PNP 1200 Ampersand: Intro to the Study of the Mind-Brain: Psychological, Biological, & Philosophical Perspectives

A consideration of three primary areas of research in cognitive science: attention, memory, and language.  These topics are used to illustrate the techniques by which mental abilities are investigated and explained in psychology and neuroscience: the focus, in particular, is on the use of reaction time studies, brain imaging, and cell recordings to isolate the basic components that make up complex functions.  In addition to the central concepts and theories in each area, the course will address philosophical implications of this research concerning how the mind and brain are related, how the mind-brain encodes or represents information, and the nature of consciousness.  And there will be an emphasis on applying these findings to important problems, such as Alzheimer's disease and deficits due to brain damage.  The class is taught by three members of the faculty from different disciplines and combines a whole-group lecture with small discussion classes.  The goal is to give students a good understanding of the  interdisciplinary nature of cognitive science and to help them develop the ability to think and write critically about scientific research into the mind-brain.  Prerequisite:  admission to the Hewlett Program in the Study of the Mind-Brain. This course is for first-year (non-transfer) students only. Students who are not first-year students will be unenrolled from this course.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: NSM

Typical periods offered: Fall

PNP 1500 Ampersand: The Mind: What Makes US and Other Perspectives on Consciousness

This course explores how consciousness is created in the brain and body. This course will integrate biological, psychological, and philosophical perspectives to investigate the nature of the mind. Utilizing an experiential approach, we will study how perception-action links give rise to consciousness and shape our subjective understanding of the world. Concepts will include sensory-motor integration, spatial and temporal awareness, sense of self and sense of agency. Students will gain a broad understanding of both historical milestones in the development of enactivism and current experimental techniques enabling research into perception, embodiment, presence, virtual and augmented reality, and the neural correlates of consciousness. This course is for first-year, non-transfer students only.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall

PNP 1996 Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Elective

Credit 0 units.

PNP 2000 Introduction Cognitive Science

We will seek to understand the mind-brain by integrating findings from several of the cognitive sciences, including philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, anthropology, and artificial intelligence. This course will consider multiple perspectives on such topics as mental imagery, concepts, rationality, consciousness, emotion, language, thought, memory, attention, and machine intelligence. Prerequisite: completion of at least one of the following courses: Psych 100B, Phil 120F, Phil 125C, Biol 296A, MBB 120A or Ling 170D.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

PNP 2010 Inquiry in the Cognitive Sciences

Understanding the mind-brain involves orchestrating a variety of conceptual tools and modes of inquiry from the cognitive sciences. This course offers a hands-on introduction to a variety of research tactics used in the behavioral and biological sciences and emphasizes the advantages of combining them. For example, neuroimaging can enhance the interpretation of experiments by cognitive psychologists, and modeling can be used to simulate and understand the effects of brain lesions. Prerequisite: completion of at least one of the following courses: Psych 100B, Phil 120F, Phil 125C, Biol 296A, MBB 120 or Ling 170D.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: NSM, AN Art: NSM BU: SCI

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

PNP 2996 Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Elective

This course is for transfer credit.

Credit 0 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

PNP 3001 Research in the Mind, Brain, and Behavior

An introduction to research for students in the Mind, Brain and Behavior program (formerly known as Hewlett Program). Students work under the supervision of a mentor. Prerequisite: admission to the Mind, Brain and Behavior program, completion of MBB/PNP 122, and permission of the mentor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: NSM Art: NSM BU: SCI

Typical periods offered: Spring

PNP 3500 PNP Reading Class

Each time this course is offered a book will be selected that does an exemplary job of bringing together insights and results from multiple disciplines in targeting an important topic. We will read and discuss the book and possibly a small amount of supplementary reading. A short presentation and paper will be required. Prerequisite: PNP Major standing

Credit 2 units. A&S IQ: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

PNP 3996 Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Elective

This course is for transfer credits.

Credit 0 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

PNP 4020 The Physiology and Biophysics of Consciousness

This course will explore the questions surrounding the search to understand the biophysical substrate of consciousness. Some areas to be explored: 1. Can consciousness be addressed like any other biological property in the sense that it has evolved by natural selection and that some elements of it are present in simple model systems, such as the fruit fly? Can insight be gained studying simple model systems? 2. Where in the brain is consciousness? What is the pattern of neurological events that occurs during consciousness? Is brain activity generating consciousness localized or distributed? Does it involve interacting brain regions? Does brain activity generating consciousness migrate to different brain regions? 3. How does the dynamic core hypothesis of Edelman relate to these questions? What can functional brain imaging add to these questions? Are Gamma waves involved in higher mental activity, and do they promote synchronized firing of neurons from different brain areas? How does this relate to the binding problem? 4. How does the brain's ability to function as a computer relate to consciousness? In many respects the brain functions as a computer using electrical signals called Action Potentials. Action potentials in neuronal networks function in an analogous was as DC electrical impulses function in computer circuits. What is the output of computation in an electrical device? What are the theoretical limitations regarding what computation can achieve and ask whether electrical activity in the brain also has a fundamentally different purpose in addition to computation. 5. Is our knowledge of the physical world too primitive and incomplete to understand consciousness? The brain is an electronic device and consciousness clearly depends on its electrical activity. Yet, electrical forces are poorly understood, both in the context of classical physics and quantum physics. Will understanding consciousness have to wait for a unified theory that more accurately describes electrical forces? Prerequisites: Bio3411 or equivalent. College level physics, Some knowledge of computers.

Credit 2 units. A&S IQ: NSM Art: NSM

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

PNP 4380 Cognition and Computation

This course introduces students to some of the key frameworks for thinking about the mind in computational terms. We will be looking at some basic topics in the theory of computation, in addition to considering philosophical issues raised by computational models of cognitive processes. This course is required for graduate students in the PNP Ph.D. program. Prerequisites: At least two 400-level PNP courses crosslisted in Philosophy.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

PNP 4500 PNP Seminar

Subject varies per semester. Not always offered as writing intensive, refer to individual semester listing. Prerequisite: A 300 level Philosophy course (Phil/PNP 315 is recommended); and PNP Major standing or approval of Instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

PNP 4510 PNP Seminar

Subject varies each semester. Prerequisites: One 300-level philosophy course (Phil 315 or PNP 315 is recommended) as well as PNP major standing or approval of instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

PNP 4520 PNP Seminar: Writing-Intensive

Subject varies per semester. Fulfills Writing Intensive (WI) requirement. Prerequisite: A 300 level Philosophy course (Phil/PNP 315 is recommended); and PNP Major standing or approval of Instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, WI EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

PNP 4996 Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Elective

This course is for transfer credit.

Credit 0 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

PNP 4997 Independent Work

Prerequisite: Must be a PNP major/minor; minimum of last semester Junior standing and written permission; Please see the website for details: http://pnp.artsci.wustl.edu/node/478 Credit variable; max 6 units. A maximum of 3 units may be applied toward upper division credits required for the major. Contact the department for further details.

Credit 6 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

PNP 4998 Study for Honors

Prerequisite: Senior standing, a grade point average of 3.50 overall, and permission of the department.

Credit 3 units. EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring