Psychology 2856G 001 FW25

Research Methods in Psychology II 

Western University

London                   Canada

 

Department of Psychology

Winter 2026

 

Psychology 2856G    Section 001 FW25

 

Research Methods in Psychology II

 

1     Calendar Description

 

Building on students' knowledge of design and ethical issues in psychological research, this course will introduce more complex designs and data analysis. Students will design and conduct an original research project and communicate the findings in an APA-style written report. https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/academics/timetables.html

 

Antirequisites: Psychology 2800E, Psychology 2820E, Psychology 2830A/B, Psychology 2840F/G.

Prerequisites: A mark of at least 60% in Psychology 2855 F/G.

 

2 lecture hours; 2 laboratory hours; Course Weight: 0.5

 

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

 

2     Course Information

Instructor:                      Caroline Strang

Office & Phone:            see Brightspace Ph. 519.661.2111 ex.89759

Office Hours:                 see Brightspace

Email:                               cstrang@uwo.ca

 

Teaching Assistant:   TBA

Office:                               TBA

Office Hours:                 TBA

Email:                               TBA

 

Time and Location of Classes: Lecture and Lab times, see Timetable on Student Centre

 

 

For courses that include an online component, students must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online learning system requirements.

 

3     Course Materials

 

Research Methods in Psychology – 4th edition

Authors: Rajiv Jhangiani, I-Chant A. Chiang, Carrie Cuttler, & Dana C. Leighton This is an OPEN ACCESS textbook available online at https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/psychmethods4e/

A hard copy version is available for purchase. ISBN – 10: 1085976920

 

4     Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge

·       Analyse published articles and experiments in psychology

·       Design and conduct an experiment

lectures, laboratory activities, group discussions, readings

Research Project

Knowledge of Methodologies

·       Recognize and compare experimental and non-experimental designs in psychology

Tests, exam, lab activities, ethics documents

Application of Knowledge

·       Critique experimental work and formulate new research ideas

Research project

Communication Skills

·       Identify and describe the important aspects of published research articles in psychology

Research project, group presentation

Autonomy and Professional Capacity

·       Develop oral and writing communications skills

·       Understand the ethical standards for research in psychology

Research project, group presentation, ethics documents

 

5     Evaluation

 

Essay Requirement: Evaluation consists of two components: (1) exams that cover lecture material and (2) lab work (research project). Each is worth 50% of the course final mark. Students must pass both the lecture component and the lab component to receive a final passing mark in the course.

 

Lecture component

Test 1 (25%) & Test 2 (25%)

There will be two non-cumulative tests in this course. Tests are based on lecture material and the course textbook. Tests are equally weighted, so each contributes 25% to the final course mark (2 tests x 25% = 50% for class component). Tests may include questions in several formats, including multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, definitions, and short answer. All tests are closed book with no aids allowed.

 

Lab component

Participation – 5%

For each lab (Weeks 2-13, excluding Weeks 7 & 12) there will be participation marks available. These marks will be given based on completion of in-class activities and ‘exit tickets’ to be submitted at the end of class. There are 8 labs in which students will be able to earn .5 participation marks and 2 labs (Weeks 10 & 13) in which students can earn 1 participation grade. Only 10/11 participation grades will count for the final grade and each student can obtain a maximum of 5 marks.

 

Research Project – 45% (this includes all components described below)

Students work in teams of three to five (depending on class size) to generate their own research topics and, once approved, will conduct an original study. Evaluation will be based on a proposal (presentation & paper), ethics materials, and a final written lab report. 

Each student must participate in their team’s data collection process in order to access the final data for her written lab report. In short, in order to use the data for your report, you need to help collect it. 

 

  • Proposal & Presentation – 10%

Each research team will be required to submit a written research proposal and do a 10 minute proposal presentation. The written proposal will consist of a single page, for which a template will be provided. The presentation is expected to involve PowerPoint slides. All groups members must be present during the presentation unless they have approved academic accommodation, but not all members are required to speak during the presentation. The purpose of the presentation is to receive feedback on the study design and all group members should be prepared to answer questions and discuss their study design.

 

  • Ethics Documents – 5%

Before any research can be conducted, the research team must receive research ethics approval for its project for the course instructor. Any individual conducting research without ethics approval will receive an immediate failing grade in the entire course (course grade of F, 40%).

 

Research with human subjects is governed by university regulations and by provincial and federal laws that ensure the welfare of the subjects and the integrity of scientific research. Conducting research without the appropriate ethics review and approval is a serious offence. Each student project is reviewed for ethics approval by the instructor. It is expected that students will conduct their research at Western and will request participation from students on Western property. Students are not allowed to solicit research participation off of Western University property. It is expected that students will behave in an ethical and respectful manner. Participants cannot be coerced into participating in a study, nor harassed if they choose to not participate. It is important that student researchers abide by the statement in their letter of information, which clearly states that individuals may withdraw from the study at any time with no penalty. It is expected that when dealing with the data that they collect, students will respect confidentiality and privacy. 

 

Laws and regulations governing scientific research require that research materials be kept after the conclusion of the study and presentation of the research data. Thus, questionnaires and other data records, and all signed consent forms must be submitted to the instructor with the lab report at the completion of the course for proper storage and eventual destruction. Note that the final lab report will not be considered “handed in” (i.e., late penalties will apply) until all materials have been submitted.  

 

*Failure to submit questionnaires and other research materials and signed consent forms will be considered a breach of ethics and will result in a failing grade (grade of F, 40%) for the course.*

 

  • Final Paper – 30%

The final report is an individual assignment completed by student based on the research completed with their team. The report is required to be in APA format and include full statistical analysis and reporting of the data that was collected during the term.

 

The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4 and are necessary for meeting these learning objectives

 

Policy on Missing Coursework

 

University policy on academic considerations are described here. This policy requires that all requests for academic considerations must be accompanied by a self-attestation. Further information about academic considerations, and information about submitting this self-attestation with your academic consideration request may be found here. Please note that any academic considerations granted in this course will be determined by the instructor, in consultation with the academic advisors in your Faculty of Registration, in accordance with information presented in this course outline.

 

Test 1: Students who are approved for accommodation will be able to write a makeup test. The makeup may be a different format that the original test.

 

Test 2: Test 2 takes place in the final exam period and is subject to the university rules for examinations scheduled by the registrar (i.e. supporting documentation is required for accommodation).

 

Participation: Participation grades will be awarded based on work completed during labs. You can miss 1% of the available participation grades and still obtain 100% on the participation grade. Please note, because not all elements of this assessment are required in the calculation of the final course grade, the instructor reserves the right to deny academic consideration for these missed elements.

 

Presentation & Proposal: Please note that this assessment is central to the learning objectives for this course. Accordingly, students seeking academic consideration for this assessment will be required to provide formal supporting documentation. Students who are granted academic consideration for this assessment will be provided with the following opportunity to make up this work: alternate presentation format. Late penalties for the written proposal component of this assessment will not be applied for the first 48h past the deadline and will then be applied at 5% per day, with weekends counting as a single day. Please note, assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a numerical grade, but may not receive written feedback. This is a group marked assessment, so any late penalties will apply to all groups members.

 

Ethics documents: Late penalties will not be applied for the first 48h past the deadline and will then be applied at 5% per day, with weekends counting as a single day. Please note, assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a numerical grade, but may not receive written feedback. This is a group marked assessment, so any late penalties will apply to all groups members.

 

Final Proposal: Late penalties will not be applied for the first 48h past the deadline and will then be applied at 5% per day, with weekends counting as a single day. Please note, assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a numerical grade, but may not receive written feedback.

 

Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.

 

This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.

 

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines:  https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf

 

The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:

 

70%     1000-level to 2099-level courses

72%     2100-2999-level courses

75%     3000-level courses

80%     4000-level courses

 

In the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.

 

Policy on Grade Rounding

 

Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered.

 

6     Assessment/Evaluation Schedule

 

 

Component

Weight

Date/

Deadline

Test #1

25%

February 11th

Test #2

25%

Final Exam Period

Research Project

45%

See below for component deadlines

Presentation & Proposal

10%

Weeks 5 & 6 (in class)

Ethics documents

5%

February 26th

Final Project

30%

April 8th

Participation

5%

10 labs

See dates below

 

 

7     Class Schedule

 

Week/Class

Date

Description

Assignments and/or Readings Due

 

 

e.g., topic, content

e.g., quiz, paper, group project, exam.

