PSY2040
Human information
processing
Faculty of Science
Department of Psychology
Introductory book
Table of contents
Page
Course specification
Welcome to the course 1
Course staff
1Course resources 2
Textbook
2Web sites
2Additional reading/multi-media
3Course structure 3
Introduction to the course 4
Objectives of the course 4
Previous knowledge 5
How to succeed in this course 5
Support 6
Types of enquiries
6Types of support
6Residential school 7
USQConnect 7
Course discussion group
8Course evaluation 8
Study schedule 9
Assessment 10
Assignment rationale and objectives
10What happens when things go wrong
10Assignments – background
12An example
13Examination
15Assignment 1 17
Readings for assignment 1 23
Assignment 2 25
Course specification
Description: Human Information Processing
Academic group: FOSCI
Academic org: FOS005
Student contribution band: 1
ASCED code: 090701
STAFFING
Examiner: Liam Hendry
Moderator: Tony Machin
REQUISITES
Pre-requisite: PSY1020 and (PSY2100 or STA2300) or Students must be enrolled in the following
Program: GDPS
RATIONALE
Perceptual, attentional and memory processes play a vital role in our daily life and a well functioning
and well integrated perceptual and cognitive system is something that most of us take for granted.
Most of us only notice these systems when they begin to fail. However, the true importance of
these systems becomes very apparent when a massive breakdown is observed. For example, life
is relatively difficult for people who suffer partial or total blindness or deafness. Children with
attentional deficits experience daily problems. Elderly people with Alzheimer's Disease show the
devastating effect of breakdown in the memory system. In short, deficits in our perceptual,
attentional and memory systems have severe impacts upon a normal lifestyle. This course is
designed to provide a good understanding of normal perceptual and cognitive processes.
SYNOPSIS
The course starts with a revision of visual and auditory sensation that was covered in Foundation
Psychology B. The course builds upon this material by examining visual and auditory perceptual
processes and associated brain structures. Following perception and attention, the course deals
with behavioural approaches to learning before examining more cognitive approaches to learning.
Memory over short retention intervals is then examined with an emphasis upon working memory.
Finally the course looks at the factors involved in producing long-term memories.
OBJECTIVES
On completion of this course students will be able to:
i
1. a rudimentary knowledge of structures in the areas of sensation, perception, learning and
memory (Examination);
2. skills in conducting and reporting experimental research in these areas (Assignments 1 &
2).
TOPICS
Description Weighting (%)
Sensation: The Visual System Structure of the Eye and Retina 8.30
and the Visual Pathways
1.
2. Perception: Visual Functions - Edges, Changes and Acuity 8.30
Visual Pattern Perception - Shapes, Spatial Frequency & Gestalt 8.40
Laws
3.
4. Distance and Size Perception - 3D from 2D and Illusions. 8.40
5. Motion - Real and Illusory Movement 8.30
6. Perception: Sound - Auditory Perception - Music and Speech 8.30
7. Attention 8.30
8. Learning: Classical Conditioning 8.30
9. Learning: Operant Conditioning 8.30
10. Short-term Retention: Short-term memory 8.30
11. Short-term Retention: Working memory 8.40
Long-term Memory: Encoding and imagery, retrieval, 8.40
organisation and practice
12.
TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or ACCESSED
ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise
stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within
Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For
costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at
http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).
CD-ROM highly recommended but not compulsory
2002, PSY2040 Human Information Processing,
(Part 2: Attention and Memory, Pearson Education Australia, Sydney. (Sourced from Ashcraft,
2002, Cognition 3E, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River))
2002, PSY2040 Human Information Processing,
(Part 1: Sensation and Perception, Pearson Education Australia, Sydney. (
1997, Sensation and Perception, 4th edn, Allyn & Bacon, Boston.)
1997, Exploring Perception, Brooks/Cole, Pacific Grove, CA.
REFERENCE MATERIALS
Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and
understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
1995, Mystery of the Senses Series - Hearing, Green Umbrella Ltd, Washington.
1995, Mystery of the Senses Series - Vision, Green Umbrella Ltd, Washington.
1998, Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind,
Norton, New York.
2002, Sensation and Perception, 6th edn, Brooks/Cole, Pacific Grove, CA.
2007, Biopsychology, 6th edn, Pearson, Allyn & Bacon, Boston, MA.
2004, Cognition: Theory and Applications, 6th edn, Wadsworth/Thomson, Belmont,
CA.
2004, Sensation and Perception: An Intergrated Approach, 6th edn, Hoboken, NJ.
1997, The Brain: Our Universe Within, Discovery Channel, Bethseda.
(Video: two tapes, four programs)
1996, The Graphic Brain: Neurophysiology, Didactic Systems, Pacific Grove, CA.
(ISBN: 0-534-34036-9)
1989, Discovering Psychology: Program 7 - Sensation and Perception, WGBH
Boston in association with the American Psych, USQ Library, Toowoomba.
(AV152.1 Dis)
STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS
ACTIVITY HOURS
Assessment 22.00
Examinations 2.00
Private Study 141.00
ASSESSMENT DETAILS
Description Marks out of Wtg(%) Due date
ASSIGNMENT 1 70.00 15.00 27 Aug 2007
ASSIGNMENT 2 70.00 30.00 01 Oct 2007
END S2
(see note 1)
2HR RESTRICT (M/C) 70.00 55.00
EXAMINATION
NOTES
1. Examination dates will be available during the Semester. Please refer to the examination
timetable when published.
IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION
1 Attendance requirements:
iii
It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities
(such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to
study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their
chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related
activities and administration.
2 Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To complete each of the assignments satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of
the marks available for each assessment.
