Unit GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY

GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY I FORM

Code	GP003497
CFU	6
Learning activities	Base
Area	Fondamenti della psicologia
Academic discipline	M-PSI/01
Type of study-unit	Opzionale (Optional)

Gruppo GRUPPO C

CFU

6

Teacher

Alessandro Lepri

Teachers

• Alessandro Lepri

Hours

• 36 ore - Alessandro Lepri

Language of instruction

Italian

Contents

1. The matter of the psychology study.
2. The nervous representation of the mental processes.

Reference texts

Compulsory texts: The study of these texts is mandatory for all students – attending, non-attending students and workers; it is recommended to bring a copy of them during the oral examination, during which their consultation might be requested or by the student or by the examiner teacher.
1. Anolli, L., & Legrenzi, P. (2012). Psicologia generale (5a ed.). Il Mulino. (Tutti i capitoli). Oppure in lingua inglese: Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Fredrickson, B., Loftus, G. R., & Lutz, C. (2014). Atkinson & Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology (16th ed.). Cengage Learning.
2. Foschi, R. (2020). Storia della psicologia e della mente. Mondadori. (Tutti i capitoli).
3. Buss, D. M. (2020). Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind (6th ed.). Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5) Trad. it.: (2020). Psicologia evoluzionistica. Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5).
4. Lepri, A. (2025). Slides del corso di Psicologia generale, available online on UNISTUDIUM.

Recommended readings: (Reading of one or more of the following in-depth texts is recommended, the content of which may be discussed during the oral examination. However, the reading of these "recommended" texts remains optional and not mandatory).
1. Blackmore, S. J., & Troscianko, E. (2018). Consciousness: An introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge.
2. Bloom, P. (2010, May 9). The Moral Life of Babies. The New York Time, 44. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/magazine/09babies-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all.
3. Camperio Ciani, A., Corna, F., & Capiluppi, C. (2004). Evidence for maternally inherited factors favouring male homosexuality and promoting female fecundity.Proceeding of the royal Society B, 271(1554), 2217-2221 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2872.
4. Diamond, J. (1999). Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. W. W. Norton & Co. Trad. it.: (2006). Armi, acciaio e malattie. Breve storia del mondo negli ultimi tredicimila anni. Einaudi.
5. Eibl-Eibesfeldt, I. (1989). Human Ethology. Aldine de Gruyter. Trad. it.: (2001). Etologia umana. Le basi biologiche del comportamento. Bollati Boringhieri.
6. Federici, S. (2009). Perché siamo portati a credere in Dio? In L. Proietti (a cura), Il mestiere dello storico: Tra ricerca e impegno civile. Scritti in memoria di Maria Grazia Giuntella (pp. 323-344). Aracne.
7. Federici, S., Stella, A., Dennis, J., & Hünefeldt, T. (2011). West vs. West like East vs. West? A comparison between Italian and US American context sensitivity and Fear of Isolation. Cognitive Processing. Cognitive Processing, 12(2), 203-208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-010-0374-8.
8. Gazzaniga, M. S. (1998). The Mind’s Past. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Trad. it.: (1999). La mente inventata. Le basi biologiche dell’identità e della coscienza. Guerini.
9. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2013). Shifting Gears: Seeking New Approaches for Mind/Brain Mechanisms. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143817.
10. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2008). Human: The Science Behind What Makes Your Brain Unique. Harper Collins. Trad. it.: (2009). Human: Quel che ci rende unici. Raffaello Cortina.
11. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2012). Who’s in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain. Constable & Robinson.
12. Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2009). Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of The Mind. W.W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2015). Neuroscienze cognitive. Zanichelli.
13. Harris (1998) The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do. Washington, DC: Free Press. Trad. it.: (1999). Non è colpa dei genitori. Mondadori.
14. Benedetti, F. (2012). L’effetto placebo. Breve viaggio tra mente e corpo. Carocci.
15. Kandel, E. R. (2000). The Brain and Behavior. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 5-18). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Cervello e comportamento. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3a ed., pp. 5-19). CEA.
16. Kandel, E. R. (2000). From Nerve Cells to Cognition: The Internal Cellular Representation Required for Perception and Action. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 381-403). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Dalle cellule nervose ai processi cognitivi: la rappresentazione interna a livello cellulare necessaria per la percezione e per l’azione. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3° ed., pp. 377-399). CEA.
17. Newberg, A. B., d’Aquili, E. G., & Rause, V. (2001). Why God won’t go away: brain science and the biology of belief. Ballantine Books. Trad. it.: (2001). Dio nel cervello. La prova biologica della fede. Mondadori.
18. Pinker, S. (2002). The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. Penguin Books. Trad. it.: (2006). Tabula rasa. Perché non è vero che gli uomini nascono tutti uguali. Mondadori.
19. Plotkin, H. (1997). Evolution in mind: An introduction to evolutionary psychology. London, UK: Allen Lane & Penguin. Trad. it.: (2002). Introduzione alla psicologia evoluzionistica. Astrolabio.
20. Premack, D. (2007). Human and animal cognition: Continuity and discontinuity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(35), 13861–13867. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0706147104.
21. Ramachandran, V. S. (2011). The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human. W. W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2012). L’uomo che credeva di essere morto. Mondadori.
22. Federici, S. (2024). Let’s Spit on Freud. International Journal on Neuropsychology and Behavioural Sciences, 5(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.51626/ijnbs.2024.05.00051
23. Lear, J. (2015). Freud (2nd ed.). Routledge.
24. Sapolsky, R. M. (2023). Determinato. Vita senza libero arbitrio. The Bodley Head London.
25. Bagemihl, B. (1999). Biological exuberance: Animal homosexuality and natural diversity (1st ed.). St. Martin’s Press.

Educational objectives

At the end of the course the student should be able to know how to define the nature, biological basis and evolutionary origins of psychology and critically describe the cognitive functions. It must also be able to critically discuss the most recent assumptions in cognitive neuroscience.

Prerequisites

Knowledge of the Italian language, level B2. Good receptive and productive language skills and competences. Critical thinking skills. Ability to summarize and process content. Analytical comprehension and reasoning skills. Good general culture.

Teaching methods

Face-to-face

Other information

Students with disabilities or with DSA will be able to make use of assistive and compensatory tools according to ministerial and university regulations. It is therefore recommended that students book a student reception with Prof. Stefano Federici so that the arrangements can be defined verbally.

Learning verification modality

FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN GROUP C
The exam is both written and oral. A questionnaire (quiz) with 30 multiple-choice questions (+1 = correct answer // -0.25 = wrong answer // 0 = answer not given), taken from the contents of the compulsory examination materials (see below: "Compulsory Texts"), will be administered online to the student who have enrolled in the SOL at least 7 days before the examination date. The questionnaire can be completed online through SEB using a PC, tablet or smartphone owned by the student and connected to the UNIPG Wi-Fi network (if the student does not have his or her own device, he or she must reserve a PC station at LIDU). Access to the UNIPG Wi-Fi service is possible after authentication by entering the unique credentials of the university. Only the student who has booked the SOL will have access to the classroom designated for the exam, equipped with his or her device. After taking a seat in the classroom, the student will have to access the course page on UNISTUDIUM and wait for the teacher present in the classroom to give him/her the password to access the written test. Once the password has been entered, the student will have 30 minutes (40 minutes for students with compensatory measures) to complete the pre-selection written test. Only one attempt is allowed. Candidates who have passed the pre-selection test (with a minimum score of 18) will take the oral test on the same day (unless otherwise specified). Candidates who, having passed the pre-selection test, do not take the oral test immediately after the written pre-selection test will have to repeat the written pre-selection test, even if they have obtained a positive score (= 18). Candidates who pass the written test but fail the oral test must also retake the pre-selection written test at a later date. Candidates who fail either the written or the oral test may retake it at any other session (including the one immediately following). It is possible to take both the preselection written test and the oral test at any session. The final exam grade will be assigned by the Committee Chair, whom all examinees who have passed the written exam must contact to confirm their grade. Consistency in the conduct of the exam will be ensured within the same exam session, taking into account the human and organizational resources available for each individual exam session. When assigning the final grade, the Chair of the Commission will assess the need for further examination of the knowledge and skills acquired by the examinee, also based on the answers given to the written questions. Finally, please consult the following link https://www.unipg.it/files/pagine/1956/locandina---registrazione-esami.pdf-1.pdf for the correct conduct of the exams.

FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN GROUP B (EX PROF. STELLA)
In order to promote the student's ability to understand the topics covered by the course, a written exam consisting of 31 multiple-choice questions is proposed, having 30 minutes to answer. Correct answers are considered to value 1 point, while incorrect or partially correct answers are considered to value 0 points. Sufficiency is 18, a grade higher than 30 entails laude.
Registration for the exam is required before the exam. Registrations can be made exclusively through the Segreteria On Line (SOL).
For information on support services for students with disabilities and/or DSA, please visit the page (https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa).