1

Lecture

Jan 7th

Introductions/Course Overview

None

Lab

Survey Scoring & Topic Submission

 

2

Lecture

Jan 14th

Review of single IV designs

Readings: Chapter V

Lab

Research Teams Announced

Participation Grade

 

3

Lecture

Jan 21st

Within Subjects Designs

Readings: Chapter V

Lab

Research Proposal Information

Participation Grade

 

4

Lecture

Jan 28th

Factorial Designs Part I

Readings: Chapter IX

Lab

Research Teams Consultations

Participation Grade

 

5

Lecture

Feb 4th

Factorial Designs Part II

Readings: Chapter IX

Lab

Proposal Presentations

Participation Grade

Due: Written Proposal for presenting groups

 

6

Lecture

Feb 11th

Test #1 (25%)

Weeks 2-5

Lab

Proposal Presentations

Participation Grade

Due: Written Proposal for presenting groups

 

7

Lecture

Feb 18th

Reading Week

Lab

 

8

Lecture

Feb 25th

Programming for Experiments

None

Lab

How to write a research report

Participation Grade

Due: Ethics documents

 

9

Lecture

Mar 4th

Meta-analysis

Readings: Chapters XI

Lab

Guest Research Talks

Participation Grade

 

10

Lecture

Mar 11th

Psychological testing with animals

Readings: will be posted on website

Lab

Bee Demo

Participation Grade

 

11

Lecture

Mar 18th

Choosing a statistical test

& graphing

Readings: Chapters XIII

Lab

Data Analysis for research project

Participation Grade

 

12

Lecture

Mar 25th

EDID considerations in research

Readings: will be posted on website

Lab

No Lab

 

13

Lecture

Apr 1st

Panel Discussion:

Moving forward in science

Participation Grade x2 (1%)

Lab

14

Lecture

Apr 8th

Review/Exam prep

Due: Final Research Project

Lab

No lab

Final Exam Period

Test # 2 (25%)

Lecture material weeks 8-12

 

8     Academic Integrity

 

Scholastic offences are taken seriously, and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.

 

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

 

Statement on Use of Electronic Devices

 

Students can use electronic devices in class (laptops, tablets, cell phones). Please do so respectfully and avoid distracting classmates, the professor, or teaching assistant.

 

Use of electronic devices is prohibited during tests/exams unless specific accommodations have been given.

 

Plagiarism Detection Software

 

All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism.  All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com.

 

Use of AI

 

The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to produce written work is not permitted unless permission is granted by the instructor for specific circumstances. Any work submitted must be the work of the student in its entirety unless otherwise disclosed. When used, AI tools should be used ethically and responsibly, and students must cite or credit the tools used in line with the expectation to use AI as a tool to learn, not to produce content.

AI Policy for Psychology:

Responsible use of AI is allowed in Psychology.  This includes using AI for brainstorming, improving grammar, or doing preliminary/background research on a topic.

 

AI is not to be used in place of critical thinking.

 

The misuse of AI undermines the academic values of this course.  Relying on AI to create full drafts or fabricate sources is prohibited.  You are ultimately responsible for any work submitted, so it is highly advised that you critically review your Generative AI output before incorporating this information into your assignments.

 

If you use AI, you must clearly explain its role in your work.  All written assignments will require an AI Usage Statement, in which you will indicate what tools you have used, what you have used them for, and (broadly) how you have modified this information.  Assignments without an AI Usage Statement will not be accepted.

 

Violations of this policy will be handled according to Western’s scholastic offense policies.

 

Multiple Choice Exams

 

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

9     Academic Accommodations and Accessible Education

 

View Western’s policy on academic accommodations for student with disabilities at this link.

 

Accessible Education provides supports and services to students with disabilities at Western.

If you think you may qualify for ongoing accommodation that will be recognized in all your courses, visit Accessible Education for more information.  Email: aew@uwo.ca  Phone: 519 661-2147

 

10  Absence & Academic Consideration

 

Academic Considerations: https://registrar.uwo.ca/academics/academic_considerations/index.html

 

 

 

11  Other Information

 

 

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness@Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you.

 

If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf. Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal in writing to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).

 

Copyright Statement

 

Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.