Psychology 4850E, 4851E, 4852E, 4842E

Honours Thesis in Psychology

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

 

 

WESTERN UNIVERSITY

LONDON               CANADA

 

Department of Psychology

2024-2025

 

 

Psychology 4850E Section 001 Honours Thesis

 

Psychology 4851E Section 001 Honours Thesis (Science)

 

Psychology 4852E Section 001 Honours Thesis (DCN)

 

Psychology 4842E Section 001 Honours Thesis (Brescia legacy students)

 

 

  1. CALENDAR DESCRIPTIONS

 

All honours psychology students registered in the 4th year of the Honours Specialization programs in Psychology, Animal Behaviour, or Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (DCN) are required to take Psychology 4850E - Honours Thesis OR Psychology 4851E – Honours Thesis (Science) OR Psychology 4852E (DCN) OR Psychology 4842E (Brescia legacy students).  Please note that although these are listed as separate courses they are completely merged together for all honours thesis-related activities, assignments, and meetings. 

 

Psychology 4850E - Honours Thesis.   Independent research under the direction of a faculty member. Antirequisite:  Psychology 4851E, 4852E.     Prerequisites:  Psychology 3801 F/G or the former Psychology 3800F/G and 0.5 from Psychology 3184F/G, 3185F/G, 3285F/G, 3480F/G, 3485F/G, 3580F/G, 3780F/G, or 3840F/G and registration in fourth year Honours Specialization in Psychology.  Students in fourth year Honours Specialization in Animal Behaviour may also enrol in this course. 4 seminar hours. 1.0 course

 

Psychology 4851E – Honours Thesis (Science).  Independent research under the direction of a faculty member.  Topics focus on fundamental psychological processes, their underlying neural mechanisms, their development within individuals, and their evolutionary and ecological contexts.   Antirequiste: Psychology 4850E, 4852E.   Prerequisites:  Psychology 3801 F/G or the former Psychology 3800F/G and 0.5 from Psychology 3184F/G, 3185F/G, 3285F/G, 3485F/G, and registration in fourth year Honours Specialization in Psychology.  Students in fourth year Honours Specialization in Animal Behaviour may also enrol in this course. 4 seminar hours. 1.0 course

 

Psychology 4852E -  Honours Thesis (DCN).   Independent research under the direction of a faculty member on a topic that is both theoretically and methodologically relevant to developmental cognitive neuroscience (DCN).  This course is exclusively for students in the DCN module.  Thesis supervisors must be approved by the DCN Module Coordinator, as well as the honours thesis co-ordinator.  Antirequisite:  Psychology 4850E, 4851E.  Prerequisites:  Psychology 3801 F/G or the former Psychology 3800F/G, and Psychology 3485F/G, and registration in fourth year Honours Specialization in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.  4 seminar hours. 1.0 course

 

Psychology 4842E - Honours Thesis (Brescia legacy students).   Independent research under the direction of a faculty member. Antirequisite:  Psychology 4850E, 4851E, 4852E, 4880E, 4891E.     Prerequisites:  Registration in 4th year of the Brescia University College Honours Specialization in Psychology module. 4 seminar hours. 1.0 course

Distinctions between Psychology 4850E, 4851E, 4852E, and 4842E

  

Psychology 4851E is reserved for students in the Honours BSc Psychology program who are conducting psychological research in cognition, sensation and perception, behavioral or cognitive neuroscience, or developmental cognitive neuroscience and are being supervised by a psychology faculty member conducting research that would fall under the NSERC mandate. Psychology 4852E is reserved for students in 4th year of the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (DCN) Module. Psychology 4842E is reserved for Brescia legacy students. All other students (i.e., those not in 4851E or 4852E or 4842E) must register for Psychology 4850E [including all HBA students, and HBSc students supervised by faculty conducting research that does not fall under the NSERC mandate (e.g., HBSc students doing a thesis project that falls under SSHRC research domains such as personality, measurement, social psychology, educational psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology)].

 

Unless you have been given special permission to enroll in an honours thesis course, you may be removed from the 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 obtained special permission to enroll. If you have been assigned a thesis supervisor by the course instructor, then you will be granted special permission to enroll.

