Psychology 2210B 001 FW24

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.

 

Western University

London                   Canada

 

Department of Psychology

Winter 2025

 

Psychology 2210B    Section 001

Introduction to Animal Cognition

 

 

1     Calendar Description

 

An introduction to animal cognition, including topics such as classical and operant conditioning, memory, timing, and categorization. 

 

Antirequisites: Psych 2280E

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

 

3 lecture hours; Course Weight: 0.5

 

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.

 

2     Course Information

 

Instructor:                      Dr. Morgan Gustison (pronouns she/her)

Office & Phone:            SSC 9232

Office Hours:                 TBA

Email:                               mgustiso@uwo.ca

 

Teaching Assistant:   TBA

Office:                              

Office Hours:                

Email:                              

 

Time and Location of Classes: see Student Centre for Time Table

 

For courses that include an online component, students must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online learning system requirements.

 

3     Course Materials

 

Required: Olmstead, M. C. & Kuhlmeier, V. A. (2015). Comparative Cognition. Cambridge University Press

 

Optional: Shettleworth, S.J. (2012). Fundamentals of Comparative Cognition. Oxford University Press: Oxford. This book is more concise than the required text, but it gives a very accessible summary of the topics covered in the course.

 

4     Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge

·       Describe and explain key concepts and research findings in animal cognition.   

·       Summarize the history of animal cognition research and recognize its contributions to psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and biology.  

·       Describe our present understanding of cognition in multiple species and compare their cognition to ascertain the influence of evolutionary pressures on animal cognition. 

Course Readings  

 

Lectures  

 

 

Assignments 

 

Quizzes 

 

Tests

 

Final Exam

Knowledge of Methodologies

·       Recognize and compare the different experimental approaches used in animal cognition research.  

·       Identify the unique challenges of animal cognition research and describe methods used in the discipline to handle those challenges.  

Course Readings  

 

Lectures  

 

Quizzes

 

Tests  

 

Final Exam 

 

Application of Knowledge

·       Identifying the aspects of cognition that are conserved across species.  

·       Discussing and generating questions about animal cognition. 

·       Classify explanations for behaviour by their level of analysis and distinguish between different levels of analysis. 

·       Critique and synthesize research on animal cognition

Course Readings 

 

Lectures  

 

Assignments

 

Quizzes

 

Assignments

 

Tests  

 

Final Exam 

 

Communication Skills

·       Communicate ideas and research-based evidence in professional writing.   

In class discussions 

 

Assignments

Assignments

 

5     Evaluation

 

Quizzes 10%

 

Test 1 25% 

 

Test 2 25%

  

Assignment 1 5%

 

Assignment 2 5%

 

Final Exam 30%  

 

 

Tests & Final Exam

 

Test 1 will assess all lecture and textbook content from weeks 1- 4. Test 2 will assess all lecture and textbook content from weeks 6-9. The final exam will assess lecture and textbook content from weeks 10-13. While the final exam is not cumulative, some foundational concepts covered earlier in the course will carry over to the final. Tests and final exam will follow a similar format including multiple choice, fill in the blank, definition and short answer questions.

 

Quizzes

 

Quizzes will be timed open book assessments completed on OWL. The quizzes will be entirely based on textbook material and are intended to be part of pre-class preparations. 

 

Assignments

 

Students will complete two short thought papers during the term. One must be completed in the first half of the course and can be written on any topic covered in the first half of the course. The second thought paper must be written in the second half of the course on a topic covered in the second half of the course. Each thought paper should be 300-500 words and consist of original thoughts, questions, and opinions supported by course material.

 

The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4 and are necessary for meeting these learning objectives

 

Policy on Missing Coursework

 

Late assignments without discussion with the instructor will be penalized with a 5% per day deduction. An extension to an assignment deadline will be provided to students with an academic accommodation or consideration.

 

Missed tests must be discussed as soon as possible with the instructor. Makeup test dates will be announced via OWL.

