Psychology 3184F-001 (Online for 2020-21)

Research in the Psychology of Language

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

1.0    CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

This course will introduce students to the variety of research methods used in the psychological study of language. Methods used to study reading processes, speech perception and comprehension, and spoken language production will be covered.

Prerequisites: Psychology 2800E, Psychology 2810 and one of Psychology 2115A/B, Psychology 2134A/B or Psychology 2135A/B, plus registration in third or fourth year Honours Specialization in Psychology or Honours Specialization in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. Third or fourth year Psychology Majors and Psychology Special Students who receive 70% or higher in Psychology 2820E (or 60% or higher in Psychology 2800E and Psychology 2810), plus 60% or higher in one of Psychology 2115A/B, Psychology 2134A/B or Psychology 2135A/B also may enrol in this course 

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 lecture hours, 2 laboratory hours; 0.5 course

 

2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor:                Dr. Laura Batterink               

       Office and Phone Number: WIRB 6124, (519) 661-2111, ext. 85409   

       Office Hours: Friday, 11-12 (held on Zoom), or by appointment       

       Email:        lbatter@uwo.ca                          

 

       Teaching Assistant: Joshua Hoddinott          

       Office: online                                                        

       Office Hours: by appointment                                            

       Email: jhoddin@uwo.ca                                         

 

       Time and Location of Classes:   Monday and Wednesday, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, online

Course Delivery Format: Virtual Blended (some classes will be synchronous and other asynchronous, as specified in the course schedule)

                                                                                   

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western

http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ 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. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.

3.0  TEXTBOOK

Recommended but not required: The 6th or 7th edition of the APA Publication manual

 

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

The aim of the course is for students to gain an understanding of the research methods used in the psychological study of language, from simple observation to complex brain imaging, and of the types of questions each method can address. Students will have the opportunity to observe and participate in demonstrations of many of these methods and will design and conduct a research project in a small group.


   4.1    STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Access, interpret and critically evaluate appropriate research in psychology.

Read 7 assigned journal articles and answer accompanying thought questions; discuss on Forums.

Participate in 3 in-class experiments and 3 “virtual” lab visits (eye tracking, baby lab, ERP).

Search for and read relevant literature for group research project.

 

Final exam (2 new articles and questions)

 

Research project report (esp. Introduction)

Evaluate the appropriateness of different methodological approaches to address a specific psychological question

Group research project

Research project report

Formulate a research hypothesis to address a psychological question and design a research project to test that hypothesis.

Group research project

Research project report

Apply relevant quantitative skills to the analysis and interpretation of psychological phenomena

Excel & SPSS instruction in class.

Analyze data from 3 in-class experiments.

Analyze data from group project.

Results sections: 3 in-class experiments and group research project report

Data Analysis test

Use evidence to support claims

Instruction in writing Introduction & Discussion sections

Research project report

Apply ethical standards to the practice of their own research

Ethics instruction in class

Ethics forms for group project

Communicate in writing accurately, clearly and logically, using the discourse of the discipline of psychology

Instruction in writing research reports

Method and Results section for 3 in-class experiments

Research project report

Communicate orally accurately, clearly and logically, using the discourse of the discipline of psychology

Instruction in oral presentations of an experiment

Group presentations of proposal and final project

Incorporate feedback to change performance

Written feedback given on in-class lab reports

Method and Results section for in-class experiments

Research project report

Work collaboratively with others to achieve a project goal

Group research project

Research project report

 

5.0     EVALUATION

Course performance will be evaluated based on the following sources:

  1. Methods and results section for three pre-programmed experiments – combined 15%
  2. Small group research project:

            Oral presentation research proposal – 5%

            Oral presentation completed project – 5%

            Project execution (incl. ethics forms, programming of the experiment, data collection) – 5%

            Written report – 35%

  1. Midterm data analysis test – 10%
  2. Final exam – 20%
  3. Class participation; assignments and participation posts on OWL Forums – combined 5%

 

The written report is expected to be at least 2500 words in length. A number of additional “low-stakes” assignments and participation posts on OWL Forums are due throughout the course. These assignments are together worth a total of 5% of the final grade. The final exam will be mixed format (including both MCQ and short-answer format).

 

PLEASE NOTE: 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.

 

Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:

70%     1000-level and 2000-level courses
72%     2190-2990 level courses
75%     3000-level courses
80%     4000-level courses
   
The Psychology Department follows Western's grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):

A+  90-100      One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A    80-89        Superior work that is clearly above average
B    70-79        Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C    60-69        Competent work, meeting requirements
D    50-59        Fair work, minimally acceptable
F    below 50    Fail

Note that grades will NOT be rounded. My advice to students is to leave a “margin of error.” If you “need” a certain grade to graduate or to apply to a particular program, you should ensure you do well enough that your desired grade will not depend on one exam question. Deal with problems early, not at the end of the semester. If your grade is much lower than you hoped, talk to me or the TA as soon as the problem is apparent. There’s nothing I can do at the end of the term to help you.


