Course Syllabus
The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.

PSYCH 301W Basic Research Methods in Psychology (4) Introduction to methods of psychological research, with special attention to hypothesis formation and testing, threats to validity, and data presentation.

Prerequisite: PSYCH 100, PSYCH 200 orSTAT 200


Overview | Objectives | Course Components | Materials | Library Resources | Technical Requirements | Course Schedule | Grading | Course Policies |
Academic Integrity | Accommodating Disabilities | Additional Policies


Overview

As you can see in the course description above that comes from the PSU Undergraduate Bulletin this course is described as, “Introduction to methods of psychological research, with special attention to hypothesis formation and testing, threats to validity, and data presentation.”  In order to achieve these goals we will discuss the process of research from idea conception, to experimental design, to data collection, to the presentation of results.  At the end of this course you will have a basic knowledge of how psychologists go about conducting research, and knowledge of how to interpret the findings presented in psychology journals.   This course involves both a lesson component and a laboratory component.  The basic knowledge and theoretical background of psychology research will be presented in the textbook and in the lesson commentaries.  You will have the opportunity for more “hands-on” experiences in the labs, where you will be able to apply the concepts from the textbook and lessons to work with actual data.  This course is designed to prepare you for more advanced undergraduate courses, and possibly graduate level work. 

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Objectives

By the end of this course you will be able to:

1. Describe how psychologists go about conducting research

2. Interpret findings presented in psychology journals

3. Discuss the process of research in the following stages:

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Course Components

This course has two distinct components:

Lessons
14 Lessons – Each week you will be required to read a chapter in the textbook, and then read through the instructor’s commentary.  The commentary is designed to highlight important concepts from the book, and to provide clarification.  After you have read each commentary you will be asked to complete a brief assignment designed to help you integrate the concepts from the chapter.  The details of these graded assignments are discussed below.

Labs
11 Labs – After each lesson (with the exception of lessons 1 and 3) you will be required to complete several tasks during the Lab portion of the course.  The lab will involve taking the theoretical topics discussed in the textbook and apply them to hands-on work.  In some Labs you will be analyzing data (some of which I will provide, and some of which you will collect yourself).  In other Labs you will be doing other things that social scientists do (are you curious?)

Grading Your grades are based on several different things.

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Materials

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
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Library Resources

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service.  The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.

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Technical Specifications

For this course we recommend the minimum World Campus technical requirements listed below:
Technical Requirements
Operating System Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher
*Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor 2 GHz or higher
Memory 1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space 20 GB free disk space
Browser We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion, and for advice on downloading a supported version, please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows
from Penn State websites.

Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching,
older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Plug-ins Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe]
Additional Software Microsoft Office (2007 or later)
Internet Connection Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer Access to graphics-capable printer
DVD-ROM Required
Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers Required
Monitor Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution

If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!

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Course Schedule

Course length: 15 weeks for Spring/Fall semesters and 12 weeks for Summer semesters (there may be a variation in weeks and assignments)
Lesson 1: Introduction to Research
Readings:
  1. Read through the Syllabus
  2. Stangor Chapter 1
  3. Lesson 1 Commentary
  4. Read Research Topic Idea Paper Assignment
Assignments:

Complete Lesson 1 Assignment - 5 points


Lesson 2: Hypothesis Generation
Readings:
  1. Stangor Chapter 2
  2. Lesson 2 Commentary
Assignments:
  1. Complete Lesson 2 Assignment- 5 points
  2. Lesson 2 Lab – Finding Research
  3. Lesson 2 Lab Assignment - 10 points
  4. Submit Research Topic Idea - 25 points Due 1/23

Lesson 3: Ethics in Research
Readings:
  1. Read Stangor Chapter 3
  2. Read Lesson 3 Commentary
Assignments: Complete Lesson 3 Assignment- 5 points;

Lesson 4: Paper Writing
Readings:
  1. Read Appendix A in Stangor textbook
  2. Read Lesson 4 Commentary
  3. Read Article for Homework 1- Article Review
Assignments:
  1. Complete Lesson 4 Assignment- 5 points
  2. Lesson 4 Lab – The Components of a Research Article
    Lesson 4 Lab Assignment - 10 points
  3. Homework 1 – 10 points
  4. Article Review- Read the Article (link found above) and Submit the Review
  5. Exam 1- Chaps 1, 2, 3, and Appendix A in Stangor -70 points

Lesson 5: Measurement of Variables
Readings:
  1. Stangor Chapter 4
  2. Lesson 5 Commentary
  3. Read Literature Review Paper Assignment
Assignments:
  1. Complete Lesson 5 Assignment- 5 points
  2. Lesson 5 Lab – Creating an Attitude Scale – Part 1
  3. Lesson 5 Lab Assignment - 10 points
  4. Homework 2 – Attitude Items
    Submit Homework 2 - 10 points

Lesson 6: Reliability and Validity
Readings:
  1. Read Stangor Chapter 5
  2. Read Lesson 6 Commentary
Assignments:
  1. Complete Lesson 6 Assignment- 5 points
  2. Lesson 6 Lab – Creating an Attitude Scale – Part 2
  3. Lesson 6 Lab Assignment - 10 points

Lesson 7: Surveys and Sampling
Readings:
  1. Stangor Chapter 6
  2. Lesson 7 Commentary
Assignments:
  1. Complete Lesson 7 Assignment - 5 points
  2. Homework 3 – Collecting Data
    Submit Homework 3 - 10 points
  3. Lesson 7 Lab – Analyzing Attitude Scale Data
  4. Lesson 7 Lab Assignment - 10 points

