To show the organization of the course that includes this module, follow this link:  Course organization

Learning outcomes

The course will allow the student to obtain the necessary preparation for the study and use of the Psychology of learning understood as an experimental discipline. Cognitive processes such as learning, memory, perception, attention, thought, motivation, emotion and communication will be contextualized in the general methodological framework of cognitive sciences, allowing the student to find all the elements of comparison and integration with methodologies, theories and models, both from a historical perspective that applicative in the world of contemporary research.

Program

Historical introduction to the psychology of cognitive processes
- Origins and development of scientific psychology
-The behaviorist orientation
-The phenomenological orientation
-The study of cognitive processes

Doing research in Psychology: methods
- The concept of variable
- Measurement
- Measurement scales
- Observation and observational methods
- Laboratory experiment
- The method of the investigation
- The test method

The perception
-What's the problem
- A different problem setting
-Energy and sensation: psychophysics
- Information and perceptual activity
- Geometric determination and visual determinability
-The figure in relationship with the surrounding environment
- Formal factors and written text
- Hide, show up
-Perform the depth and the three-dimensionality

Perceptual constancy
- To believe in acting and knowing
- See the movement: the apparent movement
- See the movement: the induced movement and the vector analysis
-The light, the color: a few hints

Attention and conscience
-What is the attention
-Capire attention: tools and methods
- Selective attention
- Voluntary control processes: executive functions
- Sustained attention and vigilance
-Attention and conscience

learning
-The classical (or Pavlovian) conditioning
-The operating conditioning
-The intentional behaviorism of Tolman
- Learning in Gestalt theory
-The theory of social learning: observational learning
- Learning in the cognitive perspective

The memory
- Processing and coding mechanisms
- Storage of information
-The memory
- Forgetting
- Mental images
-The cognitive architecture of memory

The thought
-The inductive reasoning
-The probabilistic reasoning
-The heuristics
- The deductive reasoning
-How are the problems solved

Examination Methods

EDUCATIONAL MODE
The teaching methods consist of lectures dedicated to the transmission of the
basic notions (as planned), key categories and fundamental application tools.
Moreover, thanks to the University e-learning platform, specific materials and updating readings of the subject discipline are proposed, where deemed useful. Furthermore, throughout the academic year, the individual reception service managed by the teacher is available at the times indicated on the web pages (without having to set a specific appointment). Attending students will receive in the first lesson the complete calendar of educational activities with dates and topics covered in the lessons which are provided the timetable, the classroom and the indication of any suspension for academic reasons. No program distinction is made between attending and non-attending students.

TEXTS FOR THE EXAM
Cicogna, P.C., Occhionero M. (2010). Psicologia generale. Carocci editore, Roma.

EXAMINATION METHODS
The exam taken during an official call will consist of a 30 minutes multiple choice question (30) (3 answers alternatives, only one of which is correct.) For the final judgment expressed in thirtieths, a correct answer has value equal to 1 point, an incorrect answer has a value equal to 0 points, an answer not given has a value equal to 0 points).