Cognitive Science/Psychology 233:  Laboratory in Cognitive Processes

Kathie Galotti

Fall 2012

Section 1: Wednesday, 2-5

Section 2:  Thursday, 2-5

Olin 11

    This laboratory course, a co-requisite of Cognitive Science/Psychology 232, is designed to offer students hands-on experience in running and designing empirical work in cognitive psychology.  Such experience, I hope, will allow a greater depth of understanding of how cognitive psychologists think about mental phenomena, and will allow you to approach the literature both more critically, and more appreciatively.

     During the first weeks of the term, we will run some preprogrammed experiments on microcomputers in lab, using CogLab on a CD (version 2.0).   We will also be busy designing instructions and learning how to summarize and present data.  Labs later in the term will introduce other, less structured means of data collection, and will allow more flexibility and responsibility for the design of all parts of the study.  Finally, some laboratory time will be devoted to your own individual projects that are required in Cognitive Science/Psychology 232.

    To save you some money, I have purchased multiple copies of CogLab on a CD (version 2.0) and am willing to lend them to you.  I will have you pay a $5 deposit on the day you sign out a copy.  That money will be returned to you when you return the book and CD (with the correct inventory number) on it at the end of the term.  Copies that are not returned will be billed to you at their replacement cost, which is currently $52.50).  If you do not return both of these by the end of the term, we will have the Carleton Business office add this charge to your account.

     Only a little additional reading is typically required for lab.  However, as the attached schedule shows, Cognitive Science/Psychology 232 readings will often form the basis of our labs.  Therefore, it is assumed that you will have completed the appropriate reading for lab ahead of time.  It will often be assumed that you are familiar with the experiments being run from your reading, and so the instructions for each lab will not re-explain things. 

     Laboratory assignments often grow more complex than originally envisioned, and so the attached schedule of laboratories is very much subject to revision.  However, you can expect to write up 2 laboratory reports, and to prepare and present one talk.   Weekly attendance is also expected and required, except in the most unusual of circumstances.  You should also ask ahead of time if you need to attend the other lab section.   Let me remind you that the Psychology Department Macintosh laboratory will be open many evenings (schedule to be announced) for your use in this course. 

     Grading in the course will work as follows:  Each formal laboratory report, 30%;

Final presentation, 20%, Class participation, attendance, and timely reports of data, miscellaneous other assignments 20%.    

Week (dates)                 Topic and Assignments Due

1)  Sept 12,13             An Introduction to Experimental Design (film)

                                    An introduction to Cog Lab

                                    Cog Lab assignment on your own

                                    (data to be emailed to course assistant by the deadline tba in class)

2)  Sept 19,20              Basic Cognitive Processes:  Perception, Attention, Working Memory   

                                    Writing Method Sections

                                    Cog Lab assignment on your own

                                    (data to be emailed to course assistant by the deadline tba in class)

3)  Sept 26, 27             Long-Term Memory and Knowledge Representation

                                    Institutional Research Boards:  What They Do and Why It Matters

                                    Method Sections Due

                                    Cog Lab assignment on your own

                                    (data to be emailed to course assistant by the deadline tba in class)

4)  Oct 3, 4                  Library Database Searching

                                    Writing Papers in APA Style

                                    Database Exercise Due end of Lab

                                    First Formal Writeup Assigned

5)  Oct 10,11               Higher-Order Cognitive Processes

Lab Writeups Due ,  beginning of lab

6)  Oct 17,18               Higher-Order Cognitive Processes, continued

                                    Second Lab Writeup Assigned

Proposal for own projects due, Mon May 7

7) Oct 24, 25               Own projects—consultations, preparations, running participants

                                    Lab Writeups Due, beginning of lab

8)   Oct 31/Nov 1        Own projects

9)   Nov 7,8                 Last-minute work on projects/presentations

                                    Note:  Kathie out of town

10)   Nov 14                No lab this week

                                    Presentations Due—Presentation Session  (in 232 class)

Suggested reference:  (see relevant chapters on Finding a research topic, Designing a research study, Collecting Data in Groups, Writing in APA Style:  read as appropriate for your individual projects.

Leong, F. T. L. & Austin, J. T.  (2006).  The psychology research handbook 2^nd ed.  .  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Sage.