RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology 220 Ticket: 30671

Professor: Dr. Duff Cerritos College

Fall 2007, 18 week course

Lecture/Lab: Mon & Wed: 11:00am - 2:00pm SS215

email: kduff@cerritos.edu voicemail: 562-860-2451, ext 2780

Office Hours in SS39: Monday 4 – 5pm; Tuesday 12 – 1pm;

Wednesday 10:00 – 11:00am

Tutorial Hours in LC167 (library basement): Mon/Wed 2 – 3:30

NOTE: We look forward to getting to know you during office hours and tutorial. Plan on meeting with your teaching assistant (s) and instructor many times outside of class.Remember it is your responsibility to make time to come to office/tutorial hours. I encourage students to come to office/tutorial, however plan ahead as sometimes it can be crowded and students will be seen first come first serve.

Teaching Assistant: Maria Cosio (Cosio_maria@hotmail.com)& Patricia Singim (Patriciasingim@aol.com)will be helping us out, particularly on lab days and tutorial. You may schedule appointments with your teaching assistant(s), but please do so at least one week in advance so that the TA(s) can make plans accordingly.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

1. Cozby, P. C. (2004). Methods in behavioral research (8th edition). Mountain View, California: Mayfield Publishing Company.

2. SPSS statistical disc: This comes packaged with your textbook. If you purchased a used textbook, go to SPSS.com for information about obtaining the program separately.

3. American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

4. A blank disc, formatted, for laboratory work. You will need to back work up, either on disc or a flash drive.

5. Internet access to obtain certain forms/readings.

6. Several required readings will be announced and will need to be photocopied in the library.

7. During one class day, we will be going to a local university for a library tour. This tour will take the place of class that day and we will meet at the library. It is your responsibility to coordinate your transportation.

8. On Lab days we may go out on campus to collect data, so please dress accordingly.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Welcome! Research Methods in Psychology is an advanced course intended to prepare you to conduct and critique research in the social sciences. Have you ever wondered: Who are those experts that conducted that research that says caffeine is bad for you? Are researchers really allowed to do anything in an experiment? How do you get to be one of those lucky subjects in a study on television and get paid for watching television programs? Who reviews research that is conducted? What your psychology professors REALLY do? How do I test a psychological hypothesis? Are all experiments good experiments? Throughout the term we will answer these questions and provide you with tools so that by the end of the class you will:

t know how to find an original report of a psychological experiment

t be able to read and critique a scientific article

t understand research methodology

t design a questionnaire

t conduct an experiment to test a question you are interested in

t understand the problems with some experiments

This is a hands on course, reflecting my belief (and my own experience) that the best way to learn is by doing it! We will spend the first few weeks of the course surveying the basic concepts of experimental methodology. We will read and practice using important concepts in demonstrations and exercises. During the second half of the term, you will get to exercise your creativity and curiosity and design and carry out an experiment on a topic that you are interested in.

REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

(Details of assignments and due dates will be given in class. Unless otherwise noted, all written work must be in APA style and must be typed.)

ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMS

1. EXAMS: There are 2 exams, worth 100 points each Each exam may include multiple choice and short answer questions (you will need a scantron and a bluebook for all exams).

2. QUIZZES will be given intermittenly throughout the semester and may not be announced. If a student is not present for the unannounced quiz, it cannot be made up.

3. ASSIGNMENTS: Inclass and take home assignments to be announced (points to be assigned), including podcasts.

4. LITERATURE REVIEW: You will write a review of the psychological literature in an area that you are interested in conducting research on, worth 100 points.

5. LAB REPORT: You will write up one experimental paper based on our lab activities, worth 50 points.

6. INDEPENDENT PROJECT: During the second half of the semester, you will work on a novel experiment with a group of about 4 other students. You will conduct library research, develop a hypothesis, propose a study, & collect and analyze data. This project allows you to use all of your knowledge from the first half of the semester and design a psychological study from beginning to end. Each student will write up a professional APA style report, worth 100 points. Additionally, at the end of the semester, each group will give a professional oral presentation of their work., worth 50 points.

7. LAB WORK: Participation Points may be assigned based on preparedness and performance on Lab Days. Because we will be conducting studies and working in groups, lab work cannot be made up. Attendance will be taken, and (according to the student handbook) if your absences exceed one more than twice the number of class hours per week, you are subject to exclusion from the class. Participation is expected and required as we will be working on group projects. This is a hands on course and the more you participate the more you will gain from the class. Participation in all Lab Activities will be noted and recorded. Sometimes you will be assigned to groups and other times you will be asked to choose your own groups. Because we can all learn from one another and you will be interdependent on each other, it is critical that you come prepared for class and lab work and that you work well with your classmates.

