Cognitive Psychology

2024/2025

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

5

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

Department of Sociology

Course type:

Elective course

When:

3 year, 1, 2 module

Instructor

Alenina, Evgeniia

Course Syllabus

Abstract

Every day our mind performs incredibly complex computations. It helps us to make sense of sensory information, memorize different things, learn new concepts and categories, make decisions, and creatively solve problems. All these topics are studied by cognitive psychology. The course is designed for students that already have basic knowledge in psychology and want to deepen their understanding of human cognition. Students will learn about the most influential theories and empirical studies of perception, attention, memory, learning, thinking, and consciousness. Seminar activities will help to develop critical thinking and communication competence, while group projects and home assignments promote the ability to apply knowledge to real-life problems.

Learning Objectives

• • describe major concepts in cognitive psychology • analyze and critically evaluate theories and empirical studies in cognitive psychology • understand the connection between basic and applied research in cognitive psychology • apply major concepts and theories of cognitive psychology to real-life problems

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Apply memory principles to real-life problems
• Critically evaluate direct and indirect theories of perception
• Critically evaluate theoretical perspectives on human decision-making
• Define terms: attention, divided attention, selective attention, inattention blindness, change blindness
• Describe and provide examples of memory processes (encoding, storage, and retrieval)
• Describe different heuristics and biases in decision-making (anchoring, framing, representativeness, availability, and etc.)
• Describe the structure of long-term memory (E. Tulving)
• Describe theories of forgetting (displacement, trace decay, repression, interference)
• Describe types of sensations and distinguish between distant vs. contact senses; general vs. special senses.
• Explain the relationship between applied and basic research in cognitive psychology
• Find, evaluate and use the necessary information from different sources in order to develop a critical test that allows to evaluate if an artificial intelligent system is conscious
• List the assumptions of the information processing approach to cognition
• Describe cognitive psychology as a part of cognitive science
• Describe the multi-store memory model (Atkinson & Shiffrin)

Course Contents

• Cognitive Psychology: Introduction & Historical Overview
• Sensation & Perception. Attention.
• Memory
• Learning, Thinking, and Decision-Making
• Consciousness. Human vs. Artificial Intelligence.
• Trends and challenges in cognitive psychology

Assessment Elements

• Exam Test
  The exam will be in written form (test). The test consists of 30 multiple-choice questions evaluated equally. Students can use handwritten or printed notes during the test (but the time is limited).
• Project 1. Memory
  There are 2 group projects in the course. Students present the results of their project during seminar classes. Students that were absent during the project presentation have to provide the results of the project in a form of a written report. Group projects have the following evaluation: content of the presentation (0-4), structure (0-3), style (0-2), interaction (0-1). Project 1 is aiming to find or develop a solution for a real-life problem that requires an understanding of how memory works. Make a presentation (up to 10 minutes)
• Seminars
• Project 2. Criteria for Counsciousness
  There are 2 group projects in the course. Students present the results of their project during seminar classes. Students that were absent during the project presentation have to provide the results of the project in a form of a written report. Group projects have the following evaluation: content of the presentation (0-4), structure (0-3), style (0-2), interaction (0-1). Project 2 is aiming to find or develop a critical test that allows to evaluate if an artificial intelligent system is conscious. Make a presentation (10 minutes) or a written report (3-4 pages) describing the results of your project.
• Seminars

Interim Assessment

• 2024/2025 1st module
  0.7 * Project 1. Memory + 0.3 * Seminars
• 2024/2025 2nd module
  Seminars (30%) + Project 2 (40%) + Exam test (30%)

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Eysenck, M. W., & Keane, M. T. (2015). Cognitive Psychology : A Student’s Handbook (Vol. Seventh edition). Hove, East Sussex: Psychology Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=955932
• Weisberg, R. W., & Reeves, L. (2013). Cognition : From Memory to Creativity. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=531239

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Chalmers, D. J. (1996). The Conscious Mind : In Search of a Fundamental Theory. New York: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=55770
• Dennett, D. C. (2005). Sweet Dreams : Philosophical Obstacles to a Science of Consciousness. Cambridge, Mass: A Bradford Book. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=138505
• Goldstein, E. B., & Hooff, J. van. (2018). Cognitive Psychology: Vol. 1st EMEA edition. Cengage Learning.
• Levitin, D. J. (2002). Foundations of Cognitive Psychology : Core Readings. Cambridge, Mass: A Bradford Book. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=78136

Authors

• ALENINA EVGENIYA ALEKSEEVNA
• Ильина Мария Ивановна