Excelsior PSY305 Full Course Latest 2020 December

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 1 Discussion

DQ1 Metacognitive Moments

Did you know that one of the most popular studying habits of students – rereading and highlighting – is one of the most ineffective (Turner, 1992)? We designed all of the activities in this course around how a person actually learns. So, start your brain and put it in gear.

Metacognition is thinking about thinking. In other words, it is awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes. 

Throughout this course, you will be asked to pause and take a metacognitive moment. Based on research conducted at Harvard, known as Project Zero, (Links to an external site.) good thinkers are in the habit of observing, analyzing, and questioning.

To do this, you should:

Be open-minded;

Ask questions and identify your confusion;

Seek justification in support and to counter a claim;

Identify implications for the information; 

Make connections with other things that you know; and

Observe patterns in your thinking.

There are no right or wrong answers, so do NOT spend time looking up the definition of research methods. The purpose of this activity is for you to think about what you already may or may not know about the topic of research methods and to give your instructor insight into your current understanding of research methods.

This is also your opportunity to ask any pre-existing questions you may have about something you know about research methods.

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Week 1:

For the first metacognitive activity define what “research methods” means to you, in your own words. Think about it in regards to your own discipline. You should write down whatever comes to mind.

Week 2:

Now that you have a better understanding of what research methods is, reflect on what you wrote at the beginning of this module.

How has your understanding changed?

Provide an example of how research methods applies in your discipline.

How might you be able to use what you learned in this course in your life, personally and/or professionally?

Do you have lingering questions or need clarification on anything that has been covered in this module? This is a great opportunity to ask, so be sure you do!?

Post your response in the discussion thread below. This conversation is  between only you and your instructor.

DQ2 That Would Never Happen Today! Would It?

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

After going through the materials above, identify an experiment that has been conducted in your field of study; it does not matter how recent it was. Provide a short summary of the experiment, including what was unethical and what was gained from the research.

Based on the basic ethical principles in the Belmont Report, what would you recommend changing in this study to bring it up to today’s ethical standards?

Would making these changes impact the knowledge gained? Why or why not?

In this course, our conversations will last for the duration of the module, which means two weeks. You are expected to be actively involved in the dialogue both weeks.

Your initial post is due by Thursday at 11:59 PM ET during the first week of the module. In addition, you are required to make 3 response posts on at least two different days following your initial post (i.e., you will need to be actively engaged in the discussion on three different days over the course of the two weeks). All response posts are due by Sunday of the second week at 11:59 PM ET.

All discussions combined are 25% of your final course grade.

The instructor will periodically post new questions to which you are required to respond to. It’s important that you return and engage regularly throughout the two weeks.

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 2 Discussion

DQ1 Metacognitive Moments

Start this module off with your thoughts on Stanley Milgram’s research. You’ll need to watch the film, Experimenter (streamable via Amazon or Sundance Now; if you are a YouTube TV subscriber you can view it for free), or read his research article (Links to an external site.) first.

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Week 3:

Discuss why you think Milgram’s research might be considered a nonexperimental design based on your understanding of what constitutes experimental design.

Week 4:

Based on what you have learned in this module, define reliability and validity in your own words. Has your understanding of these two concepts changed? Do you have any lingering questions about these concepts?

DQ2 The Deception

Stanley Milgram, a Yale University social psychologist, conducted an experiment in 1963 that is considered to be one of the most famous unethical studies in social psychology. This experiment was a behavioral study of obedience that involved subjects “administering” electrical shocks at the behest of the experimenter to actors recruited by Milgram to participate in the study. 

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

For this activity, watch the movie, Experimenter (streamable via Amazon or Sundance Now), and the video above, which provides additional insight into why Stanley Milgram wanted to conduct the study and shows actual footage from the study when participants were administering the shocks.

Consider:

Do you think that the cost (i.e., the psychological harm) to the participants in the study was worth the knowledge we gained? Why or why not?

If we wanted to conduct Milgram’s study today, what would we need to change to meet today’s ethical standards?

How do you think the changes you outlined in response to the question above would impact the results of the study? Be sure to explain your reasoning.

