Research in Psychology, Fall
2020
Class Information |
Instructor Information |
|
PSYCH 6006 |
Helen C. Harton, Ph.D. |
|
Bartlett 34 |
Bartlett 2080 |
|
tba |
273-2235; harton@uni.edu |
|
Office Hours: M 3-4; WF 11-11:50; whenever I’m around
Course
Information
Course Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course, you should be able to:
·
Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific literature relevant
to a hypothesis or research question;
·
Collect, manage, and/or analyze empirical data or obtain an existing
dataset to test a hypothesis or research question;
·
Demonstrate knowledge of ethical principles in research;
·
Present a research project to others;
·
Participate actively in discussions about research; and
·
Use research tools and programs (e.g., SPSS, Qualtrics,
SONA, MTurk, salivary cortisol analyses, biometric
equipment).
Instructor Course Description: You will work on one or more research projects.
You must have or obtain IRB training, participate regularly in research team
meetings, and present your research at at least one
conference. If these credits are for your first year project, you will be PI on
a study. You will design the study, collect data, analyze the data, and present
it at a conference. I will help and advise you during all the steps of the
project. You will also help with other projects in the lab, getting involved in
at least one group project with student co-PIs and helping provide feedback and
collect and/or analyze data for other projects. One credit equates to about
four hours per week of work.
Course Catalog Description: Conduct a supervised research project. May be repeated for maximum of 9
hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing in psychology; consent of graduate
coordinator and instructor.
Benefits of Research Experience:
Course Policies
Missed Meetings Policy: We will have regularly scheduled meetings to discuss the progress of your project. When you miss a meeting, you affect the progress of the entire research team. You may miss one meeting per type (i.e., large group, small group) for good reason (e.g., illness, conference presentation, religious observance) per semester without any penalty (make sure to let me know ahead of time to check with group members for any assignments). You can meet with me virtually or be zoomed into meetings at your request. If you have a need to miss more than one meeting, talk to me.
Academic Ethics Policy Statement: Students must observe the Academics Ethics Policy (http://www.uni.edu/policies/301). You should adequately cite your sources on PowerPoint slides and in your presentations and papers. You should not use another’s words on your slides or in your presentation without proper attribution. All sources should be ones that you’ve read directly; do not cite secondary sources.
Open Science Policy: My lab is committed to open science principles.
As such, all studies will be pre-registered, materials and data will be made public
where possible, and we will strive for transparency and ethicality in all our
projects.
COVID-related Policies: You are required, per university policy, to wear a face
covering in all campus buildings. You should also self-screen and not come to
meetings if you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19. If you need to miss
meetings because of COVID-related reasons, let me know so that we can meet
virtually and/or work together to make up missed work.
Diversity and Inclusion Policy: : My
goal is to present materials and activities that are respectful of various types
of diversity, including but not limited to gender, sexuality, disability, age,
socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, religion, and culture and to create a
positive learning environment for all. Your suggestions are encouraged and
appreciated. Please let me know if there are ways I can improve the
effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student
groups.
Civility Policy: It is important that we discuss topics calmly
and respectfully. We want to have an open setting where everyone feels free to
contribute, where no one tries to dominate the conversations, and where we all
remain open to other’s ideas. Ad hominem comments are not appropriate.
Harassment Policy: You do not have to put up with inappropriate
treatment (e.g, verbal, physical, or sexual
harassment) of any kind. If you have problems with a lab member, participant,
or conference goer (or other person you interact with through your lab
assignments), please let me know. It is important to note that if you do report
it to me, I may have to report it to the university. If you are not comfortable
talking with me about the issue, you can talk to the department head, Adam
Butler.
Authorship Policy: You are expected to be
first author on your first year project presentations, indicating that you have
done the majority of the work. If the project is later published in a journal,
you would also likely be first author, but authorship may change depending on
how much work you are willing to contribute to the manuscript. For small group
projects, authorship is determined by the amount each person in the group
contributes to the project. For conference presentations, I will usually take
last author, but for manuscripts the order may change based on contributions,
especially to writing. See APA guidelines for more information on authorship
order.
Credit Hour Statement: This course meets the Course Credit Hour
Expectation outlined in the Course Catalog. Students should expect to work a
minimum of 2 hours per week outside of class for every course credit hour.
Since this is a graduate course, the expectation is that you will work
approximately 4 hours per week outside of class for every course credit hour.
Required Readings
Required readings can be found at https://osf.io/enm45/. They include:
· Harton Lab pre-registration form
· Harton Lab instructions for running psychology studies
· Introduction to OSF
· Lab inclusion-exclusion (of data) document
· Qualtrics basic information
·
Harton, H. C., & Nail, P. R. (2008). Political orientation and contemporary racism
in America. In M. A. Morrison & T. G. Morrison (Eds.), The psychology of modern prejudice (pp. 51-75). New York: Nova Science
Publishers.
· Harton, H. C., & Bourgeois, M. J. (2004). Cultural elements emerge from dynamic social impact. In M. Schaller & C. S. Crandall (Eds.), Psychological foundations of culture (pp. 41-75). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Students will do also
readings relevant to their projects as well as general readings relevant to
psychology methods or lab topics.
