http://www.cindy.sifonis.com/Classes/Exp250/ExpPage.htm en-us Cindy Sifonis Cindy Sifonis sifonis@oakland.edu Psychology 250: Research Methods and Design Psychology 250: Research Methods and Design no Cold Fusion Custom Process Cindy Sifonis Discussion of Quasi-experimental designs including cross-sectional designs, longitudinal designs, interrupted time series designs and non-equivalent groups designs. Includes discussion of examples. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Quasi.mp3 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Discusses types of small n designs. ABA designs were not recorded due to mp3 recorder battery dying. Muliple Baseline Designs and Changing criteria designs. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Types_SmallN.mp3 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Uses of Small N Designs, terminology, guidelines, behavioral baseline and treatment phases of the design. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/SmallN.mp3 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Explaining factorial designs, terminology, main effects and interactions. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Factorial_Design.mp3 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Posttest only conrol group design, pretest posttest control group design, Solomons Four Group design, multilevel or one way design. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Experimental_Designs.mp3 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Explains logic of Experimental Design. Includes correspondences between the methods of agreement and difference and the control and experimental conditions of an experiment. Concludes with discussion of preexperimental designs. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Logic_of_Design.mp3 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Understanding and controlling for experimenter biases. Includes experimenter expectancy effect, single blind and double blind procedures. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Experimenter_Biases.mp3 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Understanding the source of subject biases in order to control them. Discusses how subject expectations can affect a study. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Subject_Biases.mp3 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Strengths and weaknesses of between and within subjects designs. Discussed control of subject variables such as demand characteristics. Includes discussion of the Clever Hans effect, good subject effects and subject biases. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Subject_Artifacts.mp3 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Controlling subject variables through random assignment to condition and by using within subject designs. Discussed carryover effects, practice effects, fatigue effects and Latin square design. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Between_Within.mp3 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Discussed issues of control, comparison and manipulation in experimental design. Includes discussion of confounding variables. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Control.mp3 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis How to increase external validity including increasing mundane realism and experimental realism. Discussed face validity, content validity, criterion related validity and construct validity. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/External_Validity.mp3 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Internal validity and threats to internal validity. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Internal_Validity_Threats.mp3 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Random and systematic errors. For high reliability, it is important to make many observations, many times, across many situations. Finished with the discussion of inter-rater reliability. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Reliability.mp3 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Discussed how the correlation coefficient indicates whether a positive or negative relationship between variables and the strength of the relationship. Also discussed the relationship between the regrassion line and how data points clustered around the data line and central tendency and variability of the relationship. Discussed why correlation does not imply causation, the directionality problem, the third variable problem and problems with restricted range. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Interpreting_correlations.mp3 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Description of correlational research and the situations in which it is used. How correlation can be used to examine the existence, strength and type of relationship might exist between variables but not whether any relationship is a causal relationship http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Correlational_research.mp3 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Discusses the importance of pilot testing your self report inventory and the benefits of doing so. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Pilot_testing_surveys.mp3 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Discusses the potential errors of self report inventories such as ambiguity, leading questions, including too much in a question, and social desirability bias. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Potential_self_report_problems.mp3 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Explanation of self report. Distinctions between open-ended and close-ended questions as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each. Provided examples of open-ended and closed personality tests. Discussed numerical, forced choice ad graphical scales of measurement. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/self_report_inventories.mp3 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Content analysis: what it is, what it is used for, how to engage in it, advantages and disadvantages http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/content_analysis.mp3 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis How to use frequency graphs, pie charts, box and whisker graphs, Stem and leaf charts, bar graphs and line graphs. Finishes with a discussion of how to present visual information with efficiency, clarity and precision http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Visual_Data.mp3 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Keeping your audience in mind, being concise, be organized, dont editorialize. Discussed the different types of research reports and the constraints associated with each type. PRACTICE YOUR TALK. Other guidelines for giving a research talk. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Presenting_Your_Research.mp3 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Characteristics of systematic observations. When to use observations. How to make the observations. