COGNITIVE SCIENCE

COGNITIVE SCIENCE
HANDBOOK
2000


Contents

What is Cognitive Science?
Career Opportunities
The Undergraduate Program
World Wide Web
The Double Major
The Single Major
Honours in Cognitive Science
Joint Honours in Cognitive Science
Joint Honours in Psychology and Cognitive Science
Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Science
Undergraduate Subject Descriptions
Honours Subject Descriptions
Miscellaneous Postgraduate Subject Descriptions
Advisors
Cognitive Science Faculty


What is Cognitive Science?

Cognitive Science is a rapidly expanding field of study aimed at understanding the mental processes that underlie cognitive abilities. The questions asked by Cognitive Science are not new. Philosophers, Psychologists, Linguists, Neuroscientists and Computer Scientists have all approached the basic questions posed by the nature of mental processes in their own ways as part of the broader endeavours of their respective fields. Cognitive Science is distinguished from these traditional disciplines by its highly interdisciplinary approach. Its defining technique is to bring expertise gained from the related disciplines to bear on a set of common questions: What are the basic components of cognitive processes? Are they subsumed by a common mental mechanism? What is the relationship between the physical apparatus and cognition? To answer these questions Cognitive Scientists engage in empirical and conceptual studies aimed at assessing their formal and computational models of various aspects of cognition. The sorts of areas investigated include the information-acquisition and information-processing mechanisms underlying cognitive abilities like perception, recognition, information storage and information retrieval, language acquisition, comprehension and production, concept acquisition, problem solving, and reasoning.

For a non-technical introduction see:
Pinker, S. (1997) How the Mind Works, London, Norton & Co.
Gardner, H. (1985) The Mind's New Science: a history of the cognitive revolution, New York, Basic Books.


Career Opportunities

Opportunities exist for teaching and research in higher education institutions, and the public service and private industry offer applied work in areas such as training, development and efficient use of expertise, decision-making, expert systems, ergonomics, job design, operator efficiency, safety, flexibility, dealing with novelty, and creativity. There is also considerable potential for applied work concerned with the more efficient acquisition and transfer of skills, better understanding of the manner in which humans acquire and process information, and more effective human-technology interaction. Growing employment opportunities are created by Australia's continuing movement to high technology industry, because of the need to relate new and emerging technologies to human performance. Contexts include computers and electronic communications, graphical user interfaces, computer aided design, intelligent agents, ubiquitous computing, genetic and evolutionary programming, and nanotechnology. The Cognitive Science program is linked to the Organizational Psychology Programme and the Bachelor of Information Technology to provide applied training for work in industry.

The Undergraduate Cognitive Science Program

Cognitive Science at the University of Queensland is an interdisciplinary program of study that would be of interest to students in Computer Science, Linguistics, Philosophy and Psychology. It is composed of existing subjects in these four disciplines, plus core Cognitive Science subjects. The course is taken as part of the B.Sc., B.A. or B.Inf.Tech. degree. The philosophy behind the program is to encourage students to take subjects from each of the component disciplines during the first three years. Students who start the program early in their course will be able to continue either with the constituent disciplines of the course as major subjects, or with Cognitive Science proper. Students from engineering, information technology, commerce, anatomy, neuroscience and other areas may take the cognitive science subjects, ICxxx, as electives to gain an introduction to the area without completing the whole program.

The aim in all subjects will be to give students practical experience in analysing, modelling and experimenting on cognitive phenomena. Students will learn the theory of a particular cognitive process, how to analyse specific examples of the process, gain experience in manipulating parameters of computational models of the process and how to design, conduct, analyse and interpret experiments investigating aspects of that process. This work will entail input from each of the relevant disciplines. For example a language comprehension topic would involve input from Linguistics, which would provide the underlying theory, Psychology which would define the psychological mechanisms subserving the process, and Computer Science which provides computational models of the process.


ATTENTION!

From 2001 all ICxxx subjects will change their codes to COGSxxxx. These changes will be available in the 2001 handbook.

World Wide Web

Information about the program, the contributing disciplines and the University of Queensland can be obtained via the World Wide Web:

Majoring in Cognitive Science

Click here for an updated version of the requirements.
A double major in Cognitive Science consists of at least #140 comprising:


Click here for an updated version of the requirements.
A single major in Cognitive Science consists of #80 from the codes IC, CS, EL, PD, PY & AN322*, comprising:

NOTES:


B.A. Honours in Cognitive Science

Introduction

Students who have a BA with a double major in Cognitive Science, or a BSc having done the equivalent subjects, and who have a grade point average of 5.00 or better may enrol in B.A. Honours in Cognitive Science. The Honours program is an interdisciplinary course of study based around a project. Completion of the degree at a suitable level allows a student to enrol in a research degree (e.g., the PhD).

