PSYC3398 · Psychology

Cognition Through Film

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

Umwelt is a term that refers to the biological realities that shape a way a species interprets the world. When examining the human umwelt, one surprising tool at our disposal is how humans create art within their own umwelt; specifically, movies, which showcase what humans perceive as immersive experiences. Movies are effective entertainment because they take advantage of the unique perceptual and cognitive biases humans have, and can tell us a lot about the organization of these processes in human psychology. In this course we will explore features of human perception and cognition, from our heavy reliance on visual and auditory perception to our advanced emotional social worlds. Throughout we will look at how film techniques have been created and utilized to hijack human cognition, creating the intense experiences that we associate with excellent films.