Instructor: Lausanne Renfro-Fernandez
Contact info: 621-3290, crenfro@nmsu.edu
Office Hours: M 11:30-12:30 T 10:30-11:30 or by appointment
Office: Science Hall, Room 321

This course introduces the fundamentals of experimental design for psychological research. Topics to be discussed include the nature of scientific pursuit, the goals of research design and data analysis, the application of research findings, and the importance of experimentation in psychology. Students will gain an understanding of the basis of sound research procedures and gain the experience necessary to design and conduct their own psychological experiments.

The course is a combination of lecture and laboratory. You MUST be signed up for one of the lab sections that accompanies this course. Lab sections meet once a week throughout the semester. Labs will consist of demonstrations and activities, including data collection and projects conducted in labs. Class participation is strongly encouraged; students should feel free to ask questions and discuss the topics introduced in lectures and labs.

Attendance is mandatory at all scheduled lab meetings. Every unexcused absence will lower your final percent score by 1 percent.

Lab Sections: All labs will meet in SH 276.
01A Fri 9:30-11:10
01B Th 8:55-10:35
01C Th 11:45-1:25
01D Th 2:35-4:15

Required Text: Cozby, P.C. (2001). Methods in Behavioral Research (7th ed.). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.

Prerequisites: Students must have successfully completed PSY 201G, and either STAT 251, STAT 271, or EST 311G before taking this course.

Course Web Page: http://web.nmsu.edu/~crenfro/ This web page has (or will have) links to the course syllabus and course assignments.

Course Requirements:

Exams: Four examinations will be given (each worth 10% of your final grade). All material discussed in lectures and labs (demonstrations and exercises) as well as all material in assigned readings (whether covered in lecture or not) is fair game for each exam. The exams will be a combination of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer questions.
Note 1: Makeup exams are strongly discouraged and will be granted only under exceptional circumstances, such as serious illness or a death in the immediate family. To be eligible for a makeup, you MUST adhere to the following two conditions: (1) Notify me PRIOR to the exam that you cannot make it (i.e., talk to me personally, call and leave a detailed message on my voice mail, or email a detailed message) and (2) Provide official documentation of your emergency (e.g., a written medical excuse signed by a physician). All makeup exams will be cumulative and will be given on Friday, May 3 (the last day of classes) at 4:00pm. There are no exceptions to these policies.

Laboratory Reports: This course reflects the research processes that psychologists perform on a daily basis. Throughout this course you will be developing your own hypotheses about human behavior, gathering data, analyzing your results on the computer, and presenting your conclusions in writing. To give you practice in doing this, you will complete two short projects followed by a more substantial final project (discussed below). Each report will be due at the start of class on the due date assigned. Late reports will NOT be accepted. Under special circumstances, the TA may choose to grant you an extension. However, your grade on this assignment will be reduced by 5% (10% for the Final Project) for each day it is late, starting at the time the assignment is collected.

Project Proposal (5%): As a pair, you will briefly explain your hypothesis, how you plan to test it, and your plans for data analysis. You will also show that you have reviewed other relevant research to form your introduction and guide your thinking throughout the project. With the proposal, you will include the human subjects form and the materials for your study for approval from the ethics committee. All of this (proposal, human subjects form, and materials) will be due Thurs. (Fri.), March 21 (22).

Poster Presentation (5%): As a pair, you will present your findings to the other members of the class as part of a semi-formal, mini poster session. The poster presentation will be Thursday, May 3rd. At 8:30a.m., at least one person from each pair will be responsible for bringing the completed poster to SH 276 to set it up for display.

Homework: The remaining 10% of your grade will be based on short homework assignments and exercises given throughout the semester. These assignments will not be accepted late under any circumstances.
Grading: The final course grade will be based on the cumulative percent score earned by each student:

100-90 = A 89-80 = B 79-70 = C 69-60 = D 59 or below = F

Academic Misconduct: If you are caught cheating, plagiarizing, or committing any other form of academic misconduct, you will fail the course, and further action may be taken following the Student Code of Conduct in the NMSU Student Handbook.

Disenrollment Policy: The instructor reserves the right to disenroll students who disrupt class, fail to respect others' confidentiality and privacy, or create an unsafe learning and working environment for others.

Withdrawals: The instructor and TAs will not disenroll you for lack of attendance. It is your responsibility to withdraw from the class. The last day to withdraw with a "W" on your transcript is Wednesday, March 6, 2002. Before that date, you should meet with your TA to determine your current grade in the class and decide whether or not to drop the class. Remember, having "W" on your transcript is better than having "F."

Incompletes: University policy dictates that a student may be given an incomplete ONLY if he or she has passed the first half of the course, and is precluded from successful completion of the course by a documented illness or family crisis. Keep in mind that the instructor decides what constitutes "precluded from successful completion." If something arises in your life that interferes with your ability to do your best in this class, let me know about it as soon as possible. DO NOT WAIT until the end of the semester or after finals week. There is little that can be done at that point.

Extra-Credit: Extra-credit will not be available in this course. Often students who are not performing well in a class look to extra-credit to "save" their grades and spend a great deal of time performing extra-credit activities. This time is better spent preparing for exams. The additional points students may achieve on an exam will increase their grade much more than hours of extra-credit.

Students with Disabilities: If you have or believe you have a disability and would benefit from any accommodations, you may wish to self-identify by contacting the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in Garcia Annex, room 102 (phone: 646-6840). If you have already registered, please make sure that your instructor receives a copy of the accommodation memorandum from SSD within the first two weeks of classes. It is your responsibility to inform either your instructor or SSD representative in a timely manner if services/accommodations provided are not meeting your needs.

If you have a condition that may affect your ability to exit safely from the premises in an emergency or that may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss this in confidence with the instructor and/or the coordinator of SSD. General questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can be addressed to the ADA Coordinator at 646-3333.