Sensation and Perception PSYC 230 (#11268) Instructor: Bryan R. Burnham, PhD Class Meetings: Tuesday & Thursday, 8:30AM to 9:45AM, AMH 212 Office: 206 Alumni Memorial Hall Phone: x6687 E-Mail: burnhamb2@scranton.edu Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday, 10:00AM to 11:30AM (sign up for office hours here), or by appointment Course page: http://sites.google.com/site/psyc230/ Homepage: http://academic.scranton.edu/faculty/BURNHAMB2/ Welcome! If you made it to the correct room and at the right time then your neurons are working and you have a good sense of perceiving your surroundings (i.e., you made it to Sensation & Perception). You will find that I am easy going and want to guide you in your education experience. I make myself as available as you need me to be so long as you put in some effort. Be prepared to be educated in my course and not simply to learn a bunch of facts. It is my goal to educate you so you can apply the experience gained here to daily life and, just maybe, see the world in a different light. This syllabus is a reference to any questions that may arise throughout the semester. If you have one that is not addressed in this syllabus, see me and I will discuss the issue with you. Sensation and perception are some of the oldest topics in psychological science; dating to Wundt, Titchener and James. However, the topics are not the easiest to grasp because there are many approaches to study and teach both sensation and perception (e.g., biological, psychological, physical, physiological etc.). I take the multimodal approach by teaching the biology, physiology, and psychology of both sensation and perception; and I also teach about the physics that give rise to sensation and perception. It is my hope you will learn how physical reality, sensation, and perception are interrelated, and humans are not just vessels for gray matter. Course Objectives: This course reviews the biological and physiological aspects of the sensory systems, the physics that elicit sensations and perceptions, and the psychological processes (perceptions) by which we organize our environments. By the end of the course, you will be familiar with important empirical findings from research on the sensory systems, perceptual information-processes, theories of perception, and the methodologies and techniques used to study sensory systems and perceptual experiences. Specific topics include history of perception, psychophycis, signal detection theory,cortical centers involved with sensation and perception, perceptual grouping, visual information processing, visual system, illusions, motion perception, color perception, depth perception, auditory system, sound as a physical and perceptual experience, language and speech perception,music perception, somatosensation, olfaction, and gustation. Disclaimer: This is a psychology course, but lot of the topics require discussion of biologic and neural underpinnings of sensory systems. If you want more biology in a course, I recommend taking Behavioral Neuroscience (PSYC 231); if you want less biology in a course, I recommend a change of major (i.e., biology is a major component and determinant of our psychology...duh!). Academic Honesty: Show your work, don’t cheat, don’t plagiarize! Any student in violation of the Code of Academic Honesty will receive an immediate and unalterable failing grade for the course and be directed to the proper administrative authority. Unless noted students are to work independently. Students must read, sign, and adhere to my Pledge of Academic Integrity.
Course Description (From current Undergraduate Catalog): Concerns the study of sensory mechanisms and perceptual phenomena. (Prerequisite: PSYC 110: Fundamentals of Psychology) Required Materials: Wolfe, J. M., Kluender, K. R., Levi, D. M.,...et al. (2009). Sensation & Perception, 2nd Ed.. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer. Attendance: Is taken but cannot count for you and will not count against you. If you do not attend regularly you will not do well because the concepts require discussion. Students are responsible for all material and announcements made in class, including missed classes. Expectations:
Evaluation: Your final grade will be based on the following:
Quizzes: Used to ensure you keep up with reading to understand basic definitions before we elaborate on them in class. Each quiz is based on the chapter for the topic we are about to cover, is given during the first 5–7 minutes of class (don’t be late), and is worth 5-points. The lowest quiz score covering chapters for each exam will be dropped and the remaining points from the quizzes will incorporated into each exam grade. There are no makeups (even with excuse). If you miss class it counts as the one dropped. Midterm exams: Consist of multiple-guess, diagrams, and short-answer questions based on material covered since the last test. I do not give makeups unless (i) a valid excuse is provided (ii) with documentation, (iii) before the test. If class is canceled on the day of a test it will be given during the following class. If class is canceled the meeting before a test it will be given as scheduled. Final exam: Same format as midterms, but ½ is on material covered during the last section of the semester and the remaining ½ covers important topics from the earlier sections in the semester. Thus, it is cumulative. Cannot be taken early; no exceptions! If postponed due to weather, students must take the final at the University designated rescheduling time. Plan accordingly. NOTICE ON ALL EXAMS—READ CAREFULLY—Approximately 10% of each exam will include text material (e.g., studies, basic terms) not directly covered in class, but was related to class topics. This suggests that you should read and be prepared to answer questions based on the text. This also suggests that you should not ask me whether it is necessary to buy the book...it is! Homework lab assignments: One component of this course is competency in procedures and techniques used to study sensory systems and perceptual processes. Homework involves demonstrations where you engage in tasks to collect data and then answer critical thinking questions related to the data. Assignments are posted on the website and use mainly the PsyCog CD. Download and complete assignments prior to due dates (see schedule). Each assignment is graded on a 0–10 point scale (late = 0). I am looking for thoroughness and accuracy of your answers to the questions and “cleanliness” of any collected data and graphs. Visual illusion project: Team assignment designed to foster knowledge in visual processing and how visual cues interact and cause misperceptions of physical reality. Working in teams you will create a working, original visual illusion, by incorporating visual cues to induce an illusion. Near the end of the semester and outside of regular class time, each team will present their display to students and faculty. A separate handout will be provided. Final grade: The weighted average of the Midterms, Final Exam, Homework Assignments, and Visual Illusion Project. This is your final average, which is compared to the distribution below to determine your letter grade and grade points. There is no grading curve.
“Increasing my Final Grade” because I blah, blah, blah... Policy: Don’t ask. Study Guide Policy: Start studying now. Extra Credit Policy: You can't have any. Discussion Boards: On the course page there is a link to a Google Discussion Group. You will all be invited to join this group for the semester. If you have a question or comment you would like others to see and help you with feel free to post. I also have a discussion topic called the “Suggestion Box” where you can post any suggestions that you want me to consider incorporating into class. Reasonable Accommodations: Students needing special accommodations are encouraged to see me as soon as possible. It is essential that students with disabilities register with the Office of Equity and Diversity (x6645) for accommodations. To receive the appropriate accommodations, students with disabilities must register with the CTLE. Contact Mary Ellen Pichiarello (x4039) or Jim Muniz (x 4218). I reserve the right to change anything on the syllabus at any time. Any changes will be immediately reported to the students and will be handed out as an addendum to the original syllabus. It is also a good idea to check out my General Policies that are not listed on this syllabus. |