Course Syllabus

Research Analysis in Psychology- Psychology 295

Fall Semester 2015

Course Section:
Monday
Meeting Place:
Faculty Contact
Instructor:
Office Hours:
Email:

007

Meeting Time: 5:45 - 8:35

Ayres 121
Information:
Dr. Cynthia W. Hackney
By Appointment
chackney@utk.edu

Course Credit Hours: 3

TA: Elaine Henry
ehenry5@vols.utk.edu
Monday 10am to 1pm

Course Description:
This course is designed to provide an introduction to the research methods
and data analyses used in psychological research. We will survey the goals,
logic, design, and methods of empirical research in psychology.
Course Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes:
This course foundational to the psychology major and directly supports one
of the program goals, which are adapted from the American Psychological
Associations Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major (August
2013):
APA & Department Learning Objective
Goal 1: Knowledge Base in Psychology
1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and
overarching themes in psychology
1.2 Describe applications of psychology
Goal. 2: Scientific Inquiry & Critical
Thinking
2.1 Use scientific reasoning to interpret
psychological phenomena
2.2 Demonstrate psychology information
literacy
2.3 Engage in innovative and integrative
thinking and problem solving
2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic
psychological research
Goal 3: Ethical and Social Responsibility
in a Diverse World
3.1 Apply ethical standards to evaluate
psychological science and practice
Goal 4: Communication
4.1 Demonstrate effective writing for different
purposes

Assessment method
Graded exams and
assignments, in-class
activities, department
assessment
Graded exams and
assignments, in-class
activities

Graded exams and

assignments, in-class
activities
Graded exams and
assignments, in-class
activities, written assignment

with feedback and revision

Learning environment: Traditional classroom course with lecture & group
discussion; Participation is expected.
Texts/ Materials/ Resources for the Course:

Textbook: Morling, B. (2015). Research Methods in Psychology:

Evaluating a World of Information. Second Edition NY: Norton
ISBN 978-0-393-93693-3
Blackboard: When you registered for the class you were automatically
enrolled on the Blackboard website for your section of this course.
Important announcements, supplemental resources, and daily graded
assignments will be available through Blackboard.
Students are responsible for all announcements and information posted
on Blackboard, and thus all students are expected to have an active
NetID account and to access Blackboard at least once before each class
session.

Course Requirements, Assessment and Evaluation Methods:

Exams/ Tests:
There are 3 tests and 1 comprehensive final exam - all with multiple
choice and short answer.
If you take all 3 tests and the final exam, only your best 3 scores count
toward your grade.
Assignments
There are 2 written assignments, both of which will be explained in
class.
Both assignments will be turned in using SafeAssign - a tool that helps
students to prevent plagiarism by helping students to avoid
inadvertently plagiarizing others work and helping instructors to detect
plagiarism when it does occur. SafeAssign checks all submitted papers
for unoriginal content and reports the results back to the student and
the instructor. All of your papers will be submitted to SafeAssign on
Blackboard.
In-Class Activities
There will be in-class activities for most of the class meetings which will
be turned in at the end of class period. Five of these will count toward your
grade.

Homework
There will be 8 homework assignments throughout the semester which
will be turned in via SafeAssign on Blackboard.

ASSESSMENT: You will be contacted near the beginning and end of the
semester (2 times) to complete a brief (20-30 minute) online survey
about your learning and experience in PSYC x95 this semester. This
survey is part of the Department of Psychologys regular assessments of
its courses and will also contain questions pertaining to the University's
accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS). You will receive a personalized email sent to your official UTK
email address with a link to the survey. It is your responsibility to check
this email regularly and to notify your instructor before the deadline if
you believe you did not receive the email.

Grading
Possib
le
Points

Assignment

Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Final Exam
Assignment 1
Assignment 2
In-Class Activities
Homework
Assessment
Subtotal
Drop 1 Exam Grade

100
100
100
100
50
50
50
50
10
610
-100
TOTAL:

Fina
l
Gra
de
A
AB+
B
BC+
C

Total
Percent
age

C-

70-72

D
F

60-69
<+59

93-100
90-92
88-89
83-87
80-82
78-79
73-77

510

University and Course Policies:

Make-up exams:
If you are absent the day of an exam, you must have a valid excuse
in order to be allowed to schedule the make-up.
Valid excuses include illness, university-sanctioned travel, and
observance of a religious holy day. Documentation of any absence
will be requested.
Students are expected to make all reasonable efforts to notify me of
their absence in advance, but the excuse must be made known to me
by the class period following the absence or the student will not be
allowed to schedule a make-up without a penalty.

 Students who miss an in-class quiz or exam without a valid excuse or

who fail to provide evidence of their excused absence by the next
class period will be allowed to take the make-up with a 25% penalty;
however, the make-up must be scheduled within one week of the
original absence, or you will not be allowed to take the make-up at
all.
In all cases, make-ups will cover the same content as the regular
exam.
All make-up exams are now scheduled through the Psychology
Department and taken in the Undergraduate Office. If you quality,
the online-scheduling link will be sent to you.