When responding to your colleagues, pretend that you are a member of an Internal Review Board (IRB) that is reviewing the “revised” Milgram study (i.e., the one that is taking today’s ethical standards into consideration). You need to determine whether the “revised” study sufficiently meets the ethical standards. To do this, you should ask follow-up questions and make suggestions for any additional changes that are needed. Be sure that your responses is rooted in the ethical standards discussed in Module 1. 

Your initial post is due by Thursday at 11:59 PM ET during the first week of the module. In addition, you are required to make 3 response posts on at least two different days following your initial post (i.e., you will need to be actively engaged in the discussion on three different days over the course of the two weeks). All response posts are due by Sunday of the second week at 11:59 PM ET.

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 3 Discussion

DQ1 Metacognitive Moments

Now that you are halfway through the course, think about how you defined research methods at the very beginning of this course. ?It may help for you to go back and look at what you wrote.

Do you have lingering questions or need clarification on anything that has been covered in this module? This is a great opportunity to ask, so be sure you do!

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Week 5:

Summarize what you used to think research methods was at the beginning of the course and think about how your ideas about research methods have changed as a result of what you have learned in this course. Be sure to explain how you have evolved to this new understanding of what research methods is and how it applies to your discipline.

Week 6:

Think about the different data collection strategies covered in this module.

Are any of the data collection strategies commonly used in your field?

Identify a data collection strategy that is not commonly used in your field. Discuss either why it is not a good fit or make a brief case as to why professionals in your field should start using it. 

How might you be able to use what you learned in this module in your life, personally and/or professionally? 

DQ2 Immortal Life

Watch the video on ethical data collection (Links to an external site.) and read the following about Henrietta Lacks:

Henrietta’s Dance (Links to an external site.)

Review of Rebecca Skloot, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Links to an external site.)

Taking the Least of You (Links to an external site.)

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

First, let’s start with a question based on your opinion. Consider this:

“Most Americans have their tissue on file somewhere. In 1999 the RAND Corporation published a report that more than 307 million tissue samples from more than 178 million people were stored in the United States. This number, the report said, was increasing by more than 20 million samples each year. These samples come from routine medical tests, operations, clinical trials and research donations.” (See the New York Times article)

What do you think  the repercussions would be if scientists were required to inform and get consent? Would restricting this impede scientific advancements and perhaps harm the public good?

After reading and viewing the materials on Henrietta Lacks, answer the following questions:

At the time of the incident (prior to the Belmont Report), was there an ethical breach in the medical care that Henrietta Lacks received?

Was there an ethical breach by the researchers who received Henrietta Lacks cells?

If this happened today: 

What kind of “harm” may have been done to Henrietta or her family by the researchers (intentionally or unintentionally)?

Is there an ethical consequence for the Lacks family that we should be concerned about?

Identify other examples, beyond those in the video, of how data is being collected and used and the potential ethical standards that may be violated. How do you recommend that these situations are handled? 

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 4 Discussion

DQ1 Metacognitive Moments

During Module 3, we discussed sampling techniques and data collection. Think about how you can use this information in your daily life, both personally and professionally.

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Week 7:

Provide an example of how you are using a more critical lens when presented with information. Share the questions that you are asking because of what you now know about sampling techniques and data collection.

Week 8:

Now that you have a better understanding of what research methods is, reflect on what you wrote at the beginning of and midway through this course. How has your understanding changed? Provide an example of how research methods apply in your discipline. How might you be able to use what you learned in this course in your life, personally and professionally?

All Metacognitive Moments combined are 5% of your final course grade.

DQ2 Whose Responsibility Is It?

Watch the video and read the two articles about the ethical issues that can and do arise in research that is publicly shared. The last link is to a website called “Retraction Watch.” This website consists of a searchable database on research in all disciplines that has been retracted due to fraud (fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism), as well as other types of ethical misconduct.

What A Massive Database of Retracted Papers Reveals about Science Publishing’s ‘Death Penalty’ (Links to an external site.)

Viewpoint: Why So Many Scientific Studies Are Flawed and Poorly Understood (Links to an external site.)

Retraction Watch (Links to an external site.)

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

Let’s start this discussion with your opinion. If publishing research results is a form of advertising, as mentioned in the video, does the responsibility of researchers end once they have published their findings? 

Using the Reaction Watch database, identify a study that has been retracted within your discipline recently. Summarize the ethical misconduct – in other words, why the study was retracted. What was the potential harm that the findings could have or resulted in? ?Did the author(s) face any consequences? 