3 Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval then a penalty of
0% of the total marks available for the assignment will apply for each working day late.
4 Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% in the
examination and at least 50% of the available weighted marks for the summative assessment
items.
5 Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of
the marks (or grades) obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
6 Examination information:
In a Restricted Examination, candidates are allowed to bring only writing and drawing
instruments into the examination. Students whose first language is not English, may, with
the Examiner's approval, take an appropriate non-electronic translation dictionary (but
not technical dictionary) into the examination. Students who wish to use a translation
dictionary MUST request and receive written approval from the Examiner at least one
week before the examination date. Translation dictionaries will be subject to perusal and
may be removed from the candidate's possession until appropriate disciplinary action is
completed if found to contain material that could give the candidate an unfair advantage.
7 Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
No supplementary examinations will be given. Deferred examinations will be held during
the examination period at the end of the semester of the next offering of this course.
8 University Regulations:
Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10
Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene
University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL
http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ
Handbook.
ASSESSMENT NOTES
9 The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment
to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested
by the Examiner.
10 Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be produced
within five days if required by the Examiner.
11 Access to email, discussion groups and the internet is a departmental requirement. I expect
you to open your university provided email account and check it regularly for personal
communication. Information sent this way will be regarded as being receivable. [Note,
other accounts often have more limited sized mail boxes, are not accessible when the USQ
external connection is down and may not always remain open throughout your candidature].
iv
PSY2040 – Human information processing
1Welcome to the course
This course is being co-taught by two people, which does not often happen in undergraduate
courses in psychology at USQ. The examiner for the course is Dr Liam Hendry and he is
assisted by fellow lecturer, Dr Malcolm Mills. Liam is located in W110B and Malcolm in
W422C. If you are in the neighbourhood feel free to drop in. If you want to get in contact with
us please read the information in the Support section.
Course staff
Dr Liam Hendry
Dr Hendry holds the degrees Bachelor of Science
(Psychology), Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Doctor of
Philosophy, all attained at USQ. For the last few years, Liam
has been teaching into the USQ Psychology courses
PSY1020 Foundation Psychology B, and PSY2040
HumanInformation Processing
. Liam completed his PhD in theresearch area of Short-Term Memory, where the word-length
effect was re-examined from a processing perspective, and
his findings from that study have been published in the
journal Memory. He is currently researching a new paradigm
for testing short-term memory. When not doing Psychology,
Liam’s other interests include archaeology, car restoration,
and motor sport.
Dr Malcolm Mills
The best way to contact me is via the Study Desk Mail
feature. My office is W422C on level 4 of W block. I’m
available during my consultation times, and I have other
times available by appointment, when you can visit (groups
encouraged), or telephone: call (07) 4631 2975. Otherwise
for students in Australia, the recommended contact is
Outreach Services: (07) 4631 2285, or email
<outreach@us.edu.au>. For overseas students, the
International Office is: 617 4631 2362 or email
<iosupport@usq.edu.au> – and these people can organise
assignment extensions and exam deferrals for you. (Please
note the ‘Other requirements’ section on the Course
specification.) General academic questions, which can
benefit everyone, are much better asked on the discussion
group. This saves me answering the same question umpteen
times, and lets me post general information immediately. If
you encounter any problems with your enrolment or the
electronic resources refer first to the
Distance EducationStudent Guide
.2
PSY2040 – Human information processingModerator
Dr Machin is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), the APS College of
Organisational Psychologists, the International Association for Applied Psychology (IAAP),
and an international affiliate of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Course resources
Textbook
You will note that we have requested that you buy two texts for the course: one dealing with
perception and one dealing with attention and memory. We have used custom books to ensure
that we have included only those things we consider to be important. This should save you
time in knowing that we expect you to read the chapters contained in the text, and it should
save you money, in that we are not requiring you to buy two complete text books each of
which you would only have to read a certain percentage.
Web sites
Both text books come with companion web sites.
Sensation and Perception: www.ablongman.com/matlin
Attention and Memory: www.prenticehall.com/ashcraft
Course Site: www.usq.edu.au/course/material/psy2040
This web site contains a number of means of evaluating your knowledge and also provides
some other links. We have referred you to this site for self assessment activities.
Dr Tony Machin is a Senior Lecturer and the Undergraduate
Coordinator in Department of Psychology at the University
of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia. Dr Machin
has a PhD from the University of Southern Queensland
(awarded in 1999) on the topic ‘
Understanding the processof transfer of training in the workplace
’. Dr Machin has30 refereed publications in the areas of: evaluating the
transfer of training in the workplace, the impact of training
courses on levels of well-being in the unemployed,
management of fatigue in long-distance driving, and
organisational climate and absenteeism. Dr Machin has
taught Psychology Research Methods B, Industrial and
Organisational Psychology, and Organisational Behaviour at
the undergraduate level, Psychology Applied to Current
Issues and Personnel and Organisational Psychology to
Honours students, and Group and Organisational Principles
to postgraduate students.
PSY2040 – Human information processing
3Note that both the print and electronic resources offer valuable learning resources, in the form
of alternative explanations, summaries, practice activities and/or explanations of key terms.
We encourage you to make use of these features, and to use the electronic discussion group to
raise any queries.
Additional reading/multi-media
You have a book of readings associated with modules 7, 8 and 9. You will need to read this
material as directed in the study book.
The course specification also indicates a number of other sources of information that might be
useful to you. There seems to be a lot more multi-media available for perception than is the
case for memory and attention. We recommend that you take some time to examine some of
this material. Malcolm has indicated which activities on the recommended CD-ROM are
relevant for the various modules.