Late assignments: Unless otherwise indicated, all assignments are due

at the beginning of class.
Any assignment turned in after the deadline will be penalized 15% for
every day it is late. For example, if the homework is due at 11:00 on
Monday, and you turn it in at 12:00 on Monday, you will be penalized
15%. If you turn it in at 12:00 on Tuesday, you will be penalized 30%,
etc.
You may turn late assignments in at any time through Blackboard;
therefore, the 15% per day penalty applies to weekends and holidays.
If you submit a paper or assignment electronically and I am unable to
open it (e.g., wrong file format or the file is corrupted), the paper will
be considered late.
Please note that an excused absence from class the day an
assignment is due does not necessarily mean you have a valid
excuse for not turning in the assignment on time.
If you must miss class the day an assignment is due, you are
expected to have someone else turn your paper in for you or to
submit your paper electronically on time.
If for some reason this is not possible, you must contact me
immediately (preferably in advance) to explain the situation. I will
determine what, if any, late penalties (as described above) will be
assigned.

Academic Integrity: The UTK Honor Statement prohibits cheating,

plagiarism, and any other type of academic dishonesty, (Hilltopics, p.
16). It is your responsibility as a student to be familiar with UTKs Code
of Student Conduct, and policies on academic integrity and academic
misconduct. These materials can be found in Hilltopics, and at the
following web site: http://dos.utk.edu/files/Hilltopics 2012.pdf.
Evidence of academic misconduct will result in a failing grade

for that assignment or a one-letter grade reduction in final

course grade, whichever is larger, for any student(s) involved
and will be formally reported to Student Judicial Services (SJS).
A second offense will result in a failing grade for the entire
course and a second report to SJS.

Students with Disabilities Policy: Any student who feels s/he may need
an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact
me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact the Office of
Disability Services at 865-974-6087 in 2227 Dunford Hall to coordinate
reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

Attendance: Aside from attendance on exam / quiz days, class

attendance is strongly encouraged, but not required. However, it is
unlikely that you will do well on exams if you do not attend regularly. If
you miss a lecture for any reason, you will be responsible for all material
covered and any announcements made in your absence. There is no
make-up for the in-class activities that count toward your grade. Please
try to get the phone number or e-mail address of at least one other
person in the class so you may exchange notes if either of you is absent.
Some materials may be available on-line through the Blackboard course
page.

Cell phones and other electronic devices. If you have a cell phone or
other noise-making electronic devices, I ask that you respect the
learning environment of the class and silence them before class begins.
Most importantly, note that iPods, cell phones, laptops, headphones, and
other electronic devices are not permitted during quizzes or exams.
Make sure you turn those devices off before the quiz/exam begins.
Handling cell phones or other communication devices during a
quiz or an exam (regardless of your intentions) will be treated
as cheating (See above section on academic honesty). Please be
aware of this and take the necessary precautions beforehand to avoid an
unnecessary and unpleasant situation for all of us. Furthermore, laptops
are to be used in class for learning purposes only and if your computer
or use of other electronics becomes a distraction to myself or other
students, you will be asked to put it away or leave class.

Classroom behavior: I encourage you to actively participate in class and

to share your relevant comments, questions, and ideas. It is my
expectation that your behavior at all times will be respectful -- of your
classmates, yourself, and me. Language that is disrespectful based on
race / ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, gender or gender expression,
religion, ability, social class, or size will not be tolerated. I will always
end and begin class on time. Please arrive on time and be attentive
throughout the entire class do NOT begin packing up your belongings

before class is dismissed or engage in private conversations during

class, both of which are very distracting. Finally, please be sure to turn
off your cell phones before class. It is my hope that if we all adhere to
these minimal guidelines we will be able to engage in fun, thoughtful
discussions and activities that make learning psychology what it should
be: exciting.
.

Technical difficulties. Experiencing technical problems is not an

acceptable excuse for missing a deadline. If you are unable to submit an
assignment on time or complete a chapter quiz as a result of computer
or internet trouble, you will not receive credit. In order to avoid such
complications, contact the Blackboard help desk and give yourself
adequate time to resolve these issues before the deadline. Help Desk:
http://online.utk.edu/contact/contact_default.shtml or 865.974.9900. The
only exception to this rule will be if there is a system- or university-wide
reason for the problem, in which it will be determined if a new deadline
will be set for the assignment.

Important Dates in the Academic Calendar Fall 2015

Last Day to Add Classes
Last Day to Drop Course without W
Last Day to Drop Course with W
Last Day of Classes
Last day to withdraw from the
university
Study Day
Final Exams

August 24, 2015

August 24, 2015
November 10, 2015
December 1, 2015
December 1, 2015
December 2, 2015
December 3-10, 2015

This syllabus is subject to change; changes will be noted online in

Blackboard, and a current version of the syllabus reflecting any changes will
be available at all times through Blackboard. Students are responsible for
ensuring they are referencing the most current version of this syllabus.
Schedule (subject to change at my discretion)
Topics for each class, with reading to be done prior to class

Sep

August

Mont
h

Dat
e

Lecture Topic

24

Introduction & Psychology as a Way of

Thinking
Evaluating Sources of Information;
PsychInfo and APA

31

Three Claims; Four Validities

Ethics

Labor Day - No Class

Chapter
Readings
CH. 1
CH. 2
CH. 3
CH. 4

Assignments
Due

Homework CH 2

tember

CH. 5

Homework CH 5

Survey Research

CH. 6

Assignment 1

Correlations

CH. 7

Homework CH 6

12

Multivariate Correlation

CH 8

Homework CH 7

19

Introduction to Experiments

CH 9

Homework CH 8

26

Test 2
CH 10
CH 11
CH 12

Assignment 2

14

Reliability & Validity

21

Test 1

28

October

December

November

2
9
16

Experimental Design
More on Experiments

Experiments with More Than 1

Independent Variable
Quasi-Experiments and Small N Designs

23

Test 3

30

Review

FINAL EXAM
7:15 - 9:15pm

CH 13

Homework CH
10
Homework CH
11