Research Methods in Psychology

Transcription

1 Research Methods in Psychology PSY 3213, section 522 Fall 2015 University of South Florida Sarasota/Manatee Instructor: Richard Reich, Ph.D. Office Hours: Mondays 12-2 & by appointment Meeting time: TBA; 3 in person exams 10/2, 11/13, 12/11 Office: C252 Classroom: B226 Phone: (941) Course Website: rreich@sar.usf.edu Psychology Mission Statement: The curriculum for a Psychology degree from USF Sarasota-Manatee prepares graduates for the many occupations (e.g., human services, community or public relations, administration, and advertising and market research) and post-graduate degree programs open to Psychology majors. By the time our majors are ready to graduate, they are equipped with two vital skill sets. First, our majors are familiar with numerous factors influencing behavior and mental processes, and the interactions among them. These factors range from the molecular (communication in the brain) to the cultural (human diversity). Second, our majors have developed the critical thinking skills necessary for the consumption and production of psychological research. These skills include writing and familiarity with the ethics of conducting psychological research. Students will have the opportunity to take a capstone course that allows them to demonstrate these competencies. Student Learning Outcomes 1. Knowledge and Application: Knowledge of concepts and theories in at least 4 areas of psychology (e.g., Clinical, Industrial-Organizational, Developmental, Addiction, Motivation, Psychology-Law, Neuropsychology, Cognitive, Behavioral/Learning, Social, Physiological, and Personality), and relate them to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes, or to real-world problems. 2. Diversity: Recognition of the impact of human diversity (gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, culture, age, religion, disabilities) on behavior and mental processes. 3. Ethics: Knowledge of professional ethics in the use of research subjects. 4. Critical Thinking: Ability to critically evaluate various research methods and designs, including their strengths, weaknesses, and applications to psychological inquiry, and their role in causal hypothesis testing. 5. Communication: Ability to write effectively by producing work in the APA style and standards. Course Introduction: Research is the basic foundation for any science, and in this case, psychology. This course will give in-depth coverage of the scientific method and making use of statistical procedures. As a psychology student, being able to describe,

2 understand, and critically assess research studies and their methodological designs is crucial to any career in psychology (and useful for life in general). The goals of this course are to help you develop the skills to make informed, objective, and data-driven decisions. Major areas will include research designs, ethics, and scientific writing. This course will be both theoretical (60%), with recorded lectures corresponding to chapters in the textbook and exams on the major areas, and practical (40%), with applied activities, one major paper, and a presentation on a research article. The student completing this course should be able to (1) design a study corresponding to a specific research question (psychology learning outcomes 4 and 5); (2) Conduct literature searches to provide a sound rationale for your study; (3) Learn the many research designs utilized in psychological research (psychology learning outcome 4); (4) Understand the ethical issues involved in certain types of research, and all research (psychology learning outcome 3). Prerequisite: Psychological Science and Psychological Statistics (or other statistics class) with grade of C or better. Text: 1. Required: Cozby, P.C. Methods in Behavioral Research. New York: McGraw Hill Publishers. 2. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6 th ed.). (2010). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. CANVAS USE: The class syllabus is posted in Canvas, an online course management system. Information on how to use Canvas is available at: Canvas is accessible via the myusf online web portal, or directly at Web Portal Information: Every newly enrolled USF student receives an official USF account. Students receive official USF correspondence and Canvas course information via that address. The web portal is accessed at We will be using Blackboard Collaborate software for weekly live online meetings. To make sure your computer is capable of handling the sessions, please check the following website: If this is the first time you will be using Blackboard Collaborate, you may be prompted to download some software which may take anywhere from 2 to 20 minutes depending upon your Internet connection speed. Please make sure your computer has speakers to be able to hear while you are in the class meetings.

3 To join the meetings, click on the appropriate link in Blackboard Collaborate on the course s home page in CANVAS. You may join the meeting 30 minutes prior to the start time. Technical Help. Canvas Support is available through USFSM E-Learning staff from 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday. Please find contact information through: The USF Tampa IT Helpdesk provides 24 hour support for CANVAS. Please call or help@usf.edu if you need assistance outside of USFSM s E-Learning hours. Additionally, CANVAS tutorials can be found in the Student Quickstart Guide at PLAGIARISM PREVENTION (if applicable) Instructors are encouraged to use the Turnitin service, via Canvas, whenever possible to assist students in avoiding plagiarism. If used instructors must include the following statement in the course syllabus: The University of South Florida has an account with an automated plagiarism detection service which allows student assignments be checked for plagiarism. I reserve the right to ask students to submit their assignments to Turnitin through Canvas. Assignments are compared automatically with a database of journal articles, web articles, and previously submitted papers. The instructor receives a report showing exactly how a student s paper was plagiarized. PLEASE REMOVE YOUR NAME FROM THE BODY OF YOUR PAPER AND REPLACE IT WITH YOUR USF ID#. ALSO REMOVE YOUR NAME FROM THE FILE NAME AND REPLACE IT WITH YOUR USF ID# (e.g., U Essay 1.docx ) BEFORE SUBMITTING IT TO TURNITIN. Pursuant to the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), students are requested to maintain confidentiality as a way to keep their personal contact information (i.e. name, address, telephone) from being disclosed to vendors or other outside agencies. By your submission, you are also agreeing to release your original work for review for academic purposes to Turnitin. USFSM AND USF SYSTEM POLICIES A. Academic Dishonesty: The University considers any form of plagiarism or cheating on exams, projects, or papers to be unacceptable behavior. Please be sure to review the university s policy in the USFSM Catalog, the USF System Academic Integrity of Students, and the USF System Student Code of Conduct. B. Academic Disruption: The University does not tolerate behavior that disrupts the learning process. The policy for addressing academic disruption is included with

4 Academic Dishonesty in the USFSM Catalog, USF System Academic Integrity of Students, and the USF System Student Code of Conduct. C. Contingency Plans: In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USFSM to suspend normal operations. During this time, USFSM may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Canvas, online conferencing/collaboration tools, messaging, and/or an alternate schedule. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor Canvas for each of their classes for course specific communication, as well as the USFSM website, their student account, and MoBull messages for important general information. The USF hotline at 1 (800) is updated with pre-recorded information during an emergency. See the Campus Police Website for further information. D. Disabilities Accommodation: Students are responsible for registering with the Office of Students with Disabilities Services (SDS) in order to receive academic accommodations. Reasonable notice must be given to the SDS office (typically 5 working days) for accommodations to be arranged. It is the responsibility of the student to provide each instructor with a copy of the official Memo of Accommodation. Contact Information: Allison Dinsmore, Coordinator of Disability Services & Student Advocacy, or adinsmore1@sar.usf.edu. E. Fire Alarm Instructions: At the beginning of each semester please note the emergency exit maps posted in each classroom. These signs are marked with the primary evacuation route (red) and secondary evacuation route (orange) in case the building needs to be evacuated. See Emergency Evacuation Procedures. F. Religious Observances: USFSM recognizes the right of students and faculty to observe major religious holidays. Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class for a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, by the second week of classes. Instructors canceling class for a religious observance should have this stated in the syllabus with an appropriate alternative assignment. G. Protection of Students Against Discrimination and Harassment: 1. Sexual Misconduct/Sexual Harassment Reporting: USFSM is committed to providing an environment free from sex discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence (USF System Policy 0-004). 2. Other Types of Discrimination and Harassment: USFSM also is committed to providing an environment free from discrimination and harassment based on race, color, marital status, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or veteran status (USF System Policy 0-007). The Counseling and Wellness Center is a confidential resource where you can talk about incidents of discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment, gender-based crimes, sexual assault, stalking, and domestic/relationship violence. This confidential resource can help you without having to report your situation to either the Office of Student Rights and

5 Responsibilities (OSSR) or the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity (DIEO), unless you request that they make a report. Please be aware that in compliance with Title IX and under the USF System Policy, educators must report incidents of discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment, genderbased crimes, sexual assault, stalking, and domestic/relationship violence. If a student discloses any of these situations in class, in papers, or to a faculty member personally, he or she is required to report it to OSSR or DIEO for investigation. Students who are victims or who have knowledge of such discrimination or harassment are encouraged to report it to either OSSR or D I E O. The Deputy Coordinator for USFSM is Allison Dinsmore, Coordinator of Disability Services & Student Advocacy, # or adinsmore1@sar.usf.edu. Campus Resources: Counseling Center and Wellness Center Victim Advocate (24/7) List of off-campus resources: HOPE Family Services: Safe Place & Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC) Sarasota: First Call for Help- Manatee: Sarasota & North Port Manatee Glens: ; 24-hr Hotline Academic Support Services: The Information Commons provides students with individual and group study spaces, computers, printers, and various media equipment for temporary use. The Information Commons is staffed by librarians, learning support faculty, tutors, and technology and e-learning specialists. Students challenged by the rigors of academic writing, mathematics, or other course content are urged to contact their professors early in the semester to chart out a plan for academic success, and/or regularly use the tutoring services provided by Learning Support Services, which are provided at no cost to students. Instructor Copyright Students may not sell notes or other course materials. Requirements & Evaluation: Attendance is required for the first live online meeting of class. First day attendance will be taken through Blackboard Collaborate, or through verification that you have watched the first recorded lecture. This verification must be received by 8/28. Also, each week of the semester there will be 1 or 2 live online meetings where we will apply what was learned in the recorded lectures. These

