University of Massachusetts Lowell s4

University of Massachusetts Lowell Psychology Department

47.269.203: Research I: Basics - Spring 2010

Class: Mon. & Wed. 2-3:15 pm in Mahoney 207 Instructor: Kathleen Leonard, Ph.D. Office hrs: Mon. & Wed. 12:30-1:30, Tues. & Thurs. 11am-12pm, OR by appointment Office: Mahoney 104B Email: [email protected] (the best way to reach me anytime) Phone: 978-934-3928

Prerequisite: 47.101:General Psychology

Course overview

Welcome to Research I, your introduction to scientific investigation in psychology! As stated in the undergraduate course catalog, Research I is “An introductory course concentrating on the basics of scientific research in Psychology. Students will learn:

 how to acquire information from libraries and the Internet  methods for collecting data, such as surveys, case studies, unobtrusive measures and observational procedures, in experimental, quasi-experimental and correlational designs  how to operationalize variables to create reliable and valid measures  to identify types of data and how to describe and graph data  the basics of hypothesis testing and statistical significance  how research is communicated in research reports using APA style  ethical standards in research with human and nonhuman subjects”

Major course objectives/Learning outcomes

1. Become familiar with the key concepts and terms used in psychological research

2. Learn various approaches used by psychologists to design and conduct an ethical research study from start to finish, including collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data

3. Develop expertise in navigating the vast body of psychology literature in libraries and on the internet, including the ability to discern scientific from pseudoscientific sources, in order to become a critical and responsible consumer of scientific information

4. Master APA style, the standards for writing and formatting research papers used by professional psychologists and other social scientists

5. Apply the knowledge of psychological research gained throughout the course to carefully design a research proposal in an area of your interest within psychology 2

Required text: Patten, M. L. (2009). Understanding research methods: An overview of the essentials, 7th ed. Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing.

Used and new copies are available at the UMass Lowell South Campus bookstore.

Recommended: American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. Washington, DC: APA. -OR- American Psychological Association. (2009). Concise rules of APA style, 6th ed. Washington, DC: APA.

Both available at www.apastyle.org/products or amazon.com but must purchase 6th ed.!

Other readings (research articles) will be distributed in class or available online.

Course website and email

I have created an online space for our class using a UMass Lowell wiki. Near the beginning of the semester, you will receive an email from me inviting you to join our class wiki. At that point, you should click on the link provided and then follow the directions for joining the wiki. The wiki will be used for posting review materials and other important documents. See http://47-269-203-spr2010.wiki.uml.edu .

I often communicate with class by sending group email. These emails will automatically be sent to your student.uml.edu account. Joining the wiki will also require you to use your student.uml.edu account so please check this account regularly!

Evaluation

Your mastery of the course objectives will be developed and evaluated through the following components (totaling 100 pts.). Each component is described in detail below.

1. Class attendance and participation 10pts. 2. Completion of two online tutorials 5pts. 3. Reading response exercises 5pts. 4. Attendance at two research colloquia 10pts. 5. Four in-class exams (10pts. each) 40pts. 6. Research proposal and presentation 30pts.

1. Class attendance and participation

Students are expected to attend class and participate in discussion. Attendance will be taken. Students are allowed two unexcused absences throughout the semester. After two absences, points will be deducted from the class attendance grade. If a student 3 misses class, he or she is responsible for learning about the material covered during that class from classmates (see student information sheet). Please do not email me asking what you missed if you were absent from class. Class attendance/participation can make the difference between one whole letter grade (e.g., A- vs. B-) in your final grade so plan to be present and actively engaged in each class. When students participate, the course is more enjoyable for everyone and student retention of course material is enhanced.

Students should not use phones, text, surf the web, or do work for other courses during class because it is unprofessional and distracting to the instructor and other students. If a student is found engaging in these activities, he/she will not receive attendance credit for that particular class. Laptops are not permitted in the classroom without permission from me.

2. Online Tutorials

Students are required to complete two online tutorials that will help to reinforce two important topics from class, research ethics and APA style. Each tutorial will provide students with a certificate upon completion that they will print and bring to class to receive credit. The research ethics tutorial is run by the National Institutes of Health at http://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php and must be completed by March 10 (Exam #2). The second tutorial on APA style writing and referencing can be found at http://flash1r.apa.org/apastyle/basics/index.htm and must be completed by May 3 (Exam #4). This tutorial will be very helpful in writing the final paper.

