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PSYCO 367 B1 Perception Winter 2018
Instructor: James Farley Office: BS-P-551
E-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: TBA
Lecture Room & Time: Tues/Thurs, 2-3:20 pm (CCIS 1-160)
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.
Lecture Schedule & Assigned Readings
Week Dates Topic Readings
1 Jan 9, 11 Introduction to Perception Ch. 1
2 Jan 16, 18 Beginnings of Perceptual Process Ch. 2
3 Jan 23, 25 Neural Processing Ch. 3
4 Jan 30, Feb 1 Cortical Organization Ch. 4
5 Feb 6, 8 Objects and Scenes Ch. 5
6 Feb 13 Midterm #1
Feb 15 Visual Attention Ch. 6
7 Feb 20, 22 Reading Week (no classes)
8 Feb 27, March 1 Ch. 6 cont., Taking Action Ch. 6/7
9 March 6, 8 Perceiving Motion, Colour Ch. 8/9
10 March 13 Ch. 9 cont., Perceiving Depth/Size Ch. 9/10 March 15 Midterm #2
11 March 20 Hearing I: Basic Processes Ch.11
March 22 Ch. 11. cont., Hearing II Ch.11/12 12 March 27, 29 Ch. 12 cont., Speech Perception Ch.12/13
13 April 3 Proposal Due
April 3, 5 The Cutaneous Senses Ch.14
14 April 10, 12 The Chemical Senses Ch.15
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2 Required Textbook: Goldstein, E. B., & Brockmole, J. R. (2017). Sensation and Perception (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. [ISBN 9781337346955]
Representative Evaluative Material: Sample exam questions will be provided on e- class.
Grade Evaluation
EXAMS WEIGHTING DATE
Midterm #1 25% Feb 13th
Midterm #2 30% March 15th
Assignment 10% April 3rd
Final Exam 35%** April 23rd ***
** 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 BearTracks when the Final Exam Schedule is posted
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 the University Calendar. Grades are unofficial until approved by the Department and/or Faculty offering the course.
Approximate Grade Cutoffs
Letter Approximate % Pts Descriptor
A+ 92 – 100% 4.0
A 88 – 91.99% 4.0
A- 84 – 87.99% 3.7
Excellent
B+ 78 – 83.99% 3.3
B 74 – 77.99% 3.0
B- 70 – 73.99% 2.7
Good
C+ 65 - 69.99% 2.3
C 60 – 64.99% 2.0
C- 55 – 59.99% 1.7
Satisfactory
D+ 53 – 54.99% 1.3 Poor
D 50 – 52.99% 1.0 Minimal Pass
F or F4 0 – 49.99% 0 Failure
Format of Exams:
Exam will consist of a mixture of multiple choice and short-answer questions. The final exam will be cumulative.
3 Proposal:
Each student will complete one term paper in the style of a research proposal. This will consist of identifying a potentially productive direction for future sensation/perception research in some applied context. This direction should be supported by prior research, along with a clearly defined hypothesis and methodology for testing it. More detailed instructions, along with a rubric, will be provided on e-class. Papers should not exceed 10 pages in length (double-spaced) and are due April 3rd (by 11:59 pm). Late submission will lose 10% per day, starting at midnight. For example, any paper submitted on April 4th will lose 10%, any paper submitted on April 5th will lose 20%, etc.
Missed Term Exams and Assignments:
For an excused absence where the cause is religious belief, a student must contact the instructor(s) within two weeks of the start of Fall or Winter classes to request
accommodation for the term (including the final exam, where relevant). Instructors may request adequate documentation to substantiate the student request.
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.Those who are granted a deferral for the first midterm will write it on February 28th at 1 pm. Those who are granted a deferral for the second midterm will write it on April 4th at 1 pm.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.
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 May 23rd at 1 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, 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."
4 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
(http://calendar.ualberta.ca/content.php?catoid=6&navoid=806&hl="syllabus"&returnto=
search - 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 (2017)