Course structure
Part 1: Sensation (taught by Dr Malcolm Mills)
1. Sensation: The Visual System Structure of the Eye and Retina and the Visual Pathways.
Part 2: Perception (taught by Dr Malcolm Mills)
2. Perception: Visual Functions – Edges, Changes and Acuity.
3. Visual Pattern Perception – Shapes, Spatial Frequency and Gestalt Laws.
4. Distance and Size Perception – 3D from 2D and Illusions.
5. Motion – Real and Illusory Movement.
6. Perception: Sound – Auditory Perception – Music and Speech.
Part 3: Learning (taught by Dr Liam Hendry)
7. Attention
8a. Learning: Classical Conditioning.
8b. Learning: Operant Conditioning.
Part 4: Memory (taught by Dr Liam Hendry)
9a. Short-term Retention: Short-term memory.
9b. Short-term Retention: Working memory.
10. Long-term Memory: Encoding and imagery; Retrieval, organisation and practice.
4
PSY2040 – Human information processingIntroduction to the course
Welcome to the course! As its name suggests, the content of this course deals with issues
associated with the processes by which humans take environmental information and process it
in a way that allows them to function within that environment. The structure of the module
would suggest that there are three aspects of the human information processing system that are
independent of one another and that processing occurs serially. That is, items are put through
the perceptual system, attention is then paid to certain stimuli and these stimuli wind up in
different memory stores. Many text books tend to present information in this way, but it is
incorrect. Perception, attention and memory are intrinsically involved in all the research that
we are going to be considering in this module, and they are inseparable. What is going to
happen in each section is that a particular section will be examined as though the other
components were working normally. For example, when talking about perception, the
assumption is going to be made that attention is paid to the stimuli and that there are no
problems in memory. Likewise when we deal with memory we will assume that there have
been no problems in perception and that attention has been fully paid to the memory stimuli.
So while we will consider perception, attention and memory as separate entities, they are
critically intertwined in any cognitive episode.
The course also intends to continue the development of your research skills. At the
undergraduate level, particularly in the first two years, the primary skill development issue
involves doing psychological research. If you are following a standard enrolment pattern, you
will have already completed Data Analysis and will probably have completed Research
Methods A. (If you have not completed either of these courses, you are going to have major
difficulty with assignments for the course until you have at least completed Data analysis.)
Thus, one of the other aims is to develop your research skills in being able to analyse data and
write it up according to standard procedures in the discipline.
The content of the course builds upon material that was initially taught in PSY1020
Foundation Psychology B and it provides information that will be essential in some of the
third Level electives such as PSY3040 Individual Differences, PSY3080 Human Factors and
PSY3090 Physiological Psychology. The research component allows you to show that you can
apply the research skills that you have acquired in STA2300 Data Analysis, PSY2100
Research Methods A and PSY2010 Social Processes of Behaviour.
Objectives of the course
There are two key objectives that we have for students who attempt to do this course.
Successful students will have:
•
developed organised knowledge structures concerning the fundamental structures andprocesses that underpin Perception, Learning and Memory
•
developed skills in analysing experimental data and reporting such data in an appropriatescientific manner.
PSY2040 – Human information processing
5Previous knowledge
We are expecting that you will have already completed PSY1010 Foundation Psychology A
and PSY1020 Foundation Psychology B. The material in this course builds directly upon the
material in PSY1020, particularly the sections on sensation/perception, learning and memory.
We also expect that you have done PSY2010 and STA2300. The assignments are aimed at
developing your research skills and writing skills, particularly with reference to APA style.
You will have had an introduction to APA style in Foundation A & B, and in Social Processes.
You will also have developed some rudimentary statistical skills in Data Analysis. We want
you to combine and use those skills in both the assignments in this course.
Thus if you have not done PSY1020 and either STA2300 or PSY2100, drop from this
course immediately. You will find it difficult to pass the course if you have not done these
two courses.
How to succeed in this course
Let us spell out the criteria for success in this course. Obviously, to pass the course you have to
meet the two main objectives of the course. Operationally, this involves me rating your efforts
on three pieces of assessment (two assignments and an exam) and then assigning some number
that reflects our assessment of your competence. Using this operational definition of meeting
the course objectives we will use the numbers in accordance with USQ guidelines.
We would like to give you some suggestions as to how to succeed in this course. The thing you
must aim for is complete understanding of the material. If you understand the material and
understand the relationships between the material, your ability to remember specifics will be
made easier. The way to test for your understanding of the material is to see the extent to
which you can generalise your learning to new situations. So you can expect a fair proportion
of your exam questions to be in the form of ‘Here is a situation that we haven’t specifically
dealt with before: given your understanding of the principles involved, what do you predict
should happen?’
You should concentrate as much on the structure of the module as on the information
contained therein. Each module tries to tell a cohesive, logical story. Try to put time into
capturing the essence of each module. Try to work out how various aspects of the module are
related to each other. You will find in module 10 that there is evidence to suggest that an
understanding of structure leads to better recall of detail.
All throughout the course, we are going to be making assertions of one type or another. One of
the things I stress, and tend to examine, is your knowledge of the evidence that backs up these
assertions. For example, in module 9 I will make the assertion that working memory is limited
in capacity. I will expect that you can provide some evidence to back up this assertion. In this
case it would entail describing an experiment that demonstrates the limited capacity of
working memory. Thus, in the second section in particular, know your experiments and what
they prove.
The module objectives are very important in that the exam questions will be assessing your
ability to meet these objectives. To this extent we recommend at the end of each module that
you write a paragraph on each of the module objectives. The ease with which you can do this
will give you an indication of your mastery of the content.
