Learning outcomes
The purpose of this course is to give a wide panorama of contemporary research in Psychology, within the wider context of Cognitive Sciences. Students will be presented with the main issues investigated in experimental psychology, with respect to learning, perception, language, memory, reasoning and emotion. At the end of the course the student will be able to compare Psychology with the other disciplines belonging to the Cognitive Sciences which are concerned with the development of the human thought, recognising methodological and epistemological differences.
Psychology, along with other experimental sciences, has been developing fast. Starting with an introductory presentation of the history of modern Psychology, the course will present a contemporary panorama of the theories and methods of the Cognitive Sciences. Special attention will be paid to studies and research in those areas of Psychology concerned with educational and training processes. Thus, special focus will be given to the learning process, by comparing the behaviourism with more recent developments in the area of Cognitive Sciences. The study of perception will enable students to appreciate how humans process their experiences of the world around them. The study of memory, language and communication will help in understanding how thought processes contribute to the organisation and development of the cognitive system.
Exam texts:
P.C. Cicogna, M. Occhionero. Psicologia generale. Carocci editore.