6.0  ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE

Lab 1                                             Sept 27

Lab 2                                             Oct 4

Lab 3                                             Oct 18

Data Analysis Test                          Oct 21

Proposal Presentation                    Nov 16

Complete Project Presentation        Dec 9

Written Report                                Dec 11

            Final Exam                                               TBA – scheduled by Office of the Registrar 

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

09-Sep

Course Introduction, software logistics

14-Sep

Overview of experimental methods

16-Sep

Excel spreadsheet instruction

21-Sep

Lab 1: Lexical decision task

23-Sep

Lab 1 analysis

28-Sep

Lab 2: Priming

30-Sep

Lab 2 analysis

05-Oct

Group project: choose topic, initial research

07-Oct

Lab 3: Self-paced reading

12-Oct

Thanksgiving (No class)

14-Oct

Lab 3 analysis

19-Oct

Consultations on projects: research question

21-Oct

Data Analysis Test

26-Oct

Writing Introductions + Midterm Update

28-Oct

Human Ethics

02-Nov

Fall Reading Break (No class)

04-Nov

Fall Reading Break (No class)

09-Nov

Consultations on projects: methodology

11-Nov

Eye-tracking

16-Nov

Group project proposal presentations

18-Nov

Consultations on projects: programming

23-Nov

Infant language studies

25-Nov

Participant Testing; peer review deadline for Intro & Methods (optional)

30-Nov

Infant language studies - Lab activity

02-Dec

Consultations on Projects: data analysis

07-Dec

Event related potentials

09-Dec

Project presentations

 

A full list of readings and assigned is posted for each day to OWL.


8.0     STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link:  http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. 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 http://www.turnitin.com

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

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



9.0    POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12

 

The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf


Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html

 

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:

  1. Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
  2. For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;

For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html

Students seeking academic consideration:

  • are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;  
  • are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;

must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence



10.0        OTHER INFORMATION

Office of the Registrar web site:  http://registrar.uwo.ca

Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca

Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:

    http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html

- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2020-2021 Calendar References

No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.

Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, 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 lecture notes, wiki material, and other course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.

General Class Policies

 

Late Policy

Late work will be subjected to a 10% penalty per day.

 

Quizzes and Exam

The midterm data analysis test will require you to apply data analysis skills learned during the course. The final exam will have a mixed format, and may include multiple choice questions, short-to-medium answer questions (e.g., fill-in-the-blanks, definitions, or questions that require a short- to medium- length written responses).

The midterm test will be held during class time, as specified on the course schedule. The test and exam will take place online and will be open-book. Question ordering and answer choice will be randomized, and each question will be timed.  The next question will advance automatically after a set interval, even if you have not answered the last question. In addition, the exam format will be “linear” – you will NOT be allowed to return to a question you have already answered. I realize that this format is unpopular with many students, because you can’t change your mind once you have answered a question.  However, this feature is necessary in an online environment to discourage peer collaboration during the exam and to ensure the integrity of individual student answers, given that in-person assessment is not feasible this semester. Please do not ask me to change my mind about this decision – it is final.

 

You are expected to work individually on the test and exam. To ensure the integrity of the tests, they will be conducted via Zoom (see section below for more information). In addition, timing and response patterns will be analyzed.  Use of earphones is not permitted during the exam. If you need to get up during the exam for any reason (e.g. bathroom break), please ask for permission before doing so.

 

Use of Zoom for Quizzes and Exams

Tests and examinations in this course will be conducted using Zoom. You will be required to keep your camera on for the entire session, hold up your student card for identification purposes, and share your screen with the invigilator if asked to do so at any time during the exam. The exam session will not be recorded.* 

More information about the use of Zoom for exam invigilation is available in the Online Proctoring Guidelines at the following link:

https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/onlineproctorguidelines.pdf


Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet connection and a device that meets the system requirements for Zoom. Information about the system requirements are available at the following link:

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us

 

* Please note that Zoom servers are located outside Canada. If you would prefer to use only your first name or a nickname to login to Zoom, please provide this information to the instructor in advance of the test or examination.

 

 

Course Readings

Course readings will be available to students via OWL.

 

Email Policy

I will respond to your email within 2 business days (Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM). If you haven’t heard from me within 2 days, please feel free to send another message. Please include the course reference number in the subject line (Psych 3224).

 

Small Groups

At the beginning of the course, you will be assigned to a small group of 3-4 students. You will work closely with your small group over the semester. A key focus of the course will be the design and implementation of your own research project within your small group. At two points in the semester (approximately 1/3rd through the class and at the end), you will be asked to complete peer and self-ratings of team members on criteria related to preparation, effort and overall group citizenship. Ratings are used to adjust the final group grade for each student, using an autorating system. This is to encourage full participation and effort in this component of the course, and also to flag any potential problems relatively early on. You can also use your small group outside of the class time as a study group. The hope is that your small group will be able to support you in your learning of all aspects of the course material.

 

Synchronous Sessions

 

As specified in the course schedule, some classes will be held synchronously (e.g. data analysis tutorials, “in-class” time to complete group work towards your final project). In the case of tutorials, the synchronous learning sessions for this course will be recorded. The data captured during these recordings may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers (name displayed on the screen). The recordings will be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The recordings may be disclosed to other individuals participating in the course for their private or group study purposes. Please contact the instructor if you have any concerns related to session recordings.  As a security measure, only participants using their UWO credentials will be permitted to access the class. If, for privacy reasons, you wish to use pseudonym, please contact the instructor for pre-approval.

 

Participants in this course are not permitted to record the sessions, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the participant has the prior written permission of the instructor.

 

Online Etiquette

 

Some components of this course will involve online interactions.  To ensure the best experience for both you and your classmates, please honour the following rules of etiquette:

  • please “arrive” to class on time
  • please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
  • please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
  • to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
  • please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
  • unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting

The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants.  To participate please consider the following:

  • If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
  • Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
  • Self-identify when speaking.
  • Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).

General considerations of “netiquette”:

  • Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
  • Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
  • Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
  • Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.

Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.