Spring 2015
PSYC B6: Research Methods
If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called
research, would it? – Albert Einstein
Professor:
Office Phone:
Email:
Office Hrs:
Website:
In emergency:
Lora Larkin
395-4380/ LA215A
llarkin@bakersfieldcollege.edu
M/W 10:30 –11:00am/ W 5:00-6:00pm & T/Th 9:30-11:00 or by appt
http://www2.bakersfieldcollege.edu/llarkin
Call BC security at 395-4554 (also for an escort to your vehicle)
Course/CRN &
Class Day/Time:
PSYC B6 #31827 (MW 8:00-10:05am)
in Science & Engineering Room 7
W
elcome to Research Methods! I have already spoken with many of you who are
absolutely dreading this course. Though I understand your concerns (remember I was
once a student too), I can assure you that this course will not be as bad as you think. In fact, I
might even wager (and I don’t even gamble) that this will end up being one of your best classes.
I strongly believe that you all have your individual strengths that, when combined with your
instructor’s and your fellow students’ strengths, can make a truly successful experience for you.
We are all in this together! But, of course, you will need to meet me halfway by following certain
course expectations too. I have attempted to anticipate as many of your questions about the
course as possible, but feel free to clarify any of your concerns at any time. Now about this
class…
S
tudent Learning Outcomes
What you should be able to do by the end of the course…
1. Articulate factors involved in using the scientific method to study behavioral and
social phenomena
2. Formulate testable research hypotheses based on operational definitions
3. Describe the strengths and limitations of various research designs
4. Analyze, interpret, and report statistical research findings using professional
standards
T
ext/Materials
Required Text:
Materials:
Passer, Michael (2014). Research Methods: Concepts and
Connections, 1st edition. NY: Worth Publishers. 978-14641264-99
Scantron- Datalink 100 (x4 for exams)
G
eneral BC Information
How will you succeed at BC this semester? What determines success is not circumstance,
but habit. Habits of Mind, It’s POSSIBLE at BC has many free tools intended to help you
accomplish your goals in school. Only you can overcome the challenges you face this semester
and in life. Start out successfully with these steps:
 Visit the Habits of Mind website: www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/habits-of-mind
 Download the app for Habits of Mind at BC for power in your palm
 Ask for help, do the work, and refuse to quit
Success takes energy, planning, and strategies for both the expected challenges in school as
well as the unexpected twists life can take. Now is the time to develop new habits.
Regular class attendance is expected of all students enrolled in the college. It is
especially important to attend the first sessions of each class for it is during those classes that I
will distribute important course requirements and explain what it expected. Students enrolled in
classes that are full may be dropped if you do not attend the first class sessions. If you are on a
course waitlist you should also attend the first class meeting to avoid being dropped.
Absence in no way relieves you of responsibility of work missed. If you are aware in advance of
an absence, make arrangements to make up the work to be missed. Otherwise, late
coursework is only accepted for half credit. Excessive absences (the equivalent of two
weeks of class recorded from the first day of instruction) will result in your being dropped from
the course, though you are responsible for officially withdrawing from any class or classes in
which you no longer wish to be enrolled. Non-attendance does not release you from this
responsibility.
Tutoring: BC students get free peer one-on-one tutoring in the BC Tutoring Center in
most subjects. You get one 50-minute session per subject per week with a tutor who has
successfully completed the class and is trained to be a tutor. Drop-in tutoring is also available in
math and English all day long. Schedule an appointment with the Tutoring Center at 395-4430
or online at http://bcacademicdevelopmentdepartment.weebly.com/tutoring-center.html.
Library Research Workshops are available to you in learning essential, collegelevel research skills. Seven different research topics are addressed in separate workshops.
Students who attend and evaluate these free workshops rank their usefulness midway between
ESSENTIAL and QUITE USEFUL. The workshops begin in the third week of the regular school
semester and last 10 weeks. Attending workshops earlier in the semester is recommended. Not
only can you use newly learned skills to improve your research, but will not risk being turned
away from a full classroom.
Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability and believe you may need
additional accommodations in this class, you are encouraged to contact Disabled Student
Programs & Services located at Student Services Building, 1st Floor, Counseling Center (3954334) as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely
fashion.
Academic Integrity: Plagiarism occurs when you use the exact written or spoken
words, a summary of written or spoken words, and/or the ideas that someone else has
produced without giving the original author credit. When you use another author’s material you
must give that person credit by indicating the source of the material in your text. Buying a paper
or having someone write your paper is also considered plagiarism. A plagiarized paper will
receive no (0%) credit.
C
ourse Catalog Description
PSYC B6 Research Methods for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (4 units). Writing one level prior to transfer. Description: Emphasis is on behavioral and social science research
processes and methods including: problem definition and hypothesis formation, research
design, ethical treatment of participants, data collection and analysis, application of statistical
software, and professional report writing. Students will collect and analyze data from both
experimental and non-experimental research methods. Hours: 72 lecture CCS: Liberal
Arts/Science Transferable: UC, CSU and private colleges
E
valuation
Be advised that the combined writing assignments (including weekly in/out-of-class
assignments and short-answer portions of your exams) for this class will total no less than 10
pages as stipulated by the Behavioral Science Department at BC.
