12513 - Cognitive Psychology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student has a proper methodology for the transfer of knowledge in the application area and could be able to understand the theoretical, methodological and epistemiological issues of the different models with which, today, the human cognitive activity is studied.

Course contents

In the first part of the course the general aspects of cognitive psychology will be addressed with the aim of providing a historical and thematic overview of the main psychological currents and the most important research methods used in psychology.

In the second part of the course the individual cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, memory, thinking and reasoning, will be addressed in more detail, with particular reference to the theoretical models used in the study and explanation of psychology. In addition, more applicative issues will be addressed in relation to the experimentation and application in the ergonomic field of some general principles of cognitive psychology. Particular attention will be paid to the experimental paradigms used in psychology and some of the best known experiments in cognitive psychology will be analyzed, considering their effects in the ergonomic context and in the psychology of everyday life.

Prior knowledge in psychology is required.

Readings/Bibliography

Psicologia. Processi cognitivi, teoria e applicazioni. Nicoletti, Rumiati, Lotto. Il Mulino, Bologna. Edizione 2017

Introduzione all'ergonomia cognitiva. Nicoletti, Vandi. Carocci Roma. Edizione 2021.

Furthermore, for non-attending students, the professor is available to provide optional supplementary literature.

Teaching methods

Lectures will be delivered with the support of PowerPoint presentations, fostering debate on specific issues addressed in class. Discussions will be enriched through the use of videos and group exercises carried out during class sessions.

All materials presented during lectures (PDF of the PowerPoint slides, videos, links, etc.) will be made available via the Virtuale platform.

To deepen understanding of the experimental paradigms and theoretical topics covered, students will have the opportunity to participate in experimental research studies (including online participation).

Further information will be provided during the lectures.

Non-attending students who are interested are kindly asked to contact directly l.lugli@unibo.it.

Assessment methods

The final exam will be a multiple-choice test. The 31 questions will concern the topics studied and their applications. The exam aims at verifying:

1. the competence of the acquired contents

2. the level of assimilation and critical-conceptual elaboration of the proposed contents

3. the ability to orientate between the main lines of interpretation

They will be evaluated with marks of excellence:

• the students' acquisition of an organic vision of the topics addressed in class together with their critical use

They will be evaluated with discrete marks:

• a mnemonic knowledge of the subject,
• a capacity for synthesis and analysis

They will be evaluated with insufficient marks:

• knowledge gaps
• lack of orientation in the bibliographic materials offered during the course

The passing grade is achieved by answering 18 questions (out of 31) correctly. The highest grade (30 with honors) is awarded for answering all 31 questions correctly.

The exam offers a further opportunity for discussion with the teacher, a comparison that the student is invited to look for during the lessons, intervening in person with the request for clarification or with proposals for further information.

Foreign students who feel more confortable to take the exam in English, are kindly asked to contact the professor in order to arrange the examination procedure.

Exam sessions
During the 2025/2026 academic year, exam sessions are scheduled in the following months*:

• December 2025 / January 2026 (depending on the end of the course)
• March 2026
• May 2026
• July 2026
• September 2026
• December 2026

*subject to laboratory availability

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders have the right to special adjustments according to their condition, following an assessment by the Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the instructor but get in touch with the Service directly to schedule an appointment. It will be the responsibility of the Service to determine the appropriate adjustments. For more information, visit the page: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students .

It is recommended that students contact the University office in advance. Any proposed adjustments must be submitted at least 15 days in advance for the instructor’s approval, who will evaluate their appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

 

Teaching tools

To deepen understanding of the experimental paradigms and theoretical topics covered in the course, students will have the opportunity to take part in experimental research studies (including online participation). Further information will be provided during the lectures.

Non-attending students who are interested are kindly asked to contact directly l.lugli@unibo.it.

Office hours

See the website of Luisa Lugli