RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY: PSY 3213-529 SPRING 2015 University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Instructor: Kimberly A. Badanich, Ph.D. Class Time: Tues/Thurs 4:00-5:50pm E-mail: badanich@sar.usf.edu Campus: North Port Phone: 941-359-4451 Classroom: 203 Mailbox: SMC C263 Office Hours: Tues 12:30-1:30pm Office location: SMC C242 Also by appointment Prerequisites: Required text: Psychological Science (PSY 2012) with a grade of C or higher. If Psychological Statistics (PSY 3204) has not been taken previously, it is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED that Psych Stats is taken concurrently with Research Methods in the same semester. Cozby, P.C. and Bates, S.C. (2012). Methods in Behavioral Research (11th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). (2010). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Computer requirements: All USFSM students are required to have their own laptop. Students should bring their laptop with them to class. Laptops will be needed for some lab activities and students should be aware of battery life issues and delay computer use until it is needed for the class activity. Students are required to have regular & reliable access to the internet to check Canvas and their USF email account on a weekly basis throughout the semester. The USF Computer Help Desk suggests using Firefox as your internet browser because some features of Canvas will not be displayed using other browsers. Microsoft Word will be required to open all lab assignments and Microsoft PowerPoint will be required to open all lectures. Audio will be needed to hear an instructional video. BA in Psychology Mission 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 (SLO) 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 Description and Purpose This course provides students with the theoretical background needed to conduct experimental research in the field of psychology using the scientific approach. In this course, students will learn to critically evaluate data, formulate testable hypotheses, and identify major research designs in psychology. Specifically, students will demonstrate an understanding of the logic of experimental design, concept of control, and the statistical analysis/interpretation of experimentally obtained data. Students will identify, locate, and interpret psychological research articles and will demonstrate knowledge of research ethics. The principles of scientific writing will be emphasized by students writing a research proposal in APA style. The laboratory section provides experience applying the concepts discussed in lecture. This course is required of all students seeking a B.A. in Psychology or a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences with a Psychology cognate. It is intended to be taken as a prerequisite to all other upper-level courses in the discipline. Students must pass this class with a C or better to continue in Psychology or ISS majors. Course Objectives This course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of research methods in psychology. By the end of the course, students should be able to 1. design a study corresponding to a specific research question (SLO#4) 2. conduct literature searches to provide a sound rationale for your study (SLO#1,2,4) 3. demonstrate understanding of the many research designs utilized in psychological research (SLO#4) 4. demonstrate understanding of the appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics for specific study designs (SLO#4) 5. understand the ethical issues involved in certain types of research, and all research (SLO#3) 6. demonstrate the basics of APA writing style (SLO#5) Course Materials Before and after each class meeting, students are required to check their USF email account, check for announcements in Canvas and access lecture materials. Lecture materials including PowerPoints, lab activities and instructions for article presentation and research proposal will be posted on Canvas at myusf. Review questions to prepare for exams will be posted as the second slide in each PowerPoint lecture and will serve as the review sheet for exams (i.e., you do not have to wait until the week before class to start preparing for the exam!!). In fact, if you wait until the week before the exam to start studying, you will have great difficulty passing the exam. Study as you go!!! Accessing USF email: Go to the myusf homepage at https://my.usf.edu. You will need to enter your net ID to sign in. If you do not already have a net ID, you can sign up for one by clicking on create an account on the myusf homepage. Signing in will bring you to your own homepage. Click on the tab labeled Email and select USF gmail. Accessing online lecture notes using Canvas: Blackboard has been discontinued on USF campuses. All courses will now use Canvas. To access Canvas, Go to the myusf homepage at https://my.usf.edu, use your net ID to sign in, and click on the tab labeled Learning & Teaching tools and select Canvas. Under courses & groups will be a list all of the classes you are participating in. Click on Research Methods in Psych. This is where I will post the syllabus, announcements, PowerPoints, instructions, grades, ect. All lecture materials will be listed under Modules. Online lecture notes should NOT be used as a substitute for coming to class. Notes and tapes are not permitted for sale. You can also use Canvas to contact me by e-mail. If you have any trouble accessing or using Canvas, please contact USFSM E-Learning staff from 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday. The USF Tampa IT Helpdesk provides 24 hour support for CANVAS. Please call 813-974-1222 or email: 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 http://guides.instructure.com/m/8470.
