Skills

Psychology 6: Cognitive Psychology

10 weeks · 3 milestones

Memory, attention and decisions. Course 6 of the Varsity Curriculum: Psychology. Free sources only. Foundations only. Not a clinical or counselling qualification.

Part of: Psychology · Proves for: UG

Milestone map

3 milestones

Test a memory effect

3 weeks (about 5 hrs/week)

Read OpenStax chapter 8 and the Noba module on memory. Self-check: chapter 8 review questions. Then make a memory experiment (for example the testing effect or serial position) in jsPsych or PsychoPy, run on consenting adults. If you collect data from people: adults only (18+), consent first, answers anonymous, and no health or clinical questions. Under 18? Use an open dataset; never collect data yourself.

Proof required

Link the public repo with a memory experiment (for example the testing effect or serial position) in jsPsych or PsychoPy, run on consenting adults: the experiment code, a link to run it, and the anonymous data from your test runs. Add the consent text you used.

What gets checked

The effect is predicted before running it.
Conditions are counterbalanced.
Data from people follows the rules: adults, consent, anonymous, no health or clinical data.

Common mistakes

Results the files cannot reproduce.
A summary of the reading instead of your own work.

Powstik Guide

A memory experiment (for example the testing effect or serial position) in jsPsych or PsychoPy, run on consenting adults.

Steps

Read the linked chapter and take the self-check.
Make a public repo.
Build the smallest version that works, then check it.
Write a README: the question, the method, what you found, the limits.
Ask someone who knows psychology to check it.

Template

README
Course 6: Cognitive Psychology
Question:
Data (source, n, how it was collected):
Method:
Result:
Limits:

What gets sent back

No data or no code.
Data from people that breaks the rules above.
Copied work with no history.

Resources

Foundationstart here

Depthgo deeper

What a verifier looks for

The effect is predicted before running it.
Conditions are counterbalanced.
The result is compared with the classic finding.
Data from people follows the rules: adults, consent, anonymous, no health or clinical data.
Do the files produce what the README says?

You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.

Measure attention

3 weeks (about 5 hrs/week)

Read the Noba module on attention and the MIT 9.65 lectures on it. Self-check: chapter 7 review questions. Then make a notebook analysing a Stroop or visual-search task (your own data from consenting adults, or open data). If you collect data from people: adults only (18+), consent first, answers anonymous, and no health or clinical questions. Under 18? Use an open dataset; never collect data yourself.

Proof required

Link the public repo with a notebook analysing a Stroop or visual-search task (your own data from consenting adults, or open data): the notebook, the data (or a link to the open dataset) and a README saying what it shows. Add the consent text you used.

What gets checked

Errors and outliers are handled by a stated rule.
The effect size is reported.
Data from people follows the rules: adults, consent, anonymous, no health or clinical data.

Common mistakes

Results the files cannot reproduce.
A summary of the reading instead of your own work.

Powstik Guide

A notebook analysing a Stroop or visual-search task (your own data from consenting adults, or open data).

Steps

Read the linked chapter and take the self-check.
Make a public repo.
Build the smallest version that works, then check it.
Write a README: the question, the method, what you found, the limits.
Ask someone who knows psychology to check it.

Template

README
Course 6: Cognitive Psychology
Question:
Data (source, n, how it was collected):
Method:
Result:
Limits:

What gets sent back

No data or no code.
Data from people that breaks the rules above.
Copied work with no history.

Resources

Foundationstart here

Depthgo deeper

What a verifier looks for

Errors and outliers are handled by a stated rule.
The effect size is reported.
The plot shows each condition.
Data from people follows the rules: adults, consent, anonymous, no health or clinical data.
Do the files produce what the README says?

You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.

Explain a decision bias

3 weeks (about 5 hrs/week)

Read OpenStax chapter 7 on thinking and problem solving. Self-check: chapter 7 review questions. Then make a 5-minute talk on one decision bias: the classic study, a replication, and where it does not hold.

Proof required

Name the people who heard a 5-minute talk on one decision bias: the classic study, a replication, and where it does not hold and add the slides and the recording or their written questions.

What gets checked

The original and a replication are both cited.
Limits are named.
Questions are answered.

