Prospectus

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Attention: Theory and Practice

Course
2015-2016

Entry requirements

Cognitive Psychology or a similar course is required. For admission requirements, please contact your study advisor .

Description

Attention, one of the most colourful concepts in psychology, refers to a whole range of characteristics of human experience and behaviour: it is selective in expressing our preferences, integrative in binding numerous aspects of stimulus information to coherent events, inhibitory in suppressing unwanted thoughts and actions, limited in restricting our multi-tasking abilities, and executive in controlling our actions. The course covers the history of research on attention, methods to analyse attentional processes, the neural basis of attention and attention disorders, individual differences and applied issues, such as the impact of mental workload on performance or the design of visual displays.

Course objectives

The student will acquire general knowledge of:

  • Theories of human attention;

  • Methods to measure attention or effects of attention on brain and behaviour; and

  • The usefulness of this above knowledge in applied settings.

Timetable

For the timetables of your lectures, workgroups, and exams, select your study programme.
Psychology timetables

Registration

Course

Students need to register for lectures, workgroups and exams.
Instructions for registration in courses for the 2nd and 3rd year

For information on registration periods consult the bachelor course registration

Elective

Elective students have to enroll for each course separately. For admission requirements contact your study advisor.

Exchange/Study abroad

For admission requirements, please contact your exchange coordinator.

Examination

Students are not automatically enrolled for an examination. They can register via uSis from 100 to 10 calendar days before the date; students who are not registered will not be permitted to take the examination.
Registering for exams

Mode of instruction

8 2-hour lectures

Assessment method

Examination consisting of 40 multiple-choice questions (70%) and 5 essay questions (30%).
Regulations on grade calculation.

The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences has instituted that instructors use a software programme for the systematic detection of plagiarism in students’ written work. In case of fraud disciplinary actions will be taken. Please see the information concerning fraud.

Reading list

Johnson, A. & Proctor, R.W. (2004). Attention: Theory and practice. Thousands Oaks, California: Sage Publications. (Order in time, or purchase from the Labyrint book service!)

Contact information

Prof. dr. Sander Nieuwenhuis
snieuwenhuis@fsw.leidenuniv.nl