Course of Study

Before enrolling a student must consult with the Cognitive Science Honours Adviser. Together they will design a course of study suitable for the individual. Formally, students are required to obtain #100 comprising the core seminar IC400, together with #60 of other level 4 subjects with code IC, CS, EL, PD, PY. No more than #40 may be taken from a single department. Students are required to attend a number of seminars as specified by the Honours coordinator, and to complete two seminar presentations on their project. Full details can be obtained from the Arts Faculty regulations in the Student Handbook.

For further details and advice, students should contact the Honours Adviser.


Joint Honours - Cognitive Science with Psychology, Computer Science, Linguistics, or Philosophy

It is possible to complete joint Honours in any two departments in the Arts Faculty, as long as permission has been granted by the Honours Co-ordinator of each Department.

To obtain psychology registration after completion of the joint Honours degree in Psychology/Cognitive Science special conditions apply - see the next section and consult the Joint Psychology-Cognitive Science Honours Advisor. For all other joint Honours see the Honours co-ordinators of the departments involved.

For further details and advice, students should contact the Cognitive Science Honours Adviser.


Joint Psychology-Cognitive Science Honours

Introduction

The aim of the Joint Psychology-Cognitive Science Honours program is to enable students to keep their options open as to whether to become psychologists or cognitive scientists until at least fourth year. The program has been designed so that students can achieve membership of the Australian Psychological Society, and ultimately registration as psychologists, while also fulfilling the requirements for Honours in cognitive science. It can also provide an alternative career for psychology students, given that places in graduate courses in psychology are limited, and that a number of new areas of employment are opening up, such as human factors, job design, human-computer interaction, and cognitive engineering.

To undertake Joint Psychology-Cognitive Science Honours students must complete the undergraduate course of study listed below, and then apply for entry to the Honours Program in Psychology. If accepted, students then complete the fourth year course of study.

Undergraduate Course of Study for Psychology-Cognitive Science Honours Entry

Psychology-Cognitive Science Honours Course of Study

For further details and advice, students should contact the Joint Psychology-Cognitive Science Honours Advisor.


Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Science at the University of Queensland

The Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Science is intended to serve a role in enabling graduates of other programs to extend their knowledge of the component disciplines of Cognitive Science. The Certificate may form part of the preparation for Honours in Cognitive Science, which is primarily a training for research, and requires a very broad knowledge of the component disciplines. A Graduate Certificate recognises the levels of achievement already attained by graduates and provides them with the opportunity to extend that basis.

Course Details

Qualification for Admission

A person may be admitted as a candidate for the Certificate if that person -

Course of study

A candidate must obtain #50 comprising #10 for IC401 and #40 for advanced level subjects listed for the Cognitive Science double major, including at least #10 from one subject with a code of IC2xx or IC3xx with not more than 2 subjects from the same department and approved by the Director of the Cognitive Science Programme.

IC401 has a seminar format, with discussion, presentation and a report. The objective is to link material from the other subjects of the Graduate Certificate.

Duration of Course

Unless the Dean otherwise determines, a candidate must complete the requirements of the Certificate in not more than one semester, if enrolled as a full-time candidate at any time, or 2 or 3 semesters in any other case.

Must achieve a grade of 4

To obtain credit for a subject a candidate must achieve a grade of at least 4.

Questions about the Graduate Certificate

Will the Graduate Certificate be a sufficient pre-requisite for the honours course in Cognitive Science?

No. It will be #50 which will allow you to take subjects required as pre-requisites, but you will need to satisfy the criteria for honours directly. This will depend on what background in the component disciplines you already have. If you are intending to do honours, you can enrol in a BA initially then jump directly to honours when the pre-requisites have been completed.

Will the Graduate Certificate be a sufficient pre-requisite for the honours course in Psychology?

Again the answer is no. You must complete the pre-requisites for honours in psychology.

Is it optional which half of the year one takes the course in?

To complete the course in one semester, you have to take IC401 which is only offered in semester one. You could, however, start in semester two and complete the following semester, part-time.

Who should undertake a Graduate Certificate?

If you have a degree in one of the component disciplines of Cognitive Science, the Graduate Certificate provides a way of broadening your expertise. If you wish to enter the Cognitive Science honours program, the Certificate provides a mechanism by which you can take the additional subjects you need to fulfill the requirements.

Enquiries should be directed to the Graduate Certificate Advisor.


Undergraduate Subject Details

Students experiencing difficulties with subject selection or any other academic matter are encouraged to seek the assistance of an academic adviser. Please remember that problems are always easier to resolve if you raise them with us as soon as possible - do not leave them until the end of the semester.

