Experimental Psychology

 

Dr. Zissis Pappas                                                                           Lecture: 50.830.381.01,  Mon. & Wed. 1:20-2:40 pm

zpappas@camden.rutgers.edu                                                                  Armitage Hall, Rm. 123

(856) 225-2986 (only during office hours)                                Lab:  50.830.380.01 OR  50.830.380.02, Mon. OR  Wed.  2:50-5:50 pm                                                                                               Armitage Hall, Rm. B-23

Armitage Hall, Rm. 459                                                                 

Office Hours: Tues. & Thurs. 5-5:50 pm                                 

                                                                                                           

 

Course Objectives: The two main objectives of this course are 1) provide firsthand experience conducting psychological research, and 2) discuss topics related to conducting research by covering/critiquing a diverse collection of experiments. You will be expected to select a research topic, create the materials, develop a method, collect data, analyze data, and report the findings in the form of a research report paper and a short presentation. In addition, you will also be expected to complete in-class and lab assignments related to the lecture material.

 

Readings:

            Required:

                        1) Experimental Psychology: a case approach (MacLin & Solso, 8th ed.): available at the bookstore.

                        2) Activation Code for Psychmate (item code: PSM-234145): available electronically for $20 at http://www.pstnet.com/products/PsychMate/

            Optional:

                        1) Research Methods Textbook (e.g., Research Methods, McBurney & White, 7th ed.)

                        2) American Psychology Association Publication Manual (5th ed.).

                        3) SPSS for Windows: step by step (George & Mallery, 6th, 7th, or 8th ed.)                  

                        4) Psychmate Student Guide (St. James, Schneider, & Eschman, ver. 2.0): available at the bookstore and at http://www.pstnet.com/products/PsychMate/  

            Supplemental Readings:

                        Articles will be available on Sakai one class in advance of the day covered (An announcement will be made in class and via email when each reading is posted).

 

Requirements and Grading:

            1) Attendance and in-class/lab assignments (15%): Attendance will ensure that you know what information from the readings is emphasized in the lecture and most likely to be encountered on the exams.  Attendance is necessary to complete the in-class and lab assignments, which will serve as the majority of this grade.

            2) Exam I (20%) and Exam II (20%): Each exam will be composed of multiple choice and short answer questions. The questions will test your knowledge of the information presented in the readings as well as the information presented only in the lecture.

            3) Research Paper (30%) and Presentation (15%): Your paper will be a research report in which you will present your hypothesis, a literature review, method, results, discussion, references, and figures.  The paper should be written in APA format and at least 10 pages of double-spaced text (not including the title page, abstract, references, and figures).  Your presentation should at least  6 minutes plus 1 minute to field questions and should present the following using Power Point: research question, method, results, and conclusion.  More information concerning the paper and the presentation will be provided in class/lab.

 

 

 

 

 

Date                 Topic                                                                                                   Chapter              Lab               

Week 1

1/23 Wed                    Course Introduction                                                                                  --                    No lab 01

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 2

1/28 Mon                     Scientific Inquiry & Using the literature as a source of research ideas           1-2                  No lab 2

1/30 Wed                    Basic Designs & Psychmate                                                                    3                    Psychmate 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 3

2/4 Mon                         Advanced Designs                                                                                   4                    Psychmate 2

2/6 Wed                        Experimental Design and Control & Psychmate                                          5                    Psychmate 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 4

2/11 Mon                     Control of Subjects                                                                                   6                    Psychmate 2

2/13 Wed                    Design Critiques                                                                                      7                    Select Topic 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 5

2/18 Mon                     Ethics & Research Process                                                                      8-9                  Select Topic 2

2/20 Wed          Experiment (Exp.): Territoriality in Parking Lots                                          11                   Materials 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 6

2/25 Mon                     Exp.: Cola Tasting & Fanning Old Flames                                                  10, 12             Materials 2

2/27 Wed                    Exp.: Picture Memory                                                                              13                   Method 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 7

3/3 Mon                         Exp.: Hormones and Toy Preference                                                          14                   Method 2

3/5 Wed                        Exp.: Maternal Behavior                                                                            15                   Collect Data 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 8

3/10 Mon                    Exam I                                                                                                   --                    Collect Data 2

3/12 Wed                    Exp.: Children's Reasoning                                                                                16                   Collect Data 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Break

3/17 Mon           No Class                                                                                                 --                    --

3/19 Wed          No Class                                                                                                 --                    --

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 9

3/24 Mon                     Exp.: Creative Porpoise                                                                            17                   Collect Data 2

3/26 Wed                    Exp.: Perspective Shifting & Therapy for Anger                                          18-19              Collect Data 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 10

3/31 Mon                     Exp.: Alcohol and Condoms                                                                      21                   Collect Data 2   

4/2 Wed                        Exp.: Prosocial Behavior & Karate Techniques                                           20, 22             SPSS 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 11

4/7 Mon                         Exp.: Disputes in Japan & False Confessions                                             23-24              SPSS 2             

4/9 Wed                        Exp.: Vision in a Monkey w/o cortex                                                          Sakai             Data Analysis 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 12

4/14 Mon                     Exp.: Seeing w/o a ventral stream                                                             Sakai              Data Analysis 2

4/16 Wed                    Exp.: TBA                                                                                               Sakai              Data Analysis 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 13

4/21 Mon                     Exp.: TBA                                                                                               Sakai              Data Analysis 2

4/23 Wed                   Presentations                                                                                         --                    No lab 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 14

4/28 Mon                    Presentations                                                                                         --                    No lab 2

4/30 Wed                   Research Paper Due - Presentations                                                      --                   No lab 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Week 15

5/5 Mon                        Presentations                                                                                         --                    No lab 2

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

5/12 Mon          Exam II                        ***2:00-5:00 pm***                                                           --                    --