RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY PSYC 381 FALL 2013 T & TH 12:10 p.m. to 1:25 p.m. (GRPS 1) SATURDAY 9/14 & 10/19 (8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Tech 101)

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1 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY PSYC 381 FALL 2013 T & TH 12:10 p.m. to 1:25 p.m. (GRPS 1) SATURDAY 9/14 & 10/19 (8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Tech 101) Address: crenold@vanguard.edu Phone: COURSE DESCRIPTION Prerequisites: PSYC 103C, SOCS/MATH 265C. An introduction to qualitative and quantitative research methods in psychology, including experimental, quasi-experimental, and correlational approaches. Students will learn to think critically about research, assessing threats to internal and external validity. Students will consider ethical issues in research and will learn to design and conduct research, including searching the literature, using SPSS to analyze data, and writing formal research reports using APA style. TEXT: Smith, A., & Davis, S. (2013). The Psychologist as Detective: An Introduction to Conducting Research in Psychology, 6 th Edition. Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, NJ. ISBN # ( Additional handouts and websites will be utilized. VANGUARD UNIVERSITY S EDUCATIONAL TARGETS AND COURSE GOALS 1. Intellectual Engagement: Research Methods in Psychology will help students learn to think critically and evaluate evidence rationally. 2. Professional Excellence: Research Methods in Psychology will help students develop the ability to professionally communicate the results of their learning and research clearly and effectively. 3. Responsible Stewardship: Research Methods in Psychology will sensitize students to the proper use of research designs and statistical procedures in coming to conclusions. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES This course is designed to give students in psychology an overview of research processes and problems. Some of the specific outcomes for the course are: 1

2 1. To enhance students abilities to be thoughtful, reflective, and active consumers of research in the field of psychology. 2. To provide a foundation for making informed choices about the ways in which research can improve professional practice in psychology. 3. To explore the appropriateness of different research paradigms for various questions in the field of psychology. 4. To review basic elements of sound research design: method, measurement, sampling, data collection, analysis, and reporting. 5. To improve students understanding of the implications and assumptions of, and opportunities for mutual enrichment among various approaches to research. These include qualitative and quantitative research, primary and secondary data research, and basic and applied research. Additionally, at the end of the course a student will be competent to understand and evaluate psychological literature, work in a research setting, produce a research paper and go on to advanced research courses. The emphasis in the course will be on understanding and evaluating research methods used in research projects. This course will differ from statistics courses in that very few formulas will be introduced and the student will not be required to memorize the ones that are presented. While the course will evaluate quantitative methods, very little computation will be done by the students as the computer has relieved us of this necessity. We should all, however, become familiar with the computer. VUSC's computer labs utilize a sophisticated, yet user friendly, research program called Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) (Microsoft Excel works pretty well too!). COURSE REQUIREMENTS There will be 2 homework assignments over the course of the semester. Assignments must be turned in on time. There will be 10 problem sets/exercises at various times over the course of the semester. There will be 4 Exams (3 midterms and 1 final) over the course of the semester. A final research proposal and presentation will be due in December. EVALUATION COMPONENTS 2 Homework Assignments (25 points each): 50 points 10 Problem sets/exercises (10 points each) 100 points 3 Midterm Exams 250 points Final Research Proposal and Presentation 50 points 5 In class quizzes (20 points each) 100 points Final Exam 50 points Total: 600 points 2

3 STUDENT EVALUATION I will be using a +.- grading scale for this class. Final grades will be assigned based on the following scale: A: % A C: C A C C- B: B+ D: D B D B D- F: 60 or below F Non-Competitive Grading: Grading in this course is non-competitive. Your grade is determined by the total number of points you earned by the end of the semester, regardless of the points of others. There is no curve. You should therefore feel free to help each other learn, study and succeed in class. ATTENDANCE If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to obtain any assignments and submit them on the required due date. All assignments are due in class on the due date. I will not accept late assignments. SPECIAL NEEDS Please let me know as soon as possible if you need any individual arrangements or special assistance. All efforts will be made to ensure that all students learning styles and needs are taken into consideration for successful completion of this course. MAKEUP EXAMINATIONS Each student needing to take a make-up exam must schedule an acceptable time with the professor. The professor reserves the right to alter the style of the make-up examination. There will be no make-up on the homework assignments or problem sets. Note: This is a tentative schedule of assignments, due dates, and point values. 3

4 SPECIAL NOTE Your experience in this class is important to us and it is the policy and practice of Vanguard University to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with Federal and State law. If you have trouble participating or effectively demonstrating learning in this course, please meet with me to discuss reasonable options or adjustments. During our discussion, I may suggest the possibility/necessity of your contacting the disability services office to talk about academic accommodations. If you have already established accommodations with the disability services office, please provide your approved accommodation letter to me as early as possible so we can discuss your needs in this course. The Disability Services Office offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your professor(s), and the Disability Services Office (DSO). If you have not yet established services through the DSO, but have a temporary or permanent disability that impacts your learning, attention, mental health, vision, hearing, physical health, or other disabilities that may require accommodations, you are welcome to contact the DSO, located in the Scott Academic Center, Office 244, , disabilityservices@vanguard.edu. Students with a documented learning disability who would like to request appropriate accommodations should contact Barbi Rouse, Director of Learning Skills, Scott Academic Center second floor, , barbi.rouse@vanguard.edu. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Students who violate university standards of academic integrity are subject to disciplinary sanctions, including failure in the course and suspension from the university. Since dishonesty in any form harms the individual, other students and the university, policies on academic integrity are strictly enforced. I expect that you will familiarize yourself with the academic integrity guidelines found in the current student handbook. 4

