Psychology

Memory is a precondition for taking responsibility for one’s past and being morally accountable. The connection between autobiographical memory processes and moral reasoning is crucial to the scientific understanding of what is commonly referred to as “moral conscience.” This course covers relevant scientific literature, empirical data, thought experiments, real-life examples, to promote students’ critical understanding of the subject matter. The scientific literature included in the course focuses on the following subject areas: autobiographical memory (key theoretical models, methods, empirical evidence); moral reasoning (key theoretical models, methods, empirical evidence); individual differences and moral reasoning (relevant literature examining Dark Triad Traits, as well as mood disorders in relation to moral reasoning); autobiographical memories and moral transgressions; autobiographical memories and moral emotions. Students are progressively encouraged to discuss the limitations and/or contributions of some of the presented articles.

This course examines how cognitive and behavioral neuroscience can be applied in clinical settings. It examines the ways in which neurological illness can affect functions such as attention, memory, speech, decision making and emotion regulation. It covers the principles underlying neuropsychological assessment, and the problems that are typically observed following specific illnesses such as stroke, traumatic brain injury and dementia. It also explores how neuroscience can provide insights into problems that present in the psychology clinic, such as depression, anxiety, addiction and schizophrenia.  

This course teaches how to design ethically and culturally responsive psychological experiments in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand. It covers the analysis of data collected using common experimental designs and the reporting of results according to the conventions of scientific writing.

This course examines biopsychology, sensation and perception, and cognitive processes. Topics will include sensation and perception, learning and memory, executive function and motor control. It considers these abilities and their underlying brain mechanisms across the developmental spectrum (from infancy to advanced ageing), as well as in populations with neurological conditions.

This course provides an introduction to the milestones of human development from conception to childhood. It focuses on how children change as they progress through life and how differences among children come about. The content is drawn from research and theories in developmental psychology. Topics include prenatal development, perceptual and cognitive development in infancy, language development, preschool, temperament, attachment, and moral development. Text: Martha Lally and Suzanna Valentine-French, LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT: A PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE. Assessment: class attendance and activities (20%), exams (80%).

This course focuses on diagnosis and evaluation in clinical and educational psychology. Topics include: clinical interview; clinical psychology evaluation process; diagnosis and clinical psychological evaluation; detection of disorders; commonly used instruments; evaluation of health, disability, and dependency; educational evaluation-- concept, evaluation contexts, and purposes; psychopedagogical evaluation-- instruments, reports, and advice to teachers.

This course surveys the major approaches of human personality, covering classical and contemporary themes, such as psychodynamic theories, behavioral models, humanistic theories, trait theories, social learning theories and personality perspectives indigenous to cultures in Asia.

This course focuses on the application of knowledge about basic psychological processes (attention, perception, memory, and related processes) to the collection and evaluation of testimonial evidence. Topics include: the accuracy of witness statements; obtaining statements; false statements; statement evaluation; processes in the identification of persons; lineups; identification evaluation procedures; applied aspects of psychology of testimony.

This course is a general introduction to contemporary theory and research in perception, including an analysis of philosophical and biological issues. Students explore the representational nature of knowledge and establish links between principles of perception and developments within the visual arts, music, and literature. 

This course covers foundational topics in cognitive science from the perspectives of cognitive psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, philosophy, and computation. Topics may include how minds are defined, how they represent the world, how they communicate, and how they support adaptive behavior.