Cognitive Science Program
at the University of Virginia

Previously Approved Courses

Fall 2004

Cognitive Psychology | Philosophy | Linguistics | Neuroscience

 

Previously Approved Courses by Semester

| Spring 2007|
Fall 2006 | Spring 2006 | Fall 2005 | Spring 2005 | Fall 2004 |
| Spring 2004 | Fall 2003 | Spring 2003 | Fall 2002

 

Back to Current Courses

Cognitive Psychology

PSYC 210: Introduction to Learning & Behavior

The course will examine historical and current theories that explain how different types of learning provide the foundation for most, if not all forms of an organism's behavior. We will cover these theories by carefully examining the most important research experiments that contributed to our current understanding of the principles and concepts that shape our behavior. The lecture content will focus heavily on experimental findings derived from research of learning processes in human and non-human species. The concept of Learning will be explored from the perspective of theories of Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning and more recent theories of the organization of behavior derived from human studies.

Instructor: Cedric Williams

PSYC  215: Introduction to Cognition

Cognition is the activity of knowing: the acquisition, organization, and use of knowledge. Emphasizing fundamental issues, this course introduces such basic content areas in cognitive psychology as perception, memory, language, cognitive development, and philosophy of science.

Instructor:Vikram Jaswal

PSYC 230: Introduction to Perception

Study of selected topics in perception, particularly visual perception; the role of stimulus variables, learning and motivation of perception.

Instructor: Dennis Proffitt

PSYC 305-1: Research Methods & Data Analysis I
* Prerequisites: Psyc 101 or any 200-level Psyc course and at least 4th semester standing

Introduction to research methods in psychology, integrating statistical analysis. Emphasis on descriptive statistics and non-experimental research methods. Use of computers for data analysis, experimentation, and report writing. This course is required for majors and is the first part of a two-part series (305-306).

Instructor: Nancy Weinfield

PSYC 305-2: Research Methods & Data Analysis I
* Prerequisites: Psyc 101 or any 200-level Psyc course

Introduction to research methods in psychology, integrating statistical analysis. Emphasis on descriptive statistics and non-experimental research methods. Use of computers for data analysis, experimentation, and report writing. This course is required for majors and is the first part of a two-part series (305-306).

Instructor: James Freeman

PSYC 306: Research Methods & Data Analysis II
* Prerequisites: Psyc 305 ( with C- or better)

Second part of a two-part series required for psychology majors. Emphasis on inferential statistics (t-tests and ANOVA) and issues in experimentation. **Course May Meet Second Writing Requirement**

Instructor: Karen Schmidt

PSYC 350: Infant Development
* Prerequisites: Introductory Psychology

This course covers psychological research on many different aspects of infant development, including prenatal, brain, motor, perceptual, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional development in the first two years of life.

Instructor: Judy DeLoache

PSYC 401: Language Acquisition: Exceptional Cases
* Enrollment Restrictions: Psychology majors, Cognitive Science Majors, Linguistics Majors, or by instructor permission

We will examine the development of language in normally developing children and in children with disabilities, such as children with autistic disorder. There will be a focus on sign language acquisition as well as speech.

Instructor: John Bonvillian

PSYC 402: Development in the First Three Years
* Prerequisites: Introductory psychology, Developmental Psychology
* Enrollment Restrictions: Psychology majors

Special topics in development in infancy

Instructor: Judy DeLoache

PSYC 404: Coordination and Action
* Prerequisites: Introduction to Cognition

How do we control complex bodily movements? How do we coordinate our thought processes? These questions have traditionally been addressed in separate disciplines. However, motor and mental coordination have been investigated together in recent decades through the emphasis of common computational or brain mechanisms. In this course, we will develop an appreciation for the diverse conceptual and methodological approaches to coordination in our action system. Specific topics will include the timing and sequencing of actions, bimanual coordination, and the coordination between cognitive and perceptual-motor actions.

Instructor: Jackie Shin

PSYC 515: Advanced Cognitive Psychology
* Prerequisites: PSYC 215
* Enrollment Restrictions: Psychology majors until after 4th-year majors have registered, or graduate students

This course picks up where Introduction to Cognitive Psychology leaves off. It is assumed that you know that material. The pace is faster, and the reading material is primarily original source materials (that is, experiments and theories, not literature reviews).

Instructor: Dan Willingham

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Philosophy

PHIL 242: Introduction to Symbolic Logic

Introduces the concepts and techniques of modern formal logic, including both sentential and quantifier logic, as well as proof, interpretation, translation, and validity.

Instructor: Paul Humphreys

PHIL 332: Epistemology

Studies problems concerned with the foundations of knowledge, perception, and rational belief.

