Psychology of Perception
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Fall 2006
SYLLABUS PS302
PSYCHOLOGY OF PERCEPTION
W. H. Jack
Psychology of Perception is designed as a follow-on course for
ps261 Research Methods. It meets the requirement for one of the two psychology
laboratory course beyond the Research Methods course. All students must have successfully completed PS261 Research Methods in Psychology prior to commencing this course with a grade of at least C-
The development of research skills is a long and difficult process. Scientific research in any area of psychology is a combination of technical skill, knowledge of the field, and is also a conceptual process where analytical and synthetic skills are required. The development of these analytical and synthetic skills is at least as difficult as mastery of the actual course material. In addition, students must have a good conceptual grounding in statistics in order that they may interpret the evidence provided in the literature and test new hypotheses. The Research Methods course gave you some familiarity with research techniques, statistics, and the writing of research reports in APA style. The Psychology of Perception course is designed to enhance your knowledge of psychology and in particular, expose you to some of the research in the research areas of Sensation and Perception. Your individual experiment and the class experiments are designed to improve your ability to conceptualize problems and deal with some complex concepts in a ‘hands on’ environment.
This term the main topic is Computer Applications in Perception. We will also use the historic observations of perceptual anomalies and proceed to explain them in regard to the more recent findings from physiological psychology. The research in visual perception will help you to understand the research and physiology auditory associated with the haptic, auditory, and chemical senses.
Students in the class will select relatively simple experimental topics which nonetheless have potential for being publishable research. Each student is chief researcher for one experiment (50 % of final grade). Other students in the class and the course instructor serve as co-investigators.
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The text for the course is E. Bruce Goldstein’s “Sensation and Perception. In addition, each student must have a copy of the APA Publication Manual. You should reserve $15 for xeroxing expenses. We will also copy or place on reserve materials which are relevant to the course.
There will be three tests during the course to test for mastery
of subject material. (40% of grade)
Participation and involvement (10 % of grade)
Relative merit grades will be given.
CLASS Attendance is Mandatory
as is attendance in labsessions. Those not attending will be warned and then
counselled out of the course if attendance is notsatisfactory.
General tenor
This course is designed for a highly interactive, small class
environment. Each member's active participation is vital
and is required. We shall operate as a collegial research
group which is geared toward production of useful research.
A final grade of less than B should be perceived by the
student as an inadequate performance.
IMPORTANT
Your first assignment (due next class) is reading the Sensation chapter and the Perception chapters of any Introduction to Psychology book. This will refresh your memory about the subject area. If you do not have an introductory book borrow one from a friend or go to the library and read it. Be sure to complete this
assignment before our next class.<
This is a custom-made course each time it is taught. The areas of special interest of the participants will covered in more detail and the general basic material of perception will be covered in less detail.
In this first class we will briefly discuss the nature of perception and its relation to sensation. In the second class we will begin the search for specific research topics and discuss some basics of perception research. You will need the background from an Introduction to Psychology book for the second class. By the third class the requirements for the major individual experiment will be described in detail along with deadlines for completion of portions of the major individual experiment. All typed work must be in American Psychological Association format. All papers will be submitted in
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hard copy. All papers will be written using Word Perfect or Microsoft Word.
Assignment for third class
Read chapters 1 & 2 of the text.
This syllabus and other class materials are found at:
Please check this site frequently. From time to time you may find class notes that will be helpful in class.
Do a web search and look for on-line experiments in perception. Find AT LEAST FIVE experiments THAT MAY BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR USE IN YOUR MAJOR EXPERIMENT.Write down the URLs and list them in order of preference and turn them in to me. Also do an on-line search for terms such as:
Perception Experiments
Sensation Experiments.
Psychology Experiments.
Perceptual and Motor Skills is located in the basement of the library.
This journal is a great source for experiments.
In the three weeks following the third class we concentrate on getting the major experiments underway, We also do some relatively simple lab experiments, and cover the basics of perception as presented in the text.
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IMPORTANT DEADLINE!!
Due date for Major Experiment
Your major experiment must be completed and turned in for a final grade by the third from the last class before finals. Experiments turned in after the deadline and before finals commence will receive a major grade reduction (an A turns into a B). An experiment turned in by the final exam suffers a penalty of two major grade reductions. An experiment turned in after the final exam will not be accepted and will receive a failing grade. An exception will be made for clearly established significant exceptional emergencies. It is crucial that you start work on your individual experiment as soon as possible.
If you design an experiment that runs on a computer, you may be able to use your laptop to run the experiment! --- That could save you quite a bit of time. You may be able to get a copy of a program from a published experiment and use that program for your experiment.
Final note: Plagiarism is unacceptable. Consult the official college policy on plagiarism. The minimum penalty for plagiarism in this class is an F in the course and a report to the Dean of Academic Affairs who may take further action. If you have any doubts at all about something that might be considered to be plagiarism, consult with me BEFORE you turn in work for a grade.
Office hours are found on the web site and may change from time to time as the semester progresses. Feel free to drop in for help during or even outside of my office hours.
William H. Jack
Home email address:
Office email address:
Office located at 332 Crestview
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Meet with the professor frequently
Please meet with me frequently during the semester. Much of what
you will learn will be a product of your own research and its relation to research in related areas. You need to meet with me frequently to get guidance about your research project.
Additional assignments will be provided in the your email. If in doubt,
read ahead in the book. Try to read about any topic we discuss PRIOR
to our discussing the topic. It is your responsibility to read ahead When you are told in class about upcoming topics.
It is also you responsibility to be aware of each person’s experiment.
You will receive a list of URLs for experiments. You should understand
the concepts of those experiments as well as the modifications that
are made by the other students in the class.