Psychology 414

Cognitive Psychology

Spring 2006

 

Course Goal:  To develop an appreciation for what we know about human cognition (content), how we acquire this knowledge (methodology), and how to evaluate it (critical thinking).  The course will emphasize three themes:

 

1.  Understanding the cognitive system requires formulation of theories, not just the collection of facts.

2.  The major purpose of experiments is to help us discriminate between good theories of cognition (those that might be correct) and poor theories (those that are wrong).

3.  Because cognition arises from the brain, understanding brain function and brain-behavior relations can give us important insights about the organization of cognitive processes.

 

Method:  The textbook and assigned readings provide background for the lectures and demonstrations in class.  BE CERTAIN TO READ THE MATERIAL BEFORE COMING TO CLASS.  In addition to lecture, we will have a Discussion Day at the end of each section of the course.  Prior to each of these days you will receive a list of questions by email.  On the Discussion Day we will spend at least one half of our class time in small groups discussing the questions, followed by an open discussion for the remainder of the class time.  These discussions should help to prepare you for upcoming exams.  Exams are multiple choice, fill-in-the-bubble format.  There are typically about 50 questions on each exam, and time allotted for taking each exam is 75 min - the duration of class period.  Outside of class there will be a series of Web/CD-based "Labs".  These will be experiments in CogLab, an interactive suite of experiments that students can run on themselves.  Regardless of their specific format, each lab assignment will have an associated set of questions posted on the course Web page on WebCT (specific details about how to complete labs on WebCT appear further along in this syllabus).  You must submit your completed lab by 5 pm on that lab's due date in order to get full credit for the lab.  Specifics for each lab will be announced in lecture one week prior to the due date, and will be indicated on the Web-based syllabus, which will be steadily updated throughout the semester.  PLEASE NOTE:  The customary rules of thumb about academic honesty pertain to the labs as well as to other aspects of this course.  Although working in a small group on the labs is condoned, each student is expected to participate fully in each exercise (e.g., to perform a task and generate one's own data) and to submit answers in his/her own words.

 

Instructor: Brad Postle; office: 515 Psychology; tel. 262-4330, postle@wisc.edu. 

Office hours:  by appointment

 

TA: Anna Thomas, office: x Psychology; tel. 26x-xxxx, ajthomas1@wisc.edu. 

Office hours: x

 

With the exception of time-sensitive emergencies, email is the most effective and preferred way for you to contact us.

 

Readings:  Required Textbook: Sternberg, R.J. (2006) Cognitive Psychology (4th Ed.).  Thompson Wadsworth, Belmont, CA.  In addition, there will be a few e-reserve readings

 

On-line Resources:  Bundled with the text book is the

 

Grading:  There are three equally weighted exams, each testing your understanding of the material associated with one of the three sections into which the course is organized.  Note that information from each of the three principle vehicles used in the course -- readings, lectures, labs -- will appear on the exams.  Two of the exams will be in-class and the third, though not cumulative, will be administered during finals week.  Grades on each exam, and for the course overall, will be assigned using criteria no more stringent than, A ³ 90%; AB ³ 87%; B ³ 80%; BC ³ 75%; C ³ 70%; D ³ 63%.  That is, there is no curve (unless we decide to scale grades "up," which would help you), so the grade you earn is a direct function of your own performance, and uninfluenced by the class average.  Each exam counts toward 25% of your final grade.  The remaining 25% is determined by the timeliness with which you submit each lab.  Lab assignments submitted within one week after the due date will receive 1/2 credit; those later than one week will receive no credit. 

 

Students can monitor their performance in the class (e.g., confirming that a lab has received full credit, finding out the grade earned on an exam) by logging into WebCT (step-by-step instructions below).

 

At the end of the semester, there will invariably be students whose numerical grade in the course is extremely close to, but just below, a letter-grade cut-off.  In order to be fair to all students, however, we observe a strict policy of not rounding numerical grades to the nearest integer (and not entertaining requests that we do so on an individual basis).  There are no opportunities for "extra credit" projects that might boost one's score.  Your final grade for the course is determined solely by your performance on the exams and the diligence with which you get your lab assignments in on time.  (The time to start concerning yourself about your grade in the course, therefore, begins on Jan. 17, not during the final weeks of the semester!)

 

Missing exams, make-ups, and extensions on lab deadlines:  Per University policy, you have two weeks (i.e., until 1/27/06) to make arrangements with the professor about making up an exam due to a conflict (e.g., if you know that you'll be missing class on a particular day due to a trip, a religious observance, etc.).  The same policy applies to labs.  We will not consider requests for make-ups or deadline extensions after 1/27/06 for conflicts that could have been predicted at the beginning of the semester.  We are, of course, much more flexible regarding unforeseen circumstances, such as illness or a family emergency.  

 

Web-based operations:  The preferred method for submitting lab assignments, and the only way to check your grades in this class, is through WebCT. 

 

Login to WebCT through the link at the bottom of the UW home page, or directly at:

http://uwmad.courses.wisc.edu

 

To login, use your NetID/WiscWorld username in all lowercase letters. Your password is your NetID/WiscWorld password.

 

Follow the  "Psychology 414: Cognitive Psychology" link to see the complete WebCT homepage for the course.

