Psychology 329
Sensation and Perception
Summer Session II – 2012
M-F, 11:00am to 12:45pm
Room: Psychology 308
Instructor: Brian Roller
Office Hours: Psychology 127, T/Th 9:45-10:45am & Appointment
broller@email.arizona.edu
Supervising Faculty: Dr. John J.B. Allen
John.jb.Allen@arizona.edu
Subject Matter
This course will cover the different sensory systems of the body and how they interact
with the mind to create the world around us as we know it. Heavy emphasis will be
placed upon visual perception, but audition (hearing), the chemical senses (taste and
smell), and the cutaneous senses (touch) will also be covered. The goal of the course is
to give you a better understanding of how physical and chemical energy in the
environment are transformed into information the nervous system can use, and to learn
about how that information is used.
Prerequisites
The only prerequisite for this course is that you have completed some form of
introductory psychology, such as INDV 101, Psy 101/150A. However, I do not see these
prerequisites as crucial and will happily sign an override form for a student having
trouble enrolling in the present course due to not having completed one of these
introductory courses. Students with a background in neuroscience, biopsychology, or
cognitive psychology will probably be more successful than those who do not have such
a background. The first day of the course will involve a review of some research
methods concepts and ideas from the aforementioned field that will be a helpful start. I
have not done this in the past and students still performed well, but this should make the
course easier for all parties involved.
Required Text
“Sensation and Perception” – 8th Edition, Bruce Goldstein. We will be using this
textbook extensively throughout the course, so it is vital that you have a copy.
Lectures and Seminar
Class meets on weekdays from 11:00am to 12:45pm. Please arrive on time having
already completed the assigned reading. Although this is summertime, it is crucial that
you attend each lecture in its entirety. If you miss a lecture for whatever reason, it is your
responsibility to make up the material missed. Because the lecture period is nearly two
hours, there will be a break around the middle of class. I will post slides on D2L for you
to use.
Every Friday we will have a discussion of one or two seminal articles from the Sensation
& Perception literature, or another relevant reading or viewing assignment (such as a
TED talk) which will be assigned in advance. It is critical that you do the assigned
reading before class, and that you attend. Seeing as this is a group discussion, attendance
and participation is crucial because your absence hurts the quality and quantity of
discussion.
Quizzes
Rather than stressing students with several exams in a short period of time, we will have
a quiz at the start of the last class period each week before seminar. Each quiz will
contain material from the Monday through Wednesday of the current week, and the
Thursday of the previous week (except for the last quiz, see schedule below). This means
that you will not be quizzed on material less than 24 hours after being lectured on it.
Occasionally I will add material to lectures that is not covered in the text; this material
may also appear on quizzes. Each quiz will consist of 16 questions, however only 15 will
count toward your grade. This means that you can answer one question incorrectly and
still earn 100%, but that getting all 16 correct will not give you a score higher than 100%.
Extra Credit
Extra credit may be possible depending on available experiments – more information on
this will be provided as it becomes available. A maximum of 3 points (3% of grade) can
be received if available.
Final Exam
There will be a cumulative final exam consisting of 75 multiple choice questions and
some essay questions. It will be held on the last day of class (Thursday, August 9th).
Any material in lecture is fair game even if it is not in the textbook – there is no need to
ask “will this be on the exam?” because it could be unless I say otherwise.
Grading
Seminar participation: 10%
Quizzes: 50% (5 total, 10% each)
Final Exam: 40%
90-100: A, 80-89: B, 70-79: C, 60-69: D, < 60: E.
The grading system will not be altered. There are already extra credit opportunities
available and a buffer in each weekly quiz, so grades will not be rounded up. Grades will
only be changed as the result of errors in grading or record keeping. Grades will be
posted on D2L, making it easy for everyone to know where they stand in the course.
Seminar participation is a very easy way to earn points, and most students in the past
earned at least nine of ten points on this section. I also recommend reviewing older
material as the course progresses, as the final is cumulative.
Make up Policy
I will give make up quizzes in cases of illness or other unforeseen circumstances. I will
not give make up quizzes because taking the quiz with the rest of class is an
inconvenience.
If you are unable to attend on a seminar day for an excusable reason, you may make up
the points by writing a 1 page summary of the assignment that includes questions you
might have asked in seminar or other issues you would have likely raised or pointed out.
Students with Disabilities
Please discuss with me any issues that you may have involving the format or
requirements of this course. If formal disability accommodations are needed, it is
important that you be registered with the Disabilities Resource Center (621-3268 or
drc.arizona.edu) and let me know what reasonable accommodations you are eligible for.
We can then work out how to implement them in this course.
Academic Honesty
If you are not already familiar with the University of Arizona’s Code of Academic
Integrity, please visit deanofstudents.arizona.edu/codeofacademicintegrity. All cheating
will be prosecuted. Any cheating will result in failure of the course, and the Dean’s
office will be notified. If you suspect that someone is copying your answers on quizzes
or the final, please let me know. This can save you the headache of being accused should
I pick up on a pattern of answers. Additionally, any other forms of dishonesty used to
gain an advantage in the course (lying about excuse for absence, for example) will be
treated as cheating.
Another issue deals with quizzes from a previous iteration of the course. There is
considerable debate about whether or not it is ethical for students to look at past material
as a study aid. Students were not allowed to keep the final exam in the past, but there
may be copies of past quizzes floating around. I would not recommend that you try to
acquire and study them, as questions and wording will change. You may be doing
yourself a disservice by doing so.
Other Things You Should Know
Please write emails in a respectful manner. Emails ridden with text speak (u for you,
etc.) can be very difficult to understand. Please write in a respectful manner, paying
close attention to grammar and your writing. By being able to understand your question,
I can answer it correctly and quickly. In general, checking the syllabus first is a faster
way to answer many questions than contacting me. Please understand that I will do my
best to respond quickly to emails.
If there are issues that may present difficulties in this course other than disabilities (such
as you being a single parent, you take care of an ill relative, etc.) I encourage you to let
me know as much as you are comfortable with so that I am better prepared if you need
additional assistance, make-up quizzes, and so on.
If you feel you are being treated unfairly or having problems with the course, please
come to my office hours to discuss it with me in person. If you still feel the issue has not
been resolved, please contact my supervisor, Dr. Allen (contact information is at the top
of this syllabus).
Calendar and Tentative Reading Schedule
I reserve the right to change this schedule as the class progresses. There will be some
topics that may spill over into other class periods. There will be a review before the day
before the final.
Date:
Reading:
7-9-12
7-10-12
7-11-12
7-12-12
7-13-12
None
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
TBA, 1st day, Ch 1-2
Notes
Syllabus, Research methods &
neuro review
Intro to perception
Intro to physio of perception
Intro to Vision
Quiz, Seminar
7-16-12
7-17-12
7-18-12
7-19-12
7-20-12
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
TBA, Ch 3-6
The visual cortex and beyond!
Objects and Scenes
Visual Attention
Taking Action
Quiz, Seminar
7-23-12
7-24-12
7-25-12
7-26-12
7-27-12
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
TBA, Ch 7-10
Motion Perception
Color Perception
Depth and Size Perception
Sound, Auditory System, Pitch
Quiz, Seminar
7-30-12
7-31-12
8-1-12
8-2-12
8-3-12
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
TBA, Ch 11-13
Sound localization, aud. scene
Speech perception
The cutaneous senses
The chemical senses
Quiz, Seminar
8-6-12
8-7-12
8-8-12
Chapter 16
Ch 14-16, Everything
Everything
Perceptual development
Quiz, Final Exam Review
Final Exam