapter or about the lecture, before this session (Perception). The deadline for submission is 9th October (noon).
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Lecturer: Christophe Heintz
In the online lecture, I review works in human behavioral ecology, which make use of the theory of rational decision making.
Main reading
Nettle, D. (2009). Beyond nature versus culture: Cultural variation as an evolved characteristic. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 15, 223–240.
Al-Shawaf, Laith, Kareem Zreik, and David M. Buss. "Thirteen misunderstandings about natural selection." Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science (2018): 1-14
Assignment for this session:The model of Rational Choice Theory specifies what it is to maximise expected utility.
On the one hand, behavioural economics has documented many "cognitive biases" that show that people systematically depart from the predictions of rational choice theory.
On the other hand, the model continues to be used: as a null hypothesis (behavioural economics), as a framework theory (behavioural ecology, evolutionary psychology), or as a useful assumption (for recovering what preferences people have).
On the basis of the lecture, the readings and your own understanding of Rational Choice Theory, reflect on the use and possible misuse of the model.
How similar and how different is Rational Choice Theory compared to other "pictures of the mind" that you saw in previous sessions. How does it compare to Bayesian models?
Do you think the model of the rational agent could be useful for your research? How could you use it? If you think it cannot be useful, explain why. -
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Lecturer: Eva Wittenberg
Assignment for this session:
Read Fodor's Précis (not the commentaries) and Boroditsky's article.
Add your name under any of the following papers listed here. If you choose the paper with more than one student (Winawer), we suggest you team up and divide the chosen reading amongst yourselves.
The deadline for submission is 6th November (noon). Students who have not signed up for any of the papers by then will be assigned to one arbitrarily. -
Lecturer: Erno Teglas
Please read the two papers below and submit your questions in the discussion forum by Nov 20 (noon).
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Lecturer: Ágnes Melinda Kovács
This session addresses different theories of mind-reading:
The intentional stance (Dennett)
Theory theory (Gopnik)
Simulation theory and the role mirror neurons (Goldman)
Core cognition (Leslie)
Assignment for this session:
Watch the video lecture by Agi Kovacs and read the posted paper. Then come up with two questions about the reading or lecture, or highlight an aspect that you find interesting about Mindreading and explain why you find it interesting.
The deadline for submission is November 24, 2pm. -
Lecturer: Azzurra Ruggeri
How do young children learn so much about the world, and so quickly? A substantial body of research shows that active engagement with the world is essential for learning. From the moment infants can sit or walk, they instinctively explore their surroundings—grabbing and manipulating objects, approaching or avoiding people. As their language develops, young children begin asking about word meanings, requesting object labels, and inquiring about the many new and puzzling phenomena they encounter. Active learning has long intrigued philosophers, psychologists, and cognitive and computer scientists alike. In this lecture, we will delve into the origins and developmental course of ecological active learning, examining it through computational, cognitive, and developmental lenses. We will also review recent studies that shed light on this fascinating process.
Core reading (see the link):
- Ruggeri, A. (2022) An introduction to ecological active learning. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 31(6). doi.org/10.1177/09637214221112114.
Optional readings (PDFs attached):
- De Simone, C., & Ruggeri, A. (2022) Searching for information, from infancy to adolescence. In I. Cogliati-Dezza, E. Schulz, C. M. Wu (Eds.). The Drive for Knowledge: the Science of Human Information-Seeking. Cambridge University Press.
- Jones, A., Swaboda, N., & Ruggeri, A. (2020). Developmental changes in question asking. In L. Butler, S. Ronfard, & K. Corriveau (Eds.), The questioning child: Insights from psychology & education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Task: Based on the reading, please come up with a couple of questions to discuss in class. The deadline for submission is November 27, noon.
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Lecturer: Günther Knoblich
In this session we will discuss approaches to the 'social brain'.
Assignment for this session: Please carefully read the two papers below. Based on the readings post a short opinion or reflection (150-300 words) on the following questions: Does it make sense to talk about the 'social brain'? Which accounts of the social brain do you find most convincing? Feel free to refer to accounts that are not covered by the readings (I may ask you to explain them in class).
The deadline for submission is Dec 1, 2pm.
Readings: -
Lecturer: Jonathan Kominsky
This class will focus on counterfactual causal reasoning as an example of domain-general causal reasoning that seems to emerge relatively late in development, but operate in similar ways across many different domains. The lecture will start from what we know about it in adults, and then talk about the strange and complex literature around the development of this ability in early to middle childhood.
Assignment for this session:
Read the article (Icard, Kominsky, & Knobe, 2017), which describes a model of domain-general causal counterfactual reasoning. In the course forum, put a short summary (150-300 words) of your thoughts on the following two questions: How generalizable is this type of reasoning? Are there domains where you would not expect the proposed model to apply?
The deadline for submission is 4th December (noon).
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Lecturer: Máté Lengyel
The lecture will cover the following topics:
- The virtues of formal mathematical models
- Rational vs. process level models
- Pavlovian conditioning and the Rescorla-Wagner model of learning
- The temporal difference learning rule and dopamine
- Probabilistic models of cognition
- Learning as probabilistic inference and Bayesian model selection
- Visual chunk learning
- The learning of structural forms
- Complementary learning systems: a reinforcement learning perspective
Assignment for this session:Watch the video lectures by Mate Lengyel, read the posted papers and ask at least one question for each of the readings (Computational models of learning).
The deadline for submission is 11th December (noon).-
Uploaded 21/08/24, 15:26
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Opened: Tuesday, 17 December 2024, 2:00 PMClosed: Tuesday, 17 December 2024, 4:05 PM
Please answer the questions below in maximum 150 words per questions (some questions might require much shorter answers). The questions are not meant to be thought-provoking, and they are not trick questions. Your answers do not need to express a deep reflection on the topic, they can just be factual about definitions and about who said what. Take this test as one of those school-like tests with which teachers assess that students learned their lesson. In the context of the PhD, it is meant to be nothing more than an occasion for you to get back to your notes and to the papers you read. At the same time, you’ll show your ability to quickly navigate this sea of information that constitute the backbone of the research done at our Department (yes: the backbone is a sea).
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