Cognition and Culture

PHILOSOPHY-NEUROSCIENCE-PSYCHOLOGY 3383

This course examines the influence of evolved cognitive dispositions (the way natural selection engineered the human mind) on the transmission of cultural knowledge. Dispositions present from early childhood make certain kinds of cultural knowledge particularly easy to acquire, and therefore, culturally stable. We also consider the evidence for differences in cognitive processes triggered by different social environments. Emphasis is on empirical studies and experimental methods in the study of cultural similarity and differences. Prerequisite: Psych 100B, Anthro 160B or permission of instructor.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU BA; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Historical and Comparative Linguistics

PHILOSOPHY-NEUROSCIENCE-PSYCHOLOGY 320

Historical linguistics focuses on how languages change over time. Comparative linguistics focuses on their similarities and differences. In this course we will trace some of the differences and changes in sound (phonetics and phonology) word formation (morphology), sentence structure (syntax), and meaning (semantics). Topics include linguistic universals, the structural and genetic classification of languages, the techniques of reconstructing proto-languages, and the causes of language change. Examples from Indo-European languages (for example, Greek, English, and Spanish) and from Native American languages (for example, Quechua and Mayan) will be emphasized. Prerequisite: Ling 170D.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU Hum; AS LCD; AS SSC; FA HUM

PNP Seminar

PHILOSOPHY-NEUROSCIENCE-PSYCHOLOGY 496

'Social cognition' refers to the cognitive mechanisms that underpin an agent's capacity to effectively navigate situations involving other agents. In this seminar, we will consider some classical philosophical questions that implicate social cognition, as well as contemporary cognitive science that illuminates it. Questions considered include: Do we know that others have minds like ours? If so, how? Are categories like 'belief' and 'desire' scientifically respectable, or should they be replaced with alternative categories derived from scientific investigation? Is social cognition primarily a matter of attributing mental states to predict and explain behavior, or do we more often deploy alternative strategies? What structural differences obtain between human and non-human social cognition, and what experimental methods could we use to determine the differences? How does social cognition develop in infants and young children? What can an understanding of social cognition tell us about broader social issues like political polarization? What can recent work in artificial intelligence teach us about social cognition? Prerequisite: PNP major in second semester Junior or Senior standing with a 300-level course in philosophy or PNP, graduate standing or the permission of the instructor.
Course Attributes: EN S; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Behavioral Psychology Readings Group

PHILOSOPHY-NEUROSCIENCE-PSYCHOLOGY 494

This weekly journal-style readings class provides the opportunity to read and discuss seminal as well as current writings on the conceptual aspects of behavioral psychology and relevant research. Points of contact among behaviorism, cognitivism, and neuroscience, and the natural lines of fracture, will be examined. PREREQ: Psych 361, OR Psych 360, OR one of the following: Phil 315, Phil 321G, Phil 358, PNP 200, PNP 201, or permission of Instructor.
Course Attributes: EN S; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Second Language Acquisition

PHILOSOPHY-NEUROSCIENCE-PSYCHOLOGY 466

There are many ways in which a second language can be learned: from infancy as the child of bilingual parents, or later through formal instruction, immersion in a new culture, or in a particular work or social situation. This class is an inquiry into the processes by which acquisition occurs. Topics include the nature of language learning within the scope of other types of human learning; the relationship between first and second language acquisition; the role of linguistic, cognitive, and sociocultural factors; insights gained from analyzing learners' errors; key concepts such as interlanguage and communicative competence; bilingualism; the optimal age for second language acquisition; and a critical appraisal of different theories of second language acquisition. Both theoretical and instructional implications of second language acquisition research are considered. This course can be used towards certification in TESOL and is a required course for the Graduate Certificate in Language Instruction. Prerequisite: Ling 170D or equivalent is recommended, especially for undergraduates, but is not required.
Course Attributes: EN H; AS HUM; FA HUM; AR HUM

Psychology of Language

PHILOSOPHY-NEUROSCIENCE-PSYCHOLOGY 408

This course surveys current research and theory in psycholinguistics, covering the biological bases, cognitive bases, and learning of language. We consider studies of normal children and adults, the performance of individuals with various types of language disorders, and computer simulations of language processes. Topics range from the perception and production of speech sounds to the management of conversations. PREREQ: Ling 170D and Psych 100B.
Course Attributes: EN S; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

The Neuroscience of Movement: You Think, So You Can Dance?

PHILOSOPHY-NEUROSCIENCE-PSYCHOLOGY 363

Although humans have expressed themselves through movement throughout time, only recently have neurophysiological investigative techniques allowed us to glimpse the complex neural processes that allow the coordination and integration of thought, action, and perception. This course introduces students to the nascent yet growing field of dance neuroscience. In part one of this course, we explore fundamental concepts of motor control including how our central nervous system integrates information to allow us to maintain posture and balance, to coordinate our limbs to external rhythms, and to move our bodies gracefully and expressively through space and time. In part two, we explore theoretical frameworks of motor learning as they pertain to movement. We delve into the neuromechanisms underlying common tools that dancers and athletes use to improve motor performance and how dance training induces neuroplasticity in brain structure and function. In part three, we explore the neural underpinnings of aesthetic appreciation while watching dance, including the action observation network and affective responses to art. Required work includes short assignments, a final project and presentation on a topic of your choice related to the course focus, and a few movement workshops (for which dance training is not required). PREREQ: Introductory course in one of the fields of dance, biology, or neuroscience, or permission from the instructor.
Course Attributes: FA NSM; BU SCI; AR NSM; AS NSM

Biological Psychology

PHILOSOPHY-NEUROSCIENCE-PSYCHOLOGY 3401

An introduction to biological mechanisms underlying behavior. Topics will include the physiology of nerve cells, anatomy of the nervous system, control of sensory and motor activity, arousal and sleep, motivation and higher mental processes. PREREQ: PSYCH 100B
Course Attributes: FA NSM; BU SCI; AS NSM

Introduction to Computational Linguistics

PHILOSOPHY-NEUROSCIENCE-PSYCHOLOGY 3171

Use of computers to analyze, understand, and generate human language. Emphasis on appreciating practical applications such as text analysis, search and creation of dictionaries and corpora, information retrieval, machine translation, and speech interfaces. Survey of rule-based and statistical techniques. Students acquire programming skills appropriate for solving small- to medium-scale problems in linguistics and text processing, using a language such as Python. Students have regular programming assignments and complete a semester project. No previous knowledge of programming required. Prerequisite: L44 Ling 170D and either L44 Ling 258 or CSE 131.
Course Attributes: EN S; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Introduction to Semantics

PHILOSOPHY-NEUROSCIENCE-PSYCHOLOGY 3111

Semantics is the branch of linguistics which studies how speakers assign meaning to words, sentences, and larger units of discourse. We combine perspectives from both linguistics and philosophy to explore a variety of topics including polysemy, compositionality, quantification, anaphora, definite descriptions, attitude reports, presupposition, and implicature. Prerequisite: Ling 309.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU Hum; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC