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Resources for Students

Psychology 120 - Research Participation

To provide a more detailed and personal understanding of how research is conducted in psychology, students are required to familiarize themselves with the specifics of actual psychological studies. This assignment may be fulfilled in one of two ways.

First, students may participate in ongoing research projects conducted by members of the Psychology Department. Such participation may involve, for example, filling out a questionnaire or engaging in an activity that is part of the experiment.

Alternatively, students may read an article published in a psychological journal and write a short paper on the study.

Students are required to complete FIVE (5) projects. Students may choose from the following:

  1. Participate in five research projects. Please note that some projects may be worth more points than others so fewer projects would be required to reach 5 points. You may NOT participate in the same experiment more than once.
  2. Complete five (5) alternative assignments.
  3. Participate in a combination of different research projects and alternative assignments as long as you achieve 5 points of credit.

Research Projects

To sign up for research projects you must use the online sign-up system called Sona Systems. Your instructor will announce when the website is available to begin signing up for projects. Listed below are a few important notes for using the system.

  1. Students must take note of the date, time, location, and the name of the experimenter running the study. If a phone number is provided, take note of that as well.
  2. To receive a reminder, you need to make sure your email address is correct in the Sona Systems system. To verify or change your email address, go to http://ipfw.sona-systems.com/. After logging in, click on the My Profile tab at the top of the page. If your email address is not there or is incorrect, enter or correct it and click the Submit Changes button at the bottom of the page.
  3. If you forget the date, time, or location for your session, go to http://ipfw.sona-systems.com/ and log in. Click on the My Schedule/Credits tab at the top of the page. You will then see a list of projects you are signed up for and you can verify the date, time and location.
  4. To cancel an appointment prior to an hour before the appointment, you can remove your name from the web sign-up sheet using the online system. To cancel your appointment, go to the ONLINE SIGN-UP SYSTEM and log in. Click on My Schedule/Credits at the top of the page, and click the CANCEL button to the right of the experiment you wish to cancel. This method may be used until one (1) hour prior to the session beginning.

    5. To cancel your appointment within one (1) hour of the session beginning, you may call the researcher if a number is available or use the cancellation number: 481-5441 and then dial 19292 followed by the #. Please speak clearly and leave the following information in the message:

    YOUR NAME (spell your last name)
    EXPERIMENT NAME
    PROFESSOR'S NAME
    TIME OF YOUR APPOINTMENT

    IMPORTANT: Please remember that if your information is not clear, we will be unable to process the cancellation and you will not receive credit for the experiment.

  5. Failure to show up for any appointment and not canceling the appointment will result in you receiving a zero for that appointment. You will not be permitted to make up the missed points by scheduling more appointments. You are allowed five (5) appointment to obtain your five (5) experiment points. So please remember to cancel your appointments in a timely manner.

    You can track the credit earned for participation in research studies with the online system. Check periodically to make sure that your credit has been correctly applied. There is a problem, contact the researcher as soon as you can.

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Alternative Assignments

  1. Log on to myipfw and go to the Helmke library homepage
  2. In the upper right is an area that reads, "Find Resources By . . ." Click on the P
  3. Scroll down and click on PsycARTICLES
  4. Find an article that meets these criteria:
  • The article was published within the last 10 years
  • The researcher(s) collected original data (that is, do not use an article that is purely theoretical, a review of other studies, or a meta-analysis)
  • The participants in the study were human (that is, do not use a study using nonhuman animials, computer simulations, archival materials, etc.)
  • The article appears in one of the following journals: Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, or Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition
  1. Read the article. Write a short report (1-2 pages). You MUST address each of the following to receive credit:
    • Identify the author(s) of the article, the year it was published, the title of the article, and the name of the journal that published the article.
    • Provide a brief summary of the study: What were the researchers trying to find out? What were their main findings? What were their conclusions?
    • What did the participants in this study experience? Would you have liked to have been a participant in the study? Why or why not?

     

    You MUST also adhere to the folllowing formatting guidelines to receive credit:

    • The report must be typed
    • Please use back-to-back printing if possible. If you must use more than one sheet of paper, use a staple in the upper left corner. Do NOT use clips, binders, or folders
    • At the top of your report type your name, PSY 120 instructor's name, and course section number (or days/times when your class meets)
    • Use one inch (1") margins all around the paper.
    • Use 12 point proportional font (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica)
    • Your report should be 1-2 pages in length (do not exceed this limit)
    • Turn your summary into your PSY 120 instructor. Be sure to keep a copy for yourself.

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