Psychology Senior Research Seminar, Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 (v. 10.9.11)

Course: PSYCBC3591, PSYCBC3592

Tuesday 2:10pm-4:00pm

Professor: Larry Heuer

Email: LBH3@Columbia.edu

Telephone: (212)854-7507

Classroom: 530 Altschul

Office hours: Thursday, 2:30-3:30,415K Milbank

Course Learning Goals (and learning outcomes):

• Acquire competence in accessing current psychological research literature (Generate a reading list sufficient to introduce the relevant theory and research on the psychological question(s) your research will examine.)

• Acquire the skills to think critically about psychological theories and the research employed to test them (Write a critique of the published research that is most directly relevant to the questions posed by your research project.)

• Acquire the skills to design studies that pose valid tests of psychological hypotheses (with an appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of various research methods and designs, such as experimental, quasi-experimental, and correlational designs) (Design a study or studies to test a hypothesis that you have generated based upon your reading of the relevant literature concerning your research question)

• Acquire basic descriptive and inferential statistical knowledge to summarize your research data and to identify reliable results (Summarize the results of the study or studies that you have designed, and employ an inferential test of the question(s) you posed.)

• Acquire the ability to clearly communicate theories, hypotheses, hypothesis tests, and research findings, in both written and spoken form (Write a paper in conformance with APA style that is suitable for presentation. Prepare and deliver an oral presentation of your findings.)

Required Reading

• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6^th). The Reference section of the Barnard library maintains a non-circulating copy of this book, as do other libraries on campus. I believe there is also one copy in the lobby of the Barnard Psychology Department.

• Additional readings TBA (e.g., seminal articles submitted by other students).

Course Requirements

• Regular attendance and full participation

• All writing assignments must be in conformance with the publication style of the APA.

• All writing assignments must be read and approved by your research mentor prior to being turned in to me.

• Your practice presentations (April, 2012) must be approved by your research mentor prior to your in-class presentation.