200022 PS Proseminar zu Biologischer Psychologie und zu Kognitiv-Affektiven Neurowissenschaften (2025W)

• Active course participation – 10%
• Online Study Participation – 15%
• Written Work, part 1: Reflection (group assignment) – 20%
• Written Work, part 2 (group assignment): Proposal – 30%
• Course Reflection - 25%
Attendance and active participation in class are expected, as the classes are highly participatory in nature.

Active course participation
Note that course participation is not limited to participation in class. Students are encouraged to use offline communication platforms, such as Moodle. Participation assessment will be determined through a combination of self- and instructor evaluation. First, students are required to provide a brief rationale for their self-assessment. Following this, the self-evaluation will be either accepted or adjusted by the instructor.

Online Study Participation
In this assignment, students will actively engage in an online study designed to assess social cognition. The primary aim is to offer students a hands-on experience by participating as subjects in psychological research. This participation will provide them with valuable practical insights into the assessment of social cognition and the overall research process, including the study documentation (protocol, ethical considerations, informed consent, etc.) and an opportunity to critically analyze the different components of the study.

Written Work, part 1: Reflection
After participating in the online study, students (in a group of three or four) will write a critical review of their experience (reflection). The reflection should include the following elements: A brief overview of the study's objectives, theoretical background, study design; individual experiences during the study, including any challenges or surprises encountered; insights gained regarding the assessment of social cognition and the research process; an evaluation of the study's documentation involved in conducting such assessments (study protocol, ethics, informed consent, etc.). The conciseness of this report is an integral part of the evaluation for this exercise. The reflection must be written in APA style (7th edition) and submitted online with 700-1,000 words in length (2 pages approximately, excl. references).

Written Work, part 2: Proposal "Big Team Science Style"
Students (in groups of ten) will develop a research proposal for a study grounded in empirical evidence and shaped by the gaps in existing research discussed during the semester. This section should encompass a detailed plan for future investigations, including hypotheses, research methodologies, and potential implications. The conciseness of this report is an integral part of the evaluation for this exercise. The proposal of the study must be written in APA style (7th edition) and submitted online with 1,500-2,000 words in length (4 pages approximately, excl. references).

Course Reflection
For the final assignment, students will write a short essays reflecting on the most and least interesting sessions from the course, summarizing the content, discussing key insights, and evaluating the personal relevance of each session. They will also reflect on their experience working in a larger group toward a common goal, in the spirit of the Big Team Science movement (see assignment proposal).

Use of AI
Learning to use AI is an emerging skill. This course allows students to explore the use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools such as ChatGPT for all assignments and assessments. However, be aware of the limits of these software systems.