- It must be written using the American Psychological Association (APA) format.
- It must be a minimum of six pages in length (excluding the title page, abstract & reference sections).
- It must contain a minimum of six peer-reviewed, journal articles as references. Additional references (including those from other sources) are encouraged.
- It must be handed in twice (either at the class meeting in which it is due or delivered to my mailbox in the Psych. Dept. Office).
- The first draft is due one week before the second exam. This draft should be at least half complete (i.e., containing at least three pages as well as the title page, abstract and reference section [that contains at least three references]).
- The final draft is due one week before our last day of classes (i.e., one week before the the last day we meet for lecture). This draft should be complete and should incorporate the suggestions for improvement from the first draft. Note that the first draft (that contains my comments) must be handed in along with the final draft.
- A penalty exists for tardiness. For each work day the project is late, 10% of its total possible points will be deducted. Also note that whatever the lateness penalty, you must submit both drafts of the paper to me in order for you to receive a passing grade.
Another strategy that is extremely useful for obtaining relevant references is to use electronic indexes and databases. Perhaps the most relevant databases available for this course through the UWSP library is PsycInfo. Go to the Indexes & Databases Page and PsycInfo will be listed under Social Sciences. Note that there may be more than one interface for it's use.- Adjunctive Behavior
- Allelomimetic Behavior
- Animal Cognition
- Animal Models of Human Behavior
- Avoidance Learning
- Behavior Systems Theory
- Behavioral Bliss Point Theory
- Behavioral Contrast
- Belongingness
- Choice Behavior
- Chunking as a Memory Concept
- Classical Conditioning
- Click & Treat Training
- Cognitive Maps
- Comparative Cognition
- Complex Behavior: Concurrent-Chain Schedules
- Concept of an Internal Clock
- Concept of the Reflex
- Conditioned Emotional Response Theory
- Conditioned Inhibition
- Conditioning Model of Drug Tolerance
- Conditioning of Sexual Behavior
- Consummatory Response Theory
- Contingency Theory
- Counterconditioning
- Delayed Matching to Sample
- Discriminated Avoidance Procedure
- Dishabituation
- Dual Process Theory
- Electroconvulsive Shock & Memory
- Elicited Behavior
- Ethological Perspectives in Learning
- Evolution of Intelligence
- Extinction
- Eye-blink Conditioning
- Fear Conditioning
- Fixed Action Patterns
- Forgetting
- Free Operant Avoidance
- General-Process Approach
- Genetic Factors in Learning
- Habituation
- Higher Order Conditioning
- History of Learning as an Experimental Science
- Imprinting
- Incentive Motivation
- Infant & Maternal Responses During Nursing
- Infant Reflexes
- Insight Learning
- Instinctive Drift
- Interim Behaviors
- Intracranial Self Stimulation as Reinforcement
- Language Learning in Humans
- Learned Helplessness
- Learning & Psychoneuroimmunology
- Learning as an Experimental Science
- Long Term Habituation
- Mathematical Models of Classical Conditioning
- Mechanisms of Memory
- Modal Action Patterns
- Omission training
- Optimal Foraging Theory
- Overshadowing
- Perceptual Concept Learning
- Premack's Principle/Theory
- Proactive Interference
- Punishment
- Reference Memory
- Response Fatigue
- Response Rate Schedules
- Retroactive Interference
- Retrograde Amnesia
- Schedule Induced Polydipsia
- Schedules of Reinforcement
- Selective Breeding for Learning Ability
- Sensitization
- Sensory Preconditioning
- Sensory Reinforcement
- Serial Pattern Learning
- Sign Tracking
- Social Learning Theory (with an emphasis on the learning theory part)
- Spatial Memory
- Species Specific Defensive Reactions
- Spontaneous Recovery
- Stimulus Discrimination
- Stimulus Generalization
- Stimulus Substitution Model of Classical Conditioning
- Studies of Self Control
- Superstitious Behavior
- Taste Aversion Learning
- The Blocking Effect
- The Law of Effect
- The Matching Law
- The Orienting Response
- The Partial Reinforcement Effect
- The Rescorla-Wagner Model
- The Startle Response
- Token Economies
- Tonic Immobility
- Two-Process Theory
- Use of Animals in Research
- Use of Aversive Learning Procedures with Humans
- Vicarious Learning
- Visual Attention in Human Infants
- Working Memory
Psychology of Learning
Dr. M. Plonsky
Last update 1/17/2000.
