PSYC 304 Experimental PsychologyMEF UniversityDegree Programs PsychologyGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy Statement
Psychology
Bachelor Length of the Programme: 4 Number of Credits: 240 TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF: Level 6

Ders Genel Tanıtım Bilgileri

School/Faculty/Institute Faculty of Econ., Admin. and Social Sciences
Course Code PSYC 304
Course Title in English Experimental Psychology
Course Title in Turkish Deneysel Psikoloji
Language of Instruction EN
Type of Course Flipped Classroom
Level of Course Intermediate
Semester Spring
Contact Hours per Week
Lecture: 3 Recitation: Lab: Other:
Estimated Student Workload 146 hours per semester
Number of Credits 6 ECTS
Grading Mode Standard Letter Grade
Pre-requisites PSYC 206 - Research Methods II
Expected Prior Knowledge Research methods
Co-requisites None
Registration Restrictions Only Undergraduate Students
Overall Educational Objective To learn about the use of experimental methodologies in psychology, to develop an understanding of where experimentation might work and where it might not, to develop an ability to critique work using experiments, to gain “hands-on” experience running experimental studies to get some experience in designing an experiment, to improve their skills in statistical analysis and academic writing.
Course Description This is an undergraduate psychology course designed to provide students with knowledge about and hands-on practice with experimental research methods in psychology. The purpose of the class is to teach how to plan, conduct, and analyze experimental research, and how to communicate the results of research to others.
Course Description in Turkish Bu ders, psikoloji öğrencilerinin bu alandaki deneysel araştırma yöntemlerini bizzat uygulayarak öğrenmelerini hedeflemektedir. Dersin amacı deneysel araştırmaların nasıl planlanması ve gerçekleştirilmesi gerektiğini, bu araştırmaların sonuçlarının nasıl analiz edilmesi gerektiğini ve sonuçların nasıl raporlanacağını öğretmektir.

Course Learning Outcomes and Competences

Upon successful completion of the course, the learner is expected to be able to:
1) understand the scientific method and each stage of this process;
2) distinguish between the various non-experimental and experimental types of research designs used in psychology;
3) compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of different research strategies and designs in addressing psychological questions;
4) identify sources of contamination/confounding variables in an experiment; where biases may arise, which may influence results, and how can be controlled;
5) understand the role of the experimenter, the research institution, and the importance of ethics in conducting psychological research;
6) conduct psychological experiments and report the research goals, methods, and findings of this experiment in an APA style format paper.
Program Learning Outcomes/Course Learning Outcomes 1 2 3 4 5 6
1) Thorough knowledge of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.
2) Understanding of and ability to apply essential research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and data interpretation.
3) Competence to use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry and a scientific approach to solving problems related to behavior and mental processes.
4) Understanding and ability to apply psychological principles, skills and values in personal, social, and organizational contexts.
5) Ability to weigh evidence, to tolerate ambiguity, and to reflect other values that underpin psychology as a discipline.
6) Internalization and dissemination of professional ethical standards.
7) Demonstration of competence in information technologies, and the ability to use computer and other technologies for purposes related to the pursuit of knowledge in psychology and the broader social sciences.
8) Skills to communicate the knowledge of psychological science effectively, in a variety of formats, in both Turkish and in English (in English, at least CEFR B2 level).
9) Recognition, understanding, and respect for the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity.
10) Recognition for the need for, and the skills to pursue, lifelong learning, inquiry, and self-improvement.
11) Ability to formulate critical hypotheses based on psychological theory and literature, and design studies to test those hypotheses.
12) Ability to acquire knowledge independently, and to plan one’s own learning.
13) Demonstration of advanced competence in the clarity and composition of written work and presentations.

Relation to Program Outcomes and Competences

N None S Supportive H Highly Related
     
Program Outcomes and Competences Level Assessed by
1) Thorough knowledge of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology. H Exam
2) Understanding of and ability to apply essential research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and data interpretation. H Exam
3) Competence to use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry and a scientific approach to solving problems related to behavior and mental processes. S Participation
4) Understanding and ability to apply psychological principles, skills and values in personal, social, and organizational contexts. S Participation
5) Ability to weigh evidence, to tolerate ambiguity, and to reflect other values that underpin psychology as a discipline. S Participation
6) Internalization and dissemination of professional ethical standards. N
7) Demonstration of competence in information technologies, and the ability to use computer and other technologies for purposes related to the pursuit of knowledge in psychology and the broader social sciences. N
8) Skills to communicate the knowledge of psychological science effectively, in a variety of formats, in both Turkish and in English (in English, at least CEFR B2 level). S HW,Participation
9) Recognition, understanding, and respect for the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity. S Exam,HW,Participation
10) Recognition for the need for, and the skills to pursue, lifelong learning, inquiry, and self-improvement. S HW,Participation
11) Ability to formulate critical hypotheses based on psychological theory and literature, and design studies to test those hypotheses. H Exam,Participation
12) Ability to acquire knowledge independently, and to plan one’s own learning. S HW,Participation
13) Demonstration of advanced competence in the clarity and composition of written work and presentations. S Exam,HW,Participation
Prepared by and Date HİLAL ŞEN , March 2022
Course Coordinator YALCIN AKIN DUYAN
Semester Spring
Name of Instructor Asst. Prof. Dr. BARIŞ SEVİ

