PSYC508 - Mental Processes

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

PSYC500 Introduction to Psychology: Science and Practice AND PSYC501 Foundations of Qualitative and Quantitative Data Analysis AND PSYC506 Data Analysis for Multi-variable Designs

Unit rationale, description and aim

This unit will concentrate on the core area of Cognitive Psychology. This unit provides an overview of traditional models and approaches to cognition, as well as a contemporary perspective on the main areas of cognition including perception, attention, memory, knowledge, imagery and higher order processes like problem solving, reasoning, and decision making. Further, it examines current approaches to research including methods from neuroscience, examples of applied research and the application of knowledge to the real-world, and cross-cultural issues. Thus, this unit builds upon foundational knowledge of psychology covered in PSYC500 and the knowledge of research methods and statistical analysis skills gained in PSYC501 and PSYC506. The aim of this unit is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the models, approaches and research methods in the area of cognitive psychology.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Content

Topics will include:

• Overview of the history of cognitive psychology and the key research methods and paradigms in cognitive psychology.
• Perception – bottom-up, top-down and Gestalt approaches to perception; face, word and object recognition; relationship between visual imagery and perception; and perceptual disturbances.
• Attention – selective attention, automatic versus controlled processing, divided attention.
• Short term/working memory - traditional model, Baddeley’s working memory model.
• Long term memory – traditional view, episodic and semantic memory, encoding specificity, implicit memory, metamemory, levels of processing model.
• Applied memory – eyewitness memory, autobiographical memory, recovered versus false memories, mnemonics and improving memory, memory dysfunction.
• Language processing- language perception and representation.
• Knowledge representation – mental representation, manipulation and organisation of knowledge; including categorisation, semantic networks, connectionist approaches and visual imagery.
• Thought - decision-making, logic and reasoning, problem solving.
• The neuropsychological findings related to the above topics.
• Practical/everyday applications to the above topics.
• Cross-cultural issues – the relationship between cognitive processing and culture, particularly, the cultural context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Teaching and learning strategies utilised in this unit will support students in meeting the aims and achieving the learning outcomes relevant to this unit as well as to the broader course learning outcomes. This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to the discipline, and opportunities to practice and apply their learning in situations similar to their future professions. Students are provided with choice and variety in how they learn. Students are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous discussions, interact with peers through these discussion forums, and engage with online modules and readings via the online learning platform. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding and application, and to engage constructively with their peers. Collaboration with peers in the online environment will support students in considering, discussing and debating the content of the unit. These learning and teaching strategies assist students in developing their knowledge and application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of that knowledge in the field of cognitive psychology. Students will receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress.

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to successfully complete this unit, students must complete and submit all assessment tasks. In addition to this, students must obtain an aggregate mark of at least 50% to pass the unit.

In order to best enable students to demonstrate unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes, standards-based assessments are utilised, consistent with University assessment requirements, and a range of assessment strategies are used. First, to demonstrate understanding of methodological and ethical issues in research, students will explore and critique psychological research projects that are being conducted at ACU. Second, students will complete an APA style laboratory report to demonstrate the ability to evaluate and synthesise the research literature to develop arguments and testable hypotheses and to interpret and evaluate contemporary research findings. Third, students will complete a portfolio which provides the opportunity to demonstrate understanding, consolidation and application of the content covered in the unit.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Galotti, K,M. (2017). Cognitive psychology in and out of the laboratory (6th ed). Sage

Goldstein, E B. (2018). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research and everyday experience (5th ed). Wadsworth.

Kelly, L. (2016). The memory code. Allen and Unwin.

Reisberg, D. (2021). Cognition: Exploring the science of the mind (8th ed). Wiley.

Sternberg, R.J. & Sternberg, K. (2017). Cognitive psychology (7th ed). Cengage.

W.W Norton & Co. Rolls, G. (2019). Classic case studies in psychology (4th ed). Routledge