 

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines:  https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf

 

The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:

 

70%     1000-level to 2099-level courses

72%     2100-2999-level courses

75%     3000-level courses

80%     4000-level courses

 

In the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.

 

Policy on Grade Rounding

 

Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered.

 

6     Assessment/Evaluation Schedule

 

Quizzes: Timed open book quizzes on OWL to be completed by 11:55pm on Sundays before lecture. There are 9 weekly quizzes for weeks 2-4, 6, 8-9, and 11-13. This course component uses flexible assessment – only the top 8 of 9 quizzes will be counted towards the final grade. This means that students can miss one quiz without penalty.

 

Test 1: February 3rd in Class

 

Assignment 1: due February 24th by 11:55 PM via OWL

 

Test 2: March 10th in Class

 

Assignment 2: due March 31st by 11:55 PM via OWL

 

Final Exam: Scheduled during final exam period (April 7-30)

 

7     Class Schedule

 

Week

Date

Lecture

Textbook Readings

Weekly Assessments

1

January 6

Introduction & History of Comparative Cognition

 

Chapter 1

 

2

January 13

Sensory Systems & Memory I

 

Chapters 2 & 3

Quiz 1

3

January 20

Memory II & Associative Processes

 

Chapters 3 & 4

Quiz 2

4

January 27

Orientation & Navigation

 

Chapter 5

Quiz 3

5

February 3

Test 1 (textbook and lecture material for weeks 1-4)

 

6

February 10

Timing & Number

 

Chapters 6 & 7

Quiz 4

7

February 17

Reading Week

 

8

February 24

Causality & Tool use

 

Chapter 8

Quiz 5, Assignment 1 due

9

March 3

Categories & Concepts

 

Chapter 9

Quiz 6

10

March 10

Test 2 (textbook and lecture material for weeks 6-9)

 

11

March 17

Social Cognition & Prosocial Behaviour

 

Chapters 10 & 11

Quiz 7

12

March 24

Communication & Social Learning

 

Chapter 12 & 13

Quiz 8

13

March 31

Complex Cognition

Readings posted on OWL

Quiz 9, Assignment 2 due

 

 

8     Academic Integrity

 

Scholastic offences are taken seriously, and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.

 

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.

 

Statement on Use of Electronic Devices

 

Electronic devices are allowed during lectures for course-related (e.g. note-taking) purposes. Students who wish to use their devices for activities that are not course-related are encouraged to sit in the back of the lecture room to minimize disruption to their peers. Electronic devices are not permitted during tests and the final exam without prior accommodation approval (see Section 9).

 

Plagiarism Detection Software

 

All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism.  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.

 

Use of AI

 

The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to produce written work is not permitted unless permission is granted by the instructor for specific circumstances. Any work submitted must be the work of the student in its entirety unless otherwise disclosed. When used, AI tools should be used ethically and responsibly, and students must cite or credit the tools used in line with the expectation to use AI as a tool to learn, not to produce content.

 

Multiple Choice Exams

 

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.

 

9     Academic Accommodations and Accessible Education

 

View Western’s policy on academic accommodations for student with disabilities at this link.

 

Accessible Education provides supports and services to students with disabilities at Western.

If you think you may qualify for ongoing accommodation that will be recognized in all your courses, visit Accessible Education for more information.  Email: aew@uwo.ca  Phone: 519 661-2147

 

10  Absence & Academic Consideration

 

View Western’s policy on academic consideration for medical illnesses this link

 

Find your academic counsellor here: https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain academic considerations. Students must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence.

 

Medical Absences

 

Submit a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner to Academic Counselling in your Faculty of registration to be eligible for Academic Consideration.

 

Nonmedical Absences

 

Submit appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in your Faculty of registration to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

 

Religious Consideration

 

Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.

 

11  Other Information

 

 

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness@Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ 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.

 

If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf. Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal in writing to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).

 

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.

 

12  Land Acknowledgement

 

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton. Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society.