2115A - Psychology - University of Western Ontario

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIOLONDONCANADADepartment of PsychologyPSYCHOLOGY 2115a (formerly 215a) - Introduction to Sensation and PerceptionFall 2010/Section 001Instructor: Stephen LupkerOffice: 7324 SSCPhone: 661-2111, Ext. 84700Office Hours: 10:00-11:00 a.m. (M)10:00-11:00 a.m. (W)Teaching Assistant: Chris MartinOffice: 7250 SSCE-mail: cmarti97@uwo.caOffice Hours: 9:00-11:00 (T)Lecture Periods:2:30-4:20 p.m. Monday 7 NS2:30-4:20 p.m. Wednesday 7 NSText:Coren, S., Ward, L., & Enns, J.T. (2004). Sensation and Perception (sixth edition). Wiley.Course Outline and Reading Assignments:Sequence of TopicsReadingsIntroduction Chapter 1Psychophysics Pages 13-18, 25-28Signal Detection Pages 18-25Scaling Pages 30-37September 29QUIZThe Eye Pages 50-63 and 80-109The Ear Pages 116-131, 143-149 and 154-161The Other Senses Chapter 7October 25QUIZSpace Perception Pages 256-287 and 149-153Form Perception Pages 216-218, 231-254, 313-324 and 341-343The Constancies Pages 298-313Time and Motion Perception Pages 346-355 and 363-384Speech Perception Pages 168-178November 22QUIZAuditory Attention (classical) Pages 398-404 and 417-419Visual Attention (classical)Visual Attention (modern) Pages 404-411Perceptual Development Pages 287-290, 455-466 and 477-48December 10-21FINAL EXAMINATION PERIOD

-2-Calendar Description:An introduction to the study of the human senses and higher order perceptual processes.Data gathered from psychophysical research and studies of the nervous system in both humansand other animals will be discussed. The course will review the mechanisms and principles ofoperation of vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell.Antirequisite(s): Psychology 2015A/B and the former Psychology 215a/bPrerequisite(s): At least 60% in a 1000 level Psychology course.Course Overview:This course is a survey of most of the basic issues in sensation and perception. Anystudent who successfully completes it should have the background to take any otherundergraduate course in these areas.Marking:There will be 3 quizzes and a final exam. All will have a short answer format. Thetopics in this course fit nicely into four main areas: psychophysics, the sense organs, classicalissues in perception and issues in attention/development. The first quiz will come at the end ofthe first section on psychophysics. The second quiz will come at the end of the second section onthe sense organs and it will cover only that section. The third quiz will come at the end of thethird section on classical issues in perception and cover only that section. There will be nomakeup or early quizzes, however, students can be excused from quizzes if they present theinstructor with a legitimate, documented excuse. The final exam will be scheduled by theRegistrar’s Office and will be held during the final examination period. It will cover the entirecourse. The material on the final exam will, however, be drawn mainly from the final section.The weighting of these tests in determining your final mark will be as follows:Each quiz 20%Final exam 40%The purpose of the quizzes and final exam is to evaluate your ability to accurately answerspecific questions about topics covered in the lectures and the text book. They are not intended tobe speeded exams. Thus, although students will have 2 hours for each quiz and 3 hours for thefinal, the expectation is that most of you will finish well before the time limit has expired.Policy Regarding Prerequisites and Anti-requisites:Please note that students are responsible for ensuring that they have completed thenecessary prerequisites (and have not taken any of the anti-requisites) for this course. Unless youhave either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrolin it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decisioncan not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you aredropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites. Your prompt attention tothis matter will not only help protect your academic record but will ensure that spaces areavailable for students who require the course in question for graduation.

-3-Policy Regarding Missed Exams:Although, as noted, there will be no make-up mid-term quizzes, students are entitled tobe excused from quizzes for legitimate medical or compassionate reasons. In all cases, it is thestudent's responsibility to inform the instructor in a timely fashion and to provide acceptabledocumentation to support a medical or compassionate claim. These documents must indicate thatthe student was unable to attend the quiz at the time it was given. Statements indicating simplythat the student visited a doctor at some point in time are insufficient. In the case of a missedfinal examination, the student must arrange for a Special Examination or Incomplete through theirDean's office, for which you will, of course, be required to provide acceptable documentation.Note also that current UWO policy requires that all documents relating to missed exams/quizzesbe filed with the Dean's office. Prior to doing so, however, you will be required to make a copyof the relevant document(s) to give/show to your instructor. If the documents contain personalmedical information, feel free to white out that information on the copy you give to yourinstructor. Failure to produce a copy for the instructor can lead to problems in determining yourfinal mark.If you feel that you have a medical or personal problem that is interfering with your work,you should contact your instructor and the Faculty Academic Counselling Office as soon aspossible. Problems may then be documented and possible arrangements to assist you can bediscussed at the time of occurrence rather than on a retroactive basis. In general, retroactiverequests for grade revisions on medical or compassionate grounds will not be considered.Statement on Academic Offences:Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence ofplagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very seriousoffenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting ascholastic offense are described at the following linkhttp://psychology.uwo.ca/newundergradstudentresp.htm. As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department ofPsychology has taken the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice testsand exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, andrecords will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignmentswill be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparingwritten material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’sdatabases. Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure ofthe course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University. None of this, ofcourse, has any relevance to this particular course.Other Information:Office of the Registrar web site: http://www.registrar.uwo.ca/index.cfmStudent Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.caPlease see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:http://psychology.uwo.ca/newundergradstudentresp.htm- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct