Overview
Cognitive psychology is the study of the mind. By employing the scientific method, cognitive psychologists develop an understanding of the processes involved in all aspects of thinking, including attention, perception, memory, reasoning, language, and problem-solving. With the human brain considered to be the most complex object known to exist, and maybe the most powerful learning system known to exist, the study of the thinking processes it produces is immensely challenging. With this complexity and the challenge of using our own thinking to study human thinking, cognitive psychology represents a rich and fascinating research domain.
Learning Outcomes
After completing PSCY 221, students will be able to:
- Identify and explain classic and current issues within cognitive psychology (including but not limited to perception, attention, memory, knowledge, imagery, language, problem solving, and reasoning and decision making).
- Identify and explain standard methodological approaches used in the study of human cognition and cognitive neuroscience.
- Engage in critical reading of empirical evidence used to examine theories of cognition.
- Explain how experimental findings inform theories of cognition.
- Collaborate with peers to analyze experimental designs and theories and effectively communicate the results.
Terms
Evaluation
16% - Online Discussions (4)
16% - Online Quizzes (highest 8 out of 10)
24% - Laboratory Assignments (highest 4 out of 5)
44% - Final Exam (proctored)
*Evaluation subject to change*
Proctored Exams
Exam Centre Location, Eligibility, and Fees
Students enrolled exclusively in online courses may choose one of two options to write this course’s proctored assessments:
- You may choose to write the assessments online under supervision of Examity proctoring services. A $100 fee will be charged to your SOLUS account. This fee is known as the Off Campus Exam Admin Fee and is applied in SOLUS at the earlier of: term tuition posting date, or the date at which exam writing method is changed to online. The fee is assessed once per ASO course with proctored assessments.
- You may choose to write the assessments in-person on Queen’s campus in Kingston at no additional charge.
Students enrolled in at least one on-campus course are expected to write this course’s proctored assessments on-campus during the scheduled exam time. They will not be permitted to write this course’s proctored assessments online.
Students were prompted to indicate their preferred exam writing method when enrolling in the course in SOLUS. The exam writing method may be changed by contacting the ASO Exams Team at aso.exams@queensu.ca.
Information for students writing online assessments using Examity
Selected assessments in this course will be administered in onQ using online proctoring provided by Examity, a third-party, cloud-based service. This proctoring solution was chosen to support our efforts in maintaining academic integrity when online proctoring is required. Queen’s has conducted an extensive privacy and security review of Examity and has entered into a binding agreement with terms that address the appropriate collection, use and disclosure of personal information in accordance with Ontario’s privacy legislation. To learn more about online proctoring, please see the information provided by the Office of the University Registrar.
If you registered to write online with Examity, all information pertaining to the technical requirements and preparation for writing online will be posted in onQ well in advance of your exam.
The use of Examity as described is unique to courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Science Online. Other Faculties use online proctoring solutions in different ways under different regulations. Students should contact the appropriate Faculty examination team if they have questions.
Timing of Final Examinations
The exam period dates for each Term are listed on the Faculty of Arts and Science webpage under "Important Dates". Student exam schedules for the Fall Term are posted to SOLUS immediately prior to the Thanksgiving holiday; for the Winter Term they are posted on the Friday before Reading Week, and for the Summer Term they are individually noted on the Arts and Science Online syllabi. Students should not make any travel plans until after the examination schedule has been posted. Exams will not be moved or deferred to accommodate employment, travel/holiday plans or flight reservations. Students experiencing extenuating circumstances preventing them from writing their exams as scheduled should review the information about the Academic Consideration process.
Textbook and Materials
ASO reserves the right to make changes to the required material list as received by the instructor before the course starts. Please refer to the Campus Bookstore website at http://www.campusbookstore.com/Textbooks/Search-Engine to obtain the most up-to-date list of required materials for this course before purchasing them.
Required Textbooks
- Goldstein, B.E. (2019) Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience (5th edition). ISBN: 9781337763424
- Goldstein textbook + MindTap + COGLAB 5 bundle. ISBN: 9781337408288
Time Commitment
Students can expect to spend approximately 10 hours a week (120 hours per term) in study/practice and online activities for PSYC 221.