Course Requirements There will be 2 exams, 9 lab activities, 3 written assignments, 1 group presentation, 1 peer review and 1 research proposal. Exams: There will be 2 exams (mid-term, non-cumulative final exam). Exams will be 50 multiple choice questions (2pts/question; 100 pts/exam) and will cover all lectures, assigned readings, and lab activities. Exams may also include short answer essay questions. Students are required to bring a #2 pencil to class. During exams, students will only be allowed to have a pencil at their desk. All books, bags, purses, cell phones, laptops, headphones, drinks, coffee cups (sorry Starbucks lovers), hats and any other items ect., must be placed at the front of the room until the student has completed the exam. Under no circumstances will a student approach or handle any item other than a pencil during an exam. Please be sure to pick up YOUR belongings (not your peer s) after handing in your exam. For safety purposes, please leave your valuables at home on the exam day. If a student talks or looks at another student during the exam, both students involved will be stopped from finishing the exam. Students cannot leave the room until they have completed and handed in their exam. No student can enter the room after the first student has completed the exam. Some students are fast test takers so I advise never being more than 15 min late for an exam. Students may not take an exam in place of another person. Make-up exams: Students are required to take the mid-term and final exams on the designated exam dates listed in the syllabus. If you do not take the exam on the designated exam date, you will receive a zero. The ONLY exception is if you notify me of your absence 24 HOURS BEFORE THE EXAM. Only students with an EXCUSED ABSENCE will be allowed to take a make-up exam (see excused absence section below). Vacations do not count as excused absence. Students with an approved excused absence MUST schedule a make-up exam on a date designated by USF Sarasota-Manatee. There are 4 predetermined make-up exam dates this semester and these dates are always on Fridays from 1-3pm. Make-up exam dates cannot be altered to fit a student s schedule. Students missing an exam and having an approved excused absence will be required to take the make-up exam on the date closest to the missed exam (i.e., you only get one chance to make it up). Please note that all make-up exams will include essay questions. No exam can be taken early. Furthermore, there are no available make-up exam dates after our final exam so there will be no chances to make-up the final exam. Only the mid-term has the option for a make-up exam. Lab Activities: There will be 9 lab activities to help emphasize important topics covered during lectures. Lab activities will be started in class. Students must be in class on the day of the activity to receive instructions. Each lab activity will be worth 10 pts. Any lab activity that is not completed in class should be completed for homework and turned in at the beginning of the following class. LAB ASSIGNMENTS WITH MULTIPLE PAGES MUST BE STAPELED. STUDENTS MUST HAND DELIVER THEIR LAB ASSIGNMENTS NO ASSIGNMENTS CAN BE EMAILED TO THE INSTRUCTOR. Students will receive a zero if they cannot turn in a lab activity by the due date listed in the syllabus. Each student must turn in their own independent lab activity assignment, even if the lab activity was completed in a group. There are no make-ups for labs. No exceptions. Student final lab assignment scores will be the sum of your 8 best scores (i.e, you get to drop your lowest lab assignment score. Or if you miss a lab and get a zero, the zero will be your dropped score). Dropped scores can be used as bonus points up to a total of 10 points (see extra credit section further below). Warning: I am a fair but tough grader with high expectations. Group Presentation: Pairs of students will give one oral presentation on a psychology research article that they selected, read and critically evaluated. Research articles must have a clearly defined Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion section that includes at least one bar or line graph. Students cannot use a review article for their article presentation. Research articles must be approved in advance (see article approval due date in syllabus- lab#4). Presentations must be given in PowerPoint and should be at least 5 min but not more than 10 mins long. Pairs should evenly divide the work and each student should speak during the presentation. Group presentation dates and specific instructions on the required content of the article presentation will be
