Psychology 2135A-650
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.
Antirequisites: Psychology 2010A/B, 2180E
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if this course has an antirequisite that you have previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in this one.
Prerequisite: At least 60% in a 1000 level Psychology course
0.5 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. Mark Holden
e-mail: mholde3@uwo.ca
Office Hours: by appointment
*please note that I am happy to meet with students, but that I am only on campus on certain days of the week. I will try my best to work with you to meet at a time that is convenient. I am also more than happy to answer questions via e-mail.
Course website: The course website will be found on your OWL page ( http://owl.uwo.ca/portal )
This is where you will find lecture slides, notes, study guides, assignments, important announcements, and the discussion board. Please check it often.
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
Goldstein, E.B. (2014). Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience. 4th Edition. Cengage Learning.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course surveys of a number of experimental and theoretical topics in modern cognitive psychology. Topics covered will include a brief history of the field, cognitive neuroscience, sensation
& perception, attention, memory, concept learning, imagery, language, problem-solving, and decision-making. This course also addresses general issues in psychology such as experimental
design, the role of theory, models, and paradigms, and the interdisciplinary nature of cognitive psychology. We will also cover applications of cognitive psychology, such as artificial intelligence,
cognitive engineering, and the reliability of eyewitness testimony. The goal is to provide students with an overview of various topic domains within the realm of psychology. As such, students will be
exposed to diverse theoretical viewpoints and various methods and procedures for the scientific investigation of psychological issues.
Each chapter in the text covers a major topic within cognitive psychology. Following each chapter, students will be able to identify the major concepts and terminology for that topic area, and
understand how they relate to one another. In addition, when presented with a hypothetical problem or case, students will be able to assess and evaluate the problem and choose the best solution
5.0 EVALUATION
This course will include two midterm exams, a final exam. All exams will be non-cumulative, will consist of 75 multiple choice questions, and will be worth 33.33% of your final grade. Exam 1 will cover chapter 1-4, Exam 2 covers chapters 5-9, and the final exam will cover Chapters 10-13.
5.1 Exam Content
Although there is substantial overlap between lecture and textbook material, it is not complete overlap. Some material that I cover in the slides is not in the textbook, and some textbook content will not be covered in the lecture slides (although I generally try to cover as much of the material as possible). Still, I expect that my students will be able to answer questions from both the textbook and lecture material. Therefore, exams will test the material covered in the assigned readings from the textbook, as well as the material covered in the lecture slides/notes.
5.2 Class Discussion
Each week there will be supplemental course materials and a class discussion posted through OWL. You are expected to read and contribute to the class discussions on OWL. This resource is set up to allow you to communicate with students, as well as your instructor, to enhance your learning of the course material, and to develop your critical thinking skills. It is where we get to know each other, learn from each other, and is in essence our virtual classroom. As would be expected for an in-person class, you are expected to keep your posts respectful.
5.3 Chapter Questions, Quizzes, Study Guides
Chapter quizzes for a previous edition of the book are available through the text’s companion website (http://www.cengagebrain.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=9780840033550&token=)
In addition, practice exam questions and study guides will be made available on the OWL website.
These do NOT count towards your final grade, but can be used as a valuable type of study aid. However, just taking the quizzes or answering the questions does not prepare you for exams. Rather, these resources should be used to help you to better judge your preparedness and your understanding of the concepts from each chapter.
5.4 Evaluation Guidelines
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
Midterm Exam 1 (33.33%) Saturday, June 4th
Time & Location: TBA
Chapters 1-4
75 multiple choice questions
Midterm Exam 2 (33.33%) Saturday, July 9th
Time & Location: TBA
Chapters 5-9
75 multiple choice questions
Final Exam (33.33%) Date: TBA (between August 2nd and 5th)
Time and Location: TBAChapters 10-13
75 multiple choice questions
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
All Supplementary lecture material will be delivered through OWL. On each Monday of each week of the term, class materials and class discussions will be posted on our class website. You are
expected to read the assigned reading each week, to login to Owl each week for supplementary materials, and each week to respond to posted questions and or post your own questions/thoughts. Discussions will start on the Monday for the topic (ie Starting Monday, September 14th, you will be reading and discussing chapter 1). That topic will close on Sunday at noon. You are expected to keep up, week by week, with the class material.
I will be monitoring the class forums, and responding to student e-mails within 48 hours during regular business hours.
|
Topic |
Chapter |
Week |
|
Introduction to Cognitive Psychology |
Chapter 1 |
May 9 |
|
Cognitive Neuroscience |
Chapter 2 |
May 16 |
|
Sensation & Perception |
Chapter 3 |
May 23 |
|
Attention |
Chapter 4 |
May 30 |
|
MIDTERM EXAM 1 (33.33%) |
Ch. 1-4 |
June 4 |
|
Short-Term and Working Memory |
Chapter 5 |
June 13 |
|
Long-Term Memory |
Chapters 6 & 7 |
June 20 |
|
Memory Errors |
Chapter 8 |
June 27 |
|
Knowledge & Concepts |
Chapter 9 |
July 4 |
|
MIDTERM EXAM 2 (33.33%) |
Ch. 5-9 |
July 9 |
|
Visual Imagery |
Chapter 10 |
July 11 |
|
Language |
Chapter 11 |
July 18 |
|
Decision Making and Problem Solving |
Chapters 12 &13 |
July 25 |
|
FINAL EXAM (33.33%) |
Ch. 10-13 |
TBA |
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
The University of Western Ontario’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2015/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
- 2015 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.