When responding to your peers, discuss your concerns with their studies and the potential implications. Discuss how we can prevent faulty studies from being published, or should we not interfere and leave it up to the consumers who are potentially going to utilize those findings?  Who is at fault, the researcher or the consumer?

 

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 1 Assignment  

Why Are We Doing This?

FIELD NOTES

Throughout this course you will keep a journal with your observations from the field (i.e., your everyday life). You will submit your journal entries each week to verify your understanding of the course topics. Each of your field note journal entries will be about your observations of the selected course topics (look under activity instructions for this week’s course topics). The purpose of this activity is for you to develop an awareness of how the concepts we are studying exist in and affect the world around you.

A journal is personal, informal, and spontaneous. Therefore, it is good to keep it with you at all times. You may use any tool, but mobile journal apps work great. There are several free journaling apps available, as well as the “Notes” app on a smartphone. 

This activity helps you to answer the question, “Why do I need to know this?”. This is also your opportunity to practice and apply your knowledge, which assists in solidifying your understanding of the concepts.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

Write 2-3 field not entries, which should be composed of four parts:

Notes

Description of everything observed or that can be remembered

Analysis

Reflection

Some things to include in your entries:

Date, time and place

Specific facts and details of the observations

Document the event with images, drawings, videos, personal thoughts, etc.

New questions that arise from observations

Your field note entries should be specific observations of when you have applied the following course topics in your everyday life:

Record a time that you have used the scientific method.

Record a time when you “Questioned Authority,” as defined in the course presentation above.

The weekly entries will be marked as complete/incomplete. However, you may receive feedback on your entries from the instructor. You’ll submit your completed journal at the end of the course for a final grade.

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 1 Assignment  

Processfolio #1

In this course, you will research a topic of your choice and write an APA style proposal for a research study in your discipline. The process of developing your research proposal will take place over the duration of the course, and by the end of the course, you will have a complete research proposal to submit.

For this first milestone, you will complete Processfolio #1. Since there is a lot that goes into designing a sound research study, this Processfolio document is intended to guide you through your research study proposal.

Your Processfolio is intended to evolve throughout the course based on your self-assessments and feedback from your instructor. You are expected to make changes based on your instructor’s feedback. 

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

For Processfolio #1, you will brainstorm two potential topics that you are interested in conducting research on and reflect on them prior to making a decision about which you want to pursue. 

Fill out and submit your completed Processfolio #1Preview the document for this activity.

This assignment will be graded as complete or incomplete. Your instructor will give you feedback that you are expected to use to complete Step 2 of the Literature Review milestone.

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 1 Assignment  

The How

FIELD NOTES

Remember to organize your notes to include the following sections:

Notes

Description of everything that can be remembered

Analysis

Reflection

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

Note when you observe a reference to research. You may need to do a deeper dive into the research referenced to complete your journal this week.

Some things to include in your entries:

Summary of the event (include links if relevant).

What type of research method was used? Describe what makes the study that method.

Were there controls?

If the study was quasi-experimental, what type of design did the researchers use?

Document the event with images, drawings, videos, personal thoughts, etc.

New questions that arise from observations.

The weekly entries will be marked as complete/incomplete. However, you may receive feedback on your entries from the instructor. You’ll submit your completed journal at the end of the course for a final grade.

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 1 Assignment  

Protecting Your Research Participants

The ethics information covered in your text was from the viewpoint of a Principal investigator (i.e., the researcher responsible for the study). However, not everyone serves as a Principal investigator (PI); there are other roles individuals can play in research. One specific example is a large research projects where the PI hires individuals to help in the data collection, analysis, and reporting. There are various ethical scenarios that can arise during data collection, analysis, and reporting. The video above covers three different scenarios and what should be done when faced with one of these situations.

Now that you know the importance of protecting the rights and welfare of Human Research Participants and that it is mandatory for every member of a research team. To engage in this interactive exercise, go to The Research Clinic  (Links to an external site.)and click on “Play Full Video”. Watch the introductory video all the way to the end.

Once that video is over, you will be presented with four different characters from which you will select the clinical research coordinator, “Jan Klein, RN.” Feel free to play other parts, but for this short assignment, address the questions from the experience of this character.  Take a screenshot of the final page after completing the activity.

