Research Design and Analysis (Psyc 221L)
** Warning: This page is under construction, and improvements are likely to be very slow!**
Research Design and Analysis ("RDA") is a required course for psychology majors at Trinity College. It consists of a 50-minute lecture Mon-Wed-Fri, and a full laboratory session (1:15 - 3:55 pm) Monday or Tuesday, for 1.25 course credits. (In the past, the lab associated with RDA did not result in the additional 1/4 credit because it was only 50 minutes per week, not 2 hours and 40 minutes.)
The Trinity College Bulletin (1998-99) gives the following course description:
"An intensive study of the methods emplyed in understanding human and animal behavior as well as an introduction to the problems of psychological data evaluation. Some of the topics included will be the roles of observation, description, bias, hypotheses, theory, and non-reactive research. Consideration will also be given to descriptive techniques, including measures of central tendency, variability, and correlation. Problems will deal with hypothesis testing, group comparisons, frequency comparisons, analysis of variance. Prerequisite: Psychology 101." (page 287)
Along with all of the usual reading, homework, and exams, RDA involves an intensive data analysis project. This project is conducted throughout the entire semester. Students conduct computerized literature searches, develop and test hypotheses, calculate descriptive and inferential statistics using SAS (a computer program), and write a full APA-style report about the research project. Typically the entire class works from the same large dataset, but there is enough variety within the dataset for each student to have his/her own unique hypotheses. In some semesters students collect the data themselves; other projects utilize existing datasets. The data analysis project gives students the opportunity to experience real-life research, with all of its challenges and rewards, as they apply the concepts and skills that they are learning in lecture and lab.
The project also often includes a service learning (or "community learning") component; past projects include a phone survey of Hartford and Bridgeport residents' opinions of domestic violence, a survey of Hartford police officers' attitudes toward domestic violence, and analyses of Connecticut schools' involvement in school-family-community partnership activities. These projects engage the students with the greater Hartford community, creating connections between Trinity and the surrounding area, while showing students first-hand the applications of research design and psychological concepts to everyday life.
Syllabus
Psychology 221 – Fall 1999
Research Design and Analysis in Psychology
Instructors
David Reuman Barbara Chapman
LSC 206 LSC 205
ext. 2341 ext. 5295
Office hours: M 2:30 – 4 T 10 – 11am
R 2:30 – 4 W 2:30 – 4pm
or by appointment or by appointment
Teaching Assistants
Becky Principe Kate Margherio
ext. 3044 ext. 3118
OBJECTIVES
This course will cover basic principles of research design, measurement, and inference in psychological research. By reading several primary research articles and applying principles you have learned, the course ought to improve your ability to evaluate psychological research critically. By writing an original research report, the course ought to improve your ability to formulate and justify testable hypotheses, to describe the sampling and analysis procedures you have used, to report research results, and to draw intelligent conclusions from your own research.
This course will teach you how to use quantitative and graphical methods to represent descriptive statistics. In addition, you will learn about inferential statistics commonly used in psychological research, including hypothesis testing with confidence intervals, z- and t-statistics, 1- and 2-factor analysis of variance with multiple group comparisons, correlation, and regression. The emphasis of the course will be on applied data analysis. Although you will perform some statistical calculations by hand, the course will focus on learning how to use computer applications (SAS and Cricket Graph). This course assumes mathematics proficiency equivalent to two years of high school algebra, but not calculus or matrix algebra.