6
PSY2040 – Human information processingSupport
Types of enquiries
You have access to a wide variety of support services at USQ. Follow the details below or visit
the ‘Current Students’ website at <http://www.usq.edu.au/currentstudents/default.htm> for
more information.
General enquiries
USQAssist is the most efficient method for requesting assistance for:
•
administrative queries•
assignment submissions•
study assistance•
contacting your lecturer.Technical enquiries
Enquiries relating to access to USQConnect, the USQStudyDesk, or other technical issues can
also be directed to USQAssist. If you cannot access USQAssist, contact the Student IT
HelpDesk on +61 7 4631 1510 or email <usqconnect@usq.edu.au> for assistance. The Student
IT HelpDesk is staffed weekdays between 8.00 am and 5.00 pm (AEST-Australian Eastern
Standard Time), with voicemail after hours.
Types of support
There are a number of ways of accessing support services.
Online support
USQAssist is a web self-serve facility for you to:
•
find answers to common questions at any time•
ask any question•
track the progress of your question•
keep a record of questions and responses.To access USQAssist go to <http://usqassist.usq.edu.au> or click on ‘USQAssist’ in
USQConnect.
Telephone support
If you prefer to telephone, call Outreach Services on 07 4631 2285 for assistance. Outreach
Services is staffed weekdays between 8.00 am and 5.00 pm (AEST), with voicemail after
hours. If you are located in Eastern Australia, contact your Regional Liaison Officer.
International students telephone the USQ International Office on +61 7 4631 2362, or your
Agent. USQ International is staffed weekdays between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm (AEST), with
voicemail after hours.
PSY2040 – Human information processing
7Fax
International students fax the USQ International Office on +61 7 4636 2211. All other students
fax the Distance and e-Learning Centre on 07 4636 1049.
Postal address
The Administrator
Distance and e-Learning Centre
University of Southern Queensland
Toowoomba Qld 4350
Australia
Residential school
An optional residential school will be run during the mid-semester break. While attendance is
not obligatory, we suggest that you attend if at all possible. Check the Residential School
Website at http://www.usq.edu.au/residentialschools for information you require to attend
campus, including registration for classes, timetables, accommodation, meals and social
activities.
USQConnect
USQConnect provides you with online access to information, services and course resources
relevant to your studies from a convenient, central point. To access USQConnect, from the
USQ home page at <http://www.usq.edu.au> click on USQConnect, or go directly to the URL
at <http://usqconnect.usq.edu.au>. You will require your USQConnect username and
password to access the system. You will be notified of this username and password on your
first Letter of Offer or Enrolment Notice.
Study Desk
Your Study Desk in USQConnect gives access to a home page for every course in which you
are currently enrolled. Content available from the course home page will vary according to the
teaching requirements of the course, but may include:
•
course materials and resources•
electronic discussion facilities.As each course has specific learning requirements, availability of these features will vary
between courses.
8
PSY2040 – Human information processingUSQAdmin
USQAdmin, also accessed through USQConnect, allows you to access a number of
administrative functions such as changing your contact details, checking your enrolment
details, accessing learning circles, checking final grades, viewing your exam timetable,
changing your exam centre, and more.
Other links
USQConnect also gives access to the Library and the Academic Learning Support site, as well
as the Quick Links list of University sections and services.
Course discussion group
What do I expect of you?
Please note the following key points:
•
post courteous and polite messages at all times•
think before you submit•
keep your message concise, to the point and post in the appropriate discussion thread•
please check spelling to ensure your meaning is clear•
avoid posting messages which may be offensive to individuals or groups.Basically, send the kind of message you would like to receive and enjoy being a participant!
What can you expect of me?
I will endeavour to encourage discussion and to facilitate your learning throughout the
semester by frequent and relevant input to discussion.
Focus issues:
•
discussion of issues relevant to assessment•
clarifying issues and confirming your understanding of key concepts•
checking that you are on the right track to meet course objectives•
discussing theoretical perspectives and their relevance in experimental research•
networking with other students.Course evaluation
Feedback from students studying USQ courses is very valuable to the university. Each
semester, certain courses are selected for student evaluation. If a course that you are studying
is selected for evaluation you will receive an email message requesting your feedback. The
email will include the link to the electronic survey form and give directions for its completion.
PSY2040 – Human information processing
9Study schedule
Week Module Activity/Reading Assessment
1
23–27 July
1: Sensation: the
visual system Matlin & Foley, ch. 3 Begin assignments
2
30 July – 3 August
2: Perception: the
basic visual functions Matlin & Foley, ch. 4
3
6–10 August
3: Visual pattern
perception Matlin & Foley, ch. 5
4
13–17 August
4: Distance and size
perception Matlin & Foley, ch. 6
5
20–24 August
5: Motion: real and
illusory movement Matlin & Foley, ch. 8
6
27–31 August
6: Perception: sound –
auditory perception –
music and speech
Matlin & Foley, ch. 11 Assignment 1 (15%)
Due: 27 August 2007
7
3–7 September
7: Attention Ashcraft, ch. 48
10–14 September
8: Learning (classical) Selected reading 8.19–10
17–28 September
RECESS/RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL
11
1–5 October
8: Learning (operant) Selected reading 8.2 Assignment 2 (30%)Due: 1 October 2007
12
8–12 October
9: Short-term memory Ashcraft, ch. 5Selected reading 9.1
13
15–19 October
9: Working memory Ashcraft, ch. 5Selected reading 9.1
14
22–26 October
10: Mnemonics and
long-term memory
Ashcraft, ch. 6
Selected readings 10.1,
10.2, 10.3
15
29 Oct – 2 Nov
REVIEW
16–17
5–16 November
EXAMINATION PERIOD
(2 hour, restricted exam, 55%)
10
PSY2040 – Human information processingAssessment
There are three components to the course: two assignments and an exam.
