PSYC 309
Sensation & Perception
Fall 2008
last updated 7/28/08
Section 001: 10:30- 11:45pm
Tuesday & Thursday
Location: Enterprise Hall 274
Instructor:
Dr. Matt
Peterson
Office:
2058 David King
Hall
Ph:
993-4255
email:
(please put
PYSC 309 in the subject header)
Office Hours:
11-11:50
Wednesdays (tentative)
or by appointment.
I fully encourage
you to
contact me by
email if you have any questions about the class.
Text: Sensation & Perception 7th Edition, E. Bruce Goldstein, Thomson-Wadsworth, ISBN-13: 9780534558109
Web
Page:
http://archlab.gmu.edu/people/mpeters2/Courses/PSY309/psy309.html
warning:
url is case sensitive!
Prerequisites: Psych 300 (C- or better) or
permission
of instructor.
Students who fail to attend the initial meetings of both lecture and
lab sections may be dropped from the course.
Technology Requirement
Students are
expected to be competent in word processing skills, Internet use,
compiling of bibliographies, literature review searches, and
downloading pictorial material from computers.
Course
Description This course is an introduction to how the brain
receives and processes information from the environment. Course deals
with sensation -- information must be received in a manner in which our
nervous system can respond to it. We will also discuss perception - how
the brain interprets information and attaches meaning to it. The study
of sensation and perception is one of the earliest areas of study in
Psychology.
Attendance Policy:
GMU Honor Code: George Mason University has a
code of
Honor that each of you accepst by enrolling as a student. My
expectation is that all of the work you do for me in this class will be
the work of one individual. Plagiarism or any other violation of
the honor code will be taken very seriously and reported to the Honor
Committee. Having said
that, I fully encourage you to discuss the readings and topics raised
in this class with your fellow students.
Disabilities: If you are a student with a
disability
and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the
Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 703-993-2474. All academic
accommodations must be arranged through that office."
Exam Make-up Policy: You may take a test after (or
before)
the scheduled
date only if you (a) receive my
permission before the day of the test, or (b) have a valid excuse (note
from a
doctor, judge, sergeant, etc.).
Papers will not be accepted beyond the due date.
A+ | 97+ | |||||
A | 93-96 | Grading | Attendance |
3 |
||
A- | 90-92 | Lab |
33 |
|||
B+ | 87-89 | Exams (4) |
64 |
|||
B | 83-86 |
100 |
points total | |||
B- | 80-82 |
|
|
|||
C+ | 77-89 | |
||||
C | 73-86 | |
||||
C- | 70-72 | |
||||
F | 0-69 |
Tests
(64%): There will be 4 tests, consisting of multiple-choice,
fill-in-the-blank, and/or short answers. Your exam with the lowest
score will be dropped.
Lab
(33%): The lab will account for 33% of your total grade in Psychology
309. Late assignments will receive partial credit.
Calendar:
Note: The
schedule
below is tentative, and though I will try to follow it as closely as
possible
changes may occasionally be necessary.
In the event that an exam date is changed, you will be notified
at least
one week in advance.
Date
|
Day |
Chapter |
Topic |
26-Aug
|
Tues |
1 |
Intro + Psychophysics |
28-Aug
|
Thurs |
Appendix, 2 |
Signal Detection, Physiology |
2-Sep
|
Tues |
2 |
Physiology |
4-Sep
|
Thurs |
3 |
Neurons |
9-Sep
|
Tues |
3 |
Neurons |
11-Sep
|
Thurs |
4 |
Organized Brain |
16-Sep
|
Tues |
|
TEST1 |
18-Sep
|
Thurs |
4 |
Organized Brain |
23-Sep
|
Tues |
5 |
Perceiving Objects |
25-Sep
|
Thurs |
5 |
Perceiving Objects |
30-Oct
|
Tues |
6 |
Visual Attention |
2-Oct
|
Thurs |
6 |
Visual Attention |
7-Oct
|
Tues |
6 |
Visual Attention
|
9-Oct
|
Thurs |
|
|
14-Oct
|
Tues |
|
COLUMBUS DAY |
16-Oct
|
Thurs |
7 |
Perceiving Color |
21-Oct
|
Tues |
7 |
Perceiving Color |
23-Oct
|
Thurs |
8 |
Perceiving Depth and
Size |
28-Oct
|
Tues |
8 |
Perceiving Depth and
Size |
30-Oct
|
Thurs |
9 |
Perceiving Movement |
4-Nov
|
Tues |
9 |
Perceiving Movement |
6-Nov
|
Thurs |
10 (215-223 |
Action |
11-Nov
|
Tues |
|
Test
3 |
13-Nov
|
Thurs |
11 |
Sound and Auditory
System |
18-Nov
|
Tues |
11 |
Sound and Auditory
System |
20-Nov
|
Thurs |
12 |
|
25-Nov
|
Tues |
12 |
Sound Localization |
27-Nov
|
Thurs |
|
|
2-Dec
|
Tues |
13 |
Speech Perception |
4-Dec
|
Thurs |
13 |
Speech Perception |
11-Dec
|
Thurs |
|
Test
4 |