Psychology
331.03: Laboratory In
Operant Conditioning
Fall, 2007
Mon: 12-1:15 in
Felmley 327
Daily lab sessions in Felmley
230 (rat laboratory) as scheduled by groups
Goals for the Psy 331 Required
Texts Tests
Daily assignments
Group Project
Final Grades
Cheating
Special Problems
Daily Schedule and reading assignments
LECTURE NOTES!
Test 1
Test 2
Important Information
Instructions
for Laboratory
Study
guide for Reading Assignment Readings
list
Excel
Help Pages links
DA system slides IACUC presentation
Final paper data analysis and
write-up (and instructions for presentation)
"Rough" Method Section
Final Paper/Presentation
Assignment
Data in
excel (click on tab at bottom for your group).
Note that graphing instructions are included on each page for each group. You
may make the graphs by hand or using excel, etc. All graphs should be ready for
"sharing" for Monday, December 3rd
Welcome to Psychology 331.03 Operant conditioning
In this laboratory course you will encounter firsthand the basic theories
and some basic procedures for training, managing, and conducting research
on reinforcement, optimal foraging and the matching law. As a result of this class you should
become familiar with the basic animal learning research techniques, the matching
law, optimal foraging theory, behavioral contrast, and variables that alter
matching and optimal foraging.
This course does assume a basic knowledge of learning theories, including
classical and operant conditioning, habituation, and basic cognitive learning.
If you do not have this background: a) DO NOT panic; and b) strongly consider
purchasing the optional textbook to help you catch up. I have included the
chapters from this book as a guide for those who are "learning as we
go".
This course is structured so that you will find we move from a basic
introduction to the matching law and optimal foraging to more specific
theoretical issues involved with these models. We will also deal with ethical
issues surrounding animal research, and then tackle variables that affect
matching and optimal foraging, particularly when animals are in social groups.
As an upper division class, I prefer that we read original sources- that is, we
read the actual research articles, rather than a text. However, to ensure that
we all have a good basic grounding in matching law and optimal foraging, I have
included some textbook chapters in our readings packets. We will cover quite a
bit of ground each week - so please keep up with the readings.
PLEASE
keep this syllabus; it contains reading assignments, test dates, grade
information, and other items that will be of use throughout the semester.
The readings
are available on line. Click on the link for the
readings list, and
click on the link for the
study
guides that should be completed for each reading. The readings will generally be read in order,
but pay close attention to daily assignments.
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Class activities and Grading
The format of the course includes both lecture tutorials and laboratory
sessions. We will have tutorials/lectures on Mondays during our regularly
scheduled class time.
Laboratory
Sessions: Students will be grouped into small groups (approximately 5 per
group). Each group will be responsible for conducting daily (Monday through
Friday) experimental sessions with your squad of rats. All members of the group
DO NOT have to attend each daily session. However, I expect that you will work
out a plan to share the work of the daily sessions equally. We will set up a
running schedule for all the groups, and I expect that groups will adhere to the
schedule. Each daily session will take approximately 1 hour (30 minute session,
plus time to get, weigh and return your rats). Your group will be responsible
for presenting data from your project at the end of the semester. Remember,
careful and steady running results in clean and highly valued data!!!
Lecture
Tutorials. The
lectures will be conducted in the classroom on
Mondays. All lab sections/groups meet each Monday for
lecture. The
lecture tutorials will focus on concepts, techniques, and issues critical to
operant conditioning, the matching law and optimal foraging.
Students are expected to participate in group discussions
regarding the assigned readings during this
lecture/tutorial period.
In addition, each student will be required to submit written
answers to the study guide questions for each reading each week. These written
summaries will be most critical for completing the tests- so keep them.
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Tests
and Projects
There
will be two tests and one project/presentation required for
this class: The tests will be
given at midterm and approximately two weeks before the end
of the semester. The final project will
include a written APA style research paper and an oral presentation.
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Daily
Work/Regular Assignments
There are two types of daily assignments:
1. Daily data collection. Each group must complete
daily data collection
session (Monday through Friday). Individual members of a group who do not
complete their assigned session will be penalized points. Your daily data will
be stored on a file on the computer. The TA will record each session to monitor
your running sessions. You will receive 5 points for each
successfully completed data collection session (2 per week x
15 weeks) that is assigned to you for a
total of 150 points.
2. Reading summaries. Each student will
complete the assigned reading summary each week. Summaries
are due NO LATER than the Wednesday following Monday lecture.
There are a total of 15 tutorial summaries, 10 points each, for a total of 150
points.
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Each group will be given a research project to conduct during the course
of the semester. Because you are less likely to be familiar with the design of an
operant conditioning animal behavior study, I have pre-selected several experiments
that we will conduct across the semester. You and your group will then be responsible for
writing up (in APA style) an appropriate introduction to your study, the method
section, the results and a discussion of your results (100 points total). I
would expect that the introduction through data analysis to be highly similar
within a group. I expect individuals to write their own discussion sections.
