Psychology 2135A-650 SUMMER DISTANCE 2019

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. 4 lecture/tutorial hours, half course.

 

Prerequisite: At least 60% in a 1000-level Psychology course.

 

Antirequisites: Psychology 2010a/b (formerly 130a/b), Psychology 2180e (formerly 227e).

Note: 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. Graeme Haynes            

       Office:                                                         SSC 7440     

       Office Hours:                                             Mon. 1:30 P.M. – 3:00 P.M., or by appointment  

            Email:                          ghaynes@uwo.ca                                                                                   

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

Required

Reisberg, D. (2018). Cognition: Exploring the science of the mind, 7th ed. New York, NY: Norton 

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.


   4.1    SUPPLEMENTARY COURSE MATERIAL 

Supplementary material is intended to complement the textbook.  Thus, I will present some slideshows on OWL containing material that is not in the textbook, and will be tested on the exams. 

I encourage you to meet with me during office hours (or set an appointment) to discuss any questions or concerns. E-mail is the best way to contact me.

 

 

4.2 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

  • Explain the challenges faced by cognitive scientists in the attempt to understand the human mind (This outcome will be assessed by multiple choice exams.)
  • Describe the methods that cognitive scientists use to understand the mind (This outcome will be assessed by multiple choice exams.)
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the vocabulary, research, theories, and concepts in cognitive science (This outcome will be assessed by multiple choice exams.)
  • Think critically about the theories, methods, and findings in cognitive science (This outcome will be encouraged and developed via class discussion.)
  • Identify, and (hopefully) avoid falling prey to, common myths about how the mind works (This outcome will be encouraged and developed via class discussion and demonstrations.)

• Apply findings from cognitive science to better understand themselves and others (This outcome will be encouraged and developed via class discussion.) 

5.0     EVALUATION

To ensure fairness, please be aware that final grades in this course are based exclusively on students’ performance on the three exams and the chapter assignments. Exams may not be rewritten, nor will the exams be reweighted in calculating final grades. Grades will not be adjusted on the basis of need or a subjective evaluation of effort, and students will not be able to improve their marks by completing additional assignments.

 

Students are responsible for material assigned in the textbook, as well as material covered in supplementary online modules.

 

The first midterm exam will take place on Saturday, June 1st, from 2:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M., and the second midterm will be held on Saturday, June 22nd, from 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.  The first midterm is worth 30% of your final grade, and the second is worth 20%. The final examination will take place during the Summer exam period (July 29 – Aug. 1), and is worth 40% of your final mark.  The format for exams will be multiple choice questions.  

***Please refer to Section 9.0 for the policy regarding make-up exams.***

Chapter assignments:

 

For selected chapters, there will be a question posted on OWL that you will need to answer by the end of the week (Friday at 5:00 P.M.). These questions might ask you to give an example from your life, or to answer a question related to course material. Each of the 10 questions will be worth 1% of your final course grade. If you don’t answer a question by the specified deadline, you will NOT receive the 1%.  

 

Because this is an on-line class, I recommend setting aside a specific block of time(s) each week that is dedicated to reading the assigned textbook chapter(s) and supplementary material I post on OWL, and answering the question of the week. It is your responsibility to keep up with the readings so that you don’t end up having to cram the night before the exam. 

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

Date

Value

Midterm #1

Sat. June 1

30%

Midterm #2

Sat. June 22

20%

Final Exam

July 29-Aug. 1

40%

Chapter assignments

Throughout term

10%

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

Note: exam dates will not change, except under unusual circumstances such as cancellations due to inclement weather.

Date

Topic

Read

Week of May 6

Introduction

Chapter 1

Week of May 13

Cognitive Neuroscience; Research Methods in Cognitive Psychology

Chapter 2

Week of May 20

Visual Perception; Object & Word Recognition

Chapter 3 & 4

Week of May 27

Attention

Chapter 5

Sat. June 1, 2:00 P.M.

Midterm 1

Chapter 1-5

Week of June 3

Memory Part I

Chapter 6

Week of June 10

Memory Part II

Chapter 7

Week of June 17

Memory Part III

Chapter 8

Sat. June 22, 2:00 P.M.

Midterm 2

Chapter 6-8

Week of June 24

Concepts

Chapter 9

Week of July 1

Language; Visual Knowledge

Chapter 10 & 11

Week of July 8

Judgment & Reasoning

Chapter 12

Week of July 15

Judgment & Reasoning; Problem Solving & Intelligence

Chapter 12 & 13

Week of July 22

Problem Solving & Intelligence;

Conscious & Unconscious Thought

Chapter 13 & 14

July 29-Aug. 1

FINAL EXAM

Chapter 10-14

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
- 2019 Calendar References

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