Computational Cognitive Science (undergrad/grad)

Details:

Course numbers: PSYC 571/609; CECS 694

Offered: Spring.

Synopsis:

The course focuses on the problem of inductive reasoning -- learning and reasoning where the conclusions are necessarily uncertain. The course casts a broad collection of problems of cognitive, developmental, and social psychology as instances of the problem of induction. The topics are introduced through seminal and recent works in the relevant areas. The phenomena are considered in the context of probabilistic models of learning and inductive reasoning. 

The course introduces the challenges of inductive reasoning, beginning with philosophical foundations and spanning many well-known phenomena characteristic of human learning. Representational tools from modern machine learning and old-fashioned AI are introduced as a means of capturing the structure of knowledge, and methods from modern machine learning and Bayesian statistics are used to perform inference in these models. 

Students will choose one of two tracks: reading or modeling. Students who choose reading will focus on reading and writing about the content discussed in class. Students who choose modeling will focus on reading and implementing the models discussed in class.

The course has no prerequisites. Student must get prior approval of the instructor. Programming and mathematical knowledge are not assumed for the reading track. Knowledge of cognitive science and psychological are not necessary for the modeling track 

For more information about the course, please email me.

Introduction to programming for psychologists (undergrad/grad)

Details:

Course numbers: PSYC 571/609

Offered: Fall.

Synopsis:

The objective of this course is a broad introduction to MATLAB as a programming language. No prior knowledge of MATLAB or other programming languages will be assumed. Special attention will be paid to three specific areas: plotting figures and graphical user interfaces (GUIs), signal processing, and performing mathematical computations.