Introduction to Cognitive Science

COGS-100
Fall, 1998

Instructor:

Christopher Welty (OLB 117, extension 5992, maildrop 462, email: CHWELTY)
Office Hours: M,W 11:30-12:30 and by appt.

Intern:

Tamar Skowronski (x3706, email: TASKOWRONSKI)
Office Hours: Tue. 1-3 Blodgett 232, Sun. 1:30-2:30 Bayit (51 Collegeview), and by appt.
Note: Week of 9/20 hours will be Wed. 3:30-5:30 in the Retreat.

Contents:

Textbooks
Course Description
Class and Assignment Schedule

Messages

Schedule

Week Topic Assignment
TuesReading ThursReading
8/31 Introduction The Mind-Body Problem
9/7 MaterialismCCR 1-6 EliminitivismCCR 7 Short Paper 1
9/14 ReductionismCCR 8; WM 1 MaterialismCCR 10,13
9/21 Functionalism: The ideaCCR 9 Turing MachinesTW 7-77
9/28 Computational Theories of MindCCR 12 Critiques of FunctionalismCCR 14,17
10/5 ConnectionismCCR 15,16; WM 2 Critiques of ConnectionismCCR 18 Short Paper 2
10/12 (far from) Final WordsCCR 19,20 PerceptionWM p.52-107
10/19 Fall Break
10/26 High Level VisionWM p.107-127 Imagery and codingWM 4 PDP Exercise
11/2 MotionWM 7; CCR 21, 22 LanguageWM p.211-232; CCR 23
11/9 LanguageWM p.232-285 Memory and Knowledge RepresentationCCR 24,25 Short Paper 3
11/16 Knowledge RepresentationWM 8 Concepts
11/23 Reasoning
Note: Thursday Classes held today		WM p.401-431 Thanksgiving Break Game-Playing Exercise
11/30 Social, emotional, dysfunctional cognitionWM p.437-443 Consciousness, selfhoodWM p.431-437 Data Analysis Exercise
12/7 Last ClassCCR 26,27
12/14 Finals Week Final Paper

Textbooks:

  • Wet Mind by Stephen Kosslyn & Olivier Koenig (Free Press, 1992) [WM]. You can order this book from Amazon.Com: paperback or hardcover.

  • Collected Cogsci Readings. [CCR]

  • Not available: Turing's World by Jon Barwise & John Etchemendy (CSLI, 1993) [TW]

    General Course Description

    This course is designed to give you an overview of the questions that define the field of Cognitive Science, the conceptual and research tools that are used to investigate these questions, and some idea of the answers that seem to be emerging. Cognitive Science is a multidisciplinary field that has drawn, both historically and methodologically, from a number of older disciplines, most prominently philosophy, psychology, computer science, neuroscience, and linguistics. No background in any of these disciplines is assumed, and this course is intended to serve as an introduction, for both majors and nonmajors, to the unique approach to studying problems of mind, brain, and behavior that Cognitive Science represents. For students who go on to major in Cognitive Science, this course provides the intellectual perspective and tools that will prepare you for further Cognitive Science courses as well as for courses from other departments needed to fulfill major requirements. For non-majors, the course is meant to offer a new way of thinking about mind and behavior that can spill over into other courses you take.

    Reading Assignments

    The reading assignments for this course refer to the required texts. One of the texts is a compendium of relevant papers. Unlike most other disciplines, Cognitive Science does not yet have a good introductory textbook, so we need to use books that do not lend themselves easily to being carved up for the convenience of a course syllabus. For most of our books, the authors hoped that you'd read their books in the usual way, from cover to cover. Listed here are the sections in these books that are most relevant for particular topics, and you should be careful to do the relevant reading by the appropriate time, but, to enjoy them more fully, you may want to try to read through them in the more usual way, pacing yourself during the semester so as to not to become overloaded.

    The attached course outline shows the schedule of topics and assigned readings for each class meeting. I have tried not to assign as much reading for Thursday as for Tuesday. It is very important to do the readings which have been assigned for a given class before the class. Much of class time will be spent discussing, clarifying, and interrelating the material and issues covered in the assignments, and understanding and integrating diverse readings will be all the more difficult if you haven't read them. Lectures and discussion will often go well beyond the readings but will always require them as background.

    Course Requirements

    Everyone is expected to attend class regularly, complete assigned readings on time, and hand in assigned work on time. If you do have a legitimate and important reason for missing class or handing work in late, you should make every effort to contact me in advance about it.

    You will be responsible for completing two categories of written work, both of which are spread out over the semester: papers, and quantitative exercises. The papers consist of three short ones and a longer, final paper which constitutes the final exercise for the course. The short papers contribute 10% each to the course grade, while the final paper counts 30% and will be flexible in topic. Three quantitative exercises will collectively account for 28% of the course grade. See the syllabus for due dates. The final component of the course grade is participation, which counts for 12%. We will all get more out of this course if people are prepared for class and actively engaged with the material, which can be demonstrated by talking in a thoughtful and serious way in class or in individual meetings.