PSYC 201 Psychological Research I Dr. Tom Pierce Spring 2004 Office: 411 Russell Hall Phone: 831-5444 E-mail: [email protected] Office hours: W: 9:00 – 11:00; T, Th: 3:30-5:00. Students are welcome to make an appointment for other times during the week if these times are inconvenient. Goals The goal of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of the principles of psychological research. The course incorporates material from traditional methods and statistics courses into a system where students learn statistical techniques within the context of addressing research questions in psychology. The course will examine the place of scientific research in psychology, the design of experiments, ethics in human and animal research, and the statistical analysis of data. Grading Four exams will be given, three exams during the semester and one final exam. The three mid-term exams will each be worth 17% of the final grade. A final exam will be worth 19% of the final grade. Work in the lab will be worth 30% of the final grade. Lecture and lab attendance is expected and required. The lab grade will be based on brief quizzes given during the lab period, lab and homework assignments, writing assignments, as well as on performance in the lab as assessed by the lab TA and the instructor. The material covered in this course is by nature cumulative. Students are expected to demonstrate their knowledge of the course material throughout the semester. Class and lab attendance is expected and required. As many as three points will be added to the final grade for students who maintain superior levels of attendance and class. Failure to participate in an ungraded lab activity will result in a deduction in the lab grade that will be equivalent to the number of points assigned to a typical homework assignment. Makeup exams Makeup exams will normally be given only in the event of demonstrated illness or if prior approval has been obtained from the instructor. Textbooks 1. Zechmeister, Zechmeister, and Shaughnessy (2001). Essentials of Research Methods in Psychology.2. Welkowitz, Ewen, and Cohen (2000). Introductory Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. 3. APA Publication Manual Other readings will be assigned as needed and placed on reserve in the library. Whenever possible reserve materials will be made available for download from the library’s website. Topics 1. Psychology as a Science 2. Ethics in human and animal research 3. Introduction to measurement 4. Descriptive statistics First Exam 6. Naturalistic observation and case studies 7. Introduction to inferential statistics: Chi-square. 8. Introduction to APA-style manuscripts. Second Exam 9. Correlational research 10. Introduction to survey research 11. Pearson correlation coefficient Third Exam 12. Introduction to Experiments: Between-subjects designs 13. Hypothesis testing (Independent-Samples T-Test) 14. Introduction to Experiments: Within-subjects designs 15. Dependent-Samples T-Test Final Exam. The final exam will be given at 11:00 on Thursday of Finals Week. Laboratory in psychological research Students will meet in lab for two hours per week. The purpose of the lab is to provide students with hands-on experience in working with the material covered in the lecture. Students will conduct studies, collect data, analyze the results and begin the process of learning to write an APA-style paper. The lab is also intended as a time when students can get individual help in a structured setting. The labs will be conducted primarily by a graduate teaching assistant under the direct supervision of the instructor. He or she will be available to answer any questions you may have about the lecture and to provide you with exercises designed to illustrate the course material. Attendance in the lab is required.Honor Code Students are expected and required to act in accordance with Radford University’s Honor Code. Violations of the Honor Code will be handled according to the policies and procedures outlined in Radford University’s Student Handbook. Disabilities Statement If you are seeking classroom accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are required to register with the Disability Resource Office (DRO). The DRO is located in Room 32, Tyler Hall. The phone number is 831-6350. To receive academic accommodations for this class, please obtain the proper DRO forms and meet with me at the beginning of the semester. Miscellaneous • Please turn your cell phone off before you come to class or lab. • Please refrain from sending or receiving e-mail while in lecture or lab.Name: Year in college (sophomore, junior, etc): What topics in psychology are you most interested in? Why did you decide to major in psychology? Do you know what you want to do for your career? If so, what do you want to do? What is your biggest concern about taking this class? Have you taken STAT 208? Are you taking it