Course Syllabus
Psychology 4376-100: Social Psychology Research Methods
Lecture: T Th 11:00-12:50 Lab: W 11:00-12:50 Th 9:00-1050
Fall 2013
Course Instructor: Dr. Angela Bryan Office Location: Muenzinger D351C, (303) 492-8264
Mailbox: Main Psych Dept. office, Muenzinger D244
Email: Office Hours: by appointment
Lab Instructor: Sara Blaine, MS Student Office Location: Muenzinger E412
Lab office Location: Muenzinger D324
Mailbox: Main Psych Dept. office, Muenzinger D244
Email: Office Hours: by appointment
Course Description: It is assumed that the majority of you taking this class have a strong background in general psychology and statistics and—as psychology majors—an interest in learning the methods by which psychological scientists conduct research to develop and test the theories and hypotheses at the core of our discipline. It is also assumed that you seek to learn something of value that will be useful to you even if you do not plan to go to graduate school or have a career in psychological research. To that end, the goal of this class is to give you a foundation in research methodology so that you have the ability to design, conduct, analyze, and present (both verbally and in writing) an empirical study in psychology. This course will utilize examples from across the discipline of psychology, with a focus on concepts and theories from the specific area of clinical psychology. There are three specific goals of the course, and all coursework is designed to target one of these three goals.
Learning Objectives:
1. Know the basic concepts of research design including techniques for data analysis.
2. Be able to critically read, discuss, and critique empirical research articles.
3. Be able to effectively carry out your own research project, which includes:
a. reading current literature to develop your idea
b. using theory and empirical literature to generate a testable hypothesis
c. developing operational definitions for the variables in your study
d. designing a study to test your hypotheses
e. conduct the study (i.e., collecting your data)
f. analyzing the data
g. presenting the results of your project in both written and verbal format
By achieving these learning goals, you can be a producer of research; you will be adequately prepared to work in a research laboratory, conduct an honors thesis, and/or have at least the basic knowledge necessary to embark on continued study in psychology. More importantly, you will have learned to critically evaluate research claims made across all domains of life. Thus you will also have obtained the skills necessary to be an informed consumer of research.
Text (required): Morling, B. (2012). Research Methods in Psychology: Evaluating a World of Information. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Text (recommended): Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th Ed.). (2009). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
*****BE SURE TO GET THE SECOND PRINTING, NOT THE FIRST!!******
D2L Site and Readings: There are a number of additional readings that will be posted on the course web site. Please read the assigned chapter/readings before attending lectures on the topic. Power point slides will also be available on the course website immediately prior to the lecture.
iClickers (required) : Please purchase an iClicker from the bookstore; they are required and will be used to track participation.
Lecture overview: In order for you to learn the basic concepts of research design, there will be lectures and discussions that generally follow the topics in the textbook. A tentative schedule of the dates that various topics will be discussed is included below. Throughout the class, we will discuss each section of a research report and review applications of clinical research.
Lab overview: In lab you will learn about the research process, you will become certified to conduct research (CITI training certification), you will learn how to use the library databases, you will learn how to enter and analyze data, you will learn how to compose each section of a research report, and you will learn how to be critical reviewers of research. This semester you will be responsible for writing two research reports based on the results of two in-class experiments. One of these reports will be based on data provided to you (i.e., Project #1), the other you will design collectively as a group (Project #2). As we move along and review each report section, you will learn the peer-review process and practice by reviewing each other’s work. In preparation for Project #2, your group will write an annotated outline detailing your planned study. This outline should include a list of references to be used in the development of the project, a brief summary of the introduction, planned methodology, and planned data analytic strategy. You will be required to meet with the lab instructor to discuss your idea. For Project #2, each individual member of the group will write his/her own paper, but all members will work together to put together one presentation on the project. Project #2 presentations will occur the last two weeks of lab.
Tests: There will be two exams for this course, which will cover the book, additional readings, and lectures. The tests will consist of multiple-choice questions. If you know ahead of time that you will have to miss an exam, you may make a request in writing to take the exam before the regular exam date. If you become ill or miss an exam for any other reason, you should email the instructor within 24 hours to submit a make-up exam request. The circumstances for your absence will need to be verified by someone (e.g., a doctor’s note). Any tests not made up will count as a zero on the final grade.
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Late Policy: We do not accept late assignments. Any assignment turned in after the class or lab period on the day it is due or after the deadline through Desire2Learn (D2L) will be considered late, will not be accepted, and will not be graded. You will receive a zero on the assignment. This class moves very quickly and each assignment builds from the previous one. You must keep up with assignments to do well in this class. If you know you will miss class on the day an assignment is due in class, make sure you complete the assignment prior to class and either have someone else turn it in for you, put it in my mailbox in the main psychology office (Muenzinger D244), or in the TAs mailbox in the clinical mailroom (Muenzinger D332) or send it to one of us as an email attachment prior to the end of the class or lab period on which the assignment is due. D2L assignments can be turned in remotely.
