Specialization in Cognitive Psychology
About the Specialization in Cognitive Psychology
The strength of this specialization is in complex cognition, particularly in the areas of memory and judgment and decision making. Because of the emphasis on interdisciplinary research in this department, faculty and students in the Cognitive Psychology specialization often engage in collaborative research partnerships with faculty from other specializations and disciplines.
The primary goal of this specialization is to train psychologists who are capable of conducting high-quality research in cognitive psychology. Under the guidance of their advisers, all students become actively involved in research beginning with their first quarter.
Throughout their graduate training, students are expected to spend the majority of their time actively engaged in research.
As part of their training, students will be expected to complete extensive coursework in statistics and research methodology. We believe that students who develop skills in these areas will be better prepared to tackle both basic and applied research problems in cognitive psychology.
Faculty
Claudia Gonzalez-Vallejo, Research and teaching interests include basic and applied topics in judgment and decision-making (Lens model analysis, calibration, mathematical models of judgments and choices, inter-temporal decisions, nutrition judgments and food studies); psychometrics and statistics.
Ronaldo Vigo, Mathematical and computational models of cognition, categorization and concept learning, judgment and decision making, mathematical psychology, psychophysics, perception.
Affiliated Faculty
Jeffrey B. Vancouver, Current research involves developing and testing computational models of human/environment interactions, focusing on the role of goals and feedback in motivation and learning.
Emeriti Faculty
Francis S. Bellezza, Models of cognition and memory, statistics.
Laboratories
Recommended Courses
The Psychology Department at 91探花 offers training in Cognitive Psychology. This specialty provides background in cognitive psychology with an emphasis on cognitive modeling and decision making.
Research Seminar: The primary goal of this program is to train high-quality researchers. Under the guidance of their advisers, all students are expected to spend the majority of their time actively engaged in research and must take part in the Research Seminar (6980).
Coursework: While all students complete similar courses their first year, in consultation with their advisers, students develop programs of study tailored to their own special interests. These programs not only include specialized courses in cognitive psychology, but also may include coursework in other areas of psychology, including organizational, physiological, quantitative, and health
Specifically, recommended courses for Cognitive students include:
- 5710 First-Year Seminar in Experimental Psychology
- 6310 Cognitive Processes
- 6980 Research Seminar
- 7110 Multivariate Statistics
- 7130 Advanced Regression Analysis
- 7310 Psychophysics & Theories of Perception
- 7320 Psycholinguistics
- 7330 Judgment and Decision Making
- 7340 Advanced Learning
- 7350 Concept Learning & Categorization
- 7360 Mathematical Modeling of Cognition
- 8903 Advanced Seminar: Cognitive Psychology