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May courage never be extinguished, or light diminished nor spirits bound in pursuit of personal excellence.
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PSYCH 002
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
- Experimental Psychophysiology (Psych 002)
- Units: 4
- Lecture 2 hours; lab 6 hours (3 hours by arrangement)
- Instructor: Sandy Ladd
- Acceptable for Credit:
- University of California
- California State University
- Fulfills General Education Biological Science Laboratory Course Requirement for IGETC (UC and CSU)
- Fulfills Experimental Psychology course requirement for Psychology Majors (SJSU and UCSC)
The course introduces the student to the theory and application of the scientific method in the area of physiology and behavior. A computerized psychophysiology laboratory will be used to (1) introduce students to experimental design and analysis, and (2) the theoretical and methodological concepts in psychophysiological research, which investigates the relationship between physiological events and behavior. General areas covered include: philosophy of science, research design, experimental procedures, data analysis, synthesis, evaluation and summary. Elementary statistics will be incorporated into the course using actual data collected from experiments conducted during laboratory sessions.
- PREREQUISITE
- General Psychology (Psych 001)
- PREREQUISITE OR COREQUISITE
- Elementary Statistics (Math 10)
COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the termination of the course, the student will be able to:
- Design, run, write-up (using American Psychological Association format), and statisti cally analyze the results of a psychophysiological experiment conducted in research teams.
- Critically analyze experiments in the field of psychology, with particular emphasis in psychophysiological research.
- Apply the appropriate statistical analyses to specific research designs.
- Demonstrate knowledge of statistical and psychophysiological software.
- Explain and critically evaluate psychophysiological concepts and their relationship to experimental design and measurement.
- Explain and critically evaluate the application of instrumentation to contemporary research.
METHODOLOGY
Distributed learning, quizzes rather than midterms and/or a comprehensive final exam, will be one of the assessment methods used in this course. Quizzes consist of multiple choice questions. This course uses a quiz format only (no midterms; no final exam).
Psychologists have known for a long time that distributed learning is more effective, that is results in better comprehension and retention, than massed learning. Distributed learning means that new information is acquired in small pieces over time and assessed accordingly (for example, one quiz per chapter). Massed learning means that large quantities of information are processed in the same compressed time span and assessed accordingly (for example, one midterm over 5 to 7 chapters).
Even though an instructor might tell you to read a chapter a week, if you are tested once a month by a midterm that covers 5 to 7 chapters it is most likely that you will wait until shortly before the exam and study those chapters together (massed) over a short period of time (a few days prior to the exam). This study pattern constitutes massed learning and reduces both your comprehension and retention of the material.
Critical thinking will be practiced through writing assignments (homework, laboratory exercises, design and statistics problems, and research papers) and will also be presented in a distributed learning format.
REQUIRED READING
- Smith, R.A. & Davis, S. F. (2003) The Psychologist as Detective. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
- NOTE:
• This course includes an online component. If you buy your text at the WVC bookstore, it will include an access code that you will need to enter the Course Compass website. You will only be able to enter and participate in this course through the Course Compass website.
• If you buy your text online or from another bookstore, you can purchase an access code ($20) by calling the Course Compass help line at 800-677-6337 (M-F 8AM - 5 PM CST).
• If you buy a used text which is an older edition, you will not be prepared for the quizzes and other assignments that are based on the most current version of the text.
- The Hidden Mind (2002), Scientific American, Special Issue.
- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001).Washington, D. C. American Psychological Association.
