This course is a hands on tutorial
in research methods and experimental design as used in contemporary experimental
psychology. Through labs and lecture, students will learn advanced methods
for designing and conducting research studies and presenting results. The
course covers such topics as the use of theory to make testable predictions,
design of experiments to test specific hypotheses, methods for controlling
confounds, eliminating bias and obtaining valid results, evaluation of results
using appropriate statistics, and research ethics. The experience gained in
this course will enable students to critique studies in the current literature
as well as conduct an independent research study from research question to
completion.
Kantowitz, B., Roediger III, H.,
& Elmes, D. (2009). Experimental Psychology
Dunn, D. (2008). A short guide to writing about psychology (Second Edition). Pearson Longman. Required.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association (Fifth Edition). American Psychological Association. Otherwise
known as the APA Style Manual.
If you are enrolled in my lecture section, you must also be enrolled in one of my two lab sections. If you need an enrollment permission number please see me. It is your responsibility to make sure you are not enrolled in any other professor's sections and that you are enrolled in the lab associated with this course. Only 12 students are permitted in each lab section. When one lab is full, students wishing to take this course must enroll in the remaining lab section or drop the course.
Regular attendance at both lecture and lab is expected. Missing even one class may significantly affect your understanding of the material and progress on your projects. You are responsible for completing all course requirements and for keeping up with all that goes on in the course even if you are not present.
Because it is important to experience research from the subject’s perspective, each student in this course is expected to participate in at least 5 different out-of-class experiments. Instructions for signing up for experiments and receiving credit for participation will be provided in class. Since all research participation must be voluntary, you may discontinue participation in any experiment at any time, for any reason. If you do not wish to participate in any experiments conducted by others at Cal Poly Pomona, you may earn credit for this assignment by completing a 5-6 pg critique of the design and methods of a published research report assigned by the professor. Please see me if you wish to complete this alternative assignment. Experiment participation will be 10% of the final course grade.
Two exams (one midterm, one final) will be given on the dates noted on the syllabus, each one covering assigned chapters in the textbook and class discussions from the end of the previous exam. The exams will be a mixture of multiple-choice, short answer, and short essay questions. These exams will count 40% of your course grade (20% for each exam). Contact me if you miss an exam for any reason. No student will pass this course without having taken both exams, no matter what their grade on the other course work.
No student will pass this course without submitting a completed APA format report, regardless of the other grades earned. In order to ensure that projects are achievable within a short time and adhere to ethics for treatment of subjects, a brief description of the group project must be approved by the professor before you begin your study. Revisions to your plans after approval must also be approved by the professor. It is to your advantage to obtain approval as quickly as possible so that more time is left to conduct the study itself.
So that students will understand their responsibilities to subjects and ethically conduct their experiments, each student individually is expected to complete the online CITI training in the treatment of human subjects. This is completed using a web-based tutorial (https://www.citiprogram.org/ or see link on the course webpage). When the course is completed, a completion certificate must be printed out and turned in to the professor during lecture. This CITI training must be completed by all project group members before any data is collected.
The required coursework for this class includes:
| Experiment
Participation |
10% |
| Lab
Attendance |
10% |
| Research
Proposal |
10% |
| Final
Research Report |
30% |
| Midterm
and Final Exam (20% each) |
40% |
Your grade on each exam and on your report will be determined in comparison to the other students in the course. For the research proposal and final report, correct use of APA style and format is a major part of the grading.
If you find yourself having difficulty with any aspect of the course, it is your responsibility to seek help early in the quarter. You can do this by asking questions in class, visiting me during office hours, studying with other students, seeking tutoring, or by using the resources provided by the college to help with learning-related problems. If you have a disability or other difficulty that can be helped by reasonable accommodation, please meet with me early in the quarter and before the exams. No changes to exam grades can be made after the fact. If you have other obligations (such as work or family) that interfere with regular attendance, it is strongly recommended that you not attempt this class.