Texts (abbreviations used in the schedule of readings are shown in brackets)
Shaughnessy, J.J., Zechmeister, E.B., & Zechmeister, J.S. (2000). Research Methods in Psychology (5th ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill. [SZZ]
Zechmeister, E. B., Zechmeister, J. S., & Shaughnessy, J. J. (1997). A practical introduction to research methods in psychology (3rd ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill. [ZZS] (note: this is a study guide)
Hopkins, K. D., Hopkins, B. R., & Glass, G. V. (1996). Basic statistics for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.) Boston: Allyn and Bacon. [HHG]
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.) Washington, D. C.: Author. [APA]
Readings in course pack (abbreviations used in the schedule of readings are shown in brackets)
Overmier, J. B., & Seligman, M. E. P. (1967). Effects of inescapable shock upon subsequent escape and avoidance responding. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 63, 28-33. [CP1]
Milgram, S. (1965/1972). Some conditions of obedience and disobedience to authority. In Arthur G. Miller (Ed.), The Social Psychology of Psychological Research (pp. 82-105). New York: Free Press. [CP2]
Saxe, L., Dougherty, D., & Cross, T. (1985). The validity of polygraph testing: Scientific analysis and public controversy. American Psychologist, 40, 355-366. [CP3]
Murdock, B. B., Jr. (1964). Proactive inhibition in short-term memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 68, 184-189. [CP4]
Readings for data analysis project (abbreviations used in the schedule of readings are shown in brackets)
Wrightsman, L.S. (1991). Pychology and the legal system (2nd ed., pp. 8, 12-13, 21-22, 28-33,Handout: "Variables in the Spring 2002 Research Project Dataset." [DAP2]
Ruby, C.L., & Brigham, J.C. (1996). A criminal schema: The role of chronicity, race, and
Readings for lab (these readings will be handed out in class and/or lab)
Platt, J. R. (1966). Strong inference. In J.R. Platt, The step to man (pp. 19 – 36, 206), New
York: Wiley. [L1]Cuba, L. (1997). A short guide to writing about social sciences (pp. 60-69). New York:
Longman. [L2a]
Allgeier, E. R. (1993). Policies and procedures of The Journal of Sex Research: An
editorial. Journal of Sex Research, 30, 99-100. [L2b]
Handouts: "APA writing" and "APA format, Microsoft Word" [L2c]
Stanovich, K.E. (1998). How to think straight about psychology (5th ed., pp. 40-46). New
York: Longman. [L3]McKenna, R.J. (1995). The undergraduate researcher’s handbook: Creative
experimentation in social psychology (pp. 72-74). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. [L4]Wainer, H. (1992). Understanding graphs and tables. Educational Researcher, 21,
14-23.[L5]
GRADING
Your grade in the course will be determined by a combination of: Exams (20% each),
Homework problems (15%), and Analysis Report (25%). An unexcused absence for an
exam, or not turning in assigned writing or study problems, will result in extra
penalties.
You are allowed at most two penalty-free absences from class sessions.
Each class absence beyond the two allowed will result in a 1-unit drop in your
overall course grade (i.e., one extra absence beyond the allowed two would lower
a course grade of B to a B-; two extra absences would lower a course grade of B
to a C+).
Absences may be waived (not counted), if all of the following conditions are
met to the satisfaction of the instructor:
1. Your absence is due to a severe medical problem
or family emergency;
2. The problem necessitates your absence from class;
3. The emergency involves you (i.e., not a roommate or
best friend);
4. The reason for your absence is documented; and
5. Within a week of the absence, you submit an
acceptable 2-page summary of the material covered during your absence (see
instructor for details) and/or complete a related problem set (given by
instructor), for each day absent.
According to departmental policy, "any student declaring the major in the
Spring Term of 2000 or thereafter who must repeat a required course to attain
the required grade of at least C- will be allowed only one opportunity to do
so" (Bulletin, p.316).
Exams
You will be allowed extended time to complete each exam. For the first two exams,
you must begin between 8 and 9 am and may take a maximum of 2 (concurrent) hours
to work on the exam. (No one may leave before 9 am.) Exceptions to
this policy may be made, by prior arrangement with the instructor, for any
student enrolled in MWF classes at 9 and 10 am. The third exam (which is
non-cumulative) will begin at noon and must be completed by 3 pm.
Absence from an exam is
only allowed with prior notification and consent of the instructor. Missed exams must be
made up within one week of the original exam date.
Lab attendance
You are required to attend lab with lab materials (disks, APA manual, etc.). If you miss a lab due to illness or some other uncontrollable event, and cannot attend the other lab section, please contact Prof. Chapman (before the lab session you are missing, if possible). Because each week’s work builds on the previous lab, you will be required to make up missed lab material before the next lab.
