Thesis subject
Applications of neuroscience in society
The Strategic Communication Group is looking for one of two students who would like to analyze four mini debates about applications of neuroscience in society, as they were organized by the Young Academy of Science (De Jonge Akademie) in October 2013.
Four groups β a group of scientists, a mixed group of youngsters, scientists and 'lay'citizens, a group of βlayβ citizens only, and a group of adolescents β discussed
- the use of neuroscience (brain scans) in the courtroom and
- the use of Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson disease as well as psychiatric illnesses.
The goal of this thesis project is to find out possible differences and similarities between the four groups in terms of
- interaction patterns (for this discourse analysis you should have completed the course Communication Strategies in Everyday Life) or
- themes and lines of arguments.
Also, we are interested in the possible implications of these studies for the public debate on neuroscientific insights.