Muhlenberg College - Department of Psychology
Research Methods in Psychology (PSY-104)
Course Syllabus (Fall, 2011)
Instructor:
Mark J. Sciutto, Ph.D.
Office Hours
TR 10:30 – 11:30, WF 9:45 – 10:45, or by appointment.
Room 219 Moyer (Phone: Ext. 3649)
E-Mail: sciutto@muhlenberg.edu
Class Meetings:
T - R 2:00 - 3:50 p.m., Moyer 026
Required Texts:
Pelham, B. W. & Blanton, H. (2007). Conducting Research in Psychology: Measuring the Weight of
Smoke (3rd edition). Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

Textbook Companion Website: http://www.thomsonedu.com/psychology/ and
click on Research Methods books. Direct link available via electronic version of
the syllabus.
Recommended Texts:
American Psychological Association (2010). Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
(2 copies are available in the Library)
Strongly recommended for students pursuing graduate study in psychology.
Course News,
Documents etc.
Moodle ( http://moodle.muhlenberg.edu/ )
Course Unit
Instruction
This class is scheduled to meet for 4 hours per week of classroom instruction.
Course Objectives:

To develop an understanding of the key principles of research design as applied to psychological
research.

To cultivate the fundamental skills used by researchers in psychology, including the following:
critical analysis of methodological and statistical arguments, use of computer technology to
facilitate the research process, written and oral presentation of research findings, and collaboration
with peers.

To enhance interest in research and to foster an appreciation of the potential applications of
research to your own experiences.
Grading Policy
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The final course grade will be determined as follows:
Exam 1
15%
Cumulative Final Exam
25%
Lab/Writing Assignments
30%
Group Project
30%
Description of Course Components
In-Class Examination: (15%) One in-class examination will be administered. The exam format will
include multiple choice, true/false, short answer and application problems. If you have a conflict with
any exam, you must notify me at least 24 hours in advance. If an exam is missed, and I am not notified
ahead of time, you will receive a zero for that exam. Make-up exams will only be given for the
following reasons, (1) sickness—you must bring me documentation verifying your illness, (2) a family
emergency/crisis/death—must be verified by the Dean of Students. If an exam is missed for reasons
other than those listed above and I am not notified ahead of time, you will receive a zero for that exam.
You must take the final exam during the designated final period. If you have to miss the final, you will
receive an “Incomplete” for the class. You are then subjected to College procedures regarding an
incomplete grade (see student handbook).
Final Exam (25%): The final examination will be cumulative and will contain two portions. The first
section will involve using SPSS to analyze data. You will be permitted to use any outside materials for
this section. The second section will contain integrative application problems involving research
design and statistical analyses. You will not be permitted to use any outside materials for this portion
of the exam.
Lab/Writing Assignments (30%): The purpose of these assignments is to reinforce key concepts and
skills introduced in class lectures and discussions. In some cases, the assignments will be completed in
class. In other cases, students will begin assignments in class but complete them outside of class. In
most cases, the final product will be a brief paper describing the outcomes related to the assignment.
Because these assignments are tied so closely to class material, it is essential that you attend class and
actively monitor Moodle for guidelines and clarification of the assignments. Because of the
collaborative nature of most of these assignments, students who miss class will generally not be able to
“make up” the assignment.
Group Research Project (30%): Groups of 3 or 4 students will research, design, and conduct an
original psychological experiment on a topic of their choice. The completed project will include a
written report in APA format and a poster presentation of the project on Psychology Day
(http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/academics/psychology/psychology_day.html). Preliminary drafts of
each section of the paper are strongly encouraged throughout the semester. These preliminary drafts
will not be graded, but are meant to provide valuable feedback. You are strongly encouraged to seek
feedback frequently throughout the semester. Although the design and data collection phases of
this project are collaborative, the writing of the final paper is an individual assignment. A portion of
the grade will be equal for all group members, but final papers will be graded individually.
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Research in Psychology: Research is the foundation of the information you learn in class and being an
active participant in this arena allows you to better understand the field of psychology. Therefore, the
Psychology Department has adopted a policy for its courses that requires students to interact with
psychological research inside and outside of the classroom
(http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/academics/psychology/learning_outside_classroom.html). You
may satisfy the research requirement for this course in one of two ways:
(a) Participate in Research Studies: Give back to the research community through participation in
studies being conducted by psychology peers and faculty members. Students must participate in
three studies to satisfy the requirement for this class. You can find studies that qualify for this
requirement by looking on the Research Board just outside the Psychology Department Office
(Moyer 227). To ease the pressure on the LOC participant pool, we have moved toward a
cooperative arrangement between the Advanced Lab and Research Methods courses that will
ensure that all student class projects obtain a reasonable sample while not diluting the pool of
participants available for faculty and student independent research. Specifically, as a class
requirement, you must participate in at least 2 studies being conducted by the Advanced
Lab students (they will be designated as such on the LOC board). In return, Advanced Lab
students will participate in your study. These two studies count toward the 3 experiences
required for this course.
or
(b) Analyze a Methodological Issue in the Popular Press: Students who do not wish to participate
in studies or are unable to find studies with sign-up times that match their schedules, may
complete an alternative research assignment (see me for details).
*Failure to fulfill this requirement will result in up to a 3-point deduction from your final course grade.
Attendance: Although attendance is not mandatory, it is strongly encouraged. Attendance records will
be used in determining borderline courses grades (e.g., Johnny has a 92.9 average and has only missed
one class--he gets an A; Jimmy also has a 92.9 average and he has missed 10 classes--he gets an A-).
A word of caution: In the past, students who have missed multiple classes have not done very well.
Your presence and active participation are essential to learning in this course.
Late Assignments: Late assignments will be penalized 5% per day late (including weekend days).
Academic Integrity: You are expected to conduct yourself in accordance with the Academic Integrity
Code of Muhlenberg College (http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/aboutus/dean-academic/integrity/). Honesty is an
essential aspect of academic integrity. Individual students are responsible for doing their own work and
for not taking credit for the effort and ideas of others. This includes plagiarism, cheating and not
contributing to group projects. This obligation is based on mutual trust and is essential to meeting the
goals of this course. Academic dishonesty of any type on any type of academic work will not be
tolerated.
Some important points about academic integrity:
1. Unless collaboration is explicitly permitted, you should assume that every course assignment or
assessment (i.e., exams) is to be completed individually. This means that you are to work on
course assignments by yourself – not with your friend, roommate or anyone else. Any violation
of this restriction will be considered a violation of the Academic Behavior Code and will result
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in an automatic failure for the assignment. If you are struggling with an assignment, you should
consult with me during office hours or make an appointment.
2. You are responsible for keeping drafts, references/sources, and electronic copies of all of your
written assignments, to turn in upon my request until final grades are completed.
3. You should begin your work early. An unforeseen event arising the night before a paper is due
is not a legitimate reason for a paper extension.
4. When submitting assignments electronically, you should request confirmation that your
assignment has been received or you should save some form of confirmation that your e-mail
was sent (each e-mail program differs in how to do this). Any file that cannot be opened (e.g.,
corrupted file) will not be considered submitted until I receive a valid copy.
5. You are responsible for taking precautions that your work (especially written work that
paraphrases another written source). If I determine that you have copied all or part of an exam
or paper from another source (including another student, a web page, a textbook, or other
published source), you will receive a failing grade in this course. If your written work includes
material that is paraphrased unacceptably from the original source, I will ask you to re-submit
the written work and I will lower the assignment grade by 10%.
6. On all work submitted for a grade, you must write and sign the following pledge: “I pledge that
I have complied with the Academic Integrity Code in this work.”
Students with Disabilities. Students with disabilities requesting classroom or course accommodations
must complete a multi-faceted application/approval process through the Office of Disability Services
prior to the development and implementation of an Accommodation Plan. Each Plan is individually
and collaboratively developed with the directors or other staff of the following Departments, as
appropriate: Academic Resource Center, Counseling Services, Student Health Services, and the Office
of Disability Services. If you have not already done so, please contact the appropriate Department to
begin a dialogue regarding your academic needs and recommended accommodations, auxiliary aids,
and services. Students with disabilities who may need disability-related accommodations are
encouraged to make an appointment to see me during the first two weeks of class.
Important Note about Information Technology:
In this course, you will be required to make extensive use of the information technology
available at Muhlenberg. You will be using a software program called Moodle © to exchange
documents electronically, communicate outside of class, and stay updated on class events.
Students who are less comfortable with information technology should schedule an
appointment with me so that I can help orient you to the various tools we will be using.
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Class Schedule
Date
8/30 (T)
Research in Psychology: How Do We Know?
9/1 (Th)
Research in Psychology: How Do We Find
Out?
9/6 (T)
Group Project
Timeline
Topic(s)
Readings
PB = Pelham & Blanton
PB: Chpt. 1
Generating Research Ideas; Library Resources;
Ethics in Psychological Research
Form Groups
PB: Chpt. 2 (pp. 26 – 44)
Generate Topics
PB: Chpt. 2 (pp. 44 – 58)
Literature
Review
PB: Chpt. 11 (pp. 294 – 311)
PB: Chpt. 3
9/8 (Th)
Writing a Literature Review; Group Project
Time
9/13 (T)
Measurement: Reliability and Validity

