PSY270: Introduction to Psychology: Selected Issues.

Instructor: Michaela Porubanova

Email: misel99@gmail.com


Topics covered:  The class is focused on introductory topics in psychology, more concretely on
topics in cognition and mind. How do we process information, manipulate and transform into a
meaningful, coherent entity? How do we retrieve information retained in our memory? What are some
memory biases? How does brain relate to mind (mind-body problem)? How does brain give rise to
consciousness?

Those, but more questions will be answered in the class.

Introduction to Cognition. Philosophical and psychological underpinnings of study of mind and human
cognitive faculties (Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism,
gestalt); research methods in cognitive psychology. Perception and Vision. Bottom-Up and Top-Down
Processing in Perception. Object recognition. Perceptual organization. Color perception. Optical
illusions.

Attention. Broadbent´s theory. Treisman´s theory. Selective attention. Divided attention. Stroop´s
attention. Automatic processing. Inattentional blindness.

Memory.  Short-term memory vs Long term memory. Working memory. Eye witness testimony. Theories of
forgetting. Theories of recall.

Consciousness. Theories of consciousness. Current approches to understanding consciousness
(Chalmers, Noe, Ramachandran, Logothesis etc.). Consciousness versus attention.

Language. Language production vs. language comprehrension. Speech perception and reading.

Thinking and Reasoning. Theoretical approaches to reasoning. Deductive vs inductive reasoning.
Theories of emotional processing.

Judgment and Decision Making. Theories of decision making. Representativeness heuristic.
Availability heuristics. Support theory.

Cognition and emotion. Emotions and their influence on cognitive processing. Emotions versus
memory. Emotion, attention and perception.

Free will.  Perspective from philosophy of mind.






Date

             Subject

                                        NOTES

   21.09.2011


             Introduction of the class

                                        Syllabus covered

  28.09.2011


             Class cancelled


  05.10.2011

             Intro to Cognition.

             Perception/ Vision


  12.10.2011


             Attention


  19.10.2011


             Memory I


  26.10.2011


             Memory II

                                        ESSAY I DUE

  02.11.2011


             Consciousness


  09.11.2011


             Language

                                        Response paper due

  16.11.2011


             Thinking and Reasoning


  23.11.2011

             Professor Castello- lecture


  30.11.2011

             Class presentations


  7.12.2011

             FINAL EXAM



























CLASS POLICY:

Students’ participation in the class is required. Students can miss only 2 classes (if more classes
are missed, students’ grade suffers one grade down with every other class missed). The essay
(approx. 1000 words; Times New Roman; 12; 1,5 spaced) must be turned on the designated day (every
late day means lowering 5 points). Essay will be a discussion based on the topics covered in the
class.  Students’ task is to propose a problem- discussion theme and pose an argument finding
evidence pro- argument as well as against argument in the literature.  Graded is: how elaborate is
the essay, if the argument is well-evidenced by the literature, citation style, number and quality
of papers cited (not introductory books solely)


Essay =20 points

Class presentation= 20 points

Pop quizzes (2)= 10 points

Final Exam= 50 points

Bonus= 10 points for class participation

Maximum= 100 points (10 bonus points will be added if the maximum will not be reached)

Grading:

100-93 = A

92-85= B

84-77= C

76- 69= D

68- 61=E

below 60= F


READINGS will be posted on IS. Students must read every reading prior to the class. This will not
only enhance their understanding of topic covered, but also because any pop quiz might occur during
class.