Cognitive Science/Psychology 232

Fall, 2012

Kathleen M. Galotti

Olin 106/108, x4376, email:  kgalotti@carleton.edu

Office hours this term

Mondays 1:30 – 3:00 pm

Thursdays 10:30 – 11:30 am

Other time by appointment; there is also usually time during lab to catch me)

      This course surveys topics in cognitive psychology, including perception, memory, attention, knowledge representation, language and concepts, imagery, problem-solving, and decision-making.  We will also consider some related topics, including cognitive development, individual and gender differences in cognition, and cognition in cross-cultural perspective.  We will begin by reviewing "classic" laboratory studies of cognition, and conclude with a look at recent work on cognition in everyday life.    The required laboratory course, Cognitive Science/Psychology 233:  Laboratory in Cognitive Processes, will offer the opportunity for a "hands-on" look at cognitive phenomena.  I hope that this course will offer you a chance to reflect on your own abilities and experiences in acquiring, processing, and using information.

      Course requirements include two examinations, a team presentation, and a final paper, based on an empirical study of your own design  (a brief proposal for the paper will be due around mid-term).  The weights of the assignments are roughly the following:  exams, 25% each; paper, 25%; team presentation, 15%; class participation, attendance, and preparation, 10%.  Due dates for all assignments are provided on the attached schedule.  You are expected to take note of them and to plan your work accordingly.  Late work (especially late papers) will be penalized, and make-up examinations will not be given unless I receive notification from a class dean of a severe issue.  Moreover, it is expected that all students will adhere to strict standards of academic honesty in all work, and will regularly consult the file, "Academic Honesty in the Writing of College Papers," available on the Dean of the College website.  Please consult me at any time if you have questions on issues relating to academic honesty as they pertain to any assignment in this course. 

       Readings for the course come from a variety of sources.  The text is one I wrote, using my experiences teaching previous Carls as input and using their extensive and candid feedback for revisions.  Other readings are on e-reserve at the libe.   The reading load varies somewhat from week to week, so I advise you to try to plan ahead. 

      Details on the final paper are forthcoming.  However, it is to consist of a paper, written in APA style, reporting on some empirical project of your own design.  You may choose to work together on such projects, and you may chose to perform a replication of an existing study if you wish.  The topic of your project is also up to you, but I'd be glad to offer suggestions and encouragement.  As we work through the first couple of labs, you should find yourself better equipped to choose a workable topic. 

      The syllabus designates certain dates as “team presentation” dates.  On such dates, teams of students will be responsible for making a presentation and leading a discussion about the assigned articles.  More details on team presentation assignments will be given in a separate handout.  Group grades will be given for team presentations.

         Office hours will be announced shortly.  I hope you will feel free to drop by to ask questions, discuss issues, or just to chat.  I am also available by appointment at other times, but please plan ahead as my schedule can sometimes become unpredictably hectic.

The Academic Standing Committee has recommended that the following statement be included in course syllabi:

“All assignments, quizzes, and exams must be done on your own. Note that academic dishonesty includes, not only cheating, fabrication, and plagiarism, but also includes helping other students commit acts of academic dishonesty by allowing them to obtain copies of your work. You are allowed to use the Web for reference purposes, but you may not copy material from any website or any other source without proper citations. In short, all submitted work must be your own.

Cases of academic dishonesty will be dealt with strictly. Each such case will be referred to the Academic Standing Committee via the Associate Dean of Students or the Associate Dean of the College. A formal finding of responsibility can result in disciplinary sanctions ranging from a censure and a warning to permanent dismissal in the case of repeated and serious offenses.

The academic penalty for a finding of responsibility can range from a grade of zero in the specific assignment to a F in this course.”

Please don’t force me to bring an academic dishonesty case!  Consult with me if you have ANY questions on the above!

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS

(meaning, if we are all perfect and never digress.  Otherwise, I’ll periodically have to do “syllabus surgery” and cut a topic or two).

