Psy 430 Advanced Experimental Ps

Psy 430 Advanced Experimental Psychology
Fall 2009 / Section 001056

Dr. Christine Malone	Email: malonech@mnstate.edu
Phone: (218) 477-2804	Home page: www.mnstate.edu/malonech/
Office: 360 G Bridges Hall	Office Hours: MWF 9 am to 12 pm; T 9 – 10 am
Class: T Th 1:30 – 2:45 pm in BR 362

Announcements--
12/18/09 1:05 pm All finished! Your papers are now available for pick-up in the front office. Here is a link to the final grade sheet. Your grades are listed according to the last 4 digits of your Dragon ID. grade sheet
Happy holidays and have a restful break!

12/17/09 I will post your final grades here by 1pm tomorrow. I will also make your papers available in the front office at 1 pm on Friday. Nice work, everyone! Congratulations to those of you graduating and happy holidays to all!!

10/20/09 I've posted the truth statements you generated below in the course schedule. We will review them on Thursday and add/revise if necessary.

10/8/09
Unfortunately my sample debriefing form was missing two now-required paragraphs...sorry.
Additions to debriefing forms--In the first section of the form--Everyone should have an opening paragraph that briefly summarizes the major issues addressed in your project and a short ending paragraph summarizing why/how your topic is important in everyday life. To Department Research page. Then follow the link for the sample debriefing form

The due date for the Learning & Conditioning lab assignment has been pushed back until October 6th. FYI--The computer lab in BR 364 will be closed during the morning of October 1st and October 2nd. I also need a bit more time to provide feedback on the first lab assignment. I apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you.

9/1/09 Please follow this link for the on-line ethics training. Record your user name and password in a safe place so you may login at a later time and finish the training or print a certificate. http://www.mnstate.edu/irb/irb_training_principalcoinvestigators.cfm . When finished with the training, print a copy of the certificate and write your Dragon ID on the certificate.

Tentative Schedule

Date	Topic	Readings & Assignments
8/25	Introduction
8/27	Discussion of Student Projects Revising draft & Preparing IRB materials--Overview	Bring drafts or questions about materials to class
9/1 – 9/3	NIH IRB training online – in Lab (Follow link in announcements section)
9/8	IRB forms Revising Abstract	Saving time in editing IRB forms
9/10	IRB forms Revising Methods	Pryczak & Bruce Ch. 10 (Reserve ID # 792)
9/15	Perception--Dr. Malone's Area Presentation Instructions for Area Presentation Dr. Malone's presentation	Kantowitz Ch. 7 if needed (on reserve)
9/17	Perception--assignment	1^st draft IRB Materials and Training Cert. Due (90 points)--1 copy of packet initially and then 3 copies after receiving my approval 9/22 new due date
9/22	Cond. & Learning--Presentations 1. Kristina	Kantowitz Ch. 9 if needed
9/24	Cond. & Learning--assignment	Perception lab report due (20 points)
9/29	Memory--Presentations 1. Andrea, 2. Brittany, 3. Rachael, 4. Sara, 5. Melissa	Kantowitz Ch. 10 if needed
10/1	Memory--presentations (cont.)
10/6	Distribute memory assignment Thinking & Problem Solving--Presentations 1.Jerry, 2. Nicole, 3. Aubrie, 4. Jenny	Kantowitz Ch. 11 if needed Deadline: Final IRB materials submitted to DRC Cond. & Learning lab report due (20 points)
10/8	Thinking & Problem Solving--presentations (cont.)
10/13	No classes--Fall breather
10/15 – 10/20	Thinking & Problem Solving Assignment Keeping records and organizing data Stats Review Meet in computer lab 10/20	Memory lab report due 10/20
10/22	Writing Analysis & Results Stats truth statements	Pryczak & Bruce Ch. 11 (Reserve ID #793) Rosnow Ch. 6
10/27	Social Psychology--Presentations 1. Trisha, 2. Jessie, 3. Mary, 4. Kayla, 5. Tiffany	Kantowitz Ch. 13 if needed
10/29	Social Psychology --presentations (cont.)	Thinking & Problem Solving lab report due
11/3	Catch up on article presentations Social Psych. assignment
11/5	Writing Results & Discussions Sample Memory lab results Sample paper	Pryczak & Bruce Ch. 12 (Reserve ID #794)
11/10	Consult in my office (as needed)	Social lab report due in my mailbox
11/12	Individual Meetings – Data & Results 1:00 Kristina, 1:20 Tiffany, 1:40 Rachael, 2:00 Kayla, 2:20 Mary, 2:40 Jerry	Bring your raw data or at least response forms/survey
11/17	Individual Meetings – Data & Results 1:00 Jenny, 1:20 Nicole, 1:40 Trisha, 2:00 Melissa, 2:20 Aubrie, 2:40 Jessie
11/19	Individual Meetings – Data & Results 1:20 Sara, 1:40 Andrea, 2:00 Brittany
11/24	Constructing Tables and Figures Helpful summary of APA style with examples of tables and figures toward the bottom of the page	Rosnow Ch. 8
11/24	Designing a Poster Sample Poster Helpful hints for poster presenters	Rosnow Ch. 9
11/25 - 11/27	No classes--Fall break
12/1	Analyzing data and preparing presentation--No class meeting--Consult with Dr. Malone as needed
12/3	FINAL PRESENTATIONS Kristina, Andrea, Kayla, & Aubrie
12/8	FINAL PRESENTATIONS Jenny, Mary, Melissa, Nicole	Final Research Paper Due (110 points)by 12/10 at 4:30 at the latest Hand in 2 copies of paper, consent forms, copy of paper, data & analyses on a CD, and IRB project completion form. Also, remember to post a summary on the bulletin board.
12/14 @ noon	FINAL PRESENTATIONS Tiffany, Rachael, Trisha, Brittany, Sara, Jessie

Texts:

Galvan, J. L. Writing Literature Reviews (3^rd ed.), Pyrczak Publishing.
Rosnow & Rosnow (7th ed.). Writing Papers in Psychology
Milinki, A. K., A Cross Section of Psychological Research. (2^nd ed.), Pyrczak Publishing.

