310: Methods in Psych Research
Course Description
Methods in Psychological Research introduces statistics and research design for students minoring in psychology. Prereq: P—PSY 151 (D, QR)
This course is designed to help students develop the conceptual background and practical skills necessary to evaluate the statistics encountered in their coursework and in everyday life. It emphasizes selection, application, and interpretation. Topics to be covered include statistical inference, probability distributions, sampling, hypothesis testing, and correlation. The goal will be to go beyond rote memorization of abstract formulas and for students to develop an appreciation for the critical role that statistics plays in psychological science.
Required Materials
Morling, Research Methods in Psychology https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393893724
Course Assignments
Grading Policy
Typically, an A- is defined as 90% of the highest point total in the class, B- as 80% of that total, C- as 70 and D- as 60%. I may shift these values down to provide a better fit to the actual point distribution. By scaling to a percentage of the highest point total in the class, each student has a much better chance of receiving higher grades than if no re-scaling were done. This curve can only help your grade.
The full table is provided below:
| Letter | Cutoff |
|---|---|
| A | 0.95 |
| A- | 0.90 |
| B+ | 0.87 |
| B | 0.83 |
| B- | 0.80 |
| C+ | 0.77 |
| C | 0.73 |
| C- | 0.70 |
| D+ | 0.67 |
| D | 0.63 |
| D- | 0.60 |
Curve Projections
Unsurprisingly, students have many questions about the curve in this class. For tests and other assignments, I try to provide a projected letter grade. This projected letter grade is there to give you a sense of what your score would be if I implemented the class curve on this particular assignment. It is a projection. It is not a guarantee. These projected letter grades are not incorporated into your final grade. Trust me, you do not want me to curve by assignment.
Quizzes
There will be 14 multiple-choice reading quizzes (effectively these are weekly). The best 12 out of 14 quiz grades will be used to determine your total quiz grade. You can drop 2 of the quizzes for any reason.
Exams
There will be 3 exams. The best 2 out of 3 exam grades will be used to determine your total exam grade. You can drop 1 of the exams for any reason.
Short Assignments
There will be 2 short assignments in this course. These assignments will allow you to incorporate some of your own interests into the course. Such interests could be related to your career, another class you’re taking, a hobby you’re exploring, or some other random fancy. They will typically be approximately two (2) pages. I will provide more specific written guidelines at least two weeks before each assignment is due.
The best 1 out of 2 short assignments will be used to determine your total short assignments. You can skip one of the assignments for any reason.
Engagement Activities
There will be multiple engagement activities in this course. These activities will allow you engage with the material for each module. Details about the specific activities will be provided on canvas. Students must complete two activities per module.