Textbook: Conducting Research in Psychology: Measuring the Weight of Smoke (2nd Edition).
Course Objectives: The main goals of this course are: 1) to understand and to critically evaluate research in social psychology, and 2) to acquire the skills necessary to conduct research in social psychology.
Grading: Final grades will be based on a midterm and final exam (each worth 25% of your grade), a final paper based on your group research project (worth 20%), five brief written assignments (worth 15%), and class participation (worth 15%).
Your participation grade will be based on the following: 1) attendance in class, 2) participation in class discussions, 3) completion of NIH On-line Ethics Course, 4) class homework assignments, 5) a class presentation of your group's proposed research project, and 6) a final class presentation at the end of the semester.
Late papers: Late papers will be deducted 5% per day. Papers not received in class will be considered one day late.
Attendance: Students are responsible for all material presented and discussed in class including handouts, group presentations and announcements.
Exams: The format for the midterm and final exams will be short answer/essay.
Missed Exams/Presentations: The only acceptable excuse for a missed exam or group presentation is a personal or family illness. Verification must be provided and the instructor must be notified prior to the exam or presentation.
| Tentative Dates: | Topics and Exams: | Reading Assignments: |
| Jan 14 | Introduction | |
| Jan 16 | Film: On Becoming a Social Psychologist | Chapters 1 and 2 |
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| Jan 21 | Overview of methodologies | Chapter 3 |
| Jan 23 | Experimental design | |
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| Jan 28 | Alternative methods | Chapter 4 |
| Jan 30 | Causality | |
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| Feb 4 | Manipulating independent variables *NIH On-line Ethics Course deadline* | NIH On-line Ethics
Course Chapter 5 |
| Feb 6 | Measuring dependent variables | |
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| Feb 11 | Alternative explanations | Chapter 6 |
| Feb 13 | Group Meetings | |
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| Feb 18 | Surveys | Chapter 7 |
| Feb 20 | Cover stories and debriefing | |
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| Feb 25 and 9 | Testing Hypotheses | Chapters 8 |
| Feb 27 | Review | |
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| Mar 4 | Midterm | |
| Mar 6 | Midsemester break | |
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| Mar 11 | Group Meetings | Chapters 10, 11, and 12 |
| Mar 13 | Class Presentations- Research Proposals | |
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| Mar 18 | Class Presentations- Research Proposals | |
| Mar 20 | Analyzing Data | |
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| Mar 25/27 | Spring Break! | |
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| Apr 1 | Ethical issues in research | Baumrind, D.
(1964). Some thoughts on ethics of research. Milgram, S. (1964). Issues in the study of obedience. |
| Apr 3 | Ethical issues in research | |
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| Apr 8 | Demand characteristics and experimenter bias | |
| Apr 10 | Subject Bias | Sears, D.
(1986).
College sophomores in the laboratory. |
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| Apr 15 | Cross-cultural research | Betancourt, H. & Lopez, S.
(1993). The study of culture, ethnicity, and race in American Psychology. |
| Apr 17 | Cross-cultural research | |
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| Apr 22 | Cross-cultural research | Nisbitt, R. (1993).
Violence and US Regional Culture. |
| Apr 24 | Hands-on Methodology Problems | Chapter 13 |
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| Apr 29 | Class Presentations | |
| May 1 | Final Exam |