Cognitive science is the study of the mind from an interdisciplinary perspective. It focuses on such questions as how do we process information to recognize objects and faces, to know that a cup is not a bowl, to remember and learn, and to speak and understand? How can studying the brain inform us about the mind? This course will examine the above questions and discuss major themes in cognitive science including nature-nurture, categories and representations, and the nature of computations.

Instructor(s): S. Blumstein
M.,W.,F. 12:00- 12:50 PM (E Hour), Location: TBD

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Instructor(s): F. Domini
M.,W.,F. 1:00-1:50 AM (F Hour), Location: TBD

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Instructor(s): J. Anderson
T.,Th. 9:00-10:20 AM (H Hour), Location: TBD

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Human language is made possible by specialized anatomy and brains that can regulate speech production, complex syntax, and acquiring and using thousands of words. This course examines Darwin's theory of evolution and the archaeological and fossil records of human evolution; studies of chimpanzee communication, culture, and language which provide insights on human evolution; the physiology of human speech; and recent studies of the brain bases of human language and thought.

Instructor(s): P. Lieberman
M.,W.,F. 2:00-2:50 AM (G Hour), Location: TBD

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The ability to speak and understand a language involves having mastered (quite unconsciously) an intricate and highly structured rule-governed system. Linguists seek to model that rule system. This course introduces the principles underlying phonology (the principles which govern how sounds are put together), syntax (the rule system governing sentence structure), and semantics (the system which relates sentences to meanings).

Instructor(s): P. Jacobson
M.,W.,F. 10:00-10:50 AM (C Hour), Location: TBD

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How do the mind and the brain take physical energy such as light or sound and convert it into our perception of the world? This course examines the behavioral and biological bases of human and animal perceptual systems, including vision, audition, smell, taste, and touch. Particular emphasis is placed on high-level perception and how it relates to other cognitive systems.

Note. Interested students should register for PSYC 0440 S01 (CRN 15074).

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An examination of children's thinking and cognitive development from infancy to middle childhood. Considers a range of topics including memory, reasoning, categorization, perception, and children's understanding of concepts such as space, time, number, mind, and biology. Major theories of cognitive development are described and evaluated in light of the available psychological data.

Instructor(s): J. Morgan
M.,W.,F. 11:00-11:50 AM (D Hour), Location: TBD

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An introduction to a variety of issues in linguistic semantics and in the related philosophical literature. Topics include: the nature of semantic representations; the relationship between meaning and the world; truth-conditional and "logical" semantics; word-meaning; the interaction of semantics and pragmatics; presupposition; the interaction of semantics with syntax.

Instructor(s): M. Husband
M.,W.,F. 9:00-9:50 AM (B Hour), Location: TBD

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Examines some of the classic and current issues regarding sound structure in the world's languages and introduces the theoretical tools needed to solve them. After a brief introduction to articulatory phonetics and phonemic analysis, it focuses on phonological analysis of different languages, discussing segmental phonology, syllable structure, autosegmental representations, stress systems, and prosodic word structure. Implications for language learning and language change are discussed. Prerequisite: COGS0410.

Instructor(s): K. Demuth
T.,Th. 10:30- 11:20 AM (H Hour), Location: TBD

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The ecological approach treats perceiving and acting as activities of agent-environment system rather than an isolated "mind," and offers an alternative to the prevailing computational/representational view. Topics include inferential and direct perception, perception of the 3D environment, visual control of action, dynamics of motor coordination, and self-organization of behavior. Lecture and discussion. Prerequisite (any one of the following): COGS 0010, PSYC 0010, COGS 0110, or COGS/PSYC 0440.

Instructor(s): W. Warren
T, Th. 1:00-2:20 PM (I Hour) Location: TBD

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Explores the nature of language processing with the goal of understanding how we produce and comprehend language. Topics include speech production and speech perception, lexical processing, and syntactic processing. Experimental investigations are studied in an attempt to understand the processes and mechanisms employed in the everyday use of language. Prerequisite (one of the following): COGS 0010, COGS 0410, or COGS 0450.

Instructor(s): M. Husband
M.,W.,F. 2:00-2:50 AM (G Hour), Location: TBD

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All normally developing children acquire language, yet there is little agreement about how this takes place. This class explores the course of language acquisition from birth to babbling and first words to the use of complex syntax, discussing philosophical, theoretical, and methodological approaches to the problem. Includes practical experience analyzing child language data. Prerequisite: COGS 0410 or COGS 0450, or permission of the instructor.

Instructor(s): K. Demuth
M.,W.,F. 1:00-1:50 AM (F Hour), Location: TBD

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How does the brain produce the mind? This course introduces methods in computational cognitive neuroscience that have been applied to answering this question. We focus on simulations of cognitive and perceptual processes, using neural network models that bridge the gap between biology and behavior. We first consider the basic biological and computational properties of individual neurons and networks of neurons, followed by learning mechanisms that allow networks to be adaptive. We examine specialized functions of various brain regions (visual cortex, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia) as they pertain to various cognitive processes, including perception, learning, attention, episodic and working memory, language, and cognitive control. The class includes a lab component in which students get hands on experience with graphical neural network software, allowing deeper, more intuitive appreciation for how these systems work. Prerequisites: COGS 0010 or COGS 0420; and PSYC 0750 or NEUR 0010. Elementary calculus suggested but not required. Programming experience not needed but is helpful for students wishing to pursue advanced projects.

Instructor(s): M. Frank
T.,Th. 9:00 - 10:20 PM (H Hour), Location: TBD

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Laboratory in Cognitive Processing

Presents the experimental way of thinking by pursuing several topics in an interactive computer-based laboratory. Students run experiments as a class and, by the end of the course, run their own experiment. Focus is on experimental design, procedure, analysis, and reporting. Topics include attention, visual imagery, memory, and reasoning. Prerequisite: CG9, 42, 44 (COGS 0090, 0420, 0440) or permission of the instructor.

Instructor(s): K. Spoehr
W. 3:00-5:20 PM (N Hour) Location: TBD

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How is human memory like a search engine? Is human knowledge like the internet? What can artificial intelligence and machine learning tell us about the mind? This seminar explores parallels between human cognition and contemporary research in computer science, emphasizing common problems. In addition to the above, topics include simplicity, randomness, coincidences, and causality.

Please note, during the fall 2009 semester, interested students must register for CSCI 1950F S01 (CRN 15475); during the spring 2010 semester, interested students must register for CSCI 1680 S01 (CRN 24106).

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Time: Arranged See registration staff for meeting code.

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Each student will assist a designated faculty member in teaching a course in cognitive science or related discipline. Section numbers vary by instructor. Please see the registration staff for the correct section number to use when registering for this course. May be repeated for credit.

Time: Arranged See registration staff for meeting code.

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For graduate students who have met the tuition requirement and are paying the registration fee to continue active enrollment while preparing for a preliminary examination.

CG0289 S01 Exam Group: See instructor.
Time: Arranged

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Independent research in Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences. Section numbers vary by instructor. Please see the registration staff for the correct section number to use when registering for the course. May be repeated once for credit, S/NC.

Time: Arranged, See regsitration staff for details

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For graduate students who have met the tuition requirement and are paying the registration fee to continue active enrollment while preparing a thesis.

Time: Arranged, See regsitration staff for details

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* Last updated August 20, 2009*