2135A-001
Cognitive Psychology
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
An introduction to empirical, computational, and theoretical approaches to the study of human cognitive processes. The topics surveyed will include: perception, attention, memory, concepts, language and problem-solving. The course will show how these diverse psychological processes are related to and influence one another.
4 lecture/discussion hours, 0.5 course
Antirequisites: Psychology 2010A/B, 2180E. Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course
Prerequisite: At least 60% in a 1000 level Psychology course. Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. John Paul Minda, jpminda@uwo.ca
Office and Phone: SSC 7326, x84689
Office Hours: By appointment only
Teaching Assistant: Toka Zhu, tzhu9@uwo.ca
TA Office & Hours
Time and Location of Lectures: T/Th, 9:30 – 11:30, HSB—240
Website https://owl.uwo.ca
If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you. Please visit: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
COGNITION: Exploring the Science of the Mind, 6th edition by Daniel Reisberg. This text is available at the bookstore, Amazon, and elsewhere. One copy has been placed on course reserve at Weldon Library. Notes from each class will also be available after each lecture. These notes are a guideline only, and are not a substitute for attending the lecture.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
An introduction to empirical, computational, and theoretical approaches to the study of human cognitive processes. The topics surveyed will include: perception, attention, memory, concepts, language and problem-solving. The course will show how these diverse psychological processes are related to and influence one another. The primary mode of instruction is lecture and discussion and assessment will consist of multiple choice exams.
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes relevant to cognitive psychology. This outcome will be assessed via multiple choice exams.
Identify concepts and current states of knowledge in both the natural science and social science aspects of cognitive psychology. This outcome will be assessed via multiple choice exams.
Engage in a critical scholarly discussion on a psychological topic using evidence to support claims. This outcome will be encouraged and developed via class discussion.
Critically evaluate the presentation of scientific ideas and research in the popular media. This outcome will be encouraged and developed via class discussion.
Apply psychological principles to the understanding of everyday problems. This outcome will be encouraged and developed via class discussion.
5.0 EVALUATION
5.1 Exams
There are four multiple-choice exams in this class. Exams 1—3 will take place as scheduled below and will be during the class period in the same location as the lecture. Exam 4 (the final exam) will be scheduled for finals week. Each exam is worth 25% of the final mark. This final exam is not cumulative.
All material presented in class, the textbook, and the readings is fair game for an exam. In other words, material that is presented in class but not in the textbook may show up on an exam. Material that is in the textbook but not discussed in class may also show up on the exam. That said, the most effective way to study is to use the lecture and lecture notes as a guide for what will be emphasized in the exam.
5.2 Final Grade
Your final grade in this class will be a combination of your performance on all four exams. The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines, which can be found at the following website: The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines, at http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf.
5.3 Exam Review
Grades will be released on OWL. Exams may be reviewed by making an appointment with the TA. Neither the TA nor the instructor will re-grade questions or award points after the grades have been released.
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level and 2000-level courses
72% 2190-2990 level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf ):
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
6.0 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
7.1 UNIT 1: FOUNDATIONS
Sep 8 The Study of Cognition Ch. 1
Sep 13 Brain Science I Ch. 2
Sep 15 Brain Science II Ch. 2
Sep 20 Perception Ch. 3
Sep 22 Object Recognition Ch. 4
Sep 27 Attention Ch. 5
Sep 29 EXAM 1 on Unit 1 Ch. 1—5
7.2 UNIT 2: MEMORY
Oct 4 Sensory Memory and Working Memory Ch. 6
Oct 6 Memory and the Brain Ch. 6
Oct 11 Memory Retention and Retrieval Ch. 7
Oct 13 Complex Event Memory Ch. 8
Oct 25 EXAM 2 on Unit 2 Ch. 6—8
Oct 27 University Study Break ---
7.3 UNIT 3: KNOWLEDGE AND CONCEPTS
Nov 1 Concepts and Categories Ch. 9
Nov 3 Language Structure Ch. 10
Nov 8 Language Comprehension Ch. 10
Nov 10 Visual Knowledge Ch. 11
Nov 15 EXAM 3 on Unit 3 Ch. 9—11
Nov 17 No Class on Nov 17 ---
7.4 UNIT 4: THINKING
Nov 22 Reasoning I Ch. 12
Nov 24 Reasoning II Ch. 12
Nov 29 Problem Solving Ch. 13
Dec 1 Decision Making Ch. 13
Dec 6 Expertise. Intelligence and Creativity Ch. 13
Dec EXAM 4 on Unit 4 Ch. 12—13
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS
Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2016/pg117.html
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
10.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2016 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.
