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PHIL42000

Academic Year 2026/2027

Empirical Methods in the Mind Sciences (PHIL42000)

Subject:
Philosophy
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Philosophy
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr Leda Berio
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The science and philosophy of mind has become increasingly interdisciplinary, with researchers having to understand and interpret the results of experiments well beyond their own specialism. This module surveys the use of empirical methods and techniques from across the cognitive sciences in order to help you understand and interpret this complex and evolving literature. In it, you will discuss the relationship between theory and empirical evidence, experimental design and measurement techniques—psychophysics, EEG, fMRI, etc.—and basic statistical concepts through a series of case studies. Each topic will be examined from an interdisciplinary perspective, studying both general trends in empirical methods and speicific examples. The module is suitable for students both with or without prior empirical experience.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module the students will be able to:

- Develop the ability to think critically about different approaches to the study of the mind
- Think clearly about the relationships between minds and behaviour, data, evidence, and theory
- Synthesise and organise a variety of ideas, information, and sometimes dense prose
- Engage with empirical research papers from different scientific disciplines
- Formulate their own arguments in clear and concise ways

Indicative Module Content:

Topics covered will vary from year to year, but may include:
• How do language and communication work?
• What is the role of consciousness?
• How do we understand individuals and cultures?
• How can we use statistical data to understand human behaviour?

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

75
Autonomous Student Learning

150
Lectures

24
Total

249

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Learning for this module is centred around
• 2-hour interactive seminar sessions
• content presented in class
• slides and class notes
• required readings shared by the lecturers on the module Brightspace page

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): This will be a short written assignment Week 8 Graded No
30
 Yes
Participation in Learning Activities: Presentation in class Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
30
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Final written work Week 15 Graded No
40
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Name Role
Dr Leda Berio Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 12:00 - 13:50
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