PSY 320 Syllabus Grading Rubrics

During our first meeting, we’ll discuss why we’re here, outline our roles & expectations, review the syllabus & schedule, and conclude with a historical overview of Cognitive Psychology.

After providing a brief a historical overview of Cognitive Psychology, this module examines key aspects of perceptual processing, beginning with how we recognize visual objects and the roles of top-down processing and specialized recognition systems. It then turns to auditory perception, particularly speech, highlighting how these processes transform raw sensory input into usable information for higher-level cognition like reading.

This week’s module introduces attention by distinguishing between divided and selective attention, followed by a look at experimental tasks used to study them. It then explores biological and theoretical explanations of attention before concluding with a discussion of consciousness and self-awareness.

This week’s module begins with classic research on short-term memory before shifting to the concept of working memory and its key components. It concludes by examining how working memory capacity limits affect various cognitive domains and applications in cognitive science.

This week’s module introduces long-term memory, focusing on how information is stored, accessed, and retrieved. It concludes with an exploration of autobiographical memory, emphasizing personal experiences and events.

This week’s module focuses on practical strategies for memory improvement, both for academic learning and everyday tasks. It also emphasizes the role of metacognition - understanding and regulating your own cognitive processes - in choosing effective strategies and using them more efficiently.

We’ll complete the midterm exam, midterm course evaluation, and preview the 2nd half of PSY 320.

This week’s module explores imagery, beginning with the nature of visual images and the factors that shape mental imagery. It then examines auditory images and concludes with cognitive maps, or mental representations of geographic information.

This week’s module begins with an overview of world knowledge and how it is represented in memory. It then examines three frameworks for organizing this knowledge and concludes with scripts and schemas, which help integrate new information with existing long-term memory.

This week’s module introduces the nature of language and explores factors that affect how people comprehend linguistic signals. It concludes with a focus on reading as a key aspect of language comprehension.

This week’s module explores the relationship between spoken and written language, highlighting how each shapes communication and cognition. We’ll conclude by examining bilingualism and second language learning as a synthesis of these core psycholinguistic skills.

This week’s module focuses on problem solving, beginning with understanding the problem and selecting effective strategies. It also explores factors that influence problem-solving success, such as expertise and mental set, and concludes with a discussion of creativity in generating novel solutions.

This week’s module begins with deductive reasoning, highlighting classic research that reveals the cognitive principles behind logical deduction. It then turns to decision making, examining common heuristics and real-world factors that shape everyday choices.

We’ll complete the final exam, submit a personal learning reflection, and officially conclude the PSY 320 class.