6 meeting times will be set to maximally accommodate different student availability. Attendance (live or recorded) to 10 of these meetings will be required. You will receive 1 extra credit point for every live meeting you attend. You will not be penalized for not attending the live meetings. Active participation in these meetings is recommended to enhance understanding of the material. Although many assignments can be partially completed during these meetings, you should plan on spending time outside of class each week reading the textbook, obtaining assignments and notes, and/or completing course assignments. Your general knowledge of research methods will be evaluated through three in-person exams. These exams will be multiple-choice and cover the lecture and book materials. The practical portion of the course will be evaluated through 10 applied activities, one written project in the form of an APA-style research proposal, and one online presentation of a published research article. Specific instructions for these practical exercises will be provided through the course website. Extra Credit: In addition to attending the weekly meetings live, extra credit opportunities may be presented during the semester. These may include: 1. Participation in an approved research study. 2. Attending an approved research presentation. 3. TBD Each of these must be arranged in advance and documented. You may earn a maximum of 30 extra credit points Course Point Allocation Scheme: Lecture Exam 1 Exam 2 Exam points 150 points 150 points 450 Practice 10 statistical/writing assignments 200 points total (20 points each) Research Proposal 250 points Meeting attendance 50 points Article Presentation 50 points points Grading Scale: 975 to 1000 points = A+ 925 to 974 points = A 895 to 924 points = A- 875 to 894 points = B+ 825 to 874 points = B

7 795 to 824 points = B- 775 to 794 points = C+ 725 to 774 points = C 695 to 724 points = C- 675 to 694 points = D+ 625 to 674 points = D 595 to 624 points = D- 0 to 594 points = F Attendance to Exams: Students must be in attendance for exams and at least 10 online meetings (live or recorded). If an emergency necessitates missing exam or any in-class assignment, adequate and appropriate documentation of the emergency will be required to take a make-up exam. Students with such emergencies must notify the instructor prior or within 24 hours of the scheduled time for the exam. During exams you may not leave the room. You must bring your student ID to each exam. You will only be permitted to have pencils, erasers and student ID at your desk. Please leave refreshments, book bags, and other materials in the front of the classroom or do not bring them at all. Turn off all cell phones. You are responsible for bringing your own #2 pencils to the exams. Last Date to Withdraw: 10/31/2015

8 Schedule of Events Week Lecture Topic Activity(due date) 1 8/24 Introduction (1) 2 8/31 The research question (2) Literature Search(9/8) 3 9/8 Ethics (3) Ethics, Plag. certification (9/14) 4 9/14 Study Design (4) APA Style (9/21) 5 9/21 Psychometrics (5) Psychometrics Exercise (10/5) 6 9/28 Exam 1 Review (Ch. 1-5) and IN PERSON Exam on 10/2 7 10/5 Observations (6) Observations Activity(10/12) 8 10/12 Surveys (7) Instruction on presentations 9 10/19 Experiments (8) Experiments vs Studies (10/26) 10 10/26 Experiments cont. (9) Live Consultation on Papers 11 11/2 Experiments cont. (10) Design an Experiment (11/16) 12 11/9 Exam 2 Review (Ch. 6-10) and IN PERSON Exam on 11/ /16 Quasi Experiments (11) Quasi experiment (due 11/30) Paper exchange (due 11/23) 14 11/23 Genetics, Stats, Generalizing (14) Live Consultation on Papers 15 11/30 Presentation Week & Research Proposal Due 16 12/7 EXAM 3 review (all remaining material, including presentations) and IN PERSON Exam on 12/11