Psychology 2135B-001 (Online for 2020-21)

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 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.

Prerequisite: A mark of at least 60% in 1.0 credits of Psychology at the 1000 level

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.

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.

4 lecture hours, 0.5 course  

2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor: Dr. John Paul Minda, jpminda@uwo.ca 

Office Hours: Thursday 1:00 pm—2:30pm by Zoom 

Teaching Assistant: Mirrah Maziyah Mohamed, mmoha87@uwo.ca 

TA Office & Hours: TBA 

Time & Location of Lectures: Lectures are online and asynchronous, recorded live on Zoom from 9:30-12:00 on Tuesday 

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western for a complete list of options about how to obtain help. 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 Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147. 

  1. Course Operation 

This is an asynchronous online course. The lectures are viewable online and one the lectures are posted you can watch them at your own pace. I maintain an active presence on OWL with weekly Zoom office hours to answer questions and engage with students. I also post regular YouTube updates about the course. 

I record my video lectures live every Tuesday from 9:30 am – 12:00 pm. These Zoom sessions are open to all students to attend, although attendance is not a course requirement. If you prefer the overall vibe of a live class, you can attend these sessions, watch, listen, and ask questions. If you prefer to watch the lectures at your own pace, they will be online by Wednesday morning. And you can do a mix of both as your time and schedule will allow.  

I will not be recording the live Zoom session; I will only be recording the PowerPoint with audio lectures to post online.  

The course runs on a weekly basis. Each Wednesday, there will be a new topic lesson/topic assigned. The topic will be unlocked and available by 12:00 am on Wednesday of the week that it is assigned according to the schedule in Section 7.0. The topic will remain unlocked until the end of the term. You can find the topics on the left menu bar on OWL. Click on a topic, open the topic page and you will find: 

  • The assigned readings in the text 
  • Learning outcomes for the topic 
  • Two or three video lectures that are 20-30 min each 
  • A discussion question based on the topic 

You can view the lecture any time that week, but you must contribute to the discussion topic before the next lecture end of each week (11:55 pm Tuesday) in order to receive credit. 

There are also three exams that will be completed online. These will be released on Mondays according to the schedule (Section 6.0 ) and will be timed, open book, open note. You should not work with others the exams.  

In the event that Western returns to a full lockdown, our course will continue as planned online and according to the schedule. See Section 10 for more information. 

  1. Office Hours and Email 

I hold student meetings on Thursday from 1:00 pm-2:30 pm. These will be on Zoom and you must be logged into Western’s Zoom account to participate. The link is available on here on OWL and on the course calendar. These hours are for one-on-one meetings. You can join the waiting room and I’ll meet with people first come first serve.  

For all questions relating to the course content, preparing for exams, or for any scheduling questions, please contact the TA, Mirrah Maziyah Mohamed. Maz Mohamed has weekly office hours and email (mmoha87@uwo.ca) and should be your first option for reviewing course material. 

For most other questions to me, email is preferred. I usually respond within a 48-hour window. 

                                                                                   

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western

http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

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 Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.

3.0  TEXTBOOK

Reading and Notes 

3.1 Textbook 

There is one recommended textbook for this course. Cognitive Psychology and its Implications, 9th edition, by John Anderson is available at the University bookstore, Amazon, and elsewhere. The purchase of this text is not required but I encourage you to have access to a textbook. You may use other texts or earlier editions of Anderson’s book for the same purpose. A short list of alternative texts is available on course website. 

3.2 Course Notes 

Notes and slides from each class will be available on the course website. These notes will be identical to the ones in the short videos but will be PowerPoint slides with the audio. These are included if you need your own slides for review or for note-taking. Students may share their own notes on the OWL site or other note sharing sites. Your notes are your intellectual property, you can share as much or as little as you feel comfortable. 

 

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

An introduction to empirical, computational, and theoretical approaches to the study of human cognitive processes. The topics surveyed 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, student 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 online discussion. 
  • Critically evaluate the presentation of scientific ideas and research in the popular media. This outcome will be encouraged and developed via online discussion. 
  • Apply psychological principles to the understanding of everyday problems. This outcome will be encouraged and developed via online discussion. 

 

5.0     EVALUATION 

Online Discussion 

There are 10 online discussion topics corresponding to Units 2-11. The discussion topic will be available at 12:00am Wednesday of each week and will close the following Tuesday at 11:55pm. You can find the discussion topic in the lesson for the week and in the discussion forums as well. Each discussion topic is worth 1 point. In order to earn the full point for each topic, you must post at least one comment on the topic or post at least one reply to other comments. If you post at least one comment or one reply, you will receive 1 point. Your post should be a few sentences; more than a tweet but less than a whole paragraph. Performance on the 10 discussion topics will make up 10% of the final grade. Missing or late discussions cannot be made up. Missing / late discussion posts will be scored as “0”.  

Exams 

There are three exams in the course. The first exam is scheduled for Monday February 8 and covers Units 1-4. The second exam is scheduled for Monday March 15 and covers Units 5-8. The final exam will be scheduled during exam period by the registrar and covers Units 9-12.  Each exam will consist of short answer questions and multiple-choice questions. Each exam will be available for 24 hours beginning on 12:00am on the day it is scheduled and closing at 11:59 pm the same day. You can take the exam any time during that period but once you begin, you will have 90 minutes (two hours) to complete the exam. The exams are open book, open note and will be run online without remote proctoring. Simply log on and take the exam when you are ready. 

If you require or receive accommodation for extra time on course work please connect with Services for Students with Disabilities as soon as possible and let me know so that I can make accommodations. Each exam is worth 30% of the final grade, the exams together are worth 90% of the final grade. 

