512-120 Introductory Experimental Psychology 1

No prerequisites

This subject comprises four units.

Behavioural Neuroscience looks at how biology underlies and influences behaviour. Specific areas will be selected from basic brain and nervous system structure and function; behaviour genetics; how vision, hearing, touch and pain are processed; the roles of sleep and dreams; and biological theories of mental illness and neurological disease.

Learning and Cognition introduces the experimental study of higher cognitive processes, such as attention, recognition, memory, learning, language, and reasoning. Key theoretical advances and research on these cognitive processes are surveyed and intergrated. Aspects of cognitive development and cognitive impairment are also considered.

Perception introduces sensation and perception, with an emphasis on the visual system as a model perceptual system. Specific topics will be selected from examination of the functional properties of sensory systems (eg. auditory system, colour vision, touch and kinaesthenia); phenomenology of sensation and perception; psychophysical limits of perceptual systems; goals of sensory coding; structure and evolution of sensory systems; and computational models of visual perception.

Introduction to Research Design and Descriptive Statistics is taught in the laboratory program, and covers methods for collecting and describing data. Specific topics include: the design of experiments to test propositions about human behaviour; tools for describing how data are distributed; an introduction to the concept of probability; and techniques for sampling data from populations.

An examination of not more than two hours comprising multiple choice questions and covering all four components of the subject (75%).

Laboratory assignments of not more than 2000 words (25%).

Participation in three hours of experimental work and attendance at 80% or more of laboratory classes (hurdle requirement). In the event that the hurdle requirement is not met, additional work will be required before a passing mark can be awarded.