PSYC3301
Advanced Perception and Learning in Psychology
10 Units
Available in 2013
| Callaghan Campus | Semester 1 |
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| Ourimbah | Semester 1 |
Previously offered in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005
This course forms part of an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council's accredited sequence.
Psychologists have long abandoned the idea that our perceptions are simply an internal "picture" of the world. But there is no consensus on how our mind interprets the world. The first half of this course examines evidence for and against various theories of perception. Along the way we will examine key areas of research that have influenced the field over the last century. The second part of the course examines the other historically dominant field in psychology: Learning. From Pavlov's early work through to modern approaches to cognition, we again focus on the approaches and theories that drive the research. This coverage of "Behaviourism" provides a core foundation for further study in applications of Cognitive - Behavioural therapy.
| Objectives | The main objectives of PSYC3301 are to: 1. provide an understanding of the empirical and theoretical issues in the contemporary study of associative learning and perception; 2. to place the study of learning and perception in an appropriate historical context; 3. to illustrate its present relevance for psychology; to develop an appreciation of the importance of associative learning for other areas of the discipline, particularly for the aetiology of clinical/treatment procedures; 4. to foster an appreciation of the complexity of psychology and a desire to contribute towards the resolution of some issues; 5. to facilitate understanding of the principles by which behaviour is governed. This understanding may only be obtained by 'working with' theories through hypothesis generation, simulation, and finally empirical testing. Skills: * to evaluate theories of learning and perception; * to design and conduct empirical research in learning and perception; * to acquire of a variety of computer-related skills related to research in learning and perception. |
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| Content | The areas of perception and learning have strong foundations in structural methodology to test broad theories. Dominant theories in each area will be examined and the empirical evidence for each theory evaluated. The study of perception will focus on bottom up vs top down theories as well as looking at the similarities of some of the major bottom up theories (feature detection, spatial frequency channels, computation and structural). The study of learning will focus on the methodologies used to test theories of Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning. PSYC3301 provides an examination of contemporary theories of perception and learning and seeks to demonstrate how these theories may be used in applied and clinical situations. Related courses: PSYC3300, PSYC3400, PSYC3501 |
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| Replacing Course(s) | PSYC3110 | ||||
| Transition | Students who have completed PSYC3110 will not be required to complete PSYC3301. Not to count with PSYC3110 |
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| Industrial Experience | 0 | ||||
| Assumed Knowledge | STAT2000, PSYC2300, PSYC2400 | ||||
| Modes of Delivery | Internal Mode | ||||
| Teaching Methods | Lecture
Laboratory |
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| Assessment Items |
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| Contact Hours | Laboratory: for 2 hour(s) per Week for 12 weeks Lecture: for 2 hour(s) per Week for Full Term |
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| Timetables | 2013 Course Timetables for PSYC3301 |