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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PS 307"
COURSE NAME: "Cognitive Psychology"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall Semester 2012
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Castelli Paola
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 15:00-16:15
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: PS 210
OFFICE HOURS: T-TH 4.30-6.00 pm

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to human cognition, focusing both on classic and current issues in the field. As the study of cognition heavily relies on experimental research, emphasis will be placed on the experiments designed to test models and theories of cognitive processes.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

Central topics will include how perceptual information enters the mind, how attention is used to select from the array of available sensory information, how knowledge is organized in memory. How new information is added and how it is retrieved from memory. How we convey information to others through language, and how knowledge is transformed by reasoning.

Discussion will focus on theoretical ideas, empirical findings and their relationship to everyday life.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will learn about current topics, and theories in cognitive psychology as well as the experimental methodologies adopted in this field. Students will also be able to critically think about everyday cognitive problems.

TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Cognitive PsychologyGoldstein, E. B.Cengage Learning978-0-495-09557-6     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Exams<p>You have to take <span style="text-decoration: underline;">3 exams</span>. Failure to do so, will result in an F. Exams will cover the assigned textbook readings, lectures, and the films occasionally shown in class. The exams will be <strong>non-cumulative</strong> midterm examinations (each covering approximately 1/3 of the course material). </p> <p>Each exam will mostly be based on short-answer questions, and will be worth 50 points. </p> <p> </p> <p>MAKE-UP EXAM POLICY<br /> I understand that scheduling conflicts, emergencies, or other unforeseeable circumstances (e.g., death in the family, oversleeping on exam day, traffic problems, etc.) may occur at some point during the semester, and you might have to miss an exam. If this happens, you will have to take the MAKE-UP exam during final&rsquo;s week.</p> <p> </p> <p>The make-up exam will be cumulative. It will cover anything that was covered throughout the semester. </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Please do not ask me about make up exams during the semester, because I will simply refer you to the class policy on this issue. </strong></p> <br /> <p> </p>60%
Pop quizzes<p>Review quizzes will be administered in class approximately every two weeks. Each quiz will consist of a variable number of multiple-choice questions that review the material/concepts covered in the preceding classes.<strong><br /> There will be a total of 6 pop-quizzes, which sum up to 50 points</strong>.<br /> Your lowest grade on the quizzes will be dropped. There will be <span style="text-decoration: underline;">no make-up</span> quizzes.<br /> If you miss class on a day when a pop-quiz is administered, that will be your dropped score.<br /> Pop quizzes will mostly be administered at the beginning of the class period. It is your responsibility to arrive in class ON TIME</p> <p> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: trebuchet ms;"></span></p>20%
Writing assignments<p style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><strong>Paper Assignment: </strong>Your grade for this course will also be based on a short paper assignment (i.e., 5-6 double-spaced pages) in which you are asked to summarize and critically evaluate an empirical research study. Specific directions on the paper assignment will be provided in class and posted on the course website. The paper is worth 20 points, and it is due approx mid-semester. <br /> The papers will be returned with evaluative comments for revisions. <strong><br /> <br /> Revised Paper: </strong>Once you receive your comments, you are required to submit a REVISION of your paper. In your revision, you should demonstrate <span style="text-decoration: underline;">significant improvement</span> from your initial paper in content, organization, and overall writing. (Note: The quality of the comments on your first paper will depend on the quality and content of your writing&mdash;even if you make all of the suggested corrections, it does not guarantee you a perfect score on your revised paper). &nbsp;Revised papers are worth up to 30 points and are due after Thanksgiving.</p> <p> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: calibri;"></span></p>20%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

The final grade for the course will be based on three exams, 5 best quizzes, and writing assignment.

Summary of points for the course:

Exams                           150 (50 pts x 3 exams)
Pop quizzes                     50
Paper Assignment           50

__________________________________

Total                           250

 

Grades will be assigned according to the following point breakdown:

250 possible points:

225-250 points       A- to A        (90-100%)

200-224 points       B- to B+      (80-89%)

175-199 points       C- to C+       (70-79%)

150-174 points       D- to D+       (60-69%)

149 points and below         F             (Below 59%)

I will assign + and – letter grades when students are within 1 percentage point of the cutoff score. Therefore, for example, a B+ = 88-89% (220-224 pts.) and a B- = 80-81%. (200-204 pts.)

Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.

A:  Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensiveknowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.

B:  This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.

There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C:  This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D:  This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.

Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.

F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.


-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Attendance is not mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged. If you miss a lecture, you miss almost 20% of the material that will be covered on the next exam (so you can expect to get at least one grade lower than if you had come to class!). Moreover, some material - such as videos, in-depth description of studies, and examples – will only be presented in class.

Please do not arrive late and/or plan to leave early. It will be disruptive to everyone. In addition, you’ll be missing important information that is usually given in the first and last minutes of lecture.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

 

Date

Topic

Readings

week 1

4 sept

Intro-methods

Ch 1

 

6 sept

 

 

week 2

11 sept

Brain: principles

Ch 2

 

13 sept

 

 

week 3

18 sept

Perception

Ch 3

 

20 sept

 

 

 

21 sept

Attention (Note: MAKE UP DAY)

Ch 4

week 4

25 sept

 

 

 

27 sept

 

 

week 5

2 oct

EXAM 1

 

 

4 oct

STM

Ch 5

week 6

9 oct

 

 

 

11 oct

Working memory

Ch 5

 

12 oct

LTM (Note: MAKE UP DAY)

Ch 6

week 7

16 oct

 

 

 

18 oct

LTM (encoding/retrieval)

 Ch 7

week 8

23 oct

 

 

 

25 oct

Memory errors

 Ch 8

Week 9

30 oct

EXAM 2

PAPER DUE

 

1 nov

HOLYDAY

 

Week 10

6 nov

Knowledge

Ch 9

 

8 nov

Imagery

Ch 10

week 11

13 nov

 

 

 

15 nov

Language

Ch 11

week 12

20 nov

 

 

 

22 nov

THANKSGIVING

 

week 13

27 nov

Thinking

Ch 12-13

 

29 nov

 

 

week 14

4 dec

Conclusions-Review

PAPER REVISIONS DUE

 

6 dec

EXAM 3

Ch 1