COURSE SYLLABUS

On completion of the course the student shall:

• show familiarity with the foundations of cognitive psychology
• display a broad knowledge of evolutionary and social approaches to cognitive psychology
• demonstrate comprehension of the major features of cognitive processes (perception, attention, memory, learning, reasoning, decision-making and problem-solving)

• demonstrate the ability to apply cognitive psychology concepts to analyse user interface design, considering effects on user behaviour, attention allocation, and memory retention
• demonstrate the ability to identify the interplay between cognition and emotion in the context of HCI
• demonstrate the ability to explain design choices based on the principles of cognitive psychology

• demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate user interface designs from a cognitive psychology perspective, considering factors such as information processing, attention management, and memory load
• demonstrate the ability to ethically evaluate the implications of interface design on user emotions, decision-making, or well-being

In this intense course, students are provided with a deep understanding of cognitive psychology and its relevance to the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). The course briefly introduces the topics of the historical and philosophical foundations of cognitive psychology and the basics of evolutionary and social approaches in cognitive science. The topics of key cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, memory, learning, reasoning, decision-making, and problem-solving, are discussed in detail. Through lectures, readings, discussions, and practical exercises, students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to apply cognitive psychology principles to their professional careers and assess the ethical implications that the design might have on individuals and society at large.

The course includes the following elements:

• Historical and philosophical foundations of cognitive psychology (including topics of monism, dualism, knowledge acquisition, and consciousness)
• Key figures and theories in cognitive psychology (including voluntarism, structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt psychology, psychoanalytic approach, and behaviourism)
• Cognitive processes: a. Perception and object recognition (including visual and auditory perception, multimodal perceptions, and object recognition) b. Memory and attention (including models of memory and models of attention) c. Reasoning, decision-making, and problem-solving (including but not limited to inductive and deductive reasoning, dual system approach to thinking, problem representation, experts vs. novices, and creative problem-solving)
• Evolutionary and social approaches in cognitive psychology (including but not limited to evolution and cognitive processes, behavioural economics, attitudes, cognitive dissonance, impressions, stereotyping and prejudice)
• Language and HCI (including but not limited to language acquisition and grammar)
• Emotion and ethical considerations (including topics such as how emotion and moods affect cognitive processing, emotional design principles, affective computing, promotion of emotional well-being and reduction of negative effects of design)

Lectures and seminars.

Language of instruction is English.

Cognitive Psychology - 2nd Edition
E. Bruce Goldstein/Johanna C. van Hooff
ISBN: 9781473774353

In addition to that there will also be articles handed out during the course.