Extended program

1. Introduction to Modern Psychology: Psychology as a Science, General Psychology and Neuroscience. History of modern theories on the nature of the brain and mind. The problem of consciousness and free-will. The nature/culture and selection/education question. Elements of the history of modern psychology. [See required texts: 1, 2 and 4; recommended: 1, 14 and 19].
2. Introduction to Neuroscience: Anatomo-physiological foundations of the mind; The lateralization and specialization of the hemispheres; Split-brains and split-brain syndrome; Blindsight or blind vision; Left hemisphere lesions: aphasias and apraxias; Right hemisphere lesions: agnosias; The representation of space. [See required texts: 1, 4; recommended: 8-12, 15-17, 20-21].

Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile

Health and wellness
Quality education
Gender equality

Gruppo GRUPPO D

CFU

6

Teacher

Alessandro Lepri

Teachers

• Alessandro Lepri

Hours

• 36 ore - Alessandro Lepri

Language of instruction

Italian

Contents

1. The matter of the psychology study.
2. The nervous representation of the mental processes.

Reference texts

Compulsory texts: The study of these texts is mandatory for all students – attending, non-attending students and workers; it is recommended to bring a copy of them during the oral examination, during which their consultation might be requested or by the student or by the examiner teacher.
1. Anolli, L., & Legrenzi, P. (2012). Psicologia generale (5a ed.). Il Mulino. (Tutti i capitoli). Oppure in lingua inglese: Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Fredrickson, B., Loftus, G. R., & Lutz, C. (2014). Atkinson & Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology (16th ed.). Cengage Learning.
2. Foschi, R. (2020). Storia della psicologia e della mente. Mondadori. (Tutti i capitoli).
3. Buss, D. M. (2020). Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind (6th ed.). Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5) Trad. it.: (2020). Psicologia evoluzionistica. Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5).
4. Lepri, A. (2025). Slides del corso di Psicologia generale, available online on UNISTUDIUM.

Recommended readings: (Reading of one or more of the following in-depth texts is recommended, the content of which may be discussed during the oral examination. However, the reading of these "recommended" texts remains optional and not mandatory).
1. Blackmore, S. J., & Troscianko, E. (2018). Consciousness: An introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge.
2. Bloom, P. (2010, May 9). The Moral Life of Babies. The New York Time, 44. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/magazine/09babies-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all.
3. Camperio Ciani, A., Corna, F., & Capiluppi, C. (2004). Evidence for maternally inherited factors favouring male homosexuality and promoting female fecundity.Proceeding of the royal Society B, 271(1554), 2217-2221 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2872.
4. Diamond, J. (1999). Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. W. W. Norton & Co. Trad. it.: (2006). Armi, acciaio e malattie. Breve storia del mondo negli ultimi tredicimila anni. Einaudi.
5. Eibl-Eibesfeldt, I. (1989). Human Ethology. Aldine de Gruyter. Trad. it.: (2001). Etologia umana. Le basi biologiche del comportamento. Bollati Boringhieri.
6. Federici, S. (2009). Perché siamo portati a credere in Dio? In L. Proietti (a cura), Il mestiere dello storico: Tra ricerca e impegno civile. Scritti in memoria di Maria Grazia Giuntella (pp. 323-344). Aracne.
7. Federici, S., Stella, A., Dennis, J., & Hünefeldt, T. (2011). West vs. West like East vs. West? A comparison between Italian and US American context sensitivity and Fear of Isolation. Cognitive Processing. Cognitive Processing, 12(2), 203-208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-010-0374-8.
8. Gazzaniga, M. S. (1998). The Mind’s Past. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Trad. it.: (1999). La mente inventata. Le basi biologiche dell’identità e della coscienza. Guerini.
9. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2013). Shifting Gears: Seeking New Approaches for Mind/Brain Mechanisms. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143817.
10. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2008). Human: The Science Behind What Makes Your Brain Unique. Harper Collins. Trad. it.: (2009). Human: Quel che ci rende unici. Raffaello Cortina.
11. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2012). Who’s in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain. Constable & Robinson.
12. Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2009). Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of The Mind. W.W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2015). Neuroscienze cognitive. Zanichelli.
13. Harris (1998) The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do. Washington, DC: Free Press. Trad. it.: (1999). Non è colpa dei genitori. Mondadori.
14. Benedetti, F. (2012). L’effetto placebo. Breve viaggio tra mente e corpo. Carocci.
15. Kandel, E. R. (2000). The Brain and Behavior. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 5-18). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Cervello e comportamento. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3a ed., pp. 5-19). CEA.
16. Kandel, E. R. (2000). From Nerve Cells to Cognition: The Internal Cellular Representation Required for Perception and Action. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 381-403). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Dalle cellule nervose ai processi cognitivi: la rappresentazione interna a livello cellulare necessaria per la percezione e per l’azione. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3° ed., pp. 377-399). CEA.
17. Newberg, A. B., d’Aquili, E. G., & Rause, V. (2001). Why God won’t go away: brain science and the biology of belief. Ballantine Books. Trad. it.: (2001). Dio nel cervello. La prova biologica della fede. Mondadori.
18. Pinker, S. (2002). The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. Penguin Books. Trad. it.: (2006). Tabula rasa. Perché non è vero che gli uomini nascono tutti uguali. Mondadori.
19. Plotkin, H. (1997). Evolution in mind: An introduction to evolutionary psychology. London, UK: Allen Lane & Penguin. Trad. it.: (2002). Introduzione alla psicologia evoluzionistica. Astrolabio.
20. Premack, D. (2007). Human and animal cognition: Continuity and discontinuity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(35), 13861–13867. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0706147104.
21. Ramachandran, V. S. (2011). The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human. W. W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2012). L’uomo che credeva di essere morto. Mondadori.
22. Federici, S. (2024). Let’s Spit on Freud. International Journal on Neuropsychology and Behavioural Sciences, 5(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.51626/ijnbs.2024.05.00051
23. Lear, J. (2015). Freud (2nd ed.). Routledge.
24. Sapolsky, R. M. (2023). Determinato. Vita senza libero arbitrio. The Bodley Head London.
25. Bagemihl, B. (1999). Biological exuberance: Animal homosexuality and natural diversity (1st ed.). St. Martin’s Press.

Educational objectives

At the end of the course the student should be able to know how to define the nature, biological basis and evolutionary origins of psychology and critically describe the cognitive functions. It must also be able to critically discuss the most recent assumptions in cognitive neuroscience.

Prerequisites

Knowledge of the Italian language, level B2. Good receptive and productive language skills and competences. Critical thinking skills. Ability to summarize and process content. Analytical comprehension and reasoning skills. Good general culture.

Teaching methods

Face-to-face

Other information

Students with disabilities or with DSA will be able to make use of assistive and compensatory tools according to ministerial and university regulations. It is therefore recommended that students book a student reception with Prof. Stefano Federici so that the arrangements can be defined verbally.

Learning verification modality

FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN GROUP C
The exam is both written and oral. A questionnaire (quiz) with 30 multiple-choice questions (+1 = correct answer // -0.25 = wrong answer // 0 = answer not given), taken from the contents of the compulsory examination materials (see below: "Compulsory Texts"), will be administered online to the student who have enrolled in the SOL at least 7 days before the examination date. The questionnaire can be completed online through SEB using a PC, tablet or smartphone owned by the student and connected to the UNIPG Wi-Fi network (if the student does not have his or her own device, he or she must reserve a PC station at LIDU). Access to the UNIPG Wi-Fi service is possible after authentication by entering the unique credentials of the university. Only the student who has booked the SOL will have access to the classroom designated for the exam, equipped with his or her device. After taking a seat in the classroom, the student will have to access the course page on UNISTUDIUM and wait for the teacher present in the classroom to give him/her the password to access the written test. Once the password has been entered, the student will have 30 minutes (40 minutes for students with compensatory measures) to complete the pre-selection written test. Only one attempt is allowed. Candidates who have passed the pre-selection test (with a minimum score of 18) will take the oral test on the same day (unless otherwise specified). Candidates who, having passed the pre-selection test, do not take the oral test immediately after the written pre-selection test will have to repeat the written pre-selection test, even if they have obtained a positive score (= 18). Candidates who pass the written test but fail the oral test must also retake the pre-selection written test at a later date. Candidates who fail either the written or the oral test may retake it at any other session (including the one immediately following). It is possible to take both the preselection written test and the oral test at any session. The final exam grade will be assigned by the Committee Chair, whom all examinees who have passed the written exam must contact to confirm their grade. Consistency in the conduct of the exam will be ensured within the same exam session, taking into account the human and organizational resources available for each individual exam session. When assigning the final grade, the Chair of the Commission will assess the need for further examination of the knowledge and skills acquired by the examinee, also based on the answers given to the written questions. Finally, please consult the following link https://www.unipg.it/files/pagine/1956/locandina---registrazione-esami.pdf-1.pdf for the correct conduct of the exams.

FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN GROUP B (EX PROF. STELLA)
In order to promote the student's ability to understand the topics covered by the course, a written exam consisting of 31 multiple-choice questions is proposed, having 30 minutes to answer. Correct answers are considered to value 1 point, while incorrect or partially correct answers are considered to value 0 points. Sufficiency is 18, a grade higher than 30 entails laude.
Registration for the exam is required before the exam. Registrations can be made exclusively through the Segreteria On Line (SOL).
For information on support services for students with disabilities and/or DSA, please visit the page (https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa).

