Psychology 2210B-001
Introduction to Animal Cognition
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 animal cognition, including topics such as classical and operant conditioning, memory, timing, and categorization.
Antirequisite: Psychology 2280E
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 prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol 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.
3 lecture hours, 0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Krista Macpherson
Office: SSC 8244
Office hours: By appointment
Email: kmacphe6@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistant: TBA
Office: TBA
Office Hours: TBA
Email: TBA
Time and Location of Classes: Mon 2:30-4:30pm, Wed 2:30-3:30pm, NCB 113
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
Olmstead, M. C., & Kuhlmeier, V. A. (2015). Comparative Cognition. Cambridge University Press.
This textbook is mandatory for the course.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
The course will provide a general introduction to research and theory in animal learning and cognition. Particular emphasis will be given to classical and instrumental learning, as well as current research oncognitive capacities of animals.
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course, student should be able to:
1. Summarize the history of animal cognition research and recognize its contributions to the fields of psychology, neuroscience and biology.
2. Identify the unique challenges of animal cognition research and describe methods used in the discipline to handle those challenges.
3. Explain our current understanding of cognition in a number of species and compare the cognition of a variety of species to identify how evolutionary pressures shape cognition in animals.
These learning outcomes will be achieved through the use of lectures and assigned readings; they will be
assessed through the use of mixed format (multiple choice, short answer and short essay) exams, as well as pop quizzes.
5.0 EVALUATION
Exam 1: 30% of final grade
Exam 2: 30% of final grade
Final Exam: 35% of final grade
Participation: 5% of final grade
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 Western's 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
Exam 1 (February 4th, 2019):
Exam 2 (March 18th, 2019):
Final Exam (TBA April 11-30, 2019):
Participation: Pop quizzes (5 quizzes each worth 1% of final mark…please see details below!)
There will be THREE tests, TWO given during the term and ONE during the final exam period. The tests will not be explicitly cumulative although you must retain and understand earlier material in order to understand and discuss later material. The tests will include multiple choice, short answer, and short essay questions.
Participation marks will be awarded based on the completion of 5 pop quizzes (two before the first exam, two between the first and second exams, and one between the second and final exam). If you miss a quiz, you may write and submit a 500-word summary of the readings assigned for the lecture that day. The dates of the quizzes will be posted on the course website once they have occurred, and it is your responsibility to check if you have missed one. The 500-word summary is due exactly one week from the date of the missed quiz, and will not be accepted after this one week time period. Failure to complete a quiz or submit a 500-word write-up will result in a mark of zero for that particular quiz.
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
Tentative and subject to change. The only way to know what was covered in a particular lecture is
to attend lectures. (Page numbers are for the assigned text and show the material that is related to
what is planned for a particular lecture)
January 07 Chapter 1 (pages 1-30)
09 Anthropomorphism (Readings to be assigned)
14 Chapter 2 (pages 32-67)
16 Chapter 2 (pages 32-67)
21 Chapter 3 (pages 69-105)
23 Chapter 3 (pages 69-105)
28 Chapter 4 (pages 107-137)
30 Chapter 4 (pages 107-137)
TEST 1 ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4th WILL COVER ASSIGNED READING AND LECTURE MATERIAL FROM JAN 7th to JAN 30th, INCLUSIVE. THE TEST WILL BE IN THE USUAL CLASSROOM.
February 06 Guest lecture—Readings to be announced
11 Chapter 5 (pages 146-183)
13 Chapter 5 (pages 146-183)
NO CLASS—READING WEEK
25 Chapter 6 (pages 185-212)
27 Chapter 6 (pages 185-212)
Chapter 6 (pages 185-212)
March 04 Chapter 7 (pages 213-246)
06 Chapter 7 (pages 213-246)
11 Chapter 8 (pages 248-270)
13 Chapter 8 (pages 248-270)
TEST 2 ON MONDAY, MARCH 18th WILL COVER ASSIGNED READING AND LECTURE MATERIAL FROM FEB 06th to MARCH 13th, INCLUSIVE. THE TEST WILL BE IN THE USUAL CLASSROOM.
20 Chapter 9 (pages 271-307)
25 Chapter 9 (pages 271-307)
27 Chapter 10 (pages 309-338)
April 01 Chapter 11 (pages 339-365)
03 Chapter 12 (pages 366-389)
08 Chapter 13 (pages 391-404)
FINAL EXAM WILL COVER READINGS AND LECTURE MATERIAL FROM MARCH 20th to APRIL 8th, INCLUSIVE. DATE AND LOCATION OF FINAL EXAM TBA (APRIL 11-30, 2019)
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://westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?Command=showCategory&PolicyCategoryID=1&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
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
- 2018 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.