3. Reading response exercises (RRE)

Reading response exercises are designed to ensure that students are keeping up with the assigned reading (Patten and other articles) and are absorbing the most important concepts. These brief assignments will require students to answer a series of questions or offer a solution to some problems based on the reading. Each assignment will simply be graded as 1 (satisfactory) or 0 (unsatisfactory). Although alone these assignments are not a substantial portion of a student’s grade, spending time on the assignments will benefit students in class discussion when we review the assignments as a group and on exams where some of the same questions and problems are likely to appear. Assignments should be typed and will be collected at the beginning of class.

4. Attendance at two research colloquia

All Research I students are required to attend two of the three research colloquia hosted by the psychology department each semester. Preferably, students will attend two of these presentations in person but if your schedule prevents you from doing so, you may watch online at http://www.uml.edu/college/arts_sciences/psychology/colloquia.html. If students watch the presentations online, they must select colloquia from the 2009-2010 academic year. To receive credit for attending colloquia or watching colloquia online, students must complete a pink Research I form which is distributed at all colloquia or is 4 available in the psychology office. Please turn these pink forms in to me, not the psychology department. Colloquia are a great opportunity to learn about exciting and current research being conducted by UML students and faculty!

5. Four in-class exams

Exams are students’ opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of the material covered in class, in the Patten text, and in assigned research articles. Exams will include a combination of objective questions (e.g., multiple choice, matching) and open-ended questions (e.g., short answers, research design problems, discussion of articles). To prepare for exams, students should participate actively in class, keep up with assigned readings, and regularly spend time discussing class material and readings with classmates outside of class. Review materials (class outlines) will be distributed before each exam. I will only allow students with documentation of medical or personal emergencies to make up missed exams. Make-ups should occur as soon as possible.

6. Research proposal and presentation

The research proposal (25pts.) and presentation (5pts.) are the final culmination of student learning in this course and a chance for students to show off all their hard work! Research proposals will be based on a topic of interest to the student that could be investigated through a research study. Students will continually be urged to begin outlining and drafting the research proposal throughout the semester. Psychological research proposal include an Introduction section (statement of the topic of interest and summary of existing psychological literature), Method section, and References page. Students will be provided with handouts describing each component and there will be separate due dates for these components. The proposal should highlight students’ critical thinking skills, writing skills (including APA style), familiarity with psychological terminology, and overall grasp of the research process.

At the end of the semester, students will give brief (5 min.) oral presentations describing their ideas for designing a study to explore their topic. The presentations are intentionally scheduled before the proposals are due so that students may incorporate feedback from their classmates in their final drafts. The research proposals are due during the final exam period assigned by the university. Students should plan to be present to turn in proposals in person on the date assigned. No proposals will be accepted at any other time, via email, or in my mailbox.

Grading policy

A = 93pts. and up C = 73-76pts. A- = 90-92pts. C- = 70-72pts. Students must receive a final B+ = 87-89pts. D+ = 67-69pts. grade of C or better in B = 83-86pts. D = 60-66pts. Research I to progress on to B- = 80-82pts. F = 59pts. and below Research II and Research III. C+ = 77-79pts. 5

University academic policy only permits professors to grant Incomplete (I) grades for students who experience emergencies near the end of the semester that prevent them from completing the course but have otherwise been in good academic standing. Incompletes will not be given to students who have not been keeping up with work throughout the course and need more time to complete assignments.

The only opportunities for extra credit will be extra credit questions on exams. If you are unsatisfied with your performance at any point in the semester, please do not ask me for other extra credit assignments. The best strategy for success is to budget enough time to give your best effort on each assignment or meet with me individually.

Academic integrity

The University maintains a strict policy against any kind of dishonesty or cheating in student work. Any incidents involving any kind of suspected dishonesty or cheating on exams or written work will be reported to the University judiciary. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the University policy: http://www.uml.edu/catalog/undergraduate/policies/academic_dishonesty.htm.

Learning how to avoid plagiarism in your writing is an extremely important component of this class. Accurate and frequent referencing of others’ work and ideas is the best way to avoid plagiarism in your own writing. If you have read the University policy and still have questions about what constitutes plagiarism, please speak with me.