Extended program

1. Introduction to Modern Psychology: Psychology as a Science, General Psychology and Neuroscience. History of modern theories on the nature of the brain and mind. The problem of consciousness and free-will. The nature/culture and selection/education question. Elements of the history of modern psychology. [See required texts: 1, 2 and 4; recommended: 1, 14 and 19].
2. Introduction to Neuroscience: Anatomo-physiological foundations of the mind; The lateralization and specialization of the hemispheres; Split-brains and split-brain syndrome; Blindsight or blind vision; Left hemisphere lesions: aphasias and apraxias; Right hemisphere lesions: agnosias; The representation of space. [See required texts: 1, 4; recommended: 8-12, 15-17, 20-21].

Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile

Health and wellness
Quality education
Gender equality

Gruppo GRUPPO B

CFU

6

Teacher

Alessandro Lepri

Teachers

• Alessandro Lepri

Hours

• 36 ore - Alessandro Lepri

Language of instruction

Italian

Contents

1. The matter of the psychology study.
2. The nervous representation of the mental processes.

Reference texts

Compulsory texts: The study of these texts is mandatory for all students – attending, non-attending students and workers; it is recommended to bring a copy of them during the oral examination, during which their consultation might be requested or by the student or by the examiner teacher.
1. Anolli, L., & Legrenzi, P. (2012). Psicologia generale (5a ed.). Il Mulino. (Tutti i capitoli). Oppure in lingua inglese: Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Fredrickson, B., Loftus, G. R., & Lutz, C. (2014). Atkinson & Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology (16th ed.). Cengage Learning.
2. Foschi, R. (2020). Storia della psicologia e della mente. Mondadori. (Tutti i capitoli).
3. Buss, D. M. (2020). Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind (6th ed.). Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5) Trad. it.: (2020). Psicologia evoluzionistica. Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5).
4. Lepri, A. (2025). Slides del corso di Psicologia generale, available online on UNISTUDIUM.

Recommended readings: (Reading of one or more of the following in-depth texts is recommended, the content of which may be discussed during the oral examination. However, the reading of these "recommended" texts remains optional and not mandatory).
1. Blackmore, S. J., & Troscianko, E. (2018). Consciousness: An introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge.
2. Bloom, P. (2010, May 9). The Moral Life of Babies. The New York Time, 44. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/magazine/09babies-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all.
3. Camperio Ciani, A., Corna, F., & Capiluppi, C. (2004). Evidence for maternally inherited factors favouring male homosexuality and promoting female fecundity.Proceeding of the royal Society B, 271(1554), 2217-2221 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2872.
4. Diamond, J. (1999). Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. W. W. Norton & Co. Trad. it.: (2006). Armi, acciaio e malattie. Breve storia del mondo negli ultimi tredicimila anni. Einaudi.
5. Eibl-Eibesfeldt, I. (1989). Human Ethology. Aldine de Gruyter. Trad. it.: (2001). Etologia umana. Le basi biologiche del comportamento. Bollati Boringhieri.
6. Federici, S. (2009). Perché siamo portati a credere in Dio? In L. Proietti (a cura), Il mestiere dello storico: Tra ricerca e impegno civile. Scritti in memoria di Maria Grazia Giuntella (pp. 323-344). Aracne.
7. Federici, S., Stella, A., Dennis, J., & Hünefeldt, T. (2011). West vs. West like East vs. West? A comparison between Italian and US American context sensitivity and Fear of Isolation. Cognitive Processing. Cognitive Processing, 12(2), 203-208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-010-0374-8.
8. Gazzaniga, M. S. (1998). The Mind’s Past. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Trad. it.: (1999). La mente inventata. Le basi biologiche dell’identità e della coscienza. Guerini.
9. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2013). Shifting Gears: Seeking New Approaches for Mind/Brain Mechanisms. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143817.
10. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2008). Human: The Science Behind What Makes Your Brain Unique. Harper Collins. Trad. it.: (2009). Human: Quel che ci rende unici. Raffaello Cortina.
11. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2012). Who’s in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain. Constable & Robinson.
12. Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2009). Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of The Mind. W.W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2015). Neuroscienze cognitive. Zanichelli.
13. Harris (1998) The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do. Washington, DC: Free Press. Trad. it.: (1999). Non è colpa dei genitori. Mondadori.
14. Benedetti, F. (2012). L’effetto placebo. Breve viaggio tra mente e corpo. Carocci.
15. Kandel, E. R. (2000). The Brain and Behavior. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 5-18). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Cervello e comportamento. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3a ed., pp. 5-19). CEA.
16. Kandel, E. R. (2000). From Nerve Cells to Cognition: The Internal Cellular Representation Required for Perception and Action. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 381-403). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Dalle cellule nervose ai processi cognitivi: la rappresentazione interna a livello cellulare necessaria per la percezione e per l’azione. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3° ed., pp. 377-399). CEA.
17. Newberg, A. B., d’Aquili, E. G., & Rause, V. (2001). Why God won’t go away: brain science and the biology of belief. Ballantine Books. Trad. it.: (2001). Dio nel cervello. La prova biologica della fede. Mondadori.
18. Pinker, S. (2002). The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. Penguin Books. Trad. it.: (2006). Tabula rasa. Perché non è vero che gli uomini nascono tutti uguali. Mondadori.
19. Plotkin, H. (1997). Evolution in mind: An introduction to evolutionary psychology. London, UK: Allen Lane & Penguin. Trad. it.: (2002). Introduzione alla psicologia evoluzionistica. Astrolabio.
20. Premack, D. (2007). Human and animal cognition: Continuity and discontinuity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(35), 13861–13867. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0706147104.
21. Ramachandran, V. S. (2011). The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human. W. W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2012). L’uomo che credeva di essere morto. Mondadori.
22. Federici, S. (2024). Let’s Spit on Freud. International Journal on Neuropsychology and Behavioural Sciences, 5(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.51626/ijnbs.2024.05.00051
23. Lear, J. (2015). Freud (2nd ed.). Routledge.
24. Sapolsky, R. M. (2023). Determinato. Vita senza libero arbitrio. The Bodley Head London.
25. Bagemihl, B. (1999). Biological exuberance: Animal homosexuality and natural diversity (1st ed.). St. Martin’s Press.

Educational objectives

At the end of the course the student should be able to know how to define the nature, biological basis and evolutionary origins of psychology and critically describe the cognitive functions. It must also be able to critically discuss the most recent assumptions in cognitive neuroscience.

Prerequisites

Knowledge of the Italian language, level B2. Good receptive and productive language skills and competences. Critical thinking skills. Ability to summarize and process content. Analytical comprehension and reasoning skills. Good general culture.

Teaching methods

Face-to-face

Other information

Students with disabilities or with DSA will be able to make use of assistive and compensatory tools according to ministerial and university regulations. It is therefore recommended that students book a student reception with Prof. Stefano Federici so that the arrangements can be defined verbally.

Learning verification modality

FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN GROUP C
The exam is both written and oral. A questionnaire (quiz) with 30 multiple-choice questions (+1 = correct answer // -0.25 = wrong answer // 0 = answer not given), taken from the contents of the compulsory examination materials (see below: "Compulsory Texts"), will be administered online to the student who have enrolled in the SOL at least 7 days before the examination date. The questionnaire can be completed online through SEB using a PC, tablet or smartphone owned by the student and connected to the UNIPG Wi-Fi network (if the student does not have his or her own device, he or she must reserve a PC station at LIDU). Access to the UNIPG Wi-Fi service is possible after authentication by entering the unique credentials of the university. Only the student who has booked the SOL will have access to the classroom designated for the exam, equipped with his or her device. After taking a seat in the classroom, the student will have to access the course page on UNISTUDIUM and wait for the teacher present in the classroom to give him/her the password to access the written test. Once the password has been entered, the student will have 30 minutes (40 minutes for students with compensatory measures) to complete the pre-selection written test. Only one attempt is allowed. Candidates who have passed the pre-selection test (with a minimum score of 18) will take the oral test on the same day (unless otherwise specified). Candidates who, having passed the pre-selection test, do not take the oral test immediately after the written pre-selection test will have to repeat the written pre-selection test, even if they have obtained a positive score (= 18). Candidates who pass the written test but fail the oral test must also retake the pre-selection written test at a later date. Candidates who fail either the written or the oral test may retake it at any other session (including the one immediately following). It is possible to take both the preselection written test and the oral test at any session. The final exam grade will be assigned by the Committee Chair, whom all examinees who have passed the written exam must contact to confirm their grade. Consistency in the conduct of the exam will be ensured within the same exam session, taking into account the human and organizational resources available for each individual exam session. When assigning the final grade, the Chair of the Commission will assess the need for further examination of the knowledge and skills acquired by the examinee, also based on the answers given to the written questions. Finally, please consult the following link https://www.unipg.it/files/pagine/1956/locandina---registrazione-esami.pdf-1.pdf for the correct conduct of the exams.

FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN GROUP B (EX PROF. STELLA)
In order to promote the student's ability to understand the topics covered by the course, a written exam consisting of 31 multiple-choice questions is proposed, having 30 minutes to answer. Correct answers are considered to value 1 point, while incorrect or partially correct answers are considered to value 0 points. Sufficiency is 18, a grade higher than 30 entails laude.
Registration for the exam is required before the exam. Registrations can be made exclusively through the Segreteria On Line (SOL).
For information on support services for students with disabilities and/or DSA, please visit the page (https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa).

Extended program

1. Introduction to Modern Psychology: Psychology as a Science, General Psychology and Neuroscience. History of modern theories on the nature of the brain and mind. The problem of consciousness and free-will. The nature/culture and selection/education question. Elements of the history of modern psychology. [See required texts: 1, 2 and 4; recommended: 1, 14 and 19].
2. Introduction to Neuroscience: Anatomo-physiological foundations of the mind; The lateralization and specialization of the hemispheres; Split-brains and split-brain syndrome; Blindsight or blind vision; Left hemisphere lesions: aphasias and apraxias; Right hemisphere lesions: agnosias; The representation of space. [See required texts: 1, 4; recommended: 8-12, 15-17, 20-21].

Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile

Health and wellness
Quality education
Gender equality

Gruppo GRUPPO A

CFU

6

Teacher

Stefano Federici

Teachers

• Stefano Federici

Hours

• 36 ore - Stefano Federici

Language of instruction

Italian

Contents

1. The matter of the psychology study.
2. The nervous representation of the mental processes.

Reference texts

Compulsory texts: The study of these texts is mandatory for all students – attending, non-attending students and workers; it is recommended to bring a copy of them during the oral examination, during which their consultation might be requested or by the student or by the examiner teacher. 1. Anolli, L., & Legrenzi, P. (2012). Psicologia generale (5a ed.). Il Mulino. (Tutti i capitoli). Oppure in lingua inglese: Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Fredrickson, B., Loftus, G. R., & Lutz, C. (2014). Atkinson & Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology (16th ed.). Cengage Learning. 2. Foschi, R. (2020). Storia della psicologia e della mente. Mondadori. (Tutti i capitoli). 3. Buss, D. M. (2025). Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind (7th ed.). Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5) Trad. it.: (2020). Psicologia evoluzionistica. Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5). 4. Federici, S. (2025). Slides del corso di Psicologia generale, available online on UNISTUDIUM. Recommended readings: (Reading of one or more of the following in-depth texts is recommended, the content of which may be discussed during the oral examination. However, the reading of these "recommended" texts remains optional and not mandatory). 1. Blackmore, S. J., & Troscianko, E. (2018). Consciousness: An introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge. 2. Bloom, P. (2010, May 9). The Moral Life of Babies. The New York Time, 44. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/magazine/09babies-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all. 3. Camperio Ciani, A., Corna, F., & Capiluppi, C. (2004). Evidence for maternally inherited factors favouring male homosexuality and promoting female fecundity.Proceeding of the royal Society B, 271(1554), 2217-2221 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2872. 4. Diamond, J. (1999). Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. W. W. Norton & Co. Trad. it.: (2006). Armi, acciaio e malattie. Breve storia del mondo negli ultimi tredicimila anni. Einaudi. 5. Eibl-Eibesfeldt, I. (1989). Human Ethology. Aldine de Gruyter. Trad. it.: (2001). Etologia umana. Le basi biologiche del comportamento. Bollati Boringhieri. 6. Federici, S. (2009). Perché siamo portati a credere in Dio? In L. Proietti (a cura), Il mestiere dello storico: Tra ricerca e impegno civile. Scritti in memoria di Maria Grazia Giuntella (pp. 323-344). Aracne. 7. Federici, S., Stella, A., Dennis, J., & Hünefeldt, T. (2011). West vs. West like East vs. West? A comparison between Italian and US American context sensitivity and Fear of Isolation. Cognitive Processing. Cognitive Processing, 12(2), 203-208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-010-0374-8. 8. Gazzaniga, M. S. (1998). The Mind’s Past. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Trad. it.: (1999). La mente inventata. Le basi biologiche dell’identità e della coscienza. Guerini. 9. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2013). Shifting Gears: Seeking New Approaches for Mind/Brain Mechanisms. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143817. 10. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2008). Human: The Science Behind What Makes Your Brain Unique. Harper Collins. Trad. it.: (2009). Human: Quel che ci rende unici. Raffaello Cortina. 11. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2012). Who’s in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain. Constable & Robinson. 12. Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2009). Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of The Mind. W.W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2015). Neuroscienze cognitive. Zanichelli. 13. Harris (1998) The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do. Washington, DC: Free Press. Trad. it.: (1999). Non è colpa dei genitori. Mondadori. 14. Benedetti, F. (2012). L’effetto placebo. Breve viaggio tra mente e corpo. Carocci. 15. Kandel, E. R. (2000). The Brain and Behavior. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 5-18). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Cervello e comportamento. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3a ed., pp. 5-19). CEA. 16. Kandel, E. R. (2000). From Nerve Cells to Cognition: The Internal Cellular Representation Required for Perception and Action. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 381-403). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Dalle cellule nervose ai processi cognitivi: la rappresentazione interna a livello cellulare necessaria per la percezione e per l’azione. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3° ed., pp. 377-399). CEA. 17. Newberg, A. B., d’Aquili, E. G., & Rause, V. (2001). Why God won’t go away: brain science and the biology of belief. Ballantine Books. Trad. it.: (2001). Dio nel cervello. La prova biologica della fede. Mondadori. 18. Pinker, S. (2002). The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. Penguin Books. Trad. it.: (2006). Tabula rasa. Perché non è vero che gli uomini nascono tutti uguali. Mondadori. 19. Plotkin, H. (1997). Evolution in mind: An introduction to evolutionary psychology. London, UK: Allen Lane & Penguin. Trad. it.: (2002). Introduzione alla psicologia evoluzionistica. Astrolabio. 20. Premack, D. (2007). Human and animal cognition: Continuity and discontinuity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(35), 13861–13867. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0706147104. 21. Ramachandran, V. S. (2011). The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human. W. W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2012). L’uomo che credeva di essere morto. Mondadori. 22. Federici, S. (2024). Let’s Spit on Freud. International Journal on Neuropsychology and Behavioural Sciences, 5(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.51626/ijnbs.2024.05.00051 23. Lear, J. (2015). Freud (2nd ed.). Routledge. 24. Sapolsky, R. M. (2023). Determinato. Vita senza libero arbitrio. The Bodley Head London. 25. Bagemihl, B. (1999). Biological exuberance: Animal homosexuality and natural diversity (1st ed.). St. Martin’s Press.

Educational objectives

At the end of the course the student should be able to know how to define the nature, biological basis and evolutionary origins of psychology and critically describe the cognitive functions. It must also be able to critically discuss the most recent assumptions in cognitive neuroscience.

Prerequisites

Knowledge of the Italian language, level B2. Good receptive and productive language skills and competences. Critical thinking skills. Ability to summarize and process content. Analytical comprehension and reasoning skills. Good general culture.

Teaching methods

Face-to-face

Other information

Students with disabilities or with DSA will be able to make use of assistive and compensatory tools according to ministerial and university regulations. It is therefore recommended that students book a student reception with Prof. Stefano Federici so that the arrangements can be defined verbally.

Learning verification modality

The exam is both written and oral. A questionnaire (quiz) with 30 multiple-choice questions (+1 = correct answer // -0.25 = wrong answer // 0 = answer not given), taken from the contents of the compulsory examination materials (see below: "Compulsory Texts"), will be administered online to the student who have enrolled in the SOL at least 7 days before the examination date. The questionnaire can be completed online through SEB using a PC, tablet or smartphone owned by the student and connected to the UNIPG Wi-Fi network (if the student does not have his or her own device, he or she must reserve a PC station at LIDU). Access to the UNIPG Wi-Fi service is possible after authentication by entering the unique credentials of the university. Only the student who has booked the SOL will have access to the classroom designated for the exam, equipped with his or her device. After taking a seat in the classroom, the student will have to access the course page on UNISTUDIUM and wait for the teacher present in the classroom to give him/her the password to access the written test. Once the password has been entered, the student will have 30 minutes (40 minutes for students with compensatory measures) to complete the pre-selection written test. Only one attempt is allowed. Candidates who have passed the pre-selection test (with a minimum score of 18) will take the oral test on the same day (unless otherwise specified). Candidates who, having passed the pre-selection test, do not take the oral test immediately after the written pre-selection test will have to repeat the written pre-selection test, even if they have obtained a positive score (= 18). Candidates who pass the written test but fail the oral test must also retake the pre-selection written test at a later date. Candidates who fail either the written or the oral test may retake it at any other session (including the one immediately following). It is possible to take both the preselection written test and the oral test at any session. The final exam grade will be assigned by the Committee Chair, whom all examinees who have passed the written exam must contact to confirm their grade. Consistency in the conduct of the exam will be ensured within the same exam session, taking into account the human and organizational resources available for each individual exam session. When assigning the final grade, the Chair of the Commission will assess the need for further examination of the knowledge and skills acquired by the examinee, also based on the answers given to the written questions. Finally, please consult the following link https://www.unipg.it/files/pagine/1956/locandina---registrazione-esami.pdf-1.pdf for the correct conduct of the exams.

