PSY2150: Cognitive Psychology

Abstract

Course Philosophy: The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the study of human cognition: how we perceive the world, remember, reason, think, and learn. This course will present an overview of cognitive psychology; its findings, theories, and approach. Cognitive psychologists ask questions like: • Can we easily divide our attention between tasks (e.g. driving and talking on a cell phone)? • What factors determine how quickly we learn and how well we recall new information? • How does thought emerge from the brain? How is thought affected by damage to the brain? Course Objectives: I hope to convey my excitement about the ideas and questions that define the field of Cognitive Science. In addition, I hope to highlight some of the conceptual and research tools that are used to investigate these questions. Furthermore, we will examine some of the answers that seem to be emerging.