Psychology 372

Psychology of Learning, TTh 2:00-3:20 Harbert 327

Lab Wed 2:00-4:50 SSC 007

Instructor: Lynne Trench

Office: 307 Harbert
Phone: 205-226-4835
Email: ltrench@bsc.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 1:00-2:00 or by appointment

This syllabus is my contract with you. I expect you to read it fully, ask me to clarify any
questions, and keep it handy for easy reference throughout the semester. You are responsible for
everything written on this syllabus.

Required Books:
Chance, P. (2014). Learning and Behavior (7th Edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage
Learning.

Pryor, K. (1999). Don’t shoot the dog! New York: Bantam Books.
We will not be reading this entire book, but we will read a great deal of it.

Course Description and Goals:

This course will cover the major types of human and animal learning. Upon completion of the
course, you should have a thorough understanding of the basic principles of Operant and Pavlovian
conditioning and be able to apply that knowledge to your own life. The laboratory component of the course
will provide you with a greater understanding of learning principles and allow you to experience aspects of
psychological experimentation first-hand. This course fulfills a requirement for the Psychology major.
Please be aware that PY 407 Cognitive Psychology, also fulfills this same requirement.

Psychology Learning Goals:

The learning goals of the Psychology Department that this course will contribute to are:
Improving your knowledge base in Psychology, Understanding research methods and data interpretation,
Improving your critical thinking skills, Improving information and technological literacy, and improving
your communication skills.

Special Needs:
Any students with special needs please discuss them with me at your earliest convenience. For
instance, if you have been diagnosed with ADHD and require specific testing procedures, it will be helpful
to inform me of this right away.

Attendance/Participation:
Attendance at lecture will be taken daily. This is a class that you want to attend! We talk about
lab projects in class (not just in lab) and this is information you do not want to miss. If a student is in a
“borderline situation” (defined as within ½ of a percentage point of the next grade) at the end of the course,
exceptional attendance may allow the student to be “bumped up” to the higher grade, at my discretion.
Attendance at some lab meetings (marked on syllabus) is required, and failure to attend a required lab will
result in 5 points subtracted from your final participation grade.
Class participation is expected. Remember that participating in class allows you to get a better
grasp of the material and leads to better test grades. Your participation grade will be subjective and based
on my memory of the quality (not necessarily quantity) of your classroom and laboratory participation. If
you contribute relevant information on average once a class period, without dominating discussion or
engaging in excessive anecdotes, you will get an “A” for participation. If you contribute relevant
information at least once a week, you will get a “B” for participation. If you occasionally contribute
relevant information, but less than once a week, you will get a “C” for participation. If you rarely or never
participate in class, you will get a “D” for participation. Be aware that laboratory activities will frequently
be discussed during lecture, and you will be responsible for anything (including assignments and due dates)
you miss. You are responsible for any material covered in lecture and any assignments given, in addition to
readings.

Exams:
There will be three exams in the lecture portion of this course. The final exam is not cumulative.
Exams will potentially consist of multiple choice, fill in the blank, short answer, and essay questions. The
exam must be completed in the class period, and in the classroom (unless you have made prior
arrangements with me). Exams (both regular and final) will start at the earliest scheduled time (e.g. at
12:30 for a regular exam); you may not start the exam at a later time. You may not leave the classroom
during the exam unless it is an extreme emergency. I will ask you to put your book bags and cell phones at
the front of the room on exam days. If you miss an exam for any reason, you must notify me as soon as
possible. If I determine your absence to be excused, you may make up the exam at my discretion.
Otherwise, you must make up the exam during the last week of classes. It is your responsibility to set a
time with me to make up the exam. You cannot make up an exam during finals week.

Absences:
If you must miss a laboratory or a paper deadline, notify me as soon as possible. I will determine
if the absence is excused, and what, if anything, you can do to make it up.

