SYLLABUS * COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY * PSYCH 234
SECTION 1 * SPRING 2010
Professor: Dr. James P. Buchanan
Office Hours Mon 9:00-9:50 Wed 9:00-9:50 Fri 9:00-9:50 (or by appointment)
Office: AMH 221
Office Phone: 941‑4267
Home Phone: 347‑3856
EMail: buchananj1@scranton.edu
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TEXT: Galotti,
Kathleen (2008). Cognitive Psychology In and Out of the Laboratory. (4th
ed).
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Description:
This course will consider a number of approaches to the study of human cognitive processes with an emphasis on the information processing model. Topics covered will include: pattern recognition, attention, memory, imagery, concepts and categorization, and problem solving.
Objectives: Students will:
(1) Gain factual knowledge of the terminology, methods, and research findings in the field of cognitive psychology.
(2) Learn the fundamental theories and principles of cognitive psychology including being able to critique them.
(3) Learn how professionals in the field of cognitive psychology go about the process of gaining new knowledge.
Exams and Quizzes:
Examinations will be multiple choice questions. There will be three exams (2 midterms and a final). Grades determined on a total points basis. Each of the three exams will be worth 45 points and account for 66% of your total grade.
Quizzes will consist of 5 multiple choice questions. A total of 8 quizzes will be given covering chapters 3 through 9 & 11. The lowest two quiz grades will be dropped. The 30 points of total quiz grades will account for 14.5% of your course grade. Quizzes will be announced one meeting before the quiz. Quizzes will test the reading assignment for that class meeting. The quizzes will be graded on the following points basis: A to A-, 30-27; B+ to B-, 26-24; C+ to C-, 23-21; D+ to D, 20-18; F 17-0.
Makeup Policy:
1. Makeup exams must be cleared with the instructor prior to exam. Missed exams not cleared with instructor will be counted as an F and counted as 0 points.
2. Makeup must be taken as soon as possible after the missed exam. Failure to take makeup at scheduled time will result in an F and counted as 0 points.
(continued)
3. There will be no makeups for missed quizzes. The first two missed quizzes will be counted as dropped quizzes. Additional quizzes will be given a prorated score based on the exam score in which the chapter is covered or a score of 0 if the maximum of 6 cuts has been exceeded when the quiz is missed. Please note that quizzes will be given at the beginning of class. Arriving late after the quizzes have been passed out means you missed the quiz. Be on time to class.
Laboratory Exercises:
Also, you will be assigned a series of 15 experimental laboratory exercises to be run outside of class. These lab assignments will be worth 30 points toward your grade or 14.5% of your total grade. Failure to complete a laboratory exercise will result in a loss of two points/assignment from your grade total. Failure to complete a laboratory by class time of the assigned date will result in a loss of the point/assignment from your grade total. These 15 labs will be graded on the following point basis: A 30-29, A- 28, B+ 27, B 26, B- 25, C+ 24, C 23, C- 22, D+ 21, D 20, F 0-19.
Class
Participation:
You will be awarded up to 10 points for class participation. Class participation points will be based on clicker participation. Answering 95% to 100% of the total clicker questions will get you the maximum of 10 points. Answering 90% to 94.99% will get you 9 points, 85% to 89.99% will get you 8 points, etc. Also, being correct on at least 90% of the questions will get you an additional 4 bonus class participation points, being correct on at least 80% of the questions will get you an additional 3 bonus points, being correct on at least 70% of the of the questions will get you an additional 2 bonus points, and being correct on at least 60% of the questions will get you an additional 1 bonus point.
Extra Credit Points:
During the semester you will be given an opportunity to add a maximum of six extra credits points to your total points score. You will be provided with a three-point memory protocol assignment and a three-point problem solving assignment. Also, you can take a four-point extra credit quiz on Chapter 10, Language, on May 3, and another four-point extra-credit quiz on Chapter 15 on May 12. No late assignment will be accepted after due date. NOTE: Violation of the cut policy will eliminate your opportunity to obtain extra credit points.
Grade Determination:
Grades will be determined on a total points basis based on 205 points (135 points for exams, 30 points for quizzes, 30 points for lab assignments, and 10 points for class participation).
Rounding policy is .5 or greater
round up, less than .5 round down. You
must be in the point total range indicated above to receive a given grade. One point below the cut-off is the lower
grade!
Cut Policy:
Roll will be taken using the roll function of the clicker. If you have not signed in, you have missed the class! You will be allowed 6 absences (excused or unexcused) without penalty. On the 7th absence (excused or unexcused) your final grade will be dropped to the next lowest grade (e.g. a final grade of B would drop to a B-). For each additional set of 3 absences (excused or unexcused) past the 7th absence, your final grade will be dropped an additional grade (e.g. for 10 cuts a final grade of B would drop to a C+). Students are responsible for making sure they sign in on the clicker. Extraordinary circumstances will be taken into account in terms of this policy.
NOTE: Violation of the cut policy will eliminate
your opportunity to obtain extra credit points.
Students are responsible for all
announcements made in class. (e.g., change of test dates, etc.)
Date Topic Reading Assignments
Feb. 1 Overview of Course
3 Introduction to Cognitive Psychology Chap. 1
5 continued
8 continued
10 The Brain Chap. 2
12 Perception & Pattern Recognition Chap. 3
15 continued
17 continued
19 continued
22 Attention and Automaticity Chap. 4
24 continued
26 continued
Mar. 1 continued
3 MIDTERM 1 Chaps. 1-4
5 Forming and Using New Memory Traces Chap. 5
8 continued
10 continued
12 continued
15 SPRING BREAK
17 SPRING BREAK
19 SPRING BREAK
22 continued (Forming and Using New Memory Traces)
24 continued
26 Retrieving Memories from LTM Chap. 6
29 continued
31 continued
April 2 EASTER BREAK
5 EASTER BREAK
7 LTM (continued)
10 continued
12 Memory for General Knowledge Chap. 7
14 continued
16 continued
19 MIDTERM 2 Chaps.
5-7
21 Concepts and Categorization Chap. 8
23 continued
Date Topic Reading Assignments
April 26 continued
(War of the Ghost Extra Credit Due)
28 continued
30 Visual Images Chap. 9
May 3 continued/EXTRA CREDIT QUIZ CHAP. 10
5 continued
7 continued
10 Thinking and Problem Solving Chap. 11
12 continued/EXTRA CREDIT QUIZ CHAP. 15
14 continued
(Problem Solving Extra Credit Due)
TBA FINAL Chaps. 8, 9, & 11
Cognitive Psychology Class - Spring 2010
Lab Exercise Schedule
"All labs are on
1. Word Superiority -
Due Feb. 12
2. Stroop Effect - Due
Feb. 22
3. Partial Report - Due
March 5
4. STM - Memory Span -
Due March 8
5. Brown & Peterson
- Due March 8
6. Sternberg's Task -
Due March 10
7. Operational Span -
Due March 10
8. Serial Position - Due
March 26
9. Encoding Specificity
- Due March 29
10. Levels of Processing -
Due March 29
11. Lexical Decision Task
- Due April 14
12. Prototypes - Due April
21
13. Implicit Learning -
Due April 26
14. Mental Rotations - Due
April 30
15. Link-Word - Due May 3
Must be logged in on CogLab as
completed by class time of the above dates.