UT-Austin, Spring 2017 Dr. Lauretta Reeves reeves@austin.utexas.edu Phone: 471-1206 Office: Office Hrs: Wed. 12 1 p.m. Fri. 11 a.m. 12 p.m. + by appointment T.A.: Office: SEA Office Hrs: Introduction to Cognitive Psychology (PSY 305) MWF 2-3 p.m., NOA 1.124 (43110) This course will expose students to theories and research on a multitude of cognitive processes, including memory, language, attention, and pattern recognition. Emphasis is on attainment of content knowledge within cognitive psychology, and the development of critical thinking skills. Students are expected to learn how and why research findings support (or disconfirm) the relevant theories about each cognitive process. Prerequisites: PSY 301 with a C or better. **The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY. Requirements: Exams (3 x 70) 210 Research Paper/Lab Report 100 Course Requirements Quiz 10 On-line quizzes (9) 90 Experiments 40 Attendance TOTAL 450 *********************************************************************************************************** Required Text: Weisberg, R.W. & Reeves, L.R. (2013). Cognition: From Memory to Creativity. New York: Wiley Publishers. + Supplemental articles on some topics (in Canvas)
1. A total of 450 points may be accrued throughout the semester. Attendance is mandatory and the attendance policy detailed below will be enforced. Individual letter grades per exam or assignment will NOT be recorded, only points earned are recorded. This class will be heavily experiential, and thus attendance is very important GRADING SCALE: GRADING POLICIES A (94-100%) 423-450 AND at least 90% attendance record A- (90-93.5%) 405-422 AND at least 90% attendance record B+ (87.5-89.5%) 394-404 AND at least 85% attendance record B (84-87%) 378-393 AND at least 80% attendance record B- (80-83.5%) 360-377 AND at least 80% attendance record C+ (77.5-79.5%) 349-359 AND at least 80% attendance record C (74-77%) 333-348 AND at least 75% attendance record C- (70-73.5%) 315-332 AND at least 75% attendance record D+ (67.5-69.5%) 304-314 AND at least 75% attendance record D (64-67%) 288-303 AND at least 70% attendance record D- (60-63.5%) 270-287 AND at least 70% attendance record F (0-59.5%) 0-269 AND/OR less than 60% attendance 2. ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE COMPLETED FOR A FINAL GRADE TO BE ISSUED. (Having earned enough points for a C does not mean a student is exempt from the research paper, quizzes, experiments, or any Exam.) For those taking the class on the Credit/No Credit or Pass/Fail option: If you are officially registered for the course on a Pass/Fail or Credit/No Credit basis, you may opt out of one major requirement (1 Exam OR 1 written assignment) AS LONG as you meet the following requirements: (a) at least 70% of possible points for the remaining assignments (TOTAL missed exam/assignment), (b) attendance of at least 75% for EACH Exam section (i.e., 75% before Exam I; 75% between Exam I and II, and 75% between Exam II and III).
3. Assignments are considered late if they are not turned in during class on the day on which they are due. NO ASSIGNMENTS will be accepted by email. Grades are final; questions and appeals must be made within 2 class periods. 4. LATE POLICY: Late exams or papers require both a documented reason (e.g., doctor's note or funeral slip) AND approval of instructor. Please contact Dr. Reeves when extenuating circumstances FIRST occur, or BEFORE the relevant exam or assignment due date to make alternate arrangements. OTHER CLASS POLICIES Lap Top/Computer/Cell Phone Policy: Attendance means both physical and psychological attendance. Laptops may ONLY be used to take notes, and a laptop license is required to be able to use a computer in class. Laptop licenses can be obtained by reading an article on the pros & cons of laptops in classrooms, and then taking a Canvas quiz on the article. If you use technology to surf the web or in any other distracting way, attendance will be negated that day; a second offense will result in the student not being allowed to use a lap top in class.
Email/Communication Policies: 1. Please put PSY 305 or the class name ( Cogn Psych ) in the title of all emails to the professor or teaching assistant. 2. Please use official forms of address for the professor or TA. 3. ALL attendance issues must be dealt with IN PERSON with Dr. Reeves either after class or during office hours. 4. Please check syllabus or assignment papers to make sure the answers to your questions have not already been addressed. Exam- and assignment-related questions are best asked during class announcements. For all other queries, please permit up to 48 hours response time for all emails; urgent matters should be discussed in person with the professor or TA. *********************************************************************************************************** COURSE SCHEDULE Required reading/labs: Textbook chapters are listed in parentheses after each topic. Section 1: History of Cog. Psych. & Memory JANUARY 18 Introduction 20-25 History of Cognitive Psychology, the Information Processing Approach (Chapter 1) 27-30 Introduction to Neuroscience (1) FEB 1-8 The Multistore Model & Working Memory (2) PsychInfo searches due February 5th 8-10 Amnesia (2, con t)
13-17 Encoding & Retrieval Processes (3) 20-27 LTM: Forgetting, Schemata, & Reconstructive Memory (4) MAR 1 EXAM I (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4) Section 2: Lower Cognitive Processes MAR 3-10 Visual Cognition and Pattern Recognition (5) [March 13-18: Spring Break] 20-27 Attention & Automatic Processing (6) 29-APR 5 Mental Imagery (7) APR 7 EXAM II (5, 6, 7) Section 3: Higher Cognitive Processes APR 10-17 Concepts & Categories (8) 19-26 Language (9, 10) 28-May 5 Decision Making (11) EXAM III: Saturday, May 13 th, 2 p.m. (Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11)
Class Expectations: 1. Mandatory Attendance: Attendance will be taken regularly, and requires both physical presence and paying attention to lecture/discussion/videos. Much academic benefit is gained from participating in a community of learners. Less than 70% documented attendance may result in failure of the class. 2. Stay up to date: Begin reading the relevant textbook chapters and required articles (in Canvas) just before we begin coverage of that topic in class. Lecture outlines will be provided in Canvas, but are NOT intended as a substitution for class attendance or the textbook. Experts advise that students spend 2-3 hours studying out-of-class, per hour of in-class time, in order to earn a passing grade. This means students should spend an additional 6-9 hours studying Child Psychology EACH week of class (not including the time spent in class). 3. Keep a current email address as your official University email as important class-related messages will be sent out regularly. The instructor and TAs cannot be responsible for missed messages due to full mailboxes, etc. 4. Please keep instructor apprised of any extenuating circumstances before they interfere with your work. I am willing to work with when I know there are unavoidable circumstances. 5. No Plagiarism in Any Form: Students are expected to turn in their own work. Plagiarism or scholastic dishonesty in any form will result in disciplinary penalties, including possible failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University (Section 3.22, Chapter IV, Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System; www.utesystem.edu/bor/tocrrr.htm). Plagiarism includes all of the following: a. Copying an answer from a classmate or other source during an exam. b. Borrowing or copying part of another person s paper during out-of-class assignments. c. Citing an author s or researchers IDEAS, paper organization, exact wording, or graphs/figures without giving that person proper credit through an APA-style citation or footnote. d. Borrowing from, or using outright, papers obtained on-line or through other sources, which you yourself have not written. **See http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html or http://www.georgetown.edu/honor/plagiarism.htmlfor useful information and examples.]