Academic Accommodations & Support

Students who have any kind of documented learning disability or would like to be tested should contact the university Office for Disability Services at 978-934-4574 or visit http://www.uml.edu/student-services/disability/. I will be happy to make any accommodations for students who provide documentation.

All students may benefit from visiting the Centers for Learning and Academic Support Services on North or South campus (978-934-2947 or http://www.uml.edu/class/). Staff provide students assistance with general study skills, time management, and writing.

Student Complaints

UMass Lowell is committed to the fair treatment of all its students by faculty, staff, and other students. If you feel you have been unfairly treated, your rights are described at http://www.uml.edu/catalog/undergraduate/policies/student_complaints.htm.

Safety

UMass Lowell strives to provide a safe and secure environment for all its students and employees. In any emergency, UMass Lowell police can be reached by dialing x2911 or e-mail to [email protected]. 6

Syllabus use and modification

Please bring your syllabus to every class. This document details what is required to succeed in this class. I will periodically ask students to consult their syllabi as we prepare for and discuss class assignments. From time to time, there may be a need for additions or changes to components of this syllabus. I reserve the right to do so after consulting the class about any modifications. Students will receive an addendum with any modifications made to the syllabus.

Course schedule

Readings and assignments are to be completed by the date listed.

Date Topic Reading/Assignment Mon., 1/25 Introduction to the course and psychological science Wed., 1/27 Before research begins: Patten 12-15 Ethics, theory, and literature (pgs. 25-34) Mon., 2/1 Quantitative vs. Qualitative research Patten 9-11 designs (pgs. 19-24) Wed., 2/3 Basics of empirical research: RRE #1 due! Experimental vs. Non-experimental Patten 1-6 (pgs.1-14) Mon., 2/8 Creating testable hypotheses and Patten 7-8 operational definitions (pgs. 15-18) Wed., 2/10 Avoiding confounds Patten 42 (pgs. 99-100) Mon., 2/15, NO CLASS Review for exam! Presidents’ Day Tues., 2/16, Exam #1 Patten 1-15, 42 Mon. schedule Wed., 2/17 Creating a quality sample: Methods of Patten 20-23 sampling (pgs. 43-52) Mon., 2/22 Sampling demographics and RRE #2 due! challenges Patten 24-26 (pgs. 53-58) Wed., 2/24 Issues in measurement: Validity Patten 27-30 (pgs. 61-72) Mon., 3/1 Issues in measurement: Validity RRE #3 due! (cont.) Wed., 3/3 Issues in measurement: Reliability Patten 31-33 (pgs. 73-80) Mon., 3/8 Issues in measurement: Evaluating Patten 34-36 performance (pgs. 81-86) Wed., 3/10 Exam #2 Patten 20-36 NIH tutorial due! 7

Mon., 3/15 NO CLASS Spring break Wed., 3/17 NO CLASS Spring break Mon., 3/22 Deeper into experimental designs Patten 37, 40-41 (pgs. 87-90, 95-98) Wed., 3/24 Threats to validity in experimental RRE #4 due! designs Patten 38-39 (pgs. 91-94) Mon., 3/29 Statistics: Types of data and how to Patten 43, 45-46 present them (pgs. 103-104,107-110) Wed., 3/31 Statistics: Distributions of data Patten 49-51 (pgs. 115-120) Mon., 4/5 Exam #3 Patten 37-41, 43, 45-46, 49-51 Wed., 4/7 Choosing the correct statistical test Patten 44, 47-48 (pgs. 105-106, 11-114) Mon., 4/12 Choosing the correct statistical test Patten 53 (cont.) (pgs. 123-124) Wed., 4/14 Choosing the correct statistical test RRE #5 due! (cont.) Patten 54-56 (pgs. 125-130) Mon., 4/19, NO CLASS Patriots’ Day Wed., 4/21 How do we know if the results are Review Patten 44, 48 & really significant? Patten 57 (pgs. 131-132) Mon., 4/26 Determining the effect size of our Patten 58-59 results (pgs. 135-138) Wed., 4/28, NO CLASS Fri. schedule Mon., 5/3 Exam #4 Patten 44, 47-48, 53-59 APA tutorial due! Wed., 5/5 Student presentations Mon., 5/10 Student presentations Wed., 5/12 Student presentations Fri., 5/14 Tentative final exam period scheduled Research proposals due! 11:30-2:30pm by university – plan to be present