Perception and attention
1
2019-2020
01740063
Psychology
Portuguese
Face-to-face
SEMESTRIAL
6.0
Compulsory
1st Cycle Studies
Recommended Prerequisites
English, Statistical Analysis, Experimental Psychology.
Teaching Methods
Expositive Lectures, demonstrations of perceptual effects, performing experiments (and data analysis), individual/group assignements concerning specific topics.
Learning Outcomes
AT THE THEORETICAL LEVEL
Perception is understood in cognitive psychology as the first step in collecting and processing information. Attention is looked upon not so much as a unitary process as a central dimension of cognitive-perceptual-motor functioning. This unit aims to:
(1) Introduce and contextualize the main theories of perception and attention.
(2) Identify the main research trends and operational paradigms in both areas. Concerning attention, it aims additionally to establish connections with a wide range of topics within the scope of basic processes.
AT THE PRACTICAL LEVEL
(3) To illustrate and render operational the main concepts presented and discussed in the lectures. Exercising experimental paradigms in both areas.
Work Placement(s)
NoSyllabus
THEORETICAL CLASSES
Varieties of attention. Attention to space, to objects, to dimensions. Cognitive Theories of Attention: filter models, resources models, automatic and controlled processing; neoconnectionist models; control models. Paradigms for the study of attention: search, cue and filter paradigms; dual tasks.
Indirect and direct theories of attention: the current state of the debate and possibilities for synthesis. Sensation and psychophysics: psychophysical methods. The Gestalt approach: bayesian reinterpretations. Visual perception: foundations;color, depth and motion perception; object recognition; scene and events perception. Auditory Perception. Touch, temperature ad pain. Chemical Senses. Multisensory perception.
PRACTICAL CLASSES
Hick's Law. Simon, Navon, Stroop, Garner and Posner paradigms; priming and flanking tasks; Mental rotations (objects and body parts). Representational Momentum; Signal Detection Theory.
Assessment Methods
Assessment
Type B evaluation (group assignment): 20.0%
Exam: 80.0%
Bibliography
PASHLER, H. (1998). Attention. Hove: Psychology Press
PARASURAMAN, R. (Ed.) (2000). The attentive Brain. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
BADDELEY, A. & WEISKRANTZ, L. (Eds.) (1993). Attention: selection, awareness, and control. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
GORDON, I. (1989). Theories of visual perception. Chichester : John Wiley & Sons.
MATHER, G. (2009). Foundations of sensation and perception. Hove; Psychology Press.
PALMER, S. (1999) Vision science : Photons to phenomenology. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press
BRUCE, V. & GREEN, P. (1993). La Perception Visuelle. Physiologie, psychologie et écologie. Grenoble: PUG.
SEKULER, R. & BLAKE, R. (2002). Perception. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
WADE, N, & SWANSTON, M. (2013). Visual perception: An introduction. London: Psychology Press.