01230 - General Psychology I

Learning outcomes

The course intends to offer an analytic panorama of the actual knowledge in the field of general psychology and cognitive processes. Fundamental concepts will be introduced for being able to correctly appraise the history and the development of the fundamental concepts of cognitive sciences. Furthermore the students will study, during the course, basic methological aspects related to the study of the human behaviour.

Course contents

The course will address the study of the human mind and behavior.
Topics concerning the history of scientific psychology and methods of study will be explored. The following cognitive processes will then be examined: learning, memory, thinking, attention and consciousness.Within the study of consciousness processes, special attention will be paid to the study of dream activity during sleep.
The lectures will have the following articulation:

Historical introduction to scientific psychology: phenomenology, behaviorism, cognitivism, recent developments in neuroscience with special reference to the mind-brain problem.
Methods of study in psychological research
Cognitive processes: learning, memory, thinking, attention and consciousness.
Specific aspects of behavior: within the study of states of consciousness, the problem of cognitive processes during sleep will be explored.

The course takes place in semester I (September to December 2025)

 

Readings/Bibliography

Occhionero M. (Ed.). Introduzione alla Psicologia Generale. Carocci, 2018. (Capp. 1, 2, 5, 6, 8)

Ficca G., Fabbri M. (Ed.). Psicologia del sonno. Maggioli Editore, 2019. (Cap. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7)

D'Urso V., Giusberti F. Esperimenti di Psicologia. Zanichelli, 2000. (Cap. 9, 13, 17, 18)

Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1983). Extensional versus intuitive reasoning: The conjunction fallacy in probability judgment. Psychological Review, 90(4), 293–315. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.90.4.293

Baddeley A. (2000). The episodic buffer: a new component of working memory?. Trends in cognitive sciences, 4(11), 417–423. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1364-6613(00)01538-2

The topics discussed during lectures will be evaluated in the exam even if they are not present in the texts.

The contents present in bibliography but not examined in detail during the course must be considered part of the exam program.

The slides of the lessons will be available in the online teaching materials (link to Virtual in the side menu on the right)

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures

Any additional resources for preparation will be provided through supplementary materials uploaded to the Virtual platform. Indications for accessing these resources will be provided in class and on the Virtual platform

Assessment methods

Learning is verified through the final exam only, which ascertains the acquisition of the expected knowledge and skills by carrying out a written test lasting 90 minutes without the help of notes or books.

The written test consists of 6 questions. Each question will be evaluated on a scale from 0 to 5 taking into account the arguments, originality, depth.

Specifically, each question will be assigned and evaluated as follows:

Score 5: excellent

Excellent skills of content, specific terminology, critical analysis of the topic

Score 4: Good

good analytical skills and sure command of specific terminology.

Score 3: sufficient

sufficient capacity for analysis, in-depth analysis and mastery of the topic and specific terminology.

Score 2: insufficient

insufficient and general inability to argue the contents

Score 0-1: Severely insufficient

The test is passed if the score acquired is at least 18 points. 30 cum laude are awarded to works that are particularly argued from a critical point of view with ideas of originality with respect to the topic addressed.

There are no ongoing tests and/or partial exams.

Registration for the tests will always take place via the Alma Esami application. Based on the number of registered students, students will be divided into shifts with time slots that the system will provide immediately following the order of registration.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

During the lectures, slides will be projected and discussed. The slides will be available to students on the University's web platform Virtuale (specific directions will be given during class and also made available by email).

Office hours

See the website of Miranda Occhionero