Content
A central problem in the neuroscience of perception is how conscious perception is able to integrate visual features that are processed in separate areas of the brain. Different areas in the visual cortex are specialized for processing different features, such as color, motion, and shape. For instance, when presented with a scene containing a blue square and a red triangle, some neurons will signal the presence of blue and red, while others signal the presence square and triangle shapes. How does the brain bind the right color to the right shape?

One way to study this problem is Visual Search. In a visual search task, a person searches an array of items for a target (eg. Where’s Waldo?). The speed at which a particular target can be found among particular non-targets is informative about the way its defining properties are encoded in the brain.

Format
In the first week the student will be introduced to the Matlab programming environment. The student will master input/output functions (e.g. data collection by keyboard, filing of data), as well as setting up a fully computerized experiment and analyzing the resulting data. Based on provided literature, students will formulate a research question and design an experiment to answer that question using a visual search paradigm.

During the second week, students participate in each other’s experiments. A practical introduction to relevant statistical techniques is given, and students apply these techniques to analyse their data. At the end of the second week, there is a mini-conference during which students present their findings in the form of poster presentations.

Students are evaluated on their lab work and their final presentation. 

Attendance
Due to the short duration and intensive nature of the lab course, 100% attendance is required.