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PSY205: Experimental Design — Fall 2012

classroom & time: Yokum 100C, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 1:00–1:50pm
instructor: Dr. J. Stephen Mansfield

Text book

Author: Morling, B.
Title: Research methods in psychology
Publisher: Norton (2012)
ISBN: 978-0-393-93546-2
View in College Store

Grading

Your final grade in this class will depend on your performance in the following areas:

Class exams: 40 points (4 × 10 pts each)

There will be 4 class exams on the dates specified in the schedule. Each exam will consist of short-answer questions about the course content covered since the previous exam.

You must arrive on time for exams. Students who arrive more than 10 minutes late for an exam will not be allowed to sit the exam.

Final exam: 15 points

A cumulative final exam will be held during finals week. As well as contributing 15% to your overall grade, your score (%-correct) on the final exam will automatically replace any and all class exam scores that it beats.

You must arrive on time for the final exam. Students who arrive more than 10 minutes late for the exam will not be allowed to sit the exam.

Homework assignments: 15 points (5 × 3 pts each)

There will be 5 short written homework assignments during the semester (the due dates are shown on the class schedule — assignments will be posted at least one week before the deadline). The deadline for homework assignment is 11:59pm on the due date.

Reading assignments: 10 points

You are required to read the assigned textbook chapter before we cover that topic in class.

For each reading assignment, first read the chapter and then answer the on-line quiz on that chapter. The quizzes consist of multiple-choice questions and are administered via the web site for this course — http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/steve.mansfield/205F12reading.asp.

You are allowed to refer to the book when you answer the quiz. In order to receive credit for the assignment you are required to score at least 50% on the quiz. You may retake the quiz as many times as you like, so long as you score at least 50% correct before the deadline.

APA lab report: 15 points (draft: 3 pts; final version: 12 pts)

The class will perform a study during through the semester. You will each write a complete lab report (in APA style) for this study.

A draft of your paper is due by 11:59pm on Friday November 9th. Once I have received your draft you must arrange to meet with me so that I can give you feedback. I will have a sign-up sheet on my office door where you can choose a meeting time (these meetings will be scheduled starting on Monday November 12th).

The final version of your APA paper is due by 11:59pm on Monday December 10th.

Final project: 5 points

Towards the end of the semester you will split into small groups to develop and run a new and exciting research project of your own. Each group will give a 10-minute presentation to the rest of the class describing the research question, rationale, findings, and conclusions from its final project.

Extra credit

Extra credit can be earned in the following ways:

Personal Reactions (0.25% each. Maximum 6)

Write a 1-page report (approximately 300 words) that describes how the material presented in a specific class was personally relevant to you. For example: What did you learn from a class? Did the material conform to your understanding of the world, or did it challenge your beliefs or opinions ... etc.?

To submit a personal reaction for extra credit follow the REACTION link once you have logged into the course web site. Your reaction must be sent within one week of the day the class was given, and you must have been present in class on that day.

Error spotting (0.1% each. No limit)

I hold you all to a high standard for accurate spelling and correct grammar. It is only fair that I should be held to the same standard. So, if you find a spelling error or a grammar error in any class materials that I distribute to you, or post on class web pages, or in a course textbook, and you are one of the first students to report it to me, I will reward you with extra credit.

To report an error for extra credit follow the ERROR REPORT link once you have logged into the course web site. Your error report must be sent within one week of the day the material was distributed (or referred to) in class, and you must have been present in class on that day. Additionally, your error report must itself be free of errors in order to receive extra credit.

Participation in research

Psychology department faculty often invite students to participate in their research projects. I will announce to the class when any such opportunities become available. I will post instructions in the extra credit portion of the course web site. The amount of extra credit that will be awarded for participating in a study is commensurate with the anticipated effort you will be required to make (extra credit is typically awarded at a rate of 1% per hour). If you only complete part of a study, your extra credit will be pro-rated according to the extent of your participation. For example, if a study involved four 15-minute sessions, but you only attended two of them, you would only receive half of the announced extra credit — probably 0.5% in this case.

For each research participation opportunity, I will also offer an alternative assignment, comparable to the research experience in time and effort, to students who are ineligible, unable, or unwilling to participate in the research project. Students will have the option of gaining the extra credit by participating in the research OR by completing the alternative assignment. Details of the alternative assignment will be posted in the extra credit portion of the course web site.

These policies are in accordance with the Psychology Department's guidelines for awarding extra credit to student research participants.

Grades

Your letter grade will be determined according to the following table.

