Perception & Cognition 2 - PSY00017I
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2025-26 |
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.