Assignment rationale and objectives
These assignments are designed with a number of aims and objectives. The first is to give you
a vehicle by which you can demonstrate your understanding of the study material. In the
following assignments you will get a detailed look at some components of the course and you
will be expected to become familiar with theory and assumptions of theory. The process
involved in these assignments should give you a feel for the way in which research is done in
this area. Thus, the first objective is that you develop your theoretical understanding of human
information processing.
As a second aim, I want people to realise that we do not get you to do three courses of statistics
just to irritate, annoy or perhaps torture you. The stats are a tool that the research psychologist
uses to evaluate questions of interest. Consequently, I want people to become more familiar
with the ins and outs of experimental research and being able to use the tools of the trade
appropriately. Thus, both assignments require that you analyse research data and then present
it in a way that is normally found in journal articles. If you progress to fourth year you will
have to show competence in this area in your thesis, so it is as well that you get some practice
in now. These sections should conform to APA style. You will already have had to do this type
of exercise before so it should not be too difficult or strange.
What happens when things go wrong
1. Supplementary exams
There will be no Supplementary Exams for this course. Make sure you pass it the first time.
2. Deferred exams
Deferred exams will be held at the end of semester 2 next year. Thus, if you request a deferred
exam, it will be held in 12 months time.
3. Assignment extension policy (for both on campus and external students)
The university has a policy of a three-week turn around for assignments, and with over
300 people doing this course this year, marking the assignments quickly is somewhat difficult.
I try very hard to meet this deadline. I usually have markers, marking criteria and model
answers prepared so that markers can commence marking as soon as assignments arrive. The
markers also know that they have certain periods when they will be expected to spend a lot of
time marking and they plan their time accordingly. With these things in mind here is the
assignment policy that I adopt.
Assignment 1: 15%
Assignment 2: 30%
Exam: 55%
PSY2040 – Human information processing
111. Providing you submit you assignment on time we will get it back to you within three
weeks of receiving your assignment.
2. I know that assessment is difficult for most external students, so I am prepared to grant an
extension of one week without people having to apply.
But
3. In handing your assignment in late, you forfeit your right to a return within the three
weeks. You may still get it back quickly but you may not. In fact, if it is late there is no
guarantee that you will get it back before the end of semester. The markers give marking a
high priority for the marking period, but it takes a lower priority after that. (They have
other commitments as well)
4. If you require an extension for longer than this, you would need to send me an e-mail.
Again, late submission means that you may not receive your assignment back as quickly as
you would like.
5. No assignments will be accepted once marking criteria and feedback sheets have been
returned to students.
6. I will not answer any questions about the assignment after the due date.
Note, those students who send things in early, will not receive their assignments back any
earlier than if you send it in on time.
There is nothing to be gained by sending assignmentsin early – in fact, you may miss out on important last-minute information.
My policy on students working together
All the texts on educational psychology suggest that one of the most powerful ways of
promoting learning is for people to work in small groups. This allows people to explore their
understanding, get feedback, and generally get multiple perspectives upon a problem. I am
totally convinced that if you work in groups (if you can, and I know that there are some who
cannot) you will benefit more than if you work alone. I therefore encourage you to work
together. Having said this there are some problems with working together.
I have found in the past (usually at least once a semester) I receive assignments that are
identical or so close to being identical that it is clear that the assignments were not written up
independently of one another. When questioned about this, the students usually reply that they
worked together on the assignment in all phases.
Let me be explicit about this. I do notexpect to find, and will not tolerate, assignments that suggest one student has copied
their answers from another.
If you hand in an assignment under your name alone, I expect that this will be your attempt to
answer the questions. I expect that this will be an independent write up of the answers
irrespective of whether you worked with other students or worked by yourself. Thus, if you are
working in a group, make sure that you do not put pen to paper until you are by yourself. If I
find assignments that indicate that the write up has not been done independently I will award a
0 mark for the offending students
Assignments – background
The two assignments in this course involve doing research and writing parts of it for
publication. You are going to be presented with a brief scenario describing some research.
Data derived from the research are also provided. Your task is to specify for each scenario how
the link between theory and experiment has been made and then to
write a results section ofthe type found in most journal articles, then a brief discussion of those results
.The expectation I have is that you will have completed at least one and probably two statistics
courses, so you should have the required knowledge and should be able to use it. The level of
stats in the assignment is equivalent to that covered in Data Analysis.
In your methodology units you will have been introduced to the concepts of variables,
particularly independent variables (IV) and dependent variables (DV). Most experiments in
psychology are primarily concerned with theoretical constructs and testing those theoretical
constructs requires that they are operationalised or made concrete in some manner.
Psychological experiments test the operational variables and the results obtained using the
operational variables are then used to infer something about the theoretical constructs. In the
first part of each of the two scenarios, I want you to make the linkage between theoretical
variables and operational variables explicit. I will ask you questions that force you to do this.
Secondly, since you are going to have to write a results section, you are going to have to carry
out some statistical tests. The type of test that you do is going to be determined by the type of
operational variables you adopt. Most often variables can be classified as either continuous or
categorical. If both IV and DV are categorical a different test is required to when both are
continuous and a different test is required when one is categorical and the other is continuous.
To help you decide what type of test is required I will ask you questions about the type of
measurement used. You will need to think carefully about the variables, and their operational
forms, in order to work out which test(s) to use in your analyses.