Course Elements
and Expectations
Research Project:
Students
who are getting credit for a first year project should be primary PIs on a
project in which they deserve first authorship. This doesn’t mean that you have
to solely come up with the idea yourself—it’s still a collaboration—but you
should be the leader on the project and responsible for its continued progress.
You will design and collect data in the fall and analyze and present the data
in the spring. You may also choose to write it up for publication.
Small Group
Project: You will also be asked to work on a small group project with 2-3
other students. In this project, we’ll work together to design a study related
to one of my areas of research interest (e.g., social influence, political
psychology, research ethics). We will generally follow the same format
here—design and collect data in the fall and analyze and present in the spring.
Lab activities: As a member of my
lab, you’ll also work on projects that benefit others in the lab. For example,
you may be asked to give suggestions on a questionnaire, pretest a study, or
serve as a confederate.
Meetings: You’ll schedule
a half hour meeting with me each week for your first year project and another
for your small group project. We’ll also have one, hour-long large group
meeting per week. You are expected to attend and participate actively in these
meetings.
Presentation: You will submit
to one or more conferences in the fall and present at one or more regional,
national, and/or local conferences in the spring. Presentations may be posters
or oral presentations.
Open Science
Requirements: You will create an account on OSF and keep all of your study
materials up-to-date there. All studies will be pre-registered and gain IRB
approval before data collection begins. Materials and data will be made public
where possible. All data will be independently analyzed by at least two people,
and files will contain proper and clear documentation.
Final Grade
Determination
Grading in the course is based on the
quality of your participation (e.g., punctuality, meeting attendance and
participation, preparation, ethical behavior, attention to detail,
pre-registration, data cleaning, data analysis), timeliness (e.g., meeting
deadlines), and your outputs (e.g., quality of poster and presentation). If you
do everything well, you will earn an A in the course. Deficiencies in one or
more areas will result in a lower grade.
Course Schedule
These
are general time guidelines. Other assignments related to the large group will
arise as needed (e.g., helping as a confederate).
Week of |
Tasks/Topic |
Aug
17 |
Introduction
to the lab; Read initial required readings; Set up groups |
Aug 24 |
Initial
group meetings; Discuss ideas |
Aug
31 |
Form
general idea and do literature search (finding more readings); Develop idea;
do IAF form |
Sept.
7 |
Continue
idea development; Finalize methods |
Sept
14 |
IRB
proposal written and turned in |
Sept
21 |
Materials
(e.g., Qualtrics survey) developed |
Sept
28 |
Pre-registration
|
Oct
5 |
Data
collection |
Oct
12 |
Data
collection |
Oct
19 |
Initial
analyses; MPA proposal |
Oct
26 |
MPA
proposal turned in |
Nov
2 |
Continue
data collection via other sources |
Nov
9 |
Data
cleaning |
Nov
16 |
Data
cleaning |
Exam
week |
Clean
up files in OSF; data blitz; complete any final documentation |
Resources
and University Policy Statements
Counseling Center: UNI’s Counseling Center is free, confidential,
convenient, and effective. It is the mission of the University of Northern Iowa Counseling Center to promote the personal
development and psychological well-being of all students and to encourage a
college environment that is conducive to growth and learning. To make an
appointment, call 273-2676 (8:00-5:00 M-F). For urgent situations outside of
office hours, call the Counseling Center at 273-2676 and press 2 to speak to a
crisis counselor. Call 911 in case of immediate danger.
The Learning Center: The Learning Center @ Rod Library has office
hours for assistance with writing, math, science, and college reading and
learning strategies for both graduate and undergraduate students. For more
information, go to https://tlc.uni.edu/tutoring, email
TheLearningCenter@uni.edu, call 319-273-6023, or visit the TLC desk located on the
main floor of Rod Library. If you are unable to come in during normal tutoring
hours, online tutoring is available through Smarthinking.
You will need your CATID and passphrase to gain access. To access the Smarthinking platform go to https://tlc.uni.edu/schedule.
Rod Library: Rod Library is here to help, so take advantage
of their services. Need help finding resources for a research paper? Need to
find some information and can’t figure out where to look? Contact the Rod
Library! You can stop by, chat, email, text or call
the library all hours the library is open. www.library.uni.edu/research/ask-us
Need Other Assistance?: I am happy
to help you with class content, program issues, writing, etc. If you’re a
victim of a crime, you can call 1-800-770-1650 to talk to an advocate 24/7 or
text IOWAHELP to 20121. If you are experiencing food insecurity, you can access
the Panther Pantry in the lower level of Maucker
Union (right of the computer lab) from 12-7pm (til 8
S-Th) for confidential help. I can also help you
locate other resources, but be aware that if you report certain things to me
(e.g., sexual abuse, criminal activity), I may be required to report it to the
university.
Office of Compliance and Equity Management
Statement: The University of Northern Iowa
does not discriminate in employment or education. Visit 13.03 Equal Opportunity
& Non-Discrimination Statement (https://policies.uni.edu/1303)
for additional information.
Student Accessibility Services Statement: The University of Northern Iowa
(UNI) complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008
(ADAAA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Fair Housing Act,
and other applicable federal and state laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination
on the basis of disability. To request accommodations please contact Student
Accessibility Services (SAS), located at ITTC 007 for more information, either
at (319) 273-2677 or via email to accessibilityservices@uni.edu. Visit Student
Accessibility Services (https://sas.uni.edu/)
for additional information.