Foundations of MATLAB Programming for Behavioral Sciences

This textbook introduces the fundamentals of MATLAB for behavioral sciences in a concise and accessible way. Written for those with or without computer programming experience, it works progressively from fundamentals to applied topics, culminating in in-depth projects. Part I covers programming basics, ensuring a firm foundation of knowledge moving forward. Difficult topics, such as data structures and program flow, are then explained with examples from the behavioral sciences. Part II introduces projects for students to apply their learning directly to real-world problems in computational modelling, data analysis, and experiment design, with an exploration of Psychtoolbox. Accompanied by online code and datasets, extension materials, and additional projects, with test banks, lecture slides, and a manual for instructors, this textbook represents a complete toolbox for both students and instructors.

• Written specifically for students in the behavioral sciences, using discipline-specific examples
• Provides a crash course on the fundamentals of computer programming, making the text accessible to students without prior coding experience
• Exercises in each chapter emphasize hands-on, applied learning, culminating in in-depth projects at the end of the book
• Accompanied online by code and datasets, extension materials, and additional projects, with test banks, lecture slides, and a manual for instructors
• Pedagogical tools support reading and study, including learning objectives, explainer boxes, and exercises based on real-world examples