Prerequisites
First year course Cognitive Psychology or comparable course. For more information contact the study adviser of Psychology.
Description
Attention, one of the most colourful concepts in psychology, refers to a whole number 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 will cover the history of research on attention, methods to analyze attentional processes, the neural basis and disorders of attention, 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 for measuring attention or effects of attention on brain and behaviour, and the usefulness of this knowledge in applied settings.
Timetable
Attention: Theory and Practice (2014-2015):
Registration
Course
Students need to enroll for lectures. Please consult the Instructions registration
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
Elective students
Read more on the electives for non psychology students (in Dutch)
Or exchange students contact Dieuwerke de Groot our exchange coordinator.
Mode of instruction
- 10 lectures
Assessment
- Examination consisting of 40 multiple-choice questions.
The Faculty of Social 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.
Blackboard
Information about the course, also including literature and lecture slides, is available on Blackboard.
Reading
- Johnson, A. & Proctor, R.W. (2004). Attention: Theory and practice. Thousands Oaks, California: Sage Publications. (Order in time, or purchase it from the Labyrint book service!)
If you are a member of the study association Labyrint you may purchase books cheaply via their study book service. Alternatively there are the academic book shops.
Contact
- Prof. dr. S. Nieuwenhuis
Sectie Cognitieve psychologie, kamer 2-B13
E-mail: snieuwenhuis@fsw.leidenuniv.nl