INTRODUCTION TO COGNITIVE SCIENCE
PSYCH L271 / CS L271
Spring 2008, TTh 11.30-12.45
McCormack/1/206
CLASS SCHEDULE FOR SPRING 2008
(home work* and paper** due dates are marked)
ROSTER WITH SCORES UPDATED WITH FINAL GRADES!
INFORMATION ON EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENT - please read carefully
FINAL EXAM (NEW DATE!!!): WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 11.30 AM -2.30 PM IN M/2/206 (not in our classroom!!!) - Please let me know if you have a conflict with another exam ASAP.
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DATE |
TOPIC |
Cog. Scientist |
presents |
READINGS |
Lecture notes | related materials |
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T Jan 29 |
Introduction, overview |
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TH Jan 31 |
What is cognitive science? |
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Ch. 1.: 1-21. |
Jan 31 | Miller's own perspective | |
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T Feb 5 |
The cognitive revolution |
Eric |
Ch. 3.: 65-89, Ch. 4.: 95-100. |
Feb 5 | top 100 readings in CogSci | |
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TH Feb 7 |
Philosophical problems 1. |
Josiah, Andrew |
Ch. 2.: 29-52. |
Feb 7 | ||
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T Feb 12 |
Philosophical problems 2. |
Rachel, Ben |
Ch. 2.: 52-64. |
Feb 12 | ||
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TH Feb 14 |
AI |
Henry, Evan |
Ch. 10, 11. |
Feb 14 | movie w/ Minsky (Evan) | |
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*T Feb 19 |
AI, robotics HW 1 DUE! |
Melbourne |
Ch. 12 |
Feb 21 | ||
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TH Feb 21 |
Connectionism |
Christopher, Brian |
Ch. 7. |
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T Feb 26 |
How to write a paper |
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PubMed Healey Library | ||
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TH Feb 28 |
Language and mind |
Olga |
Ch. 9.: 275-278, 288-294. |
Feb 28 | ||
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**T Mar 4 |
Psycholinguistics 1. |
Marc |
Ch. 9. |
March 4 | ||
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TH Mar 6 |
Psycholinguistics 2. |
Tobin |
Ch. 9.: 278-288. |
March 6 | Kanzi movies | |
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T Mar 11 |
Review for the midterm STUDY GUIDE 1 |
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March 11 | ||
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TH M 13 |
Midterm exam |
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SPRING BREAK |
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SPRING BREAK |
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T Mar 25 |
Research methods: General |
Clinton |
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March 25 | ||
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TH M 27 |
MOVIE |
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*T Apr 1 |
Cognitive neuroscience: Methods |
Anne |
Ch. 6.: 163-175. |
April 1 | ||
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TH Apr 3 |
Neuroscience |
Megan, Nicole |
Ch. 6. |
April 3 | ||
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T Apr 8 |
Neuropsychological disorders |
Broca, Sacks |
Marisa, Danielle |
Ch. 6.: 175-190, Ch. 9.: 294-297. |
April 8 | |
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TH Apr 10 |
Vision science |
Kathy |
Ch. 6. |
April 10 | ||
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T Apr 15 |
Attention and eye movements |
Huiming, Jessica C. |
Ch. 4. |
April 15 | ||
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TH Apr 17 |
Memory and imagery |
Ericsson, Shepard |
Clara, Roxanna |
Ch. 5.: 125-149. |
April 17 | |
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T Apr 22 |
Reasoning and decision-making |
Aaron, George |
Ch. 5.: 149-158. |
April 22 | ||
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TH Apr 24 |
Emotions and the brain |
Christan |
lecture only |
April 24 | ||
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**T Apr 29 |
Developmental science 1. |
Ishman, Jessica G. |
lecture only |
April 29 | ||
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TH May 1 |
Developmental science 2. |
Lauren |
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May 1 | ||
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T May 6 |
Evolutionary psychology |
Isa, Cyndie |
Ch. 8. |
May 6 | David Buss's EP lab | |
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*TH May 8 |
Review for the final STUDY GUIDE 2. |
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T May 13 |
Wrap-up |
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Dr. Zsuzsa Kaldy Office: McCormack/4/212 Lab: McCormack/3/506 Office hours: TW 1.30-3.00 Mailbox: McCormack/4/209 Email: zsuzsa.kaldy@umb.edu (please always specify your subject in the subject line) |
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| George Miller, Jerome Bruner, Noam Chomsky, Susan Carey and Steven Pinker in 2007 |
Class website: http://psych.umb.edu/faculty/kaldy/courses/psyL271/L271_syllabus.htm
Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary science of the mind and the brain. This course examines the historical and contemporary issues and research findings of the core cognitive science disciplines, including cognitive psychology, neuroscience, philosophy of mind and artificial intelligence. This course is the required core course for the Minor in Cognitive Science. For more information on the minor, see:
http://psych.umb.edu/cogsci/Site/Cognitive_Science_Minor.html
Textbook:
Friedenberg, J. & Silverman, G. (2006). Cognitive Science: An Introduction to the Study of Mind, Sage Publications
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Exams: 1 midterm and a (non-cumulative) final exam 25 points each
Both the midterm and the final exam will consist of a combination of multiple-choice questions and short-answer questions. Exams can only be missed with a documented official excuse (e.g. a doctorÕs note). If you have a family emergency, contact me BEFORE the exam. Make-up exams will be essay questions combined with an oral exam.