Information about the Required Review Paper
Contains:
-
What is Required
Getting Started
Finding References
What is APA Format?
Listing of Possible Topics
A research review paper on a phenomena or theory related to the psychology of learning is required for this class. The specific requirements of the paper are as follows.
First, if you haven't written many papers in college, it would be a good idea to get a better understanding of what a research paper is. Purdue Univ. has a web site with helpful information on how to write a research paper.
The next step is for you to choose a topic that you are interested in. The topic can be just about anything, as long as it is related to the psychology of learning. One idea for choosing a topic is to skim the textbook used for the class until you find something that you are interested in. If you need help choosing a topic or wish to know more about what topics are acceptable, I have made a list at the bottom of this page.
I would also advise that you get familiar with a word processor (such as Microsoft Word which is available on campus). These days, word processors have built in spell checkers and grammer checkers. They also enable you to place the manuscript page header on all pages automatically as well as number pages, etc. The ability to easily move words, paragraphs, and sentences around makes the writing process more productive and pleasant.
There are several strategies for obtaining the minimum of six peer-reviewed, journal article references. Your book is a good place to start. It includes thousands of references and lists them all at the back of the book (in the reference section). Once you obtain some references, you can look at the reference sections of your references to obtain other particularly relevant or classic articles in the literature.
Still another strategy for obtaining references is to actually go to the library and thumb through some of the relevant journals. A list of journals housed at the UWSP Library (second floor) that I consider to be relevant to the Psychology of Learning include:
| Animal Behavior | Animal Learning & Behavior |
| Behavior | Behavior Genetics |
| Brain & Language | Child Development |
| Cognitive Psych. | Developmental Psych. |
| J. for the Theory of Social Behaviour | J. of Applied Behavior Analysis |
| J. of Applied Behavioral Science | J. of Comparative Psych. |
| J. of Exp. Analysis of Behavior | J. of Exp. Child Psych. |
| J. of Exp. Psych.: Animal Behavior Processes | J. of Exp. Psych.: Learning, Memory & Cognition |
| J. of Exp. Social Psych. | J. of Genetic Psych. |
| J. of Personality & Social Psych. | J. of Social Psych. |
| Learning & Motivation | Memory & Cognition |
| Psychobiology | Psychological Bulletin |
| Psychological Record | Psychological Reports |
| Psychological Review | Psychological Science |
| Psychonomic Bulletin & Review | Psychophysiology |
| Quarterly J. of Exp. Psych. | Social Psych. Quarterly |
One of the problems you are likely encounter encounter is that our library does not have a particular article you are interested in. This could occur because the it doesn't have the particular volume of the journal or because it doesn't carry the particular journal. The solution is to use UWSP's Interlibrary Loan. The only drawback to this service is that it takes from one to three weeks to get the article, so plan ahead.
As noted in the What is Required Section above, you are encouraged to use other types of information sources in addition to peer-reviewed journal articles. These days, the web has become a popular information source. To help you in this area, I maintain a Search Tools Page as well as some information regarding how to evaluate web pages as an information source.
The American Psychological Association format refers to the style of writing used in the field of psychology. I have prepared a detailed document entitled Psychology With Style which summarizes this format for you. Although this document is lengthy, you should keep in mind that it is a distillation of what is presented in the almost 400 page manual that is published by the APA. Furthermore, I have compiled a list of other web documents related to APA format and writing.
The Psychology With Style document is organized in an outline format to make it easier for you to quickly locate the information you seek. The outline format also makes it easier for me to grade the first draft if your papers by simply referring you to the outline item that addresses the problem. For example, Item IA2 says that you should use double spacing throughout the manuscript.
The following is a list of possible topics for the Review Paper that you are required to write in this course. The list is not meant to be comprehensive, but rather to give you the feel for what an acceptable topic is. Feel free to come up with a topic that is not on the list or, if you wish, you can use one from the list.