Instructor: Harold Langsam

PHIL 542: Symbolic Logic
* Prerequisite: PHIL 242 or equivalent
* Restricted to: Instructor Permission

Examines various results in metalogic, including completeness, compactness, and undecidability. Effective computability, theories of truth, and identity may also be covered.

Instructor: James Cargile

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Linguistics

ANTH 243: Languages of the World
* Prerequisites: one year of a foreign language or permission of instructor

This course introduces students to the diversity of human language and the principles of linguistic classification. How many languages are spoken in the world, and how are they related? What kinds of features do languages share, and in what ways may they differ? In surveying the world's languages, we will focus on the structure and social situation of a representative language for each geographic region covered. We will also consider the outlook for linguistic diversity in the 21st century.

Instructor: Lise Dobrin

ANTH 542: Theories Of Language

We will survey a number of modern schools of linguistics, both American and European, trying to understand each approach in terms of its historical context, the goals it sets itself, the assumptions it makes about the nature of language, and the relation between theory and methodology. Grades will depend on: four or five written homework assignments that ask you to look at some data from a particular theoretical perspective; an oral presentation on a scholar or school of linguistics, a take-home, open-book final exam; and evidence (from class discussion) that you have been doing the readings, which are an essential part of the course.

Instructor: Ellen Contini-Morava

ANTH 543: African Language Structures
* Instructor permission required

The course will cover the classification of African languages, selected grammatical typologies, African lexicography, and examples of oral literature. Students will give presentations on these topics with respect to specific languages. The intention of the course is to investigate the considerable variety of linguistic types present in sub-Saharan Africa.

Instructor: J. David Sapir

LNGS 325: Introduction to Linguistics

Introduces sign systems, language as a sign system, and approaches to linguistics description. Emphasizes the application of descriptive techniques to data.

Instructor: Mark Elson

SPAN 309: Introduction to Spanish Linguistics
**Note: This course is taught in Spanish**

Instructor: Tejedo-Herrero

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Computer Science

All CS courses are acceptable except CS 110, CS 120, and CS 182.
ECE 200 will count for credit, but does not fill CS area requirement.

The most common intro-level CS courses for Cognitive Science majors are:

CS 101: Introduction to Computer Science
CS 200: Foundations of Computer Science
CS 202: Discrete Mathematics

Neuroscience

BIOL 317 : Introduction to Neurobiology**

Analyzes the concepts of general neurobiology, including basic electrochemistry, simple DC circuits, origin of bioelectric potentials, muscle physiology, and developmental neurobiology.

Instructors: Kawasaki, Mellon, Friesen

** Students may take PSYC 220 OR BIOL 317. BOTH WILL NOT COUNT TOWARD THE MAJOR **

PSYC 220: Introduction to Psychobiology**

After an overview of brain structure and organization, the course examines what we know about the biological bases of perception, learning and memory, emotion and psychopathology, as well as the regulatory behaviors: sleep, thirst, eating, sex, and those associated with psychoneuroimmunology.

Instructor: Peter Brunjes

** Students may take PSYC 220 OR BIOL 317. BOTH WILL NOT COUNT TOWARD THE MAJOR **

PSYC 321: Psychobiology Laboratory
* Prerequisites: PSYC 220 or PSYC 420, PSYC 305 strongly recommended
* Enrollment Restrictions: Restricted to majors until after 4th-year and 3rd-year psychology majors have registered

This course is designed to give the student experience with techniques used to study brain-behavior relationships and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the biological basis of behavior. Techniques will include neuroanatomy, pharmacology and behavioral analysis.

Instructor: Lisa Goehler

PSYC 420: Neural Mechanisms of Behavior
* Prerequisite: PSYC 220 or 222, or instructor permission; prior or concurrent enrollment in PSYC 321 is highly recommended

Lectures on molecular and cellular aspects of neural mechanisms in relation to behavior, including neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurotransmitters, receptors, neuropharmacology, development, plasticity and neurodegenerative diseases.

Instructor: Alev Erisir

PSYC 520: Plasticity in Sensory Systems
* Prerequisites: PSYC 420/720 or permission of instructor

A survey of sensory systems and plasticity. Organizational principles common for sensory systems, and mechanisms of plasticity will be discussed.

Instructor: Alev Erisir

PSYC 581: Mind-body Interactions
* Prerequisite: PSYC 101 and 220
* Enrollment Restrictions: Psychology majors and graduate students, cognitive science and neuroscience majors

Psychological states, such as stress, profoundly influence bodily functions. Similarly, signals from the body modulate psychological states including anxiety and depression as well as cognitive functions such as learning and memory. In this seminar we will explore the pathways and neural mechanisms by which these bi-directional interactions occur.

Instructor: Lisa Goehler

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