RESEARCH METHODS
Psychology 290
Fall 2006
Instructor:
Victor A. Shamas, Ph.D.
520-621-7447 (message phone only)
e-mail: vas@email.arizona.edu
Required Materials: Methods: Toward a Science of Behavior and Experience (8th Edition)
by William J. Ray (Thomson Wadsworth)
Lectures on Methods, set of three audio CDs
Course Overview
Every fact that is presented in psychology textbooks has been verified through some form of
scientific research. To understand and evaluate the information that makes up the field of
psychology, you need to know how the information is gathered. This course will provide a
thorough introduction to the methods used by researchers in psychology to advance our collective
understanding of human thoughts, emotions, and actions. The course is divided into the
following three units:
Unit 1: The Scientific Method
This unit will introduce you to fundamental ideas about the scientific method, starting with a
definition of science. You will learn to distinguish among the three kinds of methods used in
psychology, and you will discover how scientific hypotheses are developed. The unit concludes
by giving you a conceptual overview of the role that measurement and statistics play in
psychological research.
Unit 2: Basic Research Issues
In this unit, you will learn to think like a researcher. You will be introduced to the basics of
hypothesis testing and the importance of experimental controls. Then, you will apply these
concepts to the design of two kinds of research experiments: between-subjects and withinsubjects designs. Finally, you will explore the social nature of the experimenter-subject
interaction and discover the effects that this interaction can have on the outcome of an
experiment.
Unit 3: Advanced Research Issues
Emphasis in this unit will be placed on approaches to research that extend beyond the confines of
the laboratory. You will be introduced to the following designs: quasi-experimental,
correlational, naturalistic observation, and single-subject designs, as well as the basics of survey
research. The unit concludes with an overview of how to write up your research findings in the
standardized format required by scientific journals.
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Course Structure
Although this is a Web-based course, it resembles a traditional lecture course in virtually every
regard. Here are the features of the course:

Lectures. The instructor will post his comments and insights into the course material in
the Classroom forum, which can be accessed by clicking on the Discussons link from the
course homepage (http://d2l.arizona.edu). In a set of three audio CDs entitled Lectures
on Methods, the instructor will discuss some of the more complex material in the course
and will guide you through specific lessons in the study guide. These CDs will be
available ONLY through the Arizona Bookstore (845 N. Park Ave).

Classroom. In the Classroom discussion, which can be accessed by following the
Discussions link from the course homepage, you can post questions about the course
material, read the instructor’s responses to students’ questions, and discuss issues related
to consciousness.

Daily Updates. In the Announcements discussion, which can also be accessed by
following the Discussions link from the course homepage, the instructor will update you
on the day-to-day business of the class. If you have logistical questions about the class
(e.g., deadlines, exams, grading), this is the place to post them.

Handouts. You will be able to download the materials you need from the instructor’s
Web site (http://vas.web.arizona.edu). These include the syllabus you are reading as
well as a detailed study guide that helps you navigate through the course readings and that
includes practice tests.

Assigned Readings. The course material is divided into three units, each of which
consists of 18 lessons. In the Course Schedule shown below, you will see a listing of the
textbook chapters and online readings that will be covered each class day. Make sure to
keep up with the class pace by reading each chapter by the date specified in the schedule
and by working through the lessons in the study guide corresponding to each chapter.

Exams. You will be taking three multiple-choice exams in this course, which are
described in greater detail in the section entitled “Grading Policy.” Your grade is based
entirely on your exam scores.

Grade Posting. You will be able to look at your exam scores and course grade by clicking
on the Grades link from the course home page.

