WESTERN UNIVERSITY
LONDON
CANADA
Department of Psychology
2014-2015
Psychology 2210B Section 001
Introduction to Animal Cognition
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
An introduction to animal cognition, including topics such as classical and operant conditioning,
memory, timing, and categorization.
Antirequisite: Psychology 2280E
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for
credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose
credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.
Prerequisite: At least 60% in a 1000 level Psychology course
3 lecture hours, 0.5 course
Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean
to enroll in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This
decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you
are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Krista Macpherson
Office and Phone Number: 647-261-4450, SSC 9331
Office Hours: Mondays 10am-12pm or by appointment
Email: kmacphe3@uwo.ca
There is a SAKAI site for this course. Important course information will be posted to that
site. Students are expected to visit the site to obtain course information. If you miss a
course component because you did not visit the website to get the information you will not be
excused from that component and you will receive a grade of zero on the component.
Teaching Assistant: Caroline Strang
Office: Contact the TA
Office Hours: Contact the TA
Email: cstrang@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Lectures: Mondays 2:30-4:30, Wednesdays 2:30-3:30 all in UCC 146
If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to
assist you. Please visit: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these
resources and on mental health.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any
other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Services
for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an
accommodation.
th
3.0 TEXTBOOK Michael Domjan, The Principles of Learning and Behavior, 7 Edition. This textbook is
mandatory for the course.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES The course will provide a general introduction to research and theory in
animal learning and cognition. Particular emphasis will be given to classical and instrumental learning, as
well as current research on cognitive capacities of animals.
5.0 EVALUATION There will be THREE tests, TWO given during the term and ONE during the exam
period. The tests will not be explicitly cumulative although you must retain and understand earlier
material in order to understand and discuss later material. The tests may include any or all of the
following formats: True/False, multiple choice, fill in the blank, short answer, essay. Correction factors
may be used, and if so will be announced and explained prior to a test.
Participation marks will also be awarded in this course, based on attendance and in-class participation.
Grades for this course will be weighted as follows:
nd
Exam 1 (February 2 , 2015): 30% of final grade
th
Exam 2 (March 16 , 2015): 30% of final grade
Final Exam:
35% of final grade
Participation:
5% of final grade
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to
conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following
averages:
70%and
-level
1000
2000-level courses
72% 2100
-2990
level courses
75% 3000
-level
courses
80% courses
-level
4000
The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines, which are as
follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):
A+
A
B
C
D
F
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
50-59
below 50
One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
Superior work that is clearly above average
Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
Competent work, meeting requirements
Fair work, minimally acceptable
Fail
6.0 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE See Section 7 below. A student is allowed to write a
make up test only if he/she has an acceptable medical or personal excuse. You must go to academic
counselling to provide information about why you are missing a test. Academic counselling will then
inform me as to whether they support the request to miss the test. If they support the request, you may
write a make up. If they do not support the request, you must write the scheduled test and if you do not
you will get a zero on the missed test.
7.0 LECTURE SCHEDULE Tentative and subject to change. The only way to know what was
covered in a particular lecture is to attend lectures. (Page numbers are for the Domjan text and
show the material that is related to what is planned for a particular lecture)
January 5
7
12
14
Course Outline and Domjan Chapter 1 (1-27)
Domjan Chapter 11 (307-310)
Domjan Chapter 2 (29-57)
Domjan Chapter 11 (310-316)
19
21
26
28
Domjan Chapter 3 (59-86)
Domjan Chapter 11 (328-340)
Continuation of Domjan Chapter 3 (59-86)
Domjan Chapter 12 (355-363)
TEST 1 ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2 WILL COVER MATERIAL FROM LECTURES OF JAN. 5 UP
THROUGH AND INCLUDING JANUARY 28. THE TEST WILL BE IN THE USUAL CLASSROOM
Feb
March
4
9
11
Guest lecture on social insects—Readings to be announced
Domjan Chapter 4 (87-120)
Domjan Chapter 11 (316-325)
16/18
NO CLASS
23
24
2
4
9
11
Domjan Chapter 5 (121-154)
Domjan Chapter 12 (349-355)
Domjan Chapter 6 (155-183)
Numerical Discrimination (Readings will be provided)
Continuation of Domjan Chapter 6 (155-183)
Domjan Chapter 12 (363-369)
TEST 2 ON MONDAY, MARCH 16 WILL COVER MATERIAL FROM LECTURES OF FEB. 4 UP
THROUGH AND INCLUDING MARCH 11. THE TEST WILL BE IN THE USUAL CLASSROOM.
March
April
18
23
25
30
1
6
8
Domjan Chapter 11 (325-328), Chapter 12 (343-349)
Domjan Chapter 8 (211-244)
Theory of Mind and Metamemory (Readings will be provided)
Domjan Chapter 9 (245-272)
Domjan Chapter 12 (370-371)
Domjan Chapter 10 (273-304)
Language in Non-Human Animals (Readings will be provided)
FINAL WILL COVER MATERIAL FROM LECTURES OF MARCH 18 UP THROUGH AND INCLUDING
APRIL 6
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and
other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they
undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are
described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholoff.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic
offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses
using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All
written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by
comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s
databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference
database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of
the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between The University of Western Ontario
and Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com).
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course,
suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergradresponsibilities.htm
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2013 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.