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| Department of Psychology | |
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Online Sign-up: http://asu.sona-systems.com All students enrolled in PGS 101 are required either to participate in research conducted by members of the Psychology Department or review research in psychology. There are important reasons for this requirement. The first is educational. Psychology is a scientific discipline. The laws of behavior you are studying are based on research findings. Thus, an awareness of the research process is essential to an understanding of the basis of psychology. The best way to learn about research is to participate in research directly or to review published research findings. If you choose to participate in one of the approved experiments, you will see the process from the inside and can ask questions about research. If you choose to review a published study, you can discover how researchers translate theoretical questions into testable hypotheses while adding new results to the field. Both options are available to you, although most students choose to participate in the experiments. Either experience will give you insight into the research process. The second is scientific. Psychology is a rapidly growing science, expanding on many fronts. There are many questions to be answered, hypotheses to be tested, and problems to be solved. Most professors in the psychology department are active researchers, and results from these experiments - the very ones you may participate in - shape current and future developments in psychology. Your textbook likely contains many results from faculty here at ASU. By participating in research you contribute directly to the development of the science you are studying. By reviewing a published article, you see the finished product of research. The third is altruistic. Many students are surprised to discover how research-driven psychology is. Formal research in psychology extends back to the mid-1800's, and psychological journals appeared as early as the late 1800's. For the past 100 years, the vast bulk of published findings in many subfields has come from university students who have chosen to participate in approved experiments. Virtually all principles in psychology, both applied as well as theoretical, can be traced to research findings obtained from research labs. Participating directly in the experiments should enhance your knowledge of psychology while maintaining the continued development of theory in psychology. Student Protection: Experiments are reviewed and approved; articles are from refereed journals. If you participate in one of the approved experiments, you should know that all research conduced in the Department of Psychology has been carefully reviewed by the University Institutional Review Board (IRB). The function of the IRB, in part, is to ensure the safety, rights, and dignity of participants. If you decide to review a published research study, you will be provided with the names of a large array of suitable, refereed journals. These journals contain articles that have been carefully reviewed by other colleagues in psychology prior to publication. Because these journals accept only refereed studies, the studies contain research findings that have followed sound and established principles of science. Participation in experiments entails additional safeguards: Withdrawing from an Experiment. You may withdraw from any study at any time for any reason without penalty, as long as you inform the experimenter of your decision (although you are not penalized, you will not earn credit for any experiment not completed). To withdraw from an experiment, you need to contact directly the experimenter who is in charge of the experiment. If you choose to withdraw from an experiment and the experimenter is not, for whatever reason, available to you, then you need to promptly contact either the professor teaching your class or the chairman of the department of psychology. Informed Consent. Each posted experiment contains a brief description of what the experiment is about, e.g., whether the experiment involves memory or perception or group decision-making, etc. When you sign up for an experiment, you are giving your informed consent to participate in that experiment. This means that you have willingly selected an experiment to participate in. Some experiments may require an additional consent form for participation. In these cases, the consent form is kept on file in the departmental office. Giving your informed consent does not negate your right to withdraw from any experiment for whatever reason. If the experiment includes minors (individuals under 18 years of age), then the researchers MUST obtain parental consent and student assent prior to the minor's involvement in the research project. The only exception is if those individuals are emancipated. Confidentiality. All data collected are kept strictly confidential, to the extent permitted by law. The only persons with access to data are those directly associated with the experiment. Data are typically kept in locked files in locked lab rooms. Here's How It Works: The requirement is very simple. You have to complete the required experimental research credits by the posted close date. Failure to do so will result in a grade of incomplete for the course. There are two kinds of research credit, called research participation credit and report credit, detailed below. Please plan to complete this requirement before the last week of classes. Research Participation Credit. Research