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Presentation
Presentation
This Course Unit aims to study cognitive processes related to information processing in different perceptual modalities. It addresses the conceptual foundations of attention and perception, exploring how these processes interact and complement each other in constructing our experience of the world. Additionally, it provides the essential bases for understanding how human beings acquire, interpret, and react to environmental information, serving as a foundation for future curricular units.
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Class from course
Class from course
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Degree | Semesters | ECTS
Degree | Semesters | ECTS
Bachelor | Semestral | 5
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Year | Nature | Language
Year | Nature | Language
1 | Mandatory | Português
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Code
Code
ULHT35-24971
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Prerequisites and corequisites
Prerequisites and corequisites
Not applicable
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Professional Internship
Professional Internship
Não
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Syllabus
Syllabus
Foundations of perception: sensation, transduction, sensory pathways and perceptual modalities; introduction to multisensory perception. Perceptual organisation and recognition: Gestalt, constructivist approaches, perception as inference, visual pathways and models of object recognition. Psychophysics: sensory thresholds and Signal Detection Theory. Foundations of attention: taxonomies, orienting and attentional networks. Theoretical models of attention: filter theories, capacity models, and automatic and controlled processing. Interactions between attention and perception, and the influence of emotion. Research methods and scientific communication: experimental paradigms, behavioural measures, PsychoPy and APA guidelines. Applications: individual differences, behaviour and learning, including the role of digital environments in attention and perception.
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Objectives
Objectives
By the end of the curricular unit, students should be able to: LO1. Describe the concepts of sensation and perception and explain their interaction in information processing, as well as the characteristics of the main perceptual modalities. LO2. Compare the main theoretical models of perception and attention, explaining the assumptions that distinguish them. LO3. Individually implement classic experimental paradigms of perception and attention in PsychoPy. LO4. Analyse simple behavioural measures - reaction times, hits and errors - comparing experimental conditions and relating the results to the research question under study. LO5. Evaluate the implications of research on perception and attention for understanding individual differences, behaviour and learning, grounding judgements in empirical evidence. LO6. Produce an empirical report and a scientific article in accordance with APA (7th ed.) guidelines, and present the corresponding results orally.
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Teaching methodologies
Teaching methodologies
The curricular unit integrates two components, theoretical and practical, paired in terms of programmatic content. The methodology is complemented by multimedia resources, such as videos and practical examples illustrating the concepts, fostering learning and motivation. Active student participation is promoted through questioning methodologies that encourage dialogue, especially in the practical component. The active methodology is reflected in students' direct involvement in research projects within HEI-Lab, with each group addressing a distinct research question, assigned and validated by the teaching team. The laboratory practical component includes building and running classic behavioural and experimental paradigms in PsychoPy, such as the Stroop effect and object recognition, guided research activities, and the writing of empirical reports and scientific articles, which are important as an introduction to research methodologies.
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References
References
Eysenck, M. W., & Keane, M. T. (2020). Cognitive psychology: A student's handbook (8th ed.). Psychology Press. Goldstein, E. B., & Cacciamani, L. (2021). Sensation and perception (11th ed.). Cengage. Harris, J. (2014). Sensation and perception. Sage Publications. Schiffman, H. R. (2005). Sensação e perceção (edição brasileira). Livros Técnicos e Científicos Editora. Sternberg, R. J., & Sternberg, K. (2016). Cognitive psychology (7th ed.). Cengage.
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Assessment
Assessment
A unidade curricular adota a modalidade de avaliação contínua, conforme o Regulamento Geral de Avaliação da Universidade.
Regimes e Componentes de Avaliação
Para ter acesso à Avaliação Contínua, o estudante deve cumprir o requisito mínimo de assiduidade de 70% de presença nas aulas.
A avaliação contínua é composta por dois testes escritos, com um peso de 25% cada. Integra ainda um trabalho individual com uma ponderação de 15%, correspondente à implementação de uma experiência em PsychoPy (5%) e à elaboração de um pequeno relatório sobre a mesma (10%). O trabalho de grupo tem por base um conjunto de resultados já recolhido e anonimizado no âmbito de um estudo do HEI-Lab, desenvolvendo cada grupo uma questão de investigação distinta, atribuída e validada pela equipa docente. Inclui uma componente escrita em formato de artigo científico, com uma ponderação de 15%, e a respetiva apresentação oral, correspondente a 15%.
Inclui ainda a participação em duas experiências, com uma ponderação de 5%. Por razões éticas, este elemento pode ser substituído pela análise de um artigo científico na área da perceção ou da atenção, indicado pelo docente, caso o/a estudante não pretenda participar.
A avaliação final consiste num exame escrito com uma ponderação de 100% da nota final, que incidirá sobre a totalidade dos conteúdos teóricos e práticos. A avaliação final consta de um exame escrito que inclui os conteúdos das aulas teórico e práticas, e exige uma classificação mínima de 10 valores.
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Mobility
Mobility
No
