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PSYCH 256Introduction to Cognitive Science

Units
0.50
Faculty
Arts
Subject
Psychology
Cross-listed
PHIL 256

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 6 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 2 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary study of the mind, drawing on philosophy, psychology, computer science, anthropology, linguistics, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology, in the attempt to theorize about cognition. Students will come to understand theories describing different aspects of cognition - which may include theories of linguistic understanding, concept acquisition and use, inference, perception and decision-making - and the various ways in which such theories have been evidentially supported and contested. Course readings and activities will equip students to think critically about perennial questions, such as how we perceive and reason about the world, the relationship between language and thought, how societies can be (or fail to be) collectively intelligent, and how human intelligence can inform the study of artificial intelligence and vice versa.

Prerequisites

None listed.

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

Fall 2026 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 081362328 / 30Online or by arrangement

Winter 2027 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 00178930 / 30TTh 13:00–14:20
LEC 701827730 / 9999Online or by arrangement

Resources

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Reviewed on UW Flow

42% liked it33% easy57% useful

From 33 ratings and 11 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • Content was a lot more philosophical than I expected. Course really focused on the mythological and past view points of cognitive science. Rubrics were not given ahead of most assignments and not a lot of feedback so was hard to learn from mistakes. Course is 4 assignments/essays.

    Aug 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • This class' content is hard if philosophy isn't your thing. The course had 20% participation grade (which was so helpful), 25% in bi-weekly quizzes, 10% in term paper prep., 25% term paper and the choice to do a 20% exam or weekly learning journals. The course was very flexible in terms of assignments, the deadlines were flexible as well. It was a nice course in terms of workload but learning the content was the hard part. If you like cognitive philosophy and understand it, the class would be an easy mark.

    Nov 2023 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • If you are looking for a psych course, this isn't where to go. A lot of the content was philosophy, linguistics, with a sprinkle of neuroscience. Also the readings are really difficult to digest. 10/10 would not recommend. If this course is required for you, may the force be with you.

    Apr 2021 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Don't take this course if you were hoping for psychology or neuroscience.. it's all philosophy. Took it online and the profs are such hard markers and don't give any feedback on assignments. Readings are difficult to understand unless maybe you are a philosophy major. Exam was 9-15 written pages essay format with no indication on what it could possibly be on .

    Dec 2019 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • The professors felt detached and difficult to approach. Be careful about outside sources, because this class only wants you to use the material they provide for your essays. Needless to say, just being able to pass will be plenty good, it can be difficult if you don't keep up with the readings.

    Mar 2017 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

50 posts and comments in 44 threads mention PSYCH 256, April 2011 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Fall 2024

Psych 253 or 256 1 point, 5 comments

u/LS_reader: “One is social psychology and the other one is psychopathology. I think they would both be interested but I can only choose one. So I’ll do whichever one is easier in terms of work load and tests. Which one would you guys recommend?”

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Winter 2023

Fall 2021

Winter 2021

psych/phil 256 is gone? 1 point, 2 comments

“hey all, i was hoping to take intro to cognitive science this spring just for me to find that both options for the course (psych and phil) don’t appear in the drop down during course selection, nor …”

u/Laeriana: “According to the Psychology department website on scheduled future course offerings, PSYCH 256 is not being offered for Spring 2021. It's currently scheduled to next be offered in Fall 2021 though! Hope that helps!”

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Spring 2020

PSYCH/PHIL 256 (intro to cognitive science) 2 points, 3 comments

“has anyone ever taken this course??? the readings and lectures are so interesting and i’m very engaged with the content but when it comes to writing papers i feel like i have no idea what’s going on. …”

u/Laeriana: “… It takes quite a bit of research to get there, but for PSYCH 256 there was a few chapters in the textbook (namely "Mind: Introduction to Cognitive Science" by Paul Thagard) that got me started. …”

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Winter 2020

Psych 256 vs Phil 256 1 point, 5 comments

u/Pocky27: “… psych 256 let's you take more courses afterwards tho like phil356. I was going to take phil145 but saving it for an inclass semester. Also will I be able to do okay considering I've never taken a psych or Phil course in my life? …”

u/12345goose: “They're the exact same course. You can take Phil 356 after taking Psych 256 or Phil 256. The only difference is whether it says Psych 256 or Phil 256 on your transcript”

u/QParticle: “… Phil and psych 256 are the same thing, taught in the same room. I've never done psych or phil either, but I'm doing well. Workload is manageable, just gotta do some readings and reflections before each class. …”

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PSYCH courses useful for machine learning? 7 points, 20 comments

“I'll be taking the CS courses but need some PSYCH courses for the requirements. I don't want to take random courses though. …”

u/shostako_bitch: “Out of the core psych courses, 207 (cognitive psychology) is your best bet, for other psych courses maybe 256 (intro to cognitive science), 446 (cognitive modelling)”

u/shostako_bitch: “… 446 needs psych 256 and a CS course as a prerequisite and is described as “students will implement computational models of human cognition, using logic-based, rule-based, neural network and other programs, and discuss their philosophical and psychological significance”. …”

u/sockmarket: “… I’d also look at PSYCH 256 (you get some neuro, AI, computational models), and potentially PSYCH 261 (lots about experimental psych, anatomy, and various pathways in the brain). …”

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Fall 2019

Fall 2018

Free Talk Friday 3 points, 27 comments

“Welcome to Free Talk Friday, where you are able to talk about whatever you want. Please keep it respectful and remember that subreddit rules still apply. Looking for more Free Talk Friday action? …”

u/slicepineapple: “The date I went on last Friday was dope. We had a great time, made her laugh, overall we're vibing well! Heck, the kiss(es) goodnight were pretty nice. Since we're from the same culture/race etc. …”

u/MakeCanadaChinaPls: “This is Reddit, not PSYCH 256”

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Spring 2018

Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar