The Psychology of Adaptation

Current updates and messages: 

• NO in-person CLASS! on the 15th of September!
  Please watch this YouTube video by Sándor Albrecht on Data Driven Social Science   -  this is our 1st topic to be discussed in class!

• 2025/9/26-27.: Researcher's Night!  
  9/26 17.30-19: our lab inroduces: "Calm The Waves" in English: Calm the Waves - A novel biofeedback tool for emotion regulation

Current updates, effective for the present semester:

• On the classes the different perspectives of the psychology of adaptation will be presented (the data science, developmental, genetic, evolutionary, personality, cognitive and affective psychology perspectives) with students' active participation in the discussions of the topics. 1-3 compulsory and several recommended articles will be provided for each topic on the course google drive (link is sent via Neptun email).

• During the semester you should present a compulsory course activity to receive THE FIRST PART OF YOUR COURSE GRADE.
  This semester these activities may be a Flash talk / Presentation / Group Demonstration or Debate. The topic shoud be connected to the different perspectives discussed in class, but may include practically any topic of Your interests! See details below and the course schedule for dates.

• The SECOND PART OF YOUR COURSE GRADE will be based on a 24h exam - for which you have to sign up in Neptun in the exam period  (dates will be announced as Neptun exams, the online exam will be on CANVAS). The "24h essay task" is a single question to be answered in a 2-page essay. It can be anything from all the materials covered throughout the the semester. an example: "Connect two perspectives learnt on this course and provide an example to portray benefits of taking into consideration both".  On this exam you are free to use any resource to answer the question of the exam in no more than 2-pages, but make sure that it is a coherent work from YOU at the end, not the collection of thoughts from others. Illustrations and references are welcome but not complusory, and they can excede the length requirement. Evaluation will be based on content, coherence, & creativity of the essay.
  Make your essay the best! :)

Description of course Activities in more detail:
FLASH TALKS / PRESENTATIONS:
If you’d like to present a topic close to your heart on a single slide, a Flash Talk is the perfect choice! You’ll have 3–5 minutes to dazzle your audience with a well-rehearsed yet seemingly spontaneous talk, sprinkled with humor and twists. The audience’s focus should be on you. You may accompany your talk with a carefully crafted single slide, bring a prop instead, or go without either. More information and methodology details will be provided in class. You may also decide to put the focus on the presentation. Here you can present more slides (e.g. 3), with a time limit of 5 minutes.
GROUP DEMONSTRATIONS / DEBATES:
A group of 3–10 students may form a team to demonstrate something interesting to the class. The time limit is 3–5 minutes per person. Each demonstration should be a collective effort, built around a topic that interests you and, most importantly, engages your classmates through activities (e.g., games, quizzes). Practically anything goes—use your imagination! The chosen topic should be linked to one of the main course topics already discussed but must be unique (whether broad or narrow). All demonstrators will receive the same group grade, based on the overall performance.
How to prepare? Organize your group, discuss and refine your topic, plan, practice, and make sure you’re engaging and entertaining. Ensure active participation from your audience, and mind the time limit.
Debates revolve around a topic chosen by the group, but here you have certain roles set:
- the MODERATOR is responsible for conducting the debate, ensuring a balanced flow of ideas
- the TIMEKEEPER makes sure the event is kept on schedule
- the AFFIRMATIVE MEMBER/DUO/TEAM supports the resolution or topic being debated
- the NEGATIVE MEMBER/DUO/TEAM: This team or individual opposes the resolution or topic.
Timig shoud be calculated the same way as for the group demonstrations.

The general course outline (see updates for the present semester above):