Quizzes/Assignments:
To encourage you to keep up with your reading, I may give occasional pop quizzes. If you miss
class on the day of a quiz, unless it is a college-sponsored event, you will not be allowed to make it up.
Also note that if you are late to class on the day of a quiz, you will not be given any extra time to complete
it. If there are several quizzes, you will be allowed to drop the lowest quiz grade. In addition to quizzes,
there may be some assignments required in conjunction with lecture. For instance, you may be asked to
define a concept and give a detailed personal or everyday example of this concept.

Learning Laboratory:
Laboratory meets Wednesdays from 2:00 to 4:50. Due to the Covid 19 situation, I will likely split
the lab time into 2 sections: Wed 2:00-3:30 and Wed 3:30–5:00. Lab meets in Stephens Science Center
007.
Lab will usually meet once a week, however, the schedule will be varied. Some weeks, you will
be required to go to lab every day, and other weeks you may not have to go to lab at all. The lab schedule
is approximate and may be modified throughout the semester.
There will be laboratory exercises with a live rat subject. For the live rats, students are responsible
for taking care of the rat for a portion of the semester. The laboratory section will account for a substantial
amount of your grade in the Learning course. Points in the laboratory section will come from participation
and from a blog and a paper based on laboratory projects that you will participate in. In one project, you
will teach rat to press a lever and perform various schedules of reinforcement in an Operant box. In
another project you will teach a living organism a complex task or tasks. On the last class day, you will
show classmates a video of the end result of your project. More details regarding lab and the papers will be
provided in the lab section. If any student has serious reservations regarding taking care of a rat and
running it in experiments, see Lynne Trench ASAP to discuss this!!

Writing Requirements:
Students will be required to write about what is happening in the laboratory portion of this course.
One writing project will be a blog documenting your rat training. Another project will be an APA style
paper. Laboratory groups (no more than 2 people) may work together on the actual project, but writing
should be the unique product of each individual. In other words, students can get together and discuss
certain aspects of the writing assignment (for instance the methods and the results), but the actual writing
and the explanation of hypotheses or theories (in the introduction and discussion sections) should be done
only by the writer. If writing assignments are late, I will assign a 10% penalty for each day the assignment
is late. If the assignment is due at the beginning of class, and you turn it in from 10 minutes late until the
end of class, an automatic 5% penalty will be assigned.
Course Grading (subject to change):
Exam 1 100 pts
Exam 2 100 pts
Final Exam 100 pts
Blog writing 75 pts
Paper 100 pts
Misc. quizzes / assignments up to 50 pts
Participation (in class and lab) 50________
Total up to 575 pts
Grades are based on the standard percentages, 93-100% = A, 90-92% = A-, 87-89% = B+, etc. The total
points may be altered at some point during the semester, depending on the number of assignments and /or
quizzes. In addition, I may add or subtract points to tests or papers. The “course grading” is just a
guideline. Because many grades do not get entered until the end of the semester (participation, final exam,
final paper), some previous students have seemed surprised by their final grade. Please keep this in mind
and talk to me during the semester if you want to know how you are doing on attendance or participation or
if you have questions on test or paper grading. I am a stickler for being consistent on grading, as well as
making sure scores are added up and entered correctly. Therefore, unless there is an extremely compelling
reason, consider final grades as final, and do not call or email with questions about your grade after the
course is completed.

Classroom Conduct, Cheating, and Plagiarism:

I expect everyone to treat this class as they would a job. I expect you to show up on time, be
prepared for class, treat me and your classmates with respect, to turn off and put away your cell phones,
and not to get up in the middle of class to get a coke or go to the bathroom. I expect you to do your own
work on the papers. Be aware that plagiarism also refers to inappropriate “paraphrasing” from sources in
writing your papers. I expect you to be familiar with any sources you cite and to understand the
vocabulary, concepts, and arguments you use. During exams and quizzes, I expect you to do your own
work, not to talk, not to look at others’ papers, and not to leave the classroom. You are under the Honor
Code of BSC. If there is any reason for me to think that work you turn in is not your own, I am obligated
by the college to report you to the Honor Council. If any student is caught cheating or plagiarizing, they
will get a zero on that test or paper. Also remember that you are obligated by the Honor Code to report
someone else who you see cheating.

