Spring 2014
MW 11:00-12:15
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. (2011). Cognitive
Psychology: Connecting mind,
research, and everyday (3rd ed.).
ISBN: 987-0-840-0355-0
Learning Outcomes
1) Develop and demonstrate critical thinking skills and metacognitive skills
2) Understand and articulate the connection between the physical brain and
cognitive processes
3) 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
4) Understand and articulate how sensory perceptions interacts with
cognition in unusual/unintended ways
5) Understand and apply the knowledge and limitations of attention
6) Understand the ways in which the human mind represents knowledge
7) Understand and apply principles of long-term memory and working
memory
8) Understand how brain physiology, experience, and other influences may
alter cognitive functioning
9) Understand and articulate the function of executive processes,
metacognition, and their connection to brain damage and learning disabilities
10) Understand the links between bilingualism, working memory, and
executive processes
11) Understand how emotion influences cognition, including memory,
attention, and mental health
12) Understand influences on decision-making and principles of better
decision-making
13) Understand the nature and applications of reasoning and improve logical
and reasoning skills
14) Apply knowledge of cognitive psychology to everyday life and improve
metacognition skills
15) 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
Biological Psychology
Important Dates
1/24 – Last day to add a course
2/7 – Last day to drop a course w/o it
appearing on transcript
3/7 – Last day to drop a course w/o
academic penalty
EXAM Dates
EXAM DATES:
Exam 1: 2/12
Exam 2: 3/10
Exam 3: 4/14
Exam 4: 5/5
Assignment Due Dates:
Assignment 1: 3/8, 8pm
Assignment 2: 3/31, 10:30am
Assignment 3: 11/25, 10:30am
RELATION OF COURSE TO INSTITUTIONAL TARGETS AND GOALS
1) Intellectual engagement: Students will learn core concepts and findings in cognitive psychology, and will think
about and critically evaluate issues relevant to cognitive psychology and interpretations of cognitive psychology by the
general public.
2) Spiritual formation: Students will consider the interconnection between cognitive processes and the spiritual life
of individuals.
3) Professional excellence: Students will develop understanding of human nature from a cognitive perspective.
Students will learn and further develop writing and research skills as relevant to cognitive psychology.
4) Sociocultural responsiveness: 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 prejudice.
5) Responsible stewardship: 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:
For students with documented medical or psychological disabilities, please contact the Coordinator of Disability
Services to request accommodations. The Coordinator of Disability Services is located in the Counseling Center on the
second floor of the Scott Academic Center and can be reached at extension 4489 or by email at
disabilityservices@vanguard.edu
For students with a documented learning disability who would like to request appropriate accommodations should
contact Barbi Rouse, Director of Learning Skills, Scott Academic Center second floor, 714-619-6478,
barbi.rouse@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, 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 four unit exams (100 points each), 15
CogLab assignments, (10 points each), 15 online quizzes three projects (10 points each), three assignments, as well as
attendance and participation. Point totals will be posted throughout the term to enable you to track your.
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
(family emergency, hospitilazation).
2) CogLab (10 points each, 150 points total)
There will be fifteen 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 fifteen 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
10:30am on the due date (see syllabus for due dates). The link for accessing CogLab is https://coglab.cengage.com
Biological Psychology
3) Online quizzes (10 points each, 150 points total)
There will be fifteen 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 10:30am 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 and Participation (145 points total)
Attendance (95 pts) and participation (50 pts) are important to your learning in this class. Your on-time presence
(within the first five minutes of class) for the full class period will result in 5 point being award for every lecture you
attend, for a total of 150 points.
5) Assignments (105 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 2 (25 pts)
Assignment 2: Summary of Research Article (30 pts)
Assignment 3: TED Talk Summary (50 pts)
LATE POLICY:
Any assignment, including online quizzes and CogLab, that is submitted after the deadline will be considered
late and will be worth ½ credit. No credit will be given for work turned in more than 24 hrs past the due date.
HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR GRADE: Exams (4x100): 400 points
15 CogLabs (15x10): 150 points
15 Online Quizzes (15x10): 150 points
Assignments: 105 points
Attendance (5 points per lecture): 95 points
Participation: 50 points
Total: 1000 points
Biological 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
Lecture Topic
Reading
1/13
1/15
1/20
1/22
Course Overview
Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
NO CLASS: Martin Luther King Day
Cognitive Neuroscience
None
Ch. 1 (pp. 2 – 21)
3
1/27
Cognitive Neuroscience
Ch. 2 (pp. 36 – 45)
4
1/29
2/3
Perception
Perception
Ch. 3 (pp. 46 – 66)
Ch. 3 (pp. 66 – 79)
5
2/5
2/10
Attention
Attention
Ch. 4 (pp. 80 - 98)
Ch. 4 (pp. 98 - 113)
2/12
2/17
2/19
2/24
2/26
Exam 1 (Ch. 1-4)
NO CLASS: President’s Day
Short-term and Working Memory
Short-term and Working Memory
Long-term Memory: Structure
Ch. 5 (pp. 114-130)
Ch. 5 (pp. 130-145)
Ch. 6 (pp. 146-157)
3/3
3/10
3/12
Long-term Memory: Encoding &
Retrieval
Long-term Memory: Encoding &
Retrieval
Exam 2 (Ch. 5-7)
Everyday Memory and Memory Errors
3/17
3/19
3/24
3/26
NO CLASS: Spring Recess
NO CLASS: Spring Recess
Everyday Memory and Memory Errors
Knowledge
Ch. 8 (pp. 222-237)
Ch. 9 (pp. 238-249)
3/31
Knowledge
Ch. 9 (pp. 250-267)
4/2
Visual Imagery
Ch. 10 (pp. 268-279)
4/7
4/9
4/14
4/16
Visual Imagery
Language
Exam 3 (Ch. 8-10)
Language
Ch. 10 (pp. 279-291)
Ch. 11 (pp. 292-304)
4/21
4/23
4/28
Problem Solving
Problem Solving
Reasoning and Decision Making
Ch. 12 (pp. 324-339)
Ch. 12 (pp. 340-357)
Ch. 13 (pp. 358-374)
4/30
Reasoning and Decision Making
Ch. 13 (pp. 375-389)
5/5
EXAM 4, 10:30am-12:30pm
(Ch. 11-13)
1
2
6
7
8
3/5
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Biological Psychology
Ch. 2 (pp. 22 – 36)
Assignment
CogLab and Quiz: Signal
Detection Theory
CogLab and Quiz: Brain
Symmetry
CogLab and Quiz: Muller-Lyer
Illusion
CogLab and Quiz: Stroop Effect
CogLab and Quiz: Change
Detection
CogLab and Quiz: Memory Span
CogLab and Quiz: Serial
Position
Ch. 7 (pp. 170-187)
Ch. 7 (pp. 187-201)
Ch. 8 (pp. 202-222)
Ch. 11 (pp. 304-323)
CogLab and Quiz: Encoding
Specificity
Assignment 1: Due 3/8 at 8pm
CogLab and Quiz: Memory
Judgment
CogLab and Quiz: Absolute
Identification
Assignment 2: Research
Summary
CogLab and Quiz: Mental
Rotation
CogLab and Quiz: Link Word
CogLab and Quiz Due:
Lexical Decision
TED paper due
CogLab and Quiz: Typical
Reasoning
CogLab and Quiz: Decision
Making