Psychology of Perception and Language

Objectives

This curricular unit has as general goals: 1) To promote the knowledge of the processes of acquisition and processing of sensory information; and 2) To promote the knowledge about the processing and production of language. For that purpose, it introduces fundamental concepts of Psychophysics and Psycholinguistics and develops the comprehension of the research methods in the field. This curricular unit intends to further the understanding of the different senses and of the multisensory processes. It also intends to further the knowledge of heard and read language, as well as spoken and written language. Finally, it intends to promote seminal knowledge about the disorders in perceptual processing, mental processing and action, as well as in reading and writing.

Program

The curricular unit includes as program contents topics of perception and language. The specific program contents are:

 

1. Introduction to perception and language: history, processing and neuronal organization; research methods;
2. Perception:
   1. Visual perception: perception of objects and scenes, face perception; visual attention; movement perception and action; color perception, distance perception and size perception;
   2. Auditory perception: sound processing, auditory scene analysis, auditory localization, listening in rooms;
   3. Cutaneous senses: pressure, vibration, temperature; processes and theories of pain;
   4. Chemical senses: taste and olfaction and multisensory effects in flavour and food perception;
   5. Multisensory processes and models.
   6. Speech:
      1. Physical aspects of speech; Perception and processing of speech;
      2. Processes of reading and reading disorders;
      3. Extracting meaning from language;
      4. Speech production: models of speech and speech disorders;
      5. The process of writing; models of writing and writing disorders;
      6. The relation between language and thinking; Thinking and reasoning

Teaching Methodologies

The curricular unit is targeted at the resolution of problems and the development of project work. In the theoretical classes, the presentation phases are assisted by auxiliary projection methods, alternating with demonstrations and experimentation with phenomena. The theoretical-practical sessions are developed in small groups, about specific themes, which aim at consolidating the program contents, and the corresponding conclusions are object of analysis and class-wide discussion at the end of the session. The learning activities also include the participation in research projects withing one the themes of the course and the exploration of scientific publications in the field.

The evaluation values the reflexive dimension of the self-learning processes, including mandatorily: 1) the continuous performance of students in tasks developed within class; 2) the written response of students to theoretical-practical questions discussed within each session; 3) the implementation of project work, in group; and 4) the results of two tests.

Bibliography

E. B. Goldstein (2014) Sensation and Perception (9th Ed.) Cenage Learning

R. S. Schiffman (2005) Sensação e Percepção (5a Ed.) LTC

Merleau-Ponty, M. (2004). The world of perception. Routledge.

Gescheider, G. A. (2013). Psychophysics: the fundamentals. Psychology Press.

Prins, N. (2016). Psychophysics: a practical introduction. Academic Press.

M. W. Eysenk and M. T. Keane (2010) Cognitive Psychology: A student's handbook (6th Ed.). N. Y.: Psychology Press

R. J. Sternberg (2008) Psicologia Cognitiva (4ª Ed.) Brasil: Artmed

Stevens, S. S. (2017). Psychophysics: Introduction to its perceptual, neural and social prospects. Routledge