General Psychology (2010/2011)

Learning outcomes

The course is aimed to provide students with basic knowledge about Psychology within the general framework of Cognitive Sciences. There will be presented the main topics dealt by experimental psychology, like perception, attention, memory, reasoning, learning. In this way students will have the opportunity to understand these processes, by comparing and integrating them with the methodologies, theories and models historically and currently used in Cognitive Science research. Starting with an introductory analysis of the historical reasons that led Psychology become an experimental science, the course will then focus on the epistemological and methodological differences characterizing Psychology as an experimental science as compared to other humanistic disciplines. The main results of the research in the domain of the cognitive functions, such as learning, perception, consciousness, attention, memory, reasoning and intelligence, will be offered to understand how they contribute to the organisation and the development of the complex human cognitive structure.

Main topics that will be dealt in the course:
A brief introduction to the history of psychology: what is science, how psychology became a science (philosophy and physiology), main schools of thought (Fechner psychophysics, Wundt associationism, James functionalism, Gestalt, Freud, Pavlov, Watson and Skinner behaviourism, Piaget, cognitivism, connectionism, genetic algorithms, Gibson ecological psychology cognitive science)
Perception, from sensation to perception, main visual processes and visual illusions
Attention and awareness
Learning
Memory
Thought, reasoning and intelligence

In the dedicated web page lessons slides will be available to students. The exam consists in a written multiple choice test. Students interested in studying in more detail a specific topic can write a short dissertation to supplement the written exam mark. The argument should be proposed via e-mail and the dissertation should be presented at least two weeks before the examination session.