Welcome to PSYC 350 Laboratory!!

Lab 252

Instructor: Emma Marshall, JD, MA

Today’s Tasks

• Brief Introduction to:
  • Who I am
  • What you will learn
  • Why this class matters
  • How things will work

Lab Instructor

Emma Marshall, JD, MA
📧 Email
⏰ Office Hours: T 12:30-1:30PM | BURN 230

• Law-Psychology (Joint JD/PhD) Program
  • Studies legal decision-making
  • Brank Law & Policy Lab

Two Truths and a Lie 👀

• Everyone shares three statements about themselves
• Two statements are true, one is a lie
• The group guesses which one is false
• Also tell us:
  • Your Name
  • Year in School

What you will learn

Learning Objectives 🎯

• How to…
  • 🔍 Locate, summarize, critique, & integrate primary research and research reviews
  • 💭 Propose original research hypotheses based on your consideration of previous research
  • 📋 Plan the procedures & materials for data collection & analysis relevant to research hypotheses
  • 💬 Report all of the above using a standard (i.e., APA) format and style

Lab Materials 📚

• Canvas: Lab section page for links to materials, lectures & assignments

• Zotero: APA-citation manager

• SPSS or Jamovi: Data analysis

SPSS

Zotero

Jamovi

SPSS vs. Jamovi

SPSS

Download

• Available in Lab
  • Costs $$
  • Widely used

Jamovi

Download

• Personal only
  • FREE
  • Built on R

Lab Grade (40% total)

• Lab assignments (20%)
  • In-Class
  • Take-Home

• Research project (20%)
  • Literature Review
  • APA-Style Report

Questions?

Why is this lab required?

Psych majors
vs. Psych professionals

• The key distinction is ability to:
  • EVALUATE and CREATE new knowledge

💭 Evaluate Knowledge

📋 Create Knowledge

Possible Question- “Why is this course required???”

The fundamental difference between “Psych majors” and “Psych professionals” is the ability to GENERATE and EVALUATE new knowledge

To do your job, you’ll have to know to find and evaluate knowledge that others have generated! You will sometimes have to generate new knowledge so you can do your job!

Empirical Research

• Informs various real world decisions & processes
  • 📢 Peer-review & replication provide credibility
  • 💼 Not limited to academic psychology

Who does what

What is known

How to decide

The importance of empirical research is that it- - Informs every decision and action by professionals - Every decision and action made by psychological professionals is dependent upon research – maybe their own, probably someone else’s. - In order to be ethical (also legal and bill-able), each diagnosis, treatment choice, evaluation, and decision to stop treatment must be defended in terms of replicated, peer-reviewed, published research. - Not just clinical/treatment decisions but those made within areas of human resources, criminal justice, business, education, engineering, etc. – all depend on, and use, knowledge acquired by psychological researchers.

Evaluating Knowledge 💭

Everyone needs to know how to understand & consume empirical research…

• Competent consumers can:
  • 🔍 Find relevant research
  • 📋 Evaluate (& critique) research quality (theory, methods, stats)
  • 🎯 Apply (& integrate) valuable research information to own work

While not everyone needs to be a producer of empirical research, every psychological professional needs to be a competent consumer of research. Being a competent consumer of research means being able to … - locate research that is relevant to your work - critique (evaluate) the quality of the research (theory, methodology, & stats) - integrate the useful information (that passes your evaluation) from the research into your own work

What might be some problems with this headline? Not peer reviewed. What about the pandemic might have changed the experiences and testing environment for babies?

Creating Knowledge 📋

Many jobs require research skills

• Funding sources, clients & employers look for:
  • 📊 Evidence-based decision-making
  • ⏳ Efficiency and cost related concerns
  • 🚥 Competitive advantage

Most people (not just those in academia) find that they do need to produce research to do their jobs …

Why?

Funding sources, clients, & bosses need evidence that what you are doing “works” and is “worth the expense”.

It is not enough that you “do it better” than the others. You need evidence that what you’re doing works, and that it works better than your competitors.

This evidence comes from research conducted, analyzed, and reported by you using your own patients/clients.

Creating Knowledge 📋

Many jobs require research skills

• People who understand the research process and can evaluate, integrate, and apply empirical research have:
  • 💸 Better job prospects
  • 🏆 Improved job performance
  • 🔖 More flexibility!

The point is…Research is going to be a more important part of your ongoing professional activities (and your successes) than you may realize.

Professionals who better understand the research process and know how to evaluate, integrate, and apply the results from empirical research have greater employment potential do their jobs better!

Lecture vs. Lab

• Purpose of LECTURE is to LEARN…
  • Vocabulary
  • Underlying concepts

• Purpose of LAB is to PRACTICE…
  • Application
  • Research skills

How to approach this lab?

So, what does this mean?

Research skills are not only foundational but also iterative…

• You cannot bull💩 success in this class…
  • 📣 Build a solid foundation
  • 💭 Develop strategies that work for YOU
  • ⏰ Take the time to learn how to read a recipe AND cook it

So, we’re here to pursue those activities together during your undergraduate “career” to increase your ability to compete for graduate school or a job.

What do schools & employers look for ??

Excellent performance in research methods/stats courses

Excellent performance in 400-level courses, especially writing and critical thinking skills (which can be improved using the knowledge and skills you’ll have an opportunity to learn in here)

Research experience (which will be easier to find if you do well in here and have the resultant skills)

TL;DR

Important

• Take this course seriously…
  • …if you want a good grade.
  • …if you want to go to graduate school.
  • …if you want a job in any industry.
  • …if you want to understand … the world!

Keep in Mind 👀

Warning

• You need a “C” (not a “C-”) for this course to count toward the Psychology Major
  • You must complete all exams to receive a passing grade in this course
  • You must complete all the take-home laboratory assignments to receive a passing grade in this class
  • You must attend lab classes to receive a passing grade in this class

How to Succeed 🎯

• Do the work…
• Come to lab…
• Be professional…
  • Embrace the process!

Don’t freak out! 🌝

Questions?