Introduction to Cognitive Science

Summer 2014
Cognitive Science 110, and Psychology 130
When: M,W,F 1-3:15
Where: TBD
Office hours: directly following class Mon. and Fri.
Materials:
1) Readings available on classes V2: https://classesv2.yale.edu/portal/
2) Textbook
Title:
Cognitive Science
Author:
Bermdez, Jos Luis
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print ISBN-13: 9781139786034
Instructor: Oriana R. Aragon-Schenck, Ph.D.
email: Oriana.aragon@yale.edu
Welcome to Introduction to Cognitive Science! Cognitive Science takes on the lofty
endeavor of figuring out how the mind works This course will show that cognitive science
uses many avenues of exploration (from philosophy to neuroscience) and levels of
investigation (from overt behavior to cellular reactions). Cognitive science is known for its
interdisciplinary nature, drawing on the areas of computer science, linguistics, philosophy,
neuroscience, psychology and more. In this course we will explore topics of decisionmaking, perception, reasoning, innate abilities, morality (including some political science),
attraction and more. Hopefully, by the end of the course you will have an understanding of
cognitive science, and potentially, some personal insight into how your own mind works.
Course Requirements
The bulk of the class work will consist of active participation, predicated on the expectation
that you are reading the assigned text and articles outside of class. The textbook reading is
to ensure that you leave this class with a good understanding of the history and scope of
cognitive science. On the other hand, lectures will be primarily based on interesting
empirical research on more specific topics. Therefore, reading of the text and the empirical
articles is mandatory and both will be included on exams.
Class Preparation (Reading) and Participation Grade (40%)
Students should be prepared by completing the reading prior to the beginning of each class.
They should also be sure to attend class and participate in the discussions. There will be
thoughtful reading responses due for most readings. This is done to help you to integrate
the material, and to be sure that you keep up on your reading. We will have in class

exercises that will combine with the class preparation for this portion of your grade.
Classes are long and we will take a break most days.
In-Class Exams (60%, 2 exams x 30% each)
Two in-class exams will be given, namely, one midterm and one final. Exams will evaluate
knowledge gathered from the book, the lectures, and the papers presented in class. Exams
will be short-answer and multiple choice.
For the Yale College Policy on Academic Dishonesty, please refer to:
http://yalecollege.yale.edu/content/cheating-plagiarism-and-documentation

Class Schedule
(This is preliminary- some readings will be excerpts, some may be
removed, and some may be gone over in class- but not a reading
assignment)
Week 1
1.1 (7/7) Welcome, Introduction, & Methodologies in Cognitive Science
No Reading for this class
1.2 (7/9) Foundations of Cognitive Science
Read: 1. Chapter One, Pgs. 3- 28 (History)
2. Bisson (1991), Theyre Made Out of Meat
3. Carandini, (2002) From Circuits to Behavior
4. Zylbergberg, (2011) The Human Turing Machine
1.3 (7/11) Interplay of Cognition and Experiential Sense
Read: 1. Chapter Two, Pgs. 29- 58 (Interdisciplinary Nature)
2. Sacks (2004) Speed
3. Friedman (2010) Aging and Speed of Time
4. Wittman (2009) The Inner Experience of Time
In Class: Optical & Auditory Illusions

Week 2
2.1 (7/14) Examples of Neural Architecture and Vision
Read: 1. Chapter Three, Pgs. 59-85 (The Brain)
2. Rafal (2001)Balints Syndrome
3. Beck (2006) Right Parietal Cortex, rTMS and Change Blindness
4. Stoerig (1997) Blindsight in Man and Monkey
5. Simons (1998) Failure to Detect Changes in Real-World Interaction
In Class: Visual System and Attention
2.2 (7/16) Nature and Nurture
Read: 1. Chapter Four, Pgs. 86-115 (Integration)
2. Bouchard (2008), selection from Genes and Human Psychological Traits
3. Sugita (2008), Face Perception in Monkeys Reared with No Exposure to Faces
4. Hershberger (1970), Attached-Shadow Orientation Perceived as Depth by
Chickens in an Environment Illuminated from Below
5. Bar-Haim (2006) Nature and Nurture in Own-Race Face Processing
In Class: Nature and Nurture
2.3 (7/18) Evolution and Consciousness
Read: 1. Chapter Five, Pgs. 117- 141 (Integration)
2. Churchland (1988), Chapter 2 of Matter and Consciousness (2nd Ed.)
3. Bloom (2004), The Duel Between Body and Soul (NYTimes)
4. Nilsson (1994), A Pessimistic Estimate of the Time Required for an Eye
to Evolve

