PSYCH 201 : Perception and Cognition
Science
2025 Semester Two (1255) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
Your mind is a complex mental toolbox, permitting you to perceive the world and to act on it. Such actions are mediated by a complex array of mental functions, including perceptual systems, attentional capacities, memory and language systems, as well as capacities for rational thought, decision-making, problem-solving and creativity. This course introduces you to these basic functions, in theory and in practice. We do so via lectures, laboratory exercises and readings.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 6: | Communication |
| Capability 7: | Collaboration |
| Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- Develop a basic understanding of the state of knowledge in cognitive psychology. (Capability 1 and 3)
- Analyse basic human performance in terms of its cognitive components. (Capability 3, 4, 5 and 6)
- Identify strengths and weaknesses of human cognitive capacities. (Capability 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
- Demonstrate through in-class discussion and written work an understanding and knowledge of the discipline. (Capability 3, 4, 5 and 6)
- Demonstrate an ability to work independently and submit work of academic integrity. (Capability 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8)
- Articulate how cognitive psychology may be applied to a wide range of human endeavours. (Capability 1, 3, 4 and 6)
- Develop a sensitivity to whether a given cognitive capacity is a human capacity or whether it is better thought of as culturally, linguistically, or individually specific. (Capability 1, 3, 4 and 6)
- Understand and critically evaluate the basic principles of research methods and quantifiable performance variables as they apply to assessment of cognitive performance (Capability 1, 3, 4 and 6)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Lab Reports | 40% | Individual Coursework |
| Final Exam | 60% | Individual Coursework |
| 2 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||
| Lab Reports | ||||||||||
| Final Exam | ||||||||||
In most weeks of the course, students are to attend one, 2-hour laboratory session in which they will be introduced to experimental tests and methods in cognitive psychology. Approximately half of these laboratory sessions will entail the generation of a lab report, focusing on hypothesis formation, data analysis, and interpretation.
Plussage applies if students submit all lab reports and receive a passing grade on average. If a student is eligible they will receive the best grade out of their exam mark, or their proportionally-weighted exam mark and coursework marks.
Key Topics
- Sensation and perception
- Memory systems
- Attention
- Oral and written language perception and production
- Reasoning, decision-making, problem-solving, and creativity
Tuākana
This course is supported by the Tuākana in Science Programme, which facilitates the success and wellbeing of our Māori and Pacific students. The foundation of the Tuākana Programme is the Tuākana-Teina principle: an integral relationship in which older or more expert Tuākana (traditionally brother, sister or cousin) guides a younger or less expert Teina (traditionally younger sibling or cousin). This is a reciprocal relationship which fosters safe learning and teaching environments. Read more here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/study-with-us/maori-and-pacific-at-the-faculty/tuakana-programme.html
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15-point course that they are enrolled in. For each week of this course, you can expect 3 hours of lectures, a 2-hour laboratory, 3 hours of reading, reviewing, and thinking about the content and 2 hours of work on assignments and/or exam preparation.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
- Attendance is expected at scheduled activities, including labs, to complete components of the course.
- Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities, including labs, will not be available as recordings.
- The course will not include live online events.
- The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
- Eysenck, M.W. and Keane, M. (2005). Cognitive Psychology: A Student’s Handbook (7th edition or later). Psychology Press.
Health & Safety
Student Feedback
During the course Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the staff responsible for the course and staff-student consultative committees.
At the end of the course students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback.
Your feedback helps to improve the course and its delivery for all students.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Copyright
The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.
You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.