 

Click on "Assignments," then click on the title of the current lab.

 

Follow the link to the assignment under "Instructions" and perform the activity described on that page.

 

To answer the lab questions, type your responses in a word processing program (such as Microsoft Word) and save the file.

 

To submit your responses in WebCT, click on "Upload file" on the assignment page.

Browse the files on your computer to select the file for your assignment.

 

Fill in your email address if you would like to receive an email confirmation.

 

*Click "Submit assignment" to finish*

 

If you are having problems accessing or otherwise working with WebCT, you can also access lab assignments on a mirror Web page for the course: http://psych.wisc.edu/postlab/Psych414/psychology414.htm

 

Download the lab from here and hand in a paper copy of your answers to Anna, either when you see him in lecture or to his mailbox on the 2nd floor of the Psychology building, labeled "Thomas, Anna."  Should this occur, please contact David ASAP about difficulties accessing the WebCT page.  Note:  deadlines for full and partial credit on labs apply regardless of the medium through which you submit it. 

 

Monitoring your grade on WebCT:  After lab assignments and exams have been graded, you can view your grades and keep track of your progress in the course by clicking on "Grades." 

 

Periodic announcements and modifications to the syllabus will also be posted on the course's WebCT page and at http://psych.wisc.edu/postlab/Psych414/psychology414.htm

 

Date                  Topic                                                       Reading (Sternberg, 2006)

 

Section I:  Perception and Attention

January 17          Introduction/History                                   Chpt. 1

January 19          The Brain                                                 Chpt. 2

January 24          Perception: Vision                                     pp. 111-131

     Lab 1 due

January 26          Perception: Neuropsychology of vision;

                              other sensory modalities                        pp. 131-155

January 31          A special case of vision: word recognition;

                              Connectionism                                     pp. 177-178 & 299-303

     Lab 2 due

February 2          Attention                                                  pp. 62-94

February 7          Attention: Spatial cognition;

                              Neuropsychology of attention                 W pp. 94-108

     Lab 3 due

February 9          Discussion Day                                                        

February 14        Exam 1

 

Section II:  Representation and Memory

February 16        Mental Codes: Introduction; Imagery             pp. 229-259

February 21        Mental Codes: Cognitive Maps and their

                              neural correlates                                    pp. 259-269

     Lab 4 due

February 23        Mental Codes: Knowledge-based

                              representations                                     Chpt. 8

February 28        Short-term and Working Memory                 pp. 157-178

          

March 2             Long-term Memory Encoding                      pp. 193-204

     Lab 5 due

 

March 7             Long-term Memory Retrieval                       pp. 204-212

 

March 9             Learning                                                   tba

                        Guest lecturer, Prof. Paul Whalen, Dept. of Psychiatry                                   "Fundamentals of Conditioning"

J J Spring break J J

March 21            Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory               pp. 178-190

March 23            Metacognition & Memory Errors                  pp. 212-226

     Lab 6 due

 

March 28            Discussion Day                                        

March 30            Exam 2

Section III:  Issues and Methods in Cognitive Neuroscience, High-Level Cognition, Language

April 4               Issues in Cognitive Neuroscience I                tba

April 6               Issues in Cognitive Neuroscience II               tba

April [bp1] 11             Auditory and Speech Perception; Structure

           Of Language                                                           pp. 311-330

     Lab 7 due

April [bp2] 13             Language Comprehension                            W pp. 469-509

April 18             Language Acquisition                                 pp. 331-344

April 20             Reasoning                                                Chpt. 12

Lab 8 due

April 25             Problem Solving                                       Chpt. 11

April 27             Intelligence                                               Chpt. 13

May 2                Consciousness(!)(?)                                   

       Lab 9 due

May 4                Discussion Day                                        

May 9, 12:25pm  Exam 3

 

 

 

 

 

Where to take complaints about a Teaching Assistant or Course Instructor:

 

Occasionally a student may have a complaint about a T.A. or course instructor.  If that happens, you should feel free to discuss the matter directly with the T.A. or instructor.  If the complaint is about the T.A. and you do not feel comfortable discussing it with him/her, you should discuss it with the course instructor.  If you do not feel the instructor has resolved the matter to your satisfaction, then you should speak to the Psychology Undergraduate Advisor, Ms. Arlene Davenport (room 428 Psychology) or the Department Chair, Professor Charles Snowdon (room 238 Psychology).  You should also speak to either of these individuals if the complaint is about the instructor and you do not feel comfortable discussing it directly with him/her.

 

If you believe the T.A. or course instructor has discriminated against you because of your religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnic background, you also may take your complaint to the Affirmative Action Office (room 175 Bascom Hall).  If your complaint has to do with sexual harassment, you may also take your complaint to Ms. Arlene Davenport, the Psychology Department sexual harassment contact person.

 

If your T.A. is not a native English speaker and you have difficulty understanding his or her speech, ask the T.A. to repeat sentences that you do not understand.  If you have serious or prolonged difficulty understanding, discuss the problem with the course instructor.  But remember that this is a multicultural institution and that the diversity of T.A.s can add substantially to your education.  Some patience with unfamiliar accents may reward you with a better understanding of the world.