PSYCH 302 Syllabus
Course Outcomes
- Serve other students, build the people around you and add value to the class and the community
- Think critically about research
- Use the basic descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS Demystified
- Write up scientific findings (Proposals and Poster)
Description
We are so happy that you are in this class. You may have realized at this point in your education that mainstream psychology is based on scientific research, and that psychology is only as good as its research—and its philosophy. As a psychology major, minor, or cluster, you have bought psychological textbooks. Your textbooks are filled with knowledge based on research. Research is one skill that carries over to all kinds of jobs and all kinds of great grad schools. Research methods skills are highly respected and well-rewarded monetarily. Bro. Yohan Delton and Bro Brady Wiggins the faculty members at BYU-I who helped developed this course, have used research methods to save lives, identify trends, bless the Temple Department, help missionaries, help improve the Welfare Department, understand emotions in jury trials, help the marketing industry, make serious money, improve teaching, improve understanding of poverty, and the list goes on.
Some students really catch the research bug and have even attended some of the most prestigious psychological conventions to present research. They have held their own while they stood next to students from Michigan Ann Arbor, Texas A&M, Yale, etc. I hope you realize that you are getting a great education as a psychology major at BYU-I; our personal bias is that we have the “A” team here in the psychology department.
Most importantly though, research methods can help you be a better parent, a better employee, and a better tool in the hands of God. I hope you will discover early on that research methods are for you.
Learning Model Architecture
The BYU-Idaho Learning Model is first and foremost a “learning” model, not a teaching model. By following its principles, you will learn more, learn faster, and retain more.
You will prepare for the week’s activities by reading the objectives and assigned chapters and then by reviewing the presentations associated with them. You will teach one another by selecting an objective for the week and making a discussion question out of it while responding to your classmates’ questions. You will ponder and prove what you have learned through reading quizzes, research proposals, creating questions, and creating research cards.
Prerequisites
PSYCH 111 and FDMAT 223
Required Materials
- Experimental Methodology (Research Methods, Design, and Analysis Book Chapter, 11th Ed., by Christensen, Johnson, and Turner ISBN-13: 9780205701650)
- SPSS Demystified: A Step by Step Approach” (978-0205735822)
- Access to SPSS or access to a similar free program titled PSPP
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Grading Policies
Your grade for this course consists of several elements. The most important is your proposal, which you can use for the PSYCH 485 Experiencing Research class. In that course you can conduct the study you will be creating in this class. In this course, you will create the proposal for your study. The proposal consists of several parts listed in the table below. These parts include two annotated biographies, an APA style document, a reference assignment with 10 peer-reviewed articles, a draft of the Introduction section of your study, a draft of the Methodology section of your study, two peer reviews of these drafts, a revised final version of your proposal, and a poster of your study’s anticipated findings. In addition to your study proposal, there are several other regular activities you will complete in the course. You will create outlines of the chapters you are reading in Research Methods, Design, and Analysis and discuss these outlines in regular discussion board activities. After you complete the assigned reading from the textbooks you will have quizzes on the material. This course includes three exams over the material in Research Methods, Design, and Analysis as well as outside readings. There are several participation activities including discussion boards on your outlines, assignments, SPSS exercises, and the syllabus quizzes. You can learn more about specific activities by reviewing the instructions in I-Learn.
Assignment |
Point Value |
Proposal |
|
Annotated Bibliography |
10 pts x 2 = 20 pts |
APA Style Doc |
10 pts |
Reference Page (10 references) |
5 pts |
Draft of Introduction |
25 pts |
Draft of Methodology |
25 pts |
Peer Review (2) |
20 pts |
Proposal Final Draft |
170 pts |
Poster (Future) Results |
25 pts |
Total |
300 pts |
Recurring Activities |
|
Outlines |
150 points (10 outlines at 15 pts each) |
Reading Quizzes |
100 points (14 quizzes) |
Participation |
100 points (various activities) |
Exams |
600 points (3 exams at 200 pts each) |
Total |
950 pts |
Grand Total |
1250 pts |
93% A
90% A-
87% B+
83% B
80% B-
77% C+
73% C
70% C-
67% D+
63% D
60% D-
<60% F
Turnitin.com
You will need to create a free turn it in account for this class.
Expectations
Since this is a 3-credit course, you are expected to spend around 11-12 hours per week working on your assignments for this class. Consider this an investment in your future career as you prepare to use your research skills.
Disclaimers
Americans with Disabilities Act: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all qualified students enrolled in this course are entitled to reasonable accommodation. It is the student’s responsibility to disclose to the teacher any special need he/she may have before the end of the first week of class. Preventing Sexual Harassment: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds, including Federal loans and grants. Title IX also covers student to student sexual harassment. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, please contact Personnel 496-1130.