Fall 2008
| Class: SCC 145: MWF 9-9:50 | Instructor: John H. Krantz, Ph.D. |
| Lab: SCC 148: T 2:00-4:50 | Office: Science Center 151 |
| Text: Cognitive Psychology, 8th ed. by Solso et al. & CogLab by Francis et al. | Phone: x7316 email: krantzj@hanover.edu |
Dec 3
I have posted the rest of the class data in the class data directory.
Oct 28
Here is the data set for this day's lab.
Oct 14
I have added a link to the Tukey's HSD spreadsheet to the navigation bar on
the left for your use.
I have also posted the data from this week's CogLab experiments.
Oct 10
I have posted the class data so that you have it available for your exam.
Check the class data link on the left. It will take you to a directory
listing of data. The files have the following experiments:
File: Experiments in the file
AttentionTasks : Attentional Blink, Spatial Cueing, Stroop & Simon Effect
IATRace Fall 2008 2 : The IAT
Implicit Learning : The implicit learning experiment
Memory Tasks : Brown-Peterson, Memory Span, Serial Position, Sternberg, Suffix
Effect
Partial Report : the partial report results (CogLab)
Perception Tasks: Signal Detection & Mueller-Lyer
Search : The visual search experiment
Sep 23
Added a link to the statistical calculator site on the navigation bar to the
left.
Sep 22
Changes to the schedule caused by losing the week of Sept 15 are indicated
below. They are shown in Green.
Sep 09
Please note the changes in the lab time, and occasionally location listed
below. These changes are made to accommodate Research Methods.
See the Lab Schedule.
Sep 01
Welcome to the Cognition. I hope you had an enjoyable break.
All changes to the course will be posted here. In addition, if new resources become
available, you will be able to find them here.
What is this course that you are embarking upon? What is cognition? In the most basic terms cognition is the action of the brain or mind to understand the world around us and to determine an appropriate action. To unpack that barebones definition, there are many activities that are required. For example, you need to perceive the world around you, remember past events to compare present events to, select the important parts of the world to attend to, store what has been learned from the current experience for later use, understand and transmit language, etc.
Course Objectives: My primary goal for this course is to develop your ability to think soundly and well using the material of cognitive psychology. As part of this goal you will need to comprehend the substance and methods of cognitive psychology.
Major Objectives: In the context of this major, this course is an upper level lab based course. As such the department has specified some goals for you. First, the department wants to develop a more independent level of thinking as you progress through the major. Thus, there will be less structure to the course and you will be given some responsibility for assignments. As part of this goal, you will also be asked to develop your own cognitive theory. Second, the department wants to have you prepared more for an independent research project which forms the senior capstone experience. Thus, you will be asked to design and implement a small research project to present at the end of the semester.
I want you to consider the text book not so much as a document as to the current nature of cognitive psychology, which is its attempt, but as a theory of cognitive psychology, which is what it is. The author tries to present several theories about cognitive psychology but definitely has an overall sense of how cognition works that guides his presentation. It would be dishonest to do otherwise, to present a theory or idea that he believes is demonstrably false just for the sake of balance. So as you read, read with your critical mind awake critiquing the ideas and using the evidence you have at hand to determine what you think is correct. A truism in science is that most major discoveries are made by those new in the field that have unjaundiced eyes. Thus your inexperience may be a great benefit is seeing what those more experienced may miss or misunderstand. In addition, whereever possible you will be given as set of studies to do (the data are due by 3:00 pm on the Friday before they are discussed). We will used the data from our class as a jumping off point for discussion.
| Day/Date | Topic | Reading/Assignment |
|
Week 1, |
Introduction | Ch. 1 |
| F | Biological Bases of Cognition | Ch. 2 |
| Week 2, MW |
Perception
|
Ch 3 Signal Detection Tutorial Signal Detection Experiment Cog Lab: Partial Report, Visual Search, Müller-Lyer Data by Friday of Week Before. |
| F | Pattern Recognition | Ch 4 |
| Week 3, MWF DELAYED TO WEEK 4 |
Attention | Posner et al., 1980 CogLab: Stroop Effect, Attentional Blink, Spatial Cueing, Simon Effect Data by Friday of Week Before. |
| Week 4, MWF DELAYED TO WEEK 5 |
Consciousness | Ch 8 PsychExperiments: Implicit Associations Test CogLab: Implicit Learning Data by Friday of Week Before. |
| Week 5, MWF DELAYED TO WEEK 6 |
Memory Models and Short-Term Memory | Ch 5 Miller, 1956 CogLab: Suffix Effect, Brown-Peterson, Memory Span, Sternberg Search, Serial Position Effect Data by Friday of Week Before |
| Week 6, MWF DELAYED TO WEEK 7 |
Memory Theories and Long-Term Memory |
Ch 7,9 |
| F | Test 1, Due 3:00 PM |
|
| Week 7, MWF DELAYED TO WEEK 8 M OF WEEK 9 |
M OFF FOR FALL BREAK The Verbal Representation of Knowledge |
Ch 9 CogLab: False Memory, Word Superiority Effect |
| Week 8, WF DELAYED TO WEEK 9 |
Fall Break Monday, Tuesday.