5 Date Topic Reading Task/Handout 8/27 Introduction 8/29 The Science of Psychology Text Chapter 1 The Science of Psychology 9/3 Research Ideas and Hypotheses Text Chapter 2 Hypotheses; Constructs Characteristics of the Methods; Critiquing Research Designs 9/5 Ethics Milgram Video 9/10 Qualitative Methods Text Chapter 3 Golden Apple 9/12 Qualitative Methods II Golden Apple 9/14 The Research Process (8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon) Tech 101 Handouts: APA Manual/SPSS/Stats: Central Tendency and Variability 9/17 Nonexperimental Methods Text Chapter 4 Homework #1 Directions 9/19 Nonexperimental Methods part Sample Surveys II 9/24 Exam #1 5

6 Date Topic Reading Task/Handout 9/26 Using the Scientific Method Text Chapter 5 10/1 Science Part II 10/3 The Basics of Experiments Text Chapter 6 10/8 Conducting a Good Experiment part I 10/10 Conducting a Good Experiment part II 10/15 Internal Validity and External Validity part I 10/17 Statistic Review Text Chapter 7 Text Chapter 8 In class exercise: Ash Experiment 10/19 Data Analysis (8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon) Tech /22 Internal and External Validity part II 10/24 Exam #2 Tutorial Date Topic Reading Task 10/29 Measurement Review Text Homework #2 Directions Chapter 9 10/31 Concept Mapping (Candy too) 11/5 Two-Group Designs Text Chapter 10 11/7 Multiple Group Designs Text Chapter 11 11/12 Experiments with Multiple Independent Variables part I Text Chapter 12 11/14 Experiments with Multiple Independent Variables part II 11/19 Exam #3 Online Exam 6

7 Date Topic Reading Task 11/21 Alternative Research Designs Text Chapter 13 11/26 Writing and Assembling the Final Product 11/28 Review and Wrap Up 12/2 Research Proposal Presentations 12/5 Research Proposal Presentations 12/10 Exam #4 (10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) Tuesday Indicates Online Class Text Chapter 14 FINAL EXAM RESEARCH PROPOSAL AND PRESENTATION You will write and present (10 minutes) a research proposal for a quantitative (not qualitative research), empirical research project. The research proposal must be from pages in length (referring to the body of the paper; the title page, the reference pages and appendices do not count towards this length). Proposed research must be empirical and plausible for you to actually conduct the study, however, you will not actually be conducting the study for this class. For example, drug research is not acceptable unless you are in a situation where you could actually conduct such a study. Proposals for research that is ethically questionable are unacceptable. This paper will present a review of relevant research literature, the rationale for your project, and a thorough description of how the actual research would be conducted. The paper must be in APA style (6th edition, 2010). Sections of Research Report (see APA manual!!!) Title Page (p. 1, with running head, title, your name, & school address; See APA Manual!) Abstract Introduction (p. 2) Includes a statement of the research problem and a review of the relevant research literature. The literature review should include mainly research articles (not commentary, review or opinion articles) that demonstrate how previous research relates to and leads up to your current research proposal. You should include a statement of the current research problem and the research hypothesis. The relationship between the past research literature and your research hypothesis should be made explicit if it is not obvious. 7

8 The introduction provides the context for your proposed study; hence there is always literature that is relevant to your research problem. YOU MUST HAVE A LITERATURE REVIEW! At a minimum the introduction portion of your paper should be 6 pages in length with at least seven empirical research references from peer reviewed journals (i.e., research articles from refereed professional journals), and these research articles must make up at least 80% of the total references in your paper. For the purpose of a research paper, inappropriate references (if excessively used or exclusively used, thus leaving out research articles) include textbooks, nonempirical articles (e.g., commentary or opinion articles), and popular books/articles (such as TIME magazine, or PSYCHOLOGY TODAY). Review articles can be useful and appropriate to include, as long as they are not the majority of your references (not more than 20% of the total references in your paper). Method (At a minimum the methods portion of your paper should be 2 pages in length.) This section includes three or more subsections. You must have the Design, Participants, Materials (or Apparatus), and Procedure subsections in your research proposal. Design - You should describe in detail what design (e.g., observational; experimental - between-subjects or within-subjects; quasi-experimental - nonequivalent control group design, interrupted time-series design, etc.) you plan to use and what the important variables (I.V.s & D.V.s) and operational definitions are. Participants - You should describe how many participants you will run and how the participants will be selected. What is your sampling procedure? Materials (Apparatus) - You should describe any materials you will use in the research, such as tests, questionnaires, computers, video cameras, etc. Procedure - You should include the entire process that a participant will go through when he or she participates in the experiment. You should include a description of what happens to the participants in each condition and how they will be assigned to each condition (e.g., self-selected conditions, randomly assigned to conditions, etc.). References (You should follow APA style for all citations in the paper and for the listing of references in this section.) Appendices You should include an appendix that contains a copy of the Title/Abstract page for each article that you cite in your proposal (for every article listed in the references). If an article does not have an abstract, include the title page and the page that includes the beginning of the procedure subsection of the Methods section. CLASSROOM DIVERSITY STATEMENT As students and faculty at Vanguard University of Southern California, and foremost as Christian believers, we endeavor to communicate with honesty and confidentiality, to speak with encouraging and edifying words, and to create a safe environment where we shelter one another with love when vulnerabilities arise. This classroom intends to foster a Christ-centered community that promotes appreciation and respect for individuals, enhances the potential of its members, and values differences in gender, ethnicity, race, abilities, and generation. 8

9 AND FINALLY Please turn off cell phones before coming to class. Additionally, please do not work on the computers during class (unless instructed). 9