Office Hours. You can send private questions to the instructor by clicking on the
D2LEmail link from the course home page. The instructor will answer virtually all
questions in less than 24 hours. In most cases, he will post his answers to one of the
forums so that other members of the class can benefit from the information.
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The course will proceed as follows: There will be assigned readings for every week of the
session. You will be expected to keep up with the readings and to visit the course D2L site at
least 2-3 times a week. When you enter the Discussions, you will find updates in the
Announcements forum and information about the course material in the Classroom. You can
check your grade at any time using the Grades feature and send questions or comments to the
instructor via the D2LEmail feature.
Grading Policy
Your grade will be based on the three multiple-choice exams. If you are planning to be in
Tucson, you can take the exams anytime during Fall Semester at the Independent Study through
Correspondence office, Room 323 of the University Services Building, 888 North Euclid
Avenue. You will need to contact the testing coordinator, Isabel Gil, to schedule appointments to
take the three exams. She ONLY proctors exams on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 8:3011:30 AM and Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:30-4:30PM. You can reach Ms. Gil either by
telephone (520-626-4229) or e-mail (igil@email.arizona.edu). PLEASE NOTE: If you
schedule an appointment to take an exam and fail to show up, you will be awarded a score of
zero for that exam. YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL THREE EXAMS BY 11:30AM ON
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 6.
If you are planning on taking your exams outside of Tucson, you will need to find a qualified
proctor in your area. Your proctor must be one of the following:
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School Superintendent
Principal or Vice Principal
Full-time Librarian
Base Education Officer
County Extension Director
Guidance Counselor
Independent Study Officer
Commanding Officer
Testing Center
YOU MUST COMPLETE THE ONLINE PROCTOR AGREEMENT FORM
(http://vas.web.arizona.edu) AND SUBMIT IT THE DISTANCE LEARNING OFFICE BY
5PM ON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 1. If you miss this deadline, you will need to either take your
exams in Tucson or drop the course.
You can either fax the completed form (520-621-3269) or mail it to the following address:
University of Arizona
CEAO Attn: Distance Learning
PO Box 210158
Tucson, AZ 85721-0158
Please note that out-of-town students will not be able to take any of their exams until their
proctors have received the exam packets from the Distance Learning office.
There are a total of 120 points for this course, which are distributed as follows:
Midterm 1:
Midterm 2:
Final exam:
TOTAL
30 points
30 points
60 points
120 points
The exams are multiple-choice and each question has four choices. Because the tests are
computer-graded, you will need to bring a Number 2 pencil to the exams and to make sure that
you fill in the accompanying bubble sheet according to the instructions that will be provided.
Each question is worth one point, and you can earn a possible 120 points on the exams. On the
final, 40 questions will cover new material (Unit 3) and the other 20 will be review of the
material in Units 1 and 2.
Your grade will be based on the grade cutoffs shown below:
Grade
Score___
A
100-120
B
80-99
C
60-79
D
40-59
F
below 40
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All of the exams are closed-book and closed-notes tests. You will have up to one hour to
complete each midterm and two hours for the final. There are no make-up exams in this
course. If you schedule an exam time and fail to show up for it, you will be awarded zero points.
Please note: There is no extra credit in this course and no grade of "incomplete."
Course Schedule
You will need to read a chapter of your textbook per day. Please keep up with the readings so
that you can post questions to the Classroom discussion related to the material we are covering
each week. Even if you are not keeping up, however, you can post any question about course
material at any time. Your questions and comments are always welcome.
WEEK 9 (10/16-10/20)
CH.9: Extending the Logic of
Experimentation
WEEK 1 (8/21-8/25)
Semester Starts: 8/21
CH.1: What is Science?
WEEK 10 (10/23-10/27)
CH.10: The Ecology of the Experiment
WEEK 2 (8/28-9/1)
CH.2: Introduction to the Methods of
Science
WEEK 11 (10/30-11/3)
CH.11: Quasi-Experimental, Correlational,
& Naturalistic Observational Designs
WEEK 3 (9/4-9/8)
Labor Day: 9/4
CH.3: Developing the Hypothesis
WEEK 12 (11/6-11/10)
CH.12: Single-Subject Designs
WEEK 4 (9/11-9/15)
CH.4: Description of Behavior
WEEK 13 (11/13-11/17)
Veteran’s Day: 11/13
CH.13: Questionnaires, Surveys &
Sampling
WEEK 5 (9/18-9/22)
CH.5: Inferential Statistics
WEEK 6 (9/25-9/29)
CH.6: Testing the Hypothesis
WEEK 14 (11/20-11/24)
Review Week: No New Material
Thanksgiving Break: 11/23-11/24
WEEK 7 (10/2-10/6)
CH.7 : Control
WEEK 15 (11/27-12/1)
CH.15: Sharing the Results
WEEK 8 (10/9-10/13)
CH.8: Applying the Logic
of Experimentation
WEEK 16 (12/4-12/6)
Finish Exams by 12/6
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Your Instructor
Victor Shamas received his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Arizona in
1994 and his MS in Chemistry from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1984. He has
taught Introduction to Psychology, Psychological Measurement and Statistics, Child
Development, Psychology of Love and Spirituality, Psychology of Excellence, Research
Methods, Biopsychology, Cognitive Psychology, Sensation and Perception, Cognitive
Development, Personality, Psychology of Consciousness, Industrial-Organizational Psychology,
Abnormal Psychology, Health Psychology, Psychology of Death and Loss, Adult Development
and Aging, Thinking Reasoning and Problem-Solving, and Sleep and Sleep Disorders. He has
been a member of the faculty at The Evergreen State College, St. Martin’s College, Green River
Community College, and the University of Arizona.
Dr. Shamas has a strong commitment to interdisciplinary education and has taught courses in the
fields of psychology, chemistry, natural history, counseling, and communications. In 1986, he
was named the first Master Learner in the State of Washington as part of a program coordinated
by the Washington Center for the Advancement of Undergraduate Education. He has been the
recipient of research fellowships from the National Science Foundation and the McDonnell-Pew
Foundation. His research focuses on the role of consciousness in the creative process.
Besides his empirical work, he has co-authored theoretical papers in Behavioral and Brain
Sciences and in the following edited volumes: Implicit Memory and Metacognition by Lynne
Reder (1996), Implicit Cognition by Geoffrey Underwood (1996), and Contemporary Hypnosis
Research by Erika Fromm and Michael Nash (1992). In 2003, Dr. Shamas produced a set of
multimedia instructional materials for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, entitled Visualizing
Addiction (http://www.visualizingaddiction.org).
Required Materials
The textbook for this course is Methods: Toward a Science of Behavior and Experience (Eighth
Edition) by William J. Ray, published in 2006 by Thomson Wadsworth. All readings listed in
the course outline are taken from this book. Also required is a set of three audio CDs entitled
Lectures on Methods, which can be purchased ONLY through the Arizona Bookstore (845 N.
Park). These CDs are not available in the campus bookstore.
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