READING SCHEDULE, HOMEWORK (HW), AND QUIZZES
- Week
Reading in The Psychologist as Detective (text) & The Hidden Mind Due Dates
- 1
- Feb 2 - Feb 6
- The Hidden Mind
- On Our Minds
- Letter from the Editor by John Rennie
- How the Brain Creates the Mind
- Antonio R. Damasio
- 2
- Feb 9 - Feb 12
- The Psychologist as Detective
- Chapter 1
- The Science of Psychology (p. 1-22)
- Feb 11
- HW Chapter 1
- Feb 12
- Quiz Chapter 1
- 3
- Feb 17 - Feb 20
- The Psychologist as Detective
- Chapter 2
- Research Ideas and Hypotheses (p. 23-47)
- Feb 18
- HW Chapter 2
- Feb 19
- Quiz Chapter 2
- 4
- Feb 23 - Feb 27
- The Psychologist as Detective
- Chapter 3
- Ethics in Psychological Research (p. 48-67)
- Feb 25
- HW Chapter 3
- Feb 26
- Quiz Chapter 3
- 5
- Mar 1 - Mar 5
- The Hidden Mind
- The Problem of Consciousness
- Francis Crick & Christof Koch
- Mar 4
- Quiz Lecture 1 & The Hidden Mind (Rennie, Damasio, Crick/Koch)
- 6
- Mar 8 - Mar 12
- The Psychologist as Detective
- Chapter 4
- Nonexperimental Methods I: Descriptive Methods, Qualitative Research, and Correlational Studies (p. 68 - 85)
- Mar 10
- HW Chapter 4
- Mar 11
- Quiz Chapter 4
- 7
- Mar 15 - 19
- The Psychologist as Detective
- Chapter 5
- Nonexperimental Methods II: Ex Post Facto Studies, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sampling, and Basic Research Strategies (p. 86 -103)
- Mar 17
- HW Chapter 5
- Mar 18
- Quiz Chapter 5
- 8
- Mar 22 - Mar 26
- The Psychologist as Detective
- Chapter 6
- The Basics of Experimentation I: Variables and Control (p. 104 -141)
- Mar 24
- HW Chapter 6
- Mar 25
- Quiz Chapter 6
- Instructional Break
- Mar 29 - Apr 2
- 9
- Apr 5 - Apr 9
- The Hidden Mind
- Vision: A Window on Consciousness
- Nikos K. Logothetis
- The Split Brain Revisited
- Michael S. Gazzaniga
- Apr 8
- Quiz Lecture 2 & The Hidden Mind (Logothetis & Gazzaniga)
- 10
- Apr 12 - 16
- The Psychologist as Detective
- Chapter 7
- The Basics of Experimentation II: Final Considerations, Unanticipated Influences, and Cross-Cultural Issues (p. 143-164)
- Apr 14
- HW Chapter 7
- Apr 15
- Quiz Chapter 8
- 11
- Apr 19 - Apr 23
- The Psychologist as Detective
- Chapter 8
- Using Statistics to Answer Questions (p. 166 - 199)
- Apr 21
- HW Chapter 8
- Apr 22
- Quiz Chapter 8
- 12
- Apr 26 - Apr 30
- The Psychologist as Detective
- Chapter 9
- Designing, Conducting, Analyzing, and Interpreting Experiments with More than Two Groups (p. 201-228)
- Apr 28
- HW Chapter 9
- Apr 29
- Quiz Chapter 9
- 13
- May 3 - May 7
- The Hidden Mind
- Sex Differences in the Brain
- Doreen Kimura
- New Nerve Cells for the Adult Brain
- Gerd Kampermann & Fred H. Gage
- May 6
- Lecture Quiz 3 & The Hidden Mind (Kimura & Kampermann/Gage)
- 14
- May 10 - May 14
- The Psychologist as Detective
- Chapter 10
- Designing, Conducting, Analyzing, and Interpreting Experiments with More than Two Groups (p. 230-297)
- May 12
- HW Chapter 10
- May 13
- Quiz Chapter 10
- 15
- May 17 - May 21
- Review of Primary References
- Research Projects
- May 20
- One Make-up Text Quiz
- 16
- May 24 - May 28
- Presentation of Research Projects
- May 25
- Tuesday, 11:50 am -1:50 pm
- Final Schedule
- May 25
- Tuesday, 11:50 am -1:50 pm
REQUIRED READING
The final research paper will require that a student run and write-up (American Psychological Association format) an experiment in research teams. In team presentations to be given during the final exam period, students will present and defend the experimental design and interpret the results. All experiments, including the final experiment, will focus on cognitive neuroscience.
The final research project will require that students run (in research teams) an experiment using a complex design. Students will be required to statistically analyze and interpret the data.
ARRANGED LABS • COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR LABORATORY (CNB Lab)
Students will be required to complete exercises, run experiments or analyze data in 3 hours of arranged laboratory each week in the CNB Lab. Again, all research will be conducted in teams (2 or 3 students/team).
QUIZZES • DISTRIBUTED LEARNING
Lecture and text quizzes will be of equal weight (total points). Lecture quizzes will be short answer essay and fill-in. They will be announced at least one class session prior to the quiz. Text quizzes will be multiple choice questions. Text quizzes will always be given online during the Thursday laboratory session.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance is mandatory and will be taken every session either through cooperative learning assignments in class.