Key:

#: Credit point value

LTP: Lectures, Tutorial, Practical (hours per week)

1st/2nd: Semester offered

Pre: Prerequisite - a subject which must be passed or a requirement which must be fulfilled before enrolment in a given subject is permitted.

Comp: Companion - a subject which must either have been passed or in which the student must be concurrently enrolled, in order for enrolment in a specified subject to be permitted.

Inc: Incompatible - credit is not given for a subject if credit has been obtained for any subject listed as incompatible.

P: Recommended Prerequisite

C: Recommended Companion


IC - Cognitive Science

IC100 Minds & Machines: Introduction to Cognitive Science

#10 (2L1T) 1st Inc: IC210

(Prof. Graham Priest)
Sem. 1: Lecture Wed 4-6; Tutorial to be determined

Aims: To provide the student with an introduction to basic issues, concepts and terminology of Cognitive Science. This will be done by looking at the history of the study of the mind, particularly the recent history. Technical material will be introduced along the way. Students can expect to learn relevant basic material in cognitive psychology, neuroanatomy, the theory of computation, artificial intelligence, linguistics and philosophy, together with some of the ways that these all fit together.

Assessment: To be advised.

Text: H. Gardner, The Mind's New Science , Basic Books, 1983.


IC206 The Architecture of the Mind: Natural and Artificial

#12 (3L1T) 1st Pre: IC100 or #10 of CS or #10 of PY Inc: IC205 or 210

(Dr Janet Wiles)
Sem 1: Mon 4-6, Wed 4-6

Aims: To introduce the basic issues, concepts and terminology of architecture of the mind, from neurons to systems. It provides an overview of the classical computational approach, including perception, central and motor systems, from the perspect ives of both cognitive pychology and artificial intelligence, and also looks at connectionist and evolutionary theories.

Assessment: exam (%60); on-course (%40).

Text: Stillings, N., et al, Cognitive Science: An Introduction, MIT Press, 1987.

Recommended Reading: Pinker, S., How the Mind Works, Norton & Co. 1997.


IC231 Laboratory Introduction to Models in Cognitive Science

#12 (2L2P) 2nd Pre: #4 CS + (#4 MS or MT or PY103) + #30 advanced level subjects P:IC205 or 206 Inc: IC230

(Dr Janet Wiles)
Sem 2: Lecture Thu 4-6, Laboratory Tue 2-4 or Wed 2-4

Aims: Introduction to basic principles and issues related to computational modelling of cognitive, perceptual and linguistic processes in cognitive science. Introduction to neural networks and other modelling frameworks, significance of neural networks for cognitive science; computer laboratory experience with simulators.

Assessment: One final examination 60%, Course assessment 40%.

Text: to be announced


IC310 Language, Thought and Representation

#10 (4L) 1st Pre: #30 advanced level subjects P: IC230 or 231

(Dr John Ingram, Dr Helen Chenery)
Sem1: Tues 2-4, Thurs 2-4

Aim: To provide an interdisciplinary treatment of topics in the perception, comprehension and production of spoken language. The emphasis will be on gaining a critical appreciation of the methods and models that have been used to improve our understanding of the cognitive (and ultimately neural) mechanisms underpinning language processing. Course topics will include speech perception and production, lexical access, syntactic and semantic processing, in normal and language disordered individuals. Students will be introduced to a range of psycholinguistic methods for investigating speech and language competencies.

Assessment: Mid-semester test, short paper, class presentation and term paper.

References: Gleitman L.R. and Liberman M. (Eds.). (1995). An Invitation to Cognitive Science LANGUAGE Volume 1, MIT Press Cambridge Mass. 2nd Edition.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences (A Journal held in SS&H Library BF311.T73)


IC320 Models of Cognitive Processes (Not offered in 2000)


IC330 Human Reasoning and Rationality

#10 (4L) 2nd Pre: #60 advanced level subjects P: IC230 or 231

(Prof Graeme Halford, Dr Simon Dennis)
Sem2: Mon 4-6, Wed 4-6

Aim: This subject will examine topics in inductive and deductive validity, fallacies, reasoning processes, the role of learning and memory in reasoning and formal models of reasoning. These topics will be approached from the point of view of case studies of human reasoning and problem solving, issues in epistemology and reasoning as adaption to the environment.

Assessment: One final examination 50%, two practical reports on projects combining material from two contributing disciplines 25% each.

Texts: Readings will be advised as required.