Key points
The 9 questions we are going to ask you to answer are:
Part A – make sure of the theory
1. What is the theoretical independent variable of interest?
2. What is the theoretical dependent variables of interest?
3. What is the hypothesis of the study in terms of the theoretical independent and dependent
variables?
Part B – turning theory into a concrete experiment
4. How has the independent variable been operationalised in the experiment?
5. For the IV state whether the measure is continuous or categorical. If it is categorical state
the number of levels.
6. How has the dependent variable been operationalised in the experiment?
7. For the DV state whether the measure is continuous or categorical. If it is categorical state
the number of levels.
PSY2040 – Human information processing
138. What are the hypotheses of the study in terms of the operational independent and
dependent variables? (Depending on the study there can be one or more hypotheses.)
9. What statistical test is appropriate for each hypothesis?
Following these questions, you will be required to write a results section describing the results
of the experiment. Any results section does three things: It summarises the results of the
experiment in a way that the hypotheses of the study can be directly evaluated. Secondly, the
results are described in words. This shows that you understand what your data are saying.
Thirdly, the results of your statistical analyses will provide (or not provide) support for your
hypotheses.
When you have finished the results section, discuss your findings as they relate to your
hypotheses in a brief statement or two under the heading ‘discussion’.
An example
Lets have a look at an example to give you some idea of what is expected in the assignment.
Here is a typical scenario:
A cognitive psychologist examined the influence of level of processing on recognition
memory for words. The psychologist hoped to find that material that had been studied at a
deep semantic level would be easier to recognise during a memory test than material that
had been studied at a relatively shallow semantic level. Two study conditions were
employed. Deep processing was manipulated by having one group of participants rating
target words for pleasantness and a second group were required to count the number of
vowels in the target words as a form of shallow processing. The number of target words
correctly recognised during the test was recorded for each person.
Here are the data that were collected by the experimenter.
Participant Pleasantness Participant Vowels
We are now in a position to do the assignment. The answers to the 9 questions with respect to
this scenario are as follows:
Part A – make sure of the theory
1. What is the theoretical independent variable of interest? Levels of Processing.
2. What is the theoretical dependent variables of interest? Memory for Words.
3. What is the hypothesis of the study in terms of the theoretical independent and dependent
variables?
Deep processing will produce better memory for words than will shallowprocessing
.Part B – turning theory into a concrete experiment
4. How has the independent variable been operationalised in the experiment?
Used twodifferent types of processing task – rating for pleasantness and counting vowels
.5. For the IV state whether the measure is continuous or categorical. If it is categorical state
the number of levels. It is categorical in that there are two levels, pleasantness and vowels.
6. How has the dependent variable been operationalised in the experiment?
Number of wordscorrectly recognised
.7. For the DV state whether the measure is continuous or categorical. If it is categorical state
the number of levels. The DV is continuous, the number of words correctly recognised.
8. What is the hypothesis of the study in terms of the operational independent and dependent
variables?
Rating words for pleasantness will produce larger numbers of words correctlyrecognised than will counting the number of vowels in words
.9. What statistical test is appropriate for the hypothesis?
Since the IV is categorical with twolevelsand the DV is continuous and the hypotheses are couched in terms of differences
between means, an independent groups t-test is the appropriate test
.We are now in a position to think about the results section. The instructions say that you have
to do three things: summarise the data, give a verbal description of the data, and provide
statistical support. So, since the hypothesis predicts that rating words for pleasantness will
produce better recognition than counting vowels, the logical way to summarise the data is to
calculate the means for the two conditions. We will also want to present a measure of
dispersion as well. We can then present our means either in a table or in a graph. This
summary allows us to immediately tell whether or not the hypotheses have been supported.
Have a look at the graph below without reading the text above it and see if you can tell what
the outcomes of the experiment are.
Once the data have been presented, we can then tell people what the data summary says in a
way that is relevant to the hypothesis. In this instance that words rated for pleasantness were
better recognised than words for which vowels were counted. We can then provide statistical
support by showing that our t-test produced a statistically significant t value. Let’s see how we
might write this up as a formal results section. Please note that we talk about operational
variables rather than theoretical variables.
Note: If using this example as a model for your assignments, be aware that it is NOT in
correct APA style. Refer to your Burton (2002/2007) text for correct APA requirements.
Results
The number of items correctly recognised is presented in figure 1. As is evident in figure 1,
items that had been rated for pleasantness were better recognised than items that had their
vowels counted. An independent groups t-test indicated that this difference was statistically
significant, t (18) = 7.28, p <.001.
Figure 1: Mean number of items correctly recognised as a function of processing condition.
Note error bars represent standard error of the mean.
Examination
The exam will consist of 70 multiple choice questions, approximately half will be on
Sensation and Perception and the remaining half will be on Attention, Learning and Memory.
Type of Processing
% Recognised
Pleasantness Vowel
Assignment 1
This assignment is marked out of 70 marks. Activity 1 is allocated 10 marks, Activity 2
is allocated 55 marks and there are 5 marks awarded for how well answers to Activity 2
conform to APA conventions.
Activity 1 (10 marks)
In the preamble to these assignments the point is made that a Results section should do three
things:
•
summarise the results•
describe the results in English•
provide statistical support.Four articles follow this assignment. Each contains a simple results section. I want you to
photocopy the results section from each of the last three articles:
(2005). Birth month and suicide among major league baseball
players. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 101, 21–23.
(2005). Age effects in earwitness recall of a novel conversation.
Perceptual and Motor Skills, 100, 774–776.
