Professor: Lora Larkin

Spring 2016 PSYC B6: Research Methods

If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it? – Albert Einstein

Professor: Lora Larkin Office Phone: 395-4380/ LA215A Email: [email protected] Office Hours: MW 10:30-11am; TR 9:00-11am or by appointment Website: http://www2.bakersfieldcollege.edu/llarkin In emergency: Call BC security at 395-4554 (also for an escort to your vehicle)

Course/CRN & PSYC B6 #31949 (MW 8:00-10:05am) Class Day/Time: in Science & Engineering Room 7

W elcome to Research Methods! I have already spoken with many of you who are absolutely dreading this course. Though I understand your concerns (remember I was once a student too), I can assure you that this course will not be as bad as you think. In fact, I might even wager (and I don’t even gamble) that this will end up being one of your best classes. I strongly believe that you all have your individual strengths that, when combined with your instructor’s and your fellow students’ strengths, can make a truly successful experience for you. We are all in this together! But, of course, you will need to meet me halfway by following certain course expectations too. I have attempted to anticipate as many of your questions about the course as possible, but feel free to clarify any of your concerns at any time. Now about this class… S tudent Learning Outcomes What you should be able to do by the end of the course… 1. Articulate factors involved in using the scientific method to study behavioral and social phenomena 2. Formulate testable research hypotheses based on operational definitions 3. Describe the strengths and limitations of various research designs 4. Analyze, interpret, and report statistical research findings using professional standards T ext/Materials Required Text: Passer, Michael (2014). Research Methods: Concepts and Connections, 1st edition. NY: Worth Publishers. 978-14641264-99 Materials: Scantron- Datalink 100 (x4 for exams)

G eneral BC Information How will you succeed at BC this semester? What determines success is not circumstance, but habit. Habits of Mind, It’s POSSIBLE at BC has many free tools intended to help you accomplish your goals in school. Only you can overcome the challenges you face this semester and in life. Start out successfully with these steps:  Visit the Habits of Mind website: www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/habits-of-mind  Download the app for Habits of Mind at BC for power in your palm  Ask for help, do the work, and refuse to quit Success takes energy, planning, and strategies for both the expected challenges in school as well as the unexpected twists life can take. Now is the time to develop new habits.

Regular class attendance is expected of all students enrolled in the college. It is especially important to attend the first sessions of each class for it is during those classes that I will distribute important course requirements and explain what it expected. Students enrolled in classes that are full may be dropped if you do not attend the first class sessions. If you are on a course waitlist you should also attend the first class meeting to avoid being dropped. Absence in no way relieves you of responsibility of work missed. If you are aware in advance of an absence, make arrangements to make up the work to be missed. Otherwise, late coursework is only accepted for half credit. Excessive absences (the equivalent of two weeks of class recorded from the first day of instruction) will result in your being dropped from the course, though you are responsible for officially withdrawing from any class or classes in which you no longer wish to be enrolled. Non-attendance does not release you from this responsibility.

Tutoring: BC students get free peer one-on-one tutoring in the BC Tutoring Center in most subjects. You get one 50-minute session per subject per week with a tutor who has successfully completed the class and is trained to be a tutor. Drop-in tutoring is also available in math and English all day long. Schedule an appointment with the Tutoring Center at 395-4430 or online at http://bcacademicdevelopmentdepartment.weebly.com/tutoring-center.html.

Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability and believe you may need additional accommodations in this class, you are encouraged to contact Disabled Student Programs & Services located at Student Services Building, 1st Floor, Counseling Center (395- 4334) as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

Academic Integrity: Plagiarism occurs when you use the exact written or spoken words, a summary of written or spoken words, and/or the ideas that someone else has produced without giving the original author credit. When you use another author’s material you must give that person credit by indicating the source of the material in your text. Buying a paper or having someone write your paper is also considered plagiarism. A plagiarized paper will receive no (0%) credit. C

ourse Catalog Description PSYC B6 Research Methods for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (4 units). Writing - one level prior to transfer. Description: Emphasis is on behavioral and social science research processes and methods including: problem definition and hypothesis formation, research design, ethical treatment of participants, data collection and analysis, application of statistical software, and professional report writing. Students will collect and analyze data from both experimental and non-experimental research methods. Hours: 72 lecture CCS: Liberal Arts/Science Transferable: UC, CSU and private colleges

E valuation Be advised that the combined writing assignments (including weekly in/out-of-class assignments and short-answer portions of your exams) for this class will total no less than 10 pages as stipulated by the Behavioral Science Department at BC.

Exams: There will be 4 exams worth 40% of your total semester grade. Each MC/short answer exam will include concept/application questions, not just definitions and terms from rote memorization. WARNING: If you are more than 15 minutes late for an exam, you will not be allowed to take the exam. No make-up exams will be given. The lowest exam score will be dropped at the end of the semester.