AN - Anatomy

AN322 Functional Neuroanatomy (for Psychology) #10 2nd
Up-to-date concepts and notions of human brain and behaviour for psychology students, emphasising factors which define brain structures and functions and cognitive functions. Practical classes based on histology, macroscopic anatomy and neuropsychology.


CS - Computer Science

Note: the subjects listed below with course details are those considered particularly relevant to Cognitive Science. You may wish to increase your skill levels by also taking subjects listed below under one of the streams of: programming, databases, operating systems and networks, software verification, or compilers and languages.

CS181 Introduction to Software Engineering #12 1st or 2nd
Overview of software engineering; the software development process; principles of abstraction, information hiding and software components; exposure to high-level programming for practical experience with concepts introduced in the subject; principles of object orientation; objects, classes and inheritance.

CS182 Introduction to Information Systems #12 2nd
Introduction to information systems concepts, relational database systems, querying simple databases, data analysis and design, building a simple information system based on current relational technology.

CS192 Computer and Internet Skills #6 1st or 2nd
Familiarity with the computer as a tool; use of wordprocessor, simple database, spreadsheets, drawing package; intergration of these skills. Internet application services - telnet, ftp, email, WWW, Gopher, other resource discovery tools. WWW publishing. Introduction to Local Area Network services.

CS193 Information Access and Communications #12 2nd
Familiarity with computer as tool; use of wordprocessor, simple database, spreadsheets, drawing package; integration of these skills. Internet application services - telnet, ftp. Email, WWW, Gopher, other resource discovery tools. WWW publishing. Development of analytical writing & argument - emphasis on writing, speaking & reading practice.

CS263 Software Specification #12 1st
Motivation for precise software specification; use of logic & set theory as modelling tools; introduction to a formal specification notation; validation of specifications. Formal languages: regular & context-free grammars, automata & fintie state machine s.

CS272 Introduction to Information Science #12 1st
Fundamentals of representation of & access to information in large information spaces: text retrieval, indexing, classification, hypertext, issues in the World Wide Web & cyberspace, resource discovery, electronic publishing.

CS280 Software Engineering IIA #12 1st
Program & data structures: interfaces & classes, abstract data types, inheritance, polymorphism, recursion & iteration, exception handling. System architectures & run-time models. Operating system concepts: command shells, file systems, shared resources .

CS282 Algorithms & Data Structures #12 2nd
Data structures & types, mapping of abstract information structures into representations on primary & secondary storage. Analysis of time & space complexity of algorithms. Sequences. Lists. Stacks. Queues. Sets, multisets, tables. Trees. Sorting. Hash tables. Priority queues. Graphs. String algorithms.

CS304 The Software Process #10 1st
Software lifecycle as an industrial process, definable, manageable & repeatable. Requirements, specification, rapid prototyping, design, implementation, use & maintenance.

CS327 Models of Programming & Computation #12 2nd
Comparison of models of computation with emphasis on software development. Applicative/functional vs logic vs procedural programming. Implementation: reduction vs inference vs von Neumann machines. Relative merits: extensibility, vs verifiability vs efficiency.

CS344 Human Computer Interaction #12 1st
Models & methods of interaction, practical use of interface systems, user considerations, visual presentation, design principles, interface design methods, implementation issues, evaluation. Broader topics may include: societal considerations, groupware, multimedia, media perspectives.

CS346 Principles of Artificial Intelligence #10 2nd
Search methods, knowledge representation techniques, game playing, logic, expert systems, production systems, planning, natural language understanding, vision and robotic systems, learning, connectionist models.

CS363 Algorithm Analysis and Design #10 1st
Analysis of algorithms. Solution of summation & recurrence equations. Algorithm paradigms: diveide-&-conquer, greedy, dynamic programming, backtracking, branch-&-bound. Example algorithm development & analyses. Graph algorithms.

Programming - CS229, CS283
Databases - CS271, CS273, CS319, CS347
Operating Systems & Networks - CS233, CS303, CS306, CS336
Software Verification - CS362
Compilers & Languages - CS324
Projects - CS384, CS385, CS386, CS398


EL - Linguistics

EL101 Introduction to Linguistics #10 1st
Introduction to general linguistics: no previous knowledge of subject is assumed. Investigation, with main emphasis on English, of structure of language & of language varieties.

EL102 Language Competence and Language Variation #10 2nd
Further study of basic concepts in descriptive linguistics and sociolinguistics, with English as main language of exemplification.

EL201 Speech Production and Perception #10 NOT 2000 Introduction to general linguistics: no previous knowledge of subject is assumed. Investigation, with main emphasis on English, of structure of language & of language varieties.