 

 

  1. COURSE INFORMATION

 

Honours Thesis Coordinator:  Dr. Debra Jared

Phone Number:  519-661-2111 Ext. 84631

Office Hours:  E-mail Dr. Jared to arrange an appointment     

Email: djjared@uwo.ca

      

 

Teaching Assistants:

 

 TBA

        

Delivery Method: In person only

 

Time and Location of Classes: see Student Timetable for times and location; on 2 Fridays each term there will be small group meetings outside these times.

 

 

  1. COURSE MATERIALS

 

All course information, announcements, etc. will be available on the Western OWL thesis course website. When you have a question about a course activity, please consult this course outline or OWL first BEFORE contacting the instructor. You are responsible for checking OWL on a regular basis.   Announcements will be automatically sent to your UWO e-mail address, so please ensure that you check that email account regularly.

 

Since each student conducts an individualized thesis research project, there are no textbooks for this course. However, students should use the latest version of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition) when preparing their written thesis. You are not required to buy this Publication Manual but may find it convenient to own a personal copy, especially if you are contemplating going on to graduate school in psychology. Copies may be available in the Bookstore, but it (including an e-copy) can also be obtained through the APA website (https://apastyle.apa.org/products/publication-manual-7th-edition) or on Amazon.

 

 

  1. COURSE OBJECTIVES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

In this course, you will complete a psychology honours thesis research project and then present this project as both a written thesis and a poster. The thesis is a major research project in psychology carried out by a 4th year honours psychology student, under the direction of a qualified psychology thesis supervisor (typically a full-time psychology professor in Western’s Department of Psychology). This is typically an empirical project that requires analysis of data. Some honours thesis projects may involve the collection of original data whereas other projects may draw from existing data sets that may be available from the student’s supervisor.

 

Please note that if any proposed project is unsuitable for an honours psychology thesis, the honours thesis coordinator may require modifications or the development of an alternate project that is suitable.

 

 

 

  1. Depth and Breadth of Knowledge

 

Learning Outcomes

·        Articulate the current state of knowledge, key concepts and main research themes and issues in the major content domain(s) relevant to your honours psychology thesis research project.

 

Learning Activities

·        Reading

·        Meetings with thesis supervisor

·        Regular engagement in thesis research-relevant activities in thesis supervisor’s lab

 

How Assessed

·        Student Presentations (Introduction Talk, Method Talk, Poster Presentation)

·        Written Essays (Introduction Drafts, Method Draft, Final Written Thesis)

 

 

 

  1. Knowledge of Methodologies

 

Learning Outcomes

·        Access, interpret and critically evaluate research resources relevant to your thesis project.

·        Formulate research hypotheses and/or questions to address the main topic of your honours thesis research and implement a research project to test

·        Apply relevant statistical techniques and skills to the analysis and interpretation of the data for your honours thesis project.

·        Evaluate the appropriateness of different methodological approaches to address the specific psychological questions and/or hypotheses that pertain to your honours thesis project

 

Learning Activities

·        Reading

·        Meetings with thesis supervisor

·        Regular engagement in thesis research-relevant activities in thesis supervisor’s lab

 

How Assessed

·        Student Presentations (Introduction Talk, Method Talk, Poster Presentation)

·        Written Essays (Introduction Drafts, Method Drafts, Final Written Thesis)

 

 

 

 

  1. Application of Knowledge

 

Learning Outcomes

·        Articulate how to deal with key ethical research principles and issues that are relevant to your honours psychology thesis research project

·        Use evidence to support conclusions drawn from past research and thesis work

·        Engage in scholarly discussion on topics relevant to your Honours thesis project

·        Provide a creative/novel solution to the major research issues identified in your Honours thesis

 

Learning Activities

·        Reading

·        Meetings with Thesis Supervisor

·        Course lecture on ethics

·        Completion of Ethic Status Form for Thesis Research

·        Student Presentations (Introduction Talk, Method Talk, Poster Presentation)

·        Written Essays (Introduction Drafts, Method Draft, Final Written Thesis)

 

How Assessed

·        Ethics Status Form for Thesis Research

·        Student Presentations (Introduction Talk, Method Talk, Poster Presentation)

·        Written Essays (Introduction Drafts, Method Draft, Final Written Thesis)

 

  1. Communication Skills

 

Learning Outcomes

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

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

·        Develop Psychology conference presentation skills (i.e., present a research project live (in-person) in front of an audience and respond orally to audience questions)

 

Learning Activities

·        Class sessions on writing (Introduction, Method, Whole thesis)

