Year 3 Module Outline (PDF 325KB) - University of Birmingham

03 21142 L3: HIGHER COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN
CHILDREN, ADULTS AND NON-HUMAN ANIMALS
Module Leader: Dr Sarah Beck
Teaching Staff: Dr Sarah Beck, Prof. Ian Apperly
LEVEL: SEMESTER: CREDIT VALUE: CONTACT HRS:
3 2 20 39
RESTRICTION ON ENROLMENT: 50
STATUS:
Optional
CONTACT HOURS:
10 × 2 hour lectures;
6 × 1 hour workshop/discussion groups;
1 × 1 hour coursework seminar;
1 × 1 hour revision session;
Office hours: 11 × 1 hour;
Self-directed study
MODULE DESCRIPTION/CONTENT:
We will examine studies examining three topics (time, causality and theory of mind) in three different participant
groups (children, adults and non-human animals). Our aim will be an integration of evidence across these groups to
address what it is to understand these topics.
1. Introduction
2. Development of thinking about time
3. Non-human animals’ understanding of time
4. Heuristics and biases in human adults’ thinking about time
5. Children’s thinking about causality
6. Folk physics in non-human animals
7. Adults’ thinking and reasoning about causes
8. Development of theory of mind
9. Theory of mind in non-human animals
10. Theory of mind in human adults
KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES:
On successful completion of this module, the student will be able to:
1. Describe empirical evidence about the nature of higher cognitive functions (time, causality, theory of mind) in
children, adults and non-human animals.
2. Critically evaluate the methods used with different participant groups.
3. For each topic, evaluate the developmental and evolutionary relationships suggested by the evidence.
4. Integrate evidence from children, adults and non-human animals to evaluate what it means to ‘understand’ time,
causality and theory of mind.
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT:
Coursework: Research Proposal (40%)
Examination: (60%)
READING LIST:
Illustrative Reading:
Atance, C.M. & Meltzoff, A.N. (2006) Preschoolers’ current desires warp their choices for the future, Psychological
Science, 17(7), 583-587
Apperly, I.A., Simpson, A., Riggs, K.J., Samson, D. & Chiavarino, C. (2006) Is belief reasoning automatic
Psychological Science, 17(10), 841-844
Limongelli, L., Boysen, S. T. & Visalberghi, E. (1995) Comprehension of cause-effect relations in a tool-using task by
chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), Journal of Comparative Psychology, 109(1), 18-26
Full reading list available at beginning of module.
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