EL203 Phonology #10 2nd
The subject aims to provide an understanding of classical concepts and techniques of phonological analysis and an introduction to current phonological theory. Phonology deals with the sound patterns of languages. It is relevant for study of first or second language acquisition, phonological disabilities, variation in speech, or how and why the sound structures of languages change over time.

EL210 Generative Grammar #10 2nd
Introduction to generative grammar; main focus on theories of Noam Chomsky and their application to English.

EL211 Introduction to Linguistic Semantics #10 2nd
Provides an introduction to the study of meaning within the framework of generative grammar. Topics include: different types of meaning; entailment, implicature and presupposition; reference and predication; lexical semantics; word meaning; cross-linguistic lexicalization patterns; semantics-syntax interface, properties of lexical organization and models of lexical semantic representation.

EL217 Cognitive Grammar #10 1st
The aim of this subject is to familiarise students with recent work in cognitive grammar and to enable them to apply the methodology of this theory to linguistic data. More generally, the aim is to discover what linguistic structure tells us about the mind.

EL219 The Language Instinct #10 NOT 2000
This subject documents the case for an innate linguistic faculty or "language instinct". The major emphasis is on child language acquisition with a concentration on insights gained by cross-linguistic studies.

EL306 Special Linguistics Research Topic A #10 1st or 2nd
No prescribed syllabus or formal teaching. In consultation with Dr Ingram or Assoc. Prof. Lee, students choose topic or topics to be studied under direction of supervisor.

EL307 Special Linguistics Research Topic B #10 1st or 2nd
No prescribed syllabus or formal teaching. In consultation with Dr Ingram or Assoc. Prof. Lee, students choose topic or topics to be studied under direction of supervisor.


MS/MT - Mathematics

MS150 Data Analysis & Experiment Design #12 2nd
Introduction to probability, data analysis & elementary statistical inference through examples involving applications to real data sets. Regression, experimental design, analysis of variance, contingency tables & financial modelling.

MS240 Analysis of Biological Data & Experiments #12 1st or 2nd
Methods of analysis for biological data & principles of design of experiments in biology. Introduction to concepts of variability & randomness; statistical methods for biological scientists, including regression, analysis of variance & categorical data analysis.

MT161 Discrete Mathematics #12 1st (Ipswich 2nd)
Truth tables & propositional logic. Predicates & quantifiers. Elementary set theory. Relations (including graphs) & functions. Recursive definitions. Induction & natural numbers.


PD - Philosophy

PD100 Introductory Philosophy #10 1st or 2nd
Introduction to philosophy, to the methods of philosophical debate, and to the way in which philosophical views influence our picture of ourselves, the lives we live, and the things we claim to know. Among the topics that may be discussed are: the existence of God, the basis for certainty and knowledge, the nature of mind, freewill, determinism, personal identity and perception.

PD102 Introduction to Logic #10 2nd
Study of formalisms of classical propositional & predicate calculus, using semantic & proof-theoretic techniques for testing provability, validity & logical truth.

PD200 Epistemology & Metaphysics #10 1st
Introduction to basic problems in the theory of knowledge and metaphysics, that is, questions about the nature of what exists, and how you know.

PD201 Representation & Reality: The Philosophy of Language #10 2nd
Offered in even numbered years only.
The nature of language and it's relationship to thought and reality.

PD203 Thinking about Logic: An Introduction to Philosophical Issues in Logic #10 1st
Offered in even numbered years only.
Philosophical issues arising in relation to modern logic, including: argument validity, truth-functionality, conditionals, quantification, necessity & the notion of a logical constant.

PD205 Consciousness, Rationality & the Emotions: The Philosophy of Mind #10 NOT 2000
Offered in odd numbered years only.
Classical and contempory problems in philosophy of mind such as nature of consciousness, relationship of mind, bodies & machines, & representationality & rationality of emotions.

PD210 Applied & Modal Logic II #10 NOT 2000
Offered in odd numbered years only.
Extensions & rivals to (classical) logic of PD102. Modal logic & some of: intuitionism, formal dialectic, recursion & relevant, deontic, dynamic & fuzzy logics. Formal details & philosophical adequacies of constructions.

PD216 Philosophy of Science #10 2nd
Offered in even numbered years only.
What is scientific knowledge & scientific understanding? How are competing theories evaluated & are such evaluations reasonable?

PD296 Business & Professional Ethics #10 2nd
Examination of ethical issues arising from employment in government, semi-government corporations, private firms & professional practice. Topics include: "social responsibilities" & the free market; stakeholder theory; conflicts of interest, insider trading, whistle-blowing; privacy; sexual harassment; morality of deception & bluffing; employee rights.


