How do we know what’s out in the world? Indeed, how do we know anything at all? Sensing the world around us and turning that into a reliable representation that can guide behaviour and knowledge is fundamental to everything we do. The acts of ‘seeing’ and ‘hearing’ seem effortless and instantaneous, yet perception poses enormous challenges and is probably the most complex problem the brain must solve. In this course, you will learn how we see colour and movement, how we perceive surfaces and know materials, and how a robust perception must combine other senses such as sound, vision and touch, or taste and smell? You will also learn about the limits of perception, and surprisingly, how much it uses guesswork, prediction and filling-in to compensate. This unit draws on multiple perspectives (behaviour, neurophysiology, modelling, neuroimaging) to answer these questions and deepen your understanding of perception. The lecturers are all research-active leaders in the field and present the latest work on these research topics. In the advanced course, the tutorial component involves small groups taking a deep dive into key concepts at the forefront of the field, complemented by student presentations and discussion and some hands-on experience in a research lab.
Unit details and rules
Academic unit | Psychology Academic Operations |
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Credit points | 6 |
Prerequisites
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(A mark of 75 or above in PSYC2X10 or PSYC2X11 or PSYC2016) and PSYC2012 |
Corequisites
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None |
Prohibitions
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PSYC3013 |
Assumed knowledge
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None |
Available to study abroad and exchange students | Yes |
Teaching staff
Coordinator | David Alais, david.alais@sydney.edu.au |
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Tutor(s) | David Alais, david.alais@sydney.edu.au |