There are two primary objectives in this course. The first is to introduce you to concepts, theories, and findings in the broad area of cognitive psychology. Specifically, we will start with the concept of information processing, and look at how information is selected, coded into, and retrieved from memory (see the readings for Topics 1 to 5 below). Next, we will shift to theories and findings that relate to a more specific topic, the organization of knowledge. Topics here will include Levels of Processing research (Topic 6); visual imagery work (Topic 7); and semantic knowledge (Topics 8 & 9). Finally, time permitting, we will examine higher-level processes involved in communication (Topic 10). In all of these topics, we will be looking at a number of findings, and asking to what extent these findings tell us about the adequacy of various proposed theories of human cognition. To give you a 'feel' for some of the findings and the types of theories that are needed to explain them, you will occasionally be putting yourself through several (outside-of-the- classroom) laboratory demonstrations that will be set up in our instructional computer lab.
The second objective I regard as the more important. Although you will be learning a tremendous amount of information about what we know think we know regarding knowledge and thinking, the field itself is changing rapidly due to the new research techniques, methods, and theories being developed. Therefore, my second objective is to provide you with a firm understanding of the nature of science and its application to understanding. To that end, the lectures will focus on competitive hypothesis testing. Science isn't the simple piling of fact on fact; rather, it is the search for UNDERSTANDING, for theories and principles that make sense of what happens, that help to ORGANIZE facts into meaningful wholes. Therefore, throughout the course, we will also be concerned with methodological sophistication, including such issues as how to test and evaluate theories, how to get rival theories to make competing predictions about what ought to happen, etc. I hope, in other words, to be able to get you to evaluate research in terms of its theoretical motivations and implications. To that end, the tests will be essay exams that will require you to show me not only that you know the basic findings, but also that you can reason through the implications of these findings in order to marshall evidence for or against various theoretical claims.
The text will be: Reed, S.K. (2011). Cognition: Theory and
applications
(ninth edition). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. Readings and
approximate
starting dates for the various topics are as follows (Note that changes
may
be announced in class concerning test dates and topics to be covered in
each
test!):
TOPICS READINGS
8/25
1.
Intro to Cognitive
Psychology
Ch. 1
8/27
2.
Perception and Pattern
Recognition
Ch. 2
9/8
3.
Models of
Attention
Ch. 3
9/17
4.
Working
Memory
Ch. 4
10/6
5.
Long-Term
Memory
Ch. 5
10/15
6.
Memorial Processes and
Context
Ch. 6
10/29
7.
Imagery
Ch. 7
11/10 8.
Categorization
Ch. 8
11/24
9. Semantic
Organization
Ch. 9
9/22
TEST 1: Topics 1-3
10/20
TEST
2: Topics 4, 5
11/17
TEST 3: Topics 6, 7
12/11 5 pm TEST 4: The Rest
GRADING
The tests generally will involve brief essays, although you may occasionally receive terms to identify. Each test will be worth 100 points. Essays will be graded on a letter scale, with letter grades converted to numbers for an overall score (in a 20-point essay, for example, 20, 19, and 18 will respectively represent A+, A, and A-). In addition, there will be a project worth 30 points that will involve running through several experiments in the lab, and writing each up for comparison with the theories & data presented in class and in the text (I anticipate that each write-up will be short - 4 to 5 pages per experiment). Aspects of these labs could appear on a subsequent test.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
<>I will allow makeup work only if (a) due to an unforeseeable and excusable absence, or (b) due to a foreseeable and excusable absence of which I have been notified DAYS IN ADVANCE. As the tests will include a reasonable amount of material from classroom lectures, you would be wise not to miss too many lectures. Note that I will NOT automatically drop you from class for absences (you need to go through official drop procedures if you decide to drop the course!).You can also send brief questions to me via e-mail by clicking on
the following: cech@louisiana.edu
EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURE
A map of this floor is posted near the elevator marking the evacuation route & the Designated Rescue Area. This is an area where emergency service personnel will first look for individuals who need assistance in exiting the building. Students who may need assistance should identify themselves to the teaching faculty.