General provisions

Selection to the course: First choice: exchange student, second choice: other applicants.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Learning outcomes

After the course the student should ask able to

- Define and describe the area of cognitive psychology and the psychology of learning.

- Discuss current central models of cognitive psychology and describe how these models can be used to explain different observed phenomena. The student should further be able to identify shortcomings of the models.

- Describe, in broad terms, how principles of the psychology of learning could be used to influence behaviour.

- Give suggestions of and discuss how the central principles and models of cognitive psychology and the psychology of learning can be used in different applied areas.

Content

The course gives a general introduction to the psychology of learning and cognitive psychology. The main emphasis of the course is placed on cognitive psychology, 4.5 ECTS-credits, which covers thinking and knowledge processes, with memory as a central component. Other areas that are covered include neuropsychology, knowledge representations, decision making, visualisation, language and problem solving. The part concerning the psychology of learning, 1.5 ECTS-credits, covers how behaviour is developed in the interaction between the individual and the environment, with emphasis on classical and operant conditioning. The third part of the course, 1.5 ECTS-credits will cover applications of cognitive psychology and psychology of learning and consider how principles and models from these two areas can be applied, both in other areas of psychology and in areas outside of psychology.

Instruction

The teaching consists of lectures and seminars.

Assessment

The course is examined with a written exam. The grades used are failed (U), passed (G). For completed course the student's achievement is also assessed in terms of the ECTS grading scale.