Undergraduate Course: Anti-colonial approaches to Cognitive Science (PHIL10254)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Cognitive science brings together disciplines aimed at improving our understanding of thought and behaviour. In this course, we will learn how empiricalwork informs and shapes philosophical analysis of topics including the emotions, our ability to attribute psychological states to others, animal minds, and consciousness. Students will also learn about the heritage of academic psychology, which is grounded in methodologies and frameworks developed inprimarily in North American and Western Europe. We will critically analyse the impact of this heritage and explore ways to diversify approaches to the study of
cognition |
| Course description |
The course begins by encouraging students to examine the epistemic assumptions that ground conventional approaches to the study of cognition. Forexample, that minds are located entirely within individuals; that controlled experiments are the best way to learn about cognition; which cognitive processes are found in all humans and which exhibit individual differences. We then examine the heritage of these assumptions, and whether they are specific to a particular cultural or socio-economic outlook. We will spend some time learning about pluralist approaches in philosophy of science, and then examine how these pluralist frameworks might facilitate a multi-cultural approach to the study of cognition. We will apply this knowledge to the study of specific cognitive phenomena, e.g. joint attention, mindreading, attachment theory, and comparative psychology.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Mind, Matter and Language (PHIL08014) AND
Knowledge and Reality (PHIL08017)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students studying on MA Cognitive Science (Humanities) are permitted to take this course without having met the pre-requisites of Mind, Matter and Language and Knowledge and Reality. However, it is advisable that students discuss the suitability of the course with their Student Adviser and the Course Organiser before enrolling. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have completed at least 3 Philosophy courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses. Applicants should note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission. These enrolments are managed strictly by the Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department, and all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Midterm essay (2,000 words) - 40%
Final essay (2,500 words) - 60%
Formative assessment: small group project - 0%
Formative assessment: positionality statement - 0% |
| Feedback |
Individual written feedback. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Critically evaluate the successes and limitations of current approaches to the study of cognition
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of scientific pluralism, and its applications in the cognitive sciences
- Present and defend written arguments (2 course essays)
- Use inclusive methods in literature searches
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Reading List
- Adetula, A., Forscher, P. S., Basnight-Brown, D., Azouaghe, S., & IJzerman, H. (2022). Psychology should generalize from - not just to - Africa. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(7), 370-371. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00070-y
- Andrews, K., & Monsó, S. (2025). Does Comparative Cognition Have a WEIRD Problem? Journal of Comparative Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/com0000423
- Bard, K. A., Keller, H., Ross, K. M., Hewlett, B., Butler, L., Boysen, S. T., & Matsuzawa, T. (2021). Joint Attention in Human and Chimpanzee Infants in Varied Socio-Ecological Contexts. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 86(4), 7-217. https://doi.org/10.1111/mono.12435
- Canham, H., Baloyi, L., & Segalo, P. (2021). Disrupting the Psychology Canon? Exploring African-Centered Decolonial Pedagogy. In G. Stevens & C. C. Sonn (Eds.), Decoloniality and epistemic justice in contemporary community psychology. (pp. 193-212). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72220-3_11
- Keller, H. (2022). Cultures of infancy . (Second). Routledge. https://discovered.ed.ac.uk/permalink/44UOE_INST/7g3mt6/alma9925537562502466
- Ratele, Kopano. (2019). The World Looks Like This From Here: Thoughts on African Psychology. Wits University Press. https://www-cambridgeorg.eux.idm.oclc.org/core/books/world-looks-like-this-from-here/282A6CCEF723CC392602FC8DF9EE6871
- Henrich, J., Heine, S. J., & Norenzayan, A. (2010). The weirdest people in the world? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 33(2-3), 61-83. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X0999152X
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will learn about non-Western frameworks for studying cognition (Curiosity, Inclusivity).
Students will reflect on the heritage and breadth of assumptions in the study of cognition (reflection, curiosity).
Students will learn how to use inclusive research methods and data skills, as provided by the library learning resources. Competence with these skills will be required to succeed on essays (summative) and presentations (formative). Data and digital literacy; Inclusivity.
Students will explore how to broaden the conceptual frameworks and methodologies used to study cognition (Problem solving, curiosity, critical thinking).
Students will collaborate in small groups to develop a presentation on one of the course topics [formative](collaboration, communication)
In tutorials, students will be expected to share idea and questions about the course materials (curiosity, critical thinking, communication, inclusivity, reflection, problem solving).
Essays will assess how well the students have engaged with the course materials, and how the communicate their ideas (critical thinking, problem solving, communication, data and digital literacy, individuality, reflection). |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Suilin Lavelle
Tel: (0131 6)50 3665
Email: J.S.Lavelle@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Cameron Findlay
Tel:
Email: cameron.findlay@ed.ac.uk |
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