P S Y C H O L O G Y 219

INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODS

Satisfies AA degree/transfer requirements in Plans A, B, & C

 

Instructor Information
Name: Kelly Spillman Email: spillman_kelly@sac.edu	Fall 2018 Class: Psychology 219 (3 Units) Sections: 53197, 53200

 

C O U R S E  D E S C R I P T I O N

Emphases methods of study in psychology, experimental designs, analysis of variables contributing to experimental results, and data treatment measurement.

C O U R S E M A T E R I A L S

• Textbook: McBride, D (2016). The Process of Research in Psychology (3^nd) Sage.
  Students must bring textbook materials to class in order to participate in classroom activities.

 

• Supplemental materials on Canvas. Access to Canvas:           http://rsccd.instructure.com/

 

W E B E N H A N C E D C O U R S E

Many documents, activities, and assignments will require access to the internet. In many cases, class documents and supplemental materials can only be accessed through the internet and WILL NOT be given out in class. Students must plan to use the internet and the online course management system CANVAS. There may some assignments administered over Canvas. If you have technical problems with Canvas contact the instructor or the Distance Education office in A-101 or at (714) 564-6725.

 

C L A S S   A T T E N D A N C E

Students are expected to have completed the assigned reading for each class meeting and be prepared to discuss the reading material. The in-class activities are also considered class participation. If a student misses more than 10% of class time (4.8 hrs) the instructor may drop the student without notification.

 

Arriving late to class will count as absences unless the student informs the instructor after class. It remains the student’s responsibility to withdraw from the class if that is his or her intention. Failure to withdraw from the class will result in a final grade calculated on the basis of total points earned.

 

GRADING SYSTEM
Tests                400 points

Labs                   250 points

Homework         150 points

Final Project       200 points

 

GRADING SCALE

895 points or higher   A

795 to 894 points       B

695 to 794 points       C

595 to 694 points       D

594 points or below     F

E x a m s

There are four exams total for the semester. Each exam consists of 50 multiple choice, short-answer, and essay questions relating to the textbook and lecture material. We will not be able to cover all topics in the classroom. A study guide will be posted in Canvas letting students know what additional topics will be on the test that we are not covering in class. Exams cannot be taken early. If you miss test 1, 2 or 3, you will make that test up on Wednesday, December 5^th. The final test covers only new material since test 3.

 

FINAL PROJECT

Students will be conducting an experiment and interpreting the data. These experimental reports will involve library research and will require critical analysis and/or application of a specific topic selected by the instructor. All topics must be approved by the instructor prior to initiating the project. Writing assignments must follow APA (American Psychological Association) format as defined by the instructor.

There are three criteria that must be followed for academic writing:

1) All writing must be paraphrased and definitely do not borrow quotes or copy from the internet
   and must include in-text citations (correct paraphrasing involves adhering to the
   instructor’s 3-word rule).

            2) All writing must be in third-person.

            3) Papers must be in APA format as defined by the instructor.

The experiment will be conducted as a group but each person will be assigned separate parts of the written report. all writing must be written solely by the individual student (no sharing of writing among students, this constitutes plagiarism). In addition, rough drafts and revision assignments will not be accepted late and the student will lose any points associated with that assignment. Detailed descriptions of this project will be given out later in the semester.

LAB Grades

Lab activities assigned in class consist of individual and group work. These activities may be used for class discussions. Each activity will be assigned in class and will engage the student to interact with course content. Each activity must be turned in on a piece of paper at the end of class on the day it is assigned to receive credit. To receive credit for these activities you must attend and participate the day the activity is assigned. NO EARLY OR LATE IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES-no exceptions. Students who "forget" to turn in these assignments will not receive points.

HOMEWORK

There will be activities assigned after labs that will be completed in Canvas. You will have a week to turn in the homework that is assigned at the end of the lab. The directions will be covered during the lab and posted in Canvas.

 

P E E R - R E V I E W

Certain in-class work and homework may be peer-reviewed. It is important to provide honest and sincere feedback in the form of constructive criticism. To ensure participation from each student do not write down anything that you are not willing to share with the class (e.g. traumatic memories or events etc). These activities are graded as credit/no credit. For example, so long as students show their work their individual contribution credit is awarded.

 

L a t e P o l I c y and Absences

Assignments are due in Canvas by the due date. You will always have one week to complete homework and other assignments to submit in Canvas. Late assignment or homework will not be accepted. Please establish responsible work habits in order to avoid earning a 0. Take into consideration the use of technology (e.g. internet, printers, computers) when completing class work. In other words, anticipate technological delays and complete class work ahead of time. Procrastination is not an excuse and for this class is defined as attempting to complete work within 24 hours prior to the due date. If you miss a lecture, it is your duty to get the notes form another student. Powerpoints are not posted in Canvas and will not be emailed to students who miss class. Labs cannot be made up. The directions for homework assignments will be posted in Canvas. If you missed a lab that day, you will still be able to complete the homework in Canvas.

 

E L E C T R O N I C D E V I C E S
As a courtesy, please make sure all portable electronic devices do not interrupt classroom environment. Please do not use these devices while in class, especially during exams. Please see me if you wish to take electronic notes (i.e. use a laptop). Using a laptop for any activity not related to course is not allowed.

O R A L P a r t i c i p a t I o n

There may be several homework activities or in-class collaborative learning activities where the instructor may ask students discuss related materials and be able to share that information with classmates. Students must be prepared to present that information to other students as well as the class as a whole if needed. The results of the final project will be presented to the class after data collection.

