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Psychology 413: Developmental Social/Cognitive Neuroscience
Spring 2015
Tuesday/Thursday 12:30-1:45 PM
Bio-Psych Room 1236
Instructor:
Dr. Elizabeth Redcay
Office: Biology-Psychology 2147D
Phone: 301-405-2884
Email: redcay@umd.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday 1:45-2:45 PM or by appointment
Teaching Assistant:
Ms. Pooja Patel
poojakpatel1222@gmail.com Office hours by appointment I. Course Description and Goals
Developmental cognitive neuroscience is the study of how our brain allows for the
acquisition, refinement, and maintenance of complex cognitive and social abilities. The
field addresses questions such as: how do changes in the brain affect perceptual,
cognitive, social, and affective development, and, in turn, how does experience shape
brain development? This area is by definition interdisciplinary and thus topics will draw
primarily from the fields of cognitive neuroscience and developmental psychology, as
well as their intersection. Emphasis will be placed on discussion of current research,
evaluation of how findings fit into the field’s broader context, and new proposals of
research in the field. Special attention will be paid to the question of how neuroscience
methods can inform development. The goal of this course is to gain an understanding of
current research, methods, and theories in developmental cognitive neuroscience.
Because this field is still in its infancy, the goal is not to memorize facts but rather to
learn to think like a developmental cognitive neuroscientist. A prior background in
developmental psychology and/or neuroscience will be very helpful. The prerequisites
for this course are PSYC 355 Developmental Psychology or PSYC 301 Biological
Bases of Behavior, or equivalent in another department.
Learning Outcomes: After taking this course you will: 1) understand the current theories
and questions that motivate developmental cognitive neuroscience research 2)
understand what research methods are appropriate for different questions in this field 3)
gain a background in the current state of the knowledge about this field 4) learn how to
read and critically evaluate a research journal article and 5) improve oral and written
communication skills.
II. Course Materials
Textbook: Johnson M.H. with De Haan M., Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 3rd
edition 2011. This book will be referred to as ‘Johnson’ in the Readings section of the
Course outline
1 of 6 All additional reading will include journal articles and book chapters which will be
uploaded to the course website.
Required readings are listed in ‘Readings’ section under each class. Presentation of
papers and discussion questions will be discussed in more detail below in Course
Requirements.
III. Course Requirements
Class Participation (10%) This is a seminar with both lecture and discussion and as
such will require participation in class. Participation includes attendance, attention,
respect for the professor, the teaching assistant and your peers, coming to class having
done the readings and assignments, and engaging in discussion. This is especially
important during the Discussion papers (described below) and discussion during those
papers will account for half of the class participation grade. The quality and quantity of
student’s contributions to the discussion will be assessed. 0 points will be given for the
day if a student either does not show up for class, uses the phone, or uses the
computer for anything other than note-taking. If a student repeatedly engages in
disruptive behavior (texting, talking, chatting, etc), he or she will be asked to leave the
class (see Policies – Conduct, below)
Discussion Papers (10%) In some weeks journal articles will be listed as ‘Discussion
papers’. These are required reading. Students are only required to lead discussion on
1 journal article for the entire course. These will either occur on the same or next class
period after the relevant topic. Students will choose their paper on the second class
meeting. Each paper will have 2-3 students assigned to lead discussion. The grade for
this assignment has two parts. First, students are expected to have a meeting with the
full group where each student brings a written summary of the article to the group
discussion with discussion questions. The group then discusses and consolidates these
to submit a 1-page summary of the article through ELMS (to just the professor and TA)
at least 3 days before the discussion paper presentation. This summary should contain
the rationale for the project, design, main findings, conclusions, and discussion
questions. The second part of the grade is the final group handout and leading the
discussion. The discussion should be 15-20 minutes. The discussion will consist of
briefly walking the class through the handout and questions to facilitate discussion of
the paper. Within 2 days of the presentation students should submit a peer evaluation in
which they describe what each member of the group (including themselves) contributed
to the meetings (i.e., did they show up, bring a summary?) and creation of the handout.
Discussion Questions (10%) Students will submit (at least) 1 good discussion
question for the presentation papers (except for papers that the student presents).
These must be posted on the elms discussion board by Noon on the day before the
paper is to be presented (as listed on the syllabus) or else you will not receive credit for
that week. Discussion leaders are encouraged to incorporate these questions into their
own presentations. These can be short questions but they should attempt to tie in
concepts from the course and should not focus on minor details (e.g. ‘why did they use
a filter of 128 Hz?’ is not a good discussion question; whereas ‘These findings claim to
support a nativist framework because behavior X is seen at 1 month of age. However,
2 of 6 couldn’t 1 month of experience be sufficient for the observed behavior?’ is an example
of a good discussion question). Do not simply repeat questions from other presenters.
