This course is an ONLINE-ONLY course. Please follow instructions below:

   1. Every week I will post a new video on Monday
   2. You have all week to watch the videos and download the slides
   3. If you have questions, I will be holding an online Zoom office hours session on Thursdays from 9:05-10:20am. The Zoom link will be emailed weekly to the class. You can join the discussion to ask questions; you do NOT need to have a webcam or microphone--you can ask questions by typing them into the chat as well.

Please see the "Lecture Slides" tab to access all materials posted weekly.

PSYCHFILES: PSYC 3450

EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY COURSE WEBSITE

Welcome to Experimental Psychology! This website contains all materials pertaining to our course. Please use the navigation below to get started.

  • Alla Chavarga (Lecture)
    Alexandra da Costa Ferro (Lab)
    Leanne Flaherty (Lab)
    Taylan Ergun (Lab)
    Janani Rajagopalan (Lab)
    Karen Rodriguez (Lab)
  • alla.chavarga@gmail.com
    adacostaferro@gradcenter.cuny.edu
    leanne.flaherty@brooklyn.cuny.edu
    tergun@gradcenter.cuny.edu
    janani.courses@gmail.com
    krodriguez4@gradcenter.cuny.edu
  • Online R 9:05-10:20am

Syllabus

  • Course Description

    PSYC 3450: Experimental Psychology

    Basic principles of experimental psychology and experimental methodology. A variety of specific content areas in psychology, including those in social psychology, learning, perception, and cognitive psychology. Laboratory replication of classic experiments from these content areas. This is a writing intensive course.

  • Course Objectives

    Read and evaluate psychological literature

    Understand basics of scientific methodology in psychology. This will be achieved by working through most of the important steps involved in conducting experimental research

    Discuss research benefits from being conducted as part of a research team and in the context of a critical community of peers

    Determine whether you may be interested in other courses and programs that involve empirical research Evaluate claims like those presented in the media, and understand the differences between science and pseudoscience

  • Required Textbook

    We will be using the following textbook:
    Research In Psychology: Methods and Design
    Book by C. James Goodwin and Kerri A. Goodwin
    6th Edition or later is adequate for this course

    Additional resources: Lab instructors may recommend a text that specifically outlines the APA format and writing APA style research reports. This course will require use of the web, internet tools, and computing tools such as excel and JAMOVI (available for free download at jamovi.org).

  • Course Structure

    There will be one lecture video posted each week, along with a chat. The lecture covers material that is available in the textbook. The course schedule outlines chapters that should be read prior to each lecture.

    There will also be a remote lab session each week. Your lab instructor will make specific details on the lab component available. All sections will complete several lab projects, and 3 lab papers. Each lab paper involves writing a full APA research report. The first 2 papers are predetermined, and will cover classic experimental procedures. The 3rd lab paper is to create, conduct, and report your own research project. You must use online data collection methods, but keep at least one manipulation in your 2 x 2 (at minimum) design The 3rd lab paper will require the creation of a PowerPoint (or other acceptable presentation format) presentation. The 3rd lab paper also requires that each individual submit a complete, and independently written research report.

  • Evaluation & Grading

    Your final grade combines your performance on the lab and lecture portions of the course. The lecture portion will consist of two non-cumulative assignments. The lab portion will consist of several projects, 3 papers, and 1 PowerPoint presentation. The overall grading scheme is as follows:

    Midterm Exam 10%
    Final Exam 15%
    Paper 1 10%
    Paper 2 15%
    Paper 3 25%
    PowerPoint Presentation 15%
    Mini-Projects 10%

    Although attendance is not taken in the course, consistent failure to complete assignments and lab projects will result in point deductions. The major focus of this course is to develop your writing abilities.

Course Policies

  • University’s policy on Academic Integrity

    The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. As a student, you are personally responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating, and plagiarism; and, for avoiding both. You can view the complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy here:
    http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies
    If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity, and upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the violation.

  • Assignments and Deadlines

    Both the midterm and final exams will be posted for a full day. You will have this full day in which to complete and submit the exam If you don't receive the exam link because you failed to change your listed email to your preferred email (as indicated in the syllabus) and have missed all alerts and updates, you will not be able to be assigned a grade for this course. Make-up assignments will be given only when there is a “good” reason for having missed an exam. Please contact me in advance in the event that you anticipate missing an assignment. In the event of an emergency, contact me as soon as possible.

