Sensation & Perception

Spring - 2024

GRADES
Sample Essay Exam Questions
DP! I seriously want to learn this stuff!

Instructor:	Stephen T. Paul, Ph.D.		Office:	122 Scaife
E-mail:	paul@rmu.edu		Office Hours:	M & W:   1:00 - 3:30 pm
Phone:	(412) 397-5416.			and by appointment.

All our interior world is reality - and that perhaps more so than our apparent world.

-- Marc Chagall

Text:	Schwartz, B. L., & Krantz, J. H. (2023). Sensation & Perception, 3rd ed. Sage. [978-1-07192-118-0] Students are expected to have their textbooks and other required course materials (lab books, digital media, etc.) at the start of the course. Failure to have required course materials will not be accepted as justification for failure to be prepared for class, missed or incomplete assignments, failure to prepare for exams, quizzes and other course evaluations or inability to complete other course requirements. The only exception to this policy will be situations in which the textbooks and/or other course materials are not available from the publisher.
Web Site:	http://www.drspeg.com/courses/courses.html
Overview:	Sensation has been defined as the physical sensing of a stimulus (to me, this refers to the physiological response to some stimulus before you know what it actually is) or, the initial detection of energy from the physical world. Perception refers to the label/interpretation you put on a sensation. This course will sample a few of the focal areas in sensation and perception, and will emphasize some classic studies as well as a few recent studies that I think are particularly interesting. It is my hope that you come away from this class with, at least, a respectable grasp of the issues, and (dare I hope) a healthy interest in one or more areas of human sensation and perception.
Objectives:	To better understand how we acquire information from the environment through our senses as well as how we make sense of that information. To understand the research methods used to measure and describe sensory and perceptual processes. To be able to differentiate sensation from perception. To be able to describe the basic physiological structures of the ear and eye as well as how this contributes to our auditory and visual sensory experiences. To understand why seeing color is considered a psychological experience. To know two theories that explain color perception. To know two theories that explain auditory perception. To be able to identify the role of psychological factors in the experience of pain. To understand the perceptual phenomena of motion after-effects, perceptual constancy, binocular and monocular depth perception, pattern recognition, and perceptual grouping.
Exams:	Four exams will be administered (3 semester exams; 1 cumulative final). Also, there could be anywhere from 0 to 6 unannounced pop-quizzes. These tend to be more likely on Tuesdays and Thursdays (but never on Wednesdays), so be sure not to skip Tuesday or Thursday classes.
Policies:	Accessibility Accommodations for Students: Robert Morris University welcomes students with disabilities into all of the University's educational programs. If you have, or think you may have, a disability that would impact your educational experience in this class, please contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to schedule a meeting with the SAS Coordinator and Assistant Director Molly Hill. She will confidentially discuss your needs, review your documentation, and engage with you in the interactive process to determine your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. To learn more about academic accommodations, please visit rmu.edu/sas, email sas@rmu.edu, or call 412.397.6884. Masking: You may elect to wear face masks in the classroom. Please respect individual decisions about whether to mask. Any negative response to an individual who elects to wear a mask will be reported to Student Conduct. If you are feeling ill but well enough to attend class, we strongly encourage the use of a face mask until you are feeling well. In an Emergency: RMU Police emergency response telephone number is: 412-397-2424. From campus telephones dial only: 2424. RMU Alert: All students are urged to sign up for the RMU emergency alert notifications at rmu.edu/rmualert. Always check with RMU to see if classes are in session during inclement weather. Lectures & Readings: I expect that you will have read each chapter before we meet in class to discuss it. When you read, take note of portions that you don't understand well, or that you might have questions about. In this way you will arrive prepared for class to discuss the material like a true scholar. NOTE that I do not provide lecture notes or slides to students (i.e., as files that could be downloaded or emailed). I've tried this multiple times in the past and then watched students' grades plummet. Despite what your intuition may tell you, it isn't a good idea in practice (especially for this class). Academic Integrity: All students are expected to understand and adhere to the standards of Academic Integrity as stated in the RMU Academic Integrity Policy which can be found on the RMU website at rmu.edu/ai. Any student who violates the Academic Integrity Policy is subject to possible judicial proceedings which may result in sanctions as outlined in the Policy. Also note that all academic integrity violations will be reviewed by the SESS Academic Integrity Committee. Depending upon the severity of the violation, sanctions may range from receiving a zero on an assignment to permanent removal from the psychology degree program or even dismissal from the university. Grading: The exams will constitute 70 percent of your final grade (x1=10 percent, x2=15 percent, x3=20 percent and 25 percent for the final exam), the pop-quizzes, combined with occasional in-class activities, will constitute the remaining 30 percent of your final grade. The breakdown below will be used to determine final grades (based on overall percent earned by semester's end): A =   93.0 - 100 B =   83.0 - 85.9 C = 70.0 - 76.9 A- = 90.0 - 92.9 B- =  80.0 - 82.9 D =   0.1 - 69.9 B+ = 86.0 - 89.9 C+ = 77.0 - 79.9 F =   0.0 Use of Personal Technologies During Classtime: The use of laptops, cell phones, MP3 players, or any technology that distracts you (and/or your neighbors) from course content and delivery are prohibited. If you are caught using ANY technologies during class time, you will be marked absent for that class. If the instructor deems your electronic addiction to be disruptive you may be asked (or required) to leave. Why am I inflicting such a "torture" upon you? It was shown back in 2014 (and replicated since then) that notes taken by hand result in superior memory/learning compared with notes taken on computer/laptop. The classic demonstration of this is: Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159-1168. Missed Assignments: In the event that you miss a graded assignment (exam, activity, etc.) due to an excused absence, you have one week (or until the last day of classes; whichever comes first) from the date of the missed assignment to make arrangements with me to complete that missed assignment. If the original assignment cannot be completed, a replacement activity may be assigned. If you fail to make arrangements with me to make up missed assignments by the deadline, you will receive a zero for that assignment.

Schedule of Events:

This is provided as a general outline and ordering of what we will be covering. Approximate dates for exams are indicated. If any changes need to be made, they will be indicated on the online version of this syllabus (the final-exam date, of course, is already known and cannot be changed).