Cognitive Psychology explores the mind and brain as information processing systems. We will explore how the brain and mind are designed to collect and interpret data from the environment and then use that data to perceive the world, create memories, make decisions, plan actions, and act in the environment in such a way as to accomplish a required goal. This course explores the cognitive approach to psychology as it studies the topics of memory, attention, perception, problem solving, decision making, and language, among others. This class may include students from multiple sections. (Social Sciences, Elective)
Prerequisites
Course Outcomes
- Develop and apply critical thinking skills by understanding the scientific method and how it is applied to cognitive psychology.
- Describe the advantages and disadvantages of cognitive models as they help us understand the relationship between the mind and the brain.
- Apply the ecological perspective to the relationship between perception and action.
- Explain the role of attention in cognitive processing.
- Use evidence from memory research to identify the differences between short term memory, working memory, and long term memory.
- Explore research on the reconstructive nature of memory to better understand memory errors.
- Explain the different cognitive models used to define knowledge and learning to understand the means by which the brain organizes knowledge.
- Investigate the way that the brain processes language, and the role language plays in shaping our cognitions.
- Apply cognitive principles to better understand the processes of decision making and problem solving.