1 PSY 321/321L: Experimental Psychology and Lab Unit: 3/1 Class Lecture Lab 1 Lab 2 Lab 3 Day M, W M, W M, W M, W Hours 9:30-10:45 11-11:50 12-12:50 1-1:50 Instructor Sun-Mee Kang, Ph. D. Office Phone E-mail ST 310 677-3876 [email protected] Office hours W 1:50 to 2:45 or by appointment Class Room SH 309 SH 341 SH 341 SH 341 Pedagogical Aids Theresa Trieu (Lab 1) Jesus Zuniga (Lab 2) Victor Malagon (Lab 3) Suebin Lim (lecture) Sharmin Alam (lecture) SH 383 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] by appointment only Textbook: Required: Goodwin, C. J. (2013 or earlier). Research in psychology: Methods and design (Seventh or earlier edition). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. *The textbook is on reserve in the Oviatt Library. Optional: APA publication manual, 6th edition. Washington, D.C: APA Course Website: The class web site can be found at “http://www.csun.edu/~skang/psy321.htm ” This site will contain announcements, hand-outs, research info, and exam grades. Course Objective: This course will introduce the methods of psychological research. The purpose of the course is to give you the tools to recognize research problems and design studies to examine these problems. You will also gain a hands-on experience of conducting your own research. **Course Attendance Policy** Attendance is required in all lecture and laboratory sessions without exception. Information covered in class lectures (and not in the book) will appear on subsequent tests. If you need to miss the lecture and/or lab for any reason, I strongly urge you to speak with me BEFORE you are absent. 2 Attendance will be checked at my discretion. Note that an absence from a lab or in lecture is the same; if you were to miss one day when you have a lecture and lab, that constitutes 2 absences (one from lecture and one from lab). As a courtesy, I will allow 4 unexcused absences before punitive actions are taken. After 4 unexcused absences, you will incur a penalty of a full course letter grade for each unexcused absence (e.g., a grade of “B” would become a grade of “C” and a “C” would become a “D.”) Please note that, at this rate, after 8 unexcused absences you will automatically fail this course. Arriving Late To Class or Lab Please do not arrive late to class or lab. It disrupts other students who are on time. Arriving late to class also risks being counted absent (See attendance policy above). If you arrive more than 10 minutes late to lecture or lab, your tardiness will be counted as an unexcused absence. Excuses If you have a valid excuse (e.g., doctor’s note, accident report, hospital verification) for your absence, tardiness, or missed deadlines, you may petition to re-gain your absence or lost points. BE AWARE that computer and printer problems, work-related matters, will NOT be considered valid excuses. As college students and future professionals, you are encouraged to plan ahead and back-up your work. You need to submit a brief typed written note with a copy of supporting documents within 7 days (including weekends and holidays) from the day when you were absent, were late, or missed the deadline. If your written note is submitted after this 7-day period, it won’t be reviewed and your absence, tardiness, or missed deadlines will be counted as an unexcused absence, tardiness, or missed deadlines. **** THE CONTENTS OF THIS SYLLABUS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE **** (If any changes are made, they will be announced in lecture) Course Grading Given the interrelatedness of activities and course material, you will earn the same grade for lecture (PSY 321) and lab (PSY 321L). Your grade will be based on your performance on the following: 1. Exam (45% of Total Course Grade) • There will be 3 non-cumulative in-class exams and one cumulative final. Tests consist of challenging multiple-choice questions that cover lecture, reading assignments, and a film shown in class. • Exam grading options: (1) You are required to take all four exams. If you take all four, you are allowed to drop the lowest score among the four. (2) If you miss an exam for medical reasons, you must supply appropriate written documentation to support your absence. The average score of the remaining three 3 test scores will account for 45% of your final grade. Since the lowest of the four exams can be dropped, there will be no make-up exams. (3) If you miss one exam without any valid reasons, you will get a zero point for the exam and you are not allowed to drop the zero score. The average of the four test scores including the zero point will account for 45% of your final grade. • The exam scores will not be curved. 2. Written Assignments (26% of Total Course Grade) • • You will conduct a group research project. You make a team with 3 other students (4 students per group) and design a study, collect data, analyze them, and present the study in class. All projects must be discussed with me beforehand in the lab. You are expected to write your own individual paper based on your team project. • You will complete four written assignments throughout the course: the Introduction [worth 2%], Method Section [worth 1%], Results/Discussion Section [worth 3%] and the final research paper [worth 20%]. For the first 3 drafts, you will earn the maximum points as long as you submit your draft that meets the minimum requirements (e.g., the minimum length of the draft) ON TIME. You will receive the comments on your drafts so that you can improve the final version of your research paper. If your draft doesn’t meet the minimum requirements and/or is late, it won’t be reviewed and will be returned back to you with zero point and without feedback. • The final papers are due on the last day of the class. The total length of the paper should be 9 (minimum) to 20 (maximum) double-spaced pages (the combined length of Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion sections should be at least 5 pages). More detailed instructions will be available later. Late final papers will be penalized 4 points per hour including weekends. All written assignments will be expected to adhere to the APA manual standards. In summary, your written assignments will consist of: Introduction Method Section Results/Discussion Section Final Paper 2% 1% 3% 20% Total 26% 3. Homework assignments (16% of Total Course Grade) • • A total of 6 homework assignments will be assigned throughout the course. Late assignments will be penalized 4 points per hour including weekends. 