Assignments, including chapter discussions and activities, are worth 20% of your total semester grade. Points will be based on your participation and effort. Note: simply attending class will not constitute completion of the assignment. Participation cannot be made up, but late coursework will be accepted for half credit.

Research: You will work on two basic research projects this semester (worth 20% each) to present to your classmates. You will present an example of correlational research at midterm and an example of experimental research at the conclusion of the semester. More details with regard to your research instructions will follow.

Extra Credit: You are allowed no more than 2% of your total semester grade from extra credit assignments. Extra credit opportunities (each worth 1%) will be announced throughout the semester and may include providing recent newspaper/magazine articles, comic strips, etc. with a brief typed explanation of how it relates to course content or to discuss within class; attending the library workshops and critical academic skills workshops offered periodically throughout the regular semester; and/or getting involved in campus activities (see BC event calendar for more details on plays, concerts, sporting events, student government activities, and guest lectures) and typing a half-page discussion of your experience with your ticket stub, brochure, or given handout attached. I am certainly open to other ideas you may have to help with your success in the course. G rade Scale Final grades are based on a weighted calculation. Exams may be curved at my discretion. You are responsible for keeping all returned, graded work and must keep all graded assignments until after final grades have been reported to Admissions and Records in the event that a grade is missing from the gradebook or has been miscalculated. Otherwise the final grade will remain in effect. Grade summaries will be handed out at Midterm and towards the end of the semester for clarification. It is also your responsibility to collect all assignments by the end of the semester. I will be evaluating you on more than exams and assignments. I will also be taking mental notes on your attitude and how you approach this class. If your grade percentage is near a higher letter grade, (e.g., 78.9% is a C but near a B) you will earn the higher grade if throughout the semester you have missed no more than two classes, completed all assignments, and have demonstrated good classroom participation.

89.5-100 A 40% Exams 79.5-89.4 B 20% Assignments 69.5-79.4 C 20% Correlational Research Project 59.5-69.4 D 20% Experimental Research Project 0-59.4 F

Weighted Grade Calculation: ___% (40%) +___% (20%) +___% (20%) + ____% (20%) = ___% (Hint: Use decimals rather than % to calculate your final grade)

F inal Course Notes The skills you are expected to practice in this class are the same skills that will be expected of you within your careers. Arriving each day on time and turning in your completed work are important behaviors for you to succeed in this course just as these behaviors would ensure that you were not fired from a job, for example. I truly believe that learning is a partnership, whereby what you get out of a class is a direct reflection of what you put into it. I strongly encourage you to visit your text companion website at http://www.worthpublishers.com/passer1e for important tools and resources for navigating successfully through this material. Be sure to check your BC email frequently throughout the semester for important updates as well.

I look forward to meeting you and getting to know each of you better throughout the semester. I welcome the opportunity to assist you in your academic endeavors. Please feel free to come talk with me during office hours or by appointment anytime during the semester concerning your progress in class. I have no doubt that those of you who wish to do well certainly will!

I mportant Dates for this Course Jan 16 Instruction Begins Jan 18 MLK Jr. Day Holiday Jan 31 Last day to drop without receiving “W” grade Feb 12 Lincoln Day Holiday Feb 15 Washington Day Holiday Mar 21-25 Spring Recess Apr 1 Last day to drop and receive “W” grade May 9-13 Finals Week PSYC B6: Research Methods Professor Lora Larkin ATentative@ Course Schedule

Day of Class Discussion *Assignments TBD

Jan. 20 Syllabus/Research Proposal 25 Discussion 27 Ch 1 Science & Psychology Ch 2 Conducting Feb 1 Psychological Research Last Day to Drop w/o “W” 3 Ch 2 cont. 8 Ch 3 Conducting Ethical 10 Research Questions/Hypothesis Due 17 Ch 3 cont. 2/24 22 Ch 4 Defining & Measuring Variables Ch 4 cont. Exam Ch 1-4

24 Research Topics Discussion 29 Ch 5 Correlation and Mar 2 Correlational Research 7 Ch 6 Case Studies & Observational Research 9 Ch 6 cont. 14 Ch 7 Survey Research 16 Ch 7 cont.

30 Correlational Research Correlational Research Analysis Outline Due 4/4 Apr. 4 Last Day to Drop w/ “W” 6 Correlational Research Presentations 11 Ch 8 Single-Factor 13 Experimental Designs 18 Ch 8 cont. Ch 9 Factorial Designs Ch 9 cont. 20 Ch 10 Experimentation & 25 Validity 27 Ch 10 cont. Exam Ch 8-10 May 2 Experimental Research 4 Analysis Experimental Research Ch 11 Quasi-Experimental Outline Due 5/11 11 Designs & Ch 12 Single-Case Experimental Designs Experimental Research Presentations