In Class: Your Brain on Love: Biological Drives, Mate Preferences, Pheromones, and the
Three Neural Love Pathways

Week 3
3.1 (7/21) MIDTERM EXAM
3.2 (7/23) Mental Circuitry
Read: 1. Pinker (1997), selection from Standard Equipment
2. Pylyshyn (1999), Whats In Your Mind?
Choose one of the following to read and comment on in the discussion board (V2):
1. Cavanagh (2005), The Artist as a Neuroscientist
2. Cupchick (1994), Emotion in Aesthetics: Reactive and Reflective Models
3. Freedberg (20047), Motion, Emotion, and Empathy in Esthetic Experience
4. Heinrichs (1985), Individual Differences as Predictors in Preferences for Art
5. Talwar (2007), Accessing Traumatic Memory Through Art Making
6. Tschacher (2012), Physiological Correlates of Aesthetic Perceptions of Artworks
in a Museum
In Class: Fieldtrip to Yale Art Gallery
3.3 (7/25) Comparative and Infant Cognition
Read: 1. Emery (2001), Effects of Experience and Social Context on Prospective
Caching Strategies by Scrub Jays
2. Tomasello (2003), Chimpanzees Understand Psychological States...
3. Hare (2005), Human-like Social Skills in Dogs?
In Class: The Cognitive Life of Babies (dogs, and scrub jays)

Week 4
4.1 (7/28) Modularity and Mental Organs
Read: 1. Chapter Eight, Pgs. 215- 245 (Neural Networks- Information Processing)
2. Carston (1996) The Architecture of Mind: Modularity and Modularization
3. Gallistel (2000) selection from The Replacement of General-Purpose Learning
Models with Adaptively Specialized Learning Modules
4. Scholl & Leslie (1999) Modularity, Development and Theory of Mind
In Class: Two Topics: 1)Modularity and 2) Neuro-morality
4.2 (7/30) Language!
Read: 1. Chapter Nine, Pgs. 246- 283(Neural Networks-Language)
2. Pinker (1994), chapters 4 - 5 of The Language Instinct
3. Wade (2002), Language Gene is Traced to Emergence of Humans (NYTimes)
4. Spielman (1974) Regional Linguistic and Genetic Differences among Yanomama
Indians
In Class: Two Topics: Linguistics in cognitive science. Organization of information in
memory.

4.3 (8/1) Neural Structures - Perception

Read: 1. Chapter Eleven, Pgs. 325- 361 (Brain Mapping)
2. Haxby (2006), Human Neural Systems for Face Recognition and Social
Communication
3. Kay 2006, Identifying natural images from the human cortex
4. Nishimoto et al. (2011), Reconstructing Visual Experiences from Brain Activity
Evoked by Natural Movies
5. Sacks (2010), Face Blind The New Yorker (prosopagnosia)
6. Rouq & Scholte (2007), Increased Structural Connectivity in Grapheme-Color
Synesthesia
In Class: Neural systems; Face processing and sensory processing

Week 5
5.1 (8/4) Social Understanding and Connection
Read: 1. Chapter Twelve, Pgs. 363- 409 (Mindreading)
2. Hasson et al. (2004), Intersubject Synchronization of Cortical Activity During
Natural Vision
3. Wiltermuth & Heath (2009), Synchrony and Cooperation
4. Rizzolatti (2010), The Functional Role of the Parieto-Frontal Mirror Circuit
5. Hickok (2010), (Mis) Understanding mirror neurons
In Class: Neural Correlates of Social Connection and Disconnection
5.2 (8/6) Going Forward and Review for Exam
Read: 1. Rosen 2007), The Brain on the Stand
2. Miller (2008), Growing Pains for fMRI
3. Nichols (2011) Experimental Philosophy and the Problem of Free Will
In Class: Review Session
5.3 (8/8) FINAL EXAM (Cumulative)