C o u r s e   o b j e c t i v e s

Research Methods in Psychology (Lecture)

1. To demonstrate familiarity with major research method concepts, research             designs, data analysis, and interpretation
2. To demonstrate familiarity with writing formal scientific reports in American             Psychological Association (APA) format
3. To understand and apply research method principles and APA writing style in             completing an independent research project

Laboratory Experiences 
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Conduct scientific research in psychology. 
2. Conduct analyses of the data collected in this research using statistical software. 
3. Interpret the results of these analyses. 
4. Communicate these research findings using APA style.
   
   

 

 

 

 

           

Monday August 27th		Class Intro
Wednesday August 29th	Chapters 1, 2	Hypothesis Development
Monday September 3rd	NO CLASS	Holiday
Wednesday September 5th	Chapter 3	Ethical Guidelines
Monday September 10th	Chapter 3	Ethical Guidelines
Wednesday September 12th	Chapter 4	Operational Definitions
Monday September 17th	Chapter 4	Observational Studies
Wednesday September 19th	Chapter 5	Variables of Measurement
Monday September 24th	Chapter 5	Variables of Measurement
Wednesday September 26th		TEST 1
Monday October 1st	Chapter 9	Surveys
Wednesday October 3rd	Chapter 9	Surveys
Monday October 9th	Chapter 6	Samples
Wednesday October 11th	Chapter 6	Samples
Monday October 15th	Chapter 10	Correlational Studies
Wednesday October 17th	Chapter 10	Correlational Studies
Monday October 22nd		Test 2
Wednesday October 24th	Chapter 11	One-Factor Experiments
Monday October 29th	Chapter 11	One-Factor Experiments
Wednesday October 31st	Chapter 12	Two-factor Experiments
Monday November 5th	Chapter 12	Two-Factor Experiments
Wednesday November 7th	Chapter 13	Quasi-Experiments
Monday November 12th	NO CLASS	HOLIDAY
Wednesday November 14th		Test 3
Monday November 19th	Chapter 14	Specialized Designs
Wednesday November 21st	Chapter 14	Review
Monday November 26th	Chapter 7	Summarizing and Interpreting Data
Wednesday November 28th	Chapter 8	Reporting Research
Monday December 3rd	Chapter 15	Using Statistics
Wednesday December 5th		Test 4
Monday December 10th		Final Projects
Wednesday December 12th		Final Projects

 

 

 

A c a d e m i c   A c c o m m o d a t i o n s

Your success in this course is important to me. Santa Ana College and I are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability that may have some impact on your ability to do well in this course, I encourage you to speak with me as soon as possible. Also, please contact Disabled Student Programs & Services so that we can all collaborate on your classroom accommodations in a timely manner. DSP&S is located in The Village VL-203, and their phone number is 714-564-6264. The DSP&S office requires documentation of your disability in order to receive reasonable accommodations. If you do not have documentation, they will work with you to acquire it. I look forward to supporting you to meet your learning goals.

 

C o l l e g e M i s s i o n S t a t e m e n t

Santa Ana College inspires, transforms, and empowers a diverse community of learners.

P s y c h o lo g y    D e p a r t m e n t M i s s i o n S t a t e m e n t

The Psychology Department offers a variety of courses and enrichment opportunities designed to prepare students for transfer to, and be competitive at, four-year colleges and universities, provide further awareness and training in the many professions of psychology and increase students' understanding of themselves and their socially diverse world.

 

A C A D E M I C   H O N E S T Y

Anyone caught cheating or using someone else’s work as his or her own (i.e. plagiarism) will receive zero points on the assignment in question and will have his or her name turned in to the Division Dean and Dean of Student Activities for further disciplinary action. The following information is the student’s first formal advisement of plagiarism:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Santa Ana College       Psychology Department         Statement of Ethics
      

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is the act of presenting the words, work, or opinions of someone else as if they were the original work of the submitter. These may be the product of another student or a professional writer or be from any source whether the author is known or unknown, i.e., encyclopedia, magazine, textbook, or models used by instructors.

Plagiarism is a form of cheating and is also a breach of copyright laws in the case of published works.

 

As the purpose of taking college classes is to learn what one does not know, it is only logical and ethical to refrain from “taking the easy way out” by using someone else’s work as a substitute for one’s own.

 

Students should be conscientious in acknowledging their debt to whatever source in a footnote, parenthesis, or other appropriate documentation whether in a paper, oral presentation, or exam.

 

Unintentional plagiarism sometimes occurs when students attempt to paraphrase without adequately restating the passage n “other words” using their own style not that of the original. Psychology instructors have illustrations of acceptable paraphrasing for your review and instruction is given at all levels of composition on appropriate paraphrasing and source citing. Faculty will work with students to eliminate problems associated with unintentional plagiarism. The department’s major concern is with intentional plagiarism when a student has obviously submitted work not his/her own.

 

Therefore, in accordance with the Board of Trustees policy on student conduct, the Psychology Department will respond to deliberate plagiarism in the following manner:

 

• WARNING: Distribution of this statement of ethics to all students in Psychology classes constitutes official notification of department policy.

 

• First Offense -- REPRIMAND: Failing grade on the assignment in question. Written reprimand for violating district rules (Unethical Conduct Report). Copies of the report will be sent to the Humanities & Social Sciences Division Dean, Dean of Students, and the student.

 

• Second Offense -- DISCIPLINARY ACTION: Referral to Dean of Students for possible removal, suspension, or expulsion. Filing of a second Unethical Conduct Report.

 

OTHER UNETHICAL CONDUCT

 

Other unethical conduct – cheating on exams, stealing tests, removing unauthorized material from classrooms/labs, or otherwise disregarding established classroom procedures – will be referred to the Dean of Students and a written report filed with both the Humanities & Social Sciences Division and the office of the Dean of Students.

 

The Psychology Department’s goal is to provide quality instruction for students who are dedicated in improving their language skills. Unethical conduct is unacceptable. The Psychology Department faculty has agreed upon this statement and upon their willingness to enforce it.