PY - Psychology

PY120 Introduction to Psychology: Physiological & Cognitive Psychology #10 1st or 2nd
Introduction to psychchology as a scientific discipline. Practical demonstrations & two lecture streams: (a) general introduction, methodology, & cognitive-experimental research; (b) biological & evolutionary processes.

PY130 Introduction to Psychology: Developmental, Social & Clinical Psychology #10 1st or 2nd
Introduction to scientific perspectivs on individual & group processes. Research & theory in developmental, personality, clinical, social, organisational & sport psychology.

PY135 Psychological Research Methodology 1 #10 1st or 2nd
Introduction to the theory and practice of research and report writing in psychology, science and scientific method, research methodology, techniques and designs, reliability and validity, data collection and analysis.

PY272 Psychological Research Methodology 2 #10 1st or 2nd
The objective of the subject is to provide students with a comprehensive overview of the theory and practise of research methodology, data analysis and report writing in psychology.

PY290 Neuroscience for Psychologists #10 1st or 2nd
Aims to extend and deepen information given in PY120. Application of results to the understanding of human perception, memory, language, motivation will be stressed.

PY291 Child Development #10 1st or 2nd
This is a broad survey subject on theory and research in developmental psychology. Emphasis will be placed on experimental approaches to studying children's behaviour and on basic research issues in four general areas: infant, language, cognitive and social development.

PY293 Learning & Cognition #10 1st or 2nd
Basic concepts in human learning & cognition. Lectures complemented by a sequence of practicals that require active participation & provide an opportunity for acquisition & application of skills.

PY317 Judgement & Decision Making #10 2nd
Psychological research on decision making dealing with theories of decision making as well as practical work in such areas as medicine, criminal justice, conflict, business, marketing & military.

PY331 Skills & Human Factors #10 2nd
General nature of human skills & aspects of motivation in human problems associated therewith, e.g. designing machinery, optimising work & living environments, improving road safety.

PY334 Language Development #10 2nd
Research in language acquisition. Although all major aspects of language acquisition are covered, particular attention is given to phonological & grammatical development. Lectures & practicals will include some introductory linguistics.

PY357 Basic Processes in Cognition #10 1st
Discussion of fundamental issues in cognitive psychology including serial versus parallel processing, automaticity & preconscious processing. Training in typical laboratory paradigms involving accuracy & latency measures of task performance.

PY359 Reading: Development & Difficulties #10 1st
Introduction to theory & research examining cognitive psychology of reading skills & disabilities, approached from developmental viewpoint, with strong emphasis on word recognition processes.

PY364 Perception & Attention #10 1st
Method and theory in perception & attention including visual illusions, search, vigilance & related topics.

PY370 Psychological Research Methodology 3 #10 1st or 2nd
Examines psychological research designs involving multiple independent variables, interpretational issues with these designs & appropriate analysis techniques, for example, factional analysis of variance & multiple regression. Students gain experience using computer-based data-analytic procedures.

PY372 Behavioural Neuroscience: Learning & Emotion #10 2nd
Neuroscientific approaches to attention & emotion. Emphasis on application in relation to psychopathology. Topics include: formal models of habituation & learning, neuroscience of emotion, attentional bias & preparedness.


Honours Subjects

NOTES:
* Below are listed the IC, CS, EL, PD & PY honours subjects which are most obviously related to cognitive science. Any other honours subjects from those departments would also be acceptable.

* Some departments have strict formal requirements. However, prerequisite subjects for IC honours students can be negotiated with the individual lecturer and the IC honours coordinator.


IC400 Cognitive Science Project

#40 (2C) Year Pre: IC double major or equivalent

(Dr Janet Wiles)
Year: Wednesdays 1-2pm

Aim: To facilitate an in depth research project on the part of the student at the honours level. Research topics in Cognitive Science will be discussed in class and the student will pursue a research project under the supervision of staff from contributing disciplines. By the end of the first semester students will have chosen a project on which to work. The project is completed and presented to the seminar by the end of the second semester.

Text: There is no set text. Reading will be advised as required.


IC408 Cognitive Computing for Psychology

#20 (4L) Year Pre: (IC230 + #30 level 3 subjects) or CS345 P: MT101 Inc: PY408, CS445

(A/Prof Janet Wiles)
Sem 1: Tues 11-1pm, Wed 11-1pm 78-621
Sem 1&2: Wed 11-1pm 78-621

Aim: Introduction to Artificial Neural Networks: including a review of the literature and introduction to simulation techniques. The course involves practical and theoretical assignments and an in depth simulation project.

Assessment: Assignments 20%, project 50% and exam 30%.

Texts: Readings will be advised as required.


