This course will survey modern cognitive psychology through discussion of primary and secondary sources. We will cover the topics: perception, attention, mental imagery, knowledge representation, memory, problem solving, categorization, motor control, decision making, problem solving, expertise, reasoning, and decision making. We will learn this information through course readings, lecture, and discussion.
- Describe the basic processes underlying a variety of cognitive phenomena, including perception, learning & memory, knowledge, and decision-making.
- Demonstrate familiarity with major concepts in cognitive psychology, including theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends.
- Be able to discuss the ways that environmental and biological processes contribute to cognitive abilities.
- Apply psychological concepts to general descriptions of human behavior as well as your own experiences and attitudes.
Cognitive Psychology, John Anderson 9th Edition, other readings as assigned.
Weighting of Grade Components
Midterm Exam - 25%
Final Exam - 25%
Quizzes - 30%
Online discussions, attendance, participation - 20%
Total - 100%
Attendance to every class period is expected, and a portion of your grade will be based on your attendance and participation during class.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help students master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.
This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:
- How do I understand human experiences and connections, particularly in how we think, evaluate, decide, and understand?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:
- Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human cognition, and how historical, economic, political, social, or geographic relationships develop, persist, or change.
Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
- Critical thinking
- Information Literacy
- Perspective-Taking
- Persuasion
- Problem Solving