4. Presentation (9% of Total Course Grade) 4 • • Your research team will be asked to create PowerPoint slides to present your group research together in class at the end of the course. Your presentation will account for 9% of your final grade. If you miss your presentation, there is no way to make-up the points, not even in emergency situations. 5. Classroom Behaviors and Contributions to class and lab (4% of Total Course Grade) • Your contributions to class and lab (e.g., consistently coming to class on time, participating in class discussions/demonstrations, making good comments, raising excellent questions, contribution to your team project, etc.) will count for 4% of your final grade. Your negative behaviors in class (e.g., frequently coming in and out the classroom, interrupting the lecture by chatting with people around, consistently coming to class and lab late, etc.) will be reflected on your grade accordingly. Summary: Final Course Grade for both lecture and lab The final course score will be computed as follows; 3 best test scores Written assignments Homework assignments Presentation Classroom Behavior and Contributions to class and lab Total 45% (45 points) 26% (26 points) 16% (16 points) 9% (9 points) 4% ( 4 points) 100% (100 points) Final letter grades will be assigned using one of the following schemes. Each student will have her or his grade computed by both methods and the scheme that results in a higher grade will be the one used as the final grades. Scheme 1: Grades will be assigned using the following: A 96-100% 96-100 C 70-74.99% A90-95.99% 90-95.99 C65-69.99% B+ 87-89.99% 87-89.99 D+ 60-64.99% B 83-86.99% 83-86.99 D 55-59.99% B80-82.99% 80-82.99 D50-54.99% C+ 75-79.99% 75-79.99 F 0-49.99% Scheme 2: Grades will be assigned using the following: A Top 6% C+ Next 12% ANext 6% C Next 22% B+ Next 8% CNext 12% B Next 11% D Next 10% BNext 11% F Bottom 2% 70-74.99 65-69.99 60-64.99 55-59.99 50-54.99 0-49.99 5 Please note that I do not round up final grades. Thus, if at the end of the semester you have an 89.56, you have a B+, not an A-. I hold firm to this policy for the following reasons. First of all, the final average scores are weighted mean scores. Even if your score is less than 1 point away from the cut off score of the A-, it doesn’t mean that you simply need .44 point more on the exams or the final paper to get an A-. On my raw score scheme, you may need to have 3-4 points more on the exams or 2-3 points more on the final paper. Second, we must have a cut-off point somewhere. If I round up the 89.56 to an A-, then why should I not round up an 89.23? I have put much thought into this policy and believe it to be fair to everyone. Finally, cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. If you are caught cheating or plagiarizing in any form, you will receive a failing grade for the course and be reported to the university for appropriate disciplinary action. 6 Tentative Lecture, Lab, and Reading Schedule Date Lecture Lab/Online lab work Reading assignments Ch.1 “Cargo cult science” Ch. 1 Week 1 1/21 W Introduction of the course I No lab • HW1 (“Cargo Cult Science”) Week 2 1/26 M Introduction of the course II 1/28 W Getting research ideas I 2/2 M Getting research ideas II 2/4 2/9 2/11 2/16 2/18 2/23 W M W M W M Hypothesis testing Variables Data analysis Interpreting results Review for Exam 1 Exam 1 No lab • HW2 (Reading sample papers) Library lecture at Oviatt (Lab B) • HW3 (generating research topics) APA style / sample research papers / How to write the Intro Form research teams/Discuss research topics Discuss hypothesis Discuss variables and study materials • HW 4 (Literature review) Work on a research approval form Exam 1 review 2/25 W Observation / Trace Develop study materials Ch. 12 3/2 M Case / Small N study Ch. 11 3/4 3/9 3/11 3/16 W M W M Survey research Developing Survey Simple Regression Multiple Regression 3/18 W Longitudinal design Develop study materials/set up a schedule for experiments Due #1: the Intro draft How to write Method section Collect data1 Collect data2 Collect data3 • HW 5 (Summary of Results section) How to write Results/Discussion 3/23 3/25 3/30 M W M Quasi-experimental design Review for Exam 2 Exam 2 How to enter the data1 How to ender the data2 Exam 2 review Ch.10 Week 12 4/1 4/6 4/8 W M W No class (Cesar Chavez Day) No class (spring break) No class (spring break) Week 13 4/13 M Basics of experimental designs I Consult data analysis 1 • HW 6 (NIH training course) is due Ch. 6 4/15 W M W M 4/29 W Milgram’s Obedience study (film) Consult data analysis 2 Due #2: the Method draft Consult data analysis 3 Consult data analysis 4 Workshop for power point presentation Due #3: the Results/Discussion draft Presentation 1 Ch. 6 4/20 4/22 4/27 Basics of experimental designs II Single factor designs Factorial designs Main and Interaction effects Week 16 5/4 5/6 M W Ethical issues Exam 3 Presentation 2 Exam 3 Review Due #4: Final Paper Ch. 2 Week 17 5/13 W Final Exam (8-10am) Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 14 Week 15 Ch. 3 Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Chs. 4, 5 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 Ch. 12 Ch. 12 Ch. 9 Ch. 9 Ch.9 Ch. 7 Ch. 8 Ch. 8 Ch. 2 The information in this syllabus may be modified by the instructor. Students will be notified of any changes in class and on the website.