IC409 Cognitive Computing

#12 (2L) 2nd Pre: ((IC230 or IC231) + #30 level 3 subjects) or (CS346 or CS348) Inc: IC408 or CS445

(A/Prof Janet Wiles)
Sem 1: Tues 11-1pm, Wed 11-1pm 78-621
Sem 1&2: Wed 11-1pm 78-621

Aim: Introduction to advanced topics in artificial neural networks, evolutionary computing and cognitive modelling. The subject involves practical and theoretical case studies and an in depth simulation project.

Assessment: 100% on course assessment

Texts: Readings will be advised as required.


CS445 Cognitive Computing #20 Year
Study the design & analysis of connectionist models (neural networks) as computing devices & as models of human cognitive processes.

CS493 Human-Computer Interface #20 Year
Selected topics from research into the human-computer interface, including cognitive factors, task analysis, design strategies, evaluation; technology, workstations, I/O modalities, toolkits, animation, multi-media, virtual reality, visualisation; implementation architectures, client server approaches, user interface management systems, open distributed processing environments; HCI-rich applications; hypermedia, computer-supported cooperative work, tutoring systems.



NOTE: For the linguistics honours subjects Cognitive Science students can negotiate prerequisites with the lecturer and the IC honours advisor. See course coordinator for individual subject details.

EL413 Advanced Topics in Morphology #10 1st

EL415 Advanced Topics in Phonology #10 2nd

EL417 Advanced Topics in Semantics #10 2nd

EL419 Advanced Topics in Syntax #10 2nd

EL428 Advanced Research Topic A #10 1st or 2nd

EL429 Advanced Research Topic B #10 1st or 2nd


PD412 Honours Logic #20 Year (May also commence 2nd Semester)

PD420 Special Paper #20 Year (May also commence 2nd Semester)


PY423 Topics in Perception & Cognition #10 2nd
To equip students to participate in current research in perceptual/cognitive processes. Theoretical & empirical issues in at least one research area examined in depth.

PY424 Cognitive Science - Psychology Thesis #40 Year
Production of a thesis on topic relevant to both Cognitive Science & Psychology, supervised or co-supervised by member of the Psychology Department. Student attend research seminars as for IC400.

PY447 Neuropsychology #10 2nd
Introduces students to brain-behaviour relations in humans with particular emphasis on research basis of assessment methods.

PY460 Reading Course 1 #10 1st or 2nd
Pre: permission of the Deputy Head of Psychology
Independent study under direction of relevant member of staff. For details consult course coordinator. Designed to allow students to thoroughly review one area of interest in psychologu & to competently report their work.

PY469 Processes of Cognitive Development #10 1st
Analysis of processes of cognitive development especially factors determining concepts children can understand, knowledge they acquire, & skills & strategies they develop.


Miscellaneous Postgraduate Subjects

IC401 Graduate Certificate Seminar

#10 (2T) 1st & 2nd Pre: Admission to Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Science

(Prof. Graham Priest)

See coordinator for timetable

To integrate content for the contributing Cognitive Science disciplines through discussion, seminar presentation, and written reports.

Assessment: Class participation 20%, One seminar presentation 30%, One written paper 50%

Reference: A. Collins & E. Smith (eds.) (1988). Readings in Cognitive Science: a perspective from psychology and artificial intelligence. San Mateo, Calif. : Morgan Kaufmann Publishers


IC800 Cognitive Science Project

Offered in MInfTechSt
#40 (2C) Year Pre: permission of Head of PY Dept Inc: CS880 or 887 or 888 or 889

(A/Prof Janet Wiles)

Interdisciplinary seminar program with individual project by each student.


Advisors


Faculty

The Cognitive Science program draws on the expertise and talents of many members of the University of Queensland's academic community. Faculty members directly involved in the IC subjects and program are:

Dr Helen Chenery
email: h.chenery@mailbox.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-1609
Psycholinguistic investigations of neurogenic language impairment, aphasia, dementia.

Dr Simon Dennis
email: s.dennis@humanfactors.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-6778
Connectionism, models of human memory, speech recognition, machine intelligence.

Prof Graeme Halford (Joint Psych/IC Honours Advisor)
email: gsh@psy.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-6401
Analogical reasoning, learning and induction, processing capacity, mechanisms underlying cognitive development.

Prof Michael Humphreys (Graduate Certificate Advisor)
email: m.humphreys@humanfactors.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-6670
Connectionist or neural network models of human memory. The role of context in human memory. Comparisons of episodic, semantic, and procedural memory tasks. Applications of neural network models to the understanding of human amnesias.

Dr Dominic Hyde
email: d.hyde@mailbox.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-2578
Philosophical logic, logic, metaphysics, philosophy of language.

