Spring 2015
MW 4:00-5:15
Cognitive
Psychology
PSYC 449
Instructor: Michael Hanna, PhD
E-Mail: michael.hanna@vanguard.edu
Voice Mail: (949) 236-7062
Office: Psychology 106
Office Hours: MW 1-2pm,
TTh 2-3pm, & by appointments
Course Description
Required Text:
Topics course examines various human cognitive processes including
perception, memory, attention, problem solving, thinking, hemispheric
specialization, language, and memory. Prerequisite: PSYC 340
Goldstein, E.B. (2014). Cognitive
Psychology: Connecting mind,
research, and everyday (4th ed.).
ISBN: 987-1-285-76388-0
Learning Outcomes
1. Understand and articulate the connection between the physical brain and
cognitive processes
2. Understand and articulate how perception provides building blocks of
cognition and interacts with existing knowledge to form representations
in bottom-up and top-down processes
3. Understand and articulate how sensory perceptions interacts with
cognition in unusual and unintended ways
4. Understand and apply the knowledge and limitations of attention
5. Learn and apply principles of long-term memory and working memory
6. Learn techniques to improve memory retention and retrieval
7. Understand the faulty and constructive nature of memory
8. Understand how brain physiology, experience, and other influences may
alter cognitive functioning
9. Understand and articulate the function of executive processes and their
connection to brain damage and learning disabilities
10. Learn and understand how the brain represents categories and knowledge
in the brain
11. Understand how visual imagery is processed and represented in the brain
12. Understand influences on decision-making and principles of better
decision-making
13. Understand how emotion influences cognition, including memory,
attention, and decision making processes
14. Understand the nature and applications of reasoning and improve logical
and reasoning skills
15. Apply knowledge of cognitive psychology to everyday life and improve
metacognition skills
16. Learn to think about and critically evaluate issues relevant to cognitive
psychology
Relation of Course to the Psychology Major:
Cognitive Psychology represents an important area of psychology and is
required for psychology majors.
Cognitive Psychology
Important Dates
1/23 – Last day to add a course
1/23 – Last day to drop a course w/o
it appearing on transcript
3/6 – Last day to drop a course w/o
academic penalty
EXAM Dates
EXAM DATES:
Exam 1: 2/18
Exam 2: 3/9
Exam 3: 4/13
Exam 4: 5/4
Assignment Due Dates:
Assignment 1: 2/14, 8pm
Assignment 2: 4/6, 3:30am
Assignment 3: 4/22, 3:30pm
RELATION OF COURSE TO INSTITUTIONAL STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1) Integration of Faith and Learning: Cognitive Psychology will help students consider the interconnection between
cognitive processes and the spiritual life of individuals.
2) Cultural Competency and Citizenship: Students will explore the role of culture in shaping individual cognitive
processes, and the role of individual level cognitive mechanisms in macro-level cultural processes, such as cognitive
mechanisms of stereotypes.
3) Communication: Students will learn and further develop writing and research skills. Students will communicate the
findings of current cognitive research.
4) Critical Thinking: Students will develop an understanding of human nature from a cognitive perspective. Students
will learn core concepts and findings in cognitive psychology, and will think about and critically evaluate issues
relevant to cognitive psychology.
5) Holistic Living: Cognitive psychology will help students to acquire the body of knowledge regarding the role of
cognition and emotion in personally and socially relevant decision making, and to exercise the skill of critical thinking
useful for making decisions regarding personal, family, church, business, and societal matters.
DISABILITY SERVICES:
The Disability Services Office offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with
disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your
instructor(s) and the Disability Services Office. If you have not yet established services through the Disability
Services Office, but have a temporary or permanent disability that requires accommodations (this can include but not
limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impairments), you are welcome
to contact the Disability Services Office at 714-619-6484 or disabilityservices@vanguard.edu
CLASSROOM DIVERSITY STATEMENT:
As students and faculty at Vanguard University of Southern California, and foremost as Christian believers, we
endeavor to communicate with honesty and confidentiality, to speak with encouraging and edifying words, and to
create a safe environment where we shelter one another with love when vulnerabilities arise. This classroom intends to
foster a Christ-centered community that promotes appreciation and respect for individuals, enhances the potential of its
members, and values differences in gender, ethnicity, race, abilities, national origins, and generation.
MOODLE:
I will be using Moodle to post PowerPoint slides, study guides, handouts, and grades. Online quizzes and assignments
will also be submitted through Moodle. You can access this course from your MyVU account.
EVALUATION:
Your grade is determined by the total number of points you have at the end of the semester, regardless of the points of
other students. Your final course grade will be determined on the basis of 4 unit exams (100 points each), 12 CogLab
assignments, (10 points each), 12 online quizzes (10 points each), 3 assignments (175 points), as well as attendance
and participation (185 points). Point totals will be posted throughout the term to enable you to track your grade.
1) Four Unit Exams (100 points each, 400 points total)
The unit exams will cover text material, lectures, videos and other class material. Each exam will include 50 multiple
choice questions (2 points per question). Makeup exams will only be granted in the event of extenuating circumstances
such as documented hospitalization.
