Cognitive Science Concentration

Cognitive Science examines different approaches to questions concerning the nature of mind, the representation of knowledge, the acquisition, comprehension, and production of language, the development of learning and intelligence, the use of information to draw inferences and make decisions, and the assessment of "goodness of fit" between purportedly similar systems (e.g., the computer and the mind). Exploration of some or all of these questions has been and is being undertaken in such disciplines as cognitive psychology, linguistics, philosophy, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, social cognition, anthropology, education and others.

The concentration in Cognitive Science therefore represents a formal means of bringing together students and faculty in different disciplines who share common interests. We seek to enrich the view provided by any one discipline through an exploration or the methodologies of others. The concentration is designed for students majoring in psychology, philosophy, computer science, or linguistics, although all students are welcome.

A special major is also available through a petition to the Academic Standing Committee. See our website for more information.

Requirements for the Concentration

To encourage breadth within the concentration, normally no more than four courses taken from a single department or program may be counted toward the minimum eight required.

Core Courses: (26 credits of four six-credit courses plus one two-credit lab course)

  • CGSC 130 Introduction to Cognitive Science
  • CGSC 232/CGSC 233/PSYC 232/PSCY 233 Cognitive Processes and Laboratory in Cognitive Processes (8 credits)

           Plus any two of the following courses:

Elective Courses: 24 credits from the following list. At least one must be a 300-level course.

To ensure sufficient interdisciplinarity, no more than four courses may be taken from any one department or program.

Cognitive Science Courses

CGSC 130 Revolutions in Mind: An Introduction to Cognitive Science An interdisciplinary study of the history and current practice of the cognitive sciences. The course will draw on relevant work from diverse fields such as artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, philosophy, biology, and neuroscience. Topics to be discussed include: scientific revolutions, the mind-body problem, embodied cognition, perception, representation, and the extended mind. 6 credits; SI; Fall; Tony Chemero
CGSC 130 What Minds Are What They Do: An Introduction to Cognitive Science An interdisciplinary examination of issues concerning the mind and mental phenomena. The course will draw on work from diverse fields such as artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, philosophy, linguistics, anthropology, and neuroscience. Topics to be discussed include: the mind-body problem, embodied cognition, perception, representation, reasoning, and learning. 6 credits; SI, WR2; Winter; Jason A Decker
CGSC 232 Cognitive Processes Cross-listed with PSYC 232. An introduction to the study of mental activity. Topics include attention, pattern recognition and perception, memory, concept formation, categorization, and cognitive development. Some attention to gender and individual differences in cognition, as well as cultural settings for cognitive activities. Prerequisite: Psychology 110, Cognitive Science 100, Cognitive Science 130 or instructor permission; concurrent registration in Cognitive Science 233. 6 credits; WR2, LS, QRE; Winter; Kathleen M Galotti
CGSC 233 Laboratory Research Methods in Cognitive Science Cross-listed with PSYC 233. Students will participate in the replication and planning of empirical studies, collecting and analyzing data relevant to major cognitive phenomena. Prerequisite: Concurrent registration in Cognitive Science 232; Psychology 110, Cognitive Science 100, Cognitive Science 130 or permission of the instructor. 2 credits; LS, QRE; Winter; Kathleen M Galotti
CGSC 236 Thinking, Reasoning, and Decision Making An examination of the way people think and reason, both when given formal laboratory tasks and when facing problems and decisions in everyday life. Students consider their own reasoning and decision making through course exercises. Topics include models of formal reasoning, decision making, heuristics and biases in thinking and problem-solving, moral reasoning, improving skills of higher order cognition. Prerequisite: Psychology 110 or Cognitive Science 100 or 130. 6 credits; FSR, WR2; Not offered 2016-17
CGSC 330 Embodied Cognition This seminar will consider recent work in philosophy, cognitive science and linguistics critical of views of human cognition as "disembodied" and Cartesian. Philosophical sources of the early critiques of symbolic AI and "cartesianism" will be considered (Merleau-Ponty, Dewey), as will the enactive (Cuffari, Di Paolo, and De Jaegher) and ecological (Chemero, Cowley, Steffensen) critiques of language, and current work on embodied cognition by Eleanor Rosch, Hubert Dreyfus, John Haugeland, Andy Clark and Evan Thompson. The seminar will include materials relevant to students in philosophy, linguistics, psychology and cognitive science. Prerequisite: Cognitive Science 130, or Cognitive Science/Psychology 232 or permission of the instructor. 6 credits; HI; Not offered 2016-17
CGSC 340 Phenomenology and Cognitive Science This course will provide an in-depth study of phenomenology, covering both its history and contemporary debates, and phenomenology-inspired research in cognitive science, psychology and neuroscience. Roughly half the course will be devoted to the history of phenomenology, setting the main views within their historical context and explaining how these views respond to the difficulties of their predecessors. The other half will discuss contemporary philosophical debates and scientific research involving phenomenological approaches. Prerequisite: Cognitive Science 130 required, 200-level Cognitive Science, Psychology or Philosophy course recommended. 6 credits; HI; Fall; Tony Chemero
CGSC 380 Seminar in Developmental Psychology: Cognitive Development During the Preschool Years We will consider the development of memory, perception, and attention, as well as concepts and categorization, problem-solving and thinking, during the years from two to six. We will focus particularly on how these developments are reflected in children's spontaneous behavior and play. Course requirements will include readings, class discussions, short papers, a final project, and regular observation of preschoolers or kindergarteners. Prerequisite: Psychology 250 or Educational Studies 234 or permission of the instructor. 6 credits; SI; Not offered 2016-17
CGSC 386 Adolescent Cognitive Development: Developing an Identity and Life Plans An examination of recent literature on how adolescents develop their value system, explore their goals, begin to make life-framing decisions, establish new relationships, and discover answers to the question "Who am I?" Course readings will involve primary literature, and the course is discussion-based. Prerequisite: Psychology 250, Educational Studies 234 or consent of the instructor. 6 credits; SI; Not offered 2016-17
CGSC 394 Collaborative Research in Cognitive Science This course will be centered around a collaborative research project in cognitive science. Students enrolled will meet with the instructor to complete background readings and discussions, then will create recruiting materials, consent forms, IRB applications, debriefing statements, stimuli, and task instructions. They will then gather data from research participants and participate in data entry, analysis, and writing up the results. This course may be repeated multiple terms. Prerequisite: Cognitive Science 233 or Psychology 233. 2 credits; S/CR/NC; NE; Fall, Winter, Spring; Kathleen M Galotti
CGSC 396 Directed Research in Cognitive Studies Senior majors in cognitive studies will work with the director to develop a thesis proposal for their comps project. Prerequisite: Cognitive Science 130, Cognitive Science/Psychology 232/233 and Psychology 200/201 or instructor consent. 3 credits; NE; Fall, Spring; Kathleen M Galotti, Jason A Decker, Lawrence Wichlinski, Mija M Van Der Wege, Julie J Neiworth, Justin M London