HD 6470 - Psychology of Imagination

(crosslisted) COGST 6470, PSYCH 6480
(KCM-HE, SBA-HE)

Spring. 3 credits. Student option grading.

Prerequisite: graduate standing or advanced coursework in cognitive psych, cognitive development, or cognitive science disciplines (4000 or higher). Permission of instructor required.

T. Kushnir.

Imagination and Cognition: Imagination serves important functions in everyday thought and action. We will read some classic and some recent studies highlighting the cognitive and neural basis of imagination, how it relates to memory, planning, and decision making.
Imagination in Childhood: Research on imagination in childhood is characterized by a paradox: children are generally viewed as imaginative and creative. They’re also more likely than adults to engage with imaginary friends, pretend play, and elaborate “worlds” of fantasy. Yet children, unlike adults, are poor at episodic memory, future thinking, planning, and creative problem solving. Is this evidence for one use of imagination receding in favor of another?
Applications to life: Here we can choose topics based on class interest. Some ideas (and readings) below on imagination in social life, in clinical research, in creativity, in self-understanding, and in the behavior and functioning of organizations.

Outcome 1: Students will learn critical thinking skills from this course.

Outcome 2: Students will gain skills in self directed learning.

Outcome 3: Students will gain disciplinary knowledge of cognitive and developmental psychology.