Type of course

The course is included in Master's degree program.

Students attending the course should be familiar with basic models and concepts within cognitive psychology and the psychology of emotions. The course can't be taken as a singular course.

Course content

Recommended prerequisites

Objectives of the course

Knowledge:  

After the course the student should:

Have advanced knowledge of topics, theories, research questions, processes, tools, and methods in the topic area of affect and cognition. This includes advanced knowledge about:

1. Models for understanding the interplay between affect and cognition

2. The relationship between affect and specific cognitive processes

3. How cognition and behavior in social situations are influenced by affect

4. The role of consciousness in emotions, and the relationship between intuition and consciousness

5. The importance of affect regulation in the change and maintenance of affective states

6. Individual differences in metaemotions and emotional intelligence

Skills:

After the course the student should be able to:

• Analyze and critically evaluate central models of the relationship between affect and cognition
• Analyze and critically evaluate experimental designs, methods, and conclusions in research articles that test models for the relationship between affect and cognition

General competence:

After the course the student should be able to:

• Link knowledge about affect and cognition to relevant questions related to everyday situations, and analyze this relationship
• Design a hypothetical research project within the topic area of affect and cognition

Language of instruction and examination

The course is taught in English, and the course literature is in English.

The exam can be written in English and Norwegian

Teaching methods

Assessment

Home examination. Graded A-F.

There will not be arranged a re-sit exam for this course.

Recommended reading/syllabus

Book

Johnston, E., & Olson, L. (2015). The feeling brain: The biology and psychology of emotions. London, UK: Norton Press. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are recommended (259 p)

Articles and book chapters, organized by topic

(1) Models for understanding the interplay between affect and cognition

Forgas, J. P. (2008). Affect and cognition. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(2), 94-101. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-6916.2008.00067.x (8 p)

Schwarz, N. (2010). Feeling-as-information theory. I P. A. M. V. Lange, A. W. Kruglanski, & E. T. Higgins (Ed). Handbook of theories of social psychology (pp. 289-308). London, UK: Sage. (20 p)

(2) The relationship between affect and specific cognitive processes

Slovic, P., Finucane, M. L., Peters, E., & MacGregor, D. G. (2004). Risk as analysis and risk as feelings: Some thoughts about affect, reason, risk, and rationality. Risk Analysis, 24(2), 311-322. doi: 10.1111/j.0272-4332.2004.00433.x (12 p)

Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., & Tice, D. M. (2006). Emotional influences on decision making (Chapter 8, s. 143-159). In J. P. Forgas (Ed). Affect in social thinking and behavior. New York, NY: Psychology Press. (17 p)

Wilson, T. D., & Gilbert, D. T. (2005). Affective forecasting: Knowing what to want. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(3), 131-134. doi: 10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00355.x (4 p)

Efklides, A. (2006). Metacognition and affect: What can metacognitive experiences tell us about the learning process? Educational Research Review, 1(1), 3-14. doi: 10.1016/j.edurev.2005.11.001 (12 p)

(3) How cognition and behavior in social situations are influenced by affect

Bargh, J. A., Chen, M., & Burrows, L. (1996). Automaticity of social behavior: Direct effects of trait construct and stereotype activation on action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71(2), 230-244. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.71.2.230 (15 p)

Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., DeWall, C. N., & Zhang, L. (2007). How emotion shapes behavior: Feedback, anticipation, and reflection, rather than direct causation. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 11(2), 167-203. doi: 10.1177/1088868307301033 (37 p)

Nelson, D. W., & Sim, E. K. (2014). Positive affect facilitates social problem solving. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 44(10), 635-642. doi: 10.1111/jasp.12254 (8 p)

(4) The role of consciousness in emotions, and the relationship between intuition and consciousness

Evans, J. S. B. (2003). In two minds: dual-process accounts of reasoning. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7(10), 454-459. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2003.08.012 (6 p)

Epstein, S. (1994). Integration of the cognitive and the psychodynamic unconcious. American Psychologist, 49(8), 709-724. doi: 10.1037//0003-066X.49.8.709 (16 p)

Kahneman, D. (2003). A perspective on intuitive judgement and choice: Mapping bounded rationality. American Psychologist, 58(9), 697-720. (24 p)

Price, M. C., & Norman, E. (2008). Intuitive decisions on the fringes of consciousness: Are they conscious and does it matter? Judgment and Decision Making, 3, 28-41. (13 p)

(5) The importance of affect regulation in the change and maintenance of affective states

Erber, R., & Markunas, S. (2006). Managing affective states (Chapter 14, p. 253-266). In J. P. Forgas (Red). Affect in social thinking and behavior. New York, NY: Psychology Press. (14 p)

Fox, E. (2008). Individual differences in emotional reactivity and regulation (Chapter 3, p. 53-83). I E. Fox. Emotion Science. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. (31 p)

Larsen, R. J. (2000). Toward a science of mood regulation. Psychological Inquiry, 11(3), 129-141. doi: 10.1207/S15327965PLI1103_01 (13 p)

Rusting, C. L., & DeHart, T. (2000). Retrieving positive memories to regulate negative mood: consequences for mood-congruent memory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(4), 737-752. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.78.4.737 (16 p)

(6) Individual differences in metaemotions and emotional intelligence

Ciarrochi, J., & Blackledge, J. T. (2006). Emotional intelligence and interpersonal behavior: A theory and review of the literature (Chapter 16, p. 291-310). In J. P. Forgas (Ed). Affect in social thinking and behavior. New York, NY: Psychology Press. (20 p)

Mayer, J. D., & Caruso, D. R. (2008). Emotional intelligence: New ability or eclectic traits? American Psychologist, 63(6), 503-517. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.63.6.503 (15 p)

Norman, E., & Furnes, B. (2014). The concept of ¿metaemotion¿: What is there to learn from metacognition? Emotion Review, 8(2), 187-193. DOI: 10.1177/1754073914552913 (7 p)