Department of Psychology

Program Orientation

The Cognitive Psychology Program trains scholars who can make substantive contributions to basic knowledge in cognitive and experimental psychology. Graduate students develop research and analytical skills while learning to coordinate basic research with theory development and application. You will participate with faculty members in joint research projects investigating such questions as: How do people perform skilled movements? How do they perceive and classify objects and events? How do they process language, attend and remember? Answers may be pursued in experimental research and in theoretical modeling. Answers are pursued in class, in laboratory research, and in brown bag discussions and seminars. You will be encouraged to present findings at professional meetings and to publish papers in professional journals. Developing a sense of professional identity and commitment is a key component of study, and is fostered through participation in research seminars, conventions, and in discussions with visiting research scientists.

Program Description and Research Interests (Cognitive and Quantitative)

Program of Study

An individualized study program allows you to complete the master's degree requirements, including the master's thesis, during the first two years of study. At the end of the third year, after passing the Candidacy Examination, you are admitted to Ph.D. candidacy. Questions for the Candidacy Examination are based on a reading list that is prepared with the help of the four faculty members who serve on your examination committee. You are expected to spend an additional one to two years completing the Ph.D. dissertation.

The Center for Cognitive Science at Ohio State is a lively and well-developed center which connects the departments of psychology, philosophy, computer science, linguistics, optometry, industrial and systems engineering, and speech and hearing sciences, among others. The Cognitive Area plays an active and important role in this flourishing center. Our students and faculty benefit from its interdisciplinary courses, seminars, and opportunities for research collaboration. GradCog is a student-led organization that meets regularly to talk about current issues in the field, plans speaker series, and organizes the annual Cogfest, an afternoon-long mini conference with speakers and poster presentations.

Facilities Faculty and graduate students are housed in a recently renovated building on the main campus, Lazenby Hall and the Psychology building which is adjacent to the present building. In addition to office space, the Cognitive Program provides extensive computerized laboratory facilities. Specialized equipment provides for Event Related Potential measurement, high-resolution graphics workstations equipped with additional hardware for creating stereoscopic displays and measuring observer head and body motion. Video studios and facilities for recording and synthesizing speech and music are also available. In addition The University is presently constructing a research facility that provides multiple FMRI machines.

Areas of Emphasis The Cognitive Area encompasses four broad areas and emphasizes both laboratory research and cognitive modeling in each:

1) memory and cognition; 2) perception; 3) language and speech; 4) human performance.

You will be expected to sample from each of these broad areas while you pursue topics of most interest to you in greater depth.

For students interested in cognitive modeling, a separate concentration is available in which students take courses in the cognitive and quantitative areas. This concentration encourages individualized courses of study that include courses from outside the psychology deparatment. A description can be seen here.

Financial Support We try to guarantee graduate students admitted in the Cognitive Program at least four years of support beginning with their first year in the program.This includes tuition, fees and a monthly stipend. The assistance is most often in the form of on-campus, departmental employment, such as research assistantships and teaching associateships. In some cases, this support may include one or more years of fellowship support. Students are encouraged to submit their completed applications for admission and financial support by December 31 to be granted full consideration.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Positions

Department of Psychology

Cognitive Psychology

Address

Faculty

Postdoctoral Fellowship Positions

Program Orientation

Program Description and Research Interests (Cognitive and Quantitative)

Program of Study