Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology is the study of mental processes: understanding how the mind works. In this course, we will introduce all of the key concepts in the field of cognitive psychology including perception, attention, memory, decision making and much more. We'll start by exploring how we perceive the world and how our senses translate our experiences into a model of the world.

We will then explore how we use this to guide our actions and pay attention. We'll explore how memory works and how this relates to learning, before exploring higher cognitive processes such as language, problem-solving and decision making. We will see cognitive psychology in action looking at how mental imagery is used in sport and how condition and emotion interact with mental health.

Finally, we'll explore research methods: how do we look inside the brain and understand what is going on, drawing on the latest insights from neuroscience and neuropsychology. Topics covered in this course:What is cognitive psychologyVisual perceptionPattern recognitionMental imageryPerception and actionChange blindnessAttentionMemoryLearningLanguageProblem solvingDecision-makingCognition and emotionConsciousnessResearch methodsThroughout the course, we will use exercises and examples to explore how our own minds work. For example, what happens to visual stimuli in our blind spot.

How can we read words partially obscured. How do we know how far away something is. How well can we multitask.