·        Drafts of the Introduction & Method are to be submitted and feedback will be provided before the final draft of the thesis is due

·        Class sessions on giving oral presentations (Introduction, Method, Poster talk)

·        Feedback given on presentations from peers and TA

·        Meetings with Thesis Supervisor

 

How Assessed

·        Student Presentations (Introduction Talk, Method Talk, Poster Presentation)

·        Written Essays (Introduction Drafts, Method Draft, Final Written Thesis)

 

  1. Awareness of Limits of Knowledge

 

Learning Outcomes

·        Recognize the limits of your own knowledge regarding each aspect of your thesis project and how this might influence your analysis and interpretation of your findings in a broader context

 

Learning Activities

·        Reading

·        Meetings with thesis supervisor

·        Regular engagement in thesis research-relevant activities in thesis supervisor’s lab

 

 

How Assessed

·        Student Presentations (Introduction Talk, Method Talk, Poster Presentation)

·        Written Essays (Introduction Drafts, Method Draft, Final Written Thesis)

 

 

  1. Autonomy and Professional Capacity

 

Learning Outcomes

·        Work collaboratively with relevant others (e.g., thesis supervisor, other students and research personnel in supervisor’s lab, thesis course coordinator and TAs) to complete your honours thesis project in an ethical and timely fashion that also demonstrates an appropriate level of effort and professionalism

·        Show initiative and autonomy in executing each phase of your thesis project

 

Learning Activities

·        Meetings with thesis supervisor and other lab personnel

·        Regular engagement in thesis research-relevant activities in thesis supervisor’s lab

·        Interactions with thesis course coordinator and TAs

 

How Assessed

·        Thesis supervisor’s lab mark

 

 

  1. EVALUATION

 

                SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS                   % OF FINAL GRADE           DUE DATES

 

  1. Research Ethics Status Form                                        3%                       Oct. 11
  2. Talk 1: Thesis Introduction                                             5%                       Oct. 25 & Nov. 1
  3. Paper: Preliminary Introduction                                    5%                     Nov. 10
  4. Paper: Introduction Revised draft                                   8%                       Dec. 6
  5. Talk 2: Thesis Method                                                    5%                       Jan. 24, Jan. 31
  6. Paper: Preliminary Method                                             5%                       Feb. 9
  7. Thesis Poster Presentation                                            10%                     March 21
  8. Completed Written Thesis                                              45%                     April 4
  9. Participation in Group meetings                                   4%
  10. Lab participation/engagement 10%

 

            Deadline time is 10 pm on the due date.

 

 

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.

 

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 one week before the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.

 

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%.

 

Assignment Details

 

Completed Written Thesis.  The completed written thesis will be submitted on OWL in PDF form. The final thesis will be marked by the thesis supervisor and a second reader. The second reader (selected by the honours thesis coordinator) is usually familiar with the general topic domain of the thesis. The thesis marks assigned by the supervisor and second reader will be averaged by the honours thesis coordinator, and will contribute 45% of the final overall grade in the course. A class meeting will be held on Friday Feb. 7, 2025 to review the format and type of material to be included in the thesis. The final written thesis is due Friday, April 4, 2025.

 

Thesis Poster.  Students will present their completed thesis research in a poster form on Friday March 21, 2025. Precise details regarding poster preparations will be given in the class session on Feb 7, 2025.  Posters will be graded by the supervisor and second reader, with their averaged marks contributing 10% of the final grade in the course. The poster sessions will give each student an opportunity to present and discuss their completed thesis project, and also to meet their second reader, prior to having the final written thesis graded.

 

Research Ethics Status Form. A completed and signed Research Ethics Status Form is due Oct. 11, 2024. There will be a class meeting on Sept. 13, 2024 to discuss the format and type of material you must include in this form. This form consists of a brief description of the procedural aspects of the research that will form your thesis project, including specific consideration of how ethical research concerns relating to your thesis project will be dealt with. Both the student and supervisor sign this completed form to acknowledge awareness and compliance with all ethical issues and responsibilities associated with the thesis project. This form reports on the status/need for a review of your project by a Western research ethics board, it is not an application for an ethics review. In addition to the Research Ethics Status Form, you must complete one of the following, depending on your research participants:

 

            Human Participants. All students conducting research with humans or analyzing data collected from human participants are expected to complete the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans TCPS 2 (2018) CORE Tutorial here: https://tcps2core.ca/welcome . TCPS 2 (2018) is the statement of ethics principles that guides all human research conducted in Canada, and is available here: https://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/policy-politique_tcps2-eptc2_2022.html . The CORE Tutorial ends by giving you a certificate of completion; that needs to be submitted together with the Research Ethics Confirmation Form. Appropriate completion of this form, along with confirmation of research ethics approval for your thesis research (by the Western Research Ethics Office), is required BEFORE data collection or analysis can begin.