Course Contents

Week Subject
1) Introduction - Orientation
2) Qualitative Research, Nonexperimental vs. Experimental Methods
3) Conducting A Good Experiment: Basics
4) Designing an Experiment: Two & Three Groups
5) Designing an Experiment: Multiple Independent Variables
6) Validity Issues & Ethical Issues & Other Problems
7) ARTICLE PRESENTATIONS (INDIVIDUAL)
8) Replication Crisis & Open Science Framework
9) Writing Introduction Section: Literature Review, Plagiarism
10) Writing Methods Section: Participants, Materials, Procedure
11) Writing Results Section: Introductory Statistics: How to Interpret Experimental Results
12) Writing Discussion Section Contribution and Limitations
13) Presenting your research findings Experiments in the lab with animals
14) ORAL PRESENTATION OF GROUP PROJECTS
15) Final examination period
16) Final examination period
Required/Recommended ReadingsSmith, R. A., & Davis, S. F. (2013). The Psychologist as Detective: An Introduction to Conducting Research in Psychology. 6th edition. Pearson. 
 Dr. Barbara W. Sarnecka’s Blog: https://sarneckalab.blogspot.com/2018/07/writing-workshop-table-of- contents.html 
 Article-1:
Ariely, D. & Wertenbroch, K. (2002). Procrastination, deadlines, and performance: Self- control by precommitment. Psychological Science, 13(3), 219-224. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00441 Article-2:
Peterson, T., Kaasa, S. O., & Loftus, E. F. (2009). Me Too!: Social modelling influences on early autobiographical memories. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 23, 267-277. doi:10.1002/acp.1455 Article-3:
Roseberry, S., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2013). Skype me! Socially contingent interactions help toddlers learn language. Child development, 85(3), 956-970. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12166 Article-4:
Ding, X. P., Wellman, H. M., Wang, Y., Fu, G., & Lee, K. (2015). Theory-of-mind training causes honest young children to lie. Psychological Science, 26(11), 1812-1821. doi: 10.1177/0956797615604628 Article-5:
Sugita, Y. (2008). Face perception in monkeys reared with no exposure to faces. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(1), 394-398. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0706079105 Article-6:
Stanley, T. D., Carter, E. C., & Doucouliagos, H. (2018). What meta-analyses reveal about the replicability of psychological research. Psychological Bulletin, 144(12), 1325-1346. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bul0000169 Article-7:
Neuroskeptic (2012). The nine circles of scientific hell. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 643–644. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691612459519 Article-8:
Gullo, M. J., & O’Gorman, J. G. (2012). DSM-5 Task Force Proposes Controversial Diagnosis for Dishonest Scientists. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 689–689. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691612460689 Recommended: • Martin, D. W. (2007). Doing Psychology Experiments. 7th Edition. Thomson- Wadsworth. An electronic APA style guide can be found at the following website: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_g uide/general_format.html
Teaching MethodsThis course will use a flipped format. Students will prepare for class by reading articles (when needed). They will also have a high amount of hands-on experience on designing studies, conducting experiments, and analysing and reporting results.
Homework and ProjectsStudents will submit: 1-) Individual article presentation (Presentation) 2-) Group Project (Research paper)
Laboratory WorkHalf of the classes will be held at laboratory to conduct analyses and work actively on papers
Computer UseStudents will be expected to use appropriate information technology both in preparation time, and during class hours. They will need to search for and read online resources and articles, work together on class exercises, and prepare their assignments.
Other Activities
Assessment Methods
Assessment Tools Count Weight
Attendance 14 % 20
Homework Assignments 1 % 5
Project 1 % 50
Final Examination 1 % 25
TOTAL % 100
Course Administration senh@mef.edu.tr

Students missing a due date for a good reason (e.g., if they have a doctor’s report) may be given some extra time to submit the paper. Students are expected to treat university personnel and one another respectfully at all times; this includes showing respect for class content and for others’ opinions. Plagiarism (copying, copy-paste) includes copying sentences or significant sections of sentences from other sources. This can be from other students’ work, or from sources such as books, articles and websites, even if that source is cited in the student’s work. All instances of plagiarism, or other cheating, will result in a grade of zero for that assignment. There will be no opportunity for makeup exams or assignments where plagiarism or other cheating has taken place. The commitment of acts of cheating, lying, and deceit in any of their diverse forms such as plagiarism, and copying during examinations is dishonest and will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty and plagiarism: YÖK Disciplinary Regulation.

ECTS Student Workload Estimation

Activity No/Weeks Hours Calculation
No/Weeks per Semester Preparing for the Activity Spent in the Activity Itself Completing the Activity Requirements
Course Hours 14 2 3 1 84
Project 3 15 45
Final Examination 1 15 2 17
Total Workload 146
Total Workload/25 5.8
ECTS 6