Hampshire College
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Cognitive Science
Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary field devoted to the study of the mind, the brain, and computing technology. Hampshire’s diverse program serves students with interests in many areas, including psychology, philosophy, linguistics, biology, animal behavior, computer science, education, child development, learning, digital multimedia, and the social effects of new information technology.
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| Hampshire's ERP (Event-Related Potential) lab is one of very few housed at an undergraduate college. | |
Many different types of concentrations and projects can be organized in whole or in part around the study of the remarkable capacities of the mind and brain or around the potential of computers and digital technologies.
Hampshire’s Cognitive Science faculty holds expertise in three broad areas of concentration: mind and brain, knowledge and language, and computing technology.
Members of the CS faculty pursue a wide range of research and professional work, which provides students with extensive opportunities for hands-on projects, apprenticeships, and internships.
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| Sample First-Year Course |
Telling Our Stories: Development and Functions of Autobiographical Memory |
Autobiographical memories of personal past experiences create our life stories. Our memories range from the mundane to the momentous. In this course we will explore the functions of autobiographical memory as well as its development. Why do we share stories of our pasts? How do we interpret past events to inform the development of our self identity? How do social experiences contribute to the development of memory? What are the basic cognitive processes that contribute to our ability to remember and report the past? In addition to examining these questions, we will also explore the role of culture on the functions, socialization, and expression of autobiographical memories. Students will read primary literature, write a series of short papers, present summaries of articles, and complete a group research project related to the material for the course.
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| Facilities and Resources |
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ERP Lab Facilities used to conduct ERP research are relatively rare among undergraduate institutions, but at Hampshire the ERP lab is in frequent use by advanced-level students who design their own original experiments with funding from the Culture, Brain, and Development program. Culture, Brain, and Development Funded by the Foundation for Psychocultural Research, the goal of CBD is to foster innovative learning and research into questions about the relationships among culture, environment, biology, and brain/mind that reach across traditional disciplinary boundaries. The program sponsors events such as public lectures, seminars, and a distinguished lecture series. It offers stipends for students to encourage upper-level work at the intersection of culture, brain, and development, and has supported faculty in designing multi-disciplinary courses on these issues. Cognitive Development and the Psychology of Children |
Contact Us
Hampshire College
893 West Street
Amherst, MA 01002
413.559.5378
Fax 413.559.6081
dof@hampshire.edu