For background information in particular areas of experimental psychology (e.g., Perception, Learning, Memory, and Social) see the Kantowitz, Roediger, & Elmes Experimental Psychology text (9^th edition) at the library reserve desk(Reserve ID # 802). Each specialty area corresponds to a chapter in the text.

There may be several readings added to the schedule throughout the semester. These readings will be made available at the library reserve desk.

Course Description: Course emphasizing report writing (APA editorial style), and application of research methodology and statistics. Prerequisite: A passing grade in Psy 330, and an APA-style research proposal.

Student Learning Outcomes:

As a result of taking this course, you will be able to:

Read and review psychological research more critically.
Understand major topic areas within experimental psychology.
Develop research stimuli and surveys.
Prepare an application for the Institutional Review Board
Develop and implement a research protocol.
Collect and analyze data to answer a specific research question.
Present scientific information effectively in both written and verbal formats.
Incorporate technology into the research process.

Special Accommodations:

Students with disabilities who believe they may need an accommodation in this class are encouraged to contact Greg Toutges, Coordinator of Disability Services at 477-5859 (Voice) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY), CMU 114 as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

Academic Honesty: The MSUM Student Handbook (http://www.mnstate.edu/sthandbook) discusses student conduct code issues including academic integrity such as cheating or plagiarism. If you have any questions regarding this conduct code or your rights, please review the handbook.

Copying papers from classmates or other sources (including the web) is not only cheating, but is plagiarism and the equivalent of scholarly or “literary” stealing. You must cite your sources! In the event that you are caught plagiarizing or copying, you will fail this course.

Assignments and Grading:

There are no formal exams in this class. We will have several in-class and out-of-class lab assignments. Assignment requirements and point totals will be announced in class. The major assignment for this class is the development of an APA-style research paper. Here is a list of major assignments for this semester:

Area Article Presentation: 40 points
5 Lab Reports: 100 points (20 points each)
Final Research Presentation: 60 points
Research Paper: 200 points total
You will also be graded on the extent to which you actively participate in class: 50 points

Research Paper: (200 pts.) Students are required to complete an experiment in the content area of the course, preferably a study that does not constitute a direct replication. Students should discuss the concept and methodology with the instructor before proceeding. Consult the course schedule for due dates. You are expected to meet with the instructor as needed to discuss your project and oral presentation.

Two written products will be worth a total of 200 points. Each student must submit (1) completed ethics forms with all required attachments plus the on-line training certificate (90 points), as well as (2) a final research report with an IRB completion report (110 points). Specific requirements and expectations will be discussed at length in class. See the course schedule for due dates. Late paper submissions will incur an automatic deduction of one letter grade for each calendar day they are late—no exceptions.

Final Research Presentation: (60 pts.) In addition to the written product, students are expected to make an oral presentation of their final research project to the class (60 points). The presentation should be 10 minutes long. These presentations should be treated as if you are presenting your study at a psychology conference. It is expected that students will use PowerPoint for their presentations.

You are solely responsible for determining the time schedule for project completion. The following sequence is suggested to help conceptualize the steps in the process. Major deadlines will be posted in the course schedule. You will need to construct and adhere to a time line to meet the deadlines. Early paper assignments (e.g., IRB materials, final papers) are encouraged and welcomed. It is expected that you should have begun the first three steps in the 330 class.

·        Define the problem
·        Review the literature
·        Write the proposal
·        Revise the proposal with instructor’s suggestions and prepare department form (Professor is considered principal investigator and, therefore, has final say on what is submitted to the Ethics Committee.)
·        Obtain Ethics Committee’s Approval (allow two weeks to receive approval, as well as time for possible revisions)
·        Recruit participants
·        Collect data
·        Revise/complete literature review as data are collected
·        Data analysis
·        Revise Method section of proposal to reflect any changes and use past tense
·        Organize and write the results section
·        Organize and write the discussion section
·        Submit the completed research paper (two copies of final paper, a copy of your data on disk, consent forms, and IRB Project Completion Form)
    * Also, remember to post a summary of the results on the bulletin board. Be sure to include your name and the name of your project

Class participation: (50 pts) Class participation in the form of attendance, discussion, and presentation is an absolutely essential component of this class. Psychologists must learn and practice communication skills necessary to present, persuade, and discuss with colleagues, both in casual and professional interactions. Be prepared to discuss assigned readings and the questions in the homework assignments. Also be prepared to summarize, evaluate, and generate discussion regarding your research project and those of your class mates.

Grades will be assigned using the following scale:
A = 90-100% of total points, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 60-69%, F = less than 60%

Student Responsibilities:

As a student in this class, you have certain responsibilities. You are responsible for:

Knowing all information in the syllabus, including due dates and procedures for assignments and grading.
Checking the course website for class announcements or changes.
Completing the reading assignments before each class and taking an active role in learning the material.
Seeking assistance from the instructor in a timely fashion.
Monitoring your performance in this class, including keeping track of your points.
Informing the professor ahead of time in the case of special needs.
Arriving to and leaving class on time so as not to disturb the professor or other students. Also, all electronic devices, such as cell phones, must be turned off upon entering the classroom.