Cognitive neuroscience of words and memory
PSY4246.01
Course Description
Summary
How do cognitive neuroscientists examine words and word meanings? What are the different ways we can remember words, such as definitions (“pollo”, “ji”, “chicken”) and lyrics, and how do words work in our brains? Why do we sometimes struggle to remember a word that comes to mind easily later on? Are words and images stored together or separately in our brains? These questions and more will be addressed in this course, after an overview of the central nervous system.
Learning Outcomes
- By doing the work of this course, you will build your knowledge of the following:
-basic human neuroanatomy with a focus on the temporal lobe and the limbic system
-the principles behind neuroimaging techniques used to provide evidence about our topics
-breakdowns of language and of memory along with related brain structures
-distinctions between types of memory (e.g. semantic, episodic, autobiographical)
-recent findings about picture naming, lexical vs. conceptual memory and age-related changes in both, how bilingualism affects memory, and imaging studies of language-based therapies - You will also develop the following skills:
-combining evidence from clinical cases with controlled research on healthy young adults
-taking a cross-cultural approach to the study of memory
-searching for, selecting, and reading challenging and relevant research articles
-contributing to and sometimes guiding class discussions
-developing a written research proposal that explores a verbal memory dynamic that interests you
Prerequisites
Permission of instructor. Please contact Emily Waterman (emilywaterman@bennington.edu) for registration. Course will be taught by Anne Gilman.