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Perception & Cognition 2 - PSY00017I

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  • Department: Psychology
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
    • See module specification for other years: 2024-25

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2023-24

Module aims

This module builds on topics covered in Perception and Cognition 1, with a greater emphasis on higher level perceptual processing, emotion and cognition, problem solving and attention. This leads onto how knowledge of the principles of perception and cognition can be applied in the real world. The module will provide students with an opportunity to learn about the models and empirical research within these key areas of cognitive psychology.

Module learning outcomes

  • Critically analyse key theories of attention and their evidence base
  • Outline and evaluate the study of attention in real-world situations
  • Evaluate the experimental methods used to study reasoning and decision making
  • Identify the major theories that have driven research in reasoning and decision making
  • Explain the neurophysiological processes and major psychological theories underlying how we perceive complex stimuli (faces, bodies and actions)
  • Describe and compare different psychological research on how emotion influences cognition

Module content

The first part of this course will be focused on the psychology of attentional processes. Students will study historical and current models of attention, examining closely the research that supports them. The course will also examine what research can tell us about the functioning of attention in real-world situations. This module will then focus on visual perception, how we see and make sense of the faces, bodies and actions of other people. It will examine visual processing, perception of objects and brain mechanisms underlying perceptual processing.

The third part of the course concerns emotion and cognition beginning with a general overview of emotion and the brain systems mediating our emotional processes. The course will then go on to cover how emotion affects core basic cognitive processes such as memory, learning, perception and attention. The final section of the course concerns reasoning and decision-making. Students will study psychological research that has explored how we reason, solve problems and make judgements and decisions. The psychological theories central to these topics will also be discussed.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) 50
Essay/coursework 30
Essay/coursework 20

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) 37.5
Essay/coursework 62.5

Module feedback

The marks on all assessed work will be provided on e-vision

Indicative reading

Basic Vision: an introduction to visual perception. Snowden, R. Thompson, P. & Troscianko T. (2012) Oxford University Press

Cognitive Psychology. Quinlan, P. & Dyson, B. (2008) Pearson.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.