512-224 Cognitive Psychology 2

512-120 and 512-121 (or equivalent)

This subject examines higher mental processes such as attention, memory, language and thinking. The subject comprises two units.

Attention and Memory deals with the experimental study of attention and memory. It examines the nature and function of selective attention and its role in human cognition, and investigates the structure, function and organisation of the human memory system. The approach taken is an information-processing one, in which an analysis is made of human performance on simple cognitive tasks. This method is used to gain insight into the processes that underlie everyday cognitive activity, and to evaluate competing theoretical accounts of what attention and memory are and how they function.

Language and Cognition introduces students to the experimental study of language and cognition. Language lectures give students an understanding of the nature and function of language by exploring such issues as language acquisition, the biology of language and speech, language disorders, and issues in reading and writing. The cognition lectures provide students with an introduction to issues in human cognition such as problem solving and representation, decision-making, and the relationship between language and thought.

On completion of this subject, students should be able to: give a critical account of the main theories in one or more topic areas of cognitive psychology; derive testable empirical predictions from a theory that is expressed in abstract, information-processing terms; assess the adequacy of a cognitive theory in relation to a given set of experimental findings; summarise and analyse data in a way that is appropriate to the empirical test of a cognitive theory; write a laboratory report that clearly expresses the relationship between theory, predictions, empirical test, and subsequent inferences.

A laboratory report of no more than 2000 words (30%), a laboratory in-class exercise (10%) and an examination of no more than two hours (60%).

Each piece of assessment must be completed (hurdle requirement).

Attendance at 80% or more of the laboratory classes is a hurdle requirement. In case of failure to meet the hurdle requirement, additional work will be required before a passing grade can be awarded.