Research Methods II
SYLLABUS FOR PSYCHOLOGY 320 (SECTION 104)
RESEARCH DESIGN AND ANALYSIS II
Spring 2014
Professor: Timothy J Slattery, Ph.D. My Office: UCOM 1110
My email: Slattery@southalabama.edu My Office Phone #: 460-7150
My Office Hours: Wednesday 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Class Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Location: UCOM 1220
WELCOME TO RESEARCH DESIGN!
Please read the following information very carefully so the expectations and requirements for this class are clear to you.
WHAT ARE THE PREREQUISITES FOR THIS CLASS?
The prerequisites are PSY 120 or 121 and 220, and ST 210, and EH 102. If you have not taken these prerequisites then you need drop this class and take them first.
WHAT WILL I LEARN IN THIS CLASS?
This course is going to provide you with general knowledge about, and specific skills in the design and interpretation of psychological research. We will cover observation, survey and correlational research, simple and complex research designs, and research with small samples.
WHAT TEXT DO I BUY?
The textbook is not optional! Students who delay purchasing or reading the text most often earn poor grades.
Christensen, L., Johnson, R. & Turner, L. (2010) Research methods, design, and Analysis. Boston:
Allyn & Bacon American Psychological Association Publication Manual , 6th ed.
LECTURE NOTES
Lecture notes will be available through Sakai. You can login to Sakai https://ecampus.southalabama.edu. You will also be able to track your grades on this site.
Warning: You should drop this section immediately if you do not plan to attend class regularly!
DROP DATE.
The last day to drop without academic penalty is Friday April 4, 2014 at 4:59 PM! The Department of Psychology is firm about adhering to this deadline.
Warning: You should drop this section immediately if you do not plan to attend class regularly! This a
very intensive class, you need to come to every class or your progress will greatly suffer. This is especially
true of the laboratory assignments and papers that are based on their data collection.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
- You will be expected to complete many tasks this semester, both in and out of class.
-You will be expected to read about one chapter per week, with some supplemental readings. This knowledge will be tested every time we begin a new chapter. You will be quizzed that day before the lecture on that material. The quiz is intended to provide an incentive to read and prepare the material before I have lectured on it. The quizzes will be 10 multiple choice questions. There will be 13 quizzes, each worth 10 points each (130 points total).
-There will be a midterm and final examination, consisting of short answer and multiple choice questions, each worth 100 points.
-There will be three short papers, each progressively longer. They will all be based on in-class activities
-Paper 1 will include a results section covering observational research (20 points)
-Paper 2 will include survey creation and a methods and results section covering survey research (30 points)
-Paper 3 will be a literature review that will eventually be included in Paper 4 (50 points)
-Paper 4 will be a final paper based on data that will be collected using an independent designs methodology
(100 points). This paper will be no fewer than 10 pages.
-Attendance and participation will be taken, with 1 points given for each day that you are in attendance and actively engaged in learning (44 points total).
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Attendance will be taken at the start of each class, and will count towards your final grade. If you have a medical emergency you will be required to bring in a Physician’s note to receive an excused absence. If you have a university approved excuse (i.e., athletics) then you must arrange to make up missed work and examinations BEFORE your event.
Each class will begin with the handing in of homework, and/or a quiz over the assigned reading material. LATE WORK WILL BE DEDUCTED 10% FOR EACH DAY IT IS LATE. Make-up assignments and exams will be arranged for approved absences only on an as needed basis. Additionally, all make-up exams will be in ESSAY format regardless of the format of the original (missed) exam.
RE-WRITES
You will be given the chance to rewrite each of your first three papers ONE TIME. You will be given each of those papers back and given a chance to make changes before being given a grade. Re-writes are due the next class period after you receive them from me, and should be based on the comments that you receive from me. You will also be given the chance to turn in your final paper so I can make comments before turning in the final draft. This will be optional for the final paper since it will be so close to the end of the semester. See the schedule of course events.
COURSE GRADING
There will be a total of 575 points for the class. Grades will be assigned on a point system.
Attendance 29 x 2 pts each = 58
Quizzes 13 x 10 pts each = 130
Paper 1 1 x 20 pts each = 20
Paper 2 1 x 30 pts each = 30
Paper 3 1 x 50 pts each = 50
Final Paper 1 x 100 pts each = 100
Midterm Exam 1 x 100 pts each = 100
Final Exam 1 x 100 pts each = 100
588 points
CELL-PHONES, PAGERS AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES
In this day and age I know we cannot live our lives without these electronic devices but they can be disturbing and disrespectful during class. Talking on your phone, texting, or listening to your iPod can be distracting to me as well as other students around you. Not to mention pulling you attention away from lecture, the reason you are there. Please do not attempt to use any electronic devices during class (except when we are using the computers for class related project) and NO devices are allowed during an exam. If you need to keep your cell phone on for emergency situations or sick child at home, please turn your phone on vibrate and let me know that you might get a call. If I have to ask you to stop using a device in class you will get one warning, then repeat offenses will be punished with points being taken away form your grade.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY.
Faculty members are expected to enforce rigorously the University's Academic Honesty Policy. Students caught cheating on an exam, or plagiarizing another’s work, doing another’s research or lab assignment will therefore be dealt with according to University regulations which are stated in The Lowdown, a student handbook. Also, plagiarized papers will be assigned a score of 0. Unfortunately, every semester we receive one or two papers that are “stolen” works. We will discuss the definition of plagiarism (including examples), before you write your paper. This is not to insult you, but to make sure all students are educated on this point. Please let your exam grades and papers reflect your own work!
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, students with bona fide disabilities will be afforded reasonable accommodation. If you have a specific disability that qualifies you for academic accommodations, please notify the instructor/professor and provide certification from Special Student Services. (OSSS is located on Room 270 of the student center (460-7212).
CHANGES IN COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Since all classes do not progress at the same rate, the instructor may wish to modify the above requirements or their timing as circumstances dictate. For example, the instructor may wish to change the number and frequency of exams, or the number and sequence of assignments. However, the students must be given adequate notification. Moreover there may be non-typical classes for which these requirements are not strictly applicable in each instance and may need modification. If such modification is needed, changes will be emailed to you with advanced notice and will conform to the spirit of this policy statement.
ACADEMIC DISRUPTION POLICY
The University of South Alabama’s policy regarding Academic Disruption is published annually in The Lowdown, the student handbook. I recommend you read this policy which I expect you to follow while in my classroom. I expect you to be cordial, courteous, and respectful of faculty members and fellow students.
ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING
The Department of Psychology is required to assess how much its students learn in their psychology courses. Therefore, all junior and senior level students (i.e., students who have completed at least 60 credit hours) enrolled in upper-level psychology courses are required to take a test of general knowledge in psychology. This test is administered online and will take about 90 minutes to complete. If you are a junior or senior level student-regardless of your major and regardless of whether you have taken this test in the past-you must complete this test by the end of the semester. If you are enrolled in multiple upper-level psychology courses, you only need to take the test once. To take the test, go to the following website: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/upperlevel (make sure you type in the address exactly as it appears [note the “/s/” part]). You will first be asked some questions about who you are and what courses you are taking or have taken. The test itself is follows next. Finally, you will be given a short survey about your opinions of the Department.
If you have any questions about this, please direct them to Dr. Joshua Foster at foster@usouthal.edu.