posted on Canvas under Modules -week #1. Group Presentations will be worth 50 points. Students must be present on their designated presentation date. No make-ups. No exceptions. Written Assignments: To prepare students for the final research proposal, 3 written assignments will be due throughout the semester. Each written assignment will involve writing a particular section of the research proposal (Introduction, Methods, Results). Each written assignment will be worth 50 pts. Students must submit each written assignment to Turn-it-in AND deliver a hard copy to the instructor on the due date listed in the syllabus. Instructions for these assignments will be posted on Canvas. Each section will be graded and feedback from the instructor will be given. WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE STAPELED AND INCLUDE THE PROPOSAL CHECKLIST ON TOP. STUDENTS MUST HAND DELIVER THEIR PAPER NO ASSIGNMENTS CAN BE EMAILED TO THE INSTRUCTOR. One letter grade will be deducted from the written assignment for each day that the paper is late. Research Proposal: Each student must write one research proposal describing an experiment they designed (no correlations allowed). Proposal topics and designed experiments must be approved in advance (see research proposal topic due date in syllabus- lab#4). Students will write one section at a time (Introduction, Methods, Results) and each section will serve as separate written assignments (see above section). At the end of the course, students will turn in the entire proposal including all revised sections. Proposals must be typed in APA format. Specific instructions on the required content of the research proposal will be posted on Canvas under Modules week #1. Proposals will be reviewed by one of your classmates before turning in the final research proposal and will serve as the Peer Review (50 points). Completed research proposals (one hard copy handed to me in person and one identical electronic copy submitted to Turn-it-in- a plagiarism website) must be turned in during class on the designated due date (see research proposal due date in syllabus). PROPOSALS MUST BE STAPELED AND INCLUDE THE PROPOSAL CHECKLIST ON TOP. STUDENTS MUST HAND DELIVER THEIR PAPER NO ASSIGNMENTS CAN BE EMAILED TO THE INSTRUCTOR. Proposals will be worth 100 points. One letter grade will be deducted from the final paper grade for each day that the paper is late. Papers that are 4+ days late will receive a zero. No exceptions. Note: I am not on campus on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays. Warning: I am a fair but tough grader with high expectations. 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 Turn-it-in 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. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their papers to Turn-it-in before the final proposal due date so that in the event they did plagiarize, they will have time to edit and re-submit. Students are required to note their percentage of matched text AND look at the actual report in Turn-it-in to see what portions of their paper (if any) have been highlighted. You may need the Instructor s help in viewing the report. In this class, a string of more than 4 words highlighted together in one sentence will be considered plagiarism. 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 Turn-it-in. Attendance Attendance is mandatory for the first class meeting. Students who do not come to the first class meeting without giving me prior notice will be automatically dropped from the class. Attendance after the first class is encouraged but not required. Missing class will not cut grades. However you will be responsible for any material covered in class for which you are not in attendance. Remember that students must be present in class to receive lab activity instructions, to turn in lab and written assignments and to give their oral presentation.
Excused absence: An excused absence must 1) be brought to my attention at least 24 hours before the absence and 2) be accompanied by a valid written and dated excuse. Examples of valid excuses are written doctor s note with dates of illness, court papers or jury duty notices with dates of service, death of a family member with a copy of the obituary, or a school function with a verification letter. Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a major religious observance must provide advance notice of the date(s) to the instructor in writing. Students with unexcused absences will be given a zero for missed exams and lab assignments. No exceptions. Remember, emailed assignments will not be accepted. Extra credit Each student has the opportunity to earn a total of 20 extra points!!! Bonus points will be added to your final point total at the end of the semester. There are 2 categories for extra credit: 1. A total of 10 extra points for: a. Participating in psychology research experiments. b. Attending the Duval Family Conference on Thursday 2/12 Saturday 2/14 from 8am 2pm. This meeting is free to students that pre-register. Students must sign, attend for 2 hours and submit 2 facts learned to the instructor. 