Tech in the Classroom:

Cell phones are to be turned off and put away during class. If I see you looking at your phone or
texting, I will ask you to leave. You can have a laptop open in class, but if you are looking at anything
besides class slides and notes, I will ask you to close your laptop for the remainder of the class. During
exams, cell phones, computers, smart watches, or personal electronic devices of any kind will not be
allowed on your person or near your desk.

Grading Expectations:
Be aware that I have high expectations when it comes to grading writing and presentations.
Whenever possible, I grade blind (not knowing who’s paper it is) so I can be fair. I take a great deal of
time making sure I am grading consistently (e.g. taking off the same amount for the same type of error)
across all the papers. I do not give out “A”s or “B”s lightly. I believe that just fulfilling the requirements
earns you a “C” grade. To get a “B”, you need to do over and above the expectations, and have no major
errors. I consider a “B” to be a very good grade. To get an “A”, you need to work far above and beyond
the requirements, do something truly unique or outstanding, and have no or very minor errors of any kind.
Please keep these things in mind when writing/speaking:
Clarity of ideas: what do you mean? Can you say this is a more understandable way? Can you elaborate,
give an example?
Backing up your ideas: how do you know this? What is the source for this idea? How do I know this is
true?
Detail: what else can you tell me about this? What are some other examples? How can you support this
idea? How does this apply to other concepts? In short, be thorough!
Flow/Coherence/Logic: Do your ideas and topics flow easily from one to another? Do they make sense
when seen as a whole, and in relation to each other? If not, work on transitions between ideas, so it’s clear
how it all fits together.
Writing: no, this is not an English class, but I consider writing to be very important. Poor grammar or typos
are distracting and don’t allow you to express ideas well. Is the writing thorough, detailed, concise? Could
you express the idea better in fewer words? Are you keeping my attention?

BSC Academic Resource Center (ARC)

Attached you will find our new online tutoring schedule. Even though we’re continuing to provide
exclusively virtual services this fall, we should actually be offering more support than we can typically
offer in person. After August 18th the updated links to channels tab should direct you to a subject-specific
channel where communication and information for your subject area will be housed and where meetings
will take place at their appointed time.
Students will be able to simply join the group meeting at the designated time for help, and text,
call, video-chat, screen-share, use a whiteboard, and edit live documents with tutors to get the assistance
they need. If a student chooses they can reach out to tutors directly via Chat or email for one on one
meetings, which the tutor will schedule in the Teams' Calendar at a time convenient for them.

Accessibility/ADA
Students with a disability that qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and require accommodations should be registered with BSC’s
Accessibility Office. If you are registered for academic accommodations, please make an appointment with
me as soon as possible to discuss any accommodations that may be necessary. During this discussion you
are not expected to disclose any details concerning your disability though you may do so at your discretion.
If you have a disability but have not yet registered, please contact Dr. Sandra Foster, Assistant Director of
Accessibility Services and Resources, at 205-226-7909 or smfoster@bsc.edu, or visit Olin 210. Keep in
mind that no accommodation will be made unless and until the instructor receives official notification from
the College.

Title IX
Birmingham-Southern College is committed to the creation and maintenance of a safe learning
environment for students and the campus community. The College forbids any type of sexual or gender-
based misconduct among its students, faculty, and staff. The College encourages all members of the
academic community to report suspected sexual and gender-based misconduct to the appropriate authorities
so that it can be investigated, remedied, and eliminated. BSC forbids retaliation against any person who has
opposed, reported, or participated in an investigation concerning sexual or gender-based misconduct. See
the BSC Title IX website (www.bsc.edu/titleix) for more information, including an online report form. If
you or a peer have experienced such misconduct, there are faculty and staff members who are trained in
supporting students by answering questions and helping them navigate this process. The list of advocates
can be found along with other helpful resources on the Title IX website.

