Psychology of cognitive processes

elementary

(in Polish) PS_W03; PS_W09; PS_U04;

Course goals: The main goal of the course is learning students the basic theories of cognitive psychology and how these theories are derived from empirical data. Moreover, main limitations and controversies over this area of psychology will be described. The future and prospects of cognitive psychology will be discussed.

Topics

1. Introduction: beginnings of cognitive psychology as a separate approach in psychology. Cognitive psychology as a discipline of cognitive science. Relations between cognitive psychology and philosphy of mind.

2. Theories of perception. "Top-bottom" vs. "Bottom-up" approach.Computational model of visual perception. Pattern recognition: ptototypes vs. features. Recognition-by-components: Biederman's theory of human image understanding.

3. Functions and ascpects of attention Cognitive control: . Theories of selective attention, perceptual search, and divided attention.

4. Imagery debate. Concepts: Classic, probablistic and exemplar aproaches. The role of theories in conceptual coherence.

5. Language: Chomsky and generative grammar. Word and sentence comprehension. Thought and language.

6. A brief history of memory research. Methods of memory research. Signal detection theory.

11. Decision making. Thinking and reasoning.

7. Working memory.

8. Systems of memory. Memory processes. Levels of processing framework.

9. Implicit memory.

10. Autobiographical memory. Metamemory. Source monitoring framework. Schemata. Dynamic memory by Schank.

15. Resume.

Basic readings:

1. Falkowski, A., Maruszewski, T., Nęcka, E. Procesy poznawcze. W: J. Srelau, D. Doliński, red. Psychologia. Podręcznik akademicki. Gdańsk: GWP, 2008, Tom 1, Rozdział. 6.

2. Maruszewski T. Psychologia poznania. Umysł i świat. Gdańsk: GWP, 2011.

3. Nęcka E., Orzechowski J., Szymura B.: Psychologia poznawcza. Warszawa: PWN i ACADEMICA, 2006.

4. Sternberg RJ.: Psychologia poznawcza. Warszawa: WSiP, 2001

Additional readings:

1. Draaisma D. Machina metafor. Historia pamięci. Wydawnictwo Aletheia, Warszawa, 2009.

2. Gut A. O relacji między myślą a językiem. Lublin, KUL JPII, 2009.

3. Kahneman D. Pułapki myślenia. Poznań: Media Rodzina, 2012.

4. Francuz P. (red.): Obrazy w umyśle. Studia nad percepcją i wyobraźnią. Warszawa: SCHOLAR, 2007.

5. Jagodzińska, M. (2008). Psychologia Pamięci. Badania, teorie, zastosowania. Gliwice: Wyd. Helion.

6. Niedźwieńska, A. (2013). Pamięć prospektywna. Wyd. SEDNO.

Nieznański, M. (2015). Pamięć informacji kontekstowej. Wydawnictwo UKSW, Warszawa.

7. Schacter, D. (2003). Siedem grzechów pamięci. Jak zapominamy i zapamiętujemy. Warszawa: PIW.

Knowledge - a student lists and describes main aproaches and paradigms of cognitive psychology; characterizes cognitive processes and indicates empirical results that support particular theories.

Abilities - a student selects appropriate research methods for studying paricular cognitive processes, is able to interpret scientific papers presenting empirical results; is able to find and select sources of information to improve knowledge and ablities.

Skills -a student aims to gather relaiable and valid empirical data, keeps wary about accounts that are not supported by empirical investigation; and is aware of research limitations of cognitive psychology.

Final exam is in a written form. It covers issues presented during the lactures as well as obligatory reading (Falkowski, A., Maruszewski, T., Nęcka, E. Procesy poznawcze. W: J. Srelau, D. Doliński, red. Psychologia. Podręcznik akademicki. Gdańsk: GWP, 2008, Vol. 1, Chapter. 6.)

The final exam consists of forced-coice questions (with four options and only one correct) as well as open questions requiring self-generated answers.

Only students with at least 51% of achieved points will pass exam.

It is possible to obtain some extra points for such activities as participation in experiments in cognitive psychology.