47-375 Syllabus
Research III:
Laboratory
Fall,
2006
| Instructor: Dr. Doreen Arcus | Class time: MWF 10-10:50 |
|
Office SC: Mahoney 106A Office NC: Southwick 320 |
Classroom: MA 208 |
|
Phone SC: 978-934-4172 Phone NC: 978-934-2798 |
Office hours: MWF 11-12 SC |
| E-mail: Doreen_Arcus@uml.edu | URL: http://faculty.uml.edu/darcus |
Course
Description
This course is designed to develop expertise in the design, administration, analysis, and synthesis of research methods with general experimental applications across a variety of disciplines in psychology (e.g., cognitive, clinical, social, developmental, psychobiological). A previous course in research methods (47 269) is required and students must have a prior or concurrent course in statistics (47 275). This course provides students with a capstone experience in the execution, analysis, and presentation of an experimental study of one’s own design. The time requirements are substantial. When you have completed this class, you should be able to:
Identify
the differences in design between experimental and correlational research,
the research questions for which each is appropriate and ethical, and the
implications of these differences for interpretation of results.
Identify
appropriate data analytic strategies for given research questions and
designs.
Use
course related statistical and graphing software packages to enter, analyze
and describe data.
Produce
a reliable code of behavior
Use
plots to examine data distributions prior to conducting inferential
statistical tests
Use
plots to display experimental effects and verify statistical results with
ideas about what to do when the number and the picture do not tell the same
story.
Explain
how statistical significance is a function of the size of the effect and the
size of the sample.
Distinguish
between validity and reliability of measurement.
Design
a valid, ethical, and informative experiment
Write
a clear and thorough proposal to the Institutional Review Board requesting
approval of experimental procedures for use with Human Participants
Write
a clear and thorough statement of informed consent for use in an experiment
Appropriately
operationalize constructs in experimental designs
Execute
a minimal risk, psychological experiment
Display
data and results efficiently and pointedly using tables and figures.
Produce a well-organized, coherent report of experimental results in APA format.
Present a coherent and engaging report of research results using appropriate graphics and visual aides
Class
meetings will be designed to bring methodological issues into focus; they will
not be reiterations of what is covered in the text. Occasionally material will be presented in class that is not
covered in the text. I am available
during office hours or by appointment if you have questions that cannot be
adequately addressed in class.
Student
Requirements
All students are responsible for adhering to
the academic policies of the University of Massachusetts Lowell as specified in
the Undergraduate Catalogue. All
students are also responsible for any material presented in class and lab. Class attendance and class participation is
expected. If you are unable to attend
class on a particular day, please make arrangements with another student to
find out what you missed. A voluntary
list of names and phone numbers will be compiled and distributed early in the
semester to facilitate these contacts.
Students are also encouraged (though not required) to use these lists to
meet in groups outside class to study and discuss class material.
There will
be two 50 minute in-class exams that are open book, open notes format. Make-up exams will be given only in cases
of emergency; documentation may be requested.
All other make-up exams must be arranged in advance. Requests will be honored at my
discretion. Failure to make adequate
arrangements for the alternative exam dates will result in a score of zero for
that test. There will be no final
examination.
Planning
and executing your study is the most important part of your work in this course.
Topics will be provided that are in line with my research program and that I am
relatively certain will result in a substantial finding that merits presentation
and possible publication. You may suggest your own research topic; it must be
approved.
A series of assignments leading up to the final project are due over the course of the semester (see Schedule). These are due at the beginning of class on the dates noted. They are required but will not be graded formally. Students will keep their assignments in a 1” binder that will be handed in each time with material to date. That will permit me to see your progress and you to get a sense of how your experiment is building toward completion.
Readings
Reading
demands are particularly heavy during the first half of the semester. All readings are to be completed before
class, and you should come to class prepared to ask questions about material
that you did not understand. All
students are responsible for writing in APA style. All students are responsible
for having an appropriate reference for statistical procedures, when to apply
them and how to compute and interpret them; I will also place some on reserve
at O’Leary Library for your use. The following books are required:
American
Psychological Association (2001). Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition.
Washington, DC: Author.
Pelham, B.W. (2006). Conducting Research in Psychology: Measuring the weight of smoke, Third Edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Grading
Grades
for exams will be a percentage of points received (90-100%=A; 80-89=B; 70-79=C;
60-69=D; below 60=F). Grades for assignments will on a 5 point scale.
Grades for final papers will be letter grades.
Final grades will be based on examinations, class participation and assignments, and the final capstone study as summarized in the written report. Exams will contribute approximately 30% toward the final grade, participation and assignments, including your final project presentation, will contribute approximately 25%, and the final capstone study including the research report will contribute approximately 35% with the final presentation counting for 10%.