Psy_360_Syllabus

Course Materials Willingham, D. T. (2007). Cognition: The thinking animal (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. All electronic materials are available on the student website. Week One: Introduction Cognitive Psychology Details Due Points Objectives 1.1 Define cognitive psychology. 1.2 Identify key milestones in the development of cognitive psychology as a discipline. 1.3 Discuss the importance of behavioral observation in cognitive psychology. 1.4 Explain the role of the brain in cognitive functions. Readings Read Ch. 1 & 2 of Cognition. Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. Participation Participate in class discussion. 4 of 7 days each week 2 Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. DQ1 due on Thursday DQ2 due on Saturday 2 Learning Team Instructions Resource: Learning Team Toolkit Create the Learning Team Charter. Due on Monday Individual Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Prepare a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you cover the subject of cognitive psychology. Address the following MAIN points: Define Cognitive Psychology Identify at least four key milestones in the development of cognitive psychology as a discipline. Discuss the importance of behavioral observation in cognitive psychology. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines and make sure that you have headings for every main point and an introduction paragraph that previews the main points and a conclusion that reviews the main points. Due on Monday 12 Week Two: Attention and Perception Details Due Points Objectives 2.1 Explain the relationship between attention and cognition. 2.2 Analyze the role of perception in cognitive psychology. 2.3 Discuss the importance of visual perception. Readings Read 3 & 4 of Cognition. Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. Participation Participate in class discussion. 4 of 7 days each week 2 Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. DQ1 due on Thursday DQ2 due on Saturday 2 Individual Phineas Gage Paper Resources: University Library, the Electronic Reserve Readings, the Internet, or other resources to conduct research Prepare a 700- to 1,050- word paper with the following MAIN points: Explain the role of the brain in cognitive functions. Describe what Phineas Gage’s accident revealed about how brain areas support cognitive function. APA formatting and make sure that you have headings for every main point and an introduction paragraph that previews the main points and a conclusion that reviews the main points. Due on Monday 12 Week Three: Memory Details Due Points Objectives 3.1 Describe the characteristics of primary memory. 3.2 Describe the process of memory from perception to retrieval. 3.3 Assess the unreliability of memory retrieval. Readings Read Ch. 5–8 of Cognition. Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. Participation Participate in class discussion. 4 of 7 days each week 2 Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. DQ1 due on Thursday DQ2 due on Saturday 2 Individual Attention Worksheet Resource: Attention Worksheet located on the student website Complete the University of Phoenix Material Attention Worksheet located on the Week Three student website. Due on Monday 7 Learning Team Visual Ambiguity Presentation Locate an example of a visual ambiguity or distortion. • Prepare an 8- to 12-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation with presenter notes in which you present your example to the rest of the class. Make sure that your slide images are cited underneath them and matching references included. Discuss the following: • Discuss how the visual system resolves ambiguities by making different types of assumptions and describe these assumptions. • Analyze the role of perception in cognitive psychology. • Discuss the importance of visual perception in cognitive processes.. APA formatting and make sure that you have headings for every main point in the PPP, an introduction slide that previews the main points and a conclusion slide that reviews the main points. Due on Monday 10 Week Four: Language Processing Details Due Points Objectives 4.1 Define language and lexicon. 4.2 Evaluate key features/properties of language. 4.3 Describe the four levels of language structure and processing. 4.4 Analyze the role of language processing in cognitive psychology. Readings Read Ch. 13 & 14 of Cognition. Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. Participation Participate in class discussion. 4 of 7 days each week 2 Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. DQ1 due on Thursday DQ2 due on Saturday 2 Learning Team Instructions Begin preparation for the Problem Solving and Decision Making Paper and Presentation due in Week Five. Individual Memory Worksheet Resources: Memory Worksheet Complete the University of Phoenix Material Memory Worksheet located on the Week Four student website. Due on Monday 7 Week Five: Reasoning and Problem Solving Details Due Points Objectives 5.1 Explain the decision-making and problem-solving processes. 5.2 Analyze how emotion and culture affects decision making. 5.3 Analyze the role of perception, attention, memory, and language in reasoning and problem solving. Readings Read Ch. 11 & 12 of Cognition. Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. Participation Participate in class discussion. 