 

Nonhuman Animals. All students conducting research with nonhuman animals must complete the required ethics training courses provided by ACVS. In addition, you must be listed on the appropriate approved Animal Use Protocol that is held by your supervisor. The animal training courses must be completed BEFORE data collection or analysis can begin. Students must submit proof of completion of animal training courses, as well as a copy of their supervisor’s animal use protocol that lists the student as an animal user.

 

Your completed form will be reviewed and graded by the honours thesis coordinator to ensure that your research is: (1) suitable for an honours thesis project, (2) that all ethical issues pertaining to your research have been dealt with appropriately, and (3) that both the student and supervisor have signed the form. Appropriate completion of this form, along with confirmation of research ethics approval for your thesis research (by the Western Research Ethics Office), is worth 3% of your final grade in the course. 

           

Thesis Talks.  During the year, each student will give two talks in small groups. The first talk will be scheduled in late October/early November and will focus on the introduction to your thesis. The second talk will be in late January and will focus on the thesis method. Both talks will be graded by the TA in charge of your small group and each will contribute 5% towards your final grade in the course. Further information about the content of the talks will be provided in class on September 20, 2024 (Talk 1) and January 10, 2025 (Talk 2). The specific date and time for each presenter will be provided in a schedule posted on OWL by late September. You are expected to attend two group meetings for each talk and to provide feedback to peers. Additional sessions will not be scheduled in the event that you do not attend when you are scheduled to present. Accommodations will only be considered if they are approved by Academic Counselling and have accompanying documentation.

 

Thesis Introduction And Method Section Written Drafts.  A preliminary written version of your thesis Introduction is due Sunday, November 10, 2024, and a revised draft is due on December 6, 2024. The preliminary draft must be uploaded on OWL and the same draft must be sent to your thesis supervisor by the due date. Your TA will also send a copy to a peer evaluator, and you will be asked to provide feedback to one peer, selected by your TA. This preliminary draft is worth 5% of your final grade in the course and the revised draft is worth 8%. Class meetings on September 27, October 4, and October 11 will be devoted to instruction on writing your thesis introduction.

 

A written draft of your thesis Method section is due Feb. 9, 2025. This method paper is worth 5% of your final grade. The written drafts of your introduction and method sections, along with the final written version of your thesis, should meet the essay requirement for this course (i.e., a minimum of 5000 words of cohesive discourse).

 

Participation. You will be given a mark for participation in the small group meetings (4%) and in your lab (10%). In small group sessions you will be required to ask questions of other presenters, and to give them written feedback to help them improve their presentation skills. The lab mark will be assigned by your supervisor. Supervisors will be asked to consider your commitment to and time spent on the project, specifically your attendance, enthusiasm, attitude, active participation in the project, active engagement with other member of the laboratory, active reading of the literature, understanding of the project and tools used in the project, and laboratory record keeping.

           

Completion of All Assignments.  The assignments in this course are sequential and build upon each other. Accordingly, it is expected that students will complete each and every oral and written assignment in this course on time, in the proper sequence. Failure to do so may result in serious penalties, up to and including not passing this course. If you are having difficulties in completing assignments on time you should see an academic counsellor.

 

Policy on Missing Coursework

 

Students must seek academic consideration for all missed coursework deadlines from the university portal set up for this purpose. For one assessment from the following Fall Term requirements the request for consideration does not need to have supporting documentation: Ethics Status Form, Preliminary Introduction, Introduction- Revised draft. All subsequent requests for academic consideration on these assessments require supporting documentation. For the Introduction presentation supporting documentation is always required (i.e., self-attestation may not be used). For the following assessment in the Winter Term, the request for consideration does not need to have supporting documentation: Preliminary Method. For the Method presentation and the Poster presentation, supporting documentation is always required (i.e., self-attestation may not be used). For the completed thesis, the deadline is April 4, but submissions are accepted without penalty until April 6 (i.e., there is flexibility in the deadline).