Exams: There will be 4 exams worth 30% of your total semester grade. Each MC/short
answer exam will include concept/application questions, not just definitions and terms from rote
memorization. WARNING: If you are more than 15 minutes late for an exam, you will not be
allowed to take the exam. No make-up exams will be given. The lowest exam score will be
dropped at the end of the semester.
Assignments, including chapter discussions and activities, are worth 30% of your total
semester grade. Points will be based on your participation and effort. Note: simply attending
class will not constitute completion of the assignment. Participation cannot be made up, but
late coursework will be accepted for half credit.
Final Project: A final research proposal worth 40% of your total semester grade will be
due toward the end of the semester. A final presentation of your proposal will also be given to
your classmates. More details with regard to your final projects can be found on my website
(see also Appendix A of your text for a preliminary example).
Extra Credit: You are allowed no more than 2% of your total semester grade from extra
credit assignments. Extra credit opportunities (each worth 1%) will be announced throughout the
semester and may include providing recent newspaper/magazine articles, comic strips, etc. with
a brief typed explanation of how it relates to course content or to discuss within class; attending
the library workshops and critical academic skills workshops offered periodically throughout the
regular semester; and/or getting involved in campus activities (see BC event calendar for more
details on plays, concerts, sporting events, student government activities, and guest lectures)
and typing a half-page discussion of your experience with your ticket stub, brochure, or given
handout attached. I am certainly open to other ideas you may have to help with your success in
the course.
G
rade Scale
Final grades are based on a weighted calculation. Exams may be curved at my discretion.
You are responsible for keeping all returned, graded work and must keep all graded
assignments until after final grades have been reported to Admissions and Records in the event
that a grade is missing from the gradebook or has been miscalculated. Otherwise the final grade
will remain in effect. Grade summaries will be handed out at Midterm and towards the end of the
semester for clarification. It is also your responsibility to collect all assignments by the end of the
semester. I will be evaluating you on more than exams and assignments. I will also be
taking mental notes on your attitude and how you approach this class. If your grade
percentage is near a higher letter grade, (e.g., 78.9% is a C but near a B) you will earn the
higher grade if throughout the semester you have missed no more than two classes, completed
all assignments, and have demonstrated good classroom participation.
89.5-100
79.5-89.4
69.5-79.4
59.5-69.4
0-59.4
A
B
C
D
F
30% Exams
30% Assignments
40% Final Project
Weighted Grade Calculation: ___% (30%) +___% (30%) +___% (40%) =___%
(Hint: Use decimals rather than % to calculate your final grade)
F
inal Course Notes
The skills you are expected to practice in this class are the same skills that will be expected
of you within your careers. Arriving each day on time and turning in your completed work are
important behaviors for you to succeed in this course just as these behaviors would ensure that
you were not fired from a job, for example. I truly believe that learning is a partnership, whereby
what you get out of a class is a direct reflection of what you put into it. I strongly encourage you
to visit your text companion website at http://www.worthpublishers.com/passer1e for important
tools and resources for navigating successfully through this material. Be sure to check your BC
email frequently throughout the semester for important updates as well.
I look forward to meeting you and getting to know each of you better throughout the
semester. I welcome the opportunity to assist you in your academic endeavors. Please feel free
to come talk with me during office hours or by appointment anytime during the semester
concerning your progress in class. I have no doubt that those of you who wish to do well
certainly will!
I
mportant Dates for this Course
Jan 19 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Holiday
Feb 1 Last day to drop without receiving “W” grade
Feb 13 Lincoln’s Day Holiday
Feb 16 Washington’s Day Holiday
Mar 27 Last day to drop and receive “W” grade
Mar 30-Apr 4 Spring Recess
May 8-14 Finals Week
PSYC B6: Research Methods
Professor Lora Larkin
ATentative@ Course Schedule
Day of
Class
Discussion
*Assignments TBD
Proposal Ques/Hyp Due 2/25
Jan
21
26
28
Feb
2
4
9
11
18
23
Syllabus/Ch 1 Science & Psychology
Ch 1 cont.
Ch 2 Conducting Psychological Research
*2/1 Last Day to withdraw w/o “W”
Ch 2 cont.
Ch 3 Conducting Ethical Research
Ch 3 cont.
Ch 4 Defining & Measuring Variables
Ch 4 cont.
Exam Ch 1-4
25
2
4
9
11
16
18
Proposal Peer Feedback
Ch 5 Correlation and Correlational Research
Ch 6 Case Studies & Observational Research
Ch 6 cont.
Ch 7 Survey Research
Ch 7 cont.
Exam 5-7
Proposal Outline Due 3/23
23
25
8
13
15
20
22
Ch 8 Single-Factor Experimental Designs
Ch 8 cont.
*3/27 Last Day to withdraw w/ “W”
Ch 9 Factorial Designs
Ch 9 cont.
Ch 10 Experimentation & Validity
Ch 10 cont.
Exam Ch 8-10
Rough Draft Due 4/27
27
29
May 4
6
13
Conferences & Peer Feedback
Ch 11 Quasi-Experimental Designs
Ch 12 Single-Case Experimental Designs
Research Proposal Presentations
Final Exam Chapters 1-10
Mar
Apr
Final Proposal Due 4/29