Education profile

Psychologists try to get a grip on human behaviour by formulating theories and testing them through research. Because our behaviour is driven by a whole range of factors, there is an equally wide range of different theories within the field of psychology. The Psychology programme at Maastricht introduces students to all of these approaches. The programme teaches students to independently design and carry out scientific research.

The bachelor’s in Psychology in Maastricht is distinct for its dual focus:

cognitive psychology examines the often unconscious mental processes between the external event (the stimulus) and our reaction to it (the response)
biological psychology assumes that everything we consciously or unconsciously perceive, do and think is due to patterns of activity in the brain, and brain-imaging techniques like fMRI play an important role in this approach

Cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology operates off the premise that our behaviour is not so much caused by the events that happen around us, but by our interpretation of them. It’s not the creaking branch in the dark forest that causes the lone walker to run away in fear, but rather his or her interpretation of that sound. Inexperienced or anxious people will be quicker to attribute it to something frightening. People who are used to the noises of a forest will interpret it in another way, which will cause them to react differently. In other words, between the external event (the stimulus) and our reaction to it (the response), many different, often unconscious, mental processes take place. These are called cognitive processes.

Biological psychology
Biological psychology assumes that everything we consciously or unconsciously perceive, do and think is due to patterns of activity in the brain. If you consider that our brains contain more neurons than there are stars in the sky, it’s clear why the human brain is among the most complex structures in the world. Various techniques, including the latest brain-imaging techniques, make it possible to look inside the living brain and measure where activity occurs when you undertake a particular action or have a certain thought. Such techniques can also measure the effects of psychoactive drugs that change the way we think, act and perceive. Examples of these are tranquillisers that slow down the central nervous system or stimulants like amphetamines and caffeine, which activate the nervous system.