Slides for Lectures 8-9 (Monday 30 July)

A PDF of the slides for Monday's lectures can be accessed via the link below:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1CW4LT2aWMtbTZIYnBsdDBvX0E

Message from Nicky Israel - Research Participation

Dear everyone

Firstly thank you so much to everyone who has taken part in my pilot study so far – the data provided is hugely helpful and I hope you found the process interesting – and also thank you to all of you for your continued interest and considering participation – I know you get a lot of requests at this time of year. 

If you have taken part in the pilot already, please note that feedback for the first round (collected last week) is complete and can be collected from my pigeonhole in U211, the main Psychology office. The feedback is in an envelope with your randomly assigned participant number on the front (this matches to the number on the informed consent sheet you detached and kept).

Once you have fetched your feedback, if you could please complete the one last question on the ‘pilot questionnaire’ and return it either to my pigeonhole in U211 or under my door or to Michael Pitman who will have a box to collect them, it would be hugely appreciated.  

If you have not yet taken part and would still like to and/or be willing to, I would hugely appreciate the input. Please collect a questionnaire from me in my office (U306C on the third floor of Umthombo) or email me (Nicky.Israel@wits.ac.za) to set up a time that is convenient to collect the questionnaire and I can explain the process briefly. You can complete the questionnaire at home (it should take approximately an hour) and then return it to me either under my door (U306C) or in my pigeonhole in U211.

A reminder of the following:

The study is based on piloting my instruments for my PhD study and I therefore need a sample that is ‘psychometrically’ aware, which you, as third year Psychology students, are. My topic is based in cognitive psychology (different approaches to cognitive problem solving), so I also thought you might find it interesting. All students who complete the questionnaires will get a) brief individual feedback regarding an aspect of their personal learning style; b) entry into a draw to win prizes (first prize is a netbook or laptop*; you will need to keep your informed consent sheet*). Participating will involve completing a set of questionnaires that should take approx. 1 hour in one sitting as well as completing a short additional questionnaire that should take about 10 mins (most of this questionnaire can be completed at the same time as the main set however there is one question you will only be able to answer once you have your feedback). Choosing to participate or not to participate in the study is completely your choice and will have no effect whatsoever on your marks or any aspect of your academic life. Your answers will be anonymous.

Thank you again and kind regards,

Nicky

Invitation to Participate in Research - Nicky Israel

Dear everyone

As you are probably aware, classes for PSYC3014 next week have been cancelled due to Dr Pitman being away at the ICP 2012. On Monday, I approached the class to invite anyone who would be interested to please consider participating in my pilot study for my PhD during this time:

*Why?: I am in the process of piloting my instruments for my study and therefore need a sample that is ‘psychometrically’ aware, which you, as third year Psychology students, are. My topic is based in cognitive psychology (different approaches to cognitive problem solving), so I also thought you might find it interesting.

*Any benefits?: All students who complete the questionnaires will get (a) brief individual feedback regarding an aspect of their personal learning style; (b) entry into a draw to win prizes (first prize is a netbook or laptop*; you will need to keep your informed consent sheet*)

   

*What to do?: participating will involve completing a set of questionnaires that should take approx. 1 hour in one sitting, as well as completing a short additional questionnaire that should take about 10 mins (most of this questionnaire can be completed at the same time as the main set; however there is one question you will only be able to answer once you have your feedback)

*When?: Wednesday 25^th July in U2 between 8h00-10h00 or Thursday 26^th July between 10h15-12h00 in WB2.

*Ethics?: choosing to participate or not to participate in the study is completely your choice and will have no effect whatsoever on your marks or any aspect of your academic life. Your answers will be anonymous.

*For more details, please consult the full informed consent sheet:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1CW4LT2aWMteXQxdjA1akFKb0E

 If you would be willing to consider participating in my research I would hugely appreciate it.

Thanks and kind regards,

Nicky 

Lecture Slides - Lectures 3 to 6

As promised in class, PDFs of the lecture slides from Wednesday, Thursday and Friday's lectures are available through the following links:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1CW4LT2aWMtTmRJYjgyZ0pXdWM

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1CW4LT2aWMtNzNGWkdZRWxSOTg

Request for Research Participation

Nicky Israel has asked members of the class to consider participating in her research next week, either during the lecture times on Wednesday (8h00-10h00) or Thursday (10h00-12h00). (As per the previous post, there will be no lectures for PSYC3014 in the week 23-27 July because of the ICP 2012 in Cape Town). Further details about Nicky's request will follow shortly.

Important Dates for PSYC3014

ICP 2012 23-27 July - No lectures, but please see request for research participation from Nicky Israel

Mini-assignment Due Date: Wed 1 August

Essay Due Date: Mon 20 August

Test Date: Monday 27 August
Time: 14h15 to 15h30
Venue: Flower Hall

Course Outline for PSYC3014

The course outline for Selected Topics in Cognitive Studies III: Cognition & Emotion was handed out in class on Monday 16 July. Further copies will be available in class on Wednesday 18 July. An electronic version of the outline is available via the following link:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1CW4LT2aWMtS0RBdXZPM3JMN28

Note that the outline includes details of both the mini-assignment and the essay.

Prescribed Textbook - PSYC3014 in 2012

The prescribed textbook for the Cognition & Emotion course in 2012 is:


Damasio, A.R. (1994). Descartes' Error. London: Vintage.


Any edition/ printing of the book will do. Some copies of the Vintage edition are available from the campus bookshop in The Matrix for R145. It is also available from Takealot.com for R141 (http://www.takealot.com/books/psychology-self-help/descartes-error-paperback,1601118). The American edition published by Penguin is available from Takealot.com for R142 (http://www.takealot.com/books/sciences/descartes-error-paperback,1266294). Copies available through the second hand market are also fine.


There are also digital versions of the text available. The Kindle edition from Amazon (which can be read on a Kindle, or any device running the Kindle App, including PCs, iPads, iPhones, Android phones and tablets, Macs, etc.)  costs $11.99 (approx. R102; http://www.amazon.com/Descartes-Error-ebook/dp/B0031RS9I4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1341231234&sr=1-1&keywords=descartes+error). The e-pub/Adobe Digital Editions version available from Exclusive Books online (www.exclus1ves.co.za) for R127 (http://www.exclus1ves.co.za/ebooks/search/?q=descartes+error) and from Kalahari for R113 (http://www.kalahari.com/digitaldownloads/Descartes-Error/75579/33211753.aspx).


Students must have access to this text by the time of the first lecture on Monday 16 July!

First Lecture - PSYC3014

Please note that the first lecture for the Selected Topic in Cognitive Studies III module will take on Monday 16 July at 14h15. The venue is WB 2 (Wartenweiler Basement 2).