PSYC 217 12b 218 roadmap
Overview
Plan for today involves several key components for improving class coordination and material coverage in both Psychology 217 and Psychology 218 courses.
Presentation of Coordination Plan
Instructors plan to discuss a proposal sent by the coordination team regarding the sequence of classes for Psychology 217 and Psychology 218.
Wrap-up of Descriptive Statistics
The session will include a review of descriptive statistics which may have been covered previously.
New Content Introduction
There will be new content on generalization or external validity introduced in this session.
Student Engagement and Class Structure
Proposal to have a trivia review during the first break to engage students.
Generalization and external validity concepts may be recorded as a video for students to watch at their convenience.
This allows for focused class time on reviewing early material from the term.
Informal poll to gauge student interest in this structure will occur later in the class.
Final Exam Format and Logistics
The final exam format remains consistent with previous assessments:
Includes a test sheet with multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions.
Short answers will be written on the colored test booklet.
The evening class has different final exam dates compared to other sections.
The final exams are typically scheduled at the end of the exam period, often starting as late as 7 PM, 8 PM, or 8:30 PM.
Acknowledgment of conflicts arising from scheduling.
Research Process Overview
Presentation demonstrates a flowchart describing the research process, applicable to graduate students and professionals in research roles.
Key Steps in Research Process:
Research Question: The starting point that reflects specific goals of the researcher or organization.
Different contexts can lead to different types of research questions (e.g., product preference vs. cognitive process).
Developing Hypotheses: Formulating predictions based on the research questions.
Practical Design Elements: Determining methodologies for data collection, sampling, and study design.
Data Collection and Interpretation: Important to evaluate the design's limitations and potential confounding variables that affect internal validity.
External Validity and Generalization
The discussion focuses on the implications of conducting studies with specific population groups (e.g., classmates).
Evaluates the ability to generalize findings across different populations, such as varied ages, cultures, and cognitive abilities.
Dissemination of Research Findings
Emphasis on how results are communicated following the project. Specific formats include:
Scientific Dissemination: Final reports conforming to academic guidelines (e.g., APA format).
Private Sector Dissemination: Flexibility in formats required, which may differ from academic standards.
Importance of poster presentations in both academic and private sectors.
Course Structure: Psychology 217 vs. Psychology 218
Psychology 217 Focus:
Building foundational skills such as planning research studies and understanding preliminary processes before data collection.
Covers aspects such as quasi-experimental designs and their limitations.
Transition to Psychology 218:
Focus shifts to data analysis and interpretation rather than the planning phase.
Students will engage with pre-collected datasets and perform analyses as opposed to collecting new data themselves.
Types of data may include between- and within-subjects manipulation, along with self-reported questionnaires.
Overview of insights required for interpreting results, including understanding design strengths and limitations.
Questions and Clarifications
Q&A session encourages students to ask about course sequencing and other general course topics.
Clarification provided that Psychology 218 will involve using provided datasets for analysis, with the experiment having already been conducted.