Dr John Ingram
email: jingram@lingua.cltr.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-2570
Speech perception, speech production, speaker recognition, connected speech processes, sound change in second language learning, speech & language disorders.

Dr Gary Malinas
email: g.malinas@mailbox.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-2598
Rationality, philosophy of art, philosophy of language

Prof Graham Priest
email: g.priest@mailbox.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-2613
Logic and its applications; particularly non-classical logics and their use in artificial intelligence.

Dr Helen Purchase
email: hcp@csee.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-2697
Intelligent knowledge-based educational systems, human-computer interaction, natural language processing, graphic and symbolic representations and associated user manipulation.

A/Prof Janet Wiles (Program Director, Honours Advisor)
email: janet@psy.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-2902
Neural networks, cognitive models of human vision, memory and cognition, evolutionary computing.

Associated Faculty

Faculty members in associated areas are:

A/Prof Judy Bowey
email: judyb@psy.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-6885
Children's and adults' reading, in particular word recognition processes and children's reading difficulties. Metalinguistic development in the preschool years.

Dr Margot Brereton
email: margot@csee.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-4194
Distributed cognition, tangible media, sociable media, visual reasoning, design thinking, learning by design, learning with hardware, learning science and engineering.

Dr Jack Broerse
email: broerse@psy.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-6213
Visual perception and psychophysics, perceptual development.

Dr Deborah Brown
email: d.brown@mailbox.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-2804
Philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, metaphysics.

Dr Jenny Burt
email: jsb@psy.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-6338
Visual word recognition, spelling, indirect memory testing.

A/Prof Robert (Bob) Colomb
email: colomb@csee.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-1190
Human-computer interface in distributed environments, applications of deductive database, main-memory database, knowledge-based systems.

Prof Tom Downs
email: td@csee.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-3791
Neural networks, computational learning theory, speech recognition (by machine), mathematical modelling.

Prof Gina Geffen
email geffen@psy.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-5562
Cognitive neuropsychology, prefrontal cortex functioning, behavioural and electrophysiological correlates.

Dr Piero Giorgi
email: p.giorgi@mailbox.uq.edu.au
tel. (work)3365-2723
(home)3371-5132 or 3217-7772
Neurobiology, development of brain and behaviour in animals and humans, the origin of violence in humans.

Dr Michael Harrington
email: mwharr@cltr.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-6719
Psycholinguistics of second language learning, modelling second language lexical processes, sentence processing.

Prof Simon Kaplan
email: kaplan@csee.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-2395
Software engineering, human-computer interface, computer supported co-operative work, programming languages especially visual languages.

Dr Ottmar V. Lipp
email: ottmar@psy.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-6385
Information processing during habituation. Attentional and emotional processes in Pavlovian conditioning. Information processing in schizophrenic patients and subjects at risk for schizophrenia.

Dr Olivera Marjanovic
email: olivera@csee.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-3002
Information and knowledge management in contemporary organisations, Workflow management, Intelligent agents (especially problem of learning), Decision support systems, Electronic collaborative teaching and learning.

Dr John McLean
email: john@psy.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-6394
Visual perception and attention, consciousness.

Dr Andrew Neal
email: a.neal@humanfactors.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-6372
Applied cognitive psychology including categorisation, implicit learning, training and job design.

Prof Jack Pettigrew
email: j.pettigrew@vthrc.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-3842
fax. 3365-4522
Comparative physiology of binocular vision, biological rhythms, hemispheric asymmetries.

Dr Virginia Slaughter
email: vps@psy.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-6397/3365-6323
Cognitive development, theory of mind, infant social cognition, scientific reasoning and the development of biological concepts, cross-cultural psychology.

Dr Glen A. Smith
email: glen@psych.psy.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-6409
Gerontology, especially cognitive change, Models of reaction time and strategy effects, influences of psychometric ability and personality on elementary cognitive tasks.

Dr Gordon Wyeth
email: wyeth@csee.uq.edu.au
tel. 3365-3770
Robotics, neural networks, and how to combine these two into physically embodied cognitve models.


Disclaimer

Attention: From 2001 all ICxxx subjects will change their codes to COGSxxxx. These new codes will be available in the 2001 handbook.

This handbook is not an official publication of the University. Therefore, in the event of any conflict between this booklet and the official publications, the official publications take precedence. The University's Calendar Series contains all the necessary details - you are strongly advised to purchase either Vol 2, The Undergraduate Studies Book, or Vol 3, The Postgraduate Studies Book, whichever is appropriate for your course. You are also strongly advised to consult the official rules (Vol 2, The Rules Book) before completing any enrolment procedures, and to seek help from an Academic Adviser if in doubt.


Last updated 27/1/00