Make Up Policy 

If you are unable to take an exam as scheduled, you must obtain permission from your academic dean via your counsellor order to make up the exam. See Section 9.0 for information on seeking accommodations. Please note the Western policy that instructors are not permitted to receive documentation directly from a student, whether in support of an application for medical grounds, or for other reasons. All documentation required for absences that are not covered by the absence reporting policy must be submitted to the Academic Counselling Office of a student’s home faculty. The current policy on student absences is available here. Information on accommodation appeals and medical certificates is available here.  

Once I receive the verification of your eligibility for a makeup exam a make-up exam will be scheduled some time after the final. There is only one make up session and it will cover make-up exams for any exam. Students taking this exam will receive the exam questions at 12:00am on the day of the scheduled exam and will have 24 hours to take it, and 90 minutes to complete the exams once they begin. Any exam not taken or made up will be scored as “0”.  

Final Grade 

The final grade will be calculated according to the four components shown in the breakdown. No grades will be rounded.  

Component 

Breakdown 

Discussions (10) 

10% of final grade 

Exam 1  

30% of final grade 

Exam 2 

30% of final grade 

Exam 3 

30% of final grade 

Senate Policy 

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

Exam Review 

Grades will be released on OWL. Exams may be reviewed by making an appointment with the TA during their exam review office hours. Neither the TA nor the instructor will re-grade questions or award points after the grades have been released. 


6.0  ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE

Exam/Quiz 

Date 

Location 

Content 

Value 

Discussion 1  

Jan 26 

OWL 

Unit 2 

1% 

Discussion 2 

Feb 2 

OWL 

Unit 3 

1% 

Exam 1 

Feb. 8 

Gradescope 

Units 1–4 

30% 

Discussion 3 

Feb 9 

OWL 

Unit 4 

1% 

Discussion 4 

Feb 23 

OWL 

Unit 5 

1% 

Discussion 5 

Mar 2 

OWL 

Unit 6 

1% 

Discussion 6 

Mar 9 

OWL 

Unit 7 

1% 

Exam 2 

Mar 15 

Gradescope 

Units 5–8 

30% 

Discussion 7 

Mar 16 

OWL 

Unit 8 

1% 

Discussion 8 

Mar 23 

OWL 

Unit 9 

1% 

Discussion 9 

Mar 30 

OWL 

Unit 10 

1% 

Discussion 10 

Apr 6 

OWL 

Unit 11 

1% 

Exam 3 

Finals period 

Gradescope 

Units 9–12 

30% 

 

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

  1. Section 1: The Brain, the Mind and Basic Information Processing 

The first unit of the course covers the history of cognitive psychology, how and why cognitive psychology developed from the earlier study of psychology, and in what direction the study of cognition is headed. We will also learn about the brain, perceptual systems, basic object recognition, and attention. The exam for this section is Monday Feb 8.  

Unit 

Week 

Topic 

Readings 

1 

Jan 11 

The Study of Cognition 

Anderson Ch. 1 

2 

Jan 18 

Brain Science 

Anderson Ch. 1 

3 

Jan 25 

Perception and Object Recognition 

Anderson Ch. 2 

4 

Feb 1 

Attention  

Anderson Ch.  3 

- 

Feb 8 

Exam 1: Unit 1 – 4  

 
  1. Section 2: Memory, Knowledge, and Concepts 

The second unit of the course covers memory and the idea of internal representations of the external world. What are some of the theories for how memory works? What are some of the ways in which memory is studied? We’ll also talk about more complex kinds of mental representations like concepts and categories. The exam for this section is Monday March 15. 

Unit 

Week 

Topic 

Readings 

5 

Feb 8 

Mental Imagery 

Anderson Ch. 4 

- 

Feb 15 

Reading Week 

 

6 

Feb 22 

Knowledge Structures and Concepts 

Anderson Ch. 5 

7 

Mar 1 

Memory: Encoding, Storage 

Anderson Ch. 6 

8 

Mar 8 

Memory: Retention and Retrieval 

Anderson Ch. 7 

- 

Mar 15 

Exam 2: Unit 5 – 8 

 
  1. Section 3: Language and Thinking 

The final unit covers complex cognitive processes, such as language use and reasoning and other forms of higher order thinking. We’ll need to rely on some of the ideas from earlier classes, such as memory and attention. The exam for this section will be scheduled during final period. 

 

Unit 

Week 

Topic 

Readings 

9 

Mar 15 

Problem Solving 

Anderson Ch. 8 

10 

Mar 22 

Reasoning and Thinking 

Anderson Ch. 10 

11 

Mar 29 

Decision Making 

Anderson Ch. 11 

12 

Apr 5 

Language Structure & Comprehension 

Anderson Ch. 12, 13 

- 

Apr 12 

Last Day of Classes 

 

- 

Apr 14 

Exam 3: Unit 9 – 19 

 

 

8.0  STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

 

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence 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 offences. 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).

 

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.

 

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

 

9.0  POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES

 

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12

 

The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf

 

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:

  1. Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
  2. For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
  • For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form must be submitted before the exam/coursework deadline in order to be valid. It may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html

 

Students seeking academic consideration:

  • are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;  
  • are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;
  • must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hoursafter the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence

 

10.0      Contingency Plan for Return to Lockdown

 

In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence during the course that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online as determined by the course instructor.

 

11.0      STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE

 

In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:

  • please “arrive” to class on time
  • please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
  • please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
  • to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
  • In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
  • In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
  • Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting

 

The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:

  • If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
  • Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
  • Self-identify when speaking.
  • Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).

 

General considerations of “netiquette”:

  • Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
  • Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
  • Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
  • Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.

 

Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.

 

12.0      OTHER INFORMATION

 

Office of the Registrar: http://registrar.uwo.ca 

 

Student Development Services: 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

- 2020-2021 Calendar References

 

Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.