Fall 2021 - PSYC 330 D100

Attention (3)

Class Number: 2614

Delivery Method: Remote

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 8 – Dec 7, 2021: Thu, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    PSYC 201 and 221.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Survey the different aspects of paying attention. Topics include the effects of selective and divided attention on perceptual and cognitive function; the role of attention in human performance; attentional dysfunction and attention-deficit disorder; and the development of attentional capacity across the life span from newborns to the elderly.

COURSE DETAILS:

This remote course will be taught synchronously with weekly classes via Zoom.

Lectures will be recorded and you can find more information on Canvas.

Course Introductory Video:
https://youtu.be/q7lN0So7rEY

This course is an overview of attention. Topics include how we pay attention selectively to some events while
ignoring/blocking out others, how we divide our attention and multitask (and the limitations of doing so), how practice
leads to highly-skilled automatic performance, how we move attention around our visual world when searching for objects,
an introduction to the brain processes that underlie attention, and a discussion of different types of attention deficits
and how they are diagnosed.

NOTE:

Take-home research exams in this course are NOT group projects. And they are NOT like typical in-class exams that
require memorization and recall of lecture and textbook content. Instead, students will be given two weeks to conduct
their own on-line research to answer questions about different attention topics that may go beyond what is covered in
lectures or in the textbook, and that require independent thought.

Grading

  • On-Line Quizzes (5): 40%
  • Take-Home Research Exams (3): 60%

NOTES:

Anticipated letter-grade values are:

   85-100% = A-range
   75-84% = B-range
   65-74% = C-range
   50-64% = D
   0-49% = F

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Weekly readings will be available on the course Canvas website. They will be journal articles and book chapters in PDF file format.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2021

Teaching at SFU in fall 2021 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with approximately 70 to 80 per cent of classes in person/on campus, with safety plans in place.  Whether your course will be in-person or through remote methods will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes.  You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).

Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required.  You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the fall 2021 term.