Date                Topic and Assignment 

                        (readings should be completed by the date shown)

 

M 9/10            Introduction and Overview

W 9/12            Paradigms of Cognitive Psychology

                        Read:  Galotti, ch. 1

F 9/14              Studying the Brain

                        Read:  Galotti, ch. 2

M 9/17            Perception & Pattern Recognition      

                        Read:  Galotti, ch. 3

W 9/19            Attention and Automaticity

                        Read:  Galotti, ch. 4

F 9/21              TEAM PRESENTATION 1

                        Identifying faces from your own race and from others

Read:  Michel, Rossion, , Han, Chung, , & Caldara [ER= Electronic reserve]

M 9/24            Memory:  Forming New Traces

                        Read:  Galotti, ch. 5

W 9/26            New Memory Traces, continued

                        Read:  finish ch. 5

F 9/28              TEAM PRESENTATION 2

                        Doing two things at once

                        Read:  Levy, Pashler, & Boer [ER]

M 10/1            Catch up day

                        (in case we get behind …J)

W 10/3            Memory:  Long-Term

                        Read: Galotti, ch. 6

F 10/5              TEAM PRESENTATION  3

                        Repressed vs. False Memories

                        Read: Ackil & Zaragoza [ER]

M 10/8            Narrative Memory

                        Read:  Galotti, ch. 6

W 10/10          MIDTERM EXAM

F 10/12            Knowledge Representation

                        Read:  Galotti, ch. 7

M 10/15          MIDTERM BREAK

                        Go ahead; take the day off

W 10/17          Concepts & Categorization

                        Read:  Galotti, ch. 8    

F 10/19            TEAM PRESENTATION 4

                        Using social categories to categorize

                        Read:  Prentice & Miller [ER]

M 10/22          Visual Imagery  and Spatial Cognition

                        Read:  Galotti, ch. 9

W 10/24          Language

                        Read:  Galotti, ch.10

F 10/26            Catch-up day

M 10/29          Thinking, Reasoning, and Problem Solving

                        Read:  Galotti, ch. 11, ch. 12 (skim)

W 10/31          Making Decisions

                        Read:  Galotti, ch. 13

F 11/2              TEAM PRESENTATION 5

                        Learning Styles

                        Read:  Pashler et al. [ER]

M 11/5            Cognitive Development

                        Read:  Galotti, ch. 14

                        Kathie out of town:  films shown

W 11/7            TBA:  Kathie out of town

F 11/9              TEAM PRESENTATION 6

                        Eastern versus Western approaches to cognition

                        Read: Miyamoto, Nisbett, & Masuda [ER]

                        Note:  I’ll still be out of town, so presentation will be videotaped

M 11/12          TBA

                        PAPERS DUE 1 p.m.

                        Read:  Galotti, ch. 15, 16

W 11/14          FINAL PRESENTATIONS

                        (of 233 research projects)

                       

 

Sat 11/17 - M 11/19    FINAL EXAM (Self-scheduled)

 

Bibliography

Text

Galotti, K. M.  (2008).  Cognitive psychology in and out of the laboratory (4th edition).  Belmont, CA:  Thomson Wadsworth.

Other readings  (available on e-reserve:  password:  CGSC)

Ackil, J. K, & Zaragoza, M. S.  (2011).  Forced fabrication versus interviewer suggestions:  Differences in false memory depend on how memory is assessed.  Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25, 933-942. 

Levy, J., Pashler, H., & Boer, E.  (2006). Central interference in driving. Psychological Science, 17, 228-235.

Michel, C., Rossion, B., Han, J., Chung, C., & Caldara, R.  (2006).  Holistic processing is finely tuned for faces of one’s own race. 

Miyamoto, Y., Nisbett, R., & Masuda, T.  (2006).  Culture and the physical environment:  Holistic versus analytic perceptual affordances. Psychological Science, 17, 113-119. Psychological Science, 17, 608-615. 

Pashler, H. ,McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R.  (2008).  Learning styles:  Concepts and evidence.  Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9, 106-119. 

Prentice, D. A., & Miller, D. T.  (2007).  Psychological essentialism of human categories. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 67, 202-206.