Research Methods in Psychology Lab (01:830:356)

Lecture: (Lecture days, meeting time, and place go here.)

Recitations: (Days, times, and places of recitation/lab sections go here.)

Instructor:

Dr. John Ackroff [email protected]

Office: Tillett 613 Phone: (732) 445-2635 Fax: (732) 445-0036

Office Hours: Wednesdays, 1:15 – 2:30, and by appointment.

:Teaching Assistants

(.contact information for TAs goes here)

Required Text: Goodwin, C. James. (2010) Research in Psychology – Methods and Design. (Sixth Edition). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 978-0-470-52278-3.

Course Goals:

Students who successfully complete Research Methods in Psychology Lab (01:830:356) should have an understanding of

 how to design an experiment so that differences can be attributed to experimental manipulation, with no extraneous and/or confounding variables  how experiments in various sub-disciplines of psychology are designed and performed  how to decide whether to use a between or within subjects design (or a mixed design), and the trade-offs involved  what statistics will be used to analyze the data gathered in an experiment, how to perform the analyses, and how to interpret the results  how to read the published literature critically  how to perform a literature survey to find articles relevant to an experiment they are planning to do  how to write a journal article in the American Psychological Association’s formal format

Assessment and Grading: You are expected to comply with Rutgers’ Academic Integrity Policy. (Link to [email protected]/integrity.shtml )

For the 01:830:356 (Research Methods in Psychology Lab), the grading is as follows:

 3 exams, each worth 15%, for a total of 45%  Turning in data for all experiments on time: 5%  Paper I: 5%  Paper II: 10%  Paper III: 20%  Poster: 10%  Group poster and presentation: 5%

Since the grades on the papers are somewhat subjective, cutoffs for grades are determined separately for each TA’s section.

If you have a schedule conflict with an exam, you may be allowed to take the exam before the scheduled date at the discretion of the instructor. If you miss an exam, you will be allowed to take a make-up exam only if you provide documentation for a valid reason for missing the exam. For absences due to colds, etc., a note from your Health Center or doctor will be acceptable. For more serious issues such as a death in the family or serious health or personal issues, you may present a note from your Dean's office verifying that you missed the exam due to an excused absence. This note should also indicate a reasonable time frame in which you will be able to make up the exam. You should give this note to the instructor within 1 week of your return to class.

If an exam is cancelled or postponed on the day of the exam, there will be a member of the Psychology Department in the room at the scheduled time to make the announcement. Notices posted on doors or the blackboard are likely to be hoaxes.

Attendance and Correspondence Policies:

(Standard boilerplate goes here.)

Schedule:

Week First Lecture Recitation Second Lecture 1 Course overview; (no meeting) Scientific Thinking in intro; pretest Psychology (Chapter 1) 2 Ethics in Intro to lab, form groups; Developing Ideas for Psychological gather and consolidate Research in Psychology Research (Chapter psychophysics data; (Chapter 3) 2) discuss analysis 3 Design Critiques APA Format; scientific Communicating the Results (Note 1) writing of Research in Psychology (Appendix A); Tables and Figures 4 Measurement and Method and Results Stats Review: distributions, Data Analysis drafts due/critiqued for critical intervals, hypothesis (Chapter 4) Expt I; gather / testing consolidate data for Expt II (Note 2) 5 Stats Review: t Paper I due (Method Introduction to Experimental tests; discussion of and Results for Research (Chapter 5) Experiment I and Experiment I); more alternate/better thorough discussion of designs for it library / tools. 6 Control Problems Intro, Method, and Review in Experimental Results drafts for Expt II Research (Chapter critiqued, set up Expt III 6) 7 EXAM I Paper II due (Intro, Experimental Design I: Method, and Results for Single-Factor Designs Expt II); consolidate (Chapter 7) Expt III data; critique Methods drafts, discuss analysis 8 Stats Review: Go over Expt III results; Animal research topics ANOVA for critique Intro drafts (hopefully a guest lecturer) independent groups 9 Experimental Critique Expt III papers; Factorial Designs, cont’d Design II: set up Expt IV Factorial Designs (Chapter 8) 10 Grad Students from Paper III due (full paper Review two areas for Expt III); finalize (Note 2) surveys 11 EXAM II Consolidate Expt IV Correlational Research data; critique Methods (Chapter 9) sections. 12 Stats Review: Critique draft posters Quasi-Experimental Designs Correlation and and Applied Research regression (Chapter 10) 13 Small N Designs Posters due; work on Observational and Survey (Chapter 11) group posters (Note 3) Research Methods (Chapter 12) 14 Grad Students from Group Posters due; Review two other areas team presentations FINALS FINAL EXAM given in Lecture according to Registrar’s calendar.