Common mistakes

Reading slides aloud with no questions taken.
Claims with no study behind them.

Powstik Guide

A 5-minute talk on one decision bias: the classic study, a replication, and where it does not hold.

Steps

Read the linked chapter and take the self-check.
Plan the talk or poster around one question.
Present it to at least two people who know some psychology.
Write down their questions and your answers.

Template

Plan
Course 6: Cognitive Psychology
Question:
Studies I cite:
What I expect to be asked:

What gets sent back

Nobody heard it.
No sources.

Resources

Foundationstart here

Depthgo deeper

What a verifier looks for

The original and a replication are both cited.
Limits are named.
Questions are answered.
Did the person explain it in their own words and answer a question?

You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.

Part of

Psychology 6: Cognitive Psychology →

Related outcomes

Milestone map

3 milestones

Test a memory effect

3 weeks (about 5 hrs/week)

Proof required

What gets checked

The effect is predicted before running it.
Conditions are counterbalanced.
Data from people follows the rules: adults, consent, anonymous, no health or clinical data.

Common mistakes

Results the files cannot reproduce.
A summary of the reading instead of your own work.

Powstik Guide

A memory experiment (for example the testing effect or serial position) in jsPsych or PsychoPy, run on consenting adults.

Steps

Read the linked chapter and take the self-check.
Make a public repo.
Build the smallest version that works, then check it.
Write a README: the question, the method, what you found, the limits.
Ask someone who knows psychology to check it.

Template

README
Course 6: Cognitive Psychology
Question:
Data (source, n, how it was collected):
Method:
Result:
Limits:

What gets sent back

No data or no code.
Data from people that breaks the rules above.
Copied work with no history.

Resources

Foundationstart here

Depthgo deeper

What a verifier looks for

The effect is predicted before running it.
Conditions are counterbalanced.
The result is compared with the classic finding.
Data from people follows the rules: adults, consent, anonymous, no health or clinical data.
Do the files produce what the README says?

You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.

Measure attention

3 weeks (about 5 hrs/week)

Proof required

What gets checked

Errors and outliers are handled by a stated rule.
The effect size is reported.
Data from people follows the rules: adults, consent, anonymous, no health or clinical data.

Common mistakes

Results the files cannot reproduce.
A summary of the reading instead of your own work.

Powstik Guide

A notebook analysing a Stroop or visual-search task (your own data from consenting adults, or open data).

Steps

Read the linked chapter and take the self-check.
Make a public repo.
Build the smallest version that works, then check it.
Write a README: the question, the method, what you found, the limits.
Ask someone who knows psychology to check it.

Template

README
Course 6: Cognitive Psychology
Question:
Data (source, n, how it was collected):
Method:
Result:
Limits:

What gets sent back

No data or no code.
Data from people that breaks the rules above.
Copied work with no history.

Resources

Foundationstart here

Depthgo deeper

What a verifier looks for

Errors and outliers are handled by a stated rule.
The effect size is reported.
The plot shows each condition.
Data from people follows the rules: adults, consent, anonymous, no health or clinical data.
Do the files produce what the README says?

You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.

Explain a decision bias

3 weeks (about 5 hrs/week)

Proof required

Name the people who heard a 5-minute talk on one decision bias: the classic study, a replication, and where it does not hold and add the slides and the recording or their written questions.

What gets checked

The original and a replication are both cited.
Limits are named.
Questions are answered.

Common mistakes

Reading slides aloud with no questions taken.
Claims with no study behind them.

Powstik Guide

A 5-minute talk on one decision bias: the classic study, a replication, and where it does not hold.

Steps

Read the linked chapter and take the self-check.
Plan the talk or poster around one question.
Present it to at least two people who know some psychology.
Write down their questions and your answers.

Template

Plan
Course 6: Cognitive Psychology
Question:
Studies I cite:
What I expect to be asked:

What gets sent back

Nobody heard it.
No sources.

Resources

Foundationstart here

Depthgo deeper

What a verifier looks for

The original and a replication are both cited.
Limits are named.
Questions are answered.
Did the person explain it in their own words and answer a question?

You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.