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/systematic_observations.mp3 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Types of research reports. The parts of the research report including purpose, justification, problem addressed, hypothesis, methods, results, discussion. Finished with how to adjust your talk to suit your audience http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Types_of_Research_Reports.mp3 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Discusses relationship between Type 2 errors, beta and power. Included in the discussion of power are the ways of increasing power and the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Concludes with a discussion of effect size, what it means and the relationship between power, effect size and sample size. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Power_and_effect_size.mp3 Sat, 02 Oct 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Illustrative example of null hypothesis testing. Includes discussion about how assumptions regarding the characteristics of the normal curve allow us to make inferences from a sample to the population. Finishes with an explanation of the relationship between alpha, beta, and power. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Bell_Curve_and_Hypothesis_Testing.mp3 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Probability, null hypothesis testing including what constitutes a correct decision, a Type 1 error and a Type 2 error. Discussed p values, their meaning and interpretation and the relationship between p values, alpha and Type 1 errors. Also discussed how p value relates to statistical significance and to marginally significant p values. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Null_hypothesis_testing.mp3 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Importance of z_scores. How to use z scores. How to computer z scores. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/z_score.mp3 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Introduction to inferential statistics including why they are necessary and the importance of BOTH central tendency and variability for making inferences about the general population. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Inferential_statistics.mp3 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Discusses the range, variance and standard deviation as measures of variability. Walked through an example of how to derive the standard deviation. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Variability.mp3 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Measures of central tendency including mode, median and mean. Discussion included strengths and weaknesses of each measure. Also discussed how the mean is influenced by extreme scores leading to skewed distributions and how to distinguish between positively and negatively skewed distributions. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/central_tendency.mp3 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Distinction between descriptive and inferential statistics. Nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio scales of measurement. Using frequencies and percents to describe nominal data. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Scales_of_Measurement.mp3 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Ethical Guidelines including elements of informed consent, beneficence and nonmaleficence, IRB and IRB risk-benefit assessment. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Ethical_Guidelines.mp3 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis History of Ethics with a focus on ethical violations in psychological research. Includes Watsons Little Albert study and Milgrams Obedience to Authority study.Finsihed with a discussion of the controversy surrounding Milgrams research http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/EthicsInPsychologicalResearch.mp3 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Reasons why ethical guidelines are important. History of ethical guidelines including Nazi war trials, Nuremberg code, and the Tuskegee syphilis study http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Ethics.mp3 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Misusing rules of evidence by relying on potentially biased evidence, not looking for disconfirming evidence, rearranging theories, violating connectivity, saying existing evidence for theory has been suppressed, lack of specificity, and oversimplifying complex processes. Concludes with dangers of buying into a pseudoscience http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Pseudoscience_Day2.mp3 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Distinguishing science from pseudoscience. Includes the four ways in which pseudoscience associates itself with true science such as using scientific sounding terms and devices, math, and origins in true science. Used phrenology as an example. Misusing rules of evidence by pseudoscience by relying on potentially biased evidence http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Pseudoscience_Day1.mp3 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Types of research literature, popular press and research articles, sections of a research article, research article databases, parts of the research article including abstract, introduction, methods, results and discussion http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Literature.mp3 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Core elements of scientific research including theory and theory-driven observations, hypotheses, falsifiability, replication. Components of a good hypothesis including parsimony and coherence. Independent, dependent and extraneous variables. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Theory_hypotheses_variables.mp3 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Discusses the fundamental principles of science. Mentions determinism again, discusses empiricism and especially operational definitions as well as arguments as to why operationalizing is a humanizing force in science. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Empiricism_and_Operationalizing.mp3 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Discusses typical ways of generating research ideas. Includes intensive case studies, resolving conflicting results, looking into paradoxical incidents, serendipity, observations. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Generating_Research_Questions.mp3 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Elements making up scientific thinking such as determinism, empiricism, replication, data driven, empirical vs nonempirical questions. Concluded with categories of research including descriptive, relational, experimental, basic vs applied, field vs laboratory. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Elements_of_Scientific_Thinking.mp3 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis The pros and cons of the different ways of knowing. Includes method of tenacity, intuition, authority, rationalism, empiricism and the scientific method. http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/Ways_of_Knowing.mp3 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT Cindy Sifonis Discussion of the syllabus http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/podcastfiles/psy250/250_syllabus.mp3 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:30:02 GMT