Psyc 103: Sensation and Perception

Fall 2006

Recommended Text:

Coren, Ward, and Enns. Sensation and Perception, sixth edition, Wiley.

Class web page:

Some very useful course material can be found at the web page listed above. In particular, this syllabus, outlines of each day's lecture, study guides for exams, and announcements from me will be available there. It is important, therefore, that you check this web page regularly.

Overview of the course

This course is about human perception - that is, how people gather information about the physical state of the environment. We know there's a world out there, and we know we have a mind in here, but how does information about out there get in here? That's the fundamental problem of perception. How people know things about the world is one of the oldest problems people ever thought about (for example, see Plato's Meno, among countless others), and we've actually made some fair progress on it, though it's taken a few thousand years.

In this course we'll mostly talk about how people perceive the world visually, although auditory perception, touch perception, pain perception, and other topics, such as the exotic senses of some nonhuman animals will also be covered. We'll start with some research methods, move on to basic biology, and generally move in the direction of higher cognition. I hope you'll find all this stuff as fascinating as I do.

Grading

Your grade will be computed on the basis of six short weekly quizzes (you'll take 7, but the lowest will be dropped), two tests (you'll take three, but the lowest will be dropped) and a final exam. The weekly quizzes will represent a total of 15% of your final grade; the tests will represent a total of 51% of your final grade; the cumulative final exam will represent the other 33%. Each of the quizzes will be worth 10 points for a total of 60 quiz points; each test will be worth 100 points for a total of 200 test points; the final will be worth 130 points. At the end of the course, your grade will be computed by dividing your total number of points by 390 (the maximum possible score), multiplying by 100, and rounding to the nearest integer. No extra credit will ever be available, with no exceptions.

Exams

The three exams will last the entire class period on the day for which they are scheduled. Each exam will cover only material from that section of the course. They will consist of multiple choice, true/false, and short essay questions. Of the three mid-term tests (NOT the final), your lowest grade will be dropped. If you must miss a test for any reason, that test will not be rescheduled; rather, it will be counted as the test you drop. If you must miss a second test, a makeup will be allowed only with a documented emergency excuse.

Final Exam

The final exam will take place on Monday, December 18, from 5:15 p.m. To 7:15 p.m., in the usual class meeting room. The final exam will have a similar format to the previous exams, but will cover all material from the semester. The final will not be rescheduled without evidence of a documented emergency.

Quizzes

There will be seven short quizzes throughout the course, one each week (except on weeks when an exam is scheduled). The idea is to encourage you to review your notes and readings fairly regularly. Each quiz will consist of a few multiple choice questions or (very) short answer questions. Of the seven quizzes, your lowest grade will be dropped. As with the exams, If you must miss a quiz for any reason, that quiz will not be rescheduled; rather, it will be counted as the quiz you drop. If you must miss a second quiz, a makeup will be allowed only with a documented emergency excuse.


Schedule

Date	Topic	Reading	Events
September 4	No class		Labor Day
September 11	Research Methods	Coren, chapter 2	n
September 18	Skin senses	Coren, chapter 7	Quiz 1
September 25	Auditory system	Coren, chapter 5	Quiz 2
October 2			Exam 1
October 9*	Auditory coding, pattern perception	Coren, chapter 6, 7
October 16	Visual system	Coren, chapter 3	Quiz 3
October 23	Basic visual functions	Coren, chapter 8	Quiz 4
October 30			Exam 2
November 6	Visual pattern perception	Coren, chapter 10
November 13	Distance and size perception	Coren, chapter 9	Quiz 5
November 20	Color	Coren, chapter 4	Quiz 6
November 27			Exam 3
December 4	Motion	Coren, chapter 12
December 11	Perceptual Development, Exotic sensory systems		Quiz 7
December 18	Human Perception		Final Exam

Additional notes

Cheating, plagiarism

Neither cheating nor plagiarism will be tolerated in this class. Both will be punished in accordance with the CSUS Policy Manual.

Etiquette

Fairly obvious standards of etiquette apply in all classes on campus, and mine is no exception. Cell phones and beepers should obviously be turned off during class, unless the sole purpose of the phone is for urgent or emergency calls. In general, don't disturb those who are trying to pay attention.

Finally,

I hope you enjoy this class, and are as fascinated with perceptual psychology as I am. I encourage you to come talk to me throughout this course with any questions or concerns you have about the course, subject matter, or research discussed.

Disclaimer

Information in this syllabus is subject to change at any time. Any changes will be announced in class and posted on the class web page. Although such arrangements will always be made in advance, it is your responsibility, not the instructor's, to attend to these announcements. If you do not attend class and/or don't check the class web page, you assume the responsibility for missing changes in syllabus content, including, for example, quiz and exam dates.