Statement of Non-Discrimination
No person shall, on the basis of age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, or
disability, be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of an education, or be subjected to
discrimination. Please notify me in advance if there is a conflict. Religious beliefs will be reasonably
accommodated with respect to all examinations and other academic requirements with early notification.

Writing Center:
Located in Humanities 102, the BSC Writing Center offers in-person and virtual peer-to-peer
tutoring and quiet, supportive lab space to work on writing assignments. The Center’s tutors are students
from a wide variety of majors on campus and have the range to address student writing needs with
discipline specificity. Supervised and assisted by BSC Writing Center directors, the tutors provide one-on-
one consultations for any student at any point in the writing process. The BSC Writing Center is open
Sunday-Thursday 4pm-8pm. To ensure a full 30-minute tutorial time slot, students are encouraged to be
mindful of assignment-heavy weeks, keep track of due dates, and visit the Writing Center at their earliest
availability during open hours. Please contact Dr. MK Foster or Professor Laura Tolbert
(writingcenter@bsc.edu) with any questions or requests for virtual appointments.
Moodle:
I will use this quite a bit to send out emails, post grades, etc. so please check your email often!

Google blog
I will ask you to make a (free) Google blog on rat training. I will have a blog that you can refer to
with assignments, some sample posts and helpful information.
 Course Schedule (subject to change!)
Lecture Schedule:
Date: Topic: Reading Assignment due that day:
Th Aug 26 Introduction: Learning to Change Chance (C) 1-30
T Aug 31 The Study of Learning & Behavior C 34-53; Pryor (P) viv-xvi(forward)
Th Sep 2 No class, Dr. T out of town
T Sep 7 Reinforcement C 126-150; P 13-15, 35-52
Th Sep 9 Shaping, Chaining, Extinction C 168-176; P 85-90, 7-11
T Sep 14 Schedules of Reinforcement C 193-214; P 20-26
Th Sep 16 Schedules continued C 214-226
T Sep 21 EXAM 1

Th Sep 23 Theories of Reinforcement C 153-163

T Sep 28 Operant Procedures: Punishment C 231-242; P 18-20, 98-109
Th Sep 30 continued C 243-251; P 109-126
T Oct 5 Oper. Applications C 255-276; P 126-141
Th Oct 7 Op. Apps continued P 26-34;
T Oct 12 Pavlovian Procedures C 56-92; Blog due
Th Oct 14 Fall Break, no class
T Oct 19 continued C 141-142
Th Oct 21 EXAM 2

T Oct 26 Guest Speaker

Th Oct 28 Pavlovian Applications C 95-123
T Nov 2 Pavlovian Applications continued C 95-123
Th Nov 4 Generalization, Discrimination, C 313-342; P 68-76
T Nov 9 and Stimulus Control P 94-97
Th Nov 11 Forgetting C 346-373
T Nov 16 Forgetting continued P 148-164
Th Nov 18 The Limits of Learning C 377-390
T Nov 23 Discuss/present Project 2
T Nov 30 Discuss/present Project 2 Paper due

FINAL EXAM Monday Dec.6 at 9:00 AM

Lab Schedule:
Date: Topic
Aug 25 Introduction/Overview, meet rats
Sep 1 Discuss Project 1, Discuss Blog, get a rat assigned to you
Sep 8* Discuss and Start Food Deprivation, sign up for training times and time to meet with
Dr. Trench, Discuss Magazine Training and Shaping, Demonstrate Computer Programs
Sep 15* Read P 62-67; Start Training Rat, Magazine Training
Sep 22* Shape rats and start reinforcement schedules
Sep 29* Reinforcement schedules
Oct 6* Finish Reinforcement schedules and run extinction last two days
Oct 13 Discuss Project 2 and turn in Proposal
Oct 20* Start Project 2
Oct 27* Work on Project
Nov 3* Work on Project
Nov 10* Work on Project
Nov 17 Optional Lab to discuss Paper
Dec 1 Work on Paper

*denotes weeks when you may need to spend a lot of time in lab, including weekends.