This course is conceived as an introduction to experimental psychology and, more specifically, to the classical paradigms used in cognitive research. Students will be first offered a basic theoretical understanding of some classic experimental tasks in different areas of cognition (e.g., Priming task, Stroop task, Posner cueing task). Next, students will be illustrated the experimental design beyond such tasks. Students will also have the chance to program and conduct some of these experiments. Finally, they will also gain experience in the analysis and interpretation of behavioural data.
The main goal of this course is to illustrate the diversity of experimental approaches employed to study different aspects of cognition, such as memory and attention. This course will also elucidate how the assumptions made by cognitive researchers are reflected in their experimental methods. From a more practical standpoint, the course aims at offering a wide understanding of the experimental designs of classic reaction time paradigms in psychology. In addition to this, there will also be dedicated moments in which the students will have a direct grasp on designing and programming computerized experiments, as well as analyzing and interpreting the relative data.
- Docente: LUCA RINALDI