How are we so good at recognizing faces and objects? How do we selectively attend to relevant pieces of information (and why do we sometimes fail to do so)? How do we remember what we learned in class (and why do we sometimes forget)? How do we comprehend sentences, make decisions, and solve problems?

These are all questions asked in the field of cognitive psychology, which focuses on the internal mental processes involved in representing concepts, remembering, reasoning, language processing, decision making, and problem solving. More specific questions include: Is it safe to talk on a hands-free cell phone while driving? Is eyewitness testimony reliable? How can you better remember information? What are the pitfalls that lead to bad decisions, and how can they be avoided?

This site is a set of always-in-development open educational resources (OER) related to the field of Cognitive Psychology. The content has mostly been adapted from various other sources (with support from the Maryland Open Source Textbook Initiative - thanks!) in order to serve as the textbook for Introduction to Memory and Cognition PSYC 341 at the University of Maryland, College Park.

As OER they are completely free for students (and anyone else) to use and/or revise/redistribute.

The goal of these materials (and the corresponding PSYC 341 course at UMD) is to promote a good understanding of current theories and debates that motivate research in cognitive psychology, understand which research methods are appropriate to address different questions in the field, and have an improved ability to understand and discuss this knowledge through class participation and assignments. We hope to do this in a way that allows you to see the relevance of cognitive psychological research and theories to your own lives.

If you are an instructor of a class related to cognitive psychology, these materials are free for you to use / adapt as you like – please see the GitHub README for some basic info on how to adapt these materials for your own purposes. If you are neither a student nor a teacher, well, I’m not sure why you’re here, but I hope you find this useful!

This course is an introduction to the fundamental principles of psychology. It begins with a short overview of the discipline's development and principal methodologies. The subsequent units are arranged around broad areas of research, including emotion, development, memory, and psychopathology. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Identify the steps of the scientific method and explain how this method applies to psychological research methodology and statistical analyses; Demonstrate an understanding of the general history of the field; Explain the nature versus nurture argument and the current status of thinking regarding gene-environment interaction; Identify the basic components and mechanisms of the major biological systems often studied in psychology; Demonstrate an understanding of the basic findings within a variety of areas of psychology, including sensation and perception, memory and learning, development, social psychology, and psychopathology. (Psychology 101)

The Introduction to Psychology course was developed through the Ohio Department of Higher Education OER Innovation Grant. This work was completed and the course was posted in September 2018. The course is part of the Ohio Transfer Module and is also named OSS015. For more information about credit transfer between Ohio colleges and universities please visit: www.ohiohighered.org/transfer.Team LeadVincent Granito                                    Lorain County Community CollegeContent ContributorsNicole Brandt                                       Columbus State Community CollegeLynne Gabriel                                      Lakeland Community CollegeJackie Sample                                     Central Ohio Technical CollegeLibrarianRachel Dilley                                       Columbus State Community CollegeReview TeamMelissa Beers                                      Ohio State UniversityBryan Gerber                                        Stark State College

How to Use this GuideThis guide provides information and resources on teaching sensation concepts in an Introduction to Psychology course. All resources are Open Access and can be downloaded or added to a Course Management System (LMS) via the hyperlinks.According to the TAG, Sensation falls within Pillar 1 (Biological) and is an optional topic for Ohio Introduction to Psychology courses, along with the required topic of  Biology of Behavior. Perception falls under Pillar 2 (Cognitive), and is an optional topic for Ohio Introduction to Psychology courses, along with the required topic of Memory.  Together, these topics meet the APA recommendations for Strengthening General Psychology (Gurung, et al., 2016).IntroductionThis section introduces students to the basic processes of sensation and perception.

"This course provides an introduction to important philosophical questions about the mind, specifically those that are intimately connected with contemporary psychology and neuroscience. Are our concepts innate, or are they acquired by experience? (And what does it even mean to call a concept 'innate'?) Are 'mental images' pictures in the head? Is color in the mind or in the world? Is the mind nothing more than the brain? Can there be a science of consciousness? The course will include guest lectures by Professors."