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: Eriko Matsuki                                                           

Office: Social Science Centre 7222                     

Office Hours: By appointment                                

Email: eando@uwo.ca

 *I will check my email regularly will get back to you in 24 hours on weekdays. Please include Psych 2135 in the subject line. I will also check the course website frequently and you are encouraged to post your questions on OWL forum so that everyone can benefit from the answer and would have the opportunity to discuss.

Course website: The course website will be found on your OWL page (http://owl.uwo.ca/portal)

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

COGNITION: Exploring the Science of the Mind, 6th edition by Daniel Reisberg. – *Required

The text is available at the bookstore, Amazon, and elsewhere. One copy has been placed on course reserve at Weldon Library. Notes from each class will also be available. These notes are a guideline only, and are not a substitute for the textbook.

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

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. The primary mode of instruction is lecture and discussion and assessment will consist of multiple choice exams.

   4.1    STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

 By the end of the course, you will be able to:

-Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes relevant to cognitive psychology. This outcome will be assessed via multiple choice quizzes and exams.

-Understand how research informs theory and vice versa. This outcome will be assessed via multiple choice quizzes and 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.

-Apply psychological principles to the understanding of everyday problems. This outcome will be encouraged and developed via online discussion.

5.0     EVALUATION

Online Quizzes: 10%

Weekly online quizzes (multiple choice questions) will be on posted on Mondays and will be available for 7 days. The purpose of the quizzes is to provide you the sense of learning progress over the term by assessing your understanding of the materials on a weekly-basis. Marks for each quiz will be lost if you miss the deadline (don’t wait until the last minute), unless a medical note is provided. More details will be posted on OWL.

Online Discussion: 15%

There will be 5 online discussions (2-3 topics will be presented and you will have options) and you are expected to participate in each discussion. The topics will be available on Mondays on the course website under “Forums” and you will have 7 days to make your contribution. Each discussion worth 2.8 % of your total course grade (2.8 x 5 = 14%). You will earn the remaining 1% by introducing yourself on the forum in the first week of the course. Marks for each discussion will be lost if you miss the deadline, unless a medical note is provided. Detailed instructions will be provided for each discussion. More information about the discussions will be available on the course website.

Exams:   75% (Miterm 1 - 15%, Midterm 2 - 30%, Final Exam - 30%)

There are three multiple-choice exams (closed book). Exams are non-cumulative. The exams will be based on the materials presented in the textbook. See section 6.0 for more details.


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 (15%)

Date: 2pm on Saturday, May 27th

Location: TBA

Chapters: 1, 2, & 6

 

Midterm Exam 2 (30%)

Date: 2pm on Saturday, June 24th

Location: TBA

Chapters: 7, 8, 3, 4, 5

 

Final Exam (30%)

Date & Location: TBA (between July 31st and August 3rd)

Chapters: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13


7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

Study notes and quizzes will be posted on OWL each Mondays. Discussion topics will be posted on Mondays on applicable weeks. You are responsible for checking the course website regularly and keep updated (Check announcements and deadlines for quizzes and discussions, read instructions carefully, etc).  

Week

Date

Topic

Readings & Quizzes

Discussions

1

May 8

Introduction & Brain

Chs. 1 & 2

Introduce yourself

2

May 15

Memory 1

Ch. 6

Discussion 1

3

May 22

Memory 2

Ch. 7

 

 

May 27

MIDTERM EXAM 1

(Covers Chs. 1, 2, & 6)

 

4

May 29

Memory 3

Ch. 8

Discussion 2

5

June 5

Visual Perception

Ch. 3

 

6

June 12

Object Recognition

Ch. 4

 

7

 

Attention

Ch. 5

Discussion 3

 

June 24

MIDTERM EXAM 2

Covers Chs 7, 8, 3 - 5

 

8

June 26

Concepts

Ch. 9

 

9

July 3

Language

Ch. 10

 

10

July 10

Visual Knowledge

Ch. 11

Discussion 4

11

July 17

Judgment and Reasoning

Ch. 12

 

12

July 24

Problem Solving & Intelligence

Ch. 13

Discussion 5

13

Jul 31 - Aug 3

FINAL EXAM

Covers Chs 9-13

 

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/2017/pg954.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
- 2017 Calendar References

No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.