 

Unless academic consideration is granted, assignments that are not completed in time will incur a penalty of 10% of the worth of that assignment per day (i.e., for each 24-hour period or part thereof). You are responsible for ensuring that the final copies of your assignments are correctly uploaded on time. “I uploaded the wrong version” is not an acceptable excuse for submitting an assignment late.

 

Grading Expectations

 

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 and 2000-level courses

72%     2190-2990 level courses

75%     3000-level courses

80%     4000-level courses

              

The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario 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

 

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

 

You will receive the grade calculated based on the assignment weightings described in 5. Grades will be rounded to the nearest whole number, however no further rounding will be done (e.g., marks of 84 and 89 will NOT be bumped up to 85 and 90). No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade, nor will any requests be considered for additional marks because they are needed for a future program (grad/law/med school application, etc). To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assignment during the course.

 

  1. TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE

 

There are no tests or examinations in the honours thesis course.

 

 

  1. CLASS SCHEDULE

 

Attendance is required for all scheduled classes and your assigned small group meetings. In addition to class time, you should expect to spend at least 200 – 260 hours between Sept and April working on your project, including reading, writing and participating in lab activities. 

 

  1. Sept. 6

             Overview of the Thesis Course

                                 

  1. Sept. 13

             Ethics in Research and Completing the Research Ethics Status Form

            

  1. Sept. 20

            Instruction on Talk 1 presentations

   

  1. Sept. 27, Oct. 4, Oct. 11

            Writing Workshops- Writing your Introduction 

             

  1. Small Group Meetings: Talk 1 - Thesis Introduction

             

            Oct. 25            9:00 am - 10:30 am, 10:30 am-12:00 & 1 pm - 2:30 pm

            Nov. 1             9:00 am - 10:30 am, 10:30 am-12:00 & 1 pm - 2:30 pm    

    

(The presentation schedule for all talks will be posted on OWL. Students will attend 2 of these 6 slots (1 per day). Please reserve all 6 slots in your calendar until the schedule is posted)

 

  1. Nov. 8 & 15

 

            Research Methods Workshops – Qualtrics, SONA; Open Access

           

  1. Jan. 10

            Instruction on Talk 2 presentations and writing your Method section

 

  1. Small Group Meetings: Talk 2 - Thesis Method

 

            Jan. 24             9:00 am - 10:30 am, 10:30 am-12:00 & 1 pm - 2:30 pm           

            Jan. 31             9:00 am - 10:30 am, 10:30 am-12:00 & 1 pm - 2:30 pm

             

 

(The presentation schedule for all talks will be posted on OWL. Students will attend 2 of the 6 slots (1 per day). Please reserve all 6 slots in your calendar until the schedule is posted)         

 

  1. Feb. 7

          Information about the format for Posters and the Thesis

 

  1. March 21

           Poster Presentation Day

 

 

Meetings with your supervisor 

 

It is highly recommended that you schedule a regular meeting time with your thesis supervisor.  A regular series of meetings (e.g., on a weekly basis), will help ensure the timely completion of each major phase of your thesis (i.e., Research Ethics Confirmation Form, Introduction, Method, Data Collection, Data Analyses, Poster Presentation, and Final Write-up).  To assist you in planning your time, an illustrative schedule for completing the various phases of your thesis project is presented later in this course outline.

 

Your thesis supervisor should be prepared to offer you help on various thesis-related concerns, such as conceptual and ethical issues, research design considerations, data analysis and interpretation questions, and write-up issues. During the initial phases of your project, your thesis supervisor may also recommend readings associated with your thesis topic. Throughout the year, your supervisor should also be prepared to provide you with feedback on written work you may submit for review and comments. 

 

In turn, as a thesis student, you should recognize that there are many other demands on your thesis supervisor's time. Thus, you should be well prepared for each meeting with your supervisor.  As one specific example, you are expected to show initiative in searching for and becoming knowledgeable about the research literature in your thesis domain. If you wish to receive feedback on written work, you should ensure that this work is submitted to your supervisor well in advance of the time that feedback is sought. 

