Prof. Greg Francis
Four great mysteries
Introduction
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PSY 200
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Humans face four great mysteries about the
universe
1) Why is there something instead of nothing?
w  This is the domain of physics
Greg Francis
w  Most of us are not going to understand the ideas
Lecture 01
Four great mysteries.
Purdue University
Purdue University
Four great mysteries
●
●
Humans face four great mysteries about the
universe
2) How did life form?
Four great mysteries
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●
w  This question is addressed at the boundary between
chemistry and biology
Humans face four great
mysteries about the
universe
3) Why is there so much
diversity of life?
w  This is the domain of
biology
w  Evolution and natural
selection answer this
question
Purdue University
Purdue University
Four great mysteries
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Topics
Humans face four great mysteries about the universe
4) What is the basis of human intelligence and
consciousness?
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w  Cognitive psychology and neuroscience
w  Far from a complete answer
●
w  Lots of issues to discuss
●
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Discuss a sample of issues in cognitive
psychology / cognitive neuroscience
Try to relate cognitive psychology to
stories you may have heard in the popular
press
Identify how the topics can help you to be
a better person
Purdue University
PSY 200: Intro. to Cognitive Psychology
1
Prof. Greg Francis
Textbook
Topics
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There is no textbook
w What’s the deal with left and right brains?
●
Lecture notes are used instead
w Why does everyone love Prozac?
●
For example
w Why telephone operators seem rude.
w Why there is a gate at the first floor stairway
in the Psychology building.
●
If you want a book, borrow from a past
class
There are optional readings in the
syllabus
w Not for every subject
w What to do if you are drunk while studying for
an exam.
w What is the plural of walkman?
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Lecture vodcast
Lecture notes
●
Downloadable from the
Vodcast of the lectures will be provided
Prof. Greg Francis
●
●
class web page
Four great mysteries
Introduction
●
PSY 200
●
Humans face four great mysteries about the
universe
1) Why is there something instead of nothing?
!  This is the domain of physics
Greg Francis
!  Most of us are not going to understand the ideas
To me, these are a poor substitute for attending
lecture
Lecture 01
w Adobe Acrobat (pdf)
format
Four great mysteries.
Purdue University
Four great mysteries
●
w Reduced form (6 to a
page)
●
Humans face four great mysteries about the
universe
2) How did life form?
●
Purdue University
Four great mysteries
●
●
!  This question is addressed at the boundary between
chemistry and biology
Humans face four great
mysteries about the
universe
w  Often takes a few days
3) Why is there so much
diversity of life?
!  This is the domain of
biology
!  Evolution and natural
selection answer this
question
Purdue University
●
Topics
Humans face four great mysteries about the universe
4) What is the basis of human intelligence and
consciousness?
●
!  Cognitive psychology and neuroscience
!  Far from a complete answer
●
!  Lots of issues to discuss
w  Sound may not be very good
Purdue University
Four great mysteries
●
Links will be posted on the class web page as the
vodcasts become available
●
Discuss a sample of issues in cognitive
psychology / cognitive neuroscience
Try to relate cognitive psychology to
stories you may have heard in the popular
press
Identify how the topics can help you to be
a better person
Purdue University
Purdue University
PSY 200: Intro. to Cognitive Psychology
1
Purdue University
Purdue University
Course web page
Course outline
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Syllabus on the web
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Neuroscience -- EXAM (17%)
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http://www.psych.purdue.edu/~gfrancis/Classes/PSY200/indexS16.html
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Perception, Attention & Memory -- EXAM (17%)
w updates to the syllabus
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Memory & Mental representation -- Exam (17%)
w links to labs
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Language -- Exam (17%)
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Reasoning
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Cumulative Final (17%)
w Study guides for the exams
w Links to optional readings
w Grades will be posted after the first exam
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This course does not use Blackboard
Purdue University
Purdue University
PSY 200: Intro. to Cognitive Psychology
2
Prof. Greg Francis
Exams
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CogLab
Mix of multiple choice and short answer
w Students are often surprised at how much
detail is expected in the short answer
questions
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Homework
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You participate in classic experiments
Total lab grade contributes to 15% of your class
grade.
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Detailed study guides will be provided at
least one week in advance of an exam
Grade is based solely on completing the
experiment, not on the quality of the data
●
Beware the scheduling of the final exam!
w The exam is during the final exam week
w There are few excuses for changing the date
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CogLab
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●
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Purdue University
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w  98% -100% A+
w  93% - 97% A
They must be completed by 6:00 am at the date
indicated in the syllabus
w  90% - 92% Aw  88% - 89% B+
w  else you get no credit
w  83% - 87% B
w  Better to do it the night before
w  80% - 82% Bw  78% - 79% C+
Since I wrote CogLab, you get access to the
experiments for free
w  73% - 77% C
w  70% - 72% C-
w  (a $50 value!)
●
See handout for instructions on getting started
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Registration code is on a label on the instructions
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First lab is due at 6:00 am on Wednesday!
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w  68% - 69% D+
w  63% - 67% D
w  60% - 62% Dw  0% - 59% F
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No rounding up: 82.99 is a B-
Grading
Average
Max
Min
Last semester’s grades (Fall 2015)
E1
74.1
96
42
E2
69.1
98
24
E3
74.6
94
28
Purdue University
Grading
E4
85.0
100
47
Final
76.6
97
47
CogLab%
79.1
100
0
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Last semester’s grades (Fall 2015)
A
B
C
D
F
120.00
Final class grade
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Grading
Straight scale
Labs are listed on the syllabus
100.00
80.00
Frequency
11
30
27
14
10
60.00
40.00
20.00
0.00
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
120.00
CogLab score
Purdue University
Purdue University
PSY 200: Intro. to Cognitive Psychology
3
Prof. Greg Francis
Instructor office hours
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Teaching assistant
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 2:00 - 3:00 pm
w Or by appointment
w Psych 3186
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Grade exams
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Keep track of grades
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Have office hours
w Email: gfrancis@purdue.edu
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Purdue University
Teaching assistant
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Amber Hunnewell
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Office: Peirce Hall, Room 264
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Office hours:
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Attitude
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w Monday and Wednesday 10:30-11:30 am
w Thursday 12-p pm
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May provide out-of-class study sessions
for exams
During lectures: turn off cell phones, don’t read newspapers, don’t
play games
Questions are always welcome. I can adjust my lecturing pace
accordingly
Print out the lectures and bring them to class. Take notes during
class. Not everything is on the slides.
●
Everything we talk about in class is important
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This class is an introductory class, but that does not mean it is easy
w  It’s like Introduction to Physics or Introduction to Chemistry
Email: ahunnewe@purdue.edu
w  Almost every other subtopic in psychology depends on the ideas in
cognitive psychology
w  Everything is at least 10,000 times more complicated than what we
discuss
●
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If you don’t find a topic interesting, just wait a week
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Next time
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Cognitive neuroscience
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The brain
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The modularity hypothesis
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CogLab on Brain asymmetry due!
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What’s the deal with left and right brains?
Purdue University
PSY 200: Intro. to Cognitive Psychology
4