8. EXTRA CREDIT: The following option(s) require you to type a 2 page summary in APA style (this means, in addition to your 2 pages of text you must include a title page, abstract and reference page) of your experience and submit proof that you were in attendance at the event. Unless otherwise specified in class, you may participate in one extra credit opportunity. Keep in mind that extra credit is not a guaranteed way to raise your grade and, as it is not a requirement for the course (or your grade), the extra credit options are offered outside of class time and may not fit in to your schedule. However, if you can not make it to the extra credit opportunities or you would like to improve your grade more, come and spend some time with me in office hours and we can work on some better study habits!

1. Attend a Skeptic Society Research Lecture. Skeptic is a non-profit scientific and educational organization that holds a lecture series at Caltech in Pasadena. Speakers we have seen in the past have included: physicists, psychologists, magicians, historians, philosophers, anthropologists, Nobel Prize winners etc. so the topics are as varied as speakers. Lectures are almost always held on Sunday afternoon at 2pm. As the lectures are announced, I will try to keep you informed in class. However, it is your responsibility that you go to their website at www.skeptic.com and sign up on their mailing list to get up to date information by sending a blank email with no message from your email to: join-skeptic@lyris.net.

FINAL GRADE CALCULATION

Final grades will be based on the total points possible, according to a straight percentage of possible points. Note: to avoid a competitive environment, there will not be curve on your grades. However, if at the end of the term you are on the borderline of a grade (e.g., you have 79% which technically is a C), but you have turned in all the mini assignments and you have participated actively in class, then I will consider moving your score up the 1% point.

90-100% of total possible points	A
80-89% of total possible points	B
70-79% of total possible points	C
60-69% of total possible points	D
Below 60% of total possible points	F

POLICIES

First of all, let me say that you should treat college as a job that you have chosen to be employed by. As an employee you should show up on time, complete all of your work by the deadlines, and treat others respectfully. If you do not follow these guideline, you would not receive a paycheck or you could possibly be fired. Likewise, in a classroom not adhering to these guidelines could result in a low grade or even being dismissed from the class!

-Please be on time; it is very disruptive if you arrive late or leave early and you will miss critical information that is provided. I also consider it to be disrespectful to be continually arriving late. If you are late or leave early that will count as absence points that, if excessive, could result in expulsion from the course.

-It is extremely important to keep up with all of the assigned reading. Reading assignments must be completed prior to coming to class and class activities that day (e.g., activities, quizzes, laboratory work) may depend on your having read.

-Assignments are due at the beginning of the hour and must be ready to be turned in (i.e., your name must be on it and it must be stapled) otherwise it will not be accepted. If cleared with the instructor, you may turn in assignments over email (assignment must be included in email AND sent as an attachment). However, keep in mind that it is still your responsibility to check that it is received on time. In addition, due to computer viruses and length of assignments, you may be required to turn in a hard copy of all work.

-no late work! I recognize that sometimes extreme circumstances such as medical problems, family death, or disabling emotional problems could interfere with regular work. If you have a documentable circumstance, see me as soon as the problem arises.

-please complete work ahead of time. You never know when a rolling blackout may occur, you may run out of printer ink, you may get a flat tire, your goldfish might die, or you have to go to the beach!

-no side conversations are permitted while class is in session. Students engaging in side conversations or other disruptive behavior will be sent to the Department Chair Person or to the Division Dean.

-Please turn off pagers and musical phones so that we are not serenaded during class.

-In fairness to the vast majority of students who take their college career seriously, no form of cheating will be tolerated on exams or projects/papers (this includes plagiarism). Any student suspected of cheating will receive a failing grade and will be reported.

**If another student is bothering you or you suspect a student cheating (that I do not see), I encourage you to leave a confidential message on my voicemail.

-Students who miss classes or are late for class are responsible for all notes and handouts given in class. I suggest you exchange numbers with another student in class in case you are unable to attend a lecture.

-If you have any special needs for this course (i.e., help with notetaking, special test-taking needs etc.) please see me as soon as possible so that we can special arrangements.

-For emergency evacuation procedures, please let the instructor know as soon as possible if you will need assistance leaving the classroom and descending the stairs.

-As stated in the class schedule, it is the student's responsibility to take care of all paperwork for the course. If you decide to drop from the course, it is your responsibility to drop yourself by the drop date listed in the schedule of classes. Even if you have excessive absences or tardies it is your responsibility to drop yourself.

-If you miss one more than twice the regularly scheduled classes, according to college policy, you may be dropped from the class at the discretion of the professor.

-If you have any concerns with the course or you would just like to talk about the courses, please contact me.

