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PSY20240

Academic Year 2024/2025

Language, Perception & Social Cognition (PSY20240)

Subject:
Psychology
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Psychology
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Nuala Brady
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Social interactions are fundamental to human life and are supported by various cognitive processes, including language, social perception and social cognition. Some of these processes are shared with other social species while other abilities, such as language, are thought to be uniquely human. This module provides an introduction to the nature and development of language, to aspects of social perception (the recognition of faces, bodies and gestures ) and to aspects of social cognition (including mentalizing and perspective taking) considered from an embodied perspective. The course introduces the various ways in which psychologists study language and cognition; via experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience, and by studying the changes in cognitive function that result from brain injury and the differences in social cognition that characterize specific neurodevelopmental conditions.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:
Demonstrate a knowledge of the characteristics of human language and its development.
Demonstrate a knowledge of high level visual processes that underlie the perception and recognition of faces and bodies
Demonstrate a knowledge of embodied cognition and how it serves social cogntion
Demonstrate an understanding of the different methods by which we study language and cognition and of how these methods relate to each other

Indicative Module Content:

Introduction to methods in psychology and cognitive neuroscience that are used to study language, perception and social cognition
Introduce to human language; its characteristics, development and assumed unique status among animal communication systems
Introduction to social perception, including the perception of faces, bodies, gaze and pointing
Introduction to social cognition, including 'mind reading', perspective taking considered from an embodied perspectice

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

20

Autonomous Student Learning

105

Total

125


Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
face to face lectures
independent learning via reading of both texts and recommended journal articles
online student discussion
question and answer sessions

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
PSY20060 - Psychology of language, PSY20080 - Visual and Social Cognition


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Exam (Online): MCQ exam in Week 8 and MCQ exam in Week 12 Week 8, Week 12 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% Yes
40
Yes
Assignment(Including Essay): Essay Week 14 Graded Yes
60
Yes

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback individually to students, post-assessment Online automated feedback

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32 Mon 10:00 - 10:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 10:00 - 10:50