(2005). Israelis’ attitudes toward the disengagement plan, perceived risk, and
knowledge of biblical events. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 101, 42.
and then to identify where the author has accomplished these three aims. You can do this by
highlighting the various sections, either by using different coloured highlighting pen or by
using different forms of underlining. Thus, you might like to underline using a single line or
use a green highlighter, exactly where the author/s are summarising the results. You might like
to use a double underline or a blue highlighter to indicate where the results are being described
in English. Finally, you might like to use a wavy underline or a red highlighter to indicate
where the statistical support is being provided. Whatever way you choose make sure that you
are consistent across the three articles, and tell us your coding system.
Note: Not all three aspects need have been done. That is, there may be no data summary, or no
describing the results in English or no supporting stats.
I have given an indication of what I am looking for by providing an answer in the first reading,
that by Hu and Luo (2001). You do something similar for the remaining articles.
Due date: 27 August 2007
Weighting: 15%
18
PSY2040 – Human information processingActivity 2 (55 marks – 27.5 per scenario)
For each of the following two scenarios answer the following 9 questions and write (under the
heading Results) a results section as typically found in a journal article, then (under the
heading Discussion) one or two brief statements discussing your findings.
1. What is the theoretical independent variable of interest?
2. What is the theoretical dependent variable of interest?
3. What is the hypothesis of the study in terms of the theoretical independent and dependent
variables?
4. How has the independent variable been operationalised in the experiment?
5. For the IV state whether the measure is continuous or categorical. If it is categorical state
the number of levels.
6. How has the dependent variable been operationalised in the experiment?
7. For the DV state whether the measure is continuous or categorical. If it is categorical state
the number of levels.
8. What are the hypotheses of the study in terms of the operational independent and
dependent variables? (there may be one hypothesis, or more than one)
9. What statistical test is appropriate for each hypothesis?
Scenario 1 (27.5 marks)
Your text book on perception makes the point that visual pattern perception is influenced by
the context in which a pattern is presented (Matlin & Foley, pp. 148–155). An experiment by
Palmer (1975; see Figure 5.23) is described where people were presented with a scene and
then very briefly shown an item that had to be named. Palmer measured the time and accuracy
with which the items could be named, and found performance was better when an item could
reasonably be expected to appear in the scene. In the current experiment we are going to
examine the role of context on pattern recognition by comparing the naming times for control
and appropriate pictures as defined by Palmer. A context effect in pattern recognition can be
obtained by subtracting the scores in the ‘appropriate’ condition from those in the ‘control’
condition. A positive number would reflect a context effect, i.e.a greater difference between
control and appropriate items.
A question arising from Palmer’s research is the role of simple visual item recognition in the
above effect. Since patterns of the type used in Palmer’s research are constructed of smaller,
simpler components, it seems possible that differences on ability in the Palmer task might be
affected by people’s ability to process simple visual items. More importantly for present
purposes, it is possible that there are individual differences in simple visual item processing
which might be responsible for producing differences in pattern recognition. The idea here is
that people who are ‘better’ (or faster) at simple visual processing might also be ‘better’ at
doing the Palmer task and show greater context effects.
In order to test this notion, the current experiment looks at the relationship between
performance on the pattern recognition task described above, and performance on a simple
item recognition task. Simple visual item processing was measured by having people correctly
identify objects made from long thin balloons (imagine a circus performer or magician
twisting long balloons together to make shapes like a balloon dog, a balloon flower, etc.). In
this task, photographs of objects made from balloons were presented once to participants.
Participants were then shown the original set of photographs, with other distractor
photographs added, and were asked to recognise the balloon shapes which had originally been
presented. The measure used for this task was the number of balloon objects correctly
recognised in 30 seconds. The expectation of the study was that there would be a relationship
between performance on the simple visual item processing task and performance on the
pattern recognition task
Number of balloon objects correctly
recognised in 30 seconds
Difference in naming time
(milliseconds) between control and
appropriate items
Scenario 2 (27.5 marks)
Your text book on perception refers to phonemic restoration ().
Phonemic restoration refers to the finding that, when part of an utterance is replaced by an
extraneous sound – such as a cough – listeners report the utterance sound as intact (That is,
participants perceptually restore the missing speech). (1981) found that this effect is
stronger for common words than rare words. We want to explore some other characteristics of
words and their effects under phonemic restoration. In this scenario we will be looking at the
concreteness or imageability of words. In the current experiment we are interested in the
strength of the phonemic restoration effect as a function of concreteness. It is expected that
there will be differences in performance depending upon how ‘concrete’ a word is.
Concreteness is often defined operationally by asking people how easy it is to form an image
from a word and to use a rating scale (from 1 to 10) to reflect the ease of forming an image.
Words like basket, house, cat etc. are usually rated as easy to image, and are thus considered
very concrete. Other words like justice, common, or false are rated as less easy to image and
are thus considered to be more abstract.
In the current scenario, either abstract or concrete words were presented through headphones
and participants were required to shadow (say each word aloud as they heard it through the
headphones). 100 words were presented in the list, of which 60 were intermediate in
concreteness and were presented intact (clearly audible). Of the remaining 40 words, half were
very concrete and the other half were very abstract, and all 40 were presented through the
headphones under degraded (not clearly audible) conditions. The data for 30 participants from
the experiment are presented below, representing the mean number correctly produced for the
20 concrete and the 20 abstract words only. The other 60 (intermediate) items were distractors
and therefore not scored.
Readings for assignment 1
(a) (2001). Susceptibility to motion sickness induced by optokinetic
rotation and self-rotation by walking around a vertical pole. Perceptual and Motor Skills,
93, 289–296.
(b) (2005). Birth month and suicide among major league baseball
players. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 101, 21–23.
