Course Syllabus
Fall 2015
Cognitive Psychology
Psychology 220 (NS&B 220) Sect. 01
Tues/Thurs 9-10:20 am
Judd Hall 116
Instructor
Andrea Patalano
Judd Hall 401
apatalano@wesleyan.edu
(860) 685-2310
Office hours: W 3-5 pm (later by appointment)*
Mailbox is in Judd Hall 104 mailroom
*Please check the department webpage for occasional changes in my office hours schedule.
Websites
Course:
Textbook:
Moodle website in your portfolio
wwnorton.com/college/psych/cognition5/
Course Objective and Details
Welcome to cognitive psychology! Cognitive psychology, a major branch in the field of psychology,
is the scientific study of human adult mental processes. The objective of this course is to provide a
broad introduction to the issues, methods, and phenomena that characterize this area of study.
These will be brought to life with selected examples of influential empirical studies and,
occasionally, with practical applications from education and from the law. In seeking constraints
on theories of how the mind works, we will draw primarily on studies of adult human behavior
(e.g., reaction time, task accuracy), individuals with localized brain damage (e.g., visual agnosia),
and measures of brain activity (e.g., as inferred using fMRI techniques). Computer models and
non-human animal studies will also be considered. Broad topics will include perception, attention,
memory, knowledge, reasoning, and problem solving. The course is lecture-based but will
incorporate discussions, demonstrations, video, and activities.
Introductory Psychology (PSYC 105) is a prerequisite. Students with background in neuroscience
should instead consider Cognitive Neuroscience (PSYC 225); those who have already taken a
course in cognitive processes (e.g., Memory) should instead consider a more advanced course.
PSYC 220 (1 credit) counts as a Column I breadth course for the Psychology major and as an
elective for the Neuroscience and Behavior major.
Overview and Readings
Attendance. Because textbook and classroom material do not entirely overlap, attendance is
absolutely essential. The lectures will have unique information beyond the text and will also help
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Course Syllabus
Fall 2015
you to more fully comprehend textbook material. Just as important, your questions and
contributions to class activities will benefit the class as a whole.
Please be punctual for class and turn off all electronic communication devices before the start of
class. All lecture materials will be posted on Moodle shortly after class. Do seek notes and any
class announcements from a fellow student if you are absent from class.
Readings. The course textbook, workbook, and a license code (valid for 1 year) for accessing
web-based experiments is available at Broad Street Books as a single bundled package:
Reisberg, D. (2013) Cognition: Exploring the Science of the Mind (5th Ed.). New York: W. W.
Norton & Co. The text comes packaged with The Cognition Workbook (5th Ed.) and a license
code that will give access to Zaps web-based experiments.
Be sure not to use an old edition of the textbook, as the new edition is significantly different from
past ones. We will heavily use the textbook and workbook. A few Zaps experiments will be shown
in class, but you will not need the access code unless you wish to review them at home.
You should buy the textbook and workbook if at all possible. There are also two copies of each on
reserve at the Science Library. If you use the reserved (or a used) textbook, you are welcome (but
not required) to buy the Zaps access code on the textbook website.
Several additional journal articles assigned for the class are posted on Moodle. You should do all
course readings and workbook activities immediately after the class for which they are assigned
except where otherwise noted or when you wish to get ahead just before a test.
Assignments and Grading
Exams. There will be three non-cumulative in-class tests and a cumulative final take-home exam.
The in-class tests will include multiple choice and short answer questions. Review sessions for the
in-class tests will be held on the Monday before each test (10/5, 11/9, and 12/7) from 4:15 – 5:30
pm in Judd 116. A test cannot be rescheduled except for a documented medical or family
emergency. The lowest test grade will be weighted less than the others to accommodate having a
bad test day. The take-home final exam will be due at the start of the registrar-scheduled exam
time of Friday, December 18 at 2 pm. You do not need to be on campus to turn in the final, and
you may turn it in early. You will, however, need online access to library journal articles to
complete the final, so you should be sure you have such access.
Workbook. The workbook is divided into chapters that link to the textbook. Each chapter has
demonstrations and informational essays with thought questions. Any workbook materials that
we do not do in class, you should work through on your own in conjunction with your textbook
reading. The workbook is an exceptional resource for engaging with course material; all
workbook demonstrations and essays will be included on tests, and some will be the basis for
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Course Syllabus
Fall 2015
written assignments. Note that the website associated with the textbook also has very helpful
online flashcards and practice multiple-choice questions to support learning. Please bring your
workbook to every class – you will need it for class demonstrations!
