Dr. Paul Spector, Fall, 1999

Tuesday/Thursday 9:30-10:45A.M., Beh 359

Office: BEH358

Voice: 974-0357

E-mail: spector@chuma.cas.usf.edu

Website: http://chuma.cas.usf.edu/~spector

Available on campus on Tuesday and Thursday, by e-mail and phone always.

This course is an introduction to the methods used to conduct applied field research in psychology and related fields, such as management or sociology. Concepts and techniques to study people in a variety of settings will be covered. Examples will be taken from various areas of psychology, including clinical, consumer, educational, human factors, and industrial/organizational. The treatment will be primarily conceptual rather than mathematical/statistical, and will emphasize how research is conducted through hands-on experiences and projects.

Note To Psychology Majors: This course fulfills your advanced methods requirement and is an option to Experimental Design or Tests and Measures

The student who successfully completes this course should have gained knowledge about the major methods used in psychology to conduct applied field research, including basic field designs, techniques of psychological assessment, data analysis, and survey techniques. Skills will be enhanced in conducting applied psychological research including designing studies, collecting data, conducting data analysis with SAS, and interpreting results.

We will use a variety of approaches to the study of methodology. Part of class time will be devoted to traditional lectures by the instructor on various concepts of field methods and research. However, expertise in methodology cannot be acquired entirely by memorization of concepts, so a major portion of class time will be set aside for other activities, which will include discussions of research studies, and conducting research projects. Time will be spent in conducting computer statistical analysis with SAS. We will also explore the use of the internet as a tool for conducting research.

Each student will be responsible for presenting results of a field study to the class, which will serve as the basis of class discussion. The student will find a published study in the literature concerning an area of personal interest. Copies of the study should be provided to each member of the class. A brief presentation describing the background, purpose, hypotheses (if any), method, results, and conclusions should be given. Handouts and/or overheads should be used as appropriate. The class will then discuss the study, analyzing and critiquing the methodology, noting among other things strengths and weaknesses, appropriateness of conclusions, alternative ways of analyzing or presenting the data, and suggestions for improving the method.

Students will be placed into groups which will plan, conduct, analyze, and write-up an original research study. With instructor assistance, groups will design and conduct their own field study. Suggested projects will be available, but each group will be free to develop their own idea. Most likely, these studies will be surveys or unobtrusive observations of people in public places.

Colloquium Day: At the end of the semester each group will present results of their study during a colloquium session that will be open to the public, and will be run like a session at a psychology conference. Each of the groups will be given 10-15 minutes to present their study, giving both background/hypotheses and results/interpretation.

The internet provides a wealth of information for applied researchers. We will use it to conduct projects on an applied research topic. All students MUST have access to the internet. A university computer account can be opened by going to Academic Computing in LIB 618 and completing a form. It is FREE for all students, and is probably the only free thing you will get from USF. A commercial provider (e.g., AOL) will be fine. With the USF account you can do e-mail or access the web from home through dial-up if you have your own computer, or from any of the many computer labs on campus or the USF library. Project details will be provided in class.

 I also have established a website that contains information relevant to my courses. The syllabus and my class notes will be here. Go to "Courses", and then "PSY4931". I will put information and links relevant to our internet exercise here, as well. The site contains mainly I/O related information and links.

Research Designs, Spector (R)

How To Conduct Surveys: A Step-By-Step Guide, 2^nd ed., Fink & Kosecoff (H)

Summated Rating Scale Construction: An Introduction, Spector (S)

There will be two take-home exams, worth 25% of your grade each. These must be taken on time.

Group research project will be worth 20%

Internet project will be worth 10%

Presentation will be worth 10%

Participation will be worth 10%

Grading standards: A = 90 to 100; B = 80 to 89; C = 70 to 79; D = 60 to 69.

Notes and tapes cannot be taken for the purpose of sale.

Course Outline (Letters under reading refer to the three above books, and numbers refer to chapters)