Homework assignments
There will be frequent homework assignments for class and lab. These assignments will
include written responses to methodological issues posed in the Zechmeister, Zechmeister,
and Shaughnessy study guide; quantitative problems from (or similar to those in) the
Hopkins, Hopkins, and Glass text; and practice problems, SPSS programming, and data analysis assignments from
lab. Assignments will be collected at the beginning of the class/lab session for which
they are due.
Homework assignments for class and lab will be evaluated on a scale from 0 to 3
quality points:
Check-plus or 80-100%
of possible points = 3 quality points
Check
or 60-79% of possible points
= 2
Check-minus or 40-59% of possible
points = 1
Missing
or 0-39% of possible
points = 0
You may always turn in your homework assignments in order to get feedback on how you are doing. However, there will be deductions for lateness. If a homework is late by one class meeting (or less), there will be a deduction of 1 quality point (i.e., a "3" will be lowered to a "2"). If an assignment is late by more than one class meeting but less than one week (7 days), there will be a deduction of 2 quality points. Homework that is more than one week late will have 3 quality points deducted. No homework will be assigned quality points below 0.
Data analysis project
Two special required meetings related to the data analysis project occur outside of class time. First, all students are required to meet with Prof. Chapman or Prof. Reuman to discuss their DAP hypotheses and variables. Second, all students must give an oral presentation of their DAP results at the end of the semester.You will write the analysis report using the standard organization of empirical research reports published by American Psychological Association journals: a conceptual introduction, a description of methods and results, and a discussion section. You will exchange your writing with peer reviewers (classmates), who will provide you with written feedback on your writing. Professor Chapman will also read, give feedback on, and grade each section of the report. Based on Prof. Chapman’s comments, your peer reviewers' comments, and any other feedback you wish to obtain, you will re-write/polish your paper for final evaluation. The writing schedule (subject to change during the semester!) will be:
Step Assignment Due Value
1
Annotated Bibliography – Full Feb. 1 10%2 Individual Project Consultations (tentatively Feb. 7-14) *
3 Introduction and Method – Draft Feb. 22 15%
4 Introduction and Method – Peer Reviews Feb. 25, 26 **
5 Introduction and Method – Revision Mar. 8 20%
7 Results – Partial Draft Mar. 29 10%
8 Results (Complete) & Discussion (Draft) Apr. 12 20%
9 Results and Discussion – Peer Reviews Apr. 15,16 **
10 Final Revised Report Apr. 26 25%
* 2 points deducted from overall DAP grade if not attended.
** Counts as a lab homework. -2 points on overall DAP grade if not done at all.
Further guidelines on the analysis report will be given prior to each due date. The deadlines for these writing assignments will be indicated on the individual assignment handout. Because completing each step on time is essential for the revision and peer review process to work, and each assignment builds on previous steps, failure to complete these assignments when they are due will result in a much lower grade (typically -5 points per day). Intellectual honestyIn this course you will be working together with your classmates to create and analyze SPSS data sets, to solve problems involving quantitative reasoning and quantitative data analysis, and to review each other's written analysis reports. There is an important difference between collaborating with others and plagiarism. If you incorporate a published author's ideas or reviewers' suggestions in your work, be sure to give credit where credit is due in an acknowledgments section or reference list. If you use another person's words or phrasing, you must use quotation marks. If you are not familiar with the College policy on academic dishonesty or are unclear about the definition of plagiarism, read the current College Handbook and talk with Prof. Reuman and Prof. Chapman.
SCHEDULE
Class will meet on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 to 9:50 in LSC
135. Lab
sessions will meet on Mondays (Lab 20) from 1:15 to 3:55 in MCEC 152, and Tuesdays (Lab 21) from 1:15 to
2:30 in MCEC 152 and from 2:45 to 3:55 in MCEC 220.
**NOTE: these dates are from the Fall 1998 syllabus - the
schedule has not been
updated.
