Psychology 3130B 650 SU25
The Psychology of Thinking
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
The University of Western Ontario
London Canada
Department of Psychology
Summer 2025
Psychology 3130B Section 650
The Psychology of Thinking
1.0 Calendar Description
Theoretical and empirical studies on problem solving, reasoning, concept formation, thinking and cross-cultural variations in thinking processes. 3 lecture/discussion hours. Course Weight: 0.50
Antirequisites: There are no antirequisites for this course.
Prerequisites:Both Psychology 2801F/G (or one of Health Sciences 2801A/B, Psychology 2840F/G, Psychology 2855F/G) and Psychology 2811A/B (or one of Biology 2244A/B, Economics 2122A/B, Economics 2222A/B, Geography 2210A/B, Health Sciences 3801A/B, MOS 2242A/B, Psychology 2830A/B, Psychology 2850A/B, Sociology 2205A/B, Statistical Sciences 2035, Statistical Sciences 2141A/B, Statistical Sciences 2143A/B, Statistical Sciences 2244A/B, Statistical Sciences 2858A/B, the former Social Work 2207A/B), or the former Psychology 2820E, or both the former Psychology 2800E and the former Psychology 2810, and one of Psychology 2115A/B, Psychology 2134A/B, Psychology 2135A/B.
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.
2.0 Course Information
Instructor: Dr. Graeme Haynes
Office Hours: TBA
Email: ghaynes@uwo.ca
Delivery Method: On-line (asynchronous)
This is a fully online course that will use Western University’s learning platform, Brightspace, and other educational resources based on the needs of the course. As such, all students must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online learning system requirements. Supplementary online Powerpoint slideshows which correspond with the assigned weekly chapter readings (versions with and without audio) will be posted on Brightspace every Monday morning and will remain available for the rest of the course. This class is designed to be asynchronous, meaning we will not have a regular, mandatory time when the entire class must be online. However, there may be some synchronous activities that you will sign up for based on your own schedule, including office hour appointments with the professor.
Email is the best way to contact me, and if need be, I can be available to meet with you in person on campus, or over Zoom.
When sending me an email, please make sure to use proper email etiquette (e.g., start with a greeting), and include the following information: your name, the course you are in (I’m teaching several different courses this semester), and your question.
Sample email:
Hi Prof. Haynes,
This is [insert name here] from your Psychology 2040a class. After reading the lecture slides on [insert topic here], I was wondering if you could explain [insert concept here] in greater detail?
Sincerely,
[Name]
If you adhere to these guidelines, I promise to reply to all emails within 24 hours.
3.0 Textbook
There is one required textbook for this course.
- Minda, J. P. (2020). The Psychology of Thinking: Reasoning, Decision-Making and Problem-
Solving, 2nd Ed. SAGE, London: UK.
The course text is available in softcover and e-book formats at the university bookstore, Amazon, and elsewhere. Approx $75-$85. If you do not wish to buy the text, it is available at the Library as an e-book.
4.0 Objectives
This course covers thought and knowledge. We will study how people think and how psychologists study thinking and reasoning.
4.1 Student Learning Outcomes
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
|
Depth and Breadth of Knowledge. Describe key concepts, principles, and themes relevant to the psychology of thinking.
|
Readings & Lectures |
Quizzes & Exams |
|
Knowledge of Methodologies. Articulate the concepts and current states of knowledge in both the natural science and social science aspects of the psychology of thinking. |
Readings & Lectures |
Quizzes & Exams |
|
Application of Knowledge. Critically evaluate the presentation of scientific ideas and research in the popular media Apply psychological principles to the understanding of everyday problems |
Readings & Lectures |
Quizzes & Exams |
5.0 Evaluation
The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4.0 and are considered necessary for meeting these learning objectives.
- Quizzes
There are five online quizzes on the schedule below. Each quiz will be available on OWL from 9:00 A.M. – 10:00 P.M. (for 13 hours) on the day on which it is scheduled. You can take the quiz any time during the posted time. Once you begin, you will have 15 minutes to complete the quiz. The quizzes are timed but not proctored, are open book, and open note. Each quiz is worth 5% of the final grade. If you miss a quiz, there will not be a separate makeup quiz. Instead, I will drop the lowest grade of the five quizzes, and the remaining four quizzes will make up 20% of the final grade.
