Psychology 501: Research Methodology Lori Sebastiani Marywood University Lee Sebastiani SC 203 876-5817 fax 876-6758 M 5:30 – 8:45 P.M. lorisebastiani@m.marywood.edu Required Readings Text: Patten, M. (2005). Understanding Research Methods (6th edition). Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Publishing. American Psychological Association (2005). Concise rules of APA style. Washington, DC: Author. (OR

the fifth edition of the complete Publication Manual) Class Handouts will be periodically distributed in class Course Overview Students in this course will design a research project which may be developed into a professional contribution. A variety of research approaches will be covered, as well as the use of appropriate statistical methods. Application and interpretation, rather than computation, of statistics will be emphasized. Psychology 501 is designed to be appropriate for majors in all behavioral and social science areas and at all levels of research experience. Students will also be introduced to computer applications in research. Course Objectives Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Objectives Method of Instruction and Evaluation Identify the advantages and disadvantages of several approaches to scientific research, including qualitative, quantitative, single-case designs, action research and outcome-based research.

In-class expository presentation, class discussion, objective examination

Conduct a comprehensive literature search (including database searching and evaluation of sources).

In-class demonstration, individual assignments, completion of research proposal

Evaluate research hypotheses by the development of appropriate research designs.

In-class presentation, individual assignments, small group peer feedback, completion of research proposal

Develop appropriate data analysis strategies, given a particular research situation.

In-class presentation, individual assignments, objective examination, completion of research proposal

Design an original research study suitable for conducting a professional contribution/thesis as a degree requirement or for conducting action research.

Independent research, completion of research proposal, final evaluation

Understand and be sensitive to the ethical issues involved in the conduct of research.

In-class presentation, class discussion, objective examination

Employ APA format in writing a research paper. Completion of research proposal, final evaluation

Understand the assumptions involved in the most frequently used descriptive and inferential statistics.

In-class presentation, objective examination

Critically evaluate published research with regard to the appropriateness of the conclusions drawn from the research, given the research design and statistics employed in the research.

In-class presentation, completion of research proposal, final evaluation

Be cognizant of the issues of reliability and validity as they apply to research studies.

In-class presentation, completion of research proposal, final evaluation

Apply and evaluate appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics in correlational, experimental, and quasi-experimental designs.

In-class presentation, completion of research proposal, final evaluation

Be aware of the specialized methodology appropriate to ethnographic and historical research.

In-class presentation, class discussion, final evaluation

Be aware of and develop basic skills in computer applications including statistical packages and data acquisition software.

In-class demonstration, course assignment

Evaluation Final grades will be based on the following components: 1. Midterm Exam 25%. 2. Research Project Proposal 3. Research Project Final Paper 40% 4. Final Exam 25% 5. Class Participation 10% Exams will be mixed in format, involving objective, short answer or essay questions. The research project will be presented in two stages: The non-graded Proposal will include a problem statement, preliminary literature review, a statement of hypotheses and a preliminary methods section and bibliography. The instructor will provide individual feedback on proposals. The Final Paper will include a revision of the Proposal and additional sections dealing with anticipated results and discussion. APA style will be used in the research papers, unless a particular alternative is cleared with the instructor. Class Participation will be evaluated based on attendance, contributions in class and completion of class assignments. Computer Applications Completion of the course will provide students with basic skills in using SPSS and online statistics calculators. Important Dates (subject to change) No class on March 17 or March 24. Midterm Exam Feb. 25 Proposal draft due Feb. 25 Final Exam April 14 Final proposal due May 5 Outline of Topics and Readings in Patten --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Introduction and Overview of Social and Behavioral Research (PART A, B, I) > The nature of scientific inquiry > Goals of scientific research > Laboratory and field research > Basic and applied research > Ethical issues > Research problem and review of the literature

2. Observation and Description (PART C, D, F-43, 45-46, 49-52) > Populations and samples > Describing observations > Sampling issues > Measurement issues > Procedures in questionnaire research 3. Correlational Designs (PART F-53) > Overview of types of research designs > Correlational research > Describing and evaluating correlation coefficients > Multiple Correlation and Regression > Factor Analysis 4. Identifying Causal Relationships (PART F-54-57, PART G) > Correlation and causation > Null hypothesis testing > Threats to the validity of causal inferences > Statistical threats > Internal validity > External validity > Population & ecological validity > Increasing external validity > Relationship between internal and external validity > Subject and experimenter biases 5. The Basic Experiment (PART E) > True experiments > Subject selection & assignment > Simple experimental designs > Increasing experimental power > Operationalizing experimental variables 6. Quasi-Experiments (PART E-41) > Nonequivalent Control Group Designs > Interrupted Time Series Designs > N=1 designs 7. Ethnographic and Historical Research (PART H) > Formulation of the research problem > Methodological issues Resources

Whitley, B. E. (2002). Principles of research in behavioral science (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. Pan, M. L. (2003). Preparing literature reviews. Los Angeles: Pyrczak Publishing. Text Website (includes APA style guide, avoiding plagiarism): http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0767421523/student_view0/ American Psychological Association code of ethics: http://www.apa.org/ethics/code.html

How to cite electronic references: http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html You may wish to self-register for the WebCT course VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR by accessing WebCT from www.marywood.edu

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