Written Assignments. There are six written assignments to be turned in for credit throughout the
semester. For each assignment, you will be asked to write responses to two workbook questions
(1-2 pp in total). The purpose is to motivate you to think about and engage with the course
materials and to encourage a habit of doing this regularly. Assignments should be turned in to the
Moodle drop box by the specified date and time (the box will record your time of submission).
Late assignments will lose two points per day late and will not be accepted after three days. Note
that the instructor might share some responses with the class, but you will always have the option
of indicating that you do not wish your response made public.
Web Discussion. There is a Moodle discussion board for posting thoughts, questions, reflections,
relevant experiences, news articles, web links, i.e., anything related to cognitive psychology.
Research indicates that knowledge is more flexible when it is associated with multiple contexts
and settings, so do your part to help keep us thinking about cognitive psychology both in and out
of class! You will earn course credit for posting one substantive comment during the term. You
will not earn extra credit for multiple posts or for asking simple clarification questions, but you
are nonetheless encouraged participate throughout the term. Note that your comments will not
be anonymous, and that I will chime in if I think I can provide any useful guidance.
Grading. Grades for individual tests and activities will be posted promptly on Moodle during the
term. Any errors should be reported to me within a week after each posting. Your final grade will
be the percentage of points earned out of a total of 500 points from non-cumulative tests (110 x 2
+ 80 x 1 = 300 points), the cumulative take-home final (100 points), written activities (15 x 6 = 90
points), and web participation (10 x 1 = 10 points). Final grades will be computed with the
following serving as the minimum score needed to earn a particular grade (per university
guidelines):
A 93.35, A- 90; B+ 86.65, B 83.35, B- 80; C+ 76.65, C 73.35, C- 70 (etc.)
A+’s are reserved for near-perfect scores. Students are strongly encouraged to take this course
graded (A/F). To earn a CR in the ungraded (CR/U) mode, one must have > 350 points, and
completed all assignments and exams, including the final exam.
Other Policies and Resources
Laptops. Laptops are permitted for note taking, but studies suggest that they tend to lower
student performance relative to hand note taking and that they distract fellow students, so please
don't bring one unless you truly need it. Internet must be turned off during class time. Audio or
video recording of class lectures or discussion without permission is expressly forbidden.
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Course Syllabus
Fall 2015
Testing. Objective components of tests provide a unique challenge and can be a source of
frustration if one feels that her or his study efforts are not reflected in performance. If you find
this to be the case, contact your class dean as a resource for academic assistance as early in the
term as possible. I recommend the peer tutoring program, with details at:
www.wesleyan.edu/studentaffairs/resources/peertutoring/.
Extra Credit. As a policy, I do not create additional extra credit assignments in response to
individual student requests. I feel that this is unfair to the class as a whole, and violates the
contract set out by the syllabus, so please do not ask. Instead, I strongly encourage you to engage
fully in the class, which has many opportunities for participation throughout the term. That said, a
few times during the semester (not announced in advance), to encourage class preparation and
participation, I will give opportunities in class for earning 1 point extra credit.
Honor Code. Students are expected to adhere to Wesleyan’s Honor Code as stated in the Student
Handbook. In this class, you are encouraged to collaborate in discussing assigned activities with
fellow students, but all of your writing must be done independently. Policies on academic honesty
are at: www.wesleyan.edu/studentaffairs/studenthandbook/standardsregulations/.
Disabilities. It is the policy of Wesleyan University to provide reasonable accommodations to
students with documented disabilities. If you require accommodations in this class, please let me
know by the end of the first full week of class. Procedures for registering with the Disabilities
Office are at: www.wesleyan.edu/studentaffairs/disabilities/.
Communication. Please come chat with me any time, including after class, during class breaks,
during my office hours, or when you see me around campus. You do not need to have a reason. I
look forward to getting to know each of you and hope you will share with me more about
yourselves and your interests (both within and beyond psychology)!
****
Notes About Attached Class Overview (next page): The In-Class Demos section lists
demonstrations we are likely to do in class; you are responsible for doing all remaining
demonstrations at home (i.e., the schedule does not list all of them).