Extended program

1. Introduction to Modern Psychology: Psychology as a Science, General Psychology and Neuroscience. History of modern theories on the nature of the brain and mind. The problem of consciousness and free-will. The nature/culture and selection/education question. Elements of the history of modern psychology. [See required texts: 1, 2 and 4; recommended: 1, 14 and 19].
2. Introduction to Neuroscience: Anatomo-physiological foundations of the mind; The lateralization and specialization of the hemispheres; Split-brains and split-brain syndrome; Blindsight or blind vision; Left hemisphere lesions: aphasias and apraxias; Right hemisphere lesions: agnosias; The representation of space. [See required texts: 1, 4; recommended: 8-12, 15-17, 20-21].

Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile

Health and wellness
Quality education
Gender equality

GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY II FORM

Code	GP003498
CFU	6
Learning activities	Base
Area	Fondamenti della psicologia
Academic discipline	M-PSI/01
Type of study-unit	Opzionale (Optional)

Gruppo GRUPPO C

CFU

6

Teacher

Alessandro Lepri

Teachers

• Alessandro Lepri

Hours

• 36 ore - Alessandro Lepri

Language of instruction

Italian

Contents

3. The mind as an evolutionary product.
4. The mental functions.

Reference texts

Compulsory texts: The study of these texts is mandatory for all students – attending, non-attending students and workers; it is recommended to bring a copy of them during the oral examination, during which their consultation might be requested or by the student or by the examiner teacher.
1. Anolli, L., & Legrenzi, P. (2012). Psicologia generale (5a ed.). Il Mulino. (Tutti i capitoli). Oppure in lingua inglese: Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Fredrickson, B., Loftus, G. R., & Lutz, C. (2014). Atkinson & Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology (16th ed.). Cengage Learning.
2. Foschi, R. (2020). Storia della psicologia e della mente. Mondadori. (Tutti i capitoli).
3. Buss, D. M. (2020). Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind (6th ed.). Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5) Trad. it.: (2020). Psicologia evoluzionistica. Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5).
4. Lepri, A. (2025). Slides del corso di Psicologia generale, available online on UNISTUDIUM.

Recommended readings: Reading of one or more of the following in-depth texts is recommended, the content of which may be discussed during the oral examination. However, the reading of these "recommended" texts remains optional and not mandatory.
1. Blackmore, S. J., & Troscianko, E. (2018). Consciousness: An introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge.
2. Bloom, P. (2010, May 9). The Moral Life of Babies. The New York Time, 44. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/magazine/09babies-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all.
3. Camperio Ciani, A., Corna, F., & Capiluppi, C. (2004). Evidence for maternally inherited factors favouring male homosexuality and promoting female fecundity.Proceeding of the royal Society B, 271(1554), 2217-2221 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2872.
4. Diamond, J. (1999). Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. W. W. Norton & Co. Trad. it.: (2006). Armi, acciaio e malattie. Breve storia del mondo negli ultimi tredicimila anni. Einaudi.
5. Eibl-Eibesfeldt, I. (1989). Human Ethology. Aldine de Gruyter. Trad. it.: (2001). Etologia umana. Le basi biologiche del comportamento. Bollati Boringhieri.
6. Federici, S. (2009). Perché siamo portati a credere in Dio? In L. Proietti (a cura), Il mestiere dello storico: Tra ricerca e impegno civile. Scritti in memoria di Maria Grazia Giuntella (pp. 323-344). Aracne.
7. Federici, S., Stella, A., Dennis, J., & Hünefeldt, T. (2011). West vs. West like East vs. West? A comparison between Italian and US American context sensitivity and Fear of Isolation. Cognitive Processing. Cognitive Processing, 12(2), 203-208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-010-0374-8.
8. Gazzaniga, M. S. (1998). The Mind’s Past. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Trad. it.: (1999). La mente inventata. Le basi biologiche dell’identità e della coscienza. Guerini.
9. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2013). Shifting Gears: Seeking New Approaches for Mind/Brain Mechanisms. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143817.
10. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2008). Human: The Science Behind What Makes Your Brain Unique. Harper Collins. Trad. it.: (2009). Human: Quel che ci rende unici. Raffaello Cortina.
11. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2012). Who’s in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain. Constable & Robinson.
12. Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2009). Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of The Mind. W.W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2015). Neuroscienze cognitive. Zanichelli.
13. Harris (1998) The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do. Washington, DC: Free Press. Trad. it.: (1999). Non è colpa dei genitori. Mondadori.
14. Benedetti, F. (2012). L’effetto placebo. Breve viaggio tra mente e corpo. Carocci.
15. Kandel, E. R. (2000). The Brain and Behavior. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 5-18). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Cervello e comportamento. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3a ed., pp. 5-19). CEA.
16. Kandel, E. R. (2000). From Nerve Cells to Cognition: The Internal Cellular Representation Required for Perception and Action. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 381-403). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Dalle cellule nervose ai processi cognitivi: la rappresentazione interna a livello cellulare necessaria per la percezione e per l’azione. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3° ed., pp. 377-399). CEA.
17. Newberg, A. B., d’Aquili, E. G., & Rause, V. (2001). Why God won’t go away: brain science and the biology of belief. Ballantine Books. Trad. it.: (2001). Dio nel cervello. La prova biologica della fede. Mondadori.
18. Pinker, S. (2002). The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. Penguin Books. Trad. it.: (2006). Tabula rasa. Perché non è vero che gli uomini nascono tutti uguali. Mondadori.
19. Plotkin, H. (1997). Evolution in mind: An introduction to evolutionary psychology. London, UK: Allen Lane & Penguin. Trad. it.: (2002). Introduzione alla psicologia evoluzionistica. Astrolabio.
20. Premack, D. (2007). Human and animal cognition: Continuity and discontinuity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(35), 13861–13867. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0706147104.
21. Ramachandran, V. S. (2011). The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human. W. W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2012). L’uomo che credeva di essere morto. Mondadori.
22. Federici, S. (2024). Let’s Spit on Freud. International Journal on Neuropsychology and Behavioural Sciences, 5(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.51626/ijnbs.2024.05.00051
23. Lear, J. (2015). Freud (2nd ed.). Routledge.
24. Sapolsky, R. M. (2023). Determinato. Vita senza libero arbitrio. The Bodley Head London.
25. Bagemihl, B. (1999). Biological exuberance: Animal homosexuality and natural diversity (1st ed.). St. Martin’s Press.

Educational objectives

At the end of the course the student should be able to know how to define the nature, biological basis and evolutionary origins of psychology and critically describe the cognitive functions. It must also be able to critically discuss the most recent assumptions in cognitive neuroscience.

Prerequisites

Knowledge of the contents of the first General Psychology module. Knowledge of the Italian language, level B2. Good receptive and productive language skills and competences. Critical thinking skills. Ability to summarize and process content. Analytical comprehension and reasoning skills. Good general culture.

Teaching methods

Face-to-face

Other information

Students with disabilities or with DSA will be able to make use of assistive and compensatory tools according to ministerial and university regulations. It is therefore recommended that students book a student reception with Prof. Stefano Federici so that the arrangements can be defined verbally.

Learning verification modality

The exam is both written and oral. A questionnaire (quiz) with 30 multiple-choice questions (+1 = correct answer // -0.25 = wrong answer // 0 = answer not given), taken from the contents of the compulsory examination materials (see below: "Compulsory Texts"), will be administered online to the student who have enrolled in the SOL at least 7 days before the examination date. The questionnaire can be completed online through SEB using a PC, tablet or smartphone owned by the student and connected to the UNIPG Wi-Fi network (if the student does not have his or her own device, he or she must reserve a PC station at LIDU). Access to the UNIPG Wi-Fi service is possible after authentication by entering the unique credentials of the university. Only the student who has booked the SOL will have access to the classroom designated for the exam, equipped with his or her device. After taking a seat in the classroom, the student will have to access the course page on UNISTUDIUM and wait for the teacher present in the classroom to give him/her the password to access the written test. Once the password has been entered, the student will have 30 minutes (40 minutes for students with compensatory measures) to complete the pre-selection written test. Only one attempt is allowed. Candidates who have passed the pre-selection test (with a minimum score of 18) will take the oral test on the same day (unless otherwise specified). Candidates who, having passed the pre-selection test, do not take the oral test immediately after the written pre-selection test will have to repeat the written pre-selection test, even if they have obtained a positive score (= 18). Candidates who pass the written test but fail the oral test must also retake the pre-selection written test at a later date. Candidates who fail either the written or the oral test may retake it at any other session (including the one immediately following). It is possible to take both the preselection written test and the oral test at any session. The final exam grade will be assigned by the Committee Chair, whom all examinees who have passed the written exam must contact to confirm their grade. Consistency in the conduct of the exam will be ensured within the same exam session, taking into account the human and organizational resources available for each individual exam session. When assigning the final grade, the Chair of the Commission will assess the need for further examination of the knowledge and skills acquired by the examinee, also based on the answers given to the written questions. Finally, please consult the following link https://www.unipg.it/files/pagine/1956/locandina---registrazione-esami.pdf-1.pdf for the correct conduct of the exams.