NOTE: CHAPTER READINGS MUST BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO COMING TO CLASS ON THE DAY THEY ARE DISCUSSED. Staying on top of your readings will ensure that you come to class prepared and that you will get more out of the lecture.

TENTATIVE CLASS AGENDA

DATE TOPIC ASSIGNMENT DUE

Week 1 8/13	Introduction to course/syllabus	Podcast Survey must be submitted by 11:59pm
8/15	Scientific method READ: Chapter 1 Article: Student Paper (Font Distinction)	Lab: Observation Textbook and APA manual are required in class by each individual student to participate in Lab Activity. Lack of both books will result in student being dismissed from class.
Week 2 8/20	Scientific Approach and APA Style Hypothesis Generation READ: Finish Chapter 1 and read Chapter 2 Article: Macrae, Bodenhausen, Milne & Jetten, 1994 on reserve in the library APA has guidelines for citing electronic sources	Email must be sent by 11:59pm *Note: you will be notified by your instructor to whom to send the email to.
8/22	READ: Appendix A Article: Student Paper (Racism and Music Genres)	Lab: Serial Position Effect
Week 3 8/27	Ethical Guidelines and Procedures (Consent and Debriefing Forms) Chapter 3 APA set up ethical guidelines for human and animal participants. We also have the Nuremberg Code Article: Milgram, 1963. On reserve at library.
8/29	Article: Macleod, 1991 on reserve at library.	Email printout due Lab: Stroop experiment in class
Week 4 9/03	LABOR DAY CAMPUS CLOSED
9/05	Studying Behavior READ: Chapter 4 What your transcripts say about you?	Lab: Stroop data collection SPSS Tutorial Research Ideas
Week 5 9/10	Studying Behavior READ: Chapter 4 Article: Loftus & Palmer, 1974 on reserve at the library
9/12	Studying Behavior/Review	Lab: Stroop Report due Test review
Week 6 9/17	Exam 1
9/19	Examining Past Research	Start assembling research groups
Week 7 9/24	Library Day
9/26	Talking about research/Introducing Literature Reviews Article: review Macleod, 1991	Bring articles from library
Week 8 10/01	Measurement Concepts READ: Chapter 5	Bring articles from library
10/03	Survey Research READ: Chapter 7	Lab: Library Research due - be prepared to discuss your articles in class (Speed Research Dating). CHOOSE RESEARCH GROUPS
Week 9 10/08	Survey Research READ: Chapter 7
10/10	Working Session
Week 10 10/15	Experimental Design READ: Chapter 8
10/17	Independent groups	Lab time: Experimental working session Literature Review Due
Week 11 10/22	Experimental Design Chap 8
10/24	Experimental Design Chap 8	Lab: Taste Test
Week 12 10/29	Conducting experiments/Test Review READ: Chapter 9	Literature Review due Test review (http://methods.fullerton.edu)
10/31	Exam 2
Week 13 11/05	Independent projects First look at Research Proposals	First version of Research Proposal due
11/07	Presentation of Final Research Proposals
Week 14 11/12	VETERAN’S DAY OBSERVED
11/14	Independent Projects
Week 15 11/19	Independent Projects
11/21	Independent Projects DATA COLLECTION SHOULD END TODAY
Week 16 11/26	Independent groups ANALYZE RESULTS
11/28	Work on projects independently ANALYZE RESULTS
Week 17 12/03	Catch-up
12/05	PRESENTATIONS
12/10 – 12/14	Finals Week: Presentations

IMPORTANT DATES: NOTE THESE DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO STAY INFORMED OF THESE CHANGES AS POSTED (SEE SCHEDULE OF CLASSES)

18-WEEK SESSION:	August 13 - December 14
Instructor-initiated adds	August 20 - 26
Last day to drop with a refund	August 26
Last day to add (Instructor initiated)	August 26
Last day to drop without a “W”	September 14
Last day to elect CR/NC grading option	September 14
Last day to drop with a “W”	November 16

Helpful websites:

Textbook Website (including practice quizzes)

http://methods.fullerton.edu

Help with APA style:

http://webster.commnet.edu/apa/apa_index.htm http://www.wooster.edu/psychology/apa‑crib.html

Psychological Experiments:

This site contains links to experiments in the field of social psychology: http://www.socialpsychology.org/expts.htm

This Purdue University Cognitive Lab has experiments in the field of cognitive psychology

American Psychological Society has a variety of experiments

This presents an interesting look at our attitudes

Additional material to help you critically evaluate pseudoscientific claims

Skeptics Society

Committee for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal:

American Psychological Association

Association for Psychological Science

The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine Home Page

Great health information website by Dr Dean Edell: