Cognitive and Developmental Psychology

Cognitive psychology takes an information-processing approach and looks at all processes needed to encode, transform, store, and retrieve information from memory. To better understand these processes we will focus on the different ways information may be learned and how memory functions. In more complex situations, problem-solving and reasoning come into play. Finally, everyday experiences show us the importance of judgment and decision making.

Developmental psychology takes a life-span approach and views human development as the product of inherited and environmental factors. We will follow this path and focus on psychological changes starting at conception and ending with death. Connecting to the first part of this course we take a closer look at how cognitive functions develop.

To understand the infomration-processing approach and to be able to apply the involved processes to specific behavior

To know mechanisms of cognitive learning

To know features of memory and to distinguish its components

To apply mechanisms of long-term storage

To develop an impression of how knowledge is represented in memory

To know experiments and results on problem-solving

To understand and apply the concept of creativity

To know the basic processes of thinking, judgment, and decision-making and to apply them to specific situations

To know the research areas of developmental psychology

To comprehend the life-span approach

To understand the nature-nurture debate

To know processes surrounding pregnancy and birth as well as dying and death

To understand the central points of cognitive development