Your group will be expected to present the results of your project to our class:
Your presentation to the class will account for an additional 50 points.
Points for this will be divided
into several categories:
Background literature review: 30 points
Method Section: 20 points
Data Analysis: 20 points.
Discussion: 30 points.
Group presentation of results: 50 points.
Total points for the project: 150 points
(100 points for paper/50 points for presentation)
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Final
Grades:
Grades
will be based on the following:
Tests
(100
points each) 200 points
Daily work/observations:
150 points
Final Project
100 points
Presentation
50 points
Tutorials/Lecture presentation 150 points
Final
grades:
A: 598-650
B: 546-597
C: 494-545
D: 423-493
F: 422 or below
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Any cheating will not be tolerated.
Cheating or plagiarism will result in an F in the course and referral to the
Student Code Enforcement Review Board (SCERB)
for disciplinary action. Cheating INCLUDES (but is not limited to): plagiarism
of both published and unpublished written work, having another individual take
or assist you with an online exam, taking an exam for or assisting another
individual with an online quiz, performing or completing a class assignment or
quiz for another individual or having another individual perform or complete a
class assignment or quiz for you. Cheating
is thus defined generally as representing work that is NOT your own as your work
or allowing your work to be represented as another’s' so that individual
receives academic credit. Violators
of this policy will receive a failing grade on that assignment or quiz, a
possible failing grade for the course, and referral to the department chair and
the SCERB for disciplinary action.
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If
you have a disability, if English is your second language, or need other special
considerations, please see me as soon as possible (that's before the first
test!) to work out any special arrangements that might be needed. If you fail a
test, please see me as soon as possible. I cannot help you if you do not contact
me for help!
Please
Note:
According to University Guidelines: Any student needing to arrange a reasonable
accommodation for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell
Hall, 438-5853 (voice), 438-8620 (TDD). They are there to ensure that you receive
the help you need!!
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Monday is
generally lecture/discussion day. You should have your reading(s) completed by this day
and be ready to discuss the reading(s) in class. ALL students are expected to
attend the tutorials.
Each
student is expected to assist with data collection 2 times per week for 45
to 60
minutes each session. You will work in pairs across
your group of 3 to 5 people. Two people
are required for each daily session across 5 days of the week. That typically means each person does 2 data collection
periods per week with their assigned partner(s).
Data will be collected 5 days per week (Monday through Friday).
Thus: you will attend at least one tutorial each week (on
Mondays, generally), and then complete 2 other assigned data collection times.
These times may or may not be during the scheduled class time (we will arrange
this across all students' schedules). Bottom line: We will spend 1.5 hours/week in tutorial, and then you will be responsible for up to
2 hours per
week in assigned lab times, as arranged with your group and partners.
Tutorials meet in FELMLEY ANNEX 327 (one floor above the lab); labs in Felmley 230, unless
otherwise noted. Reading
study guides and a
link to each of the
readings may be found online.
Week 1:
Introduction to class
Aug 20: Monday: intro to class
tour of lab as scheduled
Week 2: Animal Ethics
Aug 27th: IACUC and animal ethics
complete ethics test; begin practice data
collection
Week 3:
Data collection begins
Sept 4: no class
Begin data collection with your group
Week 4 and 5: Basic
learning theory and Reinforcement Theories
Sept 10
and 17:
begin assigned readings
Lab groups meet at assigned times.
Week 5: From the horses mouth:
Herrnstein’s equation
Sept 24th: Tutorial
Lab groups meet at assigned times.
Week 6: The Generalized Matching
Law
Oct 1st. Tutorial
Lab groups meet at assigned times.
Week 7: Groups and Matching
Oct
8th: Tutorial
Lab groups meet at assigned times.
Test 1 handed out
Week 8: Optimal Foraging theory
Oct 15th: Tutorial
Lab groups meet at assigned times
Test 1 due
Week 9: Are animals rational?
Oct. 22nd : Tutorial
Lab groups meet at assigned times.
Week 10: Factors affecting
foraging and matching
Oct 29th: Tutorial
Lab groups meet at assigned times.
Week 11: Social issues and
matching
Nov 6th: Tutorial
Lab groups meet at assigned times.
Week 12: An example from our
lab.
Nov 12th: Tutorial
Lab groups meet at assigned times.
Test 2 handed
out.
November 17th through Nov 23th:
Thanksgiving!
Week 13:Dopamine
and Rewarded behavior
Nov 26th: Possible explanations for the observed
changes!
Lab groups meet at assigned times.
Week 14: Data analysis
Dec 3rd:
Tutorial
Lab groups meet at assigned times
Test
2 due
Week
16: Final Exam Week:
Dec 12th: Wednesday
Final exam: 1-3 pm.
Group presentations during final exam period; final laboratory paper due
at presentation.
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