Psyc. 375 Cognitive Psych.
Course Overview for Fall, 2007
class time and place: sect 1: Tue., Thur., 12:15-1:30 S 323
sect. 31: Tue., 7:05-9:45 S 311
Instructor: Dr. Linda Rueckert
office: Science - 307C
phone: 442-5841
email: L-Rueckert@neiu.edu
office hours: Tue. 1:30-3:30; Thu. 1:30-3:30 pm or by appointment
Texts:
Galotti, K. M., (2007). Cognitive Psychology In and Out of the Laboratory, 4th edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
Francis, G. & Neath, I. Coglab Online with Access Code, version 2.0. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
**Important: Do not buy a used version of the Coblab manual – it contains a security code that you need to access the web site, and a used security code will not work.
Course Objectives:
The purpose of this course is to introduce you to Cognitive Psychology, the study of thinking, consciousness, and the mind. We will cover a wide variety of topics, including learning and memory, language, reasoning, decision making, cognitive neuropsychology, and artificial intelligence. You will learn about these topics through the lecture, in-class discussion, and several demonstrations.
Course Requirements:
Exams 150 pts
There will be 3 exams; 2 during regular class periods, and one final, each worth 50 points. They will be a combination of multiple-choice, short answer, and essay questions. They will cover both the lecture and assigned reading. Exams must be taken on the assigned date. In rare cases an exam may be taken early, but no late exams will be given. There are copies of old exams on the Web, but remember that the topics and format may vary somewhat from last year.
Paper 50 pts
Students must write one 8 to 10 page paper, on any topic that is covered in class. A more detailed description of requirements for the paper is on the web site. The paper must be written in APA style. If you don't know APA style, you should not be in this class.
Late papers will have 2 points deducted per day they are late. If you are unhappy with the grade you receive on the paper, you may re-write it and turn it in for a better grade, but no re-writes will be accepted after the last day of class.
Homework 60 pts
There will be occasional homework assignments, usually worth 10 pts. each. Most will be based on CogLab experiments. They will be listed on the Web site. I may or may not mention them in class, so you must monitor the web site. Anything you turn in must be typed, double-spaced.
No late homework will be accepted after we have gone over it in class. If you cannot make it to class, have a friend bring it, or leave it in my mailbox (Psych. Dept. office Science-313F). You can also email it to me either as plain text or as an MS Word attachment. Psychology Dept. policy says that students may not fax homework.
Attendance is not required for this class. However, if you miss class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed, and to get any missed assignments to me by the due date. Because you can get extra credit for class participation, I will take attendance at the beginning of each class.
Extra Credit
Participation in classroom discussion and demonstrations is essential to obtaining the full benefits of this class. Therefore, students can earn up to 5 extra credit points for in-class participation.
An additional 5 points can be earned by participating in research experiments being conducted by Northeastern faculty (1 point per half hour of participation).
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Grades will be determined based on the total number of points accrued in the following manner:
234 - 260: A
208 - 233: B
182 - 207: C
156 - 181: D
below 156: F