Percentage	Grade
≥ 93	A
≥ 90 and < 93	A−
≥ 87 and < 90	B+
≥ 84 and < 87	B
≥ 81 and < 84	B−
≥ 78 and < 81	C+
≥ 75 and < 78	C
≥ 72 and < 75	C−
≥ 69 and < 72	D+
≥ 63 and < 66	D
< 63	E

The final application of these guidelines is subject to the discretion of the instructor.

Note: Except for the extra-credit opportunities stated in this syllabus, students will not be allowed to do any additional "extra work" to make up for poor performance in class.

Attendance

Your attendance is required and will be recorded at every class. If you are absent from class you will miss important course content and class activities (which will make it hard for you to complete the homework assignments.)

Communication

• If you do not understand something, or you are unsure how to complete an assignment, the first thing you should do is contact me. I will help you if you ask me.
• The easiest way to contact me is via the 'send comment' link on the course web site (available once you have logged in).
• If you send me a message by email and you would like me to reply, please include your real name in your message. It is hard to identify students based on their email address alone (this is especially the case if you send your mail from a non-campus address).
• If you leave me a phone message and you would like me to call you back, please include your name, state your phone number clearly at the start and end of your message, and suggest an appropriate time (or range of times) when I will be able to reach you.
• You are responsible for all material presented and announcements made in class, whether you are in class or not.

Course web site

I make extensive use of my class web site for this course.

You can login in to the class website using the "student login" on my homepage: http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/steve.mansfield. Enter your last name in the "last name" box, and your password into the "password" box. Your password will be initially set to your Banner ID number (you should change your password once you have logged in.)

You will need to use the class web site to access all the course materials, to submit homework, to send in extra credit assignments, and to review your grades.

You must check your grade page at least once a week.

If you are unable to access the class web site you should contact me.

Academic honesty

It is expected that all students enrolled in this class support the letter and the spirit of the Academic Honesty Policy as stated in the college catalog.

All cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported to the college judicial board in accordance with the college's procedures for addressing suspected academic dishonesty.

Penalties for dishonest conduct will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Course schedule

Date	Topic	Assignments due
27-Aug	Introduction to PSY205
29-Aug	Chapter 1: Psychology is a way of thinking	CH1
31-Aug	Chapter 2: Sources of information	CH2
3-Sep	Chapter 2: Sources of information
5-Sep	Appendix C: APA style
7-Sep	Appendix C: APA style
10-Sep	Chapter 3: Three claims, four validities	CH3
12-Sep	Chapter 3: Three claims, four validities
14-Sep	Chapter 3: Three claims, four validities
17-Sep	EXAM 1
19-Sep	Chapter 4: Ethical guidelines	CH4
21-Sep	Chapter 4: Ethical guidelines	HW1
24-Sep	Chapter 5: Identifying good measurement	CH5
26-Sep	Chapter 5: Identifying good measurement
28-Sep	Chapter 5: Identifying good measurement
1-Oct	Chapter 6: Describing what people do	CH6
3-Oct	Chapter 6: Describing what people do
5-Oct	EXAM 2
8-Oct	Columbus day break
10-Oct	Chapter 7: Bivariate correlational research	CH7
12-Oct	Chapter 7: Bivariate correlational research
15-Oct	Chapter 7: Bivariate correlational research	HW2
17-Oct	Chapter 9: Introduction to simple experiments	CH9
19-Oct	Chapter 9: Introduction to simple experiments
22-Oct	Chapter 10: More on experiments	CH10
24-Oct	Chapter 10: More on experiments
26-Oct	Chapter 10: More on experiments
29-Oct	EXAM 3
31-Oct	Chapter 11: Experiments with more than one IV	CH11
2-Nov	Chapter 11: Experiments with more than one IV
5-Nov	Chapter 11: Experiments with more than one IV
7-Nov	Chapter 11: Experiments with more than one IV
9-Nov	Chapter 11: Experiments with more than one IV	APA draft
12-Nov	Project planning	HW3
14-Nov	Project planning
16-Nov	Project planning
19-Nov	Chapter 12: Quasi-experiments and small-N designs	HW4 & CH12
21-Nov	Thanksgiving break
23-Nov	Thanksgiving break
26-Nov	Chapter 12: Quasi-experiments and small-N designs
28-Nov	EXAM 4
30-Nov	Data collection
3-Dec	Data collection
5-Dec	Presentations
7-Dec	Presentations
10-Dec	FINAL EXAM (12:20)	APA final
12-Dec		HW5
14-Dec

© 2012 Steve Mansfield. This page is not necessarily representative of official University policy nor of the University in general. Likewise, the official policies of the University are not necessarily representative of my own beliefs or opinions.