Syllabus

PSY 3213

Research Methods

Mondays, 1:00 – 4:50

Room 205

Instructor: Dr. Shannon Whitten

E-mail: swhitten@mail.ucf.edu

Phone Number: 321-433-7981

Office Number: 227, Palm Bay Campus

Office Hours: Mondays, 4:50 – 5:50

Tuesdays, 2:00 – 6:00 and by appointment

Course Web-site: https://webcourses.ucf.edu/webct/entryPageIns.dowebct

(log-in with NID and password)

Course Description: To understand how basic methodology and statistics are applied to the study of psychology.

Prerequisites: General Psychology, PSY 2012 and Elementary Statistics (STA 2014C or STA 2023)

Book(s): Research in Psychology, Methods and Design, 5^th Edition

C. James Goodwin. John Wiley Publishers; ISBN: 978-0-471-76383-3;

Recommended: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5^th Edition; 1-55798-791-2

Required Materials: A non-scientific calculator

Lecture Notes: Can be found on the course web-site (https://webcourses.ucf.edu/webct/entryPageIns.dowebct ). To log in, go to the course home page, click on the “Class login” button, and enter your NID and password. This is the same as the Polaris NID and password. Lecture notes will be posted each week before class.

Grades: Grades will come from 3 sources: A final Project, Quizzes, and a Final Exam. The majority of your grade will come from homework and quizzes. The breakdown of grades is as follows:

50 % Project………………………(500 points)

40% Exams………………………(400 points)

10% Quizzes, Participation & Homework (excluding project modules)……..(100 points)

Project: The major portion of your grade is a project to be completed by the end to the semester. In order to complete the project you must design an experiment, do a literature search, collect data, analyze the data, and write a paper about what you have learned. Points will be given for each of the following:

Exams: There will also be a mid-term and a final exam, each worth 200 points for a total of 400 points (or 40%) of your grade.

Quizzes, Class work, and Homework: Pop quizzes or homework will be given at random points throughout the semester.

Make-Up Policy

Exams: Exams may be made-up for a documented, university-approved reason and if I am informed BEFORE the exam.

Quizzes: THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO MAKE – UP QUIZZES. Your lowest quiz score will be will be dropped to determine your final grade. An optional cumulative final exam may be taken to replace your total points for quizzes.

Project Assignments and Homework: The homework will be assigned one week in advance and is due in class the following week. Late homework assignments are not accepted. If you miss class, it is up to you to contact me or another student to get the assignment. If you miss the day the assignment is due, you need to e-mail or drop off the assignment before it is due to receive full credit.

Extra Credit

Research Participation: You may also wish to obtain extra credit by participating in research projects through the UCF psychology department. You will be granted one extra credit point for each hour of research participation for a maximum of 10 extra credit points. Sign up for projects by clicking on the link on the course web-site.

“Show and Tell”: You will get 2 points extra credit if you bring in something that illustrates the topic that week: a newspaper or magazine article, a clip for the nightly news, whatever you’ve got. You are required to describe this to the class and how it relates to the topic that week. This option is only available one time this semester.

Grading Scale:

Average (%)	Grade
89.95-100	A
79.95-89.94	B
69.95-79.94	C
59.95-69.94	D
59.94 or less	F

 

 

 

 

 

General Policies

Preparation and Attendance. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to obtain missed materials (notes etc.) from your classmates. You will get zero points for missed in-class assignments. Further, it is my experience that students who often miss classes do not perform by far as well as students who attend the lectures. We will often do demonstrations in class which may critically improve understanding of the more complex issues, which are likely to be topic of quiz questions. Thus, my advice is that you keep current with the materials both through reading and regular attendance. You are responsible for both the lecture material and any assigned reading material.

Cheating. Cheating is a serious offense. According to the UCF Undergraduate Catalog, cheating occurs when “…non-permissible written, visual, or oral assistance including that obtained from another student is utilized on examinations, course assignments, or projects. The unauthorized possession or use of examination or course related material may also constitute cheating.” It includes, but is not limited to, the copying of quiz and exam answers, assignments, or parts of papers from classmates, or allowing classmates to copy yours, as well as attempts to do this. Such acts constitute theft of intellectual property and violate the rights of the owner. Furthermore, it is unfair towards other classmates who obtain their credit points through their own work. The names of students who cheat are reported to the University’s office of judicial affairs, possible resulting in expulsion, and will receive an F in the course. Cheating is NOT worth it!

Plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious form of cheating. Plagiarizing means to “take and pass off another’s thoughts, writings, etc. as one’s own” (Oxford Dictionary). According to the UCF Undergraduate Catalog, plagiarism occurs when “another’s work is deliberately used or appropriated without any indication of the source, thereby attempting to convey the impression that such work is the student’s own. Any student failing to properly credit ideas or materials taken from another has plagiarized.” The Ethics Code of the American Psychological Association states under article 6.22, on plagiarism: “Psychologists do not present substantial portions or elements of another's work or data as their own, even if the other work or data source is cited occasionally. “ This code is binding for all psychologists including students majoring in this field. Whenever I suspect that a student’s writings are not their own, and are taken verbatim or with only minimal modification (exchange of words, etc.) from another source, I will investigate the matter. Since plagiarism is a serious offense, I will proceed with no mercy when I recognize it. Students will receive an F on the work that they plagiarized for, and will be reported to the board of judicial affairs. In short, do not plagiarize, either from other students’ papers, journal papers, web pages, or any other source.

Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities are strongly encouraged to approach the instructor about any assistance that is needed for participation in this class. Students are also encouraged to contact Jim Smith, campus life coordinator for the Southern Region, for any questions about policies concerning those students with disabilities.

***** Dates for topics, assignments, and exams are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor based on the needs of this class and topic completion. Any changes will be announced in class at least one week before the change goes into effect *****

Schedule:

***** Dates for topics, assignments, and exams are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor based on the needs of this class and topic completion. Any changes will be announced in class at least one week before the change goes into effect  *****

***** Withdrawal Deadline is October 12. *****