Course Syllabus
Spring 2015
Psychology 220
Cognitive Psychology
Section 001
(crosslisted as NS&B 220)
T/Th 9-10:20 am
JUDD 116
Instructor
Professor Andrea Patalano
Judd Hall 401
apatalano@wesleyan.edu
(860) 685-2310
Office hours: T 2-3 pm; Th 3-4 pm (later on Th by appt.)
Goals
Welcome to cognitive psychology! Cognitive psychology, a major branch in the field of
psychology, is the scientific study of human adult mental processes. The goal of this
course is to provide a broad introduction to the issues, methods, and phenomena that
characterize the field. These will be brought to life with selected examples of influential
empirical studies and, occasionally, practical applications. 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 attention, perception, memory, knowledge, reasoning, and
decision making. The course is lecture-based but will incorporate discussions,
demonstrations, video, and activities.
Introductory Psychology (PSYC 105) is a required prerequisite. This has been waived
for students who have taken Behavioral Neurobiology (NS&B 213), however this is a
course on human behavior and those with an interest in the brain should take Cognitive
Neuroscience instead. This course counts as a Column I breadth course for the
Psychology major and as an elective for the Neuroscience and Behavior major.
Readings
The primary textbook is available at Broad Street Books; a copy is on reserve at Olin
Library, though you are strongly encouraged to buy (or rent) the text.
Revlin, R. (2013). Cognition: Theory and Practice. NY: Worth Publishers.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7167-5667-5
You should do the reading in advance of the class on which it is assigned. The lectures
will highlight and expand on key ideas from the readings, and will illustrate important
methods with demonstrations.
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Course Syllabus
Spring 2015
You may also occasionally be asked to view a short video outside of class or to read a
short article; these will be announced in class and posted online as needed.
Moodle
There is a website for the class in Moodle. All class materials—including class lecture
slides, announcements, any readings, handouts, and grades—will be posted there.
Lectures
Regular attendance is expected. You are responsible for all announcements made during
class. Lecture materials will be posted online shortly after class. If you miss class, seek
notes from a fellow student. Please come on time, with cell phones off, and with laptop
email and web applications closed, to reduce distractions for all. There will be lecture
materials not covered in readings, as well as important ideas in readings that are not
discussed in lecture. Lecture topics on the attached schedule may be adjusted or
reordered slightly over the course of the semester.
Exams
There will be three broadly-cumulative in-class closed-book exams with both objective
and reflective questions. Exams will cover the textbook, other assignments, and class
lectures. A question-and-answer review session will be held before each test. Exams
absolutely cannot be rescheduled unless you have a note from a dean indicating a
medical reason for missing a test or documenting a family emergency.
Quiz
There will be one short (15-min) quiz on the brain at the start of class on Thursday, 1/29.
Missing this quiz will result in a 0 for the quiz, so please be present. The quiz is intended
to get you to quickly master (i.e., memorize in this case) basic information about the
brain, and you will be told exactly what will be on the quiz.
Final
Your final assignment is a short paper (~1500 words) worth 5% of your grade. For this
paper, you will identify a Psychological Science journal article written in the past five
years in the area of cognitive psychology that is of interest to you. Your task is: (1) to
summarize the findings, (2) to comment on how the research builds on what you learned
in this course, and (3) to discuss how the research could be translated to real world
concerns of interest (e.g., education, health, public policy). Think of fellow students in
this class as the target audience for your paper. Your goal is to educate them, in your
own words, about this article as it relates to shared knowledge from this course and to
your interests beyond this course. In the process of doing this, you will be revealing
what you have learned about the study of mental processes.
Grades
Your final grade will be a weighted average of your three test scores (you lowest test
score will be 22% and each of the other two will be 35% of your grade), your quiz (3%),
your paper (5%). Final grades will be computed with the following percentages serving
as the minimum score needed to earn a particular grade:
A 93.35, A- 90; B+ 86.65, B 83.35, B- 80; C+ 76.65, C 73.35, C- 70 (etc.)
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Course Syllabus
Spring 2015
Note that A+’s are reserved for near-perfect scores. For those taking the course CR/U,
CR will be give for a C- or better. Grades will be posted on Moodle after each test and
any errors should be reported to me within a week after posting.
Testing
Objective components of tests provide a unique challenge and can be a source of
frustration if one feels that his or her 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 There will be a visiting speaker in the Psychology Department on Tuesday 4/7 from 121 pm in PAC 001 (I will update you if the room changes). You can receive up to 3 extra
credit points applied towards your lowest test grade for attending the talk and turning in
a ~1000-word paper in which you address the same questions provided for your final
paper (but in a shorter paper here). To earn credit, you must sign in with me at the talk,
and the paper must be turned in to me by class on Thursday 4/16. Doing this extra credit
is also a great way to practice for the final paper. As a policy, I do not create additional
extra credit assignments in response to individual student requests. I believe this is
unfair to the class as a whole, and violates the contract set out by the syllabus, so please
do not ask for opportunities beyond the one presented here.
Honor Code
Students are expected to adhere to Wesleyan’s Honor Code as stated in the Student
Handbook. Policy and resources on academic honesty may be found at:
www.wesleyan.edu/studentaffairs/studenthandbook/standardsregulations/. Students who
do not do their own work on a test or paper will earn a 0 on the assignment.
Disabilities
It is the policy of Wesleyan University to provide reasonable accommodations to
students with documented disabilities. Students are responsible for registering with
Disabilities Services, in addition to making requests known to the instructor in a timely
manner. If you require accommodations in this class, please let me know by the end of
the first full week of class. Procedures for the Disabilities Office are at:
www.wesleyan.edu/studentaffairs/disabilities/.
Other
Please come chat with me any time, including after class, during class breaks, during my
office hours, or when you see me around campus. 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)!
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Course Syllabus
Spring 2015
Class Schedule
Week
Date
Topic
Text
01
02
02
03
03
04
04
05
05
06
06
07
07
-08
08
09
09
10
10
11
11
12
12
13
13
14
1/22
1/27
1/29
2/3
2/5
2/10
2/12
2/17
2/19
2/24
2/26
3/3
3/5
-3/24
3/26
3/31
4/2
4/7
4/9
4/14
4/16
4/21
4/23
4/28
4/30
5/5
Overview and Syllabus
History and Cognitive Methods
Cognition and the Brain (Quiz today)
Attention
Attention
Pattern Recognition
Pattern Recognition
EXAM 1
Working Memory
Working Memory
Long Term Memory
Long Term Memory
No Class
SPRING BREAK
Knowledge
Knowledge
EXAM 2
Mental Imagery
Mental Imagery
Problem Solving
Problem Solving
Reasoning
Reasoning
Decision Making
Decision Making
Review and Final Assignment
EXAM 3
Ch1
Ch1
Ch2
Ch3
Ch3
Ch4
Ch4



Ch5
Ch5
Ch6
Ch6
Ch7
Ch7
Ch8
Ch8
Ch11
Ch11
Ch12
Ch12
Ch13
Ch13
Optional review sessions are Mondays 2/16, 3/30, and 5/4 pm from 4-5 pm in Judd 116.
Extra credit talk is Tuesday 4/7 from 12-1 pm in PAC 001; paper is due by class on 4/16.
Final paper is due to my Judd Hall mailbox on Tuesday 5/12 by 5 pm.
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