All students can drop one discussion question grade.
Debates & Paper (10%) A major focus of the class is discussing theories of functional
brain development. Near the end of the course two classes will be devoted to debates
on this topic. The first day will be used for teams to prepare for debates and the second
will be the actual debates. Students will either play the role of debater or judge. On the
first day the class will be divided into four groups of 7. Each group will prepare
arguments in support of one theory and against another. Students may bring in outside
material but it is not required. During the second debate period students will be
assigned to the role of either debater or judge (students can make requests for their role
if submitted to the professor on or prior to 4/30). Judges will vote on and present a case
for the “winning team” (outcome will have no impact on your grade). Students will
submit a 2-4 page paper (double-spaced, 12 point font) due 5/7/15 in which they argue
with empirical evidence in support of one of the theories presented. This paper will
constitute the majority of the debate grade but overall participation, teamwork, and
clarity of argument will be assessed during the class periods as well.
Exams (60%) There will be 2 midterm exams and a final exam. Each exam will be
worth 20% of your grade. Exams will focus primarily on the material that has not been
tested before however students will be expected to draw on concepts and examples
from previous material. Exams will contain a mix of short answer, short essay, and
multiple-choice questions.
Extra Credit: These activities are not required but students may participate if they wish
to receive extra credit. You can earn a maximum of 10 extra credit points (roughly 2
percentage points) for extra credit.
Extra credit will be given for participation in psychology experiments. You can earn up to
8 extra points (2 points/hour of participation – maximum 4 hours). I encourage you to
support and learn about the exciting research happening in the department.
Course Evaluations: Course evaluations are not required for this course; however, I
strongly encourage you to fill them out. This is a great chance for your voice to be heard
and you can make a real contribution to the psychology program. Course evaluations
will be available at www.courseevalum.umd.edu. To encourage you to fill these out I will
give 2 extra credit points towards your final grade if you complete the evaluation and
print the “Evaluations Dashboard” that indicates that you submitted an evaluation and
turn it into me during class or in my mailbox by the date of the final (May 19th). Note that
the class evaluations site will close before that time! Be sure that this page does not
include your responses to the evaluation. In order to ensure that you receive credit be
sure that you do have your name or your UMD ID and a date and time stamp on the
page. If this information is not visible on the Evaluations Dashboard, you can add it to
the Header/Footer of the document at the time of printing via the Page Setup options of
your internet browser.
IV. Policies
3 of 6 Grading: Students are expected to turn in the assignments on time as indicated for
each assignment. Failure to do so will result in a deduction of one grade step for each
late day (defined by 1-24 hours after the due date and time). For example if an
assignment is due on April 28th at 12:30 PM but it is not submitted until April 28th at 1:00
PM (or anytime before April 29th at 12:30 PM), an assignment which would have been
an A will now be an A-. If it is submitted between 25-48 hours after the due date and
time it will become a B+, etc.
Illness: Students who must miss class or an assignment for a medical reason must
notify me or have a guardian notify me PRIOR to the class or date the assignment is
due. On the next class period students must provide me with a documented medical
excuse for their absence. Students are allowed a make-up assignment if they can
provide a documented medical excuse. In the case that you cannot get a medical
excuse, a copy of the notes from your medical visit is acceptable.
Make-up Exam Policy. I will hold one make-up exam per exam if necessary (and if
informed prior to the date of the exam). I will try to accommodate as many students as
possible for that date.
Students with special needs or disabilities: Students who have a disability must be
registered with the DSS (Disability Support Service). Only documentation from the DSS
will be accepted. This documentation must be current for this semester and presented
by the schedule adjustment deadline. More information on University policies can be
found at http://www.counseling.umd.edu/DSS/
Class conduct: Students are asked to respect the classroom environment. Students
may bring a computer to class for note-taking, but I ask that you not use the computer
for purposes which are unrelated to the class. I also ask that you not text or use the
phone during class. Phones must be turned to silent. A student who continues to
engage in this behavior will be asked to leave the class as this does not provide a good
learning or teaching environment. This is consistent with the UM code of student
conduct as stated here: http://www.president.umd.edu/policies/docs/v100b.pdf
Religious Observance: Students may miss a class due to a religious observance
without penalty only if he or she informs me of this conflict at the beginning of the
semester. A make-up assignment will be given if the student wishes to gain credit for
class participation on that day. If an exam occurs on a religious holiday, students must
inform me by February 6th (the last day to adjust your schedule) in writing to schedule a
make-up exam.