4 of 7 days each week 2 Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. DQ1 due on Thursday DQ2 due on Saturday 2 Individual Language Paper Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you examine language as it relates to cognition. Address the following MAIN points: Define language and lexicon. Evaluate the key features/properties of language. Describe the four levels of language structure and processing. Analyze the role of language processing in cognitive psychology. APA formatting and make sure that you have headings for every main point and an introduction paragraph that previews the main points and a conclusion that reviews the main points. Due on Monday 12 Learning Team Problem Solving and Decision Making Presentation Select a scenario in which problem solving strategies are utilized to achieve a goal (e.g., resolving conflict in the work place or planning a wedding for two individuals that have diverse backgrounds). • Prepare a 10- to 12-slide MS PowerPoint presentation in which you illustrate your selected scenario with presenter notes. Make sure that your slide images are cited underneath them and matching references included. • Address the following items: • Describe your scenario. • Select and describe the most important decision that must be made to solve your problem. • Describe how this decision was affected by: • Inductive and Deductive reasoning • Your related emotions • Your thought processes such as perception, memory, or language, etc. What problem solving strategies did you use to resolve the issue and what was the final resolution' APA formatting and make sure that you have headings for every main point of the PPP, an introduction slide that previews the main points and a conclusion slide that reviews the main points. Due on Monday 20 Optional Discussion Questions Week One Discussion Questions What affect did the Greeks have on the development of cognitive psychology as a discipline' Which milestone in the development of cognitive psychology do you feel has had the most influence on the field' Explain why. Who would you consider the founder of cognitive psychology' Explain why. What is cognitive psychology' Would you classify cognitive psychology as a hard science or a soft science' Explain your answer. Why is cognitive functioning crucial to everyday existence' How does cognitive functioning enhance diversity' Why is it important to study cognitive psychology' How might principles of cognitive psychology be used in other disciplines (e.g., education, business)' Considering the fact that Garry Kasparov, a well-known Russian Chess Master, was able to defeat Deep Blue, a computer that was able to process 500,000 chess moves per second, how is it possible that a human being may rival the capabilities of most modern computers' Explain your answer. How has brain damage changed our notions of cognition' Provide a specific example in your response. Week Two Discussion Questions What are the different types of perception' How do the different types of perception come together to determine cognitive functioning' Is it possible for a person to function cognitively solely on one type of perception' Explain why or why not. How does the way in which you perceive the world influence your thought process' Provide a specific example in your response. What other factors do you think influence your thought process' What is visual perception' Why is visual perception such a difficult task in which to engage' How does visual perception influence dyslexia' What mechanisms do you use to protect your limited attention resources' How do you solve problems with limited attention' What role do schemas play in attention' What prevents an individual from allocating attention the way in which they intend' What strategies may be used to avoid distraction' Is attention a limited resource' Explain why or why not. Week Three Discussion Questions Is forgetting an intentional act' Explain why or why not. Is it possible to recover repressed memories' Explain your answer. What strategies may be used to enhance memory' What role does emotion play in memory' Provide an example in your response. Why can you remember what you were doing when catastrophes occurred (e.g., terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, the Challenger disaster, assassination of John F. Kennedy)' How might memory be influenced by internal and external factors' Week Four Discussion Questions What factors affect language acquisition' Which factor do you believe has the largest influence on language acquisition' Explain why. How does culture affect language acquisition' How does language affect thought' Why do computers still struggle with voice recognition' How does language diversity affect the cognitive process' Do animals have language' Explain your answer. Week Five Discussion Questions What is problem solving' Why is problem solving considered the highest level of mental activity' What makes an individual skillful at solving problems' Explain your answer. Does practice affect expertise' Explain your answer. What are schemas' How do they help you to deal with the world' How might they be detrimental' What is the most difficult step in the decision making process' Explain why. What are the different types of reasoning' In what type of circumstance would you use inductive reasoning' Explain why. In what type of circumstance would you use deductive reasoning' Explain why. Copyright University of Phoenix® is a registered trademark of Apollo Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft®, Windows®, and Windows NT® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Use of these marks is not intended to imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation. Edited in accordance with University of Phoenix® editorial standards and practices.