| Time | Days | Location | Instructor | GER | Credit | OPUS Class Number | Syllabus (Tentative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2:30pm-3:45pm | TuTh | New Psyc Bldg 493 (36 Eagle Ro | Rodman, Hillary R.. | WRT. | 4 | 2710 | TBA. |
January 18, 2012- May 01, 2012
Prerequisites: Neuroscience coverage at an introductory level such as Psyc 110, or NBB 301/302, or Bio 141/142, plus at least one other course in ANY of the following: psychology, NBB, biology, anthropology, or philosophy.
Catalog Description: Theories and research about how the brain interacts with mind in generating perceptions.
Semester Details: The overall goal of this course is to understand how brain interacts with the mind in generating perceptions. At the same time, you'll explore and practice scientific writing in a format designed to improve your writing skills and help you think deeply about the course topics. We'll combine discussion of readings and discussion of the process of writing with some lecturing for background, writing exercises, and brief presentations. We'll also have one or two lab sessions to examine and compare vertebrate eyes and brain material, as well as individual meetings with the instructor to plan and receive feedback on your writing projects and drafts.
We will cover three broad areas within the psychology and neuroscience of vision, sequenced to allow us to consider the question of "what is visual experience?" in increasingly sophisticated ways. The areas are:
I. Comparative perception and evolution of vision: how do animals see the world?
For example, how do visual environments and ecology specify what animals ‘need' to see? How are these differences reflected in structure and function of eyes and visual systems? How can we begin to understand how an animal perceives?
II. How do we recognize and process faces? How is face recognition accomplished by the brain? How do the characteristics of a face, of the perceiver, and of the social context affect the perception of facial information? How and why does face recognition break down in neurological and psychiatric disease?
III. What is the neural basis of visual experience and visual consciousness? How might it be possible to study the neural basis of consciousness in humans? How can visual consciousness be modeled in animals? What brain mechanisms appear to reflect aspects of awareness?
Particulars: Readings will include selections from a variety of sources, including text chapters and monographs and journal articles from the scientific literature.
We will cover three broad areas within the psychology and neuroscience of vision, sequenced to allow us to consider the question of "what is visual experience?" in increasingly sophisticated ways. The areas are:
I. Comparative perception and evolution of vision: how do animals see the world?
For example, how do visual environments and ecology specify what animals ‘need' to see? How are these differences reflected in structure and function of eyes and visual systems? How can we begin to understand how an animal perceives?
II. How do we recognize and process faces? How is face recognition accomplished by the brain? How do the characteristics of a face, of the perceiver, and of the social context affect the perception of facial information? How and why does face recognition break down in neurological and psychiatric disease?
III. What is the neural basis of visual experience and visual consciousness? How might it be possible to study the neural basis of consciousness in humans? How can visual consciousness be modeled in animals? What brain mechanisms appear to reflect aspects of awareness?
Particulars: Readings will include selections from a variety of sources, including text chapters and monographs and journal articles from the scientific literature.
Required Textbooks, Articles, and Resources
- 5th Edition. A Pocket Style Manual. ISBN: 139780312664800.
Grading
| Assignment/Exam | Details | % of Total Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment and Participation | Assignments will include two papers (one 5-7 pages, one 12-15 pages), brief summaries of articles, Blackboard course blog, in-class writing exercises, brief presentation. Class participation also counts. |
The schedule of courses on O.P.U.S. is the official listing of courses, including days and times they meet and the General Education Requirements they satisfy. Students should use course descriptions as general guidelines. Course requirements, grading details, book lists, and syllabi are subject to change.