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Course Syllabus
Fall 2015
Class Overview (generally do reading after class, but do boldfaced demos before class)
Week
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
8
8
9
9
10
10
11
11
12
12
13
13
14
14
Date
9/8
9/10
9/15
9/17
9/22
9/24
9/29
10/1
10/6
10/8
10/13
10/15
10/20
10/22
10/27
10/29
11/3
11/5
11/10
11/12
11/17
11/19
11/24
11/26
12/1
12/3
12/8
12/10
Topic (of the class)
Overview and Syllabus
Science of the Mind
Neural Basis of Cognition
Visual Perception
Object Recognition
Object Recognition
Attention
Attention
EXAM 1
Working Memory
Memory Acquisition
Acquisition and Retrieval
Acquisition and Retrieval
Complex Events
FALL BREAK
Complex Events
Conceptual Knowledge
Conceptual Knowledge
EXAM 2
Visual Knowledge
Judgment and Reasoning
Judgment and Reasoning
Problem Solving
THANKSGIVING
Problem Solving
Consciousness
EXAM 3
Final Reflections
Text (after class)
Pref , pp. xiii-xvii
Ch. 1, pp. 1-27
Ch. 2, pp. 29-56
Ch. 2, pp. 56-72
Ch. 3, pp. 73-104
Ch. 3, pp. 104-116
Ch. 4, pp. 117-145
Ch. 4, pp. 145-159
Article
Ch. 5, pp. 161-178
Ch. 5, pp. 178-198
Ch. 6, pp. 199-215
Ch. 6, pp. 215-236
Ch. 7, pp. 237-264
(Ch. 1 pp. 16-22)
Roediger & Pyc
Ch. 7, pp. 264-279
Ch. 8, pp. 281-311
Ch. 8, pp. 311-321
Ogden & Corkin
Ch. 10, pp. 363-386
Ch. 11, pp. 397-419
Ch. 11, pp. 419-444
Ch. 12, pp. 445-470
Ch. 12, pp. 471-496
Ch. 13, pp. 497-526
In-Class Demos Assignment Due (by midnight)
D1
Sacks
Michel et al.
D3
D1, D2
Ch. 1, CPE1; Ch. 2, RM1 (M9/21)
D1
Ch. 3, RM1; Ch. 4, CPL2 (Sa10/3)
D1
D3, D4
D1, D2, D3, D4
D1
D1, D2
Ch. 5, RM1; Ch. 6, CPE2 (W10/21)
D1, D3
Ch. 7, CPL1; Ch. 8, CPE1 (Sa11/7)
Kassin et al.
D1
D2, D3, D4
D10
D1, D2
Ch. 10, RM; Ch. 11, handout (M11/23)
D4, D5
Mrazek et al.
Ch. 12, RM2; Ch. 13, CPE1 (Sa12/5)
Moodle Discussion (Th12/10)
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Course Syllabus
Fall 2015
Required Reading (available on Moodle)
Sacks, O. (1985). The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (Ch. 1 pp. 8-22). New York: Harper &
Row.
Michel, C., Rossion, B., Han, J., Chung, C.-S., & Caldara, R. (2006). Holistic processing is finely tuned
for faces of one’s own race. Psychological Science, 17, 608-615.
Roediger III, H. L., & Pyc, M. A. (2012). Inexpensive techniques to improve education: Applying
cognitive psychology to enhance educational practice. Journal of Applied Research in
Memory and Cognition, 1, 242-248.
Ogden, J. A., & Corkin, S. (1991). Memories of H.M. In W. C. Abraham, M. Corballis, & K. G. White
(Eds.), Memory Mechanisms: A Tribute to G. V. Goddard (Ch. 10 pp. 195-215). Hillsdale, NJ:
Erlbaum Associates.
Kassin, S., Bogart, D., & Kerner, J. (2012). Confessions that corrupt: Evidence from the DNA
exoneration case files. Psychological Science, 23, 1-5.
Mrazek M. D., Franklin, M. S., Phillips, D. T., Baird, B., & Schooler, J. W. (2013). Mindfulness training
improves working memory capacity and GRE performance while reducing mind
wandering. Psychological Science, 24, 776-781.
Recommended Books
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux.
Pinker, S. (1997). How the Mind Works. New York: Norton & Co.
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