Module Directory

This module explores the basic cognitive processes involved in thinking about the world, interacting with the world, and experiencing the world.

Often as users of these processes they just work and the complexity of the underlying operations are hidden; a kind of "user illusion". Students will learn about the emerging scientific picture of how these basic processes operate, thereby gaining a better appreciation of the underlying complexity, and a renewed appreciation of the brilliance of these operations.

The aims of this module are:

• To examine different methods and techniques used in the scientific study of cognition.


• To provide a significant body of knowledge about the psychological processes involved in core areas of cognition psychology.


• To provide a broad theoretical background to important contemporary issues in the scientific study of cognition.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the psychological processes involved in core areas of cognitive psychology, such as perception, attention, memory, language.


2. Demonstrate a critical understanding of different theoretical accounts of core areas of cognitive psychology, such as perception, attention, memory, language.


3. Demonstrate an understanding of the different methods and techniques used in the scientific study of cognition, and the limitations of these methods.

This module covers core topics in Cognitive Psychology, such as perception, mental imagery, attention, memory, language and consciousness. The lectures will provide up to date coverage of scientific knowledge in these areas. The lectures will examine how these processes enable human expert performance, as well as how performance may break down in certain neurological disorders, as well as how these processes are engaged in everyday behaviours. The laboratory class will teach scientific skills including, data analysis and scientific writing.

The module will consider examples of human talents; such as bilingualism, as well as human limitations, such as our working memory capacities. The module will cover core areas of cognition as defined by the British Psychological Society such as perception, mental imagery, attention, memory, language, and consciousness. These will be discussed both with reference to laboratory-based experiments, and also how these processes may be disrupted and may breakdown in various conditions, such as dyslexia, amnesia, and other neuropsychological conditions. Finally, the lectures will address how basic cognitive processes apply to complex real-world behaviours.

This module will be delivered via:

• One 2-hour lecture per week.
• Additional sessions focussing on the lab report.
• Two small group interactive lab classes.

The lecture will cover the different areas of cognition. The interactive lab classes will focus on data collection and data analysis.