Instructor:	Thomas E. Malloy, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology
E-mail:	tmalloy@ric.edu
Office:	Horace Mann 068
Psychology Resource Page:___	www.ric.edu/psychology/psychology/tpd.htm - access to the professor and resources for psychology students
Trochim Research Methodology Internet Site___	www.trochim.cornell.edu/kb/contents.htm

Required Text and Readings on the Internet

Rosnow R. L. & Rosenthal, R. (2002), Beginning Behavioral Research. Prentice Hall.

In addition to the textbook, there will be assigned reading from internet websites. A website focused on research methodology that will be very useful to you is maintained by Professor William Trochim at Cornell University. The address for the table of contents of this website is listed above as a hyperlink. If you go to this page you will find links to some (though not all) of the specific topics that will be covered in this course.

Nature of the Course

This course focuses on philosophy of science, research methods, the structure of designs, and statistical analysis strategies used in research on personality and social psychology. Foundation knowledge in personality and social psychology, research methods, and statistics is assumed. The lecture portion of the course will be organized into three major sections that integrate specific topics within each section. The sections are:

Topics of the Lecture Portion of the Course:

Week	Topic	Reading
1	Epistemology, Discovery, and Justification in Science	chapter 1 of Rosnow and Rosenthal Trochim Site - Philosophy of Research - Structure of Research - Deduction and Inuction - Posivitism and Post-Positivism - Introduction to Validity and also read Donal T. Campbell's Evolutionary Epistemology http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be//EVOLEPIST.html
2	Logic of Research Design and Statistical Models	Chapters 2 and 3 of Rosnow and Rosenthal Trochim Site - Five Big Words - Types of Questions - Time in Research - Types of Relationships - Variables - Hypotheses - Types of Data - Unit of Analysis - Two Research Fallacies
3 & 4	Measurement Theory	Chapter 6 Rosnow & Rosenthal Trochim site - measurement error - theory of reliability - types of reliability - relationships of reliability and validity
5	Multitrait-Multimethod Matrix	Trochim site http://trochim.human.cornell.edu/tutorial/jabs/mtmm.htm

6	Descriptive Research and Analysis	Chapter 10 Rosnow & Rosenthal
7	Relational Research and Analysis (Correlation and Linear Models)	Chapter 11 Rosnow & Rosenthal
8	Pre-Experimental and Experimental Design	Chapter 7 Rosnow & Rosenthal Trochim site - Introduction to Design - Types of Designs - Experimental Design - Two-Group Experimental Designs - Random Selection & Assignment - Classifying Experimental Designs - Factorial Designs - Factorial Design Variations
9	Quasi-Experimental Design	Chapter 8 Rosnow & Rosenthal Trochim site - Quasi-Experimental Design - The Nonequivalent Groups Design
10	Comparing Two Means (One Factor)	Chapter 13 Rosnow & Rosenthal
11	Comparing Three or More Means (One Factor)	Chapter 14 Rosnow & Rosenthal
12	Factorial Design (Two Factors)	Chapter 14 Rosnow & Rosenthal

13	Interactions in Factorial Designs	Lecture and Pages 325-329 Chapter 14 Rosnow & Rosenthal
14	Power Analysis, Meta-Analysis, and Missing Data	Chapter 12 Rosnow & Rosenthal Appendix C pages 396-403 Rosnow & Rosenthal

The outline above represents the sequence of topics that will be addressed in the lecture portion of the course. Students are encouraged to read the assigned material prior to the lecture. Lectures will overlap with reading, however, material not in the reading will regularly be discussed in class.

Topics of the Laboratory Portion of the Course:

The laboratory portion of the course will provide practical experience conducting research on social behavior. Because the topic of the laboratory study changes from semester to semester the outline below is general and will surely be moified based on the specific study conducted during a semester. In general, however, students will:

1.	___	review a research literature and suggest testable hypotheses based upon the review
2.	___	use laboratory procedures to collect data
3.	___	organize data sets
4.	___	enter data using the SPSS editor
5.	___	analyze data using SPSS
6.	___	write an integrated lab report in APA format as a major course project
8.	___	Access psychological research on the Internet

Week	____	Lab Task
1	____	Introduction
2	____	Research Planning
3	____	Research Planning
4	____	Research Planning
5	____	Research Planning and/or Data Collection
6	__	Research Planning and/or Data Collection
7	__	Research Meetings and/or Data Collection
8	__	Research Meetings and/or Data Collection
9	__	Introduction to SPSS for Windows
10	__	Writing the Research Paper
11	__	Analysis and Interpretation of Lab Data Using SPSS
12	__	Analysis and Interpretation of Data Using SPSS
13	__	Interpretation and Reporting of Data
14	__	Interpretation and Reporting of Data

Course Requirements and Expectations:

1. Attendance is essential. Material will be presented in class that is not in the textbook. It is impossible to make-up laboratory work. For these reasons please plan to regularly attend class and laboratory sessions.

2. Examinations. There will be two examinations in this course. Examinations will include objectively (multiple choice and true/false) evaluated questions. Exams will measure: memory for important information from the readings, lectures, and the laboratory; application of this information in new ways; and relationships among the information presented in the course.

Exams will be taken at the scheduled class period. Make-up exams will only be given in the rarest of circumstances (e.g., illness verified by a doctor's note). If you must miss an exam, it is your responsibility to contact me before the exam. Unexcused absence from an exam will result in zero points for that exam.

Examination I will cover topics from weeks 1-7. Examination II will cover topics from weeks 8-14. The professor retains the option of adjusting the material to be included on an exam. Exams will not be cumulative. Exam dates will be announced in class.

3. In the laboratory portion of the course students are expected to write a complete research paper in APA format appropriate for submission to a scientific journal in social psychology such as JPSP (papers will not actually be submitted). Details for the paper will be given in class.

Students are required to submit this manuscript to the professor at the time and date agreed upon in class. Students must keep a copy of all written material submitted to the professor on a diskette or in some other permanent form.

Collection of data is an important, required, and essential component of the laboratory. In the lab, there will be ongoing data collection throughout the semester and all students are required to learn appropriate lab procedures, develop data collection instruments when necessary, record data accurately, organize data, and enter data using PC based systems. DATA COLLECTION WILL NOT BE RESTRICTED TO THE SCHEDULED LABORATORY OR CLASS MEETING TIMES. FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF PARTICIPANTS, DATA COLLECTION OFTEN OCCURS AT OTHER TIMES CONVENEINT FOR BOTH THE STUDENTS AND THE PARTICIPANTS..

Course Grades

Examinations I and II will each be worth 50 points for a total of 100 possible points. The research paper will be worth 50 points. Thus, there will be a total of 150 possible points in the course. Thus, two-thirds of your grade is based on exams and one-third is based on your research project. Point totals and their associated letter grade range are as follows:

Note that + and - will be used when assigning final grades.