Lesson 8: Hypothesis Testing
Readings:
  1. Stangor Chapter 8
  2. Lesson 8 Commentary
Assignments:
  1. Lesson 8 Assignment- 5 points
  2. Lesson 8 Lab – Descriptive Statistics
  3. Lesson 8 Lab Assignment - 10 points
  4. Exam 2 – Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 8 in Stangor - 70 points Due 3/6

Lesson 9: One-way Experimental Design
Readings:
  1. Read Stangor Chapter 10
  2. Read Lesson 9 Commentary
  3. Read Poster Presentation Assignment
Assignments:
  1. Complete Lesson 9 Assignment- 5 points
  2. Lesson 9 Lab – One-way Design
  3. Lesson 9 Lab Assignment - 10 points
  4. Submit Literature Review Paper - 60 points

Lesson 10: Factorial Experimental Design
Readings:
  1. Read Stangor Chapter 11
  2. Read Lesson 10 Commentary
Assignments:
  1. Complete Lesson 10 Assignment - 5 points
  2. Lesson 10 Lab – Factorial Design
  3. Lesson 10 Lab Assignment -10 points

Lesson 11: Correlational Design
Readings:
  1. Read Stangor Chapter 9
  2. Lesson 11 Commentary
Assignments:
  1. Complete Lesson 11 Assignment - 5 points
  2. Lesson 11 Lab – Correlational Design
    Lesson 11 Lab Assignment - 10 points
  3. Exam 3 – Chapters 9, 10, and 11 in Stangor - 70 points Due 4/3

Lesson 12: Naturalistic Observation Methods
Readings:
  1. Stangor Chapter 7
  2. Lesson 12 Commentary
Assignments:
  1. Complete Lesson 12 Assignment- 5 points
  2. Lesson 12 Lab – Observational Study
    Lab Assignment 10 - 10 points
  3. Submit Poster Presentation Assignment - 35 points Due 4/10

Lesson 13: Internal and External Validity
Readings:
  1. Stangor Chapters 12 and 13
  2. Lesson 13 Commentary
Assignments:
  1. Complete Lesson 13 Assignment - 5 points
  2. Lesson 13 Lab – Observational Study Analysis & Presentation Prep
  3. Lesson 13 Lab Assignment - 10 points

WEEK 14: Final Research Proposal Project Due
Readings:
  1. NONE
Assignments:
  1. Submit Final Research Proposal Paper - 150 points Due 4/24

Week 15 (Lesson 14): Quasi-Experimental Design
Readings:
  1. Read Stangor Chapter 14
  2. Read Lesson 14 Commentary
Assignments:
  1. Complete Lesson 14 Assignment - 5 points
  2. Homework 4 - Poster Critique
    Submit Homework 4 - 10 points
  3. Exam 4 - Chapters 7, 12, 13, and 14 in Stangor - 70 points Due 4/29

NOTE: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please see "Graduation" on the World Campus Student Policies website.

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

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Grading

Your final grade will be based on completion of the Quizzes, Web-Assignments, Journal Assignments, and Exams.

Assignment
Points
4 Exams @ 70 points each
280 points
Research Topic Idea Paper
25 points
Literature Review Paper
60 points
Poster Presentation
35 points
Final Research Proposal Project Paper
150 points
4 Homework (@ 10 each)
40 points
14 Lesson Assignments (@5 each)
70 points
11 Lab Assignments(@ 10 each)
110 points
TOTAL POINTS
770

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.

For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.

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Course Policies

The Order of Materials: This course is presented in a specific order, and you must complete the work in that order.  See the Course Schedule for a complete list of readings and assignments. 

Late Work:  Late work is NOT accepted unless approved by the instructor prior to the due date.  Turning in something late without informing the instructor that it was going to be late will result in a zero for that assignment.  If you make arrangements to turn something in late (i.e. tell me prior to the due date that you are turning in something late) it will result in a loss of 5% per day after the due date.  In other words, you will lose one entire grade level for every 2 days late.

Academic Dishonesty: All work must be your own.  Do not work on paper assignments with others, unless you are instructed to do so.  Cheating on exams will not be tolerated and will be dealt with according to University policies (See policy at http://www.psu.edu/ufs/policies/).  It may result in failing the course.  The University views academic integrity and dishonesty as follows: Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception and is an educational objective of this institution.  Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating of information or citations, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students.

Accommodations for Special Needs: The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities.  If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please tell the instructor as soon as possible.

A note about your responsibilities for this course…

  1. This is a writing course, and as such you are required to write (big surprise).  The field of Psychology in the Western Hemisphere (and in fact most of the world) uses a particular writing format that has been designed and approved by the American Psychological Association (APA).  Just about any published work in Psychology follows this format, and you will be required to follow it too.  We will spend some time going over the particular requirements of APA style, but it is your responsibility to become familiar with the APA Publication Manual and apply the appropriate material. 
  1. Final Grade point cut-offs are listed below.  These are “set in stone”.  If you are a point away from the next highest grade, then you are a point away from the next highest grade.  No rounding will take place.
Letter Grade Points Percentage
A 731.5-770 95-100%
A- 693-731.4 94.9-90%
B+ 677.6-692.9 88-89.9%
B 639.1-677.5 83-87.9%
B- 616-639.0 80-82.9%
C+ 600.6-615.9 78-79.9%
C 539-600.5 70-77.9%
D 462-538.9 60-69.9%
F 0-461.9 0-59.9%

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Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.

How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.

In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.

All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .

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Accommodating Disabilities

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.

In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

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Additional Policies

For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.

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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.