Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology is the study of mental processes: understanding how the mind works. In this course, we will introduce all of the key concepts in the field of cognitive psychology including perception, attention, memory, decision making and much more. We’ll start by exploring how we perceive the world and how our senses translate our experiences into a model of the world. We will then explore how we use this to guide our actions and pay attention. We’ll explore how memory works and how this relates to learning, before exploring higher cognitive processes such as language, problem-solving and decision making. We will see cognitive psychology in action looking at how mental imagery is used in sport and how condition and emotion interact with mental health. Finally, we’ll explore research methods: how do we look inside the brain and understand what is going on, drawing on the latest insights from neuroscience and neuropsychology. Topics covered in this course:

What is cognitive psychology

Visual perception

Pattern recognition

Mental imagery

Perception and action

Change blindness

Attention

Memory

Learning

Language

Problem solving

Decision-making

Cognition and emotion

Consciousness

Research methods Throughout the course, we will use exercises and examples to explore how our own minds work. For example, what happens to visual stimuli in our blind spot? How can we read words partially obscured? How do we know how far away something is? How well can we multitask? What causes speech errors? And what mental shortcuts may throw off our decision-making? We’ll do all of this through videos, readings, exercises and quizzes, so whatever your learning style there will be something in this course for you. By the end of the course, you will be familiar with all the key topics in the field of cognitive psychology. Please note that this is not a course on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), nor it is a personal development course.