9/15 (Th)
Measurement: Reliability and Validity (cont.);
Group Project Time

9/20 (T)
Measurement: Survey Construction
9/22 (Th)
Data Analysis: Descriptive Statistics Review;
Group Project Time
9/27 (T)
Measurement: Survey Construction (cont.)
9/29 (Th)
Threats to Validity

10/4 (T)
Threats to Validity
Design Study
Locate Measures
10/6 (Th)
Writing a Method Section; Group Project Time
Form Hypotheses
PB: Chpt. 4

PB: (pp. 270 – 276)
Draft of Intro
Section Due
PB: Chpt. 5


10/8 – 10/12 Fall Break
10/13 (Th) Exam
10/18 (T)
Observational Methods
10/20 (Th)
Ethics in Psychological Research; Choosing
the Right Research Design
10/25 (T)
Group Project Time
Method Section
Draft
PB: Chpt: 6
Ruback & Juieng (1997)

Review PB: (pp. 50 – 57)
PB: Chpt. 9
Submit ethics
proposal

10/27 (Th) One-Way Designs
11/1 (T)
One-Way Designs
Finalize Design;
Collect Data
11/3 (Th)
Factorial Designs

11/8 (T)
Factorial Designs

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PB: Chpt. 7
11/10 (Th) Data Analysis: Inferential Statistics
11/15 (T)
Quasi-Experimental Designs
11/17 (Th) Within Subjects Designs
11/22 –
11/27
PB: (pp. 276 –293)

PB: Chpt. 8

PB: Chpt. 9 (pp. 258 – 267)
Submit Results
Draft
PB: Chpt. 11
Thanksgiving Break
11/29 (T)
Writing and Presenting Research Results
12/1 (Th)
Within Subjects Designs
12/6 (T)
Group Project Time;
***Psychology Research Day***
(4:20 – 6:30 p.m.)
12/8 (Th)
Group Project Time
12/12 –
12/16
Analyze Data

Cumulative Final Exam TBD
* Class schedule is tentative. Please check Moodle for updates.
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