Cognition, Emotion, and Decision Making

Aim

After completing the course, the student should at an advanced level be able to:

• account for key research findings in cognition and emotion
• account for the interplay between emotional and cognitive systems in the brain
• explain the relationship between different environmental factors, emotions and cognition
• critically evaluate central cognitive psychological theories and models of emotion
• apply theories about the interplay between emotional and cognitive systems on people's behavior in different situations, especially those involving assessments, decisions and preferences
• account for key research findings within decision theory
• explain how results and the issues discussed in decision theory are linked to basic beliefs about emotion and cognition

Content

The course covers the interaction between cognition, emotion and decision-making. This includes perspectives and results from different fields and disciplines, where different methods, both empirical and more theoretical, have been used.

Topics and issues listed in the course are:

• cognitive science theories of emotion
• the neuropsychological basis for the interplay between cognition and emotion, including neuroanatomical and neurochemical aspects
• evolutionary psychological theories about emotion and cognition
• relationship between physical environment and emotion
• emotional design
• different theories about how people make decisions