2) CogLab (10 points each, 120 points total)
There will be twelve online CogLabs required for this course. CogLab is an online learning component created by the
publisher of the textbook that helps to enliven the textbook content and illustrates how empirical research gives rise to
new advances in cognitive psychology. Therefore, you will need a new version of the textbook that includes an online
access code for CogLab. You will be required to complete the twelve CogLabs online and submit their data to the class
“group” data. The link for each CogLab will be posted on Moodle. The deadline for completing each CogLab is
3:30pm on the due date (see syllabus for due dates). The link for accessing CogLab is https://coglab.cengage.com
Cognitive Psychology
3) Online quizzes (10 points each, 120 points total)
There will be twelve online quizzes posted on Moodle. The quizzes will cover content relevant to that day’s CogLab as
well as reading from the textbook. Each quiz is due by 3:30pm on the due date (see syllabus for due dates). It is
expected that students complete the online quizzes independently, without help from their classmates, as a matter of
academic integrity and honesty. You may consult your textbook or class notes in the process of completing quizzes.
4) Attendance (125 points total)
Your on-time presence (within the first five minutes of class) for the full class period will result in 5 point being
awarded for every lecture you attend, for a total of 125 points.
5) Participation (60 points total)
Participation is important to your learning in this class. Participation points will evaluated and awarded every four
weeks (15 points every 4 weeks). Cell phone use and/or computer use during class will result in loss of participation
points.
6) Assignments (150 points total)
There will be three assignments for this class. The due dates for each are listed in the syllabus.
Assignment 1: Generation of Multiple-Choice Questions for Exam 1 (25 pts)
Assignment 2: Summary of Research Article (50 pts)
Assignment 3: TED Talk Summary (100 pts)
LATE POLICY:
Any assignment, including CogLab, that is submitted after the deadline will be considered late and will be worth
! credit. No credit will be given for work turned in more than 24 hrs past the due date. No credit will be given
for online quizzes submitted after the deadline.
EXTRA CREDIT:
There will be an extra credit quiz on 3/30 covering the reading for that lecture.
HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR GRADE: !
Exams (4x100): 400 points
12 CogLabs (12x10): 120 points
12 Online Quizzes (12x10): 120 points
Assignments: 175 points
Attendance (5 points per lecture): 125 points
Participation: 60 points
Total: 1000 points
!
!
!
Cognitive Psychology
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Score
930 –1000 pts
900 – 929 pts
870 – 899 pts
830 – 869 pts
800 – 829 pts
770 – 799 pts
730 – 769 pts
700 – 729 pts
670 – 699 pts
630 – 669 pts
600 – 629 pts
599 or lower
Percentage
93%-100%
90%-92.9%
87%-89.9%
83%-86.9%
80%-82.9%
77%-79.9%
73%-76.9%
70%-72.9%
67%-69.9%
63%-66.9%
60%-62.9%
< 59.9%
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Week Date
1
1/12
1/14
2
1/19
1/21
Lecture Topic
Reading
Course Overview
Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
NO CLASS: Martin Luther King Day
Cognitive Neuroscience
None
Ch. 1 (pp. 3 – 22)
Ch. 2 (pp. 33 – 48)
Assignment
CogLab and Quiz: Signal
Detection Theory
4
1/26
1/28
2/2
Cognitive Neuroscience
Perception
Perception
Ch. 3 (pp. 51 – 62)
Ch. 3 (pp. 63 – 83)
5
2/4
2/9
Attention
Attention
Ch. 4 (pp. 85 - 104)
Ch. 4 (pp. 105 - 116)
2/11
2/16
2/18
2/22
Short-term and Working Memory
NO CLASS: President’s Day
Exam 1 (Ch. 1-4)
Short-term and Working Memory
Ch. 5 (pp. 119-132)
2/25
Long-term Memory: Structure
3/2
Ch. 7 (pp. 179-192)
3/9
3/11
3/16
3/18
3/23
Long-term Memory: Encoding &
Retrieval
Long-term Memory: Encoding &
Retrieval
Exam 2 (Ch. 5-7)
Everyday Memory and Memory Errors
NO Class: Spring Recess
NO Class: Spring Recess
Everyday Memory and Memory Errors
Ch. 8 (pp. 227-242)
CogLab and Quiz: Memory
Judgment
3/25
Knowledge
Ch. 9 (pp. 245-255)
CogLab and Quiz: Absolute
Identification
12
3/30
Knowledge
Ch. 9 (pp. 250-256)
Extra Credit Quiz
13
4/1
4/6
Visual Imagery
Visual Imagery
Ch. 10 (pp. 275-284)
Ch. 10 (pp. 284-295)
Assignment 2
4/8
Language
Ch. 11 (pp. 300-326)
4/13
4/15
4/20
4/22
4/27
Exam 3
Problem Solving
Problem Solving
Reasoning and Decision Making
Reasoning and Decision Making
Ch. 12 (pp. 335-348)
Ch. 12 (pp. 349-367)
Ch. 13 (pp. 369-377)
Ch. 13 (pp. 378-386)
4/29
Reasoning and Decision Making
Ch. 13 (pp. 387-401)
5/4
Exam 4 (Ch. 11-12) 3:30-5:30
3
6
7
8
3/4
9
10
11
14
15
16
Cognitive Psychology
CogLab and Quiz: Muller-Lyer
Illusion
CogLab and Quiz: Stroop Effect
CogLab and Quiz: Change
Detection
Assignment 1: Due 2/14 8pm
CogLab and Quiz: Memory Span
Ch. 5 (pp. 133-149)
Ch. 6 (pp. 151-175)
Ch. 7 (pp. 193-205)
CogLab and Quiz: Serial
Position
CogLab and Quiz: Encoding
Specificity
Ch. 8 (pp. 207-226)
CogLab and Quiz Due:
Lexical Decision
Assignment 3
CogLab and Quiz: Typical
Reasoning
CogLab and Quiz: Decision
Making