Grading: One component of your final grade is your total points accumulated on the assignments in class. I use a standard scale (approximately 93-100% = A, 90-92% = A-, 86-89% = B+, 83-85% = B, 80-82% = B-, etc.), which may be curved slightly at the end of the semester if I deem it necessary. The other component of grading is subjective, and is based on your participation in class and lab discussions and presentations. For example, if you had a final score of 82.3% (putting you in the B- range), but had actively participated in and contributed to class discussions and had attended and participated in all lab sections, you would likely receive a final grade of “B” for the class. The TA and I will collaborate closely on the assignment of final grades in this class.
Grade Calculation Breakdown
Assignment / Due Date / Points /1. CITI training certificate / Week of 9/12 / *clicker points will not be awarded if this is not completed on time
2. Article review / Week of 9/3 / 25
3. Draft of introduction / Week of 9/17 / 20
4. Draft of methods and results / Week of 9/24 / 20
5. Draft of discussion and references / Week of 10/1 / 20
6. Full APA paper on class data / Week of 10/15 / 40
7. Midterm exam / 10/10 / 100
8. Full APA style paper on group project / Week of 12/10 / 100
9. Group project presentation / Week of 12/3 / 50
10.Clicker Participation Points / 75
11. FINAL EXAM / 12/17 / 100
Total / 550
Teaching philosophy: Research about learning, and my teaching experience, has shown that students learn and retain material better in a situation in which learning is active rather than passive, and cooperative rather than individual. I have incorporated some of the principles of active and cooperative learning into my class, and try to be sensitive to the various types of learning styles that might exist among my students. To this end, we will do active learning exercises in this class both individually and in groups that involve your participation. These activities will have clicker “points” associated with them, will serve as an informal method of evaluating attendance, will contribute to our assessment of your engagement and participation in class, and will greatly increase your understanding of the class material.
Students with Disabilities: If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to your professor a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner (for exam accommodations provide your letter at least one week prior to the exam) so that your needs can be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact Disability Services at 303-492-8671 or by e-mail at .
If you have a temporary medical condition or injury, see Temporary Injuries under Quick Links at Disability Services website (http://disabilityservices.colorado.edu/) and discuss your needs with your professor.
Absence Due to Religious Observance: Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to deal reasonably and fairly with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. In this class, if you are absent due to religious observance, you are still responsible for knowing the information covered in class that day. If there is a test scheduled on that day, you may either take the test the day before or the day after, but you may not take the test once it has been graded and passed back. See full details at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html
Classroom behavior: Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, color, culture, religion, creed, politics, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, disability, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See policies at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder) is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working, and living environment. The University of Colorado does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status in admission and access to, and treatment and employment in, its educational programs and activities. (Regent Law, Article 10, amended 11/8/2001). CU-Boulder will not tolerate acts of discrimination or harassment based upon Protected Classes or related retaliation against or by any employee or student. For purposes of this CU-Boulder policy, "Protected Classes" refers to race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or veteran status. Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) at 303-492-5550. Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies, and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at http://hr.colorado.edu/dh/
CU Boulder Honor Code: All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism*, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (; 303-735-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at http://honorcode.colorado.edu
*Please Note: This class involves a fair amount of writing. Thus, the TA and I will be watching very carefully for episodes of claiming credit for work done by others, more commonly known as plagiarism. We will discuss exactly what constitutes plagiarism as the course progresses and there is excellent material describing plagiarism in your textbook (pgs. 104-105, 110, A63-A64). Students who plagiarize will be subject to both academic sanctions (receiving a zero on the assignment) and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Finally, the major writing assignments in this class will be submitted through the D2L’s Dropbox function, which automatically checks for plagiarism and lets us know what percentage of your paper is original versus copied from another source. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE.
*Writing help: You will be expected to write in a clear and grammatically correct style in this class. If you believe you will require extra help with your writing, please visit The Writing Center located in Norlin Commons (Norlin E111). More information can be found at: http://www.colorado.edu/pwr/writingcenter.html You can also reach The Writing Center help desk by phone at (303) 735-6906.
Important Dates to Remember:
Drop Deadline September 11
Thanksgiving Break November 25-29
Last Day of Classes December 13
Final Exam December 17
Supplementary materials and readings:
I will print out and bring to class handouts relevant to the tasks for class that day. Other materials (e.g., sample APA paper, journal articles, power point slides, etc.) will be posted on our D2L site.