Snow/Campus Emergencies: Class will meet unless the university is officially closed
due to a snow or other campus emergency. To check whether the campus is closed you
can check the campus website (www.marlyand.edu) or call the snow phone line (301405-SNOW). Assignments due on the date that the campus is closed will be due the
next class period. In the case that the university is closed for an extended period of time
students will be contacted by email about how to make up lost classes and
assignments. Please be sure you have your current email address listed with the
university. An announcement will also be posted on the course website.
4 of 6 Academic Integrity: As a student, you are responsible for upholding the Code of
Academic Integrity. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty
includes cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, and plagiarism. See
definitions and details at http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/code.html. If a
student violates the Code of Academic Integrity, he or she will be referred to the Student
Honor Council. The typical penalty is XF if the student is found to be in violation. Before
each exam and paper, students must write and sign the honor pledge at the top of the
page.
Honor pledge: “I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized
assistance on this assignment/paper/examination.”
Copyright: The materials for this course, including lectures and exams, are protected
by federal copyright law as my original works. You are permitted to take notes and use
materials during the course period as is relevant to the course. You are not permitted to
record, reproduce, or distribute any course materials for commercial purposes either
during or after the course period. Selling or distributing copies of my course materials,
possessing commercial copies of my notes, or assisting another person or entity in
selling or distributing those materials may be considered in violation of the University
Code of Student Conduct, part 9(k).
V. Course outline
Important Dates Summary
End of schedule adjustment: February 6th
Exam 1: March 3rd
Exam 2: April 9th
Debates: April 30th & May 5th
Debate Paper due: May 7th
Final Exam: May 19th 1:30-3:30 PM
Presentations and Papers will occur throughout the semester.
Below is an outline of the lectures, readings, and presentation papers for each class
period. I will make every effort to stick to this schedule but it may shift. Announcements
about changes as well as a copy of the modified syllabus will be posted on the course
website.
5 of 6 Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Day
Date
Tuesday
1/27/15
Thursday
1/29/15
Tuesday
2/3/15
Thursday
2/5/15
Tuesday
2/10/15
Thursday
2/12/15
Tuesday
2/17/15
Topic
Introduction4
Perspectives4&4Basics
Piaget
Vgotsky4&4Neuroconstructivism
Early4Brain4Development4Basics
Protomap4vs.4Protocortex
Postnatal4Brain4Development
Neuroimaging4Methods4I4444444
Class3will3be3held3at3MNC
Neuroimaging4Methods4II
Catch4up4&4Review
Exam31
Connectivity
Thursday
2/19/15
Tuesday
Thursday
Tuesday
Thursday
Tuesday
Thursday
2/24/15
2/26/15
3/3/15
3/5/15
3/10/15 Plasticity4&4Sensitive4Periods
3/12/15 Vision,4Orienting,4Attention
Reading
Syllabus
Discussion3Paper
Chapter414Johnson
Goswami4pp.4373G398
Westermann4et4al.,420074
Johnson4pp422G494
Chap434Johnson4pp457G69
Chap444Johnson4pp469G79
Chap424Johnson417G22
Chap444Johnson4pp.465G69
Chap454Johnson
Bengtsson4et4al.,42005
spring3break
8
Tuesday
Thursday
Tuesday
Thursday
Tuesday
Thursday
3/24/15 Object4recognition4
3/26/15 Social4Perception
Social4Cognition4G4Action4
3/31/15
understanding
Social4Cognition4G4Theory4of4
4/2/15
mind
4/7/15 Discussion4paper4&4Review
4/9/15 Exam32
4/14/15 Language4
4/16/15 Empathy4
Tuesday
4/21/15 Autism
Thursday
Tuesday
Thursday
Tuesday
Thursday
Tuesday
Tuesday
4/23/15
4/28/15
4/30/15
5/5/15
5/7/15
5/12/15
5/19/15
Tuesday
9
Thursday
10
11
12
13
14
15
Final
Memory
Cognitive4Control/ADHD
Prepare4for4debates
Debates
RiskGtaking4
Review4&4Presentation4Paper
Final3exam31:30G3:303PM
Chap464Johnson
Chap474Johnson4(119G140)
Chap474Johnson4(140G143)
Elison4et4al.,42013
Golarai4et4al.,42007
Saxe,4Carey,4Kanwisher42004 Sommerville4et4al.,42005
Gweon4et4al.,42012
Chap494Johnson
Perani4et4al.,42011
TBD
Chap454Johnson4(144G149);4
Courchesne4et4al.,42007
Senju4&4Southgate,42009
Chapter484Johnson
Chap4104Johnson
Casey4et4al.,42011
TBD
Debate4papers4due
Van4Leijenhorst4et4al.,42010
6 of 6