- Exams
There are two exams (a midterm and a final) according to the schedule in Section 6. Each exam includes short answer questions, short essay questions, problems, and multiple-choice questions. Each exam will be available for 3 hours on the day it is scheduled. Each exam will be timed, open book, and open note.
If you require or receive accommodation for extra time on course work, please connect with Accessible Education as soon as possible and let me know so that I can make accommodations. If you are accommodated with extra time, it will be added automatically to all quizzes and exams.
5.1 Policy on Missing Coursework
Make-Up Exams: Quizzes and exams must be written on the scheduled dates unless you have a legitimate excuse recognized by the university administration. Valid reasons include medical or compassionate reasons, internet access issues (in the case that exams are on-line), and religious holidays, and must be substantiated by proper documentation (e.g., a medical certificate, which will be verified by the Office of the Dean). A student who misses a regularly scheduled exam for other reasons, or who cannot justify a claim, will be assigned a 0 for the quiz or exam. Students with approved absences for any of the exams must write a makeup exam, usually scheduled for one week after the original exam.
An undocumented absence may be used for one of the five quizzes. In such cases where an undocumented absence is used, that quiz will be dropped, and your overall quiz grade will be based on the other four quizzes.
***Please refer to Section 10.0 for the full policy regarding make-up exams.***
This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.
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
Note that 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. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assessment within the course.
To ensure fairness, please be aware that final grades in this course are based exclusively on students’ performance on the quizzes and exams. None of these components may be rewritten, nor will they be reweighted in calculating final grades.
6.0 Assessment and Examination Schedule
|
Component* |
Date |
Material covered |
Value |
|
Quiz #1 |
Fri. May 16 (9 AM – 10 PM) |
Chapters 1-2 |
5% |
|
Quiz #2 |
Fri. May 30 (9 AM – 10 PM) |
Chapters 3-4 |
5% |
|
Midterm |
Mon. June 9th, 7:00 – 10:00 P.M. |
Chapters 1-5 |
40% |
|
Quiz #3 |
Fri. June 27 (9 AM – 10 PM) |
Chapter 6-7 |
5% |
|
Quiz #4 |
Fri. July 11 (9 AM – 10 PM) |
Chapters 8-9 |
5% |
|
Quiz #5 |
Fri. July 25 (9 AM – 10 PM) |
Chapters 10-11 |
5% |
|
Final exam |
July 28 – 31 (Time TBA) |
Chapters 6-11 |
40% |
*Note: The lowest quiz grade will be dropped; you will be graded on the best 4 of 5 quizzes.
- Class schedule
|
Date |
Topic |
Read |
|
May 5 |
Introduction |
Chapter 1 |
|
May 12 |
Similarity |
Chapter 2 |
|
May 16 |
Quiz (Chapter 1 & 2) |
|
|
May 19 |
Knowledge & Memory |
Chapter 3 |
|
May 26 |
Concepts & Categories |
Chapter 4 |
|
May 30 |
Quiz (Chapter 3 & 4) |
|
|
June 2 |
Language & Thought |
Chapter 5 |
|
June 9 |
Midterm |
Chapters 1-5 |
|
June 16 |
Inference & Induction |
Chapter 6 |
|
June 23 |
Deductive Reasoning |
Chapter 7 |
|
June 27 |
Quiz (Chapter 6 & 7) |
|
|
June 30 |
Context, Motivation, & Mood |
Chapter 8 |
|
July 7 |
Decision Making |
Chapter 9
|
|
July 11 |
Quiz (Chapter 8 & 9) |
|
|
July 14 |
Problem Solving & Creativity |
Chapter 10 |
|
July 21 |
Expertise & Expert Thinking |
Chapter 11 |
|
July 25 |
Quiz (Chapter 10 & 11) |
|
|
July 28 – 31 |
FINAL EXAM |
Chapter 6-11 |
8.0 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
Exams may only be written using a single electronic device with a functioning webcam, which must remain on at all times. You should not have any other electronic devices within sight aside from the one on which you are taking the exam. While writing the exams, you are not permitted to access any course material on the device you’re using to write the exam, or on any other electronic device or printed source. The use of programs which translate exam content from English to another language is not permitted.
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.
9.0 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
10.0 Absence & Academic Consideration
Academic Considerations: https://registrar.uwo.ca/academics/academic_considerations/index.html
11.0 Other Information
- Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca
- Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca
- Psychology Undergraduate Program: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/index.html
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.
