Unit 1846: Cognitive Psychology

1. Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

• History of cognitive psychology
  • Early influences (behaviorism, Gestalt psychology, information theory)
  • The cognitive revolution
• Key concepts in cognitive psychology
  • Mind as an information processor
  • Mental representations
• Research methods in cognitive psychology
  • Experimental methods
  • Cognitive neuroscience techniques (fMRI, EEG)
  • Computational modeling
• Overview of major cognitive domains
  • Information processing
  • Problem-solving and decision-making
  • Memory and attention

2. Cognitive Processes

• Perception
  • Sensory systems and perception
  • Bottom-up and top-down processing
• Attention
  • Selective attention
  • Divided attention and multitasking
• Memory
  • Encoding, storage, retrieval
  • Working memory
• Language
  • Language comprehension and production
  • Cognitive basis of language
• Problem-solving
  • Cognitive steps in problem-solving
  • Influence on behavior and mental functions

3. Theories of Cognition

• Information Processing Theory
  • Stages: encoding, storage, retrieval
  • Models of memory and attention
• Connectionism
  • Neural networks and parallel distributed processing
  • Learning and pattern recognition
• Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Brain structures involved in cognition
  • Integration of cognitive psychology and neuroscience

4. Memory and Cognition

• Types of Memory
  • Sensory memory
  • Short-term memory and working memory
  • Long-term memory: explicit and implicit
• Memory Processes
  • Encoding strategies
  • Storage mechanisms
  • Retrieval cues and processes
  • Causes and theories of forgetting
• Influence of memory on other cognitive functions

5. Attention and Perception

• Mechanisms of Attention
  • Selective attention models (filter theory, attenuation theory)
  • Divided attention and cognitive load
• Perception
  • Visual perception processes
  • Auditory perception
  • Perceptual organization and interpretation
• Role of attention in shaping cognitive experience

6. Language and Cognition

• Language Processing
  • Phonology, syntax, semantics
  • Speech perception and production
• Language Development
  • Stages of language acquisition
  • Theories of language development
• Influence of Language on Thought
  • Linguistic relativity hypothesis
  • Cognitive differences due to language
• Bilingualism and Language Disorders
  • Cognitive effects of bilingualism
  • Aphasia and other language disorders

7. Problem-Solving and Decision-Making

• Cognitive Processes in Problem-Solving
  • Problem representation
  • Algorithms vs. heuristics
• Decision-Making
  • Types of decision-making processes
  • Common decision biases
  • Role of emotions in decision-making

8. Cognitive Development

• Theories of Cognitive Development
  • Piaget’s stages
  • Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory
• Cognitive Milestones in Childhood
  • Perception, memory, language development
• Cognitive Changes in Adulthood
  • Fluid vs crystallized intelligence
  • Cognitive aging and decline

9. Cognitive Neuropsychology

• Cognitive Functions and Brain Damage
  • Case studies (e.g., patient H.M.)
  • Effects of lesions on cognition
• Cognitive Deficits in Neurological Disorders
  • Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke
• Cognitive Tasks in Brain Mapping
  • Functional imaging in cognitive tasks
  • Brain-computer interfaces

10. Applied Cognitive Psychology

• Cognitive Interventions
  • Memory training programs
  • Attention enhancement techniques
  • Problem-solving skill development
• Human Factors and Design
  • Ergonomics and user-centered design
  • Cognitive load in interface design
• Cognitive Rehabilitation Programs
  • Techniques for cognitive recovery
  • Applications in clinical psychology and occupational therapy