2. A total of 10 extra points for completing all 9 lab assignments: There are a total of 9 lab assignments. Only your 8 best lab assignment scores will be used in your total lab assignment score. If you complete all 9 lab assignments, your lowest score will be added to your final point total at the end of the semester. Only a total of 10 extra points from this category can be earned. Grading Grading for this course will be on a point scale. Assignment point values are listed below: Graded item Total possible points Your score Mid-term 100 Final Exam 100 Group Presentation 50 Lab assignments (your 8 best scores) 80 (10 points each) Written assignments 150 (50 points each) Peer Review of Proposal 50 Research Proposal 100 Total points = 630 points for the entire course. Point values needed for final course letter grades: Letter grade Percentage Points needed to earn letter grade: A+ 97-100% 608-630 A 93-96% 583-607 A- 90-92% 564-582 B+ 87-89% 545-563 B 83-86% 520-544 B- 80-82% 501-519 C+ 77-79% 482-500 C 73-76% 457-481 C- 70-72% 438-456 D+ 67-69% 419-437 D 63-66% 394-418 D- 60-62% 375-393 F < 59% 0-374 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 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, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It s the responsibility of the student to monitor Canvas site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USFSM and College websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information. The USF hotline at 1 (800) 992-4231 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: Disability Coordinator, 941-359-4714, disabilityservices@sar.usf.edu, http://usfsm.edu/disability-services/ 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. 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). The Counseling and Wellness Center is a confidential resource where you can talk about incidents of sexual harassment and gender-based crimes including 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 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 sexual harassment and gender-based crimes including sexual assault, stalking, and domestic/relationship violence. If you disclose any of these situations in class, in papers, or to me personally, I am required to report it to OSSR or DIEO for investigation. The Deputy Coordinator for USFSM is Mary Beth Wallace, AVP for Student Enrollment, Engagement and Success, 941-359-4330 or marybeth@sar.usf.edu. Campus Resources: Counseling Center and Wellness Center 941-487-4254 Victim Advocate (24/7) 941-504-8599 List of off-campus resources: Hope of Manatee: 941-755-6805 Safe Place & Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC) Sarasota: 941-365-1976 First Call for Help- Manatee: 941-708-6488 Sarasota & North Port 941-366-5025 Manatee Glens: 941-782-4800 H. Web Portal Information: Every newly enrolled USF student receives an official USF e-mail account. Students receive official USF correspondence and Canvas course information via that address. Withdrawal date: The last day to withdrawal from the class without academic penalty is March 21st, 2015
Tentative Course Schedule: I reserve the right to change dates. Any changes will be announced in class, posted on Canvas and will be updated on the syllabus. * = indicates in class activity Day Date Topic Reading Assignment Due Dates T 1/6 Introduction to Research Methods Chapter 1 Th 1/8 Literature Search Chapter 2 Lab#1 started in class- due 1/13* T 1/13 APA formatting Appendix A Lab#1 due: Lit. search Th 1/15 Ethics in Research Chapter 3 T 1/20 Lab#2 due: Ethics* Th 1/22 Non-experimental & Experimental Methods Chapter 4 T 1/27 Lab#3 due: Variables Th 1/29 Measurement Concepts and Reliability Chapter 5 Lab#4 due: Topic/Article Approval T 2/3 Lab#5 due: Reliability* Th 2/5 Observational Methods Chapter 6 T 2/10 Lab#6 due: Observations* Th 2/12 Surveys Chapter 7 Written Assign #1 due: Intro T 2/17 Exam review Th 2/19 MID-TERM EXAM ----------------- MID-TERM EXAM T 2/24 Presentations ----------------- PowerPoint slides Th 2/26 Presentations/Feedback on Introduction Section ----------------- PowerPoint slides T 3/3 SPRING BREAK NO CLASS! ------------------ Th 3/5 SPRING BREAK NO CLASS! ------------------ T 3/10 Experimental Design Chapter 8 Th 3/12 T 3/17 Conducting Experiments Chapter 9 Lab#7: Designing Experiment Th 3/19 Written Assign#2 due:methods T 3/24 Factorial Designs Chapter 10 Lab#8 started in class due 3/26* Th 3/26 Lab#8: Factorial Designs* T 3/31 Single-Case and Quasi-Experiments Chapter 11 Written Assign #3 due: Results Th 4/2 T 4/7 Correlations Chapter 12 Lab#9: Identifying Plagiarism Th 4/9 T 4/14 Peer review of proposals ------------------ Draft of entire Proposal due (bring 2 hard copies) Th 4/16 Understanding Research & Generalizing Results Chapter 13/14 Research proposal due T 4/21 Exam review Th 4/23 FINAL EXAM 4pm-6pm NP 203 ----------------- FINAL EXAM 4pm-6pm NP 203 T 4/28 Optional Meeting w/ Instructor to review paper ------------------ Email Dr. B if you want to meet