Cognition and Emotion
| Module title | Cognition and Emotion |
|---|---|
| Module code | PSY2303 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Nicolas Dumay (Convenor) Dr Chris Dodds (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 220 |
|---|
Module description
This module brings together two/three academics with complementary expertise to teach our second-year students core knowledge in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Basic facts and key theories about human memory, perception, language processing, executive control, and emotions are presented in lectures enhanced by the inclusion of demos, exercises and direct questioning of the audience, supported by latest interactive teaching technologies.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims at teaching what we think a second-year student ought to know about experimental approaches to cognition, and their integration in a coherent and dynamical picture. Concepts such as working memory, memory consolidation, executive control, language acquisition, perception and production, and emotions are examined using data from performance and mental chronometry, but also from computational modelling, neuroimaging, electrophysiology, psychopharmacology and patients. The module aims to teach you how to think systematically in experimental terms and to pay more attention to the details whether in the data or the theories. Finally, it aims to develop your ability to synthesise information, to build an argumentative line, to present your ideas in a structured way, and to practice multiple forms of academic communication, as targeted by the tutorials and the formats of assessment.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Work on core knowledge in cognitive psychology/neuroscience
- 2. Describe key notions such as learning, language perception and production, executive control, memory, object recognition, and emotions, as well as the theories and the data attached to these notions
- 3. Explain the principles underlying methodologies
- 4. Integrate data from various cognition methodologies into a coherent picture
- 5. Think about cognition in experimental terms, and transform hypotheses into feasible experiments
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Illustrate detailed factual and conceptual knowledge
- 7. Synthesise and critically evaluate published work
- 8. Structure the literature and your thoughts into logical and coherent arguments
- 9. Pay more attention to the details, whether in the data, the theories, or the links between the two
- 10. Apply principles of experimental designs
- 11. Think creatively
- 12. Discuss wider ethical issues
- 13. Present complex facts, methodologies and theories with clarity and simplicity using language-based as well as visual communication modes
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 14. Manage and select information from a range of sources and develop appropriate information-finding strategies
- 15. Identify problems and issues, and choose appropriate modes of response
- 16. Synthesise information
- 17. Assimilate new knowledge at a fast pace, and put it to the test early on so as update it appropriately according to in-class feedback
- 18. Evaluate your own strengths/weaknesses, and work on the latter
- 19. Challenge received opinion and develop your own judgment
- 20. Build well-structured and powerful arguments
- 21. Communicate in the manner appropriate to the discipline and in a variety of formats
- 22. Interact effectively within a learning group, and test own knowledge by helping others
- 23. Manage time effectively to meet deadlines
Syllabus plan
The module will cover the following key topics:
- Reading and dyslexia
- Spoken word recognition
- Speech production
- Working memory
- Long-term memory
- Object recognition
- Attention
- Inhibitory control
- Emotional processing
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 125 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | Lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 3 | Tutorials |
| Guided independent study | 42 | Reading and preparation for seminars and practical classes |
| Guided independent study | 42 | Reading and preparing coursework |
| Guided independent study | 41 | Revising for exam |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-class revision of earlier lecture by means of interactive technologies | 10 minutes per lecture | 1, 4, 9, 15, 17, 23 | Oral |
| Tutorials | 1 hour | 1, 4-5, 7, 9-15, 20-23 | Oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 50 | 1 hour, 10 short answer questions | 1-6, 8-11, 13, 16, 19-21 | Written |
| Poster/ready-made blackboard submission | 50 | as the student would see fit | 1-10, 13-16, 20-23 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | Examination | 1-6, 8-11, 13, 16, 19-21 | August/September assessment period |
| Poster/ready-made blackboard submissions | Poster/ready-made blackboard submissions | 1-10, 13-16, 20-23 | August/September assessment period |
Re-assessment notes
Two assessments are required for this module. Where you have been referred/deferred for the poster/ready-made blackboard submission, you will be required to resubmit a new poster/ready-made blackboard on new topic by 1 September. Where you have been referred/deferred for the examination, you will have the opportunity to take a second examination in the August/September re-assessment period. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%; deferred marks are not capped
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Shanks, D.R. (1995). The Psychology of Associative Learning. Cambridge University Press
- Baddeley, A. (1997). Human memory: Theory and practice. Revised Edition
- Harley, T.A. (2008). The Psychology of Language. 3rd Edition
- Anderson, J.R. (2000). Cognitive psychology and its implications. 5th Edition.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | PSY1207 Cognition, Emotion and Development |
| Module co-requisites | PSY2206 Methods and Statistics in Psychology II |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 22/10/2011 |
| Last revision date | 08/03/2018 |
