Cognitive Processes, 15 credits

To be eligible to advance to this course, students must have no more than 15 credits remaining from the previous term, and no credits remaining from any terms preceding this.

Part 1

Learning goals
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• define the concepts of cognition and cognitive neuroscience and brief describe the historical development of the subject and its current status as scientific subject
• account for central concepts, theories and methods within cognitive psychology (eg. memory, languages, visuospatial ability, intelligence, executive functions, problemsolving and decision making)
• account for the neurobiological basis for the above functions
• discuss individual differences in relation to cognitive processes

Skills and attitudes
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• reflect ethically on how to handle test situations and test results with a starting point in his/her initial experience of administrating cognitive tests

Part 2

Learning goals
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• independently analyse behavioral data with an emphasis on comparisons between groups by means of analyses of variance methodology

Skills and attitudes
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• review own and others results critically and understand the meaning of statistical significance
• be able to design and carry out a scientific experiment and report this in written text
• be able to carry out and interpret calculations (e g correlation, ANOVA) in the statistical program SPSS

The course consists of two (2) parts:

Part 1

The course starts with an introduction to cognitive psychology. Teacher-supervised and webbased lectures are interleaved with seminars, practical exercises and quizzes, most of them are compulsory and require attendance. At the seminars, required attendance is at least 80%. Absence at more than 20% of the seminars is substituted by written complementary assignments.

Part 2

Teaching of statistical methods starts after the course introduction and consist of webbased and teacher-supervised lectures and computer exercises. The computer exercises are compulsory and require attendance. On these occations, quizzes on the textbook content will be given. As a practical excercise, the students will collect data in experiments, and later analyse and report the results in a written report. These laboratory sessions are compulsory and require attendance.

The course director assesses whether absence from a compulsory education element can be replaced. If this is possible, the course director decides how the learning objectives should be achieved. Until the student has participated in the compulsory parts (or compensated any absence with assigned tasks in accordance with instructions from the course director) the final study results can not be reported. Absence from a mandatory education element could mean that the student can not do the part until the next time the course is offered.

Part 1

Part 1 of the course Cognitive Processes is examined in a written exam at the end of the course. The contents of the reading list, but also the contents of lectures and practical exercises are examined in the written examination.

The written exam is given one of the grades Pass with distinction (VG), Pass (G) or Fail (U). In order to get Pass with distinction on the part Cognitive Processes Pass with distinction on the examination is required, but also that the compulsory seminars are completed. For Pass on the part Cognitive Processes, Pass on examination is required, but also that the compulsory seminars are completed.

Part 2

The part Statistical Methods is examined in a written examination. The contents of the reading list, but also the contents of lectures and practical exercises are examined in the written examination. The students will also write a laboratory report, in which they present the results of the experimental study they have conducted.

The written examination is given one of the grades Pass with distinction, Pass or Fail. On the laboratory report, only one of the grades Pass/Fail is given. In order to get Pass with distinction on the part Statistical Methods, Pass with distinction on the
examination and Pass on laboratory report is required, but also that the compulsory lectures are completed. In order to get Pass on
the part Statistical Methods, Pass on the examination and Pass on laboratory report is required, but also that the compulsory lectures are completed.

For Pass with distinction on the course, Pass with distinction on the written examination of Cognitive Processes (part 1) and at least Pass on written examination of Statistical Methods (part 2) is required. In addition, Pass on
computer exercises, the laboratory report and that the compulsory lectures are completed is also required.

Limitation in the number of examinations: For information about limitation in the number of examinations, see Guidelines at examination compiled by Karolinska Institutet.

The transition rules follow KI's local guidelines for examination.

Course evaluation from the expected learning outcomes of the course syllabus takes place according to KI's local guidelines. Results and possible measures are returned to the students on course web.

Teaching in English may occur.