participation credit is awarded in units of 1/2 credit or more. Different experiments award different amounts of credit, roughly 1 credit hour for each hour of participation. You may earn from 1/2 credit to 2 credits in a single experiment. Report Credit. Report credit is awarded in units of 1/2 credit or more. A brief summary (200-250 words) of a short report published in a scientific journal earns 1/2 credit, and a more detailed summary (500 words) of a longer report earns 1 credit. Instructions for these reports and a list of acceptable journals are listed at the end of this document. This list contains journals from all major areas of psychology - social, clinical, developmental, cognitive, animal, neuroscience, etc. The student has the option to mix these credits, e.g., 1 hour of participation and 2 hours of report credit. What is critical is that they total 4 hours of credit. A maximum of two hours can be taken from web-based experiments. Option 1: How to Sign Up For Research Participation Credit 1. Go to http://asu.sona-systems.com Option 2: How To Sign Up for Report Credit 1. If you choose to fulfill all 4 hours of credit by satisfying the Report Credit option, discuss this option with your instructor. By selecting this option, you bypass the Research Participation Credit option entirely. 2. If you choose to fulfill part of your credit requirement with the Report Credit option, then notify your instructor of the number of hours you wish to satisfy with the Report Credit option, and then log onto the sona system above to satisfy the remainder of the credit. 3. To obtain report credit, you should read a scientific article and write a report. A brief report (200-250 words or about 1 double-spaced page) of a journal article receives 1/2 credit; a 400-500 word report (approximately 2 typed, double-spaced pages) receives 1 credit. Generally, a brief report is appropriate for journal articles that are only a couple of pages long. A 1-credit report would be appropriate for standard articles. Since most articles have an Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion section, we recommend that your follow this structure in your report. Include, in your own words: A. A statement of what the researcher expected to find and the basis for that expectation. B. A description of the procedure and important manipulations C. A summary of the major result or findings D. A summary of the major conclusion(s) of the study 4. Give the report (or reports) to your instructor for approval. Since all credit is due by the day of your last class, these reports should be given to your instructor at least 48 hours earlier so that the instructor can evaluate the report and give you credit. 5. Be sure to attach a photocopy of the journal article you review. 6. The journals listed at the conclusion of this document may be used for Report Credit. These journals may be found in the University libraries; many are also available online. Penalties and the Recording Thereof: If you fail to appear at an experiment you signed-up for, you will be penalized an amount equal to the credit offered for that experiment. For example, failure to appear for a 1-credit experiment will result in a penalty of 1 credit. In this case, 1 credit would be added to your requirement, and you would then need to obtain a total of five (5) credits during the semester to avoid receiving a grade of incomplete. Remember that you cannot be penalized if you show at the scheduled time and decline to participate. You can also avoid a penalty by canceling your appointment at least 24 hours in advance (detailed below). If you fail to appear at an appointed time due to a medical emergency, documentation will also result in the penalty being removed. Sometimes students are unaware that they have earned a penalty. Penalties for failure to appear at an experiment are posted to "My Schedule" at http://asu.sona-systems.com. If you feel that you have been unfairly penalized, contact the person running the experiment. If you cannot resolve the problem, discuss the matter with your instructor and/or the faculty member in charge of Human Subjects in the Department of Psychology. Currently, Don Homa (donhoma@asu.edu) is in charge of Human Subjects. Canceling Appointments: You may cancel your experiment appointment by logging onto http://asu.sona-systems.com, click on "My Schedule," click on the cancel button next to the experiment that you have signed [up for]. To avoid a penalty, you must cancel your appointment at least 24 hours prior to the time of the experiment. Telephone Appointment: Some experimenters prefer to recruit students by telephone to schedule appointments. If you are called by an experimenter and can be there for the experiment, be sure to get all the information: Date, time, room number, experiment number, and the experimenter's name. Removal of Incomplete: If you received an "I" because of this course requirement, the "I" will be removed, and the grade will be changed on your transcript after you complete the experimental credits (plus penalties). Credits to complete the requirement can be earned either during the Spring, Summer or Fall Semesters. Incomplete for other Reasons: If you find that you will be unable to complete the course work assigned by your instructor for medical, family, or other personal reasons, ask the instructor to help you start the necessary paperwork. Journal for Report Credits: Journal of Experimental Psychology Remember to Obtain a Photocopy of an Article in one of these Journals to Attach to Your Review. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