(c) (2005). Age effects in earwitness recall of a novel conversation.
Perceptual and Motor Skills, 100, 774–776.
(d) (2005). Israelis’ attitudes toward the disengagement plan, perceived risk,
and knowledge of biblical events. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 101, 42.
Readings
Assignment 2
This assignment is marked out of 70 marks. Scenario 1 is allocated 35 marks, Scenario 2
is allocated 30 marks, and a further 5 marks are awarded for how well answers to the
scenarios conform to APA conventions.
Scenario 1 and 2
For each of the following two scenarios answer the following 9 questions and write (under the
heading Results) a results section as typically found in a journal article, then (under the
heading Discussion) one or two brief statements discussing your findings.
1. What is the theoretical independent variable of interest?
2. What is the theoretical dependent variable of interest?
3. What is the hypothesis of the study in terms of the theoretical independent and dependent
variables?
4. How has the independent variable been operationalised in the experiment?
5. For the IV state whether the measure is continuous or categorical. If it is categorical state
the number of levels.
6. How has the dependent variable been operationalised in the experiment?
7. For the DV state whether the measure is continuous or categorical. If it is categorical state
the number of levels.
8. What are the hypotheses of the study in terms of the operational independent and
dependent variables? There may be one hypothesis or more than one.
9. What statistical test is appropriate for each hypothesis?
Scenario 1 (35 marks)
Both of these scenarios deal with the digit span task. Much of the material in module 9 deals
with immediate serial recall and often the dependent measure has been some type of memory
span. In the current scenarios digit span was calculated based on 24 trials in which four trials
were given at each list length starting with a list length of 4 and ending with a list length of 9.
On each trial the digits were presented on a computer screen at a rate of one digit per second.
After the last digit in the sequence had been presented, a row of question marks appeared on
the screen ‘????’. This served as a cue for the participants to attempt to recall the digits in
order.
Due date: 1 October 2007
Value: 30%
One interesting aspect of this research is that recall is almost always requested in a forward
direction, very rarely is backward serial recall required. The lack of research in backward
recall is surprising given that backward recall is one of the tests used on such clinical memory
batteries as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III) and the Wechsler Memory
Scales (WMS-III).
One suggestion is that backward recall is nothing more than multiple attempts at forward serial
recall. Thus, to recall the last word, people recall in a forward direction until they get to the
last word, they output it and then do forward serial recall until they get to the second last word
and output it, and so on. If backward serial recall is nothing more than repeated forward serial
recalls, then it is possible that the phonological loop component of Baddeley’s working
memory system is supporting backward recall as it does forward recall. If so, then backward
recall should show all the same patterns and effects upon performance that forward recall
does.
One of the interesting effects of forward serial recall is that the mean digit span is not
equivalent in different languages. Thus, Chinese digit span is about 10, English span around 7
and Welsh span about 5 digits. This has been attributed to the time it takes to rehearse the
various digits in the different languages – the Chinese digits can be rehearsed faster than the
English digits and so more can be stored in the phonological store. The same explanation
holds for the difference between English and Welsh spans.
In this experiment we are interested in backward digit spans of Chinese, English and Italian
speaking participants. The Chinese digits are all one-syllable words, each having a short vowel
sound. English digits are again one syllable in length (with the exception of zero and seven),
however the vowel sounds tend to be longer than those in Chinese. The Italian digits are all
two-syllable words with the exception of three (tre) and six (sei). Fifteen native speaking
Chinese, Italian and English participants were given the backward digit span task as described
above.
The above review suggests that language differences in forward serial recall are easily
explained by the differences in spoken length of the items, and that the different spans are due
to differences in rehearsal speed. If backward recall is nothing more than repeated forward
recall attempts, it is logical to expect the same pattern of differences in backward recall as we
see in forward recall between the three language groups.
Experimental data
The digit span data for 45 participants are provided below. The digit span number represents
the number of sequences (out of 24) correctly recalled in reverse order.
Scenario 2 (30 marks)
This experiment continues the theme from Scenario 1. That is, “is backward recall supported
by the phonological loop in the same way that forward serial recall call is?”.
In this experiment we are concerned with individual differences in backward memory span
and the factors that underlie such differences. The finding that in forward serial recall, lists of
similar sounding words are harder to recall than lists of dissimilar sounding words suggests
that the items are represented in terms of their phonemic attributes. This again suggests that
those people who have high spans are better able to use phonemic information than those who
have low spans. There is some evidence from our laboratory to suggest that this is the case.
One way to measure the use of phonemic information is to assess how quickly people can
pronounce pseudohomophones. A pseudohomophone is a non-word which, when spoken,
sounds like a real English word (e.g. kaje = cage; nayshun = nation etc.). In the current
scenario we are going to explore individual differences in digit span, so we will use
pseudohomophones to examine the relationship between individual differences in the ability
to use phonemic information, and backward digit span.
If the phonological loop supports backward recall in the same way as forward serial recall, we
hope to show that individual differences in the ability to use phonemic information are
positively related to backward word span.
Phonemic information
Participants were presented with a sheet of paper which contained 25 pseudohomophones in a
single column. Instructions indicated that as soon as the list appeared participants were to say
the (non-) words aloud. The instructions stressed that they were to do this task as quickly as
possible. The experimenter recorded how long it took participants to complete the task. The
measure used is the number of seconds it took to read the 25 pseudohomophones.
Chinese English Italian
Backward span
This task is described earlier in Scenario 1.
Below are the data that 30 participants provided. The Phonemic score represents the number of
seconds it took to complete the pseudohomophone task. Span represents the number of
sequences correctly recalled in reverse order.
ID Span Phonemic
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