version 2023-04-06

NOTE: THIS SYLLABUS IS A LIVING DOCUMENT. THE READING LIST WILL BE ADJUSTED AS WE GO.

HPS 2359 Methods, Models, and Measurements in the Neural, Behavior, and Cognitive Sciences

Spring 2023 Schedule and Syllabus
Meeting time; location: T 2-4:30; CL 1008C

Instructor

(Prof.) Colin Allen <colin.allen@pitt.edu>
Office: CL 1109H
Office hours: M 3:20-5:00 in CL 1109H (and on Zoom by appointment)

Course Description

Mathematical, and statistical treatments of behavior and cognition were central to the emergence of psychology as scientific discipline in the late 19th C., were a driving force for developments in statistical testing, in measurement theory, and in computational modeling during the 20th C., and continue to be important for ongoing debates about the so-called replication crisis in psychology, and different views about the value of formal, mathematical, and computational models in cognitive science. Other topics of interest to philosophy of science include the interplay between statistical models and experimental design, particularly where the latter rely on methods that generate large amounts of noisy data, such as EEG or fMRI. Bayesian, information theoretic, dynamical, and mechanistic approaches to explanation all have different implications for understanding the relationship between cognition and nervous systems.

The spring 2023 version of this course will focus largely on the subdiscipline known as mathematical psychology, covering questions about the nature and significance of distinctions among process and phenomenal models, as well as the relative merits of different modeling frameworks. These topics will lead us to more general issues concerning the epistemic and explanatory status of cognitive models, pragmatism in modeling choices, and methods for evaluating models as well as the relationship of cognitive models to neuroscience.

There will be maths! (But we will work through it together.) (And see Additional Resources below the schedule.)

Course Objectives

Aside from acquiring the necessary background in cognitive modeling, the main goal of this seminar is for you to develop a research paper on any philosophical issue raised during the course. You will write a proposal, draft, engage peer reviews, and the final paper. You will also be asked to give at least one presentation based on the reading list, and you will also give a presentation based on your developing research ideas during the last month of the course.

Texts

1. Readings provided electronically through Canvas. They are organized into a folder and subfolder. In the upper level folder at https://canvas.pitt.edu/files/folder/courses_190933 are papers that ideally I'd like to get to. In the "Pool" subfolder are other things that may be added or subsituted for the list.

Schedule of Readings and Presentations

This is a rough guide only. We are going to adjust this as we go along, based on participant interest.

NOTE: SOMETIMES LINKS BREAK. IF SOMETHING CAN'T BE REACHED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IMMEDIATELY.

Additional Resources

Statement for Students with Disabilities
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please visit Pitt Student Affairs Disability Resources and Services for further information.

Statement about Academic Misconduct

Students in this course will be expected to comply with the University of Pittsburgh’s Policy on Academic Integrity.