Module "Cognitive Psychology" (Landau): Infos and Exam Literature, WiSe 2025/26

This is the literature we recommend for the oral exam in the „Cognitive Psychology“ module. The literature can be found in the OLAT course „Cognitive Psychology Module Landau“. The access code can be found on our homepage under “Teaching”. As usual, you can also find the access code on our homepage under „Lehre“. For more information on our seminars, see the respective entries on our news page.

There will generally be two classes per semester on a rotating schedule. The class “Visual Attention & Awareness” takes place every summer, the class “Methods & Models in Perception” (old title: “Psychophysics & Signal Detection”) takes place every winter. In addition, there are other classes that are principally open for Landau students ("Visual Features & Objects", “Visuomotor Control”).

Oral exams are designed to cover the entire module, but only those classes from the module you actually took. The specialized materials in the various readers (e.g., research papers in „Visual Attention & Awareness“, „Human Intelligence“) are not part of the exam, only the textbook sources listed below. Please focus on those topics that have actually been discussed in the respective classes you took, because only those can be topics in the exam.

Exams conducted by Thomas Schmidt:

My exams start with a research paper that forms the point of departure for the rest of the exam. Those research papers are individually appointed by me as soon as the date of the exam is set. Please contact me to make appointments for the exam. Module exams are scheduled for February 20, 2026.

Exams conducted by Thomas Lachmann, Saskia Jaarsveld, or Daniela Czernochowski:

Please make individual appointments with these examiners.

Literature:

„Visual Attention & Awareness“:

Ashcraft, M.H. (2006). Cognition. Pearson. → Ch. 4, „Attention“.

Eysenck, M.W., & Keane, M.T. (2010). Cognitive Psychology. Psychology Press. Ch. 5, "Attention and Performance".

“Methods & Models in Perception” (old title: "Psychophysics & Signal Detection“):

Hautus, M.J., Macmillan, N.A., & Creelman, C.D. (2022). Detection Theory: A User’s Guide. Routledge. → Ch. 1, „The Yes-No experiment: Sensitivity“.

Gescheider, G.A. (2015). Psychophysics: The Fundamentals. Psychology Press. → Ch. 4, „Classical Psychophysical Theory“.

“Auditory Perception”:

Goldstein, E.B. (2010). Sensation and Perception. Wadsworth. → Ch. 11, „Sound, the Auditory System, and Pitch Perception“.

Goldstein, E.B. (2010). Sensation and Perception. Wadsworth. → Ch. 12, „Sound Localization and the Auditory Scence“.

"Visuomotor Control":

Rosenzweig, M.R., Breedlove, S.M., & Watson, N.V. (2005). Biological Psychology. Sinauer. → Ch. 11, "Motor Control and Plasticity".

Eysenck, M.W., & Keane, M.T. (2010). Cognitive Psychology. Psychology Press. Ch. 4, "Perception, Motion, and Action".

"Visual Features & Objects":

Eysenck, M.W., & Keane, M.T. (2010). Cognitive Psychology. Psychology Press. Ch. 2, "Basic Processes in Visual Perception".

Eysenck, M.W., & Keane, M.T. (2010). Cognitive Psychology. Psychology Press. Ch. 3, "Object and Face Recognition".

„Neuroscience of Cognitive Control“:

Gazzaniga, M.S. (2014). Cognitive Neuroscience. → Ch. 12, „Cognitive Control“.

„Human Intelligence, Problem Solving, & Creative Thinking“:

"Problem Solving":

Ashcraft, M.H. (2006). Cognition. Pearson. → Ch. 12, „Problem Solving“.

"Intelligence":

See the PDF file „literature list intelligence.pdf“ on OLAT with links to the chapters.

"Creativity":

Prof. Jaarsveld’s slideshows „Creativity 1A.pdf", "Creativity 1B.pdf", "Creativity 1C.pdf“