Psychology 3139B-001
Cognitive Science
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
Cognitive Science combines psychology, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, neuropsychology, linguistics, philosophy, and anthropology to study how people think. Students will learn about how cognitive scientists approach problems in a diverse, integrated manner to help us understand how people learn and process, for example, concepts and language.
Prerequisite: Psychology 2820E or both Psychology 2800E and Psychology 2810, and one of Psychology 2115A/B, Psychology 2134A/B, Psychology 2135A/B, Psychology 2220A/B, Psychology 2221A/B or Neuroscience 2000.
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.
Cognitive Science combines psychology, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, neuropsychology, linguistics, philosophy, and anthropology to study how people think. Students will learn about how cognitive scientists approach problems in a diverse, integrated manner to help us understand how people learn and process, for example, concepts and language.
Prerequisite: Psychology 2820E or both Psychology 2800E and Psychology 2810, and one of Psychology 2115A/B, Psychology 2134A/B, Psychology 2135A/B, Psychology 2220A/B, Psychology 2221A/B or Neuroscience 2000.
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/discussion hours; 0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Krista Macpherson
Office Hours: By Appointment
Email: kmacphe6@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistant: Nicola Popp
Office Hours: TBA
Email: npopp@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes: Thursdays, 3:30-6:30 in SSC 3024
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
No textbook will be used for this course. Assigned readings will be empirical journal articles, which will be posted in PDF format to OWL.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
The primary objective of this course is to provide students with an introduction to Cognitive Science, an exciting approach to studying how people think that combines psychology, linguistics, philosophy, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and anthropology. Through four case studies, students will learn about how the different Cognitive Science disciplines approach problems in a diverse and integrated manner. Another objective of this course is to develop students’ reading, analytical, critical thinking and writing skills that are applicable across academic and non-academic settings4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
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Learning Outcome: |
Activities Supporting Outcome: |
Assessment: |
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Identify the major disciplines that make up cognitive science and their unique contribution to cognitive science.
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-Lectures -Readings -Class presentations -Class discussion |
-Midterm and Final Exams with Multiple Choice and Short Answer Questions.
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Evaluate the methodologies from cognitive science to everyday problems. |
-Lectures -Readings -Class presentations -Class discussion
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-Midterm and Final Exams with Multiple Choice and Short Answer Questions.
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Apply concepts and methodologies from cognitive science to everyday problems. |
-Lectures -Class discussion
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-Midterm and Final Exams with Multiple Choice and Short Answer Questions.
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Develop Critical thinking and writing skills that are applicable across academic and non-academic settings. |
-Class discussion -Writing Independent paper -Class presentations
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-Independent Paper -In-class participation |
5.0 EVALUATION
Participation: 10%
In-Class Group Presentation: 15%
Independent Paper: 25%
Midterm Exam: 25%
Final Exam: 25%
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
Midterm Exam: February 28th, 2019
Final Exam (TBA—During Final Exam Period April 11-30)
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
READINGS ARE TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE—UPDATES TO READINGS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN CLASS AND POSTED TO OWL.
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Date: |
Topic: |
Readings (Posted to OWL): |
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Jan 10th, 2019 |
Introduction to course; History of Cognitive Science |
Miller (1956; 2003); Berns, Brooks & Spivak (2012) |
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Jan 17th, 2019 |
Sensation & Perception |
Coren & Girgus (1980); Scott (1962) |
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Jan 24th, 2019 |
Attention |
Broadbent (1958); Treisman (1964); Deutsch & Deutsch (1968) |
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Jan 31st, 2019 |
Memory 1 |
Baddeley (1996); Craik & Lockhart (1972); Loftus & Palmer (1966) |
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Feb 7th, 2019 |
Memory 2 |
Clayton & Dickenson (1998); Clayton et al. (2001); Tulving (2002) |
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Feb 14th, 2019 |
Spatial Cognition |
Cheng (1986); Morris (1981); Mizumori & Smith (2006); Maguire et al. (2001) |
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Feb 21st, 2019 |
READING WEEK— NO CLASS |
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Feb 28th, 2019 |
MIDTERM EXAM |
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March 7th, 2019 |
Numerical Discrimination |
Brannon & Terrace (1998); Nieder (2005); West & Young (2002) |
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March 14th, 2019 |
Timing |
Buhusi & Meck (2005); Reppert & Weaver (2002); Church & Deluty (1977) |
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March 21st, 2019 |
Category Learning |
Cook & Smith (2006); Smith et al. (2008); Smith et al. (2010); Herrnstein & Loveland (1964) |
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March 28th, 2019 |
Decision Making |
Kahneman & Tversky (2013); Khunen & Knutson (2005); Zentall (2011) |
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April 4th, 2019 |
Problem Solving |
Jung-Beeman, Bowden & Haberman (2004); Osthaus, Lee & Slater (2005); Wier, Chappell & Kacelnik (2002) |
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April 9th, 2019 |
Consciousness, Theory of Mind, & Metamemory; Course Wrap-Up |
Premack & Woodruff (1978); Eddy, Gallup & Povenelli (1993) |
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.