Extended program

3. Introduction to evolutionary psychology: How the mind works; Evidence for innate and specific mechanisms of cognition; The evolution of the mind; Milestones in the history of evolutionary thought. Problems of human survival. Male and female strategies in partner choice. Epigenetics and methylation. The functions of the nucleus accumbens [See required texts: 3 and 4; recommended: 2-5, 8, 10-13, 17-19, 25]
4. The functions of the mind: Sensorial processes and perception; Consciousness; Learning and Conditioning; Memory: processes, models and amnesia; The thought and language; Motivation; Emotions; Intelligence [View required texts: 1 and 4; recommended: 5-13, 18, 19-21]

Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile

Health and wellness
Quality education
Gender equality

Gruppo GRUPPO D

CFU

6

Teacher

Alessandro Lepri

Teachers

• Alessandro Lepri

Hours

• 36 ore - Alessandro Lepri

Language of instruction

Italian

Contents

3. The mind as an evolutionary product.
4. The mental functions.

Reference texts

Compulsory texts: The study of these texts is mandatory for all students – attending, non-attending students and workers; it is recommended to bring a copy of them during the oral examination, during which their consultation might be requested or by the student or by the examiner teacher.
1. Anolli, L., & Legrenzi, P. (2012). Psicologia generale (5a ed.). Il Mulino. (Tutti i capitoli). Oppure in lingua inglese: Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Fredrickson, B., Loftus, G. R., & Lutz, C. (2014). Atkinson & Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology (16th ed.). Cengage Learning.
2. Foschi, R. (2020). Storia della psicologia e della mente. Mondadori. (Tutti i capitoli).
3. Buss, D. M. (2020). Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind (6th ed.). Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5) Trad. it.: (2020). Psicologia evoluzionistica. Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5).
4. Lepri, A. (2025). Slides del corso di Psicologia generale, available online on UNISTUDIUM.

Recommended readings: Reading of one or more of the following in-depth texts is recommended, the content of which may be discussed during the oral examination. However, the reading of these "recommended" texts remains optional and not mandatory.
1. Blackmore, S. J., & Troscianko, E. (2018). Consciousness: An introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge.
2. Bloom, P. (2010, May 9). The Moral Life of Babies. The New York Time, 44. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/magazine/09babies-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all.
3. Camperio Ciani, A., Corna, F., & Capiluppi, C. (2004). Evidence for maternally inherited factors favouring male homosexuality and promoting female fecundity.Proceeding of the royal Society B, 271(1554), 2217-2221 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2872.
4. Diamond, J. (1999). Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. W. W. Norton & Co. Trad. it.: (2006). Armi, acciaio e malattie. Breve storia del mondo negli ultimi tredicimila anni. Einaudi.
5. Eibl-Eibesfeldt, I. (1989). Human Ethology. Aldine de Gruyter. Trad. it.: (2001). Etologia umana. Le basi biologiche del comportamento. Bollati Boringhieri.
6. Federici, S. (2009). Perché siamo portati a credere in Dio? In L. Proietti (a cura), Il mestiere dello storico: Tra ricerca e impegno civile. Scritti in memoria di Maria Grazia Giuntella (pp. 323-344). Aracne.
7. Federici, S., Stella, A., Dennis, J., & Hünefeldt, T. (2011). West vs. West like East vs. West? A comparison between Italian and US American context sensitivity and Fear of Isolation. Cognitive Processing. Cognitive Processing, 12(2), 203-208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-010-0374-8.
8. Gazzaniga, M. S. (1998). The Mind’s Past. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Trad. it.: (1999). La mente inventata. Le basi biologiche dell’identità e della coscienza. Guerini.
9. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2013). Shifting Gears: Seeking New Approaches for Mind/Brain Mechanisms. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143817.
10. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2008). Human: The Science Behind What Makes Your Brain Unique. Harper Collins. Trad. it.: (2009). Human: Quel che ci rende unici. Raffaello Cortina.
11. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2012). Who’s in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain. Constable & Robinson.
12. Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2009). Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of The Mind. W.W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2015). Neuroscienze cognitive. Zanichelli.
13. Harris (1998) The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do. Washington, DC: Free Press. Trad. it.: (1999). Non è colpa dei genitori. Mondadori.
14. Benedetti, F. (2012). L’effetto placebo. Breve viaggio tra mente e corpo. Carocci.
15. Kandel, E. R. (2000). The Brain and Behavior. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 5-18). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Cervello e comportamento. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3a ed., pp. 5-19). CEA.
16. Kandel, E. R. (2000). From Nerve Cells to Cognition: The Internal Cellular Representation Required for Perception and Action. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 381-403). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Dalle cellule nervose ai processi cognitivi: la rappresentazione interna a livello cellulare necessaria per la percezione e per l’azione. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3° ed., pp. 377-399). CEA.
17. Newberg, A. B., d’Aquili, E. G., & Rause, V. (2001). Why God won’t go away: brain science and the biology of belief. Ballantine Books. Trad. it.: (2001). Dio nel cervello. La prova biologica della fede. Mondadori.
18. Pinker, S. (2002). The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. Penguin Books. Trad. it.: (2006). Tabula rasa. Perché non è vero che gli uomini nascono tutti uguali. Mondadori.
19. Plotkin, H. (1997). Evolution in mind: An introduction to evolutionary psychology. London, UK: Allen Lane & Penguin. Trad. it.: (2002). Introduzione alla psicologia evoluzionistica. Astrolabio.
20. Premack, D. (2007). Human and animal cognition: Continuity and discontinuity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(35), 13861–13867. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0706147104.
21. Ramachandran, V. S. (2011). The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human. W. W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2012). L’uomo che credeva di essere morto. Mondadori.
22. Federici, S. (2024). Let’s Spit on Freud. International Journal on Neuropsychology and Behavioural Sciences, 5(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.51626/ijnbs.2024.05.00051
23. Lear, J. (2015). Freud (2nd ed.). Routledge.
24. Sapolsky, R. M. (2023). Determinato. Vita senza libero arbitrio. The Bodley Head London.
25. Bagemihl, B. (1999). Biological exuberance: Animal homosexuality and natural diversity (1st ed.). St. Martin’s Press.

Educational objectives

At the end of the course the student should be able to know how to define the nature, biological basis and evolutionary origins of psychology and critically describe the cognitive functions. It must also be able to critically discuss the most recent assumptions in cognitive neuroscience.

Prerequisites

Knowledge of the contents of the first General Psychology module. Knowledge of the Italian language, level B2. Good receptive and productive language skills and competences. Critical thinking skills. Ability to summarize and process content. Analytical comprehension and reasoning skills. Good general culture.

Teaching methods

Face-to-face

Other information

Students with disabilities or with DSA will be able to make use of assistive and compensatory tools according to ministerial and university regulations. It is therefore recommended that students book a student reception with Prof. Stefano Federici so that the arrangements can be defined verbally.

Learning verification modality

The exam is both written and oral. A questionnaire (quiz) with 30 multiple-choice questions (+1 = correct answer // -0.25 = wrong answer // 0 = answer not given), taken from the contents of the compulsory examination materials (see below: "Compulsory Texts"), will be administered online to the student who have enrolled in the SOL at least 7 days before the examination date. The questionnaire can be completed online through SEB using a PC, tablet or smartphone owned by the student and connected to the UNIPG Wi-Fi network (if the student does not have his or her own device, he or she must reserve a PC station at LIDU). Access to the UNIPG Wi-Fi service is possible after authentication by entering the unique credentials of the university. Only the student who has booked the SOL will have access to the classroom designated for the exam, equipped with his or her device. After taking a seat in the classroom, the student will have to access the course page on UNISTUDIUM and wait for the teacher present in the classroom to give him/her the password to access the written test. Once the password has been entered, the student will have 30 minutes (40 minutes for students with compensatory measures) to complete the pre-selection written test. Only one attempt is allowed. Candidates who have passed the pre-selection test (with a minimum score of 18) will take the oral test on the same day (unless otherwise specified). Candidates who, having passed the pre-selection test, do not take the oral test immediately after the written pre-selection test will have to repeat the written pre-selection test, even if they have obtained a positive score (= 18). Candidates who pass the written test but fail the oral test must also retake the pre-selection written test at a later date. Candidates who fail either the written or the oral test may retake it at any other session (including the one immediately following). It is possible to take both the preselection written test and the oral test at any session. The final exam grade will be assigned by the Committee Chair, whom all examinees who have passed the written exam must contact to confirm their grade. Consistency in the conduct of the exam will be ensured within the same exam session, taking into account the human and organizational resources available for each individual exam session. When assigning the final grade, the Chair of the Commission will assess the need for further examination of the knowledge and skills acquired by the examinee, also based on the answers given to the written questions. Finally, please consult the following link https://www.unipg.it/files/pagine/1956/locandina---registrazione-esami.pdf-1.pdf for the correct conduct of the exams.

