Psychology 830:301:H1
  Sensation and Perception
  Dr Ilona Kovács
  Spring 2001
  MW5 (2:50-4:10 p.m.)
  Classroom:  ARC-105  Busch

SCHEDULE (last updated Jan 4, 2001)

 ......Date......  Topic.(&.links.to.web-notes)....  .........Reading......  ..................Assignment.....................
Jan 17 Wed  Introduction S & B: Chapter 1
Jan 22 Mon Receptive fields S & B: Chapter 1 papers for presentations handed out
Jan 24 Wed Behavioral methods  S & B: p 488-504
Jan 29 Mon The human eye S & B:  Chapter 2 psychophysics assign. handed out
Jan 31 Wed The eye and seeing 1 S & B: Chapter 3
Feb  5 Mon The eye and seeing 2 S & B: Chapter 3
Feb  7 Wed Central visual pathways 1, 2 S & B:  Chapter 4
Feb 12 Mon Central visual pathways 3 S & B:  Chapter 4 psychophysics assignment due
Feb 14 Wed Summary and  presentations presentations 
Feb 19 Mon Exam 1
Feb 21 Wed Spatial vision  S & B:  Chapter 5 presentations (figures)
Feb 26 Mon Spatial vision S & B:  Chapter 5 papers for presentations handed out
Feb 28 Wed Spatial vision S & B:  Chapter 5
Mar  5 Mon cancelled because of weather
Mar  7 Wed Color perception S & B:  Chapter 6
data collection handed out
Mar 19 Mon Depth perception S & B:  Chapter 7
Mar 21 Wed Motion perception; Capturing time S & B:  Chapter 8 data collection assignment due
Mar 26 Mon Summary and presentations presentations 
Mar 28 Wed Exam 2 
Apr   2 Mon The ear  S & B:  Chapter 9 papers for presentations handed out
alternative field trip: Henderson talk
on Apr 3, or Erkelens talk Apr 27
Apr   4 Wed Hearing S & B:  Chap. 10
Apr   9 Mon Touch S & B:  Chap. 11 literature search handed out
Apr 11 Wed Smell and taste S & B:  Chap. 12
Apr 16 Mon* field trip visit LVR during class
Apr 18 Wed* field trip no class register for Julesz conference here
Apr 23 Mon Knowledge and Perception 1, 2 S & B:  Chap. 13 literature search assignment due
Apr 25 Wed Knowledge and Perception 3,  4 S & B:  Chap. 13 reports on field trips due
Apr 30 Mon Summary and presentations presentations
May 2?? Wed
2:50 - 5:50		 Final exam

Purpose: Touch, pain, smell, taste, sight, and sound all originate in perceptual  systems. Our knowledge of the world is formed on the basis of these perceptions. The goal of this course is to help you to understand principles that hold across all perceptual systems,  and to learn facts that are specific to each one of them.

Required readings:
Perception, 3rd edition, by Robert Sekuler and Randolph Blake.  McGraw Hill, 1994.
                    (available in the Livingstone bookstore)
 Sensation and Perception, lecture notes on the Internet by Ilona Kovács:
 http://zeus.rutgers.edu/~ikovacs/SandP/Perception.html
 

Office hours:
 Monday, 1:00-2:00 p.m., Busch Psychology A123 (Dr. Kovács)
 Wednesday, 1:00-2:00 p.m., Busch Psychology A123 (Dr. Kovács)
 Appointments may be made after class.

Contact: e-mail

Assignments:

    Papers will be short articles from related current literature. Presentation length is about 5-7 minutes. Using one of the psychophysical methods in the appendix, a simple psychophysical experiment will be carried out by each student. The experiment will be designed individually by students. Collecting psychophysical data using an Internet based software, and evaluating the data collected by the group. Using one of the Interned based databases (e.g. PubMed, Science Direct), individual assignments will be given to carry out a detailed literature search. There will be two field trips during the semester: one to a laboratory, and one to a lecture. Students will write reports on both trips.
Grading: For each chapter in your book, there is some material on the Internet already. The notes add important ideas that are not in the book, and at the end of each chapter there is also a list of the most significant concepts as keyterms - understanding those will help you in preparing for the exams.  It is a good idea to browse through the Internet notes before class (in addition to reading the book).