Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Course Description

This course highlights the interplay between cellular and molecular storage mechanisms and the cognitive neuroscience of memory, with an emphasis on human and animal models of hippocampal mechanisms and function. Class sessions include lectures and discussion of papers.

Textbook

Gluck, Mark, Eduardo Mercado, and Catherine Myers. Learning and Memory: From Brain to Behavior. New York, NY: Worth Publishers, 2007. ISBN: 9780716786542.

Class Presentations

In each class, two assigned articles will be presented by students, followed by class discussion. Before each class each student is to prepare a synopsis of the two articles that will be presented by students. This exercise is intended to make you sufficiently familiar with the articles to permit an intelligent discussion after each presentation.

Grading

ACTIVITIES PERCENTAGES
Class presentations and participation 25%
Twelve 8-minute quizzes 25%
Mid-term test 25%
Final examination 25%
(Optional 10-15 page paper) (20%)

Calendar

LEC # TOPICS INSTRUCTORS KEY DATES
1 The psychology of learning and memory Wilson  
2 The neuroscience of learning and memory Wilson  
3 The neuroscience of learning and memory (cont.) David Ziegler 8 minutes quiz
4 Episodic and semantic memory: memory for facts and events Corkin  
5 Episodic and semantic memory: memory for facts and events (cont.) Corkin 8 minutes quiz
6 Episodic and semantic memory: memory for facts and events (cont.) Corkin 8 minutes quiz
7 Skill memory: learning by doing Vincent Cheung  
8 Skill memory: learning by doing (cont.) Corkin 8 minutes quiz
9 Working memory and executive control Paymon Hosseini 8 minutes quiz
10 Working memory and executive control (cont.) Corkin  
11 Non-associative learning: learning about repeated events Wilson 8 minutes quiz
12 Non-associative learning: learning about repeated events (cont.) Wilson  
13 Classical conditioning: learning to predict important events Wilson 8 minutes quiz
14 Classical conditioning: learning to predict important events (cont.) Wilson  
Mid-term test
15 Instrumental conditioning: learning the consequences of behavior Wilson  
16 Instrumental conditioning: learning the consequences of behavior (cont.) Wilson 8 minutes quiz
17 Generalization, discrimination, and the representation of similarity Wilson 8 minutes quiz
18 Generalization, discrimination, and the representation of similarity (cont.) Wilson  
19 Observational learning: watching, listening, and remembering Wilson 8 minutes quiz
20 Observational learning: watching, listening, and remembering (cont.) Josh Sarinana  
21 Emotional leaning and memory Corkin 8 minutes quiz
22 Emotional leaning and memory (cont.) Corkin  
23 Learning and memory across the lifespan Corkin 8 minutes quiz
24 Learning and memory across the lifespan (cont.) Corkin  
25 Language learning: communication and cognition Corkin 8 minutes quiz
Final examination