In 26F at 2A, Viola Stoermer

 The goal of this course is to provide an introduction to the methodologies of human electroencephalogram (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs). The course will cover what EEG is (i.e., what type of brain signals we are measuring and how), how to design ERP experiments, how to prepare an EEG subject and record data, basic EEG and ERP analysis such as artifact rejection, filtering, and computing ERPs. The class will also cover how to present ERP data and interpret ERP components.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1 or PSYC 6, at least four additional psychology or neuroscience courses, and instructor permission through the department website.

In F26 at 9L, Arjen Stolk

Insight into how human brains work in their most ubiquitous and biologically meaningful context, social interaction, has remained largely elusive. This course ventures into this “dark matter” of social neuroscience, pursuing the question of what constitutes a meeting of minds. Conceptual and methodological challenges of studying human interaction are dealt with in-class discussions, laboratories, and small group research projects on selected topics. Students will be expected to design, run, analyze, and write up an interaction study answering a question of their choosing. Example research projects include but are not limited to studies of human interactive behavior in the real world, the lab, simulated scenarios, or on social media.

Prerequisite: PSYC 11, PSYC 23, and instructor permission through the department website

In F26 at 10, Kate Nautiyal

This seminar provides advanced undergraduates the opportunity to participate in the exploration of the cutting edge of neuroscience research through the vehicle of the Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN). The conference program serves as a syllabus and roadmap for the most up-to-date techniques and discoveries in the field of neuroscience. The seminar will explore topics and issues informed by the scheduled presentations at the meeting, allowing student learning to keep pace with the current research and knowledge of leading international experts in neuroscience. The culmination of the course will involve travel to the Annual Meeting of SfN with over 30,000 neuroscientists. This experience is designed to make neuroscience “come alive,” and to provide students with valuable opportunities to take part in a scientific conference, meet world-renowned researchers, prospective graduate mentors, and possible future employers. Students will also have the chance to develop important professional skills through critical evaluation of research, exposure to different presentation styles, and preparation of an in-depth research paper and oral presentations. This seminar is offered in honor of the late Professor David Bucci and his dedication to innovative undergraduate teaching in Neuroscience. Thanks to the generosity of the donors to the David Bucci Fellows Fund, all travel expenses for students will be covered by Bucci Fellowships.

Approved course for the Neuroscience major/minor.

Prerequisite: PSYC 6 and instructor permission through the department website. Students interested in the course should contact the instructor prior to the course registration period. Students will be asked to complete a brief application stating their interest in the course, what they hope to get out of the course, courses completed in Neuroscience/Psychology, and any prior/current research experience. Advanced students (Seniors, then Juniors) majoring in Neuroscience or Psychology will be given priority for enrollment. A code of conduct will also be developed by and for the students to guide their participation at the conference as ambassadors of Dartmouth College.

In F26 at 10A, Emily Finn

This course will explore—and often question—the idea that there are trait-like factors that are both stable within individuals and different across individuals, and that have meaningful consequences for how we behave across various situations and contexts. Questions we will tackle will include: What do we mean when we say “individual differences”, and how do we study them? What are the major dimensions along which individuals differ? What do we know about the biological bases of individual differences from fields such as genetics and neuroscience? Why might individual differences have evolved—i.e., what benefits does variability across people confer to a group? How does the layperson’s conception of individual differences diverge from empirical findings in social and personality psychology? Do individual differences exist in non-human forms of intelligence, such as other animals and AI? We will focus mainly on personality, but will briefly cover other dimensions, including cognitive abilities. Throughout the course, we will adopt a critical lens on the concept of stable, trait-like differences, and explore how often less appreciated features (e.g., subjective construals, situational factors) contribute to variability in people’s behavior.

Prerequisites: PSYC1 , PSYC 10 (or equivalent) and Instructor Permission through department website