    Please be aware that any make-up assignments given AFTER the scheduled date of an exam will not be the same exam as the original. These assignments will differ in the types and formats of questions.

  • Accessibility

    It is important to me that the course be accessible to all students. In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations students must first be registered with the Center for Student Disability Services. Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Director of the Center for Student Disability Services, Ms. Valerie Stewart-Lovell at 718-951-5538. If you have already registered with the Center for Student Disability Services please provide me with the course accommodation form so we may discuss your specific accommodation. A guide and more information can be found at http://catsweb.cuny.edu.

  • Email Correspondence

    I will regularly use e-mail to send out announcements, changes in the syllabus, reminders about tests or due dates etc. It is your responsibility to check e-mail regularly to keep up-to-date with these announcements. I will use the e-mail address you have listed with the college. Therefore, please make sure that this is indeed the correct address.

  • General Help with Research and Writing

    The Learning Center has writing tutors available to help you with your writing: http://lc.brooklyn.cuny.edu.

Course Schedule

  • Week 1 (8/23-8/27)

    Course Introduction


  • Week 2 (8/30-9/3)

    Ch 1: Introduction to Scientific Thinking


  • Week 3 (9/6-9/10)

    Ch 2: Getting Started


  • Week 4 (9/13-9/17)

    Ch 3: Measurement


  • Week 5 (9/20-9/24)

    Ch 4: Single-Factor Designs


  • Week 6 (9/27-10/1)

    Ch 5: Factorial Designs


  • Week 7 (10/4-10/8)

    Ch 6: Theory in Psychology


  • Week 8 ( 10/11-10/15)

    No Class; Midterm (Ch1-6)


  • Week 9 ( 10/18-10/22

    Ch 7: Ethics Pt 1


  • Week 10 ( 10/25-10/29)

    Ch 7: Ethics Pt 2


  • Week 11 ( 11/1-11/5)

    Ch 8: Control Problems


  • Week 12 ( 11/8-11/12)

    Ch 9: Non-experimental Designs


  • Week 13 ( 11/15-11/19)

    Ch 10: Observational Research Pt1


  • Week 14 ( 11/22-11/26)

    No Class: Thanksgiving


  • Week 15 ( 11/29-12/3)

    Ch 10: Observational Research Pt2


  • Week 16 ( 12/6-12/10)

    Ch 11: Small N Designs


  • Week 17( 12/13-12/17)

    No Class: Final (Ch 7-11)




Disclaimer

  • The schedule and procedures described in this syllabus are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. You will always be notified of changes by email. Your enrollment in the course represents your acknowledgment and acceptance of the non-negotiable policies described in the syllabus.
Lecture Slides by Chapter

Paper 1:
Task-Switching

Multi-tasking, especially involving more than one complex task, takes a toll on efficiency and productivity. In this lab, you will investigate first-hand what happens to cognition (mental processes) when people try to perform more than one task at a time. Is the mind and brain designed for heavy-duty multitasking?



Task Switching Program



Reference Paper

Paper Outline

Paper 2:
Stroop Effect

In this lab you will observe the Stroop effect in order to explore attention--a mental activity that allows your cognitive processes to take in and survey selected areas of your surroundings. One specific type of attention is selective attention, which is when people are instructed to respond to certain kinds of information while ignoring other information. The Stroop effect was first described by J. R. Stroop in 1935 when he found that naming the color of squares took a significantly shorter amount of time than naming the ink color of color name words when they did not match. What type of processing conflict is responsible for this phenomenon, and is it altered when people perform the task while standing up?



Stroop Program



Reference Paper 1

Reference Paper 2

Paper Outline

Paper 3:
Individual Final Project

For your final project, you will design and run your own experiment. The requirements for your design is that it be a true experiment (or a quasi-experiment), involve two factors, and at least an N of 20. You are responsible for coming up with a hypothesis, rationale, and a prediction which you will test over the course of approximately 3 weeks individually. Each student is responsible for producing their own individual paper, and must present the results of their experiment in lab. Note: Since this course is now in remote format, you must use online survey methods with which to conduct your experiment (it will still require a manipulation), and may pre-record a video presentation if you are unable to attend a video chat to present live.





Paper-Writing Resources