Psychology 53.1 GJ                                                                                                       Mon, Wed 2:00-3:15 pm
Learning                                                                                                                                     Fall, 2002
5303 James Hall

Course Description
     This course explores basic principles of animal learning. Some discussion will concern nonassociative forms of learning, but we will focus more on analyses of associative learning (especially Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning). The framework we will use considers learning as a form of knowledge acquisition. We will ask how knowledge about the relationships among events is acquired by animals, how to conceptualize "knowledge" in animals, and how such knowledge might be converted into observable behavior. Although most of the course will draw heavily on animal learning research, we will also consider the relevance of basic principles in this domain to research questions in various human learning situations (e.g., category learning and causality judgment). The chief aims of the course are (1) to acquaint you with current thinking about learning and, more generally, (2) to help you appreciate the logic of empirical discovery.

Instructor
Dr. A. Delamater
  Office # 4401
  Office hours: Mon, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
                        Wed, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
                         Other times, by appointment
Office Phone: 951-5240
email: andrewd@brooklyn.cuny.edu

Web Page
     A web page for this class is currently under construction. Although incomplete at present, you will find useful information by visiting this site.  Also, exam grades will be posted here

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/psych/delam/53.1

Textbook
    Frieman, J.  (2002).  Learning and adaptive behavior.  Wadsworth Group.

     It is important that you read the relevant chapters as we discuss them in class.  You will also be responsible for additional material presented in class that is not contained within the text.

Grading
     Your grade in this class will be determined by your test performance. There will be two tests in addition to a final exam. The tests as well as the final exam will include only new information. Your final grade will then reflect a simple average of your three exam scores. You'll find that what will help you most in this course in preparing for tests will be studying in groups. Often, the ideas are better grasped if you can articulate them to others. Moreover, you'll see where your deficiencies are in trying to articulate the ideas to others.
     Historically, I've found that what works best in assigning grades is not to have firm A, B, C, D, F boundaries from the outset, but to allow those boundaries to be governed by class performance. The highest "cluster" of test scores will correspond to a grade of A, the next cluster a grade of A-, etc. In this way, your grade will be judged in relation to your peers. Consequently, the final grade boundaries will not be determined until the end of the semester after all of the exam scores have been recorded.

Missing an exam
     Make-up tests will be given only when there is "good" reason for having missed an exam. For example, if a sudden illness should cause you to miss an exam, then you should be prepared to provide me with a brief note signed by your physician. Contact me before an exam in the event that you anticipate missing one. In the event of an emergency, contact me as soon as possible. In all cases, communicate with me...I try to be reasonable.

Dec 16   (3:30 pm - 5:30 pm)        ***   Final Exam   ***