Understanding consciousness is one of the great unsolved problems in psychology. This course focuses on the scientific study of consciousness, where research has increased dramatically in recent years. We begin by considering the conceptual and philosophical underpinnings of such research, which profoundly influence their methods and interpretation. Such issues include:
- What is consciousness?
- How can we measure consciousness?
- What methods are appropriate for its scientific study?; and
- What psychological function(s) does consciousness serve?
We'll also cover related issues, such as: 1) What can we learn from neuropsychological syndromes affecting consciousness? 2) What about consciousness in animals or perhaps even computers? Implicit processes will also be discussed, and we close by covering current major scientific theories of consciousness and the search for neurophysiological correlates of consciousness (NCCs).Course Requirements:
Evaluations will be primarily based on three papers (two short, one somewhat longer—totalling 25 pages overall) demonstrating understanding of basic concepts and empirical controversies.