Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Sr Independent

PSY 4930-01

Course: PSY 4930-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSY
CRN: 30812

Course Description

Ideally suited to students wishing to pursue a research-oriented career or a graduate degree in psychology. This course reviews and expands on skills required to conduct and disseminate research using the scientific method. By the end of the semester, students are expected to submit an IRB research proposal and successfully defend their thesis proposal. Students are then encouraged to register for PSY 4940, giving them the opportunity to carry out their research project. Given the advanced nature of this research experience, students must have completed at least one of the psychology methods courses and accompanying lab to enroll. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Co-requisite(s): PSY 4935 Prerequisite(s): instructor permission

Required Texts

American Psychological Association Publication Manual (7th ed.)

Learning Outcomes

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: 

 

                                      Introduction   Method   Results      IRB   APA proposal      

 | Knowledge of Human Cultures and the               X                    Physical and Natural World | X           X                                 | X |      X
 | Inquiry & Analysis           X |         X |         X |      X
 | Integrative Learning          X |   |   |      X
 | Communication                 X | X           X | X     |      X          
 | Ethical Reasoning             X |   |   |      X

Course Requirements

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 

Introduction (100 points).This is a approximately 6 paragraph double-spaced synthesis of the literature that introduces the topic of your research and provides the argument for your research question or hypothesis. It should describe research done on the topic; your research question and why it fills a gap in the literature; your hypotheses and rational for your predictions based on the evidence you discuss in the review of the literature. 
 
Method (100 points) This approximately 2-3 page section summarizes the methods you used to conduct the study. This includes descriptions of the a) Participants, b) Measures or instruments, c) Procedures of how you collected the data; and d) type of statistical analyses that you will do. A complete copy of any Measures used (for example, all the items in a survey that you used, should be added to an appendix. You will not have the exact information regarding the participants, but you can write this up as what you hope to achieve in terms of data collection (# of participants; males/females/ ages, etc.).
 
Projected Results (100 points) The section will be the statistical data analysis procedures used, and a summary of the projected results of these analyses. You must include at least one table or one figure in APA style as part of this section. You must relate the outcome/results back to the original hypotheses/research questions that you stated in your Introduction.
 
IRB (100 points) Completion of an IRB, including the description of the proposal and informed consent procedures. Please note that you must attach the certificate of the CITI training that you completed for the lab. If you are conducting a study with non-human animals, you will submit an IACUC and complete the training required under the Animal Welfare Act. 
 
APA style full Proposal (100 points) This combines the sections above and must incorporate the instructor’s feedback from previously graded sections as well as additional sections (Title page, Abstract, References, etc.). The proposal should be about 10-15 pages and include a minimum of 3 pages of references. Grading rubric is attached.

Course Outline

Week/Month                                      Tuesday                                              Thursday

 | 1     August   |  . | 28th     LAB: Syllabus/Introductions The Salkind chapters are noted in this font. Each person chooses 1 day to present on chapters  Class: PP “The Neglected 95%” in psychological research
| 2    September  | 2nd       The role of the IRB; PP Ethics; IRB form; CITI training   | 4th     LAB: 1. The Role and Importance of Research   Class: 2. The Research Process: Coming to Terms
| 3 | 9th       3A. Selecting a Problem and Reviewing the Research Annotated Bibliography is due   | 11th       LAB: CITI training is due Writing the Introduction and Method   Class: 3B. The Importance of Practicing Ethics in Research  
 | 4    |  16th     Class:4. Sampling and Generalizability   | 18th      No class Work on projects  
 |  | 23rd      5. Measurement, Reliability, and Validity  | 25th     LAB: 6. Methods of Measuring Behavior  Class: 9. Nonexperimental Research: Descriptive and Correlational Methods
| 6     October  | 30th      10. Nonexperimental Research: Qualitative Methods | 2nd     LAB and class: Individual conferences
| 7 | 7th      Individual conferences   | 9th      LAB: IRB work day and choosing a faculty mentor class:  12. Quasi-Experimental Research: A Close Cousin to Experimental Research Introduction & Method are due by class time printed
| 8 | 14th      No class – Fall Break | 16th    LAB and class: IRB work day
|  | 21st     7. Data Collection and Descriptive Statistics   | 23rd      LAB: IRB is due before the end of lab printed   Class: 8. Introducing Inferential Statistics
| 10    | 28th     IRB feedback | 30th      LAB: IRB feedback Class – revised IRB is due for submission; submit on line IRB
| 11    November  | 4th        Stats plan work day | 6th      LAB: Stats plan work day  Class: Writing your Results section
 | 12    | 11th     Work on Results and Stats plan | 13th     No LAB or class Results and Stats plan are due print format in my mailbox by 4pm
| 13    |  18th      Work on presentations | 20th       LAB: Work on presentations Class: final approval of poster. Take to print shop by Monday December 1st 
 | 14    | 25th     No Class - Thanksgiving Break  | 27th       No class – Thanksgiving Break
| 15 December APA paper due Thursday, Dec 11th by 12pm printed in my box |   2nd    Bring poster to class to show your classmates | 4th      No LAB; work on APA paper Class- APA paper Q&A  

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late assignments are not accepted.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is required

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.