Extended program

3. Introduction to evolutionary psychology: How the mind works; Evidence for innate and specific mechanisms of cognition; The evolution of the mind; Milestones in the history of evolutionary thought. Problems of human survival. Male and female strategies in partner choice. Epigenetics and methylation. The functions of the nucleus accumbens [See required texts: 3 and 4; recommended: 2-5, 8, 10-13, 17-19, 25]
4. The functions of the mind: Sensorial processes and perception; Consciousness; Learning and Conditioning; Memory: processes, models and amnesia; The thought and language; Motivation; Emotions; Intelligence [View required texts: 1 and 4; recommended: 5-13, 18, 19-21]

Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile

Health and wellness
Quality education
Gender equality

Gruppo GRUPPO B

CFU

6

Teacher

Alessandro Lepri

Teachers

• Alessandro Lepri

Hours

• 36 ore - Alessandro Lepri

Language of instruction

Italian

Contents

3. The mind as an evolutionary product.
4. The mental functions.

Reference texts

Compulsory texts: The study of these texts is mandatory for all students – attending, non-attending students and workers; it is recommended to bring a copy of them during the oral examination, during which their consultation might be requested or by the student or by the examiner teacher.
1. Anolli, L., & Legrenzi, P. (2012). Psicologia generale (5a ed.). Il Mulino. (Tutti i capitoli). Oppure in lingua inglese: Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Fredrickson, B., Loftus, G. R., & Lutz, C. (2014). Atkinson & Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology (16th ed.). Cengage Learning.
2. Foschi, R. (2020). Storia della psicologia e della mente. Mondadori. (Tutti i capitoli).
3. Buss, D. M. (2020). Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind (6th ed.). Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5) Trad. it.: (2020). Psicologia evoluzionistica. Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5).
4. Lepri, A. (2025). Slides del corso di Psicologia generale, available online on UNISTUDIUM.

Recommended readings: Reading of one or more of the following in-depth texts is recommended, the content of which may be discussed during the oral examination. However, the reading of these "recommended" texts remains optional and not mandatory.
1. Blackmore, S. J., & Troscianko, E. (2018). Consciousness: An introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge.
2. Bloom, P. (2010, May 9). The Moral Life of Babies. The New York Time, 44. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/magazine/09babies-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all.
3. Camperio Ciani, A., Corna, F., & Capiluppi, C. (2004). Evidence for maternally inherited factors favouring male homosexuality and promoting female fecundity.Proceeding of the royal Society B, 271(1554), 2217-2221 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2872.
4. Diamond, J. (1999). Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. W. W. Norton & Co. Trad. it.: (2006). Armi, acciaio e malattie. Breve storia del mondo negli ultimi tredicimila anni. Einaudi.
5. Eibl-Eibesfeldt, I. (1989). Human Ethology. Aldine de Gruyter. Trad. it.: (2001). Etologia umana. Le basi biologiche del comportamento. Bollati Boringhieri.
6. Federici, S. (2009). Perché siamo portati a credere in Dio? In L. Proietti (a cura), Il mestiere dello storico: Tra ricerca e impegno civile. Scritti in memoria di Maria Grazia Giuntella (pp. 323-344). Aracne.
7. Federici, S., Stella, A., Dennis, J., & Hünefeldt, T. (2011). West vs. West like East vs. West? A comparison between Italian and US American context sensitivity and Fear of Isolation. Cognitive Processing. Cognitive Processing, 12(2), 203-208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-010-0374-8.
8. Gazzaniga, M. S. (1998). The Mind’s Past. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Trad. it.: (1999). La mente inventata. Le basi biologiche dell’identità e della coscienza. Guerini.
9. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2013). Shifting Gears: Seeking New Approaches for Mind/Brain Mechanisms. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143817.
10. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2008). Human: The Science Behind What Makes Your Brain Unique. Harper Collins. Trad. it.: (2009). Human: Quel che ci rende unici. Raffaello Cortina.
11. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2012). Who’s in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain. Constable & Robinson.
12. Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2009). Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of The Mind. W.W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2015). Neuroscienze cognitive. Zanichelli.
13. Harris (1998) The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do. Washington, DC: Free Press. Trad. it.: (1999). Non è colpa dei genitori. Mondadori.
14. Benedetti, F. (2012). L’effetto placebo. Breve viaggio tra mente e corpo. Carocci.
15. Kandel, E. R. (2000). The Brain and Behavior. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 5-18). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Cervello e comportamento. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3a ed., pp. 5-19). CEA.
16. Kandel, E. R. (2000). From Nerve Cells to Cognition: The Internal Cellular Representation Required for Perception and Action. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 381-403). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Dalle cellule nervose ai processi cognitivi: la rappresentazione interna a livello cellulare necessaria per la percezione e per l’azione. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3° ed., pp. 377-399). CEA.
17. Newberg, A. B., d’Aquili, E. G., & Rause, V. (2001). Why God won’t go away: brain science and the biology of belief. Ballantine Books. Trad. it.: (2001). Dio nel cervello. La prova biologica della fede. Mondadori.
18. Pinker, S. (2002). The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. Penguin Books. Trad. it.: (2006). Tabula rasa. Perché non è vero che gli uomini nascono tutti uguali. Mondadori.
19. Plotkin, H. (1997). Evolution in mind: An introduction to evolutionary psychology. London, UK: Allen Lane & Penguin. Trad. it.: (2002). Introduzione alla psicologia evoluzionistica. Astrolabio.
20. Premack, D. (2007). Human and animal cognition: Continuity and discontinuity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(35), 13861–13867. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0706147104.
21. Ramachandran, V. S. (2011). The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human. W. W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2012). L’uomo che credeva di essere morto. Mondadori.
22. Federici, S. (2024). Let’s Spit on Freud. International Journal on Neuropsychology and Behavioural Sciences, 5(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.51626/ijnbs.2024.05.00051
23. Lear, J. (2015). Freud (2nd ed.). Routledge.
24. Sapolsky, R. M. (2023). Determinato. Vita senza libero arbitrio. The Bodley Head London.
25. Bagemihl, B. (1999). Biological exuberance: Animal homosexuality and natural diversity (1st ed.). St. Martin’s Press.

Educational objectives

At the end of the course the student should be able to know how to define the nature, biological basis and evolutionary origins of psychology and critically describe the cognitive functions. It must also be able to critically discuss the most recent assumptions in cognitive neuroscience.

Prerequisites

Knowledge of the contents of the first General Psychology module. Knowledge of the Italian language, level B2. Good receptive and productive language skills and competences. Critical thinking skills. Ability to summarize and process content. Analytical comprehension and reasoning skills. Good general culture.

Teaching methods

Face-to-face

Other information

Students with disabilities or with DSA will be able to make use of assistive and compensatory tools according to ministerial and university regulations. It is therefore recommended that students book a student reception with Prof. Stefano Federici so that the arrangements can be defined verbally.

Learning verification modality

The exam is both written and oral. A questionnaire (quiz) with 30 multiple-choice questions (+1 = correct answer // -0.25 = wrong answer // 0 = answer not given), taken from the contents of the compulsory examination materials (see below: "Compulsory Texts"), will be administered online to the student who have enrolled in the SOL at least 7 days before the examination date. The questionnaire can be completed online through SEB using a PC, tablet or smartphone owned by the student and connected to the UNIPG Wi-Fi network (if the student does not have his or her own device, he or she must reserve a PC station at LIDU). Access to the UNIPG Wi-Fi service is possible after authentication by entering the unique credentials of the university. Only the student who has booked the SOL will have access to the classroom designated for the exam, equipped with his or her device. After taking a seat in the classroom, the student will have to access the course page on UNISTUDIUM and wait for the teacher present in the classroom to give him/her the password to access the written test. Once the password has been entered, the student will have 30 minutes (40 minutes for students with compensatory measures) to complete the pre-selection written test. Only one attempt is allowed. Candidates who have passed the pre-selection test (with a minimum score of 18) will take the oral test on the same day (unless otherwise specified). Candidates who, having passed the pre-selection test, do not take the oral test immediately after the written pre-selection test will have to repeat the written pre-selection test, even if they have obtained a positive score (= 18). Candidates who pass the written test but fail the oral test must also retake the pre-selection written test at a later date. Candidates who fail either the written or the oral test may retake it at any other session (including the one immediately following). It is possible to take both the preselection written test and the oral test at any session. The final exam grade will be assigned by the Committee Chair, whom all examinees who have passed the written exam must contact to confirm their grade. Consistency in the conduct of the exam will be ensured within the same exam session, taking into account the human and organizational resources available for each individual exam session. When assigning the final grade, the Chair of the Commission will assess the need for further examination of the knowledge and skills acquired by the examinee, also based on the answers given to the written questions. Finally, please consult the following link https://www.unipg.it/files/pagine/1956/locandina---registrazione-esami.pdf-1.pdf for the correct conduct of the exams.

