Topics of the program:

Week 1 (June 29th - July 3rd)

During the first week, students will acquire foundational knowledge for the optimal design of experimental paradigms in psychological research, exploring both theoretical and practical aspects. Four key techniques will be introduced: electroencephalography (EEG), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), kinematic analysis, and virtual reality use in brain-computer interfaces. These methodologies will be addressed with an applied approach, through lectures and seminars delivered by national and international experts. In particular, the advantages of using fNIRS in the study of movement and the analysis of emotions through facial expressions will be discussed.

Week 2 (July 6th - July 10th)

The second week will focus on the acquisition of computational and statistical skills. Students will learn basic concepts of the most commonly used programming languages in psychological research, such as Python and R, through a cross-disciplinary introductory course. They will also learn to create scientific reports and presentations using Quarto software and to design Shiny Apps, open-source interactive web applications developed in R. Another module will be dedicated to quantitative text analysis, a rapidly growing field that involves the use of advanced tools to extract knowledge from large volumes of textual data. Students will also cover the basics of machine learning, applied to the modeling of psychological data, and will take part in a seminar on neuroethics, a topic of increasing relevance in cognitive neuroscience.