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80669-01 - Seminar: A Unified Framework for Bayesian Cognitive Modelling (1 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Angela Leipold (angela.leipold@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This workshop will be held by Dr. Niek Stevenson (University of Amsterdam). 23.09.26 (14:00 - 18:00) und 24:09:26 (09:00 - 13:00) Cognitive models translate psychological theories into generative accounts of observable behaviour. Rather than describing differences in accuracy or response time alone, they aim to explain these observations in terms of latent cognitive processes, such as processing ability and response caution. Bayesian hierarchical methods provide a principled statistical framework for estimating these processes, quantifying uncertainty, and examining individual and group differences. This workshop introduces the theory and practice of Bayesian hierarchical cognitive modelling. The workshop will cover how to use models such as the diffusion decision model and linear ballistic accumulator to connect choices and response-time distributions to underlying cognitive mechanisms. We will develop models, estimate hierarchical structures, assess convergence and model fit, conduct posterior inference, and compare competing explanations. The workshop will also go into extensions, such as incorporating learning and joint modelling if time permits. Practical demonstrations will use EMC2, an R package that provides a unified workflow for specifying, estimating, checking, and interpreting Bayesian cognitive models. The broader goal is to equip participants with transferable conceptual and computationaltools for using mechanistic models of behavior. |
| Comments | The workshop is offered by the Society and Choice PhD program. Maximum number of participants: 12. Selection criteria: 1. PhD students from the SC-PSY PhD program 2. Master Science Tracker (StO 15) resp. Science Tracker Society and Choice (StO24) 3. Currently a PhD candidate in psychology 4. First come - first served SC-PSY rules for withdrawal, absence, or partial course attendance: If you cannot attend a workshop that you have signed up for, please cancel your course registration as soon as possible by sending an e-mail to angela.leipold@unibas.ch. This will allow other PhD students interested in the course to move up from the waiting list. The SC-PSY strongly values fairness. After the university’s official registration period has ended, cancelled course will be assessed with NE. Course registrations can be cancelled until one week before the workshops begins. In the case of late cancellations, participants will not be considered for course registration in the next three months of the lecture periods and will be removed from the registration list of any course they have signed up during these three upcoming months of the lecture periods. If an urgent, unforeseeable, or inevitable event before or during the workshop prevents a participant from attending, a written and substantiated withdrawal request that includes appropriate documentation (e.g. a doctor’s note) must be submitted to angela.leipold@unibas.ch within two days of the workshop and without being prompted. The program director decides on the approval of the withdrawal request. ECTS-points are awarded only for 100% course attendance. |
| Admission requirements | Doktorat im Bereich Psychologie. Für Masterstudierende im Society&Choice/SWE Science Track: Anmeldung und erfolgreiche Aufnahme in den SWE/S&C Science Track. Siehe: https://psychologie.unibas.ch/de/studium/doktoratsstudium/doktoratsprogramme/sc-psy/science-track/ |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| unregelmässig | See individual dates | ||
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 23.09.2026 | 14.00-18.00 | Missionsstrasse 64a, Seminarraum 00.001 |
| Thursday 24.09.2026 | 09.00-13.00 | Missionsstrasse 64a, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Modules |
Doctorate Psychology: Recommendations (PhD subject: Psychology) Module: Methodology of Social, Economic, and Decision Psychology (Master's Studies: Psychology (Start of studies before 01.08.2024)) Module: Science Track Health and Interventions (Master's Studies: Psychology) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Preparation and follow-up of the contents of the workshop as well as active participation. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration, dereg: cancel course registration |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Psychology, studiendekanat-psychologie@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Faculty of Psychology |