PSYC 3362 Mind of a Dog: How Canine Cognition Informs Human Psychology
This course explores intelligence and cognitive processes across a variety of animal species, including humans. It addresses such questions as, do chimpanzees lie? Can dolphins count? What makes us uniquely human? Topics include mental representation, memory, tool use, counting, problem-solving, self-awareness, social knowledge, and communication/language. For each area, we will examine the evidence from both wild and laboratory settings, continually returning to the questions of what such knowledge tells us about non-human animals, and how this knowledge informs our theories of human cognition.
Course overview
- Department
- Psychology and Neuroscience
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Annually
Catalog details
Requirements fulfilled
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 4.38 / 5 · Very Good
- Instructor rating
- 4.43 / 5 · Very Good
- Terms evaluated
- 5
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Angela M Johnston | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 1–3 hrs/week | 37 of 47 |
| Spring 2025 | Angela M Johnston | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 1–3 hrs/week | 36 of 46 |
| Spring 2024 | Angela M Johnston | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 1–3 hrs/week | 39 of 48 |
| Fall 2022 | Angela M Johnston | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 1–3 hrs/week | 37 of 44 |
| Fall 2021 | Angela M Johnston | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 1–3 hrs/week | 31 of 47 |