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PSYCO 367 A1 Perception Spring 2018
Lecture Room & Time: M/T/W/R/F, 10:30-11:40 am (T 3-65) Instructor: James Farley
Office: BS-P-551
E-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: TBA
Course Description: An introduction to theoretical and experimental issues associated with sensory and perceptual experience.
Course Prerequisites: PSYCO 275 or 258.
Course Objectives and Expected Learning Outcomes: This course expands upon basic concepts related to sensation/perception introduced in previous courses offered by the department, including the relationship between the physical properties of stimuli and how these relate to perceptual experience, the anatomy/physiology of the sense organs, and the neural mechanisms associated with their processing. Issues related to basic and applied sensation/perception research will also be discussed.
Required Textbook: Goldstein, E. B., & Brockmole, J. R. (2017). Sensation and Perception (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. [ISBN 9781337346955]
Lecture Schedule & Assigned Readings
Week Of… Topic Readings
May 7… Introduction to Perception, Neural Processing Ch. 1/3 May 14… Cortical Organization, Visual Attention Ch. 4/6 May 21st, 10:30 am: Midterm 1
May 21… Taking Action, Perceiving Motion Ch. 7/8
May 28… Perceiving Colour, The Cutaneous Senses Ch. 9/14 June 4th, 10:30 am: Midterm 2
June 4… Hearing 1, Hearing 2 Ch. 11/12
June 11th… The Chemical Senses Ch. 15
2 Grade Distribution:
Evaluation Weighting Date
Proposal 10% Due June 11th
Midterm 1 25% May 21st
Midterm 2 30% June 4th
Final Exam 35% *** June 14th
** There is no possibility of a re-examination in this course (because the final exam weight is less than 40%)
*** WARNING: Students must verify the date on Bear Tracks when the Final Exam Schedule is posted
Proposal:
Each student will complete one assignment in the style of a brief research proposal. This will involve proposing a new perception experiment, with a clearly defined hypothesis and methodology for testing it. More detailed instructions will be provided on e-class.
Papers should not exceed 3 pages in length (double-spaced) and are due Monday June 11th (by 11:59 pm). Late submission will lose 10% per day, starting at midnight. For example, any paper submitted on June 12th will lose 10%, etc.
Past or Representative Evaluative Material: Sample exam questions will be provided on e-class before the first midterm.
Format of Exams:
Exam will consist of a mixture of multiple choice and short-answer questions. The final exam will be cumulative.
Grade Evaluation: Grades will be assigned in percentages and will be converted to letter grades based on the below table. However, note that your final grades will be calculated in accordance with University of Alberta letter grading system and will reflect your performance in relation to the rest of the class. This means that adjustments may be applied as necessary so that student’s demonstrated performance reflects the appropriate letter grade as specified by Calendar. Grades are unofficial until approved by the
Department and/or Faculty offering the course.
3 Approximate Grade Cutoffs
Letter Approximate % Pts Descriptor
A+ 92 – 100% 4.0
Excellent
A 88 – 91.99% 4.0
A- 84 – 87.99% 3.7
B+ 78 – 83.99% 3.3
Good
B 74 – 77.99% 3.0
B- 70 – 73.99% 2.7
C+ 65 - 69.99% 2.3
Satisfactory
C 60 – 64.99% 2.0
C- 55 – 59.99% 1.7
D+ 53 – 54.99% 1.3 Poor
D 50 – 52.99% 1.0 Minimal Pass
F or F4 0 – 49.99% 0 Failure
Missed Term Exams and Assignments:
A student who cannot write an examination or complete a term assignment due to incapacitating illness, severe domestic affliction or other compelling reasons can apply for a deferral. In all cases, instructors may request adequate documentation to substantiate the reason for the absence at their discretion. Deferral of term work is a privilege and not a right; there is no guarantee that a deferral will be granted. Misrepresentation of Facts to gain a deferral is a serious breach of the Code of Student Behaviour. At the discretion of the instructor, a student granted a midterm deferral can either i) write the missed exam on an alternate day (determined by the instructor), or ii) have the weight associated with that midterm reallocated towards their final exam.
Deferred Final Examination:
A student who cannot write the final examination due to incapacitating illness, severe domestic affliction or other compelling reasons can apply for a deferred final
examination. Students who failed at the start of term to request exam accommodations for religious beliefs are expected to follow the normal deferred final examination process.
Such an application must be made to the student’s Faculty office within two working days of the missed examination and must be supported by appropriate documentation or a Statutory Declaration
(http://calendar.ualberta.ca/content.php?catoid=20&navoid=4939#Attendance).
Deferred examinations are a privilege and not a right; there is no guarantee that a deferred examination will be granted. Misrepresentation of Facts to gain a deferred examination is a serious breach of the Code of Student Behaviour. Those who are granted a deferral for the final exam will write it on Friday June 29th, at 2 pm.
Student Responsibilities:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: "The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the
provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.governance.ualberta.ca) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism,
4 misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University."
All forms of dishonesty are unacceptable at the University. Any offence will be reported to the Associate Dean of Science who will determine the disciplinary action to be taken.
Cheating, plagiarism and misrepresentation of facts are serious offences. Anyone who engages in these practices will receive at minimum a grade of zero for the exam or paper in question and no opportunity will be given to replace the grade or redistribute the weights. As well, in the Faculty of Science the sanction for cheating on any examination will include a disciplinary failing grade (NO EXCEPTIONS) and senior students should expect a period of suspension or expulsion from the University of Alberta.
EXAMS: Your student photo I.D. is required at exams to verify your identity. Students will not be allowed to begin an examination after it has been in progress for 30 minutes.
Students must remain in the exam room until at least 30 minutes has elapsed. Electronic equipment cannot be brought into examination rooms and hats should not be worn.
CELL PHONES: Cell phones are to be turned off during lectures, labs and seminars.
Cell phones are not to be brought to exams.
STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR ACCESSIBILITY-RELATED
ACCOMMODATIONS (students registered with Student Accessibility Services - SAS): Eligible students have both rights and responsibilities with regard to accessibility- related accommodations. Consequently, scheduling exam accommodations in accordance with SAS deadlines and procedures is essential. Please note adherence to procedures and deadlines is required for U of A to provide accommodations. Contact
SAS (www.ssds.ualberta.ca) for further information.
STUDENT SUCCESS CENTRE: Students who require additional help in developing strategies for better time management, study skills or examination skills should contact the Student Success Centre (2-300 Students’ Union Building).
RECORDING AND/OR DISTRIBUTION OF COURSE MATERIALS: Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
Policy about course outlines can be found in the University Calendar (Evaluation_Procedures_and_Grading_System).
Disclaimer: Any typographical errors in this Course Outline are subject to change and will be announced in class. The date of the final examination is set by the Registrar and takes precedence over the final examination date reported in this syllabus.
Copyright: James Farley Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta (2018)
