Applied Cognitive Psychology
Guido Band – [email protected]
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Program today
Why Choose Applied Cognitive Psychology (ACP)?
ACP versus other specializations
Our focus
The curriculum
Internship & Occupational perspective
Applied Cognitive Psychology
Guido Band – [email protected]
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Why Choose
Applied Cognitive Psychology?
1) You know the importance of COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE
(memory, attention, decision making, emotions, and action)
in our society
2) You realize that performance can be IMPROVED
3) You want to learn How, Where, When, and for Whom
Maximizing cognitive performance by
changes to the person: intelligence, creativity, productivity
changes to the context: safety, regulations, clarity, health, accuracy
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Educational Science:
Learning, Training,
Instructions
Neuroscience:
Brain plasticity, Learning,
Nutrition & Health
Applied Cognitive Psychology:
OPTIMIZING
Social Psychology HUMAN PERFORMANCE
Leadership, Motivation
ICT / Engineering:
Robotics, Software, Webdesign
Occupational Health Psychology:
Work and Health, Stress
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Cognitive Enhancement
Optimizing the person
Training
Coaching
Building
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Cognitive Enhancement
Optimizing the interactions
Designing
Testing
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Cognitive Ergonomics
Apply what we know about
perception and memory
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Cognitive Ergonomics
Learning from errors, and from successes
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Cognitive Ergonomics
and handling risks
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Interested?
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Access criteria
Psychology Bachelor / Premaster + Sufficient knowledge of cognitive psychology,
obtained through one of these:
Minor Brain & Cognition OR
Cognitive Ergonomics OR
Cognitive Neuroscience
Ward, The student’s guide to
cognitive neuroscience (2nd ed.)
Gazzaniga et al., Cognitive
Neuroscience: The Biology of the
Mind. (3rd or 4th ed)
Wickens et al: An introduction to
Human Factors Engeneering,
(2nd ed)
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Master (MSc) in Psychology: 60 ECTS
• Mandatory courses
• Elective courses (in/outside)
25
5
ECTS
ECTS
• Internship
• Thesis
10
20
ECTS
ECTS
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Mandatory courses: 5 x 5 ECTS
• The Art of Applying Psychology
• Human Computer Interaction
• Human Potential: Theory
• Human Potential: Application
• Decision Making: Theory and Practice
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What topics?
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What can an academic contribute in a
(commercial) society?
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Which life style is optimal for the brain?
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Should Ritalin be permitted as a
cognitive enhancer for healthy
people?
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Can games be used as an education tool?
Can neurofeedback
improve brain activity?
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Which light conditions are optimal for school results?
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How can information best be presented?
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How do we make decisions, and how should we make
decisions?
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How can we optimize alertness during shift work and
after extended workdays?
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What can we do to make people more creative?
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How can we prolong independence among older adults?
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Overview of the program
Semester 1
Semester 2
September
November
The Art of Applying Psychology +
Human Potential: Theory
Human Potential: Application
Thesis/Internship
Thesis/Internship
ELECTIVES
ELECTIVES
February
April
Human Computer Interaction
Decision Making: Theory and Practice
Thesis/Internship
Thesis/Internship
ELECTIVES
ELECTIVES
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Electives: 1 x 5 ECTS
Create your personal profile by electives and internship
Any MA-elective taught in Psychology in Leiden
Other courses at MA level:
Official permission always required
Option: TU Delft Industrial Design
Option: indispensable research master course

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Official electives list
socialsciences.leiden.edu/psychology/students/postgraduate-stud/master-electives.html
•
•
•
•
Innovations in e-Health Care
Trainers Course Communication Skills
Applied Data Analysis
Environmental Psychology
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Advanced Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Adult and Old-Age Clinical Neuropsychology: Theory and Assessment
Child Neuropsychology: Theory and Assessment of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
The Psychodynamic Perspective
Transdiagnostic Approach to Eating Disorders
The Psychology of Economic Behaviour
Health Psychology in Practice
Structural Equation Models
Multilevel Analysis
fMRI Data and Statistics
Motivation, Power and Leadership
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Lecturers
Jop Groeneweg
Guido Band
Pascal
Haazebroek
Fenna Poletiek
Kerwin Olfers
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Job perspective
&
Internship options
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
Internship (10 ECTS)
Obtaining experience in research

Thesis (20 ECTS)
Full research project under supervision
In a company or at the university
 Separate or combined

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Internship/Thesis – examples
Cognitive Enhancement (external)
LUMC
KLM
Philips Research
LUMC + LU
Optimizing the training for surgery
Improving Situation Awareness in pilots
Optimizing sleep quality
Light and Cognition
Prevention of dementia
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Internship/Thesis – examples
Human Factors (external)
AMC
Prorail
InterGo
Dutch roads
SWOV
Dutch safety board
NLR
NSCR
Police Academy
Alert fatigue in doctors
Situation awareness in rail traffic controllers
Human factors in railway inspection
Identification of accident-prone locations
Dead-angle accidents involving trucks and bikes
Accident analysis
Human factors in pilot behavior (including control of drones)
Reliability of eye witness reports
Human factors in police work
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Internship/Thesis – examples
Usability (external)
NASA
7Causes
TNO
TNO
Displays of weather information
Marketing: setting up a website
Human Factors in the Navy: Remote control
PDA as supporting device for the police
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Internship/Thesis – examples
Cognitive Enhancement (internal)
Leiden University Enhancement in young and old by:
- Meditation
- Language, Bilingualism
- Fitness
- Nutrition
- Games
- Social media
- Electrical brain stimulation
- Neurofeedback
- Drug use
- Mood
- Motivation
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Questions?
Guido Band: [email protected]
2B09
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