MIE242

In this module, the concepts of the perception and action cycle (PAC) are discussed.  This module aims to situate the notions of perception and cognition within a broad conceptual grounding. The fact that organisms exist within an environment in which they must adapt in order to survive and thrive is the main focus that enables a discussion of some of the implications that follow from this fact. 

This module reviews the basic properties of human decision making.  This module begins by introduces a “rational” model of decision making based on expected utility theory. This module assumes that people assess the utility of an outcome by multiplying its value by its probability. This is the model used by economists and it often applies to human decision making, but there are also many cases where it does not explain what people actually do. In this module we discuss when the expected utility model of decision making fails and why.

In this module, the topic of working memory is introduced.  This module begins by using the analogy of conductor and orchestra to explain the relationship of working memory to the rest of the brain. The role of executive control is introduced along with the various memory buffers that make up working memory. The episodic buffer is introduced as a component of working memory that supports episodic memory and that supplements the phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad as short-term memory stores.