Date Topic Reading assignment
Wed, 9/2 Course overview
Design and Interpretation of Psychological Research
Fri, 9/4 Reasoning in psychological research SZ, Ch 1; CP1
Mon, 9/7 Ethical issues in psychological research SZ, Ch 2; CP2
Mon, 9/7 Lab 1 - Lab
overview; Introduction to
the
carefully & thoroughly read this syllabus!
research project; Literature searches.
Wed, 9/9 Quality of measurement SZ, Ch 3; CP3
Fri, 9/11 Experiments with independent groups SZ, Ch 6
Mon, 9/14 Repeated-measures designs SZ, Ch 7, CP4
Mon, 9/14 Lab 2
Wed, 9/16 Multi-factor designs SZ, Ch 8; DAP1 - 5
Fri, 9/18 Correlational research SZ, Ch 4
Mon, 9/21 Quasi-experimentation SZ, Ch 10 (pp. 338-353)
Mon, 9/21 Lab 3
Wed, 9/23 Quasi-experimentation (continued) SZ, Ch 10 (pp. 353-377)
Fri, 9/25 First EXAM
Descriptive Statistics
Mon, 9/28 Characterizing frequency distributions; HHG, Chs 1-2, Ch 3 levels of measurement (pp.35-37)
Mon, 9/28 Lab 4
Wed, 9/30 Percentiles HHG, Ch 3 (pp.37-48)
Fri, 10/2 Measures of central tendency; measures of variability HHG, Ch 4
Inferential Statistics
Mon, 10/5 Normal distributions HHG, Ch 5
Mon, 10/5 Lab 5
Wed, 10/7 Sampling; sampling distributions; HHG, Ch 9 (pp. 143-153) the central limit theorem
Fri, 10/9 Confidence intervals HHG, Ch 9 (pp. 153-164)
Mon, 10/11- Midsession ¨ Film & discussion about data analysis project
¨ Individual consultationsMon, 10/19 Confidence intervals (continued)
Mon, 10/19 Lab 6
Wed, 10/21 Hypothesis testing: Overview HHG, Ch 10 (pp. 171-179)
Fri, 10/23 Hypothesis testing: One mean HHG, Ch 10 (pp. 179-183)
Mon, 10/26 Hypothesis testing: One mean (continued)
Mon, 10/26 Lab 7
Wed, 10/28 Hypothesis testing: Two means HHG, Ch 11 (pp. 189-201)
Fri, 10/30 Hypothesis testing: Two means (continued) HHG, Ch 11 (pp. 201-213)
Mon, 11/2 Hypothesis testing: Two means (continued)
Mon, 11/2 Lab 8 -- t-test procedures
Wed, 11/4 Second EXAM
Fri, 11/6 1-Factor ANOVA HHG, Ch 14 (pp. 271-279)
Mon, 11/9 1-Factor ANOVA HHG, Ch 14 (pp. 280-286)
Mon, 11/9 Lab 9 --1-Factor ANOVA
Wed, 11/11 1-Factor ANOVA
Fri, 11/13 Multiple group comparisons HHG, Ch 15
Mon, 11/16 Multiple group comparisons
Mon, 11/16 Lab 10
Wed, 11/18 2-Factor ANOVA HHG, Ch 16 (pp. 307-314)
Fri, 11/20 2-Factor ANOVA HHG, Ch 16 (pp. 314-322)
Mon, 11/23 2-Factor ANOVA
Mon, 11/23 Lab 11
Wed, 11/25 - Fri, 11/27 Thanksgiving Recess
Mon, 11/30 Correlation HHG, Ch 6
Mon, 11/30 Lab 12
Wed, 12/2 Correlation (continued) HHG, Ch 7
Fri, 12/4 Inferences about correlation coefficients HHG, Ch 13
Mon, 12/7 Inferences about proportions
Mon, 12/7 Lab 13 ¨ Oral presentations
Wed, 12/9 Inferences about proportions, cont'd
Fri, 12/11 Inferences about proportions; course evaluations
Tues, 12/15 Third EXAM (9 am - 12 noon)