MUS1054V – Pupillometry: The Eye as a Window Into the Mind

Course content

This course introduces pupillometry and eye-tracking as research methods with applications in psychology, neuroscience, and related fields. Students explore what pupil dilation can reveal about emotion, cognitive effort, and other aspects of human functioning, alongside basic eye anatomy and physiology. The course covers technologies and procedures for collecting and analysing eye-tracking and pupillometry data, including baselines and statistical approaches. It also presents examples from disciplines such as musicology, developmental psychology, and psycholinguistics, and discusses ethical and legal considerations in this type of research.

Learning outcome

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

  • Describe the neural system behind the pupil response to light
  • Reflect on the relevance, challenges and ethical issues of using pupillometry in different fields of research
  • Design a simple pupillometry experiment related to psychological research, and calculate the most relevant measures in different pupillometry applications
  • Explore the way the pupillary response has influenced scientific theories and the arts, and explain the meaning of the pupil as an index of mental activity or effort

Admission to the course

To take the course, you need general university entrance qualification (GSK).

You apply for admission in EVUWeb. The application deadline is January 22.

The course has a capacity for 20 students. If there are more qualified applicants than there are places, those who apply first will be given priority.

Tuition fees:

Students with a citizenship from a country outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland must pay the tuition fees, unless they qualify for an exemption. Read about tuition fees and exemptions.

Teaching

The teaching will take place in the form of digital components in the period January 29 to March 12. Information about deadlines, resources and assignments is available in Canvas. Canvas is the learning management system used at the University of Oslo.The teaching material is available in both Norwegian and English.

Mandatory activities:

  • 6 teaching modules in Canvas must be approved. Each module has a multiple-choice test at the end. The tests must be completed during the time span the course is open

Examination

The course has no final exam. When the 6 mandatory multiple- choice tests belonging to the different modules have been completed as described above, the course is passed.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.

More about examinations at UiO

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.

Last updated from FS (Felles studentsystem) Nov. 5, 2026 11:45:36 PM

Facts about this course

Level
Bachelor
Credits
2.5
Teaching
Spring and autumn
Examination
Spring
Teaching language
English

Contact

Department of Musicology