Menu

General Psychology I: Perception, memory, thinking & decision-making

Niveau

Bachelor

Learning outcomes of the courses/module

The students • are familiar with the fundamentals of psychology including its history, objectives, research methods, and experimental design. • understand the biological and physiological bases of behavior, including the functioning of the nervous system and genetic influences on behavior. • can describe concepts of perception and states of consciousness, including the mechanisms of visual, auditory, and multimodal perception as well as the significance of sleep and dreaming. • recognize and explain the processes and systems of memory, from sensory input to long-term memory, and apply learning strategies to improve memory. • understand the basics of action control, including the physiological and cognitive aspects of motor skills and executive functions. • can apply theoretical models and research findings on thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making and implement them in practical or hypothetical scenarios.

Prerequisites for the course

None

Course content

• Psychology as a Science (Subject & Goals of General Psychology; Concepts & Perspectives of Psychology; Psychology as a Scientific Research Method; Methodological Principles of Psychology; Methods of Experimental Design & Data Collection) • Neuroscience and Behavior – Biological-Physiological Foundations (Signal Transmission in the Nervous System; Organization of the Nervous System; Structure of the Brain; Genetics & Behavior) • Perception (Properties of the Senses; Making Phenomenal Experience Measurable; Psychophysics, Visual Perception; Auditory Perception; Balance & Proprioception; Tactile Senses; Smell & Taste; Somatosensory System; Multimodal Perception) • Attention & Consciousness (Attention & Selective Stimulus Processing; Consciousness; Sleep; Dreaming & Circadian Rhythms) • Action Control (Physiological Foundations of Motor Skills; Control; Programming & Regulation; Interaction between Action & Perception; Multitasking/Dual Tasks; Executive Functions/Cognitive Control) • Memory (Memory Processes & Systems; Methods & Findings of Early Experimental Memory Research; Sensory Memory; Working Memory/Short-Term Memory; Long-Term Memory; Memory Theories; Constructive Memory; Memory Enhancement & Learning Strategies; Neurobiological Basis of Memory) • Thinking, Problem Solving & Decision Making (Propositional Thinking & Knowledge Presentation; Imagery Thinking; Neural Basis of Propositional and Imagery Thinking; Problem Solving: Basic Concepts & Strategies; Decision Making: Basic Concepts & Strategies, Intelligence & Creativity)

Recommended specialist literature

• Bak, P. M. (2020). Wahrnehmung, Gedächtnis, Sprache, Denken: Allgemeine Psychologie I – das Wichtigste, prägnant und anwendungsorientiert. Berlin: Springer. • Becker-Carus, C., & Wendt, M. (2017). Allgemeine Psychologie: Eine Einführung. Berlin: Springer. • Hergovich, A. (2022). Allgemeine Psychologie: Wahrnehmung und Emotion. Wien: Facultas.

Assessment methods and criteria

• Quiz • Final Exam

Language

German

Number of ECTS credits awarded

6

Share of e-learning in %

30

Semester hours per week

4.0

Planned teaching and learning method

30% of the course will be covered through eLearning. This will involve a combination of online phases (inductive method for independent acquisition of knowledge and practicing tasks) and face-to-face sessions (deductive method providing assistance in the learning process and imparting knowledge through lectures).

Semester/trimester in which the course/module is offered

2

Name of lecturer

STGL

Academic year

Key figure of the course/module

GWP2

Type of course/module

integrated lecture

Type of course

Compulsory

Internship(s)

-