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

After completing The Research Clinic activity:

Submit a screenshot of the final page before returning to the main menu.

Choose one of the critical decision points for the coordinator.

In one to two paragraphs, explain why the decision was critical to maintaining integrity based on Internal Review Board (IRB) protocol.

Explain the role of informed consent, data integrity/validity, participant rights, and participant welfare. 

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 2 Assignment  

Nonexperimental Design

FIELD NOTES

Each note should be composed of four parts:

Notes

Description of everything observed or that can be remembered

Analysis

Reflection

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

Find studies from your discipline that demonstrate each type of correlation (positive/negative) and a study that misconstrues correlation for causation.

Describe each study (provide links, etc.).

Discuss why you think it is an accurate example.

What is the correlation in the study that incorrectly interprets causation?

New questions that arise from the observations

The weekly entries will be marked as complete/incomplete. However, you may receive feedback on your entries from the instructor. You’ll submit your completed journal at the end of the course for a final grade.

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 2 Assignment  

Processfolio #2

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

For this second milestone in Module 2, you will complete your literature review in two steps.

In this first step, you will begin searching the library’s databases to locate at least five (5) scholarly articles that are related to your topic and research question. Be sure to identify articles that are relevant, but also significant to your topic (e.g., the first famous study conducted on your topic). You should include a mixture of older and more recent literature.

Please note, your research question may change slightly depending on what you find in the literature. This is completely normal! Drafting your research question at the beginning is intended to help you focus your search on literature related to your research question.

Sample Literature Review (Links to an external site.)

Submit your completed Processfolio #2 Preview the documentfor this activity.

Complete the literature review templatePreview the document as you read through the articles. This handout is intended to help you identify key information, as well as, similarities and differences between the studies you are reviewing.

This assignment will be graded as complete or incomplete. Your instructor will give you feedback that you are expected to use in completing Step 2 of the Literature Review milestone.

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 2 Assignment  

Define & Measure Variables

FIELD NOTES

Each note should be composed of four parts:

Notes

Description of everything observed or that can be remembered

Analysis

Reflection

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

For this assignment, write 2-3 field note entries on defining and measuring variables in your own field:

The different measurement scales (ordinal, nominal, ratio, and interval)

Be sure to operationally define the dependent variable being measured with the scale.

Reliability and validity.

The weekly entries will be marked as complete/incomplete. However, you may receive feedback on your entries from the instructor. You’ll submit your completed journal at the end of the course for a final grade.

 

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 2 Assignment  

Your Literature Review

As a reminder, the purpose of a literature review is to provide an overview of what other researchers have found out about your chosen topic and to identify gaps in the literature (i.e., what is missing from our current understanding of the topic?). 

Previously, you identified at least five scholarly articles which you reviewed to determine the theoretical/empirical basis for your study; identified how your study would fill in the gaps you found in the literature; determined whether the literature supported your hypothesis and drafted a new hypothesis if needed; and lastly, identified the significance of your study. 

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Your literature review should include the following elements. Refer to this sample literature review (Links to an external site.) for assistance.

To draft your literature review, you will start with an introduction paragraph that starts by identifying your topic.

If you used the Literature Review Notes handout in Week 3, M2.4 Evolve, then you should have identified similarities and differences in the articles that you have read. You will discuss these in the body of your literature review. Typically, discuss the older, more significant studies first and explain how they laid the foundation for the more recent studies that you have selected.

Lastly, you should include a conclusion paragraph that succinctly summarizes the literature.

Your review should be 3-5 pages in length and must include a reference page and appropriate use of in-text citations.

This assignment is due Sunday of Week 4 by 11:59 PM ET.  You will be assessed using the M2.6 Literature Review Rubric.

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 3 Assignment  

Sampling Techniques

FIELD NOTES

Each note should be composed of four parts:

Notes

Description of everything observed or that can be remembered

Analysis

Reflection

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

Find studies from your discipline that demonstrate each type of sampling technique.

What technique was applied?

Was it a representative sample? Why or why not?

Cite your studies.

The weekly entries will be marked as complete/incomplete. However, you may receive feedback on your entries from the instructor. You’ll submit your completed journal at the end of the course for a final grade.

