PS5012
Origins of Human Cognition
2016-2017
15
7
SCQF level 11
2
Academic year(s): 2016-2017
SCOTCAT credits : 15
ECTS credits : 7
Level : SCQF level 11
Semester: 2
Planned timetable:
This module focuses on the origins of human cognition from evolutionary and developmental perspectives. How do we come to parse the 'blooming buzzing confusion' of cues from our physical and social environments into meaningful representations that support functionally adaptive behaviour? In the physical world are objects, their properties and the causal underpinnings of their interactions. The social world contains agents, their actions, and their mental states. How does cognitive processing reveal cues and build representations about the causal structure of the physical and social world? This course examines how these features are perceived and processed by developing humans and other animals for adaptive behaviour, and investigates the evidence for the proximate mechanisms underlying the abilities seen. The module links together the evolution and development of different cognitive abilities with a focus on empirical comparative research.