MAKE-UPS
Students will be allowed to make-up one text quiz during Week 15. There will be no make-ups for lecture quizzes. All laboratory work must be completed on time in order to receive full point credit.
GRADING & COOPERATIVE LEARNING REQUIREMENT
Students will be required to track behavior for themselves and their partner on all paper assignments completed as a team effort
Science is conducted in teams!
Each student will assign a percentage for discrete behavioral components of each assignment and total points for that assignment will be adjusted accordingly (after team and instructor consensus has been reached on the validity of percent ratings which lack parity). All parts of each paper are to be written together (both members present). If students divide a paper up and write parts as individuals and then combine papers, they will not receive a score for the assignment. Using this learning method, students unable to complete assignments as a cooperative unit will not receive a passing grade for the course and are advised to seek other science courses employing more traditional teaching methodologies.
Students will be required to sign a Cooperative Learning Contract to assure they understand how this concept will be employed.
In each graded assignment, a curve will be used. The proportion of the student's course grade for each category of assignment is as follows:
30% Final Experiment (s)
20% Research Papers on Laboratory Experiments
10% Cooperative Learning Assignments in Class or Lab
40% Quizzes (20% Text and 20% Lecture)
This class is based on the concept of distributed, rather than massed, learning. Therefore, there will be many small assignments and students are required to track all their points.
CNB AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER ACCESS
Students will be required to purchase two laboratory receipts ($5 each), one for the CNB LAB and one for the Technology Center.
OFFICE HOURS
Office Hours will be held in Social Science room 1F or the CNB Lab (SLA 54). Office hours are as follows:
- Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 - 10:45 AM
PSI BETA
All students are encouraged to join Psi Beta, the National Honor Society in Psychology for Community Colleges, and to actively participate in leadership and mentoring activities, including visits to local univerisities.
PROPORTION OF STUDENT'S COURSE GRADE BY CATEGORY
ONLINE INSTRUCTIONS
Homework assignments and other course materials will be available online. In other words, there is an online component to this course. Your chapter quizzes will also be taken on-line during scheduled laboratory periods in the TC-B Lab. The website we will be using is called Course Compass.
Make sure you are using only Internet Explorer version 5.0 or higher as your browser. If you don't have Internet Explorer version 5.0 on your computer, once you are inside the course (described below) there are instructions in the Read Me First file to help you download it. (It is possible to use Netscape, but only the older versions of Netscape, versions 4.5 and 4.7.
- Your access code is on a Course Compass Card that is packaged with the Smith and Davis text.
- You will also need the course ID number to get into Course Compass. The course ID for Spring 2004 will be given to you during the first class session.
- Click on the following link to access the Course Compass web site: http://students.pearsoned.com/
- Click on Register and enter the access code packaged with the Smith and Davis text.
- Under the "Are you an existing user," click NO and hit the next button.
- Invent a user ID and password when prompted.
If you have any of the following problems, please call the Course Compass help line at 800-677-6337 (M-F 8AM - 5 PM CST).
- problems registering online.
- problems with your access code; it doesn't work.
- problems logging on to the Course Compass site.
- problems accessing any of the assignment files once you are inside the Course Compass site.
- If you have problems registering online, such as problems with your access codes, or logging on at any time during the course, please call Course Compass at 800-677-6337 (M-F 8AM - 5 PM CST).
- Once you are INSIDE Course Compass, you will be asked to go to the course you are taking by clicking on it. Click on General Psychology. The next screen will have buttons on the left with the following categories: staff information, syllabus, announcements, assignments, and communication.
- Click on ANNOUNCEMENTS and there you will find further instructions.
- Your homework and quizzes are in the ASSIGNMENT folder in weekly files..
Click here to access the How to Succeed in an Online Course WebPages.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR AOL OR HOTMAIL USERS
If you are using aol or hotmail as your server, you need to
• Click on the underscore when the welcome window appears (PC users) or click on the small box inside the larger box that is located on the upper right of the window (Mac users).
• This will minimize the browser for your server.
• In order to see all the files at the Course Compass site, you need to minimize your browser every time you log-on to Course Compass.
BROWSER PROBLEMS?
Internet Explorer is the preferred browser for Course Compass. If you are having problems with your Internet browser when using Course Compass, please check the following links for possible solutions.
Click here to learn about browser preferences and troubleshooting.
This page was revised on February 1, 2004.
This page was designed and produced by Sandra Ladd.
408-741-2548
Email: sandra_ladd@westvalley.edu