Mental Imagery |
Ch 10; CogLab: Mental Rotation Data by Friday of Week Before |
| Week 9, MWF DELAYED TO WEEK 10 |
Language | Ch 11; Illustration of
McClelland and Rumelhart's Theory CogLab: Lexical Decision, Categorical Perception-Identification |
| Week 10, MWF |
Cognitive Development CUT DUE TO IKE |
Ch 12 |
| Week 11, MWF |
Concept Formation, Logic, Decision Making | Ch. 14; Tversky & Kahneman, 1981 CogLab: Prototypes, Typical Reasoning, Monty Hall, Risky Decisions, Wason Selection Task |
| Week 12, MWF |
Problem Solving, Creativity Intelligence | Ch 15 |
| Week 13, M |
Catch-up. Thanks Giving Break W-F. |
|
| Week 14, MWF |
Artificial Intelligence | Ch 16; Churchland & Churchland, 1990 |
| Dec 8-12 | Final Exam: Due at the End of Finals Exam Time |
| Lab Period | Laboratory/Article |
| Week 1 | Stroop I/Stroop (1935). Studies of Interference in Serial Verbal Reactions |
| Week 2 | Stroop II |
| Week 3 | Stroop III Start at 3 PM MOVE TO WEEK 4 |
| Week 4 | Stroop due/Partial Report I/Siu (1986) Iconic Memory, Location Information, and Partial Report |
| Week 5 | Partial Report II Start at 3 PM |
| Week 6 | Partial Report III/Discuss Projects 2 PM Meet SCC 147; 3 PM to Lab |
| Week 7 | Partial Report due/Lab 3 I |
| Week 8 | On Break |
| Week 9 | Lab 3 II Start at 3 PM |
| Week 10 | Lab 3 III Start at 3 PM |
| Week 11 | Lab 3 Due/Final Project Time |
| Week 12 | Final Project Time |
| Week 13 | Final Project Time |
| Last Week | Project Presentations Meet in SCC 147 |
Exams
Over the course of the semester there will be two take home exams. These exams will be in an essay format. You will get the questions about 1 week ahead of time. They are due, emailed as a Word file, at the end of the day indicated above. Each exam is cumulative and therefore each exam is worth more points. The points are awarded as follows:
Laboratories and Their Reports
For each laboratory you write of a brief paper describing the lab and the results from the lab. The format of the reports will be APA. You have had APA format before so you are expected to be familiar with writing papers in this format. The labs are to be emailed to me in a Word format on the due date indicated.
Final Laboratory Project
In teams of two or three, you will design and conduct an experiment in the realm of cognitive psychology. To prepare you for this project, you need to develop teams and develop an idea for the project by the lab period set aside to discuss the projects. During this lab the class will act a research group. Each team will present their project idea and the whole class will discuss the project, anticipate projects and suggest solutions and improvements. At the end of the term you will present the project in written, and oral formats. The paper is due the same day on Monday of dead week. The paper will be emailed to me in a Word format by 5:00 pm that day. For your assistance, here is a link to past PowerPoints, and in some cases papers, from past projects.
The points for the various parts of this project are:
Initial Presentation of Idea 25 points Oral Presentation 75 points Written Version 75 points
Forms from Research Methods that might be helpful
Human Subject Application - required for initial presentation
To help ensure that students actively participate there is a participation grade of 100 points. Attendance alone cannot but provide for half of these points. As stated above, sharing of your views and critiquing the ideas of others is a necessary part of this class. These behaviors are necessary for the remainder of the class participation grade.
An assignment is late 1 minute after the beginning of class. One letter grade will be subtracted for the first day late and another letter grade for each additional day. No assignment will be accepted more than three days late. The one exception to this rule is for homework. No late homework will be accepted at all.
Grades will be converted to percentiles and letter grades will be assigned as follows:
| Grade | Percentage Range |
| A | 100 - >93% |
| A- | 93 - 90% |
| B+ | <90 - 87% |
| B | <87 - >83% |
| B- | 83 - 80% |
| C+ | <80% - 77% |
| C | <77 - > 73% |
| C- | 73 - 70% |
| D+ | <70 - 67% |
| D | <67 - 60% |
| F | < 60% |