PSYC 217-901: Research Methods in Psychology Fall 2021, Term 1 Online home: https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/80513 PROFESSOR: . Andrew Rivers, PhD Student hours: - In-person: Weds 9-10am - Zoom: Tu 2-3pm & W 5-6pm Contact: amrivers@psych.ubc.ca TEACHING ASSISTANTS: Yunru Ma Student hours: Thursday 3-4pm on Zoom Contact: yma@psych.ubc.ca Email Policy: Please include "PSYC217" in the subject line of your emails & note that emails may not be answered on weekends. Andrew is happy to meet individually by email request! . Paradox Zhou Student hours: Thursday 5-6pm on Zoom Contact: linnan.zhou@ubc.ca COURSE DESCRIPTION: . Research Methods in Psychology will prepare you to apply the scientific method to the study of human behavior. In this course you will learn about different methods of acquiring knowledge about human psychology-including experimental, quasi-experimental and non-experimental methods. You will also experience first-hand what it is like to be a psychological scientist as you 1) propose a research idea, 2) develop an experimental test of your research idea, 3) collect experimental data, 4) analyze experimental data, and 5) communicate your findings in a scientific report. Most importantly, this course will allow you to further develop your skills as a critical consumer of scientific knowledge. This is not only a skill for scientists and academics; critical thinking is a highly valued skill in many professions, especially as the Information Age matures with the explosion of easily available and 'big' data. By the end of this course, a successful student can expect to be able to: 1. Describe key scientific principles in psychology. 2. Explain, compare, and contrast various research methods used by psychologists, including their relative strengths and limitations. 3. Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena. 4. Interpret, design, and conduct an experiment to investigate a psychological question. 5. Collaborate with a team to complete a coordinated research project. 6. Demonstrate basic competence in statistical literacy. 7. Apply ethical standards to evaluate psychological science. 8. Demonstrate effective writing skills for dissemination of scientific findings. 9. Exhibit effective presentation skills for dissemination of scientific findings. 10. Critically evaluate research studies and their conclusions. pp. 1
TEXTBOOK METHODS IN BEHAVIOURAL RESEARCH Cozby, P. C., Mar, R. A., & Rawn, C. D. (2020). Methods in behavioural research (3rd Canadian Ed.). Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. ISBN 97812641680002 (for eText & Connect access) ISBN 9781264167999 (for eText, hard copy of textbook, & Connect access) NOTE: Getting the book with access to CONNECT is cheaper than without CONNECT, so we'll be using it. Please make sure your purchase comes with access to CONNECT. COURSE BASICS . PSYC 217 PREREQUITES AND PATHWAYS BEYOND: PSYC 217 requires completion of both PSYC 101 and PSYC 102. PSYC 217 is a program requirement to receive a B.A. in Psychology and is the pathway to enroll in PSYC 218 (Analysis of behavioral data). COURSE FORMAT: Each week will consist of some combination of the following: 1) Video lectures on new course content, 2) Discussions about research articles, 3) Lab work to develop your own research project, and 4) SmartBook quizzes to