Introducing the course and cognitive neuroscience

1. Cognitive Psychology
Instructor: Valentina Bazzarin, PhD

2. Description
Cognitive Psychology is the scientific study of mental processes. This course will explore core Cognitive
Psychology topics, including language, memory, attention, action planning, problem solving, imagery and
comprehension. Particular attention will be given to innovation and the most up to date information in
Cognitive Psychology international research.
According to Matlin (2009) "cognition is an area within psychology that describes how we acquire, store,
transform, and use knowledge". In this class we are going to address the main psychology topics (including
perception, language, memory, motor control, embodied cognition, attention, problem solving, abstraction
and comprehension) and to deepen some neuroscience ones. Indeed, cognitive psychology, as part of the
wider domain of cognitive sciences, is influenced by research in cognitive neuroscience and artificial
intelligence. So particular attention will be given to the most up to date researches and theory possible
applications.
Activities and group discussion will explore also different methodologies in behavioral and clinical
research.

3. Teaching philosophy
The course will experiment - in a permanent laboratorial setting - several
teaching methodologies, to immediately put in place some of the theories
about perception, attention and learning processes.
Moreover, the students will cooperate in the definition of the teaching
agenda both by highlighting their needs in the theories explanations and
by suggesting the specific knowledge domains or the topics they would
like to explore.
In the first 10 minutes of each lesson the students will be required to
complete a short self-assessment test and will be asked to comment the
methodology we used in the previous lesson.

4. Textbooks and readings
Ward, Jamie, The Student’s Guide to Cognitive Neuroscience. Psychology Press.
ISBN: 978-1848720039
Recommended readings: Margaret W. Matlin, Cognitive Psychology, 8th
Edition
International student Version. ISBN: 978-1-118-31869-0
Additional readings/materials will be distributed or assigned by the instructor.
Other resources at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed

5. Video Basic Principles of Cognitive Psychology
Source: https://youtu.be/6pw_lir3oc8

6. Objectives
● To understand brain, body and mind working principles and their interrelation
● To understand the working principles of the structures underlying mental processes
● To understand how perceptual information enters the mind and how the information is
processed
● To understand how attention selects between available sensory information
● To understand how memory works in keeping the information for short or long periods,
how the information is stored and how it is retrieved
● To understand the role of language and mental processes under it
● To understand how our knowledge is used for inductive and deductive reasoning
● To understand the meaning and the principles of brain plasticity
● To understand the influence of cognitive psychology on other areas of psychology (such
as clinical psychology, educational psychology and social psychology) as well as on other
interdisciplinary areas (for example political sciences, marketing, computer science and
artificial intelligence).

7. The class, the scene
Let’s play!
In pairs:
- Profile
- Background
- Expectations
Source: https://youtu.be/6Z0XS-QLDWM

8. Chapter 1 - introducing “cognitive neurosciences”
The historical perspective
Does cognitive psychology need the brain?
Does cognitive neurosciences need cognitive
psychology?

9. A timeline and some examples
Source:
https://www.slideshare.net/DukeDigitalScholarship/appelb
aum-beam-talklibrarydigitalscholarshipfinal
Source: https://youtu.be/eOaDhCjm5I8

10. Key terms - find or complete the definition
Cognition: A variety of higher mental processes such as:
- thinking
- …..
Cognitive Neurosciences: Aims to explain cognitive ………. in terms of
brain-based mechanism
Mind-body problem: the problem of how the …. can give rise to our feelings,
thoughts and emotions.
Dualism: The belief that ….. and ….. are made up of different kind of
substance

11. Answers
Cognition: A variety of higher mental processes such as:
Thinking / perceiving / imagining / speaking / acting / planning
Cognitive Neurosciences: Aims to explain cognitive processes in terms of
brain-based mechanism
Mind-body problem: the problem of how the brain can give rise to our
feelings, thoughts and emotions.
Dualism: The belief that mind and brain are made up of different kind of
substance

12. Self-assessment (example)
1) What is the “mind-body problem and what frameworks have been put
forward to solve it?
2) Is cognitive neuroscience the new phrenology?
3) Does cognitive psychology need the brain? Does neuroscience need
cognitive psychology?

13. Assignment for the oral presentation and the 2
papers
Group presentation:
- 1-3 students
- 10 min. Presentation (any format)
- Focus on one of the “brains” listed in the summary
Individual paper 1 - focus on a cognitive process or on a functional area of the
cortex (i.e Broadmann area) or of the subcortex (e.g limbic system, pineal gland)
- Individual
- Max 5 pages or 2500 words single spaced (included references)
Individual paper 2 - can be an a further study of the same topic of paper1 or
focused on a different topic
- Individual
- Max 10 pages or 5000 words single spaced (references included)

14. Contacts
Mailto: valentina.bazzarin@gmail.com
Twitter: @vbazzarin
The materials are available here
https://www.slideshare.net/LaValeShare