Psych 331- Syllabus

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Winter 2001

Course Description:

            This is a 4-credit course designed to provide an opportunity to gain direct, hands-on experience working in a biopsychology laboratory. There are 2 components to the course: the general, lecture/discussion section (Fri 10 AM – noon) and the individual, lab-specific component with your faculty supervisor.

Course Goals:

1)      To gain conceptual knowledge about the various aspects of conducting scientific research and to apply those principles to the hands-on experience gained in the individual laboratories.

2)      To develop the skills required for effectively communicating your research in written and oral form.

3)      To develop the ability to critically analyze research and begin to “think” like a scientist.

Required Materials: Course Pack from Dollar Bill Copying, 611 Church St.

1)      Cozby, P. C. (2001). Methods in behavioral research. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.

2)      Kimmel, A. J. (1996). Ethical issues in behavioral research. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers Inc

3)      Rowan, A. N. (1997). Forum: The benefits and ethics of animal research. Scientific American, 276 (2), 79 – 93.

Course Work:

            The majority of the work for the course will take place in an individual faculty member’s lab. To determine the nature of the work you will be doing, you need to speak to your faculty supervisor, preferably during the first or second week of the semester. Psych 331 requires a considerable amount of time and effort. You will spend 8 – 12 hours/week working in the lab in addition to the time spent reading articles and papers specific to your project. This course is designed to allow students to receive a research experience that is comparable to that of a beginning graduate student. If you know that you are not particularly interested in research, then you will probably find this class to be more work than it is worth. On the other hand, if you are interested in research and are trying to decide if that is career possibility, then this course should give you insight into the real process of science in a way that no pure lecture class ever could.

            For the first half of the semester, your work in the lecture/discussion section will include reading and preparing for class so that you will be able to discuss your laboratory work in the context of the principles found in the readings. In the second half of the semester, you will present your labwork to the class and help constructively critique the presented labwork of others. There are 4 tasks that will meet the ULWR writing requirement (these are described in detail elsewhere):

1)      A short description of the laboratory for which you are working and a description of the questions and methods used to approach those questions.

2)      A research proposal that describes the specific project you are working on and the methods used to address the questions.

3)      An oral presentation, which describes your research, in the lecture/discussion section.

4)      A final written report of your research in journal format.

Grading:

            You will receive one overall grade for Psych 331 that will be determined by your performance in your supervisor’s lab and the written and oral assignments from the lecture/discussion section of the course. The course is weighted as follows:

1)      70% assigned by faculty supervisor- Labwork and final report.

2)      10% Final Research Proposal

3)      10% Oral Presentation

4)      5% Lab Description

5)      5% Lecture/Discussion Attendance

It is critical that you talk directly with your faculty supervisor about the grading criteria he/she will apply to your labwork. In addition, he/she may have attendance criteria that require you to act responsibly (e.g., asking for time off in advance, giving as much notice as possible if you cannot make it to the lab, etc.).

Lecture Policies:

Attendance- To be counted as “present”, you must be here no later than 10’ after the start of class and leave no earlier than 10’ before class ends. If you arrive after 10:20 AM or leave before 11:50 AM, you will be counted as “absent”. If you are absent, I can give you copies of handouts, but I will not give you copies of lecture notes. You must get those from other students. For an excused absence, counted as “present”, you must notify me at least 24 hours prior to the start of class with an explanation of the “extenuating” circumstances of your case. I will determine if your circumstances warrant an excused absence.

Assignments- Papers are due at the beginning of class. Late papers will not be accepted. To receive credit for ULWR, you must turn in all your papers (and rough drafts) on time.  If you think that you will have problems completing an assignment, talk to the GSI or me. We will be happy to give feedback and advice. If you know you will be absent on the day an assignment is due, turn in the assignment early.

Participation- To get the best educational experience out of this class, you should prepare for class by completing the reading assignments prior to class and coming to class ready to participate in the discussion or activity.