Cognitive Psychology  Spring 2007



Schedule of Topics and Assignments




DATE TOPIC Readings

INTRODUCTION TO COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
1/8
Origins and scope of cognitive approach (2 days) 1: 1-22
1/12
Theory and method in cognition (2) 2: 23-54

BASIC COGNITIVE SKILLS
1/19
Pattern organization and recognition (2) 3: 55-95; 10: 350-353

1/24
Context and control in pattern recognition (1)

1/26
Attention: capture and selectivity (2) 4: 99-112, 120-132

1/31
Attention: capacity, practice and automaticity (2) 4: 121-131
2/5
     EXAM #1: MONDAY FEB 5

LEARNING, MEMORY AND FORGETTING
2/7
Short-term memory: the classic view (1)     [Sonja Slides]
5: 135-161
2/9
Short-term memory: spatial codes and imagery (1) 9: 309-314, 326-342

2/12
Multimodal "working" STM (1) 5: 162-175
2/14
Kinds of long-term memory (1) 6: 179-192

2/16
Forming new long-term memories (2) 6: 192-208

2/21
Retrieval and forgetting (2)          [Sonja Slides]
6: 209-219
2/23
Memory for complex materials and events (1) 7: 223-238

2/26
Distortions, misattributions, and false memories (1) 7: 238-262

2/28
     EXAM #2: WEDNESDAY FEB 28

CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE
3/2
Concepts,categories and schemas in LTM (1) 8: 265-285, 303-305

3/5
Organization and retrieval of conceptual knowledge (1) 8: 286-294

3/7
Complex knowledge structures, distributed networks (2) 8: 294-303

3/19
Structure and neuroanatomy of human languages (1) 10: 346-350

3/21
Lexical and semantic processing: words (1) 10: 353-357

3/23
Language comprehension: sentences and syntax (1) 10: 358-368

3/26
Language comprehension: discourse processing (1) 10: 368-378
3/28
Language, culture and thought (1)
10: 379-384


3/30
     EXAM #3: FRIDAY MAR 30

THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
4/2
Understanding the "problem space" (1)
11: 387-395

4/4
Searching for solutions (1) 11: 397-406

4/6
Insight, analogy and creativity (1) 11: 407-422

4/9
Deductive reasoning and logic (2) 12: 428-454

4/13
Inductive reasoning: forming "hypotheses" (1) 12: 454-468

4/16
Strategies of "statistical reasoning" (2)

4/20
Decisions, choice and risk (2) 12: 468-474
4/25
     EXAM #4: WEDNESDAY APR 25