PSY 232T Psychology and Technology: A Tour in the Netherlands
This course introduces students to research and practice connecting technology to psychology and aims to spark an interest in exploring what technology can give to the discipline of psychology, and vice versa. The classes open your eyes to the everyday impact of technology on our psychological functioning and wellbeing. We will explore questions such as how can technology be used in psychological research and what is the potential of technology in psychological interventions and therapies. Can Virtual Reality innovations help us alleviate psychological suffering? Are mobile apps and social media only a source of digital addiction and suffering, or can they be used in ways that support human well-being and flourishing? We will also incorporate elements from narrative research into the course and ask how storytelling can assist in design thinking and in developing technological innovations. During the Academic Travel portion of the course, students will be able to appreciate first-hand the interconnectedness of psychology and technology by visiting Virtual Reality labs and by meeting and interacting with students and researchers active in various technology-related fields from Data Science to product development. Students will be exposed to recent developments in e.g. mobile app development and design thinking, and explore the business perspective to psychology and technology. Tentatively, the Academic Travel portion of this course will take place in the cities of Amsterdam, Enschede, and Tilburg.