 

As part of your learning experience in completing an honours thesis, your thesis supervisor may also expect you to regularly engage in various other thesis-relevant research activities in the lab. As such, please ensure you discuss and review with your thesis supervisor, at the beginning of the year, exactly what your supervisor’s expectations are regarding: (1) the frequency of regular meetings for thesis-related activities, and (2) the frequency and extent of participation in additional research-related lab activities.  You should ensure you clearly understand the specific details of these expectations, as your thesis supervisor will also be giving you a Lab participation/engagement mark worth 10% of your final grade.

 

 

Illustrative schedule for thesis completion  (actual due dates also shown)

 

  1. Meet Thesis Supervisor and Complete Initial Work on Thesis Topic: Early to mid Sept.
  2. Conceptualization of Specific Issue to be addressed in Thesis and Literature search: By early Oct.
  3. Conceptualize Thesis Procedure and Complete Research Ethics Confirmation Form: By mid Oct.

                        (Research Ethics Confirmation Form due Oct. 14)

                        (Talk 1 on Introduction is in late October/early November)

  1. Write introduction: November

                          (Preliminary draft due to instructor and supervisor by Nov. 10, revised draft due Dec. 6)

  1. Finalize experimental method and prepare any materials: November-December

                        (Talk 2 on Method is during late Jan.)

                        (Preliminary Written Method due Feb. 9)

  1. Data collection: Completed by late Feb.
  2. Data analysis: Late Feb. to early-March
  3. Poster Session: Poster given to supervisor for review and comments by early to mid-March

                         (Poster Presentation Mar. 21)

  1. Final Thesis Write-up: Completed thesis draft to supervisor by mid-March

(To receive feedback prior to revising and handing in final copy of thesis on April 4)

 

Note.  The above schedule provides a general guide for structuring your time.  Your thesis project may vary somewhat. As such, at the beginning of the year, you should establish with your supervisor a specific timetable for completing each major phase of your thesis (keeping in mind the various due dates for assignments). When scheduling your project, you should note that some studies may require a more complicated process (and thus longer time period) for research ethics approval, especially if they involve any form of deception or the use of vulnerable populations (i.e., clinical samples, school children, etc.).  Finally, when you are designing your thesis project, you should also note that the Psychology Department does not have any funds available for research support for fourth year honours theses.

 

 

  1. OTHER COURSE-RELATED INFORMATION

 

Use of the Department of Psychology Research Participation Pool

 

If you plan to use the Department of Psychology research participation pool, please note that each honours student has a maximum of 50 research participation credit hours that can be used for thesis research.  General procedures for obtaining access to the research participation pool are on the Psychology Department website. In the purple footer bar, click on Research Participation Pool. On the right-hand side of the participant pool page you will see a link to the form that needs to be competed in order to use the pool https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/sona/researchers.html. A copy of your ethics approval form and your TCPS2 completion certificate must accompany the application. You must be listed in the SONA system to be able to get access. If you need an account, contact adobrave@uwo.ca

 

W.J. McClelland Thesis Award

 

The Department of Psychology has established an award for the best 4th year undergraduate thesis written by a graduating student. In order to be eligible for the W.J. McClelland award (worth approximately $500.00), an outstanding thesis must first be nominated by either the student's supervisor, second reader, or the honours thesis course coordinator. A departmental committee then evaluates all nominated theses to determine the award winner. The award winner must be a graduating student.

 

Ontario Undergraduate Thesis Conference 

 

The Annual Ontario Psychology Undergraduate Thesis Conference will be held in May or early June.  More detailed information will be provided when available. Students from a number of Ontario universities participate at this conference and give short thesis talks or poster presentations of their research. In past years, students from Western have typically enjoyed the opportunity to talk and meet with students from other universities.

 

Western Library - Research Help with Your Thesis Topic   

See the Western Libraries Research Support page https://www.lib.uwo.ca/research/index.html for a list of helpful resources, including contact information for help https://www.lib.uwo.ca/contact/index.html .

 

  1. 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.

 

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.

 

 

  1. 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

 

  1. ABSENCE & ACADEMIC CONSIDERATION

 

View Western’s policy on academic consideration for medical illnesses this link

 

Find your academic counsellor here: https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain academic considerations. Students must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence.

 

Medical Absences

 

Submit a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner to Academic Counselling in your Faculty of registration to be eligible for Academic Consideration.

 

Nonmedical Absences

 

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

 

Religious Consideration

 

Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton. Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society.