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 3 Assignment  

Data Collection

FIELD NOTES

Each note should be composed of four parts:

Notes

Description of everything observed or that can be remembered

Analysis

Reflection

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

As you go through this week in your day-to-day life, find a couple of research articles and critique the following section of the article:

Methods

Who participated in the study? Are there enough details provided for you to be able to identify a similar sample if you were to replicate the study?

Who was the target population, and do the samples/participants reflect the target population? Based on the information provided, will the author(s) be able to generalize to the target population?

What was the procedure for selecting the sample? Is there a bias in the selection of the participants based on the sampling technique used?

Where was the data collected and how?

The weekly entries will be marked as complete/incomplete. However, you may receive feedback on your entries from the instructor. You’ll submit your completed journal at the end of the course for a final grade.

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 3 Assignment  

Processfolio #3

Throughout the first two modules of this course, you have been completing the various sections of your research proposal using the Processfolio. By now you should have a clearly identified topic, research question, independent and dependent variables, a review of the literature, and an appropriate hypothesis based on the literature. 

For your third and final Processfolio, you will describe your sample and appropriate sampling method. While working on this Processfolio, be sure to take into consideration responsible ethical research procedures. Even though you will not actually conduct your study, you need to propose a study that is meeting the ethical standards and guidelines we have been discussing throughout the course.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

Submit your completed Processfolio #3 Preview the documentfor this activity. Include:

Sampling description.

Data collection procedures.

Describe how you would ensure reliability and validity.

Discuss how you would communicate your findings.

Detail how you would obtain informed consent and debriefing (if applicable).

This assignment will be graded as complete or incomplete. Your instructor will give you feedback that you are expected to use to complete Step 2 of the Literature Review milestone.

All assignments combined are 50% of your final course grade.

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 3 Assignment  

Developing a Survey

For this assignment, you will need to develop a short survey using the best practices covered. If your research proposal includes survey administration for your data collection method and you have not found a survey/questionnaire that has been previously developed and validated by researchers in the field, then you are encouraged to develop a survey that will measure your dependent variable (you will need to include this in the appendix of your research proposal). If your data collection method does not include a survey, then you should select a topic for which you can develop a short survey.

Also see Hands-On Guide to Questionnaire ResearchPreview the document.

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Create your survey and submit in the dropbox.  After the due date for the assignment passes, you will be assigned one of your classmates surveys, for which you will a peer review. To complete your assigned peer review, follow the directions outlined in the video below. You may also use the attached “Peer Review in Canvas Student GuidePreview the document” to complete and view feedback.  

204 – Feedback Overview (Links to an external site.) from Instructure Canvas Community (Links to an external site.) on Vimeo (Links to an external site.).

When reviewing your classmate’s survey, be sure to use the rubric and provided individual feedback.  Use respectful language whether you are suggesting improvements or praising. Also be specific in your feedback, refer to the best practices when noting what is present or missing. If a question is unclear, ask and provide suggestions for improvement.  Your reviews of your peers’ projects will be anonymous to them, however your INSTRUCTOR DOES know who is reviewing individual projects.

Your survey should include the following elements:

Include both closed- and open-ended questions

10-15 questions (Demographic questions do not count toward the 10-15)

Be sure to include information about who you are intending to administer this survey to (this will be important for your classmate to know when reviewing your survey items).

Submit your survey plus two feedback templates: the one you filled out for a peer and the peer review you received.

This assignment is due Sunday of Week 6 by 11:59 PM ET and will be graded as complete/incomplete.

After you submit your survey and the due date passes, you will automatically be assigned one of your peers’ surveys to review. Please note that if you complete your assignment after the due date, your instructor will have to manually assign your peer review and you should send a message to request this.

 

PSY305 RESEARCH METHODS

Module 4 Assignment  

Data Analysis & Communicating Your Findings

FIELD NOTES

Each note should be composed of four parts:

Notes

Description of everything observed or that can be remembered

Analysis

Reflection

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

Identify a research study in your field. Feel free to use the ones that you have referenced in the discussions or in your literature review.

A critique of the research article’s Analysis section:

What type of data was used? Do you think this was the most appropriate data to use for this study? Why or why not?

How did the researchers analyze the data? What sort of statistics were provided?

How did the researchers present the data (e.g