Extended program

3. Introduction to evolutionary psychology: How the mind works; Evidence for innate and specific mechanisms of cognition; The evolution of the mind; Milestones in the history of evolutionary thought. Problems of human survival. Male and female strategies in partner choice. Epigenetics and methylation. The functions of the nucleus accumbens [See required texts: 3 and 4; recommended: 2-5, 8, 10-13, 17-19, 25]
4. The functions of the mind: Sensorial processes and perception; Consciousness; Learning and Conditioning; Memory: processes, models and amnesia; The thought and language; Motivation; Emotions; Intelligence [View required texts: 1 and 4; recommended: 5-13, 18, 19-21]

Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile

Health and wellness
Quality education
Gender equality

Gruppo GRUPPO A

CFU

6

Teacher

Stefano Federici

Teachers

• Stefano Federici

Hours

• 36 ore - Stefano Federici

Language of instruction

Italian

Contents

3. The mind as an evolutionary product.
4. The mental functions.

Reference texts

Compulsory texts: The study of these texts is mandatory for all students – attending, non-attending students and workers; it is recommended to bring a copy of them during the oral examination, during which their consultation might be requested or by the student or by the examiner teacher. 1. Anolli, L., & Legrenzi, P. (2012). Psicologia generale (5a ed.). Il Mulino. (Tutti i capitoli). Oppure in lingua inglese: Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Fredrickson, B., Loftus, G. R., & Lutz, C. (2014). Atkinson & Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology (16th ed.). Cengage Learning. 2. Foschi, R. (2020). Storia della psicologia e della mente. Mondadori. (Tutti i capitoli). 3. Buss, D. M. (2025). Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind (7th ed.). Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5) Trad. it.: (2020). Psicologia evoluzionistica. Pearson. (Chapters: 1-5). 4. Federici, S. (2025). Slides del corso di Psicologia generale, available online on UNISTUDIUM. Recommended readings: Reading of one or more of the following in-depth texts is recommended, the content of which may be discussed during the oral examination. However, the reading of these "recommended" texts remains optional and not mandatory. 1. Blackmore, S. J., & Troscianko, E. (2018). Consciousness: An introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge. 2. Bloom, P. (2010, May 9). The Moral Life of Babies. The New York Time, 44. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/magazine/09babies-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all. 3. Camperio Ciani, A., Corna, F., & Capiluppi, C. (2004). Evidence for maternally inherited factors favouring male homosexuality and promoting female fecundity.Proceeding of the royal Society B, 271(1554), 2217-2221 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2872. 4. Diamond, J. (1999). Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. W. W. Norton & Co. Trad. it.: (2006). Armi, acciaio e malattie. Breve storia del mondo negli ultimi tredicimila anni. Einaudi. 5. Eibl-Eibesfeldt, I. (1989). Human Ethology. Aldine de Gruyter. Trad. it.: (2001). Etologia umana. Le basi biologiche del comportamento. Bollati Boringhieri. 6. Federici, S. (2009). Perché siamo portati a credere in Dio? In L. Proietti (a cura), Il mestiere dello storico: Tra ricerca e impegno civile. Scritti in memoria di Maria Grazia Giuntella (pp. 323-344). Aracne. 7. Federici, S., Stella, A., Dennis, J., & Hünefeldt, T. (2011). West vs. West like East vs. West? A comparison between Italian and US American context sensitivity and Fear of Isolation. Cognitive Processing. Cognitive Processing, 12(2), 203-208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-010-0374-8. 8. Gazzaniga, M. S. (1998). The Mind’s Past. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Trad. it.: (1999). La mente inventata. Le basi biologiche dell’identità e della coscienza. Guerini. 9. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2013). Shifting Gears: Seeking New Approaches for Mind/Brain Mechanisms. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143817. 10. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2008). Human: The Science Behind What Makes Your Brain Unique. Harper Collins. Trad. it.: (2009). Human: Quel che ci rende unici. Raffaello Cortina. 11. Gazzaniga, M. S. (2012). Who’s in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain. Constable & Robinson. 12. Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2009). Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of The Mind. W.W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2015). Neuroscienze cognitive. Zanichelli. 13. Harris (1998) The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do. Washington, DC: Free Press. Trad. it.: (1999). Non è colpa dei genitori. Mondadori. 14. Benedetti, F. (2012). L’effetto placebo. Breve viaggio tra mente e corpo. Carocci. 15. Kandel, E. R. (2000). The Brain and Behavior. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 5-18). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Cervello e comportamento. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3a ed., pp. 5-19). CEA. 16. Kandel, E. R. (2000). From Nerve Cells to Cognition: The Internal Cellular Representation Required for Perception and Action. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principles of Neural Science (4th ed., pp. 381-403). McGraw-Hill. Trad. it.: (2003). Dalle cellule nervose ai processi cognitivi: la rappresentazione interna a livello cellulare necessaria per la percezione e per l’azione. In E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz & T. M. Jessell (Eds.), Principi di neuroscienze (3° ed., pp. 377-399). CEA. 17. Newberg, A. B., d’Aquili, E. G., & Rause, V. (2001). Why God won’t go away: brain science and the biology of belief. Ballantine Books. Trad. it.: (2001). Dio nel cervello. La prova biologica della fede. Mondadori. 18. Pinker, S. (2002). The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. Penguin Books. Trad. it.: (2006). Tabula rasa. Perché non è vero che gli uomini nascono tutti uguali. Mondadori. 19. Plotkin, H. (1997). Evolution in mind: An introduction to evolutionary psychology. London, UK: Allen Lane & Penguin. Trad. it.: (2002). Introduzione alla psicologia evoluzionistica. Astrolabio. 20. Premack, D. (2007). Human and animal cognition: Continuity and discontinuity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(35), 13861–13867. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0706147104. 21. Ramachandran, V. S. (2011). The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human. W. W. Norton. Trad. it.: (2012). L’uomo che credeva di essere morto. Mondadori. 22. Federici, S. (2024). Let’s Spit on Freud. International Journal on Neuropsychology and Behavioural Sciences, 5(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.51626/ijnbs.2024.05.00051 23. Lear, J. (2015). Freud (2nd ed.). Routledge. 24. Sapolsky, R. M. (2023). Determinato. Vita senza libero arbitrio. The Bodley Head London. 25. Bagemihl, B. (1999). Biological exuberance: Animal homosexuality and natural diversity (1st ed.). St. Martin’s Press.

Educational objectives

At the end of the course the student should be able to know how to define the nature, biological basis and evolutionary origins of psychology and critically describe the cognitive functions. It must also be able to critically discuss the most recent assumptions in cognitive neuroscience.

Prerequisites

Knowledge of the contents of the first General Psychology module. Knowledge of the Italian language, level B2. Good receptive and productive language skills and competences. Critical thinking skills. Ability to summarize and process content. Analytical comprehension and reasoning skills. Good general culture.

Teaching methods

Face-to-face

Other information

Students with disabilities or with DSA will be able to make use of assistive and compensatory tools according to ministerial and university regulations. It is therefore recommended that students book a student reception with Prof. Stefano Federici so that the arrangements can be defined verbally.

Learning verification modality

The exam is both written and oral. A questionnaire (quiz) with 30 multiple-choice questions (+1 = correct answer // -0.25 = wrong answer // 0 = answer not given), taken from the contents of the compulsory examination materials (see below: "Compulsory Texts"), will be administered online to the student who have enrolled in the SOL at least 7 days before the examination date. The questionnaire can be completed online through SEB using a PC, tablet or smartphone owned by the student and connected to the UNIPG Wi-Fi network (if the student does not have his or her own device, he or she must reserve a PC station at LIDU). Access to the UNIPG Wi-Fi service is possible after authentication by entering the unique credentials of the university. Only the student who has booked the SOL will have access to the classroom designated for the exam, equipped with his or her device. After taking a seat in the classroom, the student will have to access the course page on UNISTUDIUM and wait for the teacher present in the classroom to give him/her the password to access the written test. Once the password has been entered, the student will have 30 minutes (40 minutes for students with compensatory measures) to complete the pre-selection written test. Only one attempt is allowed. Candidates who have passed the pre-selection test (with a minimum score of 18) will take the oral test on the same day (unless otherwise specified). Candidates who, having passed the pre-selection test, do not take the oral test immediately after the written pre-selection test will have to repeat the written pre-selection test, even if they have obtained a positive score (= 18). Candidates who pass the written test but fail the oral test must also retake the pre-selection written test at a later date. Candidates who fail either the written or the oral test may retake it at any other session (including the one immediately following). It is possible to take both the preselection written test and the oral test at any session. The final exam grade will be assigned by the Committee Chair, whom all examinees who have passed the written exam must contact to confirm their grade. Consistency in the conduct of the exam will be ensured within the same exam session, taking into account the human and organizational resources available for each individual exam session. When assigning the final grade, the Chair of the Commission will assess the need for further examination of the knowledge and skills acquired by the examinee, also based on the answers given to the written questions. Finally, please consult the following link https://www.unipg.it/files/pagine/1956/locandina---registrazione-esami.pdf-1.pdf for the correct conduct of the exams.

Extended program

3. Introduction to evolutionary psychology: How the mind works; Evidence for innate and specific mechanisms of cognition; The evolution of the mind; Milestones in the history of evolutionary thought. Problems of human survival. Male and female strategies in partner choice. Epigenetics and methylation. The functions of the nucleus accumbens [See required texts: 3 and 4; recommended: 2-5, 8, 10-13, 17-19, 25]
4. The functions of the mind: Sensorial processes and perception; Consciousness; Learning and Conditioning; Memory: processes, models and amnesia; The thought and language; Motivation; Emotions; Intelligence [View required texts: 1 and 4; recommended: 5-13, 18, 19-21]

Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile

Health and wellness
Quality education
Gender equality