2. Papers: 2 short papers (min. 5 pages each) 15 points each
General guidelines for both papers:
- First, you should start with a short summary of the article where you describe what the main points were in your own words.
- Then, you need to relate these points to (1) what you have learned in class, (2) what you read in a few (min. 3) related scientific journal articles, and if itÕs possible (3) what you have read in the textbook.
- When you quote from the text, always use quotation marks and include the source.
- Formatting: 12-point font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins on all sides
- References: follow the formatting of your favorite scientific journal
Deadlines: The first paper is due on Tuesday, March 4 at 11.30 am. The second paper is due on Tuesday, April 29 at 11.30 am. You can turn in a hard copy in class or email it to me before the deadline. Late assignments will be accepted, but will be penalized: 1 point deduction/day.
Your paper might qualify for the WPE Portfolio Requirement. Please see me during office hours before you decide to submit your paper for the WPE.
1. First paper: Critical reading of a newspaper article on cognitive science
The entire archive of the New York Times is now online and freely accessible (www.nytimes.com). The Times publishes a couple of articles each month on topics related to cognitive science. Find one of these articles and write a reflection paper on it.
Here are a few representative examples (please donÕt choose these ones):
AlzheimerÕs disease: http://tinyurl.com/2z5h9g
Alex, the parrot: http://tinyurl.com/27l4xy
Cognitive dissonance: http://tinyurl.com/33a4c3
2. Second paper: Journal article summary
Below is a list of journal articles that will be suitable for this assignment. You can also choose an article on your own with my approval. More guidelines on how to write the paper will be given in class.
Journal articles:
- Spelke ES, Tsivkin S. (2002) Language and number: a bilingual training study. Cognition.78(1):45-88.
- Gordon N. (2004). The neurology of sign language. Brain Dev. 26(3):146-50.
- Trabasso T, Bartolone J. (2003). Story understanding and counterfactual reasoning. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. 29(5):904-23.
- Arbib, M.A., Fellous, J.M. (2004). Emotions: from brain to robot. Trends in Cognitive Sciences 8(12): 554- 561.
- Andersen, R.A., Burdick, J.W., Musallam, S., Pesaran, B., Cham, J.G. (2004). Cognitive neural prosthetics. Trends in Cognitive Sciences 8(11): 486-493.
3. Homework: 3 homework assignments 5 points each
The homework assignments will be a combination of problems and short-answer questions.
Deadlines for the homework assignments:
1st assignment: Tuesday, Feb 19, 11.30 am
2nd assignment: Tuesday, April 1, 11.30 am
3rd assignment: Thursday, May 8, 11.30 am
Same as with papers: you can either turn in a hard copy in class or email it to me before the deadline. Late assignments will be accepted, but will be penalized: 1 point deduction/day.
4. Presentation: ŌThe Cognitive Scientist of the DayĶ 5 points
We will begin each class by one of the students introducing a famous cognitive scientist, whose work has made a major impact on the area that we will be discussing. The presentation should be no longer than 10 minutes and can be done with or without the help of PowerPoint. Start with a few important biographical details and then describe the personÕs major contributions to cognitive science. Feel free to use the web for demos, images, etc. in your presentation.
5. Total point structure:
2 exams x 25 + 2 papers x 15 + 3 homeworks x 5 + 1 presentation x 5 = 100 points total
91-100 A
81-90 B
71-80 C
61-70 D
60 and below F
During the semester, there will be several group activities where extra points can be earned.
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Attendance:
You are required to attend class. Up to three classes can be missed without an official medical excuse. If you miss more than three classes without a doctorÕs note or more than six classes for any reason, you need to see me during my office hours to discuss the extra assignments that you will need to complete in order to make up for the missed work. If you miss 8 or more classes for any reason, you cannot get a passing grade. Excessive lateness will also lower your grade.
ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES:
The University Advising Center provides for students who are in need of advising and/or tutoring. (Campus Center, 1st floor, Room 1100, http://www.uac.umb.edu/)
The University of Massachusetts Boston attempts to accommodate all students in accordance with Section 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Through the Ross Center for Disability Services various aids such as sign language interpreting, readers, testing accommodations, etc. are available to students. If you believe that you require such services, you should contact the Ross Center (Campus Center, 2nd Floor, Rm. 2010, 617-287-7430).
STUDENT CONDUCT:
Students are required to adhere to the University Policy on Academic Standards and Cheating, to the University Statement on Plagiarism and the Documentation of Written Work, and to the Code of Student Conduct as delineated in the catalog of Undergraduate Programs, pp. 44-45, and 48-52. The Code is available online at: http://www.umb.edu/student_services/student_rights/code_conduct.html.
If you still have questions about Academic Honesty or expectations in this course please contact one of the instructors.
INCOMPLETE GRADES:
Incomplete grades can only be given if a student is in good standing and is prevented from completing the course by documented circumstances that are beyond his/her